TheFullScore
MUSIC TO MY EARS
What the classical world has been listening to this month
OUR CHOICES
The BBC Music teams
current favourites
Oliver Condy
Editor
There are a
few stunning
choral settings
of Jacobean poet Phineas
Fletchers A Litany, Gibbons
and Waltons among them,
but to my ears, the music that
best expresses the poems
sorrow and repentance is at
the end of Kenneth Leightons
searing work for choir and
organ, Crucifixus pro nobis
its slow-moving harmonies
brahms charms: twist and turn, simultaneously
Itzhak Perlman inspired expressing majesty, anguish
and a magical stillness in
the young David Garrett
three breathtaking minutes.
Jeremy Pound
DAVID GARRETT violinist Deputy editor
Simply
browsing
I am a huge fan of the violinist Jascha
through the
Heifetz. I first heard his recording of BBC Proms programme every
Brahmss Violin Concerto, with the year acts as a timely prompt
Chicago Symphony under Fritz Reiner, to reacquaint myself with
on an LP that my parents owned. works that Ive not listened
to for a while. This year its
Heifetzs critics say that his playing wasnt warm or John Fouldss colourful Three
emotional, but I disagree in my opinion, if any Mantras for orchestra and
violinist was emotional and creative in terms of worldless chorus. Completed
colours, sounds and phrasing, it was Heifetz. His style in 1930, it reminds me most
instantly of Holst at his most
of playing fitted the more Romantic pieces perfectly, dramatic and exploratory, but
so Brahms was one of his favourites. there are plenty of weird and
Q My teacher at the Juilliard School was the violinist wonderful moments that
Itzhak Perlman (above). With Vladimir Ashkenazy at are uniquely Fouldss own.
the piano, he made a recording of Brahmss Sonatas Rebecca Franks
that I got to love when I was younger. Perlman Reviews editor
changed the way I used the violin physically, in terms One evening
of coordination between the two hands and sound on holiday
recently I
projection in live concerts, and you can hear all this in
was skipping through my
his own playing in this recording. He has a different iPod and stumbled across La
style from Heifetz, but obviously they can both play! Compagnia del Madrigales
Q When I saw Coldplay in concert at the Munich recording of Gesualdos
Olympiastadion, it was one of my favourite musical Tenebrae Responsories. It
was one of the magazines
experiences. I have to say that they are incredible live, monthly choices last year but
and I really love the fact that they are true musicians I had forgotten just what a
and dont try to put on too much of a show. Instead, wonderful performance it is.
they simply play passionately and do it on a very, The singers bring out every
daring, dramatic and strange
very high level. And their lead singer Chris Martin turn of the music it made for
is a great songwriter, a great lyricist and a great utterly mesmerising listening.
performer he has it all.
16 BBC M USIC M AG A Z I N E For more news and artist interviews visit www.classical-music.com
Q A musician who I would love to work with one
day is the singer Christina Aguilera, who I think has
one of the most incredible voices outside of classical
music Im sure she would have been a phenomenal
soprano. Im a big fan, not least because she has such
a great technique and ease in her voice. I particularly
loved it when she recorded the Mulan soundtrack for
Disney, which really showcased her amazing range.
David Garretts new recording of Brahms and Bruch
Violin Concertos will be reviewed next month
JESS LEN tenor
Ive been listening to Caruso 2000,
featuring the voice of the tenor
Enrico Caruso. They have cleaned up
his voice on this CD and removed the
original orchestra from the recording,
made in the 1900s, replacing it with a new recording
by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted
by Gottfried Rabi. The new sound is beautiful,
enabling you to hear Carusos voice much more
clearly. Its amazing what can be achieved with
technology, and the orchestra do a great job
accompanying Carusos voice its incredible.
Q Ramn Vargas is, like me, a Mexican tenor. He has
had an amazing career, singing for many years with an
amazing technique. His CD Lamore, Lamour includes
a selection of arias, including one from Donizettis
Roberto Devereux. This beautiful aria for tenor, Ed
ancor la tremenda porta, is very difficult and its
inspirational to hear what Vargas has done. The
opera itself is really weird and
is rarely performed these days.
Q Verdis Falstaff is an
amazing opera and his last
work. Ive been listening to a
version with Italian baritone
Renato Bruson and US soprano
Barbara Hendricks. I love the
interpretation of these great
singers. Although the tenor
part is not that big, all the
music is beautiful: the first time I heard it I couldnt
believe it was Verdi because it sounded so modern.
Q Marcelo lvarez (above, right) is an Argentinian
tenor who I admire. Ive been listening to an album
from 1998, when he was a young singer in his 30s,
called Bel Canto. He has been one of the inspirations
for me singing Bellinis I puritani, because on this CD
he recorded the long aria from the opening of Act III
which, with the chorus and everything, lasts about
 TheFullScore

OUR CHOICES public, plays the melodies

triumphant tenor:
Marcelo lvarez sings The BBC Music teams
inspirational Bellini current favourites
Neil McKim
Production
editor
A while ago
I heard works
by Finnish composer Magnus
Lindberg at a festival. I have
been listening to his Clarinet
Concerto, performed by
Kari Kriikku, for whom it was
written. Its an extraordinary
piece: the clarinet seems to
have a life of its own and is
ever present, even when the
orchestra is going at full tilt.
The mood shifts furtively,
with moments of eerie calm
and jazzy interludes.
ten minutes. It is very difficult and I have found it
Alice Pearson
helpful as a reference for my own recording of Bellini. Disc editor
Jess Lens new CD, Bel Canto, is out now on the Kabalevskys
Opus Arte label symphonic
poem Spring
is a miniature masterpiece
IRINA BOGDANOVA pianist with its delicate orchestration
under an ever-evolving and
Because I recently played a concert somehow familiar (The
that included tangos by Astor Carpenters Yesterday Once
more, anyone?) melody. From
Piazzolla, I have been listening to the music for a 1957 Soviet
violinist Gidon Kremer and friends in film called The Sisters, its
his 1998 CD called Hommage an orchestral waltz thats
Piazzolla, which includes an arrangement of Le Grand not as lush or extensive as
Ravels but just as evocative.
Tango by Sofia Gubaidulina. This music is full of Its a great introduction to
passion, hope and regret, and Kremer, who was one of Kabalevskys charming music.
the first musicians to bring Piazzollas music to a wider
in such an expressive and
childlike way. I enjoy his
interpretation so much.
Q I have also been enjoying
listening to Leonard
Bernstein conduct the
Vienna Philharmonic in Mahlers First Symphony.
The sound of the woodwind in this performance
is just perfect theres a huge difference between
the sound of the wind and the strings, which brings
real colour to the music. The First Symphony is so
beautiful that I can easily paint a picture in my mind
as I listen to it: I am sitting in a field, surrounded by
nature and far away from the city.
Q I have been lucky enough to get the chance to hear
pianist Grigory Sokolov performing a Chopin and
Schubert programme at the Salzburg Festspielhaus.
Sokolov is one of my favourite pianists because
his interpretations are always individual and very
profound. His performance of Chopins Sonata No. 3
was not Chopin as you hear it typically played by,
say, Arthur Rubinstein it was more structured and
classically played, but so interesting.
Q On Vladimir Ashkenazys recording of Chopins
Etudes on the Decca label, he plays the melodies with
such a light touch particularly in, say, Op. 10 No. 3
where he brings out the tune so softly, with no hard
or loud sounds. In Op. 10 No. 4 he plays brilliantly
technically and is passionate, and yet it is still with a
very light touch, while in Op. 25 No. 6 he creates an
absolutely perfect melody while playing double
notes the tempo and the phrasing are just ideal.
Irina Bogdanovas recording of Chopins Etudes is
out now on the Quartz label

AND MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

Dodat de Sverac performed
You tell us what youve been enjoying on disc and in the concert hall by Aldo Ciccolini on EMI Classics.
Sverac belongs to the same sound
GETTY, WWW.MARCELOALVAREZ.COM, MAARIT KYTHARJU/FIMIC, ANDREAS HOFWEBER

John Curry, Malvern
I am reading Sir
John Eliot Gardiners
biography of JS Bach
while listening to the
St John Passion in the 1972 Decca
recording with Britten conducting and
tenor Peter Pears as an outstanding
Evangelist. Gardiner shines a new light
on the St John as he believes it is the
most dramatic of Bachs two passions
and that is has never been bettered,
either before or since. Listening to the
work as one reads his analysis gives
extraordinary insights.
Greg Bartholomew,
Seattle, US
I feel very fortunate to
have heard all seven
Sibelius symphonies
at the Seattle Symphonys Sibelius
Festival, conducted by Thomas
Dausgaard. This was the only US
orchestra to programme the complete
cycle in celebration of Sibeliuss 150th
birthday. They topped that last week
with an amazing concert featuring
concertmaster Alexander Velinzon in
Schnittkes Violin Concerto No. 4 and
Shostakovichs Symphony No. 7, both
for huge forces I counted 22 brass!
Michael Berman,
Connecticut, US
Ive been immersed in
the tedious project of
converting about 1,000
vinyl recordings to digital and I came
across a boxed set of Arturo Toscanini
conducting all nine Beethoven
symphonies. This has now found its
way to my daily play list. Listening to
one of the greats at the helm of the
New York Philharmonic is something
that is hard to replicate on any other
mighty finn:
composer Kalevi Aho
recording. There is a bit of a loss of
quality, due to the conversion, but
theyre still a delight to the ears.
Phil Lee-Thomas,
Pontypridd
I have long been a fan
of Scarlattis keyboard
works and recently
bought the complete edition of the
sonatas, performed by Richard Lester
on the Nimbus label. I am amazed at
the endless invention and harmonic
language. I have also been enjoying
the piano music of French composer
world as Debussy and Ravel, and
deserves to be better known.
Richard Goldwater,
Massachusetts, US
A living Finnish
composer with at
least 15 symphonies
and many chamber works and
concertos, Kalevi Aho (left) is a
worthy successor to Shostakovich and
Prokofiev. His sound is challenging at
first, but quickly assimilated. Several
works are in multiple recordings,
so try them all, particularly the
wonderful Theremin Concerto and
Accordion Sonatas! I also love reissues
from French label Pristine Audio that
make the likes of Heifetz, Schnabel,
Toscanini et al sound like new again.
Tell us what concerts or recordings
youve been enjoying by emailing us at
musictomyears@classical-music.com

For more news and artist interviews visit www.classical-music.com BBC M USIC M AG A Z I N E 17