Early English Organ Music - Simon Preston, Trevor Pinnock

Early English Organ Music
Simon Preston, Trevor Pinnock
Archiv 415 675-2

Anonymous: I smile to see how you devise. Byrd: Fantasia in C major. Tomkins: Voluntary in C major. Gibbons: Fantasia No. 10 in A minor. Purcell: Voluntary in G major, Z720. Farrant (attrib.): Felix namque. Bull: Prelude in D minor; In Nomine No. 11 in A minor. Stanley: Voluntary No. 10 in A minor. Greene: Voluntary in G major. Boyce: Voluntary No. 1 in 0 major. S. Wesley: Duet for Organ in C major.

English organ music before the mid-nineteenth century tended to commune with itself and must indeed often have given satisfaction to a mere audience of one, the player. The widely-acclaimed exceptions are the eighteenth-century concertos with orchestra, with Handel as the presiding genius, and the often exciting voluntaries of John Stanley, whose popularity with congregations must have been bad news for a tired verger wanting his supper. But these well-planted forms wilted and dropped when handled by lesser masters. It took a special sympathy to be able to exploit the capabilities of England's modest little organs. The even smaller organs available to composers of the sixteenth century were well suited to personal devotion in church or private pleasure at home. The organ Simon Preston plays for the earlier (Farrant to Purcell) pieces was bought for Knole House about 1605. Preston brings us as near to the heart of this music as we will ever get without playing ourselves. His technical mastery makes light of incredible difficulties and we are close enough to hear the various parts of the instrument spring smartly to life at his bidding. What is amazing is that the layout of the organ makes it necessary for the player to perform standing up—and in close proximity to the (human) blower too.

From Stanley to Sam Wesley we are hearing the Samuel Green organ at Armitage in Staffordshire, the one Preston used for the Handel concertos (also on Archiv Produktion). Though technically ideal for this programme, I find it tasty only in parts and its temperament makes certain regions of the Wesley duet (a splendid partnership, Preston and Pinnock) sound slightly sour. But I must not make too much of this, since it must be the elixir of life to some. There is absolutely no doubt of the quality of all these performances and the balance is excellent. Compact Disc ensures that no detail is missed, musical or mechanical. I suppose Farrant is the justification for the picture of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on the cover. It's perhaps misleading to show a majestic instrument of a much later date than the ones recorded.

G.R., Gramohphone Magazine

Pisendel: Dresden Concertos - Müllejans, FBO, von der Goltz

Johann Georg Pisendel
Dresden Concertos
Petra Müllejans, Freiburger Barockorchester, Gottfried von der Goltz
Carus 83.301

A number of recent recordings--mostly from the Carus label--have focused long-deserved attention on the music and composers who helped make Dresden and its court orchestra the musical envy of Europe during the first half of the 18th century. Names such as Heinichen, Zelenka, and Hasse join with Johann Pisendel as part of an illustrious band of resident musicians who besides their compositional activities served in various influential positions, from Court Kapellmeister (Heinichen, Hasse) to orchestra concert master (Pisendel) and double bass player (Zelenka). Pisendel’s works, relatively few in number and all of it instrumental, are exemplified by his orchestral pieces that today are called “concertos” but actually reflect a structure more akin to Bach’s Brandenburgs than to any of Vivaldi’s similarly identified works. That is, they are--with a few exceptions--“concertos for several instruments” rather than showcases for a single soloist.

However, musically speaking, the melodic and rhythmic writing is clearly in the straightforward idiom of Vivaldi rather than the more texturally and structurally complex mode of Bach. This feature is so pronounced that early in the first track, a Concerto in G for winds and strings, you’ll be inclined to guess (correctly) that this guy must have studied with the Italian master. But just when you think you’ve got Pisendel pegged, you find yourself in the middle of his Fantasie, Imitation des Caractères de la Danse, a six-and-one-half-minute multi-sectional work whose quickly paced, delightful series of dances indeed captures a decidedly French Baroque flavor (with a Passepied movement that sounds like a refugee from the Nutcracker’s second-act character dances!). And then there’s the lovely Handelian-style Largo in the midst of the Concerto in G minor--an outstanding work overall that has many nice moments for solo violin.

The highlight of the program has to be the three-movement Concerto in D for violin solo, two horns, two oboes, bassoon, and strings. Not only does the violin have some outstanding music to play (especially in the Andante), but so do the horns and winds, amounting to a truly engaging masterpiece that warrants more serious attention by chamber groups. The horns have even more chance to shine on the disc’s final track, another Concerto in D, this time a single Allegro movement, joined by flutes, oboes, bassoon, and strings. The performers, notably the two violin soloists (Petra Müllejans and Gottfried von der Goltz) and horn players (Teunis van der Zwart and Erwin Wieringa), are excellent; the ensemble, as we’ve come to expect, is absolutely world-class. The sound is vibrant and detailed, allowing the horns a delicious bite and the strings a reedy warmth. Baroque orchestra fans shouldn’t miss this one.

David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Bach: The Brandenburg Concertos - ASMF, Neville Marriner

Johann Sebastian Bach
The Brandenburg Concertos
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner
Decca 468 549-2

A most stylish performance. This is a most enjoyable recording (made in 1980). The performance by Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields led by Neville Marriner, at the peak of their powers, is very stylish and the tempi are well judged.


Some world-famous soloists participate - Henryk Szeryng (violin), Michala Petri (recorder), Jean-Pierre Rampal (flute) and Heinz Holliger (oboe).

There are many "period performance" recordings of this work by now, some of which are good. However, when you listen to a performance using modern instruments like this one under review, I wonder if period performance enthusiasts (including myself) are missing something important for the sake of pursuing "authenticity". Here in this performance, there are no problems of edgy tones of gut strings, dubious intonation of wind instruments and (occasionally) excessively fast tempi. All the notes appear to flow naturally.

The recording is very good. Strongly recommended.

KazM, Amazon costumer

Boyce: Eight Symphonies - Serenata of London, Barry Wilde

William Boyce
Eight Symphonies
Serenata of London, Barry Wilde
Carlton Classics 30367 01722

Legenday recording of Boyce's Eight Symphonies.

Couperin: Intégrale des Livres de pièces de clavecin - Baumont

Francois Couperin
Intégrale des Livres de pièces de clavecin 1-4 Ordres 1-27
Olivier Baumont
Warner Classics 2564 64176-2

A QUALITY JOB BY BAUMONT

Olivier Baumont's 1991/1994 recording of Couperin's complete harpsichord works are in many way's exemplary.He pretty much lets the music speak for itself and together with Michael Borgstede's complete recording on Brilliant Classics represent the best available versions of this towering music. (I prefer both over Rousset's recording)
Baumont's account of livre 1 is the best i have ever heard.

r.b., Amazon customer

Boyce: The 8 Symphonies - Württemberg Chamber Orchestra

William Boyce
The 8 Symphonies
Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, Jörg Faerber
Carlton Classics 30371 00052

It's a shameful thing that these fresh, inspirating, virile pieces, arguably the finest musical products of Georgian England, should so long have been out of the catalogue as a complete set. And now they have come, it's from an orchestra at Heilbronn in Wurtemberg: at least someone in Germany realizes that we haven't always been a "Land ohne Musik". The performances are worthy, substantially better in most ways than the Brunswick set from America by the Zimbler Sinfonietta which for so long were the only versions available. For a start, they use the reliable edition by Max Goberman (Doblinger/Universal; miniature scores can be bought, at 5s. 6d. or 6s. 6d. each). Although all eight are fitted on to a single disc—Nos. 1-4 and 6 on Side 1, Nos. 5, 7 and 8 on Side 2—most of the repeats are done. And tempi are pretty well chosen : those three central Vivace movements in Nos. 2, 3, and 4) are taken steadily but with a gentle vivacity, as they should be—Vivace was only a moderate tempo marking in eighteenth-century England. Some of the allegros I feel are just a shade on the speedy side—the opening movements of Nos. 1 and 3, for example: Boyce's textures are by no means simple, and need a little time to be properly articulated. Here, anyway, they often emerge a trifle spongy, which is largely a matter of attack: something of the sheer melodic high spirits, the very English open-air freshness, is missing. But I don't want to make too much of these minor criticisms. Most of the music is finely done— the dances with a proper swing, the French overtures with rhythms that sound sharp but not unnaturally prickly. Boyce's original orchestration is of course followed, with its delicate use of flutes and bassoons, and in No. 5 the trumpets are properly stirring. The opening Pomposo of No. 8—a broad, serious piece, yet like all Boyce essentially genial in the final resort, as these players realize—is outstandingly fine. This disc is marvellous value (eight symphonies at 2s. 21-d. each—devaluation indeed!) and I warmly recommend it.

S.S., Gramophone Magazine

Torelli, Mossi, Valentini, Locatelli, Leo: Concerti - MAK, Goebel

Torelli, Mossi, Valentini, Locatelli, Leo
Concerti
Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel
Archiv 435 393-2

Even the most assiduous collectors and discerning connoisseurs of baroque concertos are likely to find some novelties in this unusual programme from Cologne Musica Antiqua. Three of the concertos belong to the Roman school (Mossi, Valentini and Locatelli), though the latter shows marked Venetian leanings, both in his adoption of a three-movement structure and in details of style, while the remaining two are products of Bologna (Torelli) and Naples (Leo). In his interesting introductory note the ensemble's director, Reinhard Goebel, provides a lively and characteristically idiosyncratic commentary on the pieces and their background, but arrives at the conclusion that ''in the last analysis the composers fall foul of their chosen instrumental forces: four violins of equal status proved to be a medium for which interesting curiosities can be written, but not great music sustained at any length''. In the case of the five concertos played here I am inclined to agree with him. However, the generalization should not be allowed to pass without censure since Vivaldi succeeded very well in writing for four violins as the Tenth Concerto of L'estro armonico unequivocally demonstrates. Goebel does rather grudgingly, perhaps, admit this later in his essay.

Whatever the doubts may be concerning the intrinsic merit of these works, they nevertheless provide a fascinating glimpse of what composers other than Corelli on the one hand or Vivaldi on the other were up to. The Concerto in E minor by Torelli is not as innovative as the six works with solo violin from his Op. 8, but it has a wellconstructed fugal second movement and a finale containing melodic material which perhaps hints at folk derivation. In the Mossi (c. 1700) and Valentini concertos, perhaps the most interesting pieces here, there is an effective freedom of part-writing within fairly restricted technical boundaries, though I should add that there are, too, brief virtuosic passages for cello in the finale of the Mossi.

Goebel who, alas, was unable to play the violin himself in this recording following an injury to his arm, directs effectively, pointing up the rich and contrasting textures present in much of this repertory. The opening Largo and ensuing fugue of the Valentini are striking examples of this. Locatelli and Leo are better known and their music brings an altogether later rococo airiness to the programme. Perhaps Goebel would now consider letting loose his excellent cellist, Phoebe Carrai, on one or more of Leo's cello concertos. In short, a fascinating programme, played with zeal and precision. Recommended.'

Nicholas Anderson, Gramophone Magazine