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.

Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto [Nikkanen/ Simonov-The London Philharmonic]

Played this disc almost five years ago [16th August 2010], and haven't played it since!, so it was great to revisit it today, i play all of my discs in a sort of rotation, half get played every year, a quarter get played every two years, only a small percentage end up having to wait as long as five years, but i don't know why this has languished unplayed for so long, it's a great little disc, and i really enjoyed the performance, and it was nice getting to know the Glazunov a little more also.

Kurt Nikkanen is American, he recorded this disc in 1990, on the now defunct Collins Classics label, and hasn't done a lot else recording wise, i like the booklet cover [by Hanya Chlala], i guess a sort of blue theme, the blue denim jacket is certainly a change from the bow tie and black jacket, the lettering is well laid out in nice duo colours.

The first movement has that unmistakable Tchaikovsky Russian feel, full of really good tunes, real bravura by Nikkanen, he gets the opportunity to show off his virtuoso skills [5:36-6:37], all sorts of twists and turns are created by Tchaikovsky to test a Violinists mettle, and there's fire and brimstone in the orchestral tuttis too [6:37-7:14], for Tchaikovsky it's never just mere nice tunes, he makes it so hard for the Violinist at times, you almost have to be a masochist to go through all the hoops of fire [8:07-9:18], and Tchaikovsky tuttis again a marvel to behold [9:18+], full of passion, i love the way Tchaikovsky introduces the cadenza [9:58+], which at first can seem a little on the reflective side, or possibly it's a bit low key by Nikkanen, after the cadenza, the orchestra comes back in via a superb flute solo [13:09+], over the trills of the outgoing violin cadenza, a lovely moment, the finale builds up to a real power by the violin, by rough stabs [17:29+], and almost screams [17:50+], the very end is whipped up into an exciting frenzy by the violin [18:41+], and the orchestra respond in fashion [18:47+], now that's excitement for you!.

Here's Sayaka Shoji playing the Concerto on YouTube.