Sid James

This week, the focus was guitar music, but we ended with a string quartet by Hindemith.

To start, a second listen to the Albeniz Echoes of Spain album, and it was good to hear it again. Those unique harmonies from Southern Spain were very apparent, spicy and exotic.

Then, a comparison of two Australian guitarists playing a piece by a veteran composer of our country, Peter Sculthorpe. From Kakadu is based on a theme from an Aboriginal song from the Top End, Northern Australia. This work showcases contemporary guitar technique, they style is like modern tonal. Mr. Tsiboulski played it more vigorously and Mr. Williams played it more gently and lyrically.

Albéniz: Echoes of Spain
John Williams, guitar (CBS, now on Sony)

Granada
Asturias
Sevilla
Mallorca (Barcarola), Op. 202
Córdoba Tórre
Bermeja Cádiz
Zambra Granadina
Tango

Peter Sculthorpe
From Kakadu for solo guitar
Played by
- Aleksandr Tsiboulski on Naxos
- John Williams on Sony

Next, listening to two recordings of Rodrigo's famous Guitar Concierto de Aranjuez. Mr. Kraft played it more restrained and "no frills" than Mr. Williams, who made his guitar sing in a very emotional performance.

Rodrigo
Guitar Concierto de Aranjuez
Played by
- Norbert Kraft, guitar on Naxos (whole concerto)
- John Williams, guitar on Sony (second movt. Adagio, only)



Then a number of the 24 Caprichos de Goya by another great composer for the guitar in the c20th, Castelnuovo-Tedesco. These are technically demanding pieces but quite enjoyable and easy to listen to. There is a lot of counterpoint here, many of the traditional Baroque forms (eg. canons, fugues, gigues, etc.) & even use of the serial technique in the 15th capricho to provide some kind of light relief from all the complex counterpoint. These were inspired by Goya's famous series of surreal etchings. There are some references to outside sources, eg. in the 12th capricho, the Dies Irae theme pops up (this etching is about people being lead to their deaths in the inquisition) & the final capricho is quite optimistic and incorporates a theme reminiscent of another earlier great composer for the instrument, Luigi Boccherini. However, on the whole, these miniatures come fully from the imagination of the composer and they bring art & music together like other pieces like Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
From 24 Caprichos de Goya for guitar, Op. 195
Zoran Dukic, guitar
(Naxos, 2 disc set)

We listened to Caprichos I, XII, XV, XVIII, XIX, XXIV.

To finish, another composer who fused the new and the old. Hindemith's String Quartet #6 develops a number of themes from the opening quiet canon to the concluding movement that brings together the main themes of the three previous movements in a masterful fugue. The ending is not what you'd think, a mercurial waltz appearing from nowhere and disappearing into the ether, as if Johann Strauss had popped by to say hello and dash off. It's these details that make Hindemith seem less daunting and serious as he's sometimes made out to be, for good or bad reasons...

Paul Hindemith
String Quartet #6 in E-flat (1943)
New World Quartet
From VoxBox 2 disc set

This week we listened to a variety of things, starting out with two substantial works by Mendelssohn and ending with Schnittke.

F. Mendelssohn

A Midsummer Night's Dream, music to Shakespeare's play
- Overture, Op. 21
- Incidental music, Op. 61
Arleen Auger, soprano / Ann Murray, mezzo soprano / Ambrosian Singers / Philharmonia Orch. / Neville Marriner, cond.
(Philips)

Symphony #4 in A, Op. 90 "Italian"
Concertgebouw Orch., Amsterdam / Bernard Haitink, cond.
(Philips tape, coupled with Schubert's Rosamunde under George Szell)

Although the Overture and the rest of Mendelssohn's incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream were written about two decades apart, their style are wholly consistent. Some argue that this is a weakness and proves Mendelssohn's lack of stylistic range, but I largely disagree with this. This whole work is a good way to spend an hour, it contains some of the best & very atmospheric fairy music every penned, it's easy listening overall & this interpretation really brought out the classical economy and restraint in the music for me.

Mendelssohn's Italian symphony was written in his early twenties and shows his mastery of orchestration and counterpoint. The concluding Saltarello movement, which is based on the Italian tarantella dance, is very vigorous and passionate, while the slow movement is apparently based on a pilgrim's tune not of Italian but Czech origin. A very lively and energetic performance here from a young Maestro Haitink leading one of the finest orchestras in Europe, the Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam.

J.S. Bach
From The Musical Offering, BWV. 1079
- Ricercar a 6 (harpsichord solo, from Part I)
- Allegro from Sonata Sopr'il Soggietto Reale (flute, violin, continuo - from Part II)
Davitt Moroney (harpsichord) and his group
Harmonia Mundi, musique d'abord, white label

F. Haydn
Symphony #94 in G, Surprise
English Chamber Orch. / Jeffrey Tate, cond.
(EMI)

Talking of the counterpoint in the Mendelssohn works above, I decided to pull out some J.S. Bach which I've been recently enjoying. The Ricercar a 6 is one of the most complex pieces of counterpoint that he'd ever penned, very difficult to play, and here played with such emotion & a sense of real depth by Scotsman Davitt Moroney. The flute sonata forming the middle part of the work is by comparison lighter and easy listening, the Prussian monarch Frederick the Great who commissioned it was an able flautist and it was written specifically with his abilities with the instrument in mind. This is quite a well-known piece, the tunes are very memorable.

Then more counterpoint and contrast from the master of dark and light, Haydn. His Surprise symphony is one of the most famous of the London sets. Many great moments & surprises in this, including the massive chord in the middle of a dainty little tune resembling twinkle twinkle little star in the second slow movement, which is more vigorous than one would expect. Jeffrey Tate's performances with his players emphasise the contrasts and humour in these scores.

L. Boccherini
Guitar Quintet #4 in D major, Fandango
Karin Schaupp, guitar / Flinders Quartet / Chari Saldana, castanets
(ABC Classics)

A. Schnittke
Sonata for cello and piano (1978)
Maria Kliegel, cello / Raimund Havenith, piano
(Naxos)

Finishing with two contrasting recordings that have been in my player a lot these days.

Boccherini's Fandango quintet needs no introduction to chamber fans, but this was the first recording I'd heard it on. A very imaginative and colourful work, topped off by the fandango dance of the title which comes across as kind of minimalistic & refreshing to hear every time. These young Australian players do it more than justice, they impart a sense of warmth and fun to an already happy work.

The Schnittke is quite dark and schizophrenic, esp. in the short middle movement, which includes bits of a Russian dance, a waltz, jazz, it's a perpetuum mobile and draws me in like a vortex. Very intense stuff, the final 11 minute movement brings all these disparate bits together in a masterful way.

All in all this was a good listening session, and we hope to return next time to more Mendelssohn & Haydn...

This week, first up was Mozart's famous wind serenade, the Gran Partita. A delightful work full of imagination and innovation. The natural (non-valved) horns sounded a bit harsh to my ears at first, but I got used to them as the work progressed. This is now a classic account of the work & it is enjoyable all round & very Mozartian, imo.

As a contrast, we skipped forward about 100 years to the end of the 19th century, with the beginning of a kind of French neo-classical style. Gounod's very accomplished and quite enjoyable Petite Symphonie looks back to the era of Mozart and forward to 20th century neo-classicism. This classic recording has John Barbirolli conducting the wind players of his Halle Orchestra, I wonder whether his wife Evelyn - who was an oboist in that group - was playing in this vintage 1958 recording? This is the only chamber work by Gounod to enter the repertoire, it is universally loved and admired by wind players & chamber music fans.

W.A. Mozart
Serenade No. 10 in B minor, KV 361 (370a) "Gran Partita"
Wiener Mozart-Blaser / Nikolaus Harnoncourt, director
Teldec

C. Gounod
Petite Symphonie for 10 wind instruments
Members of Halle Orch. / John Barbirolli, cond.
(EMI)

Next, an arrangement by Haydn's manager (& also violinist), Johann Peter Salomon, of his famous Surprise symphony. This arrangement captured the vibe of the work quite well, the slow movement with the "surprise" - an unexpected loud chord in the middle of what sounds like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - lost none of it's impact with only three instruments playing it. The fortepiano sounds a bit small to my ears, but the recording is quite close, so it compensates for that, the delicacy of the instrument is perfectly captured. Geoffrey Lancaster is one of our finest players of the instrument, and here he very ably leads his ensemble on this budget reissue of a recording made in the 1990's.

J. Haydn
Sym. #94 in G major, The Surprise (arr. Johann Peter Salomon)
Ensemble of the Classic Era - Geoffrey Lancaster, fortepiano / Paul Wright, classical violin / Susan Blake, classical cello
(ABC Classics)

Next, J.S. Bach and two composers deeply influenced by him.

Bach's solo cello suites need no introduction but now I am rediscovering them after over a decade. This local recording with one of our finest chamber musicians Michael Goldschlager has been a joy to listen to since I got it this week. I like the way he plays each suite differently, and they are different, & his phrasing, voicings and colours are very good.

The first suite is quite minimalistic and pared down in some ways, almost static in parts. Not much happens in this compared to some of the others. We also listened to the third suite which is a favourite of mine. There's a lot going on in this work, it's quite busy and Baroque in parts, the final gigue is so well crafted and such a good tune I am finding it a bit hard to get out of my head (an earworm).

We will be listening to the other suites in the next few weeks.

J.S. Bach
Cello Suites
#1 in G major, BWV.1007
#3 in C major, BWV.1009
Michael Goldschlager, cello
(ABC Classics)

Mendelssohn's Octet definitely shows his knowledge of J.S. Bach & possibly he may have come by some of the scores of Beethoven's late quartets, but we are not sure about that exactly. But either way, this is a very accomplished work for a sixteen year old, it is a masterpiece by any standard. The richness and complexity of the eight instruments interweaving is a joy to hear.

Hovhaness' Celestial Fantasy also speaks to the strong influence of Bach, being not a fantasy at all but a prelude and fugue. It is a journey from darkness to light and hope. The opening theme is strongly Armenian, speaking to Hovhaness heritage, and the fugue part is quite Bachian and also reminds me of Palestrina in some ways. Here, a performance by members of the Seattle Symphony with their recently retired chief conductor who did a lot to promote American music, Gerard Schwarz.

F. Mendelssohn
Octet in E flat, Op. 20
Melos Ensemble of London
(EMI 2 disc set of chamber music of also Schubert and Beethoven)

A. Hovhaness
Celestial Fantasy for string orch. (composed originally for string quartet in 1935, orchestrated in 1944)
Strings of Seattle SO / Gerard Schwarz, cond.
(Delos 2 disc set)

This time we continued exploring J.S. Bach.

It's been a while since I'd heard his orchestral suites, and on the whole these are not that well known to me. These are complex works, esp. the opening overtures which are over 10 minutes long, they are the meatiest & most detailed pieces of these works. I enjoyed this recording, the sound quality in particular is excellent.

Then a listen to the longest of his cello suites, the 6th, which Rostropovich called a symphony for solo cello. The second movement, a meditative allemande, is over 10 minutes and is indeed like the cliche of Bach's music, a cathedral in sound. As usual, there are cross references to other works by him, eg. the cadenza ending the opening prelude is the tune from Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. This was the only suite originally written for a type of instrument of the time, a violincello piccolo which had 5 strings, it was like a large viola. Some cellists play it on a 5 stringed cello, but on this recording it is played on a standard 4 string cello. I like the richness of these works and the interweaving multiple voicings and use of dissonance as a highlight. The concluding gigue is catchy as usual, and a bit rough, a contrast between the sublime and mundane.

J.S. Bach

Orchestral Suites (Overtures)
- #3, BWV.1068 in D major
- #4, BWV.1069 in D major

English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner, cond.
(Erato, publ. 1985)

- Cello Suite #6 in D major, BWV.1012

Michael Goldschlager, cello
(from ABC Classics, Bach The Cello Suites, double disc set)

Then Haydn's final symphony, the London. Especially striking is the final movement, starting with a drone from the bassoons, going into a Croatian folk-tune elaborated with great effect & many unexpected twists and turns. There are even chords imaging ringing bells in there. An amazing ending to his cycle of 12 London symphonies (Nos. 93-104).

After that, some French opera tunes for light relief, the Delibes duet used famously here in a British Airways TV commercial.

J. Haydn
Sym. #104 in D major, London
Radio Luxembourg SO / Louis de Froment, cond.
(BCI Music)

C. Gounod
Excerpts from Faust

- Salut, demeure (Jewel Song)
Alain Vanzo, tenor with unnamed orchestra
Rec. 1958-64
(Award disc)

- Waltz from Act II
Choir & Orch. of National Opera, Paris / Georges Pretre, cond.
(EMI, Best Loved Classics, Vol. 13)

L. Delibes
- Lakme: Viens Mallika (Act I)
Mady Mesple, sop. / Danielle Millet, mezzo-sop. / Orch. of Opera Comique, Paris / Alain Lombard, cond.
(EMI, as above)

Then, a work I remember listening to as a kid, of a recording I got just this day. Mozart's two piano quartets were the first to treat this combination as real chamber music, not as a defacto concerto. The first one has a darker first movement, but the rest of it is light and typically Mozartean. But we listened to the second one, which is lighter overall. Esp. notable are the trills and arabesques played by the pianist, prefiguring what Beethoven and Schubert would do in their chamber works involving piano.

To finish, some solo piano music of Debussy. The whimsy of the Parnassum piece and Gardens in the Rain - which has nothing to do with the title, or not how you'd think. In these pieces you can hear the pianist playing scales going up and down the keyboard, just as the young Debussy was forced to practice as a kid, and even more if it was raining outside and he couldn't go out and play. As for Golliwog's Cake-Walk, the ragtime is interrupted by a quote of Wagner's Tristan chord, having a dig at pretentiousness and music on steroids, as I call it.

Overall, this was a good listening session, and we will continue next time exploring Bach's cello suites, we hope to get through them bit by bit by the end of this year...

W.A. Mozart
Piano Quartet in E flat major, K.493
The Mozartean Players:
Steven Lubin, fortepiano / Stanley Ritchie, Classical violin / Myron Lutzke, Classical cello / with guest David Miller, Classical viola
(Harmonia Mundi reissue)

C. Debussy

From Children's Corner (1908)
- Doctor Gradus as Parnasssum
- Golliwog's Cake-Walk

From Estampes (1903)
- Gardens in the Rain

Peter Schmalfuss, piano
(Pilz label cd)

Hi Sid,

Is the John Williams album a guitar transcription of Albeniz's Suite Espanola for piano? I love that work, and I always envisioned that it would sound good on the guitar too.

Villa-Lobos's guitar music is one part of his output I'm not familiar enough with. I love the Mathis der Maler symphony, too, and agree with your comments about it. Gotta love that super tense opening to the 3rd movement on unison strings.

Wups, it looks like was replying to a post on Sept. 25th. Didn't see all the other (green) entries!

Anyways, Children's Corner is a fun work! I've played the Cakewalk before, and it was a hit. It's nice to know that Impressionism can have a sprightlier, less mysterious side to it too.

Originally Posted by Air

Is the John Williams album a guitar transcription of Albeniz's Suite Espanola for piano? I love that work, and I always envisioned that it would sound good on the guitar too...

I remember reading the liner notes of the John Williams Echoes of Spain album and it said that these were originally composed for guitar by Albeniz. I'm pretty sure but I'll have to check & I'll get back to you by PM.

...Villa-Lobos's guitar music is one part of his output I'm not familiar enough with...

It is interesting, I've only heard those works I've listed on this blog, which isn't much, but he only composed a single CD's worth in all for the solo instrument. As I said regarding our own Peter Sculthorpe's guitar music, Villa-Lobos was also able to capture the unique sounds of his larger scale works in his music for the solo guitar. Which is pretty amazing, these guys are just amazing, so versatile with virtually any instrument they get their hands on or head around, etc.

...I love the Mathis der Maler symphony, too, and agree with your comments about it. Gotta love that super tense opening to the 3rd movement on unison strings.

Yes, Hindemith is one of my favourite 20th century composers, esp. that symphony as well as his Pittsburgh Symphony and Symphonic Metamorphosis which are also on that budget disc, Milan Horvat conducting his Austrian players...

To finish for this year, it was a repeat listen to John Williams' Echoes of Spain album, with the guitar music of Isaac Albeniz.

Then Andre Rieu's latest album, And the Waltz Goes On. The title track is a piece by actor Anthony Hopkins, written when he was 19. It is the highlight of the album for me, a darkish hued waltz reminiscent of the Russians and Scandinavians. A great album overall, all of non-Strauss dynasty waltzes. There's a lot out there, you know, Andre doesn't only do Strauss waltzes!

A review I did of the Rieu album on current listening thread is HERE.

Seasons Greetings to all my blog readers and I'll be back mid January of next year to continue this weekly blog. Thanks for reading in 2011 and I look forward to 2012...

First, a listen to sax player Tom Scott's album called Target. This came across as great easy listening but music with a good deal of substance. Quite groovy but the total time is just 35 minutes. But it's quality over quantity in this case.

Band comprises Tom Scott (leader) on tenor & soprano saxes & also lyricon, with others playing guitars, percussions, synthesisers, brass, harmonica and also with vocalists. On Atlantic label, publ. 1983. Compositions by Scott and others.

Then a bit of Mozart, an innovative work for four orchestras. The front two play together, with echoes and ghosting by the back two. I think it's a work ahead of its time, and quite enjoyable.

Mozart
Serenade #8 for four orchestras, K286 "Notturno"
Vienna Mozart Ensemble / Willi Boskovsky, cond.
(Award cd)

Then a Christmas Concert from Carnegie Hall in New York, done in 1991. An all-star line up, incl. the voices of Kathleen Battle, Frederica von Stade, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and various groups under the baton on Andre Previn (who also plays piano on some tracks). Great atmosphere here and a good mix of carols, Negro Spirituals, & Christmas themed jazz and classical pieces.