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Maurice Yvain: Yes!
Les Frivolités Parisiennes
Classical - Released March 22, 2024 | Alpha Classics
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 - The Creatures of Prometheus
Freiburger Barockorchester
Symphonies - Released February 19, 2021 | harmonia mundi
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A true ‘apotheosis of the dance’ in the words of Richard Wagner, Beethoven’s Seventh has enjoyed perennial popularity ever since its premiere - unlike his sole ballet, The Creatures of Prometheus, of which only the overture has remained (more or less) familiar to us. To offer a new version of a key work in Beethoven’s corpus while reviving the complete version of one of his most unjustly forgotten masterpieces: such is the challenge brilliantly taken up by the musicians of the Freiburger Barockorchester, under the direction of their Konzertmeister Gottfried von der Goltz. © harmonia mundi
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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Bruno Leonardo Gelber
Classical - Released January 1, 1988 | Denon
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Beethoven : Piano Trios, Vol. 1
Trio Con Brio Copenhagen
Trios - Released May 4, 2018 | Orchid Classics
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Itzhak Perlman Plays Mozart & Beethoven
Itzhak Perlman
Classical - Released April 4, 2024 | Warner Classics
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Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 (Arr. J. N. Hummel for Flute & Piano Trio)
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Chamber Music - Released November 8, 2019 | Naxos
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Beethoven and Hummel’s relationship was one of fractious beginnings, but ultimately true friendship. Between 1825 and 1835 Hummel arranged his contemporary’s Symphonies No. 1 to No. 7 and Septet, Op. 20 for his favoured combination of pianoforte, flute, violin and violoncello. Beethoven would surely not have objected—arrangements were, after all, a perfectly normal part of the 19th-century musical landscape. To audiences today his symphonies need little introduction but, thanks to the musical sensitivity and sheer brilliance of Hummel’s arrangements, it is possible to experience the thrill of hearing these extraordinary pieces afresh. © Naxos
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Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a - Weber: Jubilee Overture, Op. 59 - Beethoven Overtures
Dimitri Mitropoulos
Classical - Released January 1, 1952 | Sony Classical
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Karol Szymanowski: Piano Works
Krystian Zimerman
Classical - Released September 30, 2022 | Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
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Recordings by Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman are a rare event, and eagerly awaited by his many fans. They surely won’t be disappointed with this new opus that brings together Szymanowski, Zimerman and legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein.Returning to his roots, Krystian Zimerman pays tribute to his compatriot Karol Szymanowski on the 140th anniversary of the composer’s birth. This selection of little-known works testifies to the importance of Szymanowski within the piano repertoire. A long twenty-eight years separate Zimerman's recording of Masques, Op. 34 (made in 1994 in Copenhagen) from the rest of the programme, which was recorded in 2022 in the exceptional acoustics of the Fukuyama Concert Hall near Hiroshima.Nevertheless, the considerable lapse of time between these recordings doesn’t detract from the album's coherence. This is thanks to Zimerman's fluid, clear and readable sound, which—as we know—leaves nothing to chance. This fascinating recording reveals various facets of Szymanowski's compositional genius and features both his mature and early works, all of which were influenced by the great Chopin.Composed during the First World War whilst staying at the family estate in Ukraine, the three parts of Masques evoke Debussy, Scriabin and Stravinsky. However, each movement is overlaid with the orientalist perspective so typical of the Polish composer. A few carefully chosen Préludes and Mazurkas stand alongside the splendid Variations on a Polish Folk Theme for piano, Op. 10, composed by a young Szymanowski still in the process of mastering his mother tongue. © François Hudry/Qobuz
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Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein
London Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released November 17, 2023 | Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
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Qobuz Album of the Week
The tale of American composer Leonard Bernstein is at the centre of the film Maestro, released in September 2023 on Netflix and starring Bradley Cooper. The biopic retraces the immense career of a man who first became familiar with classical composers like Schumann, Strauss, and Beethoven, before skyrocketing to worldwide fame as Broadway’s star composer. Musical theatre, film music, ballets, symphonic works…this musical eclecticism is transcribed in the soundtrack for Maestro, created by one of his greatest fans, conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin of Québec. Much of the music features Bernstein’s own works, such as “On the Town” (1944) and “Fancy Free” (1944), as well as “West Side Story” (1957) and “Mass” (1971). The album also includes the likes of Mahler and Beethoven, composers that greatly influenced Bernstein: the legendary 1973 “Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection’” concert with the London Symphony Orchestra is presented in the film, conducted by director and lead actor Bradley Cooper, who reincarnates this legend of 20th-century music. © Lena Germann/Qobuz
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Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
Leonard Bernstein
Symphonies - Released January 2, 1980 | Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
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Hamelin: New Piano Works
Marc-André Hamelin
Classical - Released February 2, 2024 | Hyperion
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Marc-André Hamelin, by general acclaim, one of the great virtuosos of the day, here attempts to recapture the compositional as well as technical spirit of the pianistic giants of the past. Liszt, of course, was a pianist-composer, but he was not the only one. Hamelin issued an album of his own etudes in 2010, but in these "New Piano Works," mostly composed during the 2010s, he is even more adventurous. Many of these works are variations of one kind or another, and Hamelin starts off with his own Variations on a Theme of Paganini, previously essayed by Liszt, Rachmaninov, and several others. These variations introduce not only the usual high level of virtuosity but also the eclectic range of references in most of these works; he quotes Rachmaninov's set and also alludes to Alkan, Chopin, Brahms, and others. The variation form is ideal for Hamelin's project, for he can drop in quotations and allusions the same as a 19th century virtuoso would. His Variations diabellique sur des thèmes de Beethoven is a wickedly humorous exegesis on Beethoven's Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120. There are hints of jazz in some of Hamelin's variations, and these flower fully in the Suite à l'ancienne, which annotator Francis Pott proposes as a tribute to the jazz-classical fusionist Nikolai Kapustin; he composed a similar Suite in the Old Style. Hamelin concludes with an explosive Toccata on l'Homme Armé, the medieval tune that served as the basis for numerous Renaissance masses. So Hamelin's range of references is wide, but it is never random, and the listener who missed the subtler allusions will still enjoy the music. This is a bold, highly entertaining re-creation of the role of the classic virtuoso, idiomatically and clearly recorded at London's Henry Wood Hall. This release made classical best-seller lists in early 2024.© James Manheim /TiVo
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Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas
Annie Fischer
Classical - Released April 15, 2001 | Hungaroton
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Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! (Complete original score)
John Wilson
Theatre Music - Released September 15, 2023 | Chandos
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While the recordings of highlights and hits from Rodgers & Hammerstein's still-popular Oklahoma! have been issued over the years, the complete, as originally orchestrated score (by Richard Rodney Bennett) had yet to be recorded. However, following a live-staged performance at the 2017 BBC Proms, conductor John Wilson took it upon himself to deliver this premiere. He sticks with the original orchestra dimensions as well, which is a good thing since the handpicked members of his Sinfonia of London are powerful enough in this smaller group. Wilson also took advantage of the quality theaters around London, bringing in soloists and a cast ensemble of veterans from stages across England. He does well in selecting a cast here; while all are more than capable singers, they are also able to deliver the vocal acting that is necessary to pull this off. Leading the cast are Nathaniel Hackmann, reprising his role as Curly from the Proms performance, and Sierra Boggess as Laurey. The vocalists and orchestra take full advantage of the space and recording setup, which allows the orchestra to play full out while not overstraining the singers. The beauty of Rodgers' music paired with Hammerstein's book is evident, even if you are unfamiliar with anything but the titular state (if even that!); the imagery of ranches and open cattle land easily comes to mind. This recording should be welcomed with open arms by those who are familiar with the musical, be it either from a stage (generally edited and with cuts) or in its film version with its edits. Oh, what a beautiful mornin', indeed.© Keith Finke /TiVo
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Atys
Christophe Rousset
Opera - Released January 5, 2024 | Château de Versailles Spectacles
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Backed by the Sun King despite a lukewarm audience reception at first, Lully's Atys (1676) went on to become one of the composer's most successful operas, with revivals at French court theaters as late as 1753. In modern times, however, it is a considerably rarer item due to the massive forces and time required. Christophe Rousset was in the pit as harpsichordist when conductor William Christie gave the first modern revival of the work in the late '80s. That experience marks this 2024 release, which made classical best-seller lists at the beginning of that year. That is not common for a hefty five-act Baroque opera, but even a bit of sampling will confirm why it happened: Rousset, from the keyboard, brings tremendous energy to the opera. He pushes the tempo in the numerous dances and entrance numbers, and the musicians of Les Talens Lyriques and the singers of the Choeur du Chambre de Namur, all of whom have worked closely with Rousset in the past, keep right up. The singers in the solo roles are all fine; haut-contre Reinoud Van Mechelen in the title role and Ambroisine Bré as the goddess Cybèle, who sets the tragic plot in motion, are standouts. The sound from the increasingly engineering-expert Château de Versailles label is exceptionally clear in complex textures, and the sensuous cover art (representing, it is true, not the Roman mythological figure of Atys but Hippomène and Atalante) is a bonus. In the end, this is Rousset's Atys, and that is a very good thing.© James Manheim /TiVo
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Parry: Scenes from Shelley's Prometheus Unbound, Blest Pair of Sirens
London Mozart Players
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released September 8, 2023 | Chandos
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Gramophone: Recording of the Month
Hubert Parry's Scenes from Shelley's Prometheus Unbound, from 1880, here receives its world-recorded premiere. Perhaps recording companies thought there wouldn't be much of a market for a heavy 19th century choral work with, it must be said, a ponderous text by Percy Bysshe Shelley (Prometheus was a play intended to be read, not performed, just to give an idea). How wrong they were. This release made classical best-seller lists in the summer of 2023, and it is altogether enjoyable. At the time, Parry was under the spell of Wagner, whom he traveled to Bayreuth to meet. That influence certainly shows up in Scenes from Shelley's Prometheus Unbound, with its basically declamatory text, partly through-composed music, wind-and-brass-heavy orchestration, and splashes of chromaticism. Yet what is remarkable is that the music does not come off as an imitation of Wagner at all. Rather, it uses elements of his style to match a specific kind of English literary text. The work gradually disappeared, but it would be surprising if Elgar, whom it clearly prefigures, did not know it well. The performances here are luminous, with William Vann using the lighter-than-expected London Mozart Players to create transparent textures against which he can set the substantial voices of Sarah Fox, Sarah Connolly, and other soloists. Parry did write some shorter pieces that remain in the repertory; one of these, Blest Pair of Sirens, is included here as a finale. However, the Scenes from Shelley's Prometheus Unbound are the main news here, and this performance, showing how this kind of thing should be done, may generate a new life for the work.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Childhood Tales
Isata Kanneh-Mason
Classical - Released May 26, 2023 | Decca Music Group Ltd.
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One sometimes feels trepidation about the prodigious Kanneh-Mason siblings, who must be under tremendous pressure, but they've shown an admirable ability to pick projects that they connect with and are comfortable with. Childhood Tales, from pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, is a case in point. Most of the music is standard for this kind of program; Mozart's 12 Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman," K. 265, Schumann's Kinderszenen, Op. 15, and Debussy's Children's Corner have hundreds of recordings in the catalog. However, Kanneh-Mason inserts a considerably less well-known piece into the sequence: Ernst von Dohnányi's Variations on a Nursery Song, Op. 25. The theme of this set is the same as that of Mozart's, a tune better known in English as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." The Dohnányi piece is a real gem, full of wit and beginning with an imposing introduction whose function becomes clear only at the end of the work. Kanneh-Mason's reading catches the humor and really is worth the price of admission all by itself. Her readings of the standards are quite strong as well; she doesn't necessarily break new ground, but her Schumann scenes of childhood are often engrossing. Sample her deliberate approach in the well-trodden Träumerei for an idea. With Decca contributing fine sound from the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, this release marks a new step in the upward trajectory for Isata Kanneh-Mason. It is unsurprising that this release made classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2023.© James Manheim /TiVo
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Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Classical - Released June 30, 2017 | Accentus Music
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Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre: Céphale et Procris
Reinoud Van Mechelen
Classical - Released February 9, 2024 | Château de Versailles Spectacles
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral" (Live)
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released February 12, 2021 | Reference Recordings
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Conductor Manfred Honeck and his Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra recorded this live reading of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, in 2019. The marketplace was not exactly crying out for a new Beethoven's Ninth, even considering Honeck's strong track record in Classical-era repertory and Reference Recordings' increasingly fine results in Pittsburgh's Heinz Hall. However, it is absolutely worth experiencing Honeck's accomplishment here. The reading is distinctive and justified at length in a booklet essay by Honeck. His reading is fast, blazing, kinetic, with moments of high contrast, such as the ethereal third movement in its entirety, giving the listener breathing space. The first movement is quick, but Honeck relaxes the tempo just slightly as things proceed, making room for the brass to give their stentorian statements. The scherzo is very fast throughout, which has the effect of not stealing the delicate discourse from the slow movement, and the finale, though also fast, is never rushed. There is a certain logic in playing the work this way, inasmuch as the impossible-to-sing passages in the solos become just a bit less impossible at these speeds. Most impressive is that Honeck holds the musicians and the singers together at his blazing speeds; his 22:30 timing for the finale comes in more than two minutes faster than, say, Fritz Reiner's classic Chicago Symphony recording, and Honeck would have been even faster had he not offered a rather deliberate reading of the movement's recitative introduction. The soloists shine, and they deliver in a difficult reading that, at its best, feels like the cry of exultation Beethoven envisioned. The slightly American accent of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh is somehow not a detriment but an inducement here; there is real energy running through the performance and real joy. Reference Recordings has once again produced audiophile-quality sound whose depth and transparency are awesome even on everyday equipment.
© TiVo
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Beethoven: Variations
Angela Hewitt
Classical - Released September 1, 2023 | Hyperion
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