Adam, Adolphe – Giselle (Ballet) - Bonynge, Orchestra of the ROHCV

Richard Bonynge elicits mixed feelings as a conductor. There have been many criticisms of his technique, not without justification. Nevertheless, he is a fine musician who knows his scores and how he wants them to sound. He achieves fine results when paired with an orchestra sympathetic to his aims. His many fine ballet recordings, of which this Giselle is one, have been great additions to the catalog. He has said that Adolphe Adam is his favorite composer, and this recording bespeaks great affection on Bonynge's part. It is uncut, the first time I have heard the score this way, plus with a few common interpolations by other composers. The orchestra (Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden) plays with tenderness or gusto as required. The early digital 1986 sound engineering holds up pretty well, with good detail and dynamic range, and with only a touch of steeliness to the violins. Because of the Urtext attributes of this recording, it would be very hard to recommend another in its place. As good as some of the highlights recordings are of Giselle, the full score really demands to be heard, especially in such a fine performance. --David Seaman

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Mozart - Overtures – Alessandrini, Norwegian National Opera Orch.

 

 

Strictly speaking, the CD  title “Mozart Overtures” is a misnomer, and rarely have I been so happy to discover a misleading label. One overture after another can make for fatiguing listening, no matter how indisputable the quality of the music and performances. The principal reason for them is to serve as a curtain raiser in a drama, although naturally Mozart elevated the form as he did for nearly everything he touched. There are only so many attention grabbers one’s ear can fully absorb in the space of an hour.

All of the concert favorites are here, but they are wisely and generously interspersed with overtures from lesser-known operas, and more important, 10 other brief instrumental movements from operas both famous and obscure. With rare exceptions, I’m not in the habit of listening to a succession of short movements with little or no relationship to each other (we have pop music for that), but this thoughtfully assembled and bracingly performed collection is hard to resist.

In the notes, maestro Rinaldo Alessandrini acknowledges an agreement with Nicolas Harnoncourt that tempos should not be exaggeratedly fast, a tenet he exhibits in the overture (actually, labeled “Sinfonia” by the composer) to Le nozze di Figaro. Granted, Mozart marked presto in the score, but the prevailing practice has been to spin this most renowned of overtures into a mad blur. Here the conductor adopts a rapid pace, but not so fleet that the snaking opening melody loses it characteristic sinewy contours. Has any composer ever written music that is as simple yet sublime as the Marcia from the same opera? Here it is dispatched with dignity, simplicity, and grace.

The most noteworthy trademark of these readings is Alessandrini’s predilection for highly detailed phrasing, an approach that works well with the fairly small forces he employs. Marsch der Priester flows with an intoxicating lyrical grace, the aching suspensions gently underlined. Occasionally he reaches a bit too far, as in the Overture to Der Schauspieldirektor, a work squarely in Mozart’s mature period, yet little known to modern audiences. Perhaps the conductor overdoes his interpretation in order to give this rare gem a boost.

The popular Idomeneo has four excerpts on the disc, tied for the lead with the relatively obscure Mitridate. The Overture is delivered with stern briskness, the Marcia is more understated than most works in its genre, but Alessandri’s account of the Passepied crosses the line from subtle to sedated. “Pas seul de Monsieur Legrand” struts with spot-on nobility. There are four overtures to Mitridate, though no explanation in the notes is given for this oddity. Recordings of the opera only contain one overture in the usual spot, so perhaps the composer was not fully satisfied with his first couple of attempts.

I have long held the view (contentious in some circles) that most historically informed practices can be reproduced with modern instruments, a postulate demonstrated decisively in the recording. Balances favor the woodwinds and percussion, a tendency that has become the norm in recent years, and one that suits most of this music well. There is a buoyancy to the readings of the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra that is enlivening and clear-eyed. Of course, some have little regard for historic investigations, favoring larger orchestras, greater attention to legato phrasing, and string saturation. Thankfully, their numbers are dwindling, and fresh performances like this one will continue to thrive. The sound engineering is well suited to the interpretations, with a dryish but clear acoustic.--FANFARE: Michael Cameron

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Sviatoslav Richter-Kleiber - Dvorak Piano Concerto-Schubert Wanderer Fantasy

 

The Dvorák Piano Concerto, dating from 1876, has always been overshadowed by its later and more celebrated, more often performed Violin and Cello Concertos. On the surface it shares non of the glittering showmanship bravura passages of so many other late nineteenth century piano concertos; and its themes do not linger in the memory as indelibly as those in Dvorak's other two concertos. Yet it has that kind of subtle, more restrained beauty and fascination that reveals itself more and more on repeated hearings. A work that has grown beautifully insidiously on this listener. This piano concerto certainly held a fascination for Richter and it was chosen by him, much to the surprise of his many admirers, for a Royal Albert Hall concert given during the heyday of his early celebrity. This recording followed soon after and it demonstrates his affection for the work. He is joined by Carlos Kleiber who did not make excessive numbers of visits to the recording studios but when he did it was often an occasion (One remembers his monumental recording of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony for instance). The collaboration of Sviatoslav Richter and Kleiber lifts this work so that we can fully appreciate its strengths. It is a genial, high-spirited concerto; few shadows cross its path. Folk material is a strong element in its make-up. The long first movement (nearly 19 minutes duration) is consistently delightful with a lovely lyrical main theme that skips and dances along through the movement and reaches a very affecting climax at about 14:36. The Andante is very appealing with its misty, dreamily introspective pages, contrasting with faster more extrovert, sometimes wry, observations. Richter's reading, throughout, is a model of lucidity, poetic eloquence and glittering dexterity.

Schubert's 'Wanderer Fantasy' is monumental and monumentally difficult. Quoting from Bryce Morrison's notes: "Few pianists have been more closely associated with the Fantasie's alpine challenge than Richter, first amongst an élite able to subdue even the most ungrateful difficulties (including a notorious passage in running semiquaver octaves and shuddering tremolandi in the first movement, and final pages which pile Pelion on Ossa) leaving him free to concentrate on Schubert's purely musical quality. Implacable rhythm, a capacity to switch dynamic extremes without any loss of impetus, an almost visceral force and manic propulsion offset by an uncanny conjuring of lyricism and stillness, are merely a few of the characteristics that make Richter a supreme master of the 'Wanderer' Yes, indeed; this performance had me sitting on the edge of my seat in awe and wonder, what more need I say?.—Ian Lace

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Related article

• Kleiber: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon | Classical CD review (guardian.co.uk)