Michael Faust / Sheila Arnold / Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä / Patrick Gallois PETERIS VASKS Flute Concerto - Flute Sonata - Aria e danza - Landscape with Birds

If I hear a piece of music on the radio that I don’t immediately recognise I try to guess first of all roughly when it was written. Then I try to identify the part of the world it is from. I do this before trying to determine any traits that might indicate who it might be by. In this way I can at least narrow down a few possibilities before waiting to find out the answer. 

I don’t know enough of Latvian composer Peteris Vasks’ music to be able to identify it precisely as being by him. On the other hand I might have managed the rest of my own criteria and narrowed down the part of the world in rough terms. There does, after all, seem to be a commonality of sound world shared by composers from the Baltic States and Finland. I find that there is a wonderfully ethereal quality to the music of composers from that area of Europe that is so very descriptive. I first heard this in the music of Sibelius and it seemed and seems to me to describe perfectly the cold, clear air and snowy tree-filled landscape. 

In his Concerto for flute and orchestra Vasks’ also has that precise quality for which the flute, with its bright, clear tone, is a perfect vehicle. This is a seriously brilliant work of almost indescribable beauty. It works its magic on the listener from the very opening and is so captivating it is difficult to leave it for another work without wanting to hear it again immediately. No one could fail to be mesmerised by its fabulous tonal quality. Also fascinating are the extraordinary abilities of flautist Michael Faust for whom the concerto was written. 

The art of flute playing is again amply demonstrated in the Sonata for flute and alto flute solo. It’s in three movements, the central one for flute and the outer ones for alto flute. It is an object lesson in flute virtuosity in which Vasks has the instruments mimic the calls of animals or birds. None of this presents any challenge at all to Faust whose artistry seems boundless. 
Aria e danza for flute and piano is less identifiable in terms of geographical origin. That in no way detracts from its qualities. It was written ostensibly for teaching purposes but I can imagine that any would-be flautist who could achieve a convincing performance of it would be considered as being on their way to achieving their aim. 

The final work Landscape with Birds for flute solo is another composition that would test all but the most skilled musicians. It calls for almost every facet the instrument can produce. 

It was no surprise to read that Vasks is passionate about environmental issues. He incorporates his concerns about the fragile relationship between Man and Nature into his music as well as implying the risks we run if we don’t keep this at the forefront of our minds in our dealings with nature. These concerns, which are so well expressed in the flute concerto, are of greater importance to him than a simple statement about the beauty of nature though obviously that also comes through. 

The concerto (in its revised form) and the Aria e Danza are both world première recordings. The sound is superb. South Indian-born pianist Sheila Arnold is an utterly sympathetic partner for Faust in the Aria e Danza. The small 38-member Finnish Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä is exemplary in its performance of the concerto under Patrick Gallois who has been its music director for nine years up to 2013. After his tenure ends the orchestra’s artistic committee will take on the responsibility for deciding its programmes. 

This is a wonderful disc of the most compelling music. Once again Naxos has come up trumps in presenting it to the public and at a price it can afford. All of this should help it to achieve the widespread recognition it deserves. (Steve Arloff)

Lara James / Jeremy Young / Kathryn Price / Sinfonia Viva / Nicholas Kok FAÇADES

As most readers will know, the saxophone’s association with the emergence of jazz in the early years of the last century tainted its reputation for decades as a vehicle for serious music. Judging from this and many other releases of contemporary, often jazz-inflected, compositions, old prejudices are just about gone. In fact, the composition and recording of saxophone works is almost a growth sector in a classical music industry far too focused on recycling. Here, for those attuned to it, is relatively new music—all of the composers are living—much of it drawing upon the vitality of the improvisational genre, all of it accessible without being simplistic or pastiche.  

Saxophone aficionados will likely know the 1970 Sonata by veteran composer Robert Muczynski. His Concerto for Alto Saxophone garnered a Pulitzer Prize nomination, and this is a piece in the same mold: well-structured, sensitive to the capabilities of the instrument, and full of engaging invention. If the Andante maestoso is more melancholy here than majestic, it does evoke a kind of film noir urban jazziness. The Allegro energetico is just that, to the point where James has to stretch a bit to keep up. Otherwise, the title work, by Philip Glass, is the most likely to be familiar. I love its classic minimalism, with slowly evolving motoric figures underpinning a fairly diatonic melody line. James floats the line well, if coolly, with great vibrato control, but her decision to overdub both parts is a misstep. She is a sensitive collaborator and might have discovered more in the work if she had played it with another soloist. What’s more, the overdubbed parts do not always sync perfectly with the nicely done accompaniment.  

The other three less-familiar works are enjoyable. I particularly like Rodney Roger’s ebullient Lessons of the Sky . The version for oboe and piano has been recorded by Michele Fiala on MSR, but this one for soprano saxophone is equally agreeable, with the sax perhaps more characterful in the jazzy sections and the oboe a bit more poignant in the wistful central section. In both cases, the playful interplay between soloist and piano in this Ravelian work is a delight. Jazz saxophonist Colin MacDonald’s Here Again for soprano saxophone and cello is nicely lyrical, with striking emotional depth but an oddly ambiguous ending for a wedding anniversary gift. James plays it softly and sensitively, but gives up some tonal solidity in the process, especially noticeable in contrast to cellist Kathryn Price’s rich sound. The Christopher Painter Sonata, a James commission, is brusque and the most listener challenging of the works, but retains a jazzy appeal. Graham Fitkin’s Glass brings the CD to a nicely Satie-esque conclusion.  

Lara James is an estimable, if not sensational, proponent of all these works. A well-known performer and teacher in her native Wales, she possesses a solid technique and sensitivity to the jazz idiom that allows her to create a sense of improvisation, most notably in the Painter. Her warm, somewhat reedy tone is well suited to most of the works, though she does not have the seamless legato or seemingly endless breath control of, say, Eugene Rousseau or Nobuya Sugawa. Her intonation is mostly secure, but not perfect. The recordings are good, with a generous balance for the excellent collaborators, though the overdubbed sax duet in Façades does not seem to be in the same acoustic as the orchestra. However, this and other reservations are minor in the face of the body of significant and enjoyable music that James has provided here. That in itself is enough for a warm recommendation. (FANFARE: Ronald E. Grames)

Choir of Clare College, Cambridge / Graham Ross O LUX BEATA TRINITAS

Graham Ross and the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, have released a series of albums on Harmonia Mundi that outline the liturgical year, with programs devoted to Advent, Christmas, Passiontide, Easter, All Saints and All Souls, and Epiphany. This 2018 album, O lux beata Trinitas, rounds out the series with music on the subject of the Trinity, featuring works from the British and Russian choral traditions. The increasing popularity of Orthodox Christian chant and liturgical music by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Sergey Rachmaninov, and to a lesser extent Alexander Grechaninov, Mikhail Glinka, and Pavel Cesnokov, may have revitalized the Western choral repertoire, but the core of most English church music still depends on the customary mix of Renaissance masters (represented here by William Byrd and John Sheppard), Victorians (Charles Villiers Stanford, John Stainer, and Charles Wood), and modern and contemporary composers (Benjamin Britten, James Macmillan, Gabriel Jackson, and Joshua Pacey), giving the Clare College Choir a great variety of sacred styles and moods to choose from. Of added interest for choral fans are the two world premiere recordings: Ross' Duo Seraphim, an ecstatic antiphonal work of haunting intensity, and Pacey's Tres sunt, a contemplative motet that essentially outlines the Trinitarian doctrine in English and Latin texts. This collection demonstrates the group's extraordinary versatility and compelling ensemble sound, which give the performances an air of excitement not usually associated with English choral music. (Blair Sanderson)

Sheila Arnold ÉCOUTEZ!

Claude Debussy left a profound mark on music history when he dissolved functional harmony under the influence of the music of the Far East. 

Tōru Takemitsu had to distance himself from his own culture in order to listen to Japanese music with the ears of a Western-trained musician – adopting, for instance, the approach of John Cage. He came to realize that Japan’s venerable musical tradition had long been highlighting individual notes as complex sonorities in their own right, instead of treating them as part of a series of several notes. 

From the human need for sound as well as silence, John Cage drew the most extreme conclusions. The concept of a “beautiful” sound was never static in music history: it has changed over the centuries, and it differs from one culture to another. Western musical aesthetics tend to differentiate between “noises” and “notes”: the latter feature well-ordered harmonics. The concept of “dissonance” has also changed throughout different musical periods. What is more, musicians and their audiences have always felt the need to “savor” a dissonance – to listen to it consciously, to experience it – before it is resolved. 

On the other hand, time plays a truly fundamental role in how a work is conceived and structured, and each individual listener experiences musical time in a different way. Ideally, the performer and the listener share the same time system: they enjoy passages in a similar way, they hear a piece with the same depth of focus. Music resonates inside the instrument, in our bodies, in the space that surrounds us. Each note is in motion. When several notes vibrate simultaneously, they make up an ocean of concomitant vibrations. If we add the sounds and noises from our surroundings, then we are dealing with an incredible concentration of sonic events within a very short period of time. 

What happens then? 

We become more aware of the way we perceive things. If we are lucky, this kind of conscious musical listening starts to affect how we pay attention to other people, whether they are speaking or not. And lending an ear to one another has become more necessary than ever. Wouldn’t you agree? (Sheila Arnold)

Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra / Jakub Hrůša BARTÓK & KODÁLY Concertos for Orchestra

Exuberant, colourful and edgy concertos for orchestra by Bartók and Kodály are brought together in spirited and vivid performances from the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by the podium sensation Jakub Hrůša on this PENTATONE release.

Bartók’s landmark Concerto for Orchestra is not only a thrilling orchestral tour de force; it’s also a striking and deeply expressive work which effortlessly assimilates Hungarian folk melodies and rhythms in its compelling and polished score. At times brooding and mysterious, it’s Bartók’s most popular and uplifting work, and it ends in a flurry of high spirits.

With its lush and vivid orchestration and a healthy rhythmic swagger, Kodály’s lesser-known Concerto for Orchestra is a captivating and buoyant work. Inspired by the Baroque concerto grosso but updated with a romantic sensibility, the result is a sure-footed, rousing and energetic showpiece for orchestra.

Ana María Valderrama / Víctor del Valle BRAHMS & FRANCK

Since her debut as a soloist with conductor Zubin Mehta at the celebrations concert of the 70th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen of Spain, Ana María Valderrama has established herself as one of the most acclaimed Spanish violinist of the moment.

Víctor del Valle, who enjoys a special connection with the world of chamber music, is involved in active collaboration with various musical groups and soloists. However, his growing prominence on the musical scene is undoubtedly due to his career as a concert pianist together with his brother Luis.

Winners of the Pablo Sarasate and the ARD Competitions respectively, Ana María Valderrama and Víctor del Valle team up to offer a very personal and insightful rendition of two masterpieces in 19^th century chamber music: Brahms’s Third Violin Sonata and Franck’s Violin Sonata. Two musical gems open and close the recording: Brahms’s Scherzo movement from the F.A.E. Sonata and Franck’s Mélancolie.

Schumann Quartett / Anna Lucia Richter INTERMEZZO

Their point of departure and focus is his String Quartet no. 1 in A minor. Robert Schumann always had difficulty with this particular genre, and in 1842 he brought his "attempts at writing quartets" to an end in a headlong burst of creativity that produced his opus 41, comprising three quartets. The Schumann Quartet musicians concentrate unconditionally on the vocal part-writing, and rather than merely overcoming the technical challenges choose to simply ignore them. The music of Felix Mendelssohn is suffused with what Schumann envied as "ease" or "facility". 

The String Quartet no. 1 in E flat major was written in the late summer of 1829, when the younger composer was not yet 20. The correlations, corresponding references and tributes are all in evidence – Mendelssohn's string quartet is the perfect match for Schumann's equivalent work. There is a kind of cross-fertilization between the attention to detail and fresh approach taken by the Schumann Quartet and the modernity of the almost youthful Mendelssohn; the result is encapsulated in the unrestrained joy of music-making in the fourth movement. Schumann and Mendelssohn provide the framework into which Aribert Reimann then sets "his" Schumann. Reimann is one of today's most successful composers and is linked to the composer of the Romantic era born in Zwickau, Saxony, by more than music. He is in fact a direct descendant of the physician who treated Schumann at the psychiatric hospital in Endenich and has therefore had access to the patient file detailing the precarious balance of Schumann’s emotional state. His attitude to Schumann is therefore a reflection of those impressions. The Adagio zum Gedenken an Robert Schumann (adagio to the memory of Robert Schumann) based on two unfinished chorales without words was composed as a result of intensive and personal cooperation between the quartet and Reimann.

In Reimann's arrangement of the 6 Gesänge op. 109, the ensemble succeeds, in harmony with the soprano Anna Lucia Richter, in fulfilling Schumann’s wish for an "additional, fully-formed accompanying instrument". Reimann's skill in handling the original brings out the fine features and nuances of the lyrics. The quartet and singer complement each other so effortlessly that the unusual combination sounds like a quintet that has been working together for many years.