Brahms - Violin Concerto [Ughi/ Sawallisch-Philharmonia Orchestra] 

Another Ebay disc, i've never seen this disc on Ebay before or since, and i glad i snapped it up while it was going, the only thing wrong about this disc is the fact that it doesn't include any other music, so just 40 minutes of music on one disc, only half filled!, Brahms's Violin Concerto is a basic staple of my Compact Disc collection, there was a time when i would have said that it's my favourite Violin Concerto, but that's been eclipsed by Lalo, Sibelius, Bruch, and Mendelssohn to name but four, there's no denying that it's a big 'stodgy' Concerto very much like the Beethoven, which is one of the reasons that i don't look upon the Beethoven as truly great, also it's in D Major, an 'easy' key for the violin, and maybe not reaching into uncharted territory, and doing some surprising things [though of course Brahms especially made this Concerto very difficult].

Uto Ughi is Italian, he is now 68, and also is a Conductor, he recorded this disc in 1983, the front cover photograph is excellent, a duo portrait of the two Artists, upper body shots, another warm glow photo, very much couched in orange, interesting attire, and a background which might seem cluttered, but i find it interesting and even apt.

The movement that i found most compelling was the first, it's massive, over half the Concerto long, and i can see how Brahms based his Concerto on the Beethoven, it's in the same key of course [D Major], and the structure of the three movements with a huge first movement dwarfing the others, .

Here's on Julia Fischer playing the first movement on YouTube, with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting.

Beethoven - Symphony 4 [Bohm-Wiener Philharmoniker] 

Now this is a disc i recently won on Ebay, a fair amount of money too as it was from Taiwan or Hong Kong, this is a Japanese issue, DG have a re-issue cycle called 'The Originals', with a slanted LP cover on the front, this is similar but no slanting, just a small logo in the bottom corner, but the booklets look incredible, from the original LP cover, the Japanese really know how to do some re-issues, i really enjoyed this programme, there's insights aplenty, discs like this offered on Ebay only come once in a very long while, if you miss out you might never see them again, i'm glad i got this.

Karl Bohm was an Austrian Conductor, born in 1894, and died in 1981, wow almost a hundred years, he's one of the famous 'old guard' of Conductors that elevated Classical music to new levels, recording extensively for DG, his interpretations have stood the test of time, however i'm a 'digital man', and on the whole i've avoided older recordings because of what i call 'analogue hiss', i can't stand mono recordings either, i must admit that these recordings are absolutely superb, this Symphony was recorded in 1972, i wish i could honour the photographer, as it's a truly superb shot of the Musikverein in Vienna, lovely glowing chandeliers, everything bathed in a golden light, and of course Bohm himself on the stand, i really love this front cover.

The Fourth Symphony is not one that i play all that often, or not often enough, but wow!, what a lovely experience today, it's a Symphony that is far better than i remember it, my favourite Beethoven Symphonies in order are 3, 5, 6, 9, 7, 4, 8, 2, 1, but maybe the Fourth is biting on the heels of the Seventh, it was the first movement that really got me, i have a soft spot for the second movement, it has such a touching tune, but the first movement has a real stature to it, it's in B Flat Major, a really nice key, Mozart's Gran Partita, Brahms's Piano Concerto 2, and Schubert's Symphony 5 and Piano Sonata 21 are all in this key, it starts off with a long 3 minute introduction, dark and ominous at times, quite a tease as at other times, you think it's going to explode, but it keeps going, i love the way that Bohm is able to let all the individual woodwinds speak clearly, the build up to that explosion is well paced, and when it goes it's a tremendous moment [2:56+], it casts the ominous shadows away, and here Bohm shows his way with the woodwind, with bassoon, oboe, then flute all in quick succession [3:53-4:03 & 6:13-6:23], the genius of Beethoven comes to the fore, the way he resolves all his knots! [4:20+], satisfying culminations to all his arguments, it's like a tremendous end to a film, Beethoven is a master of 'build up & release', i like the chugging / bubbling bassoon in the background [5:36-5:47], after a while you almost forget about analysing the whole thing, and just bask in its superb invention, there's so much going on, that to point it all out, you will be here forever, the trio of woodwinds comes in again [10:21-10:31], but this time with bassoon, clarinet, and oboe in succession, what a glorious experience it was getting to know this Symphony again, and already i feel that this disc is going to become a real treasure.

Here's Carlos Kleiber playing the first movement on YouTube, he's such a joy to watch, my favourite 'visual' Conductor.

Liszt - Piano Music [Ulyanova-Caldine] 

The music of Liszt is slowly playing a bigger part of my life, it was only a few days ago that i was extolling another Liszt recital, unlike Schubert and Chopin [two piano greats] who i straight away fell right into, Liszt is someone who didn't shine immediately, in fact he's still very much an outsider, it's only in the last year or two that there's been a real thaw in my heart for him, this disc is typical of what i guess i had against him, lots of showy notes of real bravura, but Liszt lets the side down with all froth and no drink, but just lately i'm beginning to can see through all that flash, and there is a heart there, it's just harder to see, the bravura is the poetry, the froth is a drink!, i played this disc in my Blog at the end of 2010 [6th November 2010].

Elena Ulyanova-Caldine is Ukrainian / Crimean, not sure of her age, she recorded this disc in 2006, the front cover is fantastic [photo by Walter Merriam], showing Ulyanova-Caldine in front of her piano, i love the slanted lines in the background, looking down on the piano keys, the pose is great, nice smiling face, lovely red dress and a shiny necklace, and the lettering over the dark areas of the piano, a really great visual product.

Like i said above, Ulyanova-Caldine seems to have chosen six pieces that show off the virtuosity / bravura of Liszt, there's lots of notes in there, the piece i loved the most was 'Harmonies Du Soir', it's Etude 11 from his 12 Transcendental Etudes, Ulyanova-Caldine takes a long time over it [over 10 minutes], but there's poetry there, she gets the odd treble bell ringers just right [1:24+], the treble notes caught very well by the recording, the cascades of notes that make up the main tune are just scintillating [2:15-2:40], the highlight of the whole piece, the new tune that Liszt creates is very welcome [4:36+], giving another layer / dimension to the work, again Ulyanova-Caldine gets those treble notes to sing, the forte passages are done well [5:52+], and just after, the hammered out chords with the chiming trebles are thrilling [6:31-7:35], in retrospect i like the way she builds up the whole piece very gradually, both in speeds and volume, it's like a roller-coaster that thrills the more it goes on, the ending is fairly subdued.

Here's Boris Berezovsky playing Harmonies Du Soir on YouTube, watch him sweat!.

Various Composers - Violin Showpieces [Chung/Dutoit-Royal Philharmonic Orchestra] 

This is a lovely little disc, and Kyung-Wha Chung is a genius, maybe short timewise [45 minutes], but packed full of quality, i was stunned by this disc when i first heard it back in 2006, and that's where i really fell in love with the Chausson work, last year roughly this time, i was extolling this same disc, and the same Chausson work wowed me then [12th June 2011].

Kyung-Wha Chung is South Korean, she's now 64, it's good to hear she's performing again after being out of action for five years with a finger injury, she recorded this disc in 1977, the front cover photo [by Axel Forster] is excellent, a jet black background, which highlights Chung all the more, nice lighting on the face, i love those brown tones.

Again like last time, i found Chausson's Poeme so heavenly, it starts off quiet, the strings appearing out of the mists, the orchestral introduction is full of creative mystic touches [0:00-1:52], the opening solo violin by Chung is like a cadenza [1:53-2:53], mimicking the opening by the orchestra, the opening minutes seem to be long exchanges between the soloist and orchestra, and the 'second' cadenza by Chung [3:43-4:57], which shows a greater sense of virtuosity about it, expanding on the first cadenza, developing into quite a frenzy at the end, and when the orchestra comes in, there's some passionate forte culminations [5:12-5:29], and then after the violin and orchestra stop taking turns, but rather play together, i love the way Chausson slow builds up and up the violin solo into a passionate froth [7:44-8:13], later the violin plays high in the treble register, nice and quiet, but sweet and passionate too [10:42-11:22], Chung handles this superbly, in the background you can hear a muted harp playing [11:58+], it's a lovely little touch, and what a great orchestral instrument the harp can be when employed creatively, towards the end there's a strong rousing forte / finale [13:42-14:01], bringing the main tune out loud and clear, the closing pages are very creative, and instead of something loud and boisterous to finish on, it's exactly the opposite, high treble trills from Chung [14:20-14:32], done with real compassion, and later more [15:14+], i love the way Chung plays so high [15:43-16:13], like a small bird twittering in the treetops, it's a gorgeous piece, and 'Poeme' [instead of poem, ok i know Chausson is French] is a very apt name to call it, there's a lovely exotic women's fragrance from Lancome which is equally gorgeous, i think of the Chausson piece as an exotic perfume wafting on the breeze.

Here's Oliver Charlier playing Chausson's Poeme on YouTube.

Liszt - Piano Music [Mardirossian] 

Liszt is a Composer that i have consciously tried to delve deeper into in the last year, at certain turns he has surprised me, Harmonies Du Soir and Un Sospiro have got a grip on my heart in the last year or so, so i'm wondering what other beautiful card Liszt's got up his sleeve that i haven't seen yet when he plays his tricks, i bought this disc from Ebay a short time ago, it wasn't cheap, but i got it for a good price, it's great in the sense that it fills gaps in my Liszt discography nicely, and who knows, maybe another piece to truly fall in love with.

Vahan Mardirossian is Armenian, born in 1975, he's now 37, he recorded this disc in 2007, the visual presentation is great, which includes the inner photos, the photo on the disc itself, and on the inside of the back insert, but i just love the front booklet cover [photo by Karim Rimzi], a nice tight face mugshot, hands placed in front of the nose to give emphasis, hairline showing, but top of the head cut off, i love the lettering in the two opposite corners, the whole thing really works for me.

Well this was a learning experience, believe it or not, even with a personal discography of roughly 1650 discs, and 25 years listening experience, this is the first time i've listened to Liszt's Piano Sonata!, and it certainly needs some more listening!, on this recital Mardirossian includes 4 pieces that are transcriptions from other Composers, these are all vocal works, where Liszt has to transcribe the human worded voice into pure piano sounds, and even though i guess they're not wholly Liszt's creations, it still takes great invention to turn something into pure piano sounds, consider his superb transcriptions of the Beethoven Symphonies, it was the last piece i was really wowed with, Standchen works so well without the singer!, Liszt spins it as if was always meant to be purely a piano solo, and Schubert is the one that transcribed it as a song!, and now i remember it on a Joshua Bell disc [21st February 2010], with its other name Serenade, the song is of a Serenader at his Lady's window in the moonlight, singing of love, the original song has five stanzas, but i believe Liszt only uses three here, here are the timings for the work,

A - 0:00-1:45

B - 1:46-3:18

C - 3:19-4:50

D - 4:51-5:55

A-C are the first three stanzas / variations, and D is the coda / finale, after a short prelude the treble in the right hand comes in [0:12+], and it's a gorgeous tune, the main tune and the accompaniment take it in turns to 'sing' the first stanza [0:00-1:45], it's simple and just so beautiful, in the second stanza there's a lower part for the 'voice', and higher for the accompaniment [1:46-3:18], it's a nice variation, the real magic is in the third stanza, it's high in the treble, and there's an immediate echo from the voice, just slightly higher in the treble [3:19-4:50], it's so magical and chimerical, it's the highlight of the piece, there's an angry middle part, but it soon turns to the beginning, then comes some sort of coda to close the whole thing down [4:51-5:55], it's a glorious piece of music.

Here's Dora Deliyska playing the transcription of Schubert's Standchen on YouTube.

Bach - The Well Tempered Clavier - Books 1 & 2 [Richter] 

This is a mammoth work, four and a half hours of music, not to be wolfed down in one sitting, i listened to this over roughly a week, it's a lot to take in, and if you don't know the WTC very well, then one Prelude can fuse into another Fugue, and it's hard to differentiate one from another, i've heard the work a fair amount of times myself, but there's 48 to learn and know and fall in love with, i'm slowly getting there, and it's certainly a work that i always relish listening to, i gave this a spin roughly the same time last year [21st August 2011].

Sviatoslav Richter is Ukrainian, 1915-1997, considered to be one of the greatest Pianists to have ever lived, but i'm not so sure myself, he recorded this great work in 1970 & 1972-1973, i must admit that the recording isn't great, there's a fierceness there, and with different recording venues as well, there's also the huge controversy of the interpretation by Richter, some devotees look at him as a piano demi-god, others like me wonder what all the fuss is about, i admit that he's very good, and in certain instances there's a superb level of genius, but on too many occasions he left me unfulfilled and wanting more, i found some of his decisions uninspired, and others just flatly 'wrong', he can certainly be a fast Pianist, and sometimes he gets ahead of the music he's playing, also in loud passages, he overemphasises the volume, yes he likes hammering out a section here and there, where more restraint would have worked wonders, some of my feelings for him should squarely be blamed on the piano / recording, i find it hard to love a piece if it's recorded poorly, the front booklet is very stark, a medium grey on very dark grey, just lettering and lines, though there's a wonderful symmetry to it all.

Well i could be here forever talking about all sorts of enlightening things happening all over the place, however i would like to focus down to just one Prelude & Fugue, and that's the Third one from the First Book BWV 848, Richter takes the Prelude fast, but not overly, it's actually a thrilling speed, all those fast treble notes that start things off [0:00-0:05], actually they're not really treble notes, they're mid keyboard notes by the right hand, loads of black keys here, it rocks back and forth between staccato and legato in such a superb way, there's a real motion to the whole thing, like a train going over the tracks, and the rhythm that it gives, towards the end of the prelude there's a nice density [0:42+], the Fugues can sometimes let the show down with Bach, but this time the Fugue is nearly as good as the Prelude, an impish thing, but it grows in stature as it continues, and has a depth to it, love the trill toward the end [1:19], this now takes its place as my favourite Prelude & Fugue of the 48 [until next time!].

Here's Richter playing the Third Prelude & Fugue of Book One on YouTube [BWV 848].