Shostakovich - Symphony 5 [Rostropovich-National Symphony Orchestra Of Washington DC]

Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony must be the one i've listened to the most, over all his other Symphonies, it was also the first one i was ever exposed to [Bychkov / Philips], and almost immediately i fell in love with it, however i haven't got a lot of recordings of it, only four, and i guess it's a bit neglected recently, i enjoyed this reading very much, but in retrospect i got so much into the music that i can't exactly put my finger on how this performance is different from the others, i need to listen to this disc more.

Mstislav Rostropovich died in 2007, eight years ago almost to the day, he recorded this disc in 1983 i think, the front cover shows Rostropovich conducting the Symphony [by Christian Steiner], sheet music fanned out in his direction, only about 45 minutes of music on this disc, shame that another Symphony wasn't added, or some Overture or something.

I so much enjoyed the whole of this Symphony, but it's the third movement Largo that really got to me, there's a real spirituality there, deep down it's a sad elegy almost, at first sounds like a study on strings, as Shostakovich uses no brass in this movement, and woodwinds sparingly, but changes to use of a harp and flute duet [2:34-3:12], and slowly it builds up in volume and more anger, but there remains this constant sadness which returns again and again , there's this complex quiet playing on the violas [4:56+], and accompanied by the oboe [5:10-5:46], it's like another elegy duet, with shimmering violins as a backdrop, individual woodwinds come in and out to have their say, and just two quiet twinkles on the glockenspiel [7:07 & 7:11], can change the whole mood of the moment, Shostakovich had that ability, the music swells in agitation, and also includes the piano playing tremolo [8:16-8:48], with the xylophone playing high treble in the background, Shostakovich really knows how to employ strange instruments against each other and for each other, but that sadness sort of intensifies, you expect some sort of glorious resolution at any moment, like in his Tenth Symphony, but at the end it all goes all quiet, and the xylophone plays the simple melody very solemnly like a requiem [12:06-12:27], very poignant, with high violins in tremolo in the background, Rostropovich gets under the skin and to the heart of this movement.

Here's Rostropovich conducting the third movement on YouTube.

Holst - The Planets [Ozawa-Boston Symphony Orchestra]

I've listened to this work a lot, even though i haven't got a lot of recordings of it, this is my third recording, and this is its maiden voyage, i sort of grew up with the Planets, even before i properly got into Classical music, there always seemed to be a vinyl LP of the Planets hanging around, i used to love Saturn the best [Holst's favourite], so it was good to try a different version, and get a different perspective.

Seiji Ozawa is Japanese, he is now 79, a long and distinguished recording career, he spent a lot of time at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and he recorded this back in 1979, this disc is a re-issue on the Philips 'Insignia' series, a wonderful bunch of discs, this one shows a lovely portrait of Ozawa [by Christian Steiner], very black & white, apart from the face, and the pink box with the lettering, nicely laid out.

It was Jupiter and Uranus i enjoyed the most, i must admit on this first listen, i found Ozawa a little low key, Mars should be menacing, and was a little on the tame side, Uranus needs to be ostentatious, a little too refined for my taste, but still the whole thing was colourful enough, maybe i need to listen to the whole thing at a louder volume, so here's my thoughts on Uranus,
6 Uranus / The Magician [5:41] - A piece with lots of brass and percussion, it's all over the place, stops and starts, all sorts of ideas coming in from nowhere, a real jumble at times, and yet wholly Holstian, it certainly has a similarity to Dukas's The Sorcerers Apprentice, another piece on the theme of Magic, i love the use of the xylophone [0:38-0:54], Holst nearly breaks into brass band music [1:24-1:45], reminiscent of his Hammersmith Overture, and then he breaks into a march [2:29+], using the timpani expertly, the whole thing comes to a head, and it explodes into a cacophony of sound [3:36+], with the xylophone again at the forefront of the riot, surprisingly the whole thing comes to a sudden 'end' [4:10], but it's a false ending, the sad strings and twanging harp are interrupted by the bassoon, and the rest of the mob come in again [4:44+], and then there's this desolate peace, but then it does have this dead ending of a couple of dull thuds [5:33 & 5:35], a strange piece indeed, but then there's Neptune...

Here's Mackerras conducting Uranus on YouTube.

Schubert - 8 Impromptus [Perahia]

It was so good to listen to this disc today, it increases my appreciation of these works, i learnt some new things about the works, plus i learnt some things about Perahia too, this is one of about eleven sets i have, certainly Perahia is good, but not as revelatory as Brendel, it's also good to have the extra Schubert / Liszt items, this got in my Blog three and a half years ago [12th september 2011].

Murray Perahia is American, he's now 68, he recorded these Impromptus in 1980 & 1982, this is a re-issue of an earlier disc, the picture shows a park bench woodland scene, shot in infr-red, making it look like a snowy scene, a solid red bar at the right with the lettering on, the back insert is really well laid out, i like it a lot.

On this listening, Impromptus 1, 3-4 & 8 were the best, and it was this last Impromptu i really enjoyed the most from Perahia, and here's a synopsis of my thoughts,
Impromptu 8 [6:32] - in F Minor, straight away i notice how staccato Perahia is in this piece, plus how stabbing he is of keys, there's meant to be a certain jerky twitch to the whole thing, an unsure stammer surely, i also notice the sound / recording isn't great either, there isn't that warmth there should be, a bit of a dry boxy recording, and Perahia's playing actually goes against the recorded sound, and also Perahia seems to play it a little fast as well, and yet there's a thrillingness there, there's sense to the way he plays it, it really should be rather schizophrenic, the manic treble trills are are thrilling [0:40-0:48 & 1:13-1:19], at the other end of the scale, it's wonderful to hear running down in the bass end of the keyboard [2:40-2:55], the opening returns [4:14+], and after a sort of staggering winding down, there's a real loud bass thud to end the work with [6:28].

Liszt - Piano Recital [Mardirossian]

This is one of a number of discs i bought from Amazon fairly recently, i tapped in 'Liszt', and a preference of 'price low to high', and it's amazing what turns up for a really cheap price, Liszt is a Composer that i've had a hard time with, he can have a tendency to be flashy and overblown, his compositions filled with virtuoso piano playing, and maybe the pure poetry and lyricism is missing, but i'm warming to him, and discs like this really help me, this disc appeared in my Blog three years ago [31 July 2012].

Vahan Mardirossian is Armenian, he's now 39, and surprisingly he recorded this disc back in 2007, the front cover photography [by Karim Ramzi], is a close cropped full face portrait, shadows in the eyes, hands in front in a praying position, the lettering nicely balanced in the corners, very well done, and the back inlay is very clear, i like the way the lettering is both sides of the white bar on the right, plus red numerals for the timings also helps.

So again for this second Blog entry of this disc, it was the Liszt / Schubert Standchen i liked the most, its' a beautiful composition that stands up well without the words, it's a beautiful melody, the right hand treble is vocal line, left hand bass the piano line, plus there's a vocal 'echo' by the piano [0:24+ & 0:39+], works really well, in the second stanza [1:46+], the vocal line is in the bass, while the piano 'echo' is now in the treble [1:57+ & 2:12+], and behind it all is the constant rolling of the bass notes, and then Schubert uses a more complex variation [3:19-4:14], where lovely echoes are made in the treble, it's the best little section of the whole piece, it's so good to hear this piece again today.

Here's Alesia Arnatovich playing Standchen on YouTube.

Ravel - Gaspard De La Nuit [Grosvenor]

This is the first time i've played this disc, bought it because it looked great, and i've heard some good things about Grosvenor, so it is just a disc to check out, not a disc i'm quite sure i want to keep yet, but on this listen Gaspard is fantastic, great sound too, some fresh new ideas too.

Benjamin Grosvenor is English, still just 22, and he recorded this disc in 2011 when he was just 18, it's certainly not a perfect recital, i feel it's made up of too many little things, a better programme would have been better, the front cover is very good [photo by Sussie Ahlburg], a black & white shot with white and orange lettering over the front.

Ravel's Gaspard De la Nuit is a feast of piano playing, Michelangeli once said that there isn't a piano that can do proper justice to the piece, and i can see what he means, it's a very chimerical world, the first movement was the best closely followed by the second, i especially enjoyed the bell tolling in Le Gibet, Ondine is of course a water fairy, that entices men to her kingdom at the bottom of the lake, to a watery grave, so of course there's cascades of notes, a very free expression of the piano, the opening is heavenly, the rippling in the right hand sets the watery scene, and it's the left hand that takes the melody, the opening returning while the left hand plays now lower in the keyboard is a lovely moment [1:39-1:57], the left hand playing higher up the keyboard likewise creates a beautiful effect [2:36-2:48], and the cascade upon cascade of the right hand down the keyboard is stunning [3:12-3:31], getting faster and faster, the four sharp flashes of shimmering light / water [5:51-5:55] really hit me, Grosvenor really gets them right, and the piano / recording is his servant here, a beautiful sound.

Here's Grosvenor playing Gaspard De La Nuit on YouTube.

Various Artists [Over The Rainbow 'The Songbird Collection']

And another double compilation album, this one's dedicated to female Artists, basically getting out of the poppy / dancy end of the genre, and into the more jazzy / folky end of the spectrum, there's a great mix here, shame they didn't round things out to forty tracks, there's some stuff here i've never heard before, as this is the first outing of these discs.

This compilation came out in 2005, i really like the front cover picture, an almost silhouette by the sea, sun on the horizon, and a rainbow in the sky, lovely glowing warm tones on deep blue sky / sea.

On this listen i liked tracks 1, 6 & 18 the most, here's a synopsis of each,
1 Eva Cassidy Over The Rainbow - Ok, whatever you feel about this song, however kitsch you might feel the original is, or maybe that the song is now overexposed, i was touched by this today, it's a land of make belief, of dreams and desires 'the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true', there's a truth there that rings so true, Cassidy slowly builds it up to a real vocal blast.
6 Texas Say What You Want - A real lovely beat to this song, there's a complexity to it which makes it work, just a good Rock song really, the lyrics aren't particularly deep, just a soppy love song really, but i really liked it today.
18 Roisin O'Reilly Down By The Sally Gardens - Sounds like the theme music for the movie Titanic, very atmospheric, with an angelic Enya like voice, the story is touching, one of regret of a romance that never was, really touched me today.

Various Artists [Electric Dreams '38 Classic Electric Hits]

Seems like there's a higher level of non Classical music in my Blog lately, plus compilation albums are getting a fair crack of the whip in my disc player, this is good news, i'm purposely trying to branch out into a more varied range of music, this is a great double disc compilation of British New Wave / Electric chart hits, some very famous, others surprisingly this is the first i've heard them, plus i'm really surprised that some of the best songs didn't do well in the charts, i must admit that some of the tracks are a little misplaced, listened to this over a couple of days.

This double disc set came out in 1995, the front cover isn't great, but it's nice i guess, but the back inlay is great, a black background, with white lettering for the Artists, and red lettering for the songs, what could be more clearer?.

Well i liked loads of tracks while listening to this, tracks 4, 6, 8, 11, 13-14, 20-21, 23-26, 31 & 38, that's nearly half of them, shows how much i really enjoyed this, the highlights were the four tracks below,
11 Blancmange Living On The Ceiling - It was only after the event of the eighties that i discovered this track, took some time to love it, i love it's disjointed beat, sounds like a xylophone in the chorus, and i just love that eastern vibe throughout [0:54-1:27 / 2:00-2:33 / 3:07-3:58], in the third verse he sings 'why im up the tree you say, why you down there i say!', i just love his logic!, and his operatic voice too!, it has an incredible jive to it.
20 Giorgio Moroder & Phil Oakley Together In Electric Dreams - Surprisingly never got to number one, an almost perfect chart hit, and epitomises the electric / synth sound of the time, highly lyrical, the slow swirling synth introduction is a masterstroke, and so when the chugging synth comes in [0:30+], it's a fantastic moment, there's an extended guitar solo near the end [2:46-3:16].
31 Classix Nouveaux Is It A Dream - I didn't know this track when it came into the charts, and it never got into the top ten, it was only later that i heard it on compilations like this, and i instantly fell in love with it, the lead singer takes it in turn with the rest of the band to sing the lyrics, it's great to hear the loud synths between at the end of the chorus.
38 Ultravox Vienna - A really atmospheric hit, painting visions of cold grey skies, the opening is just beats and peals of thunder, the chorus brings in a keyboard like a church organist [0:54+], and then in the second verse the mix takes it up a notch [1:20+], the whole song builds up and up throughout, and then an extended instrumental [3:10+], sounding like the strings of a cello, a marvellous creation.

Gorilla [Obliterator]

I found this while scouring a second-hand shop in London in 2002, one of those discs where i thought 'hey, this looks really interesting', the cover caught my eye, i knew nothing about the band or the music, only what i could visually see, and since it was a ridiculously low price, i took the risk and bought it, well it's American Punk, quite fast, the singer Dan Merrick has an interesting voice, not lyrical at all, can be gruff and a bit out of tune [but that's good for Punk!], and then when he tries to sing louder, his voice gets higher and more nasally, i like that a lot!, their songs are usually quite short, 14 tracks for 40 minutes gives you an idea, each song initially sounds quite similar, they don't seem to have a real range of musical weaponry, but when you get into them you realise that the songs are really quite different, there's great ideas going on in there, i'm glad i took a chance with this disc, this is the way to discover new music.

Gorilla are a Seattle based Band, formed i guess in the early nineties, i don't think they're still going today, they shouldn't be confused with another group that also call themselves Gorilla, a PsychoBilly Band from Hungary, of course a major influence in buying this disc was the front cover [by Scott Larson], showing a goldfish in a blender, i think visually it's a great idea, a blue / mauve background, but otherwise very black & white, and it's the orange goldfish that stands out, i like the way they slant things on the back inlay, the lettering / numerals stand out and are easy to read, a great product all round.

On this listen i loved tracks 1-3, 5-6, 8 & 14, well that's half of the album, the best two tracks were 5 & 8, and here's a little review of each,
5 Slot [2:21] - A nice three chord ding dong of an intro on the guitar, then the vocals come in really fast, he almost stumbles over the lyrics, the lead guitar really pulls the tune, towards the end the organ swirls in, a great track.
8 Snag [2:47] - The intro isn't all that inspired, but when the singing comes in, the song goes up a couple of notches, the guitar chugs in the background, and it's easy to notice the organ keys, quite a long instrumental middle section, the lyrics leave a bit to be desired, but it's lovely Punk.

Here's samples of this album on the AllMusic Website.

Chopin - 21 Nocturnes [Pires]

I played these discs over three days [seven Nocturnes per day], it's hard to listen to the whole lot in one go, i think it makes me appreciate them all the more, i think i've got six full sets of them now, plus Pollini's nineteen, this is my third favourite, Pires can be quite sharp and intense, a Chopin Nocturne should be informal and soothing, there's something about Pires i don't quite like, maybe it's that everything she does must be a statement, she treats the Nocturnes as if they're cousins of the Etudes, she can use volume to a detrimal effect, all that being said, the positives easily outweigh the negatives here, and it's great that the 21 Noctrnes are laid out in such a methodical order after listening to Rev a couple of weeks ago.

Maria Joao Pires is Portugese, she's now 70, this set of Chopin's Nocturnes is highly regarded, even though there's lots of competition out there, the front cover shows Pires in a relaxed mood [photo by Christian Steiner], superimposed on a nocturnal picture [by Harro Wolter], a nice effect.

On this listen i enjoyed Nocturnes 2, 4, 6-8, 10-11, 13 & 19 the best, however it's hard to pick a real winner out of all of these, Pires seems to inspire up to a point, but fails to reach / do something which makes me think she's got true greatness, each keyboard Artist can do something which really turns your head, something out of the ordinary, these are lovely accounts notwithstanding, if i was to plump for a real gem, i guess it would be Nocturnes 7, 13 & 19, and here's an assessment of each,
Nocturne 7 [5:11] - All three are in the Minor key [is that some message here?], and this one's in C Sharp Minor, it used to be my favourite in the early days of knowing these Nocturnes, from the beginning you straight away notice the underlying anxiety of this piece, it doesn't sound happy at all, a restless right hand rumbles away, like waves roiling on the sea, and the right hand is almost ready to break into anger, there's a stormy middle section [1:57-3:27], one of the reasons initially this was my favourite, possibly the most agitated of all Chopin's Nocturnes, this middle section is strange in that it has Major key sounding resolutions [2:46+], almost happy in its anger, before it slides back down into the depths of despondency again, at the end their is actually a sweet coda [4:11+], a really strange Nocturne indeed.
Nocturne 13 [6:45] - Is in C Minor, straight away more lyrical, but not without it's sadness, but there's more nobility there, the middle section is a calm on a troubled sea [2:03+], or it is initially, but develops slowly into something grand and pompous, until it explodes in glory [3:54+], after that it never seems the same, the opening tune comes back [4:19+], but now it's in a more happier and brighter mood, trying to turn itself into a Ballade or something, it's a real chameleon, there's a sort of resignation at the end [6:23+].
Nocturne 19 [4:08] - In E Minor, a seemingly low key Nocturne, Chopin had reservations about it, and he didn't have it published, maybe because it's not quite so individual as the rest, but it's lovely nonetheless, there's a restlessness about it, it doesn't have a middle section like the rest, even though it tries a few things, trying an intensity in the middle, and i guess there's a sort of calm coda towards the end [3:02+], as it slows down to a close. 

Here's Pires playing the 21 Nocturnes on YouTube, underneath just before the comments it has a section which can be opened up [saying 'show more'], this has the timings for the individual Nocturnes, hover over them and they turn blue and are clickable, they send you straight to the applicable Nocturne.

Schubert [3 Klavierstucke]

In playing this disc today, i thought it would be the Piano Sonata which would be the highlight, but no, it's these three wonderful late pieces, i actually listened to them at the park, while writing my Journal, each of them was a treasure, this is actually my third most popular disc, and i've had it for over twenty years! [1992], this is the second time it gets in my Blog [25th July 2012].

Alfred Brendel is Austrian, now 84, he recorded all of the major Schubert works digitally in the late eighties, this one in 1987, it's now nearly thirty years old, the front cover photograph [by Gabriela Brandenstein], is a black & white shot of Brendel looking at the life mask of Schubert.

All three of these pieces were special, i love the way Schubert has something quite surprising and different to say in the middle of these pieces, and it was the last Klavierstucke that i found the most joyous, it's the shortest of the bunch, but it's packed full of good things, here's a synopsis of this piece,
3 Klavierstucke 3 - D946/3 [5:30] - A lively piece, lots of notes, very staccato, lots going on, it's quite a virtuoso warhorse, and yet when something does start up, it's quickly over, the headlong rush of the first minute is breathtaking in Brendel's hands [0:00-0:59], and then it comes to a sudden halt, and turns all reflective and inward, and there's aching notes in there, especially when the right hand extends up into treble territory, the opening comes back again [4:00+], it's a three minute middle section sandwiched between two one minute sections, a wonderful piece when you really get to know it.

Here's Brendel playing the third Klaviersucke on YouTube.

Joh Yamada [Bluestone]

A disc i bought in 2003, not one of my greatest Jazz purchases, but it's a disc which has slowly built up a reputation for me, i've come to appreciate it over the years, there's nothing really revolutionary here, pretty standard stuff in an old school sort of way, a Charlie Parker and Jackie McLean disciple, gives you some idea of what he sounds like, featured quite heavily in my Blog [21 January 2010 & 3rd January 2013].

Joh Yamada is Japanese, he's now 46, he recorded this disc back in 1997, doesn't seem to be very active in the recording studio, i think he's only got one other album, the photography for this issue is excellent [by John Abbott], a close up on the front cover, i like the way the main lettering is vertical, and kudos to the record company for producing such a nice back inlay too, nice sharp photos, love the blue theme.

On this listen i really loved tracks 2 & 5-6, here's a short synopsis of them all,
2 Bluestone [9:52] - A gentle ticking / rocking in the rhythm section, bright playing of a simple tune by Yamada, certainly the Pianist Chestnut is quite clever, creating ripples of interest, sounds a lot like Cedar Walton, Yamada switches from playing straight to swinging and back, he isn't one of these players that have to produce a thousand notes per minute, he lets the music tunes do the talking, Chestnut has a solo in the middle [4:34-6:41], and in some ways seems to try to get a little too clever, but he's good too, the gentle ticking of Clarence Penn's drums is a nice addition.
5 Never Let Me Go [6:47] - A really touching tune, came to know it from Keith Jarrett, Yamada plays the main theme gently and breathy [0:23+], and then with more passion [0:56+], really affecting, it's a sax and piano duet to begin with, takes ages for the rhythm section to come in [1:32+], in Chestnut's solo [2:24-4:25] he again tries to outclever Yamada, though towards the end there's some beautiful treble key work, in Yamada's solo [4:25+], he really flows more than usual. 
6 The Sacred Eyes [5:19] - Bassist Rodney Whittaker gets his chance to shine in starting this one off, a slow lumbering idea at first, but i love the way he swings things up [0:46], and with one smash of the drums [0:54] Yamada throws himself into this one, Chestnut again has a really clever solo [2:59-4:16], going off in all directions, a real barnstormer.

Here's a sample of all the tracks on the AllMusic website.

Various Artists [Monolithic Minds 2]

Now for something completely different, away from the usual Classical, yes i do listen to all sorts of music, and i'm always trying to delve into new forms of music, and since this little compilation looked nice, i thought i'd delve in, i played this while travelling on the bus to and from Church today, i liked the variety, of course there's a degree of monotony, but in a way that's the point of the music.

This compilation comes from Artelier Records, put together in 1998, the front cover is superb, the shoes are by Johan Von Friedrichs, sort of like a bed of nails, except for the feet, 'these shoes are killing me' is very appropriate, though of course 'whats it got to do with the music?', the black lettering underneath is excellent, very sparse, on a white background, i guess the red of the insoles have some sort of meaning eh?.

Now this is the first time i've listened to this disc, and first impressions are a bit suspect, but already i can feel that there's things to like a lot here, my second listening in the future should really reveal a lot more, on this spin i found tracks 5, 8 & 10 to be the most exciting, here's a little synopsis,
5 Friend - Rama Rally [6:37] - This has the feel of steel drums about it, love the start, sort of bleeps at the beginning, and then the strong hard drums come in, so treble that they almost sounds like a cross between drums and cymbals, there's a logical rhythm to it but the drums are all over the place, i can hear all sorts of things going on in the mix, and like layers things are added, what sounds like hollow bamboo or woodblocks [0:34+] really effective, and the low screeching comes in [1:00+], sounds like every half a minute something else is thrown in the pot for luck, and the music quietens out somewhat to reveal tribal drumming [2:50+], a really good drumming frenzy starts [3:58+], sounds like a lot of different drums trying to outdo each other, just when you think the thing is coming to an end, the thing explodes into life again [5:35+].
8 Quant - Dark Phat Fukka [5:57] - A lot more electronic, a mechanical machinery chug at first, with synth doodlings, and then drum knocking sounds come in [0:50+], really effective, it's layered nicely so that themes keep coming back in and building up into a nice frenzy, and like the last track, it comes to a close, only for the thing to explode into life again [4:15+].
10 Perphane - Ezy Modos [6:44] - Ah the opening synth sounds like the aural equivalent of 'cooee', really effective, i love it!, almost random drumming just for the sake of it, and what sounds like vinyl scratchings, lots of drum smashes and hits, and it's the synth 'cooee' that has almost the last word!.

Here's some samples on the AllMusic website, though of course 30 second samples doesn't do the album justice.

Schubert - Piano Trio 1 [The London Mozart Trio]

This is a recent acquisition, and i played it for the first time today, also i'm completely unfamiliar with The London Mozart Trio, but i really enjoyed delving into this disc today, the coupling is a curious one, and it makes me realise how much i don't know the Dvorak work as well as i should, it's Schubert's Trio 2 that i prefer out of his two, but here i marvelled at the first one, it's such a musically strong work, and played really well too.

The London Mozart Trio are a bit of a mystery, the booklet doesn't have any information on the Trio, or any of its members, they recorded this disc in 1991, the IMP classics label was a really nice one, this one has a black & white shot of the Trio, the shadows and light are terrific, there's a certain glow to the highlights, the IMP logo on the right makes a wonderful dash of colour, and the lettering in the bottom left balances out the picture nicely, visually a great product.

Well it was the big first movement i enjoyed the most, and like lots of Schubert, it's music that keeps going round and round like a carousel, one of the things i notice is the Pianist can be quite loud at times, he likes to thump them keys at times, the recording is lovely, but sometimes it has difficulty capturing the sheer dynamic range of everything, after a general introduction, all three instruments take turns playing one of the main themes [1:58-2:24], cello / violin / piano, and four minutes later it comes back again [5:46-6:13], i almost expect there to be some sort of trio section in the middle to break up the almost 15 minutes of the same themes revolving round and round, but instead Schubert uses the same themes, but slightly in a different key, or maybe it's in a different octave, some stormy passages in there, The London Mozart Trio really sustain it well.

Here's the Beaux Arts Trio playing the Schubert Piano Trio on YouTube.

Various Composers - 'Con Amore' Italian Soprano Opera Arias [Swenson/Rudel-London Symphony Orchestra]

Here's a nice little Opera Aria recital, without a Rossini in sight!, i love these compilations with a theme / programme to it, in this case it's Italian Composers, Swenson isn't the greatest i must admit, but she's very good, had this disc since 2001, and it got a fair play in it's early years, been a little neglected recently, but it's good to hear this again, i don't seem to listen to Opera Arias enough.

Ruth Ann Swenson is American, she's now 55, and she recorded this disc in 1998, the photo is a nice one [by Alex Newhall], nice and sharp, pastel colours, and really good lettering down the right side, so ten Arias in all, although there's 14 tracks, so four are split up into sections, i rubbed on letter transfers A-J to help me see where i am.

Well i guess it's the usual suspects here, the most famous Arias, i certainly enjoyed the Bellini items, he has a certain way with adding wonderful instruments, almost like having a Concerto movement at times, and 'tracks' A-E & J were my favourites, but the Aria that really touched me the most was track 7 / E 'Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi' from Puccini's La Boheme, whatever you think of Puccini, his simple melodies, his simple stories too, there's no doubt that he can move you with his music, this is one of the most touching Arias of his, after Rudolfo introduces himself to Mimi in his Aria, he asks her to tell him about her, and this is the cue for her Aria, she starts hesitatingly, and maybe a bit monotonous at first, but the lyricism soon flows, and those high notes on words of magic / love / spring [1:03-1:24], she then sings of the first rays of April's sunshine, like a kiss are hers [2:50-3:47], the high notes Swenson hits are thrilling, and also about the gentle perfume of her flowers [4:01-4:19], the whole Aria is full of heart tugs galore, you can't fail to be moved. 

Here's on Swenson singing Mimi's Aria on YouTube.

Chuck Prophet [Feast Of Hearts]

I remember first getting into this disc, back in 2003, driving in a van around London, and having this playing, and thinking 'wow!, this is a great album', i've tried to delve into other Chuck Prophet albums, but with no success, they're not a match on this once, i played this today while sitting on a park bench and writing my Journal, and what a great album it is, Prophet sings of all sorts of issues, a great life commentator, this disc has featured in my Blog quite heavily [19th March 2012 & 16th March 2013].

Chuck Prophet is American, he's now 51, wow he's even younger than me!, he has a major back catalogue of albums, and even used to have a Rock group 'Green On Red', he recorded this in 1995 [happy 20th birthday!], i'm not sure what he's been up to since, i hear he's got a new album out, this one has the most stunning front cover booklet [photo by Kim Stringfellow], highly coloured, it's that flowery shirt that does it, great use of Autumn colours, the motel room [i guess] is a sickly yellow, looks quite psychedelic really, the face is rather a sickly yellow too, somewhat washed out, dark shadow lines on the left, wonder if the whole thing has been touched up with dayglo colours, and a great use of lettering emblazoned across his chest, i love the finished product, it almost shouts out that this album was composed in a load of motel rooms while travelling the country.

On this listening i really loved tracks 1, 8 & 10, and i would like to talk deeper about each one,
1 What it Takes - The album opener, and it's a nice rocker, nice use of twangy guitar, nice little mid instrumental where Prophet shouts 'here i go' [1:48-2:02], best lyric 'Before the fools-golden sun, sets on your million dollar view'.
8 Oh Mary - My favourite track of the whole album, starts off with the drums, and there's such a lovely beat there, those lovely treble toms sound so good, it's a complex and off kilter drumming vibe [Michael Urbanok], i think it's the drums and bass that make it sound sort of funky, it really makes the whole track, plus it's a great tune also, the second verses lyrics are great 'i followed you through the churchyard, down your crooked path', when he sings 'churchyard', in comes the organ swirls, a nice little touch, it's incredibly catchy. 
10 Madam Rosa's - About a Brothel run by Madam Rosa, starts off with what sounds like a national guitar, nice and dull sound, again a great tune, great beat, great use of strumming guitars too, best lyric 'with so many rooms to hide in, and only the light of the moon to follow you around'.

Various Composers - 'Pastoral' British Clarinet Music [Johnson/Martineau]

A well played disc, one that i've had for nearly 20 years, and yet this is its first appearance in my Blog, it's great to have a recital of clarinet music that features one aspect of it, there's a cohesion here, however some of the shorter trifles could have been ejected [the Bliss and Vaughan Williams vocal stuff], and filled with something more appropriate, the silky tones of the clarinet are wonderful to behold, if i was to take up an instrument, apart from the piano, it would either be the clarinet or the soprano saxophone [very similar], it works in Classical and Jazz perfectly, plus it's so easily portable, and works as a satisfying solo instrument too, i love the clarinet.

Emma Johnson is English, she's now 48, she recorded this disc in 1994, the booklet front cover is a black & white portrait [by Robert Barber], a wood in the background out of focus, of course the focuses all the more on the foreground, a half body shot, with Johnson holding her clarinet.

The three pieces that really got to me on this listen were the two solo movement works, Ireland's Fantasy Sonata, and Bliss's Pastoral, but the work that moved me the most was the darling little suite of English Folk Song Studies by Vaughan Williams, six pieces here lasting a little over nine minutes, Vaughan Williams was a champion of folk songs of England, and here he chooses six to set to Cello and Piano, however Clarinet players seem to have hijacked the piece, i hardly ever hear it played by other instruments now, so here's a synopsis of these six little pieces, with the original folk song they came from, 

1 Adagio / Lovely On The Water [1:48] - A slow piece as an introduction, using the deeper registers of the clarinet, while the piano slowly moves higher into the treble, towards the end there's a solo clarinet section. 
2 Andante Sostenuto / Spurn Poin [1:30] - Something more tuneful, and achingly so, and it's a beautiful duet, the way first the piano plays the tune higher in the treble, then the clarinet [0:37 & 0:44], and the piece ends ever so gently on a long note, [where 'sostenuto' in the title comes from].
3 Larghetto / Van Diemans Land [1:51] - A more ancient sounding melody, and the longest piece of the six, kept within the lower registers in the first half, but the second half has a tendency to soar.
4 Lento / She Borrowed Some Of Her Mothers Gold [1:22] - A more complex use of the clarinet, and the piano explodes into action [0:33+], at the end a very high sustained note.
5 Andante Tranquillo / The Lady And The Dragoon [1:30] - The most easily lyrical of the six, and my personal favourite by miles, it has the most gorgeous melody ever, played simply at first, very Irish sounding, but then added all sorts of complexities to it in such a wonderful way [0:30+], and even the piano gets a little solo while the clarinet accompanies [1:00+]. 
6 Allegro Vivace / As I Walked Over London Bridge [0:51] - The shortest of the six, and a finale of sorts, marked 'vivace', a skippy little tune, it bounces along in both the clarinet and piano in a staccato way, and it comes to an abrupt end on a piano note.

Various Composers - 'Nocturne' Piano encores [Oppitz]

This is one of the very best piano solo compilation discs i have in my collection, a great and varied selection of things, varied selection of composers too, and Oppitz finds his way off the beaten track, into some less well known pieces, but no Schubert or Brahms?, also the title of the disc 'Nocturne', i really don't understand how that fits in with some of the pieces, nevertheless it's not the title i listened to, really enjoyed this today, this disc appeared in my Blog three years ago [24th May 2012].

Gerhard Oppitz is German, he's now 62, this disc was recorded in 1993, the booklet cover shows a black & white portrait of Oppitz [by Alfred Steffen], caught as a silhouette on the left side, great use of a lot of black, and yet a white background to bring out the contrast, the lettering could have been better, but all round a wonderful finished product.

On this listen i loved track 12 the most, Faure's Noctune 4, this originally got me into Faure's solo piano music, it's the best thing on the disc, and probably Faure's best Nocturne, in a blind test i feel you could slip it into a set of Chopin's Nocturnes and nobody would notice!, maybe a cross between Chopin's 4 and 8, a simple enough tune i guess, but a beautiful one too, the 'theme' is restated i guess an octave higher in the right hand [0:59+] with great effect, but then comes a huge middle section [1:57+], which is a lot more interesting than the opening, with some tender moments, the music falls down the keyboard, the left hand produces a lovely accompanying rhythm, the Nocturne is in E Flat Major, but changes to E Flat Minor, you can feel the dip into the sadness / melancholy, the right hand producing the sound of tolling of bells, but like Chopin his nocturnes are not all gentle, there's stormy central episodes, and so it is here, the music develops into something a bit more angry [3:02+], some great use of loud notes high in the treble, the music reaches some impassioned climaxes as some points [4:10-4:35], i love the way Faure quietens down the music ready for the transition back to the opening [5:14+], but it's not a simple restatement and end, Faure adds a sort of coda of sorts onto the end, and there's i guess this sort of epilogue [6:45+], at the very end there's this melody gently rumbled in the bass [7:53-8:03], a great end to a really ingenious piece of piano music.

Here's Nathan Chim playing Faure's Nocturne 4 on YouTube.

Bruckner - Symphony 5 [Solti-Chicago Symphony Orchestra]

Back in 2008 i played these discs for the first time, late August, sitting on a park bench near my home, and it was a revelation!, this got to be my 'recording of the month' then, now this is the sixth time i've listened to it, and i haven't done much listening of anyone else playing it [only Harnoncourt / RCA], so it still remains a bit of a mystery to me, this time i felt cooler to the work, or at least to start with, the first two movements were 'mere' very good, but the Symphony got better as it went along, so the last movement was now its highlight, this disc appeared in my Blog three years ago [7th October 2012].

Georg Solti was Hungarian, he died in 1997 at the age of 84, he made this recording in 1980, the front cover shows a small portrait of Solti, lettering small and large in brown and white, horizontal and vertical, all with an orange background, i like the results.

Well like i said, it was the last movement which was tremendous, the whole Symphony seems to build up to a climax, and if the first three movements pose all the questions, then the last movement has all the answers!, it's the longest movement on this performance, nearly 24 minutes, the opening is a slow Adagio, pizzicato on double basses, and almost a string symphony over that [0:00-0:45], i really love the opening, this movement is rather a start / stop / start thing at first, love the oboe playing the main tune in a melancholy way [1:20-1:40], the brass of course have have their loud say [5:36-6:22], fanfares over frantic strings, it's a thrilling moment, and again a little while later they have a regal / noble triple fanfare [7:04-8:15], Bruckner really likes to blast your ears off!, there's a thrilling large section just after the middle, where the strings start up a complex fugue of sorts [12:33+], all zigzag rhythms, increasingly punctuated by brass fanfares [13:13+], it goes on for ages, this must be my favourite section of this movement, Bruckner keeps it going on and on [-15:08], love it when the brass fanfares come back in [17:55-18:45], it's good to hear the different brass instruments, awash with those driving strings in the background, the final threads are majestic, it's a brass festival, the brass seems to keep outdoing itself [21:19+ / 21:56+ / 22:56+], working its way up the levels to something really climatic, love the way the timpani has a loud roll right at the end [23:27-23:37], what a thrilling piece of music, sadly Bruckner never heard this Symphony himself in his lifetime!, i hope he's up there listening to it all now.

Here's Celibidache conducting the fourth movement on YouTube.

Schubert - Piano Sonata 21 [Kovacevich]

This is an extremely fine account of Schubert's last Piano Sonata, in my collection only behind Brendel and Uchida, and i have a good dozen recordings of this work, this was a joy to listen to this disc today, appeared in my Blog twice before [5th February 2010 & 24th June 2012].

Stephen Kovacevich is American, he's now 74, he recorded this disc in 1994, the front booklet cover is a great one [photo by David Thompson], love the pose, a black & white shot, showing Kovacevich leaning on the lid of his piano, lovely reflection underneath.

Well as usual, it's that sublime first movement that always gets me, it's a mammoth thing, made even longer here by Kovacevich engaging the exposition repeat, under his hands it's just over twenty minutes long, it's the first minute that's so heart rending [0:03-0:54], and here Kovacevich is maybe a fraction too fast, the sound for this disc is quite reverberant, but there's a lovely ring to the piano, it suites the opening, but maybe in climaxes later it can be a little too much, the opening theme returns again and again, love the way Schubert presents it in forte near the beginning [1:34-2:01], Schubert produces 'unique' music for the exposition repeat transition [4:45-5:07], and after five minutes Kovacevich repeats the opening [5:10-6:01], it's great to hear the opening music all over again, and Kovacevich takes exactly the same amount of time!, in the developmental section [9:59+] there's some great music, sublime ideas by Schubert, he really plumbs the depths at times, never straying far from the opening idea, Schubert descends into his inward looking private worlds [12:00-13:13], sometimes i seriously question if the whole movement is some kind of a set of disjointed variations?, it's a superb creation by Schubert, and well executed by Kovacevich.

Here's Kovacevich playing the Sonata on YouTube.

Delius - Piano Concerto [Lane/Handley-Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra]

This is a lovely copupling of three less known Piano Concertos, and all English to boot, it's a disc that i've played over twenty times, it's amazing that these concertos aren't more into the central repertoire, my favourite here is the Delius, now i have to admit that i'm not some Delius expert, i haven't listened to him extensively, but what i have heard hasn't impressed me much, his miniatures seem so trivial, other longer works seem to meander and go nowhere, there isn't enough interest to keep my attention, however his Piano Concerto is another matter, a real work of genius, a long lost English masterpiece, even though this work on this disc hasn't appeared in my Blog before, the disc has twice with the Finzi work, plus Piers Lane has featured in my Blog twice with this work in a performance on the Hyperion label [19th March 2010 & 7th October 2011].

Piers Lane is Australian, now 57, he has recorded extensively for Hyperion, these EMI Eminence discs can be a great way to add to your collection fairly inexpensively, this is one of the very best of the series.

So it was the first movement which i find tremendous, it starts with a lazy and atmospheric intro on the low strings [0:00-0:17], maybe an English version of something you'd get from Dvorak, it's really beautiful and memorable, the piano appears right after, and at first Delius has this tendency to use the piano not as a 'soloist v orchestra', but rather they work as one together, very symphonic, and the recording seems to help here as the piano isn't spotlit, it's equal with the orchestra, the main tune to the whole movement is introduced by the horns [2:01-2:21], and taken up by the piano [2:06+], and in a really sweet way too [2:28+], almost developing into a cadenza at times, after sweetness there's forebodings of darker clouds [4:40+], there's a nice little episode where the opening intro comes back as a theme, disguised on the flutes at first [5:55+], but then the whole orchestra comes in, and Delius works this up into the main theme in full glory [6:39+], it's not particularly a long movement, less than ten minutes, so we're already developing threads for its eventual ending at roughly the seven minute mark, it actually ends with a whimper, the whole thing winds down to nothing, when you're expecting a big finale finish, but the Concerto is played 'as one movement', so things are resolved at the very end of the third movement as it were, it's a strange concoction really.

Here's Justin Bird playing this Concerto on YouTube.

Ireland - Piano Works Volume Two [Parkin]

Ireland is in a world all of his own, especially his piano music, it's his most prolific genre, these are not major statement like Beethoven, nor works of brilliance and beauty like Chopin, or even impressionist like Debussy and Ravel, rather he was quite plain, his music can sound amateurish, almost whimsical at times, as if he's composing for children, but there's also a depth there, some pieces come off better than others, but there's gems to be had for those that truly search, once you get a real taste for him, you can't put him down, this disc appeared in my Blog nearly five years ago [2nd May 2010].

Eric Parkin is English, now 91, he recorded this disc in 1992, Ireland was mainly a Londoner between the two World Wars, and had a tendency to compose with his surroundings in mind, one of the reasons for the booklet cover, showing a picture of the Thames upstream from Chelsea, a sepia toned black & white shot, love the haziness of it, the light on the river, and an almost silhouette of the boats and streetlight, this must have been shot from an open topped bus of the times, don't know how else you can get that high up near the pavement, the layout and lettering are fantastic, a wonderful series.

The two pieces i loved the most on this listening were Meridian [the second piece from 'In Those Days'], and The Darkened Valley, both hit the four minute mark, here's a synopsis of both,
Meridian [3:57] - An upbeat little tune, very simple tunewise at first, but there's always complexities with Ireland, and when Parkin starts to play the opening tune in a slower higher treble octave [0:28+ & 2:33+], the piece takes on its most revealing nature, and later the tune comes in full noble force [0:59+ & 3:05+], i love the way the opening tune reappears again and again, at the end there's a nice little nostalgic coda [3:36-3:55].
The Darkened Valley [4:03] - As the title suggests, this is a darker piece, again the tune is simple enough, there's an ominousness to the tune, then out of the blue there's a middle section which is brighter [1:27+], and yet even here there's subtle discord, Ireland weaves us back into the opening theme in a skillful way, there's no need for virtuoso piano playing, but the real skill is in conveying mood, and Parkin plays the piece slow enough to give it it's hesitating uneasiness, for instance Desmond Wright also plays this piece on an EMI disc i have, a lot quicker and louder [2:50], and it just misses the mystery and worry of the piece, his sounds quite happy!.

Brahms - Handel Variations [Schiff]

This is the very first time i've ever played this disc, and it's a beaut, it's a live recording, but recorded better than a lot of studio recordings, the audience are really quiet, but of course applaud at the end of the disc, and it's a great programme too, the Reger Variations are a welcome addition to my disc library, this is the first time i've ever listened to them, and they'll take some more listenings to get into, Reger is certainly a thick textured Composer, he really takes time to get to like, Schiff's Brahms is great stuff though.

Andras Schiff is Hungarian, now 61, originally a Pianist, but now he does conducting too, the booklet cover is fantastic, a picture of Schiff at the keyboard, superb highlights on the edges of his portrait, and his lettering in red, and the composers in silver, mimicking the Teldec logo below, this disc is now getting really rare, and it's good to have secured a copy at a reasonable price.

This was a wonderful experience, quite possibly my favourite Piano Variations of all time, and it was variations 4, 6, 12, 18-22 & 24-F that i found most rewarding, and just like last month with Gelber / Brahms, it's this clump near the end that got to me the most of all, variations 18-22, here's a synopsis of each,
Variation 18 [14:51-15:46] - Lovely treble tinkling's, nicely pronounced, lovely tune too, Schiff really caresses the thing.
Variation 19 [15:47-16:49] - An almost lazy carefree variation, again it's a marvel how Brahms uses the treble registers, also it hit me how incredibly good the piano is recorded here, rather than a front seat in the audience, you get the front seat, the piano stool!.
Variation 20 [16:49-17:51] - A duller variation, i guess done on purpose by Brahms to break up the monotony, but it ends in a touching thoughtful way, getting sweeter / calmer as the piece goes on.
Variation 21 [17:52-18:40] - Lovely rippling piano in the treble, mimicking water, one of my favourite variations, clear and crisp.
Variation 22 [18:41-19:42] - Very coda-esque, sounds like the day coming to a close, the treble notes are just so chiming / rhyming, no bass notes here, even the left hand is in the middle of the keyboard, certainly on this listening, it was the best variation of all, it really touched me.

Here's Schiff playing the Handel Variations on YouTube.

Beethoven Piano Concerto 5 'Emperor' [Brendel/Haitink-London Philharmonic Orchestra]

Only listened to Brendel a few days ago, and here he is again, got the chance to listen to the other work on this disc, the Choral Fantasia, and i've only listened to this performance on this disc a few times, and with Helene Grimaud, it's still 'unknown' to me, but today i understood its structure more, it's coming, the Piano Concerto 5 was heaven, i'm still stunned in the realisation that after probably a few hundred times, this work can still make me sit up and be just wowed by it's joy and happiness, will i ever get 'used' to it?, i hope not!, here's the other two times it's enjoyed exposure in my Blog [13th February 2010 & 10th May 2012].

Alfred Brendel is Austrian, now 84, he recorded this work in 1976, i love these Philips 'insignia' discs, they really hit a spot, nice re-issues, nicely packaged, this one sports a lovely portrait of Brendel on his back / front porch [by Alecio De Andrade], a great little shot, love the way it's taken from a lower position, the lettering is great on these 'insignia' discs, and the colour schemes work out well, this one's a dull pink.

The first movement is nearly 21 minutes long, that's longer than the other two movements put together, but if anything it's over too quickly, here Beethoven produces something of sheer joy and exuberance, there's no respite, one joyous theme blends into the next, and today i was swept along with the ride, unlike say a Mozart piano Concerto, there's no orchestral intro for a minute or two, but rather a piano solo, almost a cadenza to start things off [0:00-1:10], extremely revolutionary, but each time punctuated by an orchestral fanfare, almost sounding like the pianist playing the Concerto without the orchestra, and then comes what can be considered a Mozartean orchestral introduction of the full theme [1:10-4:15], a massive four minute thing, it also follows the usual piano and orchestral tutti back and forth, i just can't help feeling that there's this major 'laugh' at times, whether in the orchestra or in the piano, it gives it it's sunny joy, and even more so in the final movement, i love the way the opening comes back again and again, the whole thing is a real statement of fanfare and celebration, Brendel is loud and purposeful, emphatic at times, but i love his way with his forthrightness, the ending seems to mirror the opening somewhat, and there's a real cadenza of sorts at the end [17:56-18:42], i love the way Beethoven brings a nice resolution at the end of the movement, arpeggios going down the keyboard [20:13-20:29], and just when your reeling from that, then comes the achingly spiritual Adagio... 

Here's Brendel / Masur playing the Concerto on YouTube.