Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Owain Arwel Hughes SIBELIUS Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3

 

SYMPHONIES Nos. 1 & 3

 

Anne Sofie von Otter / Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Hannu Lintu SIBELIUS Tapiola - En Saga - 8 Songs

TAPIOLA - EN SAGA - 8 SONGS

Ragnhild Hemsing / Tor Espen Aspaas NORTHERN TIMBRE

NORTHERN TIMBRE

Augustin Hadelich / Hannu Lintu / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra SIBELIUS - ADÈS Violin Concertos

                                                            VIOLIN CONCERTOS

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra / Santtu-Matias Rouvali SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2 - King Christian II

                                            SYMPHONY NO. 2 - KING CHRISTIAN II

Daniel Rowland / Maja Bogdanović PAS DE DEUX

                                                                   PAS DE DEUX

Emmanuel Tjeknavorian / Frankfurt Radio Symphony / Pablo González TJEKNAVORIAN - SIBELIUS Violin Concertos

                                                            VIOLIN CONCERTOS

Tobias Feldmann / Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège / Jean-Jacques Kantorow SIBELIUS - RAUTAVAARA Violin Concertos

                                                               VIOLIN CONCERTOS

Louise Alder / Joseph Middleton LINES WRITTEN DURING A SLEEPLESS NIGHT

                                                           The Russian Connection

Christian Tetzlaff / Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin / Robin Ticciati BEETHOVEN - SIBELIUS Violin Concertos

What we have here is by my calculations Christian Tetzlaff’s third recording of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, the first two under Michael Gielen and David Zinman respectively. Having reviewed the latter in these pages back in June 2006, I noted then that ‘the main stumbling-block on so many rival recordings of this work is a sort of romantic reverence, a trend challenged by Zehetmair, Kremer and others. For all its many moments of profound repose, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is a forthright, heroic piece, with boldly militaristic first movement tutti and a rollicking finale which Tetzlaff invests with numerous added colours. Following on the heels of Zehetmair, Kremer and Schneiderhan, [he] performs the violin version of the cadenza that Beethoven wrote for his piano transcription of the work, a playful excursion and a snug fit for his overall interpretation.’ This choice of cadenza has apparently been Tetzlaff’s preferred option from the age of 15.

Little has changed during the intervening years, at least in principle. Listening to Tetzlaff flying side-saddle through the Concerto last November (when this superbly engineered recording was made at Berlin’s Philharmonie), often with the utmost agility, reminded me that at the work’s premiere the composer’s violinist colleague Franz Clement – who was sight-reading Beethoven’s hastily finished solo part – is said, by some, ‘to have interrupted the concerto between the first and second movements with a solo composition of his own, played on one string of the violin held upside down’. Now do hear me out on this point. Tetzlaff may at times excitedly rushes his fences, but in collaboration with Robin Ticciati and his alert Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, he transforms aspects of what so many have treated as a sort of Holy Grail (ie loftily reverential) into a beer tankard, the sense of unhinged inebriation gaining most froth in the outer movements’ playful cadenzas, which run wild in the first movement and ratchet up extra excitement for the finale. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more excitable account of that closing Rondo. Here, as Tetzlaff himself says in a fascinating booklet interview, ‘the seriousness or solemnity sometimes surrounding the work is [also] completely suspended’. Of course, viewed as a whole the Concerto still emerges as the mighty edifice that it is, but it’s good to have a dose of typically Beethovenian rough-and-tumble thrown in as ballast.

The first movement’s serene central section (played in tempo) allows for a welcome spot of repose and elsewhere Tetzlaff’s sweet, delicately spun tone contrasts with, or should I say complements, Ticciati’s assertive, occasionally bullish accompaniment. The Larghetto is beautifully done, its effect underlined through the sheer energy and character of the outer movements. There’s never any doubt that what you’re listening to is a real concerto, a battle of wills, more in line with Zehetmair and Brüggen (who use Wolfgang Schneiderhan’s cadenza with timpani) or Kremer and Harnoncourt (a cadenza incorporating piano) than with the likes of Perlman, Zukerman or Kennedy. Who knows: maybe this is roughly what Beethoven originally had in mind? It’s possible, even probable. One thing’s for sure: never before has this indelible masterpiece sounded more like a profound precursor of Paganini.

If Beethoven’s Concerto emerges as uncompromisingly provocative, Tetzlaff’s Sibelius also errs on the side of danger. As risk-taking performances go, this one will have you clinging to the sides of your seat. Comparing it with his Virgin recording with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra under Thomas Dausgaard is especially instructive: in the finale’s opening, the ever-attentive Ticciati follows Sibelius’s wishes by cueing a gradual diminuendo before Tetzlaff enters, whereas Dausgaard carries on pounding at full throttle. Then again, in the passage leading to the second subject (from around 0'44"), under Ticciati Tetzlaff sounds as if he’s clinging on for dear life. Sibelius throws down the gauntlet by requesting a very fast tempo and Tetzlaff rises to the challenge. I shan’t pretend that the effect is entirely comfortable (the Dausgaard option sounds marginally safer) but it’s undeniably exciting. The Concerto’s opening is candidly emotional, with imaginatively deployed varieties of attack (a Tetzlaff speciality) and Ticciati again engaging his soloist with the utmost intensity, lunging fearlessly at Sibelius’s dynamic writing, whether the deafening growl at 7'07" or the movement’s fiercely driven close. As with the Beethoven, Tetzlaff is at his lyrical best in the Adagio. Both performances sidestep interpretative convention without either offending or displacing their finest rivals. In many respects, a real knock-out. (Rob Cowan / Gramophone)

Ginette Neveu THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS

The French violinist Ginette Neveu was just 30 when her plane crashed in the Azores in October 1949. She had studied with George Enescu and Carl Flesch, and as The Observer wrote in 1945, “Her playing was superbly vigorous and passionate, and made the impression that its great qualities, such as eloquent phrasing and an apparently limitless range and variety of tone, came from the only true source – an identity with the music and with her instrument.” 

Her complete recordings, specially remastered from the best sources available, are gathered on these four CDs, with her incandescent Sibelius Concerto taking pride of place.

2019 marks the centenary of Ginette Neveu’s birth.

 “Her playing was superbly vigorous and passionate, and made the impression that its great qualities, such as eloquent phrasing and an apparently limitless range and variety of tone, came from the only true source – an identity with the music and with her instrument.” The Observer, 1945

The present box gathers the complete studio recordings done by Ginette Neveu and contains the first CD reissue in the West of Ion Scărlătescu’s Bagatelle

Thomas Sondergard / BBC National Orchestra of Wales SIBELIUS Finlandia - Swan of Tuonela - Oceanides - En saga - Valse triste

Described as ‘one of the great new Sibelian teams’ (The Herald), Thomas Søndergård and BBC National Orchestra of Wales continue their shared fascination with the orchestral music of Sibelius.

Released one month after BBC NOW celebrates its ninetieth anniversary, this recording includes many of Sibelius’ most famous masterpieces. Sibelius established his credentials early on with the tonally adventurous En saga, which brings to mind the excellence of Berlioz’ orchestral writing.

Sibelius’ successful foray into the impressionistic tone world of Debussy resulted in the haunting seascape of The Oceanides. Sibelius wrote it was ‘pure inspiration’ that led to the composition of the perpetually popular Finlandia, with its world-famous hymn motif.

The wonderfully descriptive Swan of Tuonela finds Sibelius at his mystical best as he casts the cor anglais as the majestic swan from Finnish mythology.

Jacques Imbrailo / Alisdair Hogarth SIBELIUS & RACHMANINOV Songs

Following critically acclaimed Glyndebourne performances in Michael Grandage’s Billy Budd and Brett Dean’s Hamlet, Jacques Imbrailo has established himself as one of the most exciting young baritones on the world stage.

His debut solo recital for Linn sees him perform with fellow Prince Consort alumni, Alisdair Hogarth, in a mouth-watering programme of Sibelius and Rachmaninov songs.

Among the selection is In the silence of the mysterious night, one of Rachmaninov’s best-loved songs and one of the composer’s greatest achievements in this genre.

Rachmaninov’s trademark melodicism is met with a perfect partner in Imbrailo’s lyric baritone, whilst his expressive and highly intricate accompaniments find a worthy partner in Hogarth.

Providing a welcome contrast to the intensity of Rachmaninov is the Nordic sentimentality that Sibelius brings to his highly romantic songs. The pearl of the Opus 37 collection is Was is a dream?, which the composer himself described as ‘my most beautiful song’.

Together the duo perfectly communicates the passions and anxieties of a poet’s lost love; the rich tone of Imbrailo’s final note provides an immensely satisfying close.

Gothenburg Symphony / Santtu-Matias Rouvali SIBELIUS Symphony No. 1 - En Saga

Alpha begins a complete cycle of the symphonies by Sibelius alongside some of his symphonic poems with Gothenburg Symphony and its new chief conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

In the great tradition of Finnish conductors, Santtu-Matias Rouvali is known for his extremely physical and organic interpretations: ‘Music unmistakeably flows from him,’ commented The Sunday Times.  This was evident when, at a very young age, he stepped in to conduct a concert with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra which began the journey to his first tenure as Chief Conductor with the Tampere Philharmonic; a meteoric rise to a career working at the highest musical level internationally; and a third post as Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. 

When Bachtrack asked him how he shapes the orchestral sound, he replied: ‘I sing it, I move my hands the way I want it (…) the conductor should be able to show tempo somewhere in the body (…) I was also a drum kit player, so my feet and hands can do different things at the same time. When you read the score, you sing it in your head (…) I think it’s the sense of inside groove that you get from playing percussion which is very important in Sibelius’s music .’

In the Gothenburg Symphony he finds a prestigious cohort of musicians with an impressive discography, and joins a line of their illustrious musical directors, notably Neeme Järvi, the orchestra’s principal conductor from 1982 to 2004, but also Gustavo Dudamel, who is honorary conductor. From season 2019-2020 Barbara Hannigan and Christoph Eschenbach have been nominated first guest conductors.

Hermine Horiot BORÉALES

 Boréales is the second album of cellist Hermine Horiot, recently released for the 1001 Notes label. A vast solo cello crossover, in the heart of six Nordic and Baltic countries, spanning more than a century of music. From Sibelius to Arvo Pärt, through contemporary creation and the rediscovery of unfairly unknown works outside their borders, Boréales goes out to meet geniuses from the cold, with dreamlike, complex and luminous language. Like the aurora of the same name, the changing lights of these music rise from the silence to come to bloom in the ear of the listener. Their colors will be different for everyone, that's the strength of the music.
The merger of the cello and the electronics accentuates this dimension, with the piece Fratres by Arvo Pärt, in an unprecedented adaptation of Julien Podolak, validated by the composer.
At the end of their work for Arvo Pärt's Fratres, Hermine Horiot and Julien Podolak came up with a live version of Boréales, in which the electronics are fully integrated into the recital in a single breath: slipping between the pieces it creates links, sometimes breaks.
During the concert, a duet is formed between the cello and the electronics: a dreamlike dialogue, a sound and moving architecture, different for each performance.

Raoul Steffani / Gerald Huber DEEP IN A DREAM

Baritone Raoul Steffani undertakes his CD debut, accompanied by Gerald Huber, with a collection of early songs by some major Lieder composers: Schumann, Grieg, Sibelius and Berg.

Many songs on this album have one thing in common: they are mainly early compositions, in some cases even the first songs these composers wrote. They all have a certain spontaneity and freshness which shows that the young men who composed them were still at the beginning of their careers, full of dreams and hopes for the future. Thus, not surprisingly, many of the songs are also about dreams, totally in the spirit of the true romantic soul. 

Dutch baritone Raoul Steffani, born in 1992, has quickly established himself as one of the leading singers of his generation. He was already awarded several prizes and undertaken masterclasses with Lieder masters such as Thomas Hampson, Christa Ludwig and Elly Ameling. Steffani won the Dutch Grachtenfestival award 2018 and will be Artist in Residence during the Grachtenfestival in 2019.

Sayaka Shoji / St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra / Yuri Temirkanov BEETHOVEN & SIBELIUS Violin Concertos

Sayaka Shoji will release her latest album on Deutsche Grammophon on 26 September. The album includes violin concertos by Beethoven and Sibelius recorded with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and her long-time mentor and supporter, Yuri Temirkanov. Her interpretation of Beethoven’s violin concerto features Shoji’s own cadenza which she composed in 2006.
The album release coincides with a forthcoming Japanese tour with the Orchestra and Temirkanov in November where she will perform Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in five cities including Suntory Hall, Tokyo and Symphony Hall, Osaka.
A prolific recording artist, Shoji’s notable recordings include Beethoven’s complete violin sonatas with Gianluca Cascioli and a live recording with Menahem Pressler from April 2014 with sonatas from Mozart, Schubert and Brahms.
The 2018/19 season will see the violinist make debuts with Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Klaus Mäkelä as well as the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn under the baton of Dirk Kaftan. Further ahead, Sayaka will join Yuri Temirkanov and the SPPO for concerts in Rome, Udine, Bari and Milan playing Brahms’ Violin Concerto as well as a tour in Japan.
Highlights in 2017/18 included concerts with the Tonkünstler Orchester/​Sado for Bernstein’s Serenade, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/​Noseda for Respighi Concerto Gregoriano and a Japanese tour with The Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev.

BERNSTEIN Romance

Bernstein to relax and dream: the double album "Romance" portrays the conductor, composer and pianist from his most romantic side in celebration of his centenary on August 25^th.

Leonard Bernstein is still unforgotten today, still on his centenary in 2018, for his outstanding interpretations of great symphonic works by Mahler, Brahms or Beethoven, and his unique sense for emotional melodies in his own arrangements and compositions. Nobody can resist the charm of the love ballad “Maria” or the optimistically inspired song “Somewhere” from the “West Side Story”. On this album some excerpts of Bernstein’s great recordings are carefully selected, which include legendary musical companions: from Edvard Grieg's "Morgenstimmung" (Peer Gynt Suite) with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber to the nostalgic second movement "Largo ma non tanto" from the Violin Double Concerto BWV 1043 by Johann Sebastian Bach with star violinists Isaac Stern and Yehudi Menuhin. And of course with Bernstein’s own music, “Maria” from the “West Side Story” or Offenbach’s famous “Barcarolle”. "Romance" is the ideal album to get to know one of the most famous classical artists of all time with romantic, relaxing classical music in high-quality recordings. 

The recordings are taken from the great Columbia Records catalogue. Bernstein conducted the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, working with outstanding soloists such as pianist Rudolf Serkin and violinists Isaac Stern and Yehudi Menuhin. In the piano concertos by Mozart and Beethoven, he plays the dual role of the pianist and the conductor.

Anna Kuvaja FLUVIAL

Wonderful debut recording from one of the best young pianists in Finland. Sibelius' amazing versatility comes to the fore in his opus 74, the impressionistic hues and evocative sound-painting of which are connected on this recording to Ravel's play of the water. Byström is one of the very few Finnish composers of the classical era. The set of variations included here exhibits a fine and successful sense of drama. Schubert's A major sonata, the middle one of his last three, brings masterful large-scale thematicism, a stream of affects, and (above all) powerful expression to the programme. 

"As this CD, my debut recording, began to take shape, I felt it important to choose works that felt natural for me as a musician and which would also form a rounded whole as a piano recital. The works by well-known piano composers and Finnish composers which I interpret merge together so as to blur the underlying reflections between them" (Anna Kuvaja)

Leif Ove Andsnes SIBELIUS

"Everyone was astonished that there can be a major composer out there with such beautiful, accessible music that people don’t know. These are intriguing works with the wonderful Sibelius qualities we know. I really, really believe in this music and I want people to hear it.“ (Leif Ove Andsnes) 

Neglected and in many cases misunderstood, Sibelius’s piano works remain something of secret. The celebrated Norwegian Leif Ove Andsnes is on a mission to share them. As he readily confesses, they are uneven in quality, some sounding little more than short, sweet musings, others like shadowy imitations of Chopin or Liszt. All appear worlds away from the raw splendour of the symphonic works. Or perhaps not. The three lyric pieces of Kyllikki, Op 41 (1904), inspired by Finland’s epic, The Kalevala, or the Five Sketches (1929) do echo the timbre and mood of his orchestral writing. On closer listening you feel a door to Sibelius’s mysterious world has been unlocked. And the playing is beautiful. (Fiona Maddocks / The Guardian)