HENRYK GÓRECKI: The Symphony of Sorrowful Songs

by | Jul 31, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

HENRYK GÓRECKI: The Symphony of Sorrowful Songs

Performers: Dawn Upshaw (soprano)/ The London Sinfonietta/ David Zinman
Film Director: Tony Palmer
Studio: Voiceprint – TPDVD102 [Distr. by Naxos]
Video: 16:9 color & B&W
Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
Region code: all regions
Subtitles: English – French – Italian – German – Spanish
Booklet: English 4 pages
Length: 53 minutes
Performance: *****    Sound: *****

Henryk Górecki was born in 1933 in Katowice, Poland about 20 minutes away from the concentration camp of Auschwitz. This film is based on his Third Symphony, The Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, which documents the composer’s experiences during and after WW II. In the film’s director own words: “My film is a personal view of a great Symphony which is itself, again in my view, a towering monument to all that we have done and are continuing to do in the name of humanity”, indeed it is. Górecki’s youth was consumed in the midst and the subsequent aftermath of that miserable human debacle. That Górecki was able to create music is nothing but a miracle to human perseverance. This symphony was written in 1976 and premiered in 1977 in France, while the film was created by Tony Palmer and premiered also in France in 1993.

I remember well 1992 – that was the year whence I heard on the radio a little voice singing words I could not understand to music I had never heard before. The voice was that of Dawn Upshaw (sop.) and the original Elektra Nonesuch CD went on to sell in the millions – an unheard-of event. However, a big problem with that recording was its poor quality, I could never fully hear what was recorded until now with this DVD. I can finally hear the voice (that little beautiful voice) and the exquisite music in its full power, and what a recording it was, and still is. This is a minimalist symphony, one of sorrowful songs about sorrowful years and events but not a symphony about a war.

Górecki relates to us in the occasional commentary and head shots the origin of his symphony, the realities of the holocaust and the barbarities of a country (his Poland) occupied by force during and after the war. This symphony suddenly becomes a calligraphic pictorial and its surface, one might say, is its depth. If indeed a saintly soul is a saintly voice, then form and music are the representations of one’s soul and the voice of one’s innermost feelings – Górecki’s feelings. The unrelenting  inventiveness of the score, culminating in the final prayer with its musical variations, is not a matter of religious illustration but the essence of what the music and the film are all about. In the end music becomes the force of nature and the constructive essence of life and it humbles us to our knees. We are the ones who begot this wretched world and we must ask for forgiveness. How could we forget those gut- wrenching images of the dead in the death camps of Poland, hunger in Africa, the massacres of Bosnia, or the Middle East?

This is a monumental historical document about many events which are still with us. It does not seem the world has changed much since then; the geography might have changed but people has not, and that’s Górecki’s ultimate message. In his own words: “There is so much evil around us…we have to try and look for something positive…” and Górecki’s particular cultural instrument is his music. One that allows him and us to come to terms with such evils. This is a tragic symphony and a tragic film, one that expresses a great sorrow; the great sorrow of one musician’s life. The film’s message goes far beyond the artistry of the music, its performance, the sound and the images. This movie should be compulsory viewing as a reminder of what was and what it will be if we do not mend our ways. The great question this film poses is: who is going to fix this wretched world?

— John Nemaric

 

Mordecai Shehori: The Celebrated New York Concerts, Vol. 2 = BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor; RACHMANINOV: Six Moment Musicaux; KABALEVSKY: Sonata No. 3 in F Major; LISZT: “Dante” Sonata – Mordecai Shehori, piano – Cembal d’amour

by | Jul 31, 2008 | Classical Reissue Reviews

Mordecai Shehori: The Celebrated New York Concerts, Vol. 2 = BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111; RACHMANINOV: Six Moment Musicaux, Op. 16; KABALEVSKY: Sonata No. 3 in F Major, Op. 46; LISZT: “Dante” Sonata – Mordecai Shehori, piano

Cembal d’amour CD 128, 78:55  [Distr. by Qualiton] ****:


A pupil of Mindru Katz, Claude Frank, and Beveridge Webster, Israeli-born virtuoso Mordecai Shehori (b. 1946) has gleaned a considerable repute as a romantic exponent of his chosen repertory, which extends from the pre-Classical through the “neo” schools of Romanticism and the Soviet Russian idiom. Culling materials from three Merkin Concert Hall appearances, 1984-1987, Shehori has organized–via his own Cembal d’amour 
label–a noteworthy recital of consistent, colorful power. Certainly, Shehori has his own ideas about the music he performs, and even those who may disagree about stylistic or dynamic matters will grant him the forceful pertinence and authority of his decisions.

Shehori takes a forceful look at Beethoven’s final sonata, the gripping Op. 111 (15 May 1984).  The opening Maestoso section, with its febrile annunciations and ringing trills, seems tailor-made for Shehori’s attacks, his keen attention to the harmonic motion of the piece, which often shatters the motifs even as they accumulate, setting the basis for much of what Webern would attempt later in music. While not fussy to conceal his definite percussive power, Shehori often achieves in the elaborate variants that make up the second-movement Arietta a music-box sonority of exquisite loveliness, akin to Beethoven’s desire for both simplicity and songfulness. The clarity of articulation belies the massive Gordon Knot Shehori has to unravel in the maze of affects Beethoven weaves, often juxtaposing huge block chords against diaphanous or wind-swept energies.

It is always a pleasure to hear Rachmaninov’s Op. 16 homage to Schubert, his own Moments musicaux, taken (15 May 1984) as a whole. The E Minor, for instance, was often a Moiseiwtisch staple as an encore or plastic etude in the midst of larger fare. A huge palette emerges in the course of the six pieces, many of which evoke Russian bells and passing, liturgical allusions. The element of nostalgia infiltrates each bar, but so does a grandiose, temperamental audacity of spirit. The constant use of running bass figures over which a light, haunted melody trickles or sings from the upper registers, marks much of this virtuoso style. The C Major finale to the set, heavily punctuated in the bass line and tipping its hat to Chopin as to Schubert, easily sums up much that has preceded it. Shehori negotiates the registration shifts with considerable aplomb, if not downright aggressive, lion’s paws. The electrical sweep between performer and audience becomes quite palpable–of only auditors could cough on the beat–and the surge of the last page raises everyone’s pulse decidedly.

Buoyant, brittle, and impulsively witty, the Kabelevsky Third Sonata (20 May 1987) pays homage to Shehori’s tutelage with the inimitable Vladimir Horowitz. The gently rocking episodes in the Allegro con moto find monumental foils in the unleashed, pounding chords and repeated notes that blister the soul, much as do similar energies in compatriots Prokofiev and Shostakovich.  A lyrical sarcasm intimates its way through the serpentine melodic line in the first movement, which ends in a kind of stretto and diaphanous runs that dissolve before our very ears. The Andante cantabile allows Shehori his breathed parlando and plangent harmonized voices, the writing–except for the modern dissonances and modal syntax– occasionally suggestive of Schumann. The movement ends in a tender lullaby, maybe the musical equivalent of the end of the Russian lyric film, Ballad of a Soldier.  The last movement proves a fiendish etude for glistening and percussive attacks, the motor elements easily evoking Prokofiev in full “orchestral” regalia. The powerhouse double octaves and sudden slides attest to Shehori’s wrists and digital acumen. Colorful and inventive, the music compels us by the sheer kaleidoscopic of color effects the pianist must conjure from his palette. The New York audience, quite wowed, hails Shehori even before the last notes sails away.

Finally, Liszt’s “literary” homage to The Divine Dante, a one-movement sonata-fantasia that traverses Hell and Heaven. Shehori enters these narrow gates with his own demons, the barrage of chords and stretti never far from the composer’s own set of Mephisto studies. The first apocalypse passes in a rush, and so does our first ascent to Purgatorio.

The opening motto–often set as a tritone–returns, but now yields to its alter ego, a series of lightly enunciated scales that yearn for Liszt’s favorite F-sharp Major as a designation for Elysium. That Shehori can maintain a sense of architecture amidst the flames and exaltations testifies to the influence of teachers Katz, Stefan Ashkenase, and Frank, the last of whom studied with Schnabel.  Another infernal ritornello and related throes from The Pit, even more furioso, then marvelous legato over tremolandi figures that usher in those now-mystified scales that culminate in bright arpeggios of spiritual glory. A Wagnerian heroism caps off the triumphs. religious and digital, that mark a performance of exceptional, poetic power. Quite a compilation of rides, some of them nothing less than profound.

— Gary Lemco

 

MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG: Fantasia for Cello and Orchestra; Concerto No. 2 for Flute and Orchestra; Concerto [No. 1] for Flute and String Orchestra; Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra – Soloists/Gothenburg Sym. Orch./Thord Svedlund – Chandos

by | Jul 31, 2008 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG:  Fantasia for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 52; Concerto No. 2 for Flute and Orchestra, Op. 148; Concerto [No. 1] for Flute and String Orchestra, Op. 75; Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra, Op. 104 – Claes Gunnarsson (cello) / Anders Jonhall (flute) / Urban Claesson (clarinet) /  Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra / Thord Svedlund – Chandos multichannel SACD CHSA 5064,  79:25 ***** [Distr. by Naxos]:

Mieczyslaw Weinberg, also known as Moisei Vainberg, was born in Warsaw in 1919, fled to the Soviet Union in 1939 to avoid Nazi persecution, later met and became a close friend of Shostakovich, and died in Moscow in 1996. He had no official post; he was the victim of the 1948 anti-formalism campaign and was partially blacklisted from making money in the lean years following, writing for theatre and circus.  He was arrested in 1953 during the “Doctors’ Plot” – the alleged conspiracy of Jewish doctors plotting to poison the Soviet hierarchy. Weinberg wasn’t a doctor, but his father-in-law was, and Shostakovich, the faithful friend, was brave enough to write to Beria for help in the matter; it was Stalin’s death a little later which possibly saved Weinberg’s life.

Despite his problems with the government, he had the support, in addition to Shostakovich, of Gilels, Rostropovich, Shafran, Kogan and Sanderling who performed his music. While Weinberg influenced Shostakovich partly in the latter’s writing Jewish themed works, Weinberg was influenced by him to the extent he was criticised for having too much of Shostakovich’s voice in his own. This is not quite fair, as there are many other influences, too, as shown in the four very accessible concertos on this disc, all dating from the second half of the twentieth century.

The Fantasia for cello and orchestra was written in Stalin’s time (1951-1953) and is a through-composed concerto, premiered by Shafran in 1953 in a version for piano and orchestra. From the very start the listener is drawn into a deep rich sound which is completely captivating, an adagio whose lyricism is so moving. The moods change during the piece’s arch construction, building to the work’s climax and cadenza then ending eloquently adagio. There are wonderful themes here, reminiscent of folk tunes, played with wonderful tone by Gunarsson.

The flute concertos are virtuoso works, excellently played by Jonhall, and are more classical in structure, two allegros framing a largo, both works sounding somewhat French, reminiscent in passing of Poulenc or Roussel. The second concerto, a recording premiere, ends with a quiet, slow postlude to the allegro, the ending having that sense of peaceful resignation born of a survivor. Again, this, in its simplicity, is very moving. Themes from other composers’ works flit by as though they are wraiths, a startling conceit which has occurred in other later Russian works.

The clarinet concerto, accompanied by strings alone, as in the flute concerto, is a sizeable work, a sort of Russian Finzi Clarinet concerto if comparison be needed. This is also a recording premiere, and is superbly well played by Claesson; here we have a whiff of Nielsen in the quick rocking theme, but the movement soon gets a character of its own. The last movement also has that happy-sad, melancholy smile in its blood.

All three soloists are first-class on this disc, and are the principals in the orchestra. The Gothenberg orchestra provides excellent support, though a couple of thin-sounding passages were briefly noticeable in the two string accompanied works. The recording is pure DSD and quite superb, the sound from the SACD layer warm and realistic. This is the fourth issue of Weinberg’s music by Chandos, and is recommended most highly.

— Peter Joelson
 

John McLaughlin – Floating Point (CD)/Meeting of the Minds – Abstract Logix ABLX 011 – CD + DVD

by | Jul 31, 2008 | CD+DVD

John McLaughlin – Floating Point (CD)/Meeting of the Minds (DVD)  – Abstract Logix ABLX 011 – CD + DVD, CD: 60 min., DVD: 80 min. ***:

John McLaughlin has always been a true innovator on the guitar, and his collaborations with the likes of Tony Williams, Miles Davis and his own Mahavishnu Orchestra are legendary. Not unlike many of the musicians from the sixties, he also became enamored with Eastern spirituality, an experience that also led to an appreciation for the music and musicians of Eastern India and their very rich culture. His musical endeavors with the raga-based acoustic group Shakti reflected his years of intense study and attention to Indian music, and he’s engaged in frequent ventures in subsequent years with numerous Eastern artists. This new set combines a generously-proportioned CD along with a “making of” DVD that documents his latest encounter with the musicians from the East.

The 80-minute accompanying DVD shows the artists in the studio over the five-day period the album was recorded, and is broken into chapters for each day. The only audio option is a 2.0 stereo soundtrack, and this, combined with the limited menu options, makes for some confusion when first viewing. The only bonus material on the disc is a commentary by John McLaughlin, which is also in 2.0 stereo, and the base audio track runs concurrent to the commentary. Usually these commentaries either isolate the comments or suppress the normal soundtrack somewhat, and John McLaughlin’s comments just flow along with the onscreen action so seamlessly, it took several tries on my part before I was absolutely certain that the commentary was engaged. This is all fine and well, it just required a little intuitive effort to sort things out. The video itself is very well done, and offers a 16:9 presentation with overall very good image quality, and is an interesting exploration of the creative process in the studio.

Unfortunately, and despite the many good qualities of this CD/DVD offering, I just didn’t find the music all that engaging on any kind of emotional level. John McLaughlin, as usual with most of his previous entanglements with Eastern Indian artists, has selflessly placed himself and his instrument in the background, clearly placing the focus on the players surrounding him. While his intent is noble and clear, the end result is that we don’t get to hear a whole lot of his truly distinctive and often fiery guitar work. I also felt the music relied a little to heavily on the keyboards of Louiz Banks, and the resulting music took off in a direction other than what I would have personally desired. Of course, this has been par for the course for John McLaughlin throughout his career – his entire life’s work and discography has been a series of incredibly successful hits and collaborations and less than commercially or artistically satisfying misses. He cannot be faulted, however, for staying true to his personal vision regardless of the commercial ramifications.

The CD/DVD set is extremely educational as an exposé of the creative process in the studio. And while I have a very keen appreciation of John McLaughlin’s generosity of spirit, I ultimately found the resulting music frequently less than inspiring. True fans, however, will probably find it an essential – albeit somewhat less than fully engaging – musical experience.

TrackList for CD: Abbaji (for Ustad Alla Rakha); Raju; Maharina; Off the One; The Voice; Inside Out; 1 4 U; Five Peace Band.

— Tom Gibbs

 

Angelin Preljocaj’s ballet “Le Parc” (1999)

by | Jul 30, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

Angelin Preljocaj’s ballet “Le Parc” (1999)

Performers: Soloists/ Ballet of the Paris Opera/ Paris Opera Orchestra/ Stephane Deneve
Studio: BelAir Classiques BAC209 [Distr. by Naxos]
Video: 16:9 widescreen color
Audio: PCM stereo
No region coding
Length: 103 minutes
Rating: ****

Great full-length ballets are rarer events than pitching a perfect game in baseball. That is because of the inherent difficulty in telling a lengthy story in dance, which lacks the verbal skeleton that can lift a well-told tale into a universally recognized realm of meaning. The famous full-evening ballets number around an even two dozen or so. Beyond those fortunate few, watching the latest attempt at creating a full-length classic often leaves one wandering through the mental equivalent of an old churchyard cemetery, filled with the remains of failed ambitions.

“Le Parc” features the vision of choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, who searches for what still remains of the “art of loving” by turning to French literature of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Era of Enlightenment in France spawned literature ranging from the loftiest platonic sublimation to the rankest licentiousness. Using music by Mozart, especially some of his most beautiful adagios from the piano concertos, Preljocaj constructs a three-act drama of amorous adventures.

 “Le Parc” is entertaining, intriguing, thought-provoking and often beautiful. Because Preljocaj frames each act with an introduction danced by enigmatic modern gardeners (as well as some of the principals) to mechanical or electronic music composed by Goran Vejvoda, time itself becomes a focus of the ballet. These interludes are jarring enough to suggest an element of pastiche to the work – perhaps the strongest criticism one can direct at what is, in all other respects, a work of great originality and power. The dancing stars of the ballet are Isabelle Guerin, a true premiere danseuse in technique and bearing, and Laurent Hilaire. Both have lengthy resumes dancing for some of the great companies in the major classical and modernist ballets. Guerin is especially moving when the choreography exhibits a more limpid gravity, conveying the sorrow that often afflicts love. The frenetic, angular movements that accompany love’s excitement are danced by both artists with grace and a fluid poetry of movement that is the source of much of this ballet’s greatest beauty. The Paris Opera Corps de Ballet are superb, bringing their consistent artistry to every facet of the work. This Ballet is quintessentially Gallic in its ethos and no other company could bring this work to life as they do.

Mozart is the work’s other star. His music, with its sonorous beauty, sensual sheen and emotional ambiguity serves as the perfect harmonious center for a questing ballet, striving to uncover love’s bitter mysteries through time. Some of his German Dances make an obvious choice for a ballet, and they are wonderfully effective. But it is his more ambitious music, especially the slow movements of the Piano Concertos No.14, 15 and 23, K. 449, 450 and 488, that lift the ballet into a magical realm of beauty, emotional resonance and the eternal stasis of art. It is during these sections that Preljocaj is most successful in conveying his narrative through dance. One naturally wonders how much of this success is simply due to the utter brilliance of Mozart’s music. The Paris Opera Orchestra play with grace and expressiveness, if not exhibiting the emotional depth which Mozart’s music usually leads an orchestra to explore. The ballet appears to have originally been filmed in high definition and it looks splendid. The sound in PCM stereo is rich and full, with a clarity and warmth that is perfect for Mozart’s glorious music.

– – Mike Birman

 

Piano Music of HENRI HERZ – Philip Martin, piano – Hyperion

by | Jul 30, 2008 | Classical CD Reviews

HENRI HERZ: Deuxieme theme original avec introduction et variations, Op. 81; Variations on ‘Non piu mesta’ from Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Op. 60; Trois Nocturnes caracteristiques, OP. 45; Premiere Ballade, Op. Op. 117, No. 1; Deuxieme Ballade, Op. 117, No. 2; La movement perpetual, Op. 91, No. 3; Fantasie dramatique, Op. 89; Fantasie et Variations sur des Airs nation americains varies, Op. 158 – Philip Martin, piano – Hyperion CDA67606, 79:40  [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****:

Pianist Philip Martin, who made a reputation performing the music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk for Hyperion, here (19-20 October 2006) turns his attention to the intricate salon world of Henri Herz (1803-1888), the Viennese virtuoso and pedagogue whose prolific output once exceeded that of Chopin and Liszt in popularity. By 1855, however, Herz’s musical star had died out, and he relished his post at the Paris Conservatory. The musical luminati of the period–like George Grove and Robert Schumann–had already consigned him to oblivion. Perceived as both superficial and tastelessly showy, Herz’s oeuvre survived only in the form of his finger exercises and the occasional reference as a salon virtuoso. Howard Shelly helped to revive Herz’s music with the inscription of six piano concertos between 2003-2004.

The first two offerings, Deuxieme theme original in G Minor/G Major and the Variations on Rossini’s Rondo-aria “No longer sad beside the fire,” we have already the virile and facile ingredients of Herz’s fluid and dynamic style. Besides quick shifts in tempo and registration, the cantabile elements several times remind us of Chopin–who was no less captivated at age 14 by the Rossini air–and the challenges to the accomplished performer include spans of 10ths and 12ths in the left hand, rapid repeats and scales, and broken octaves. “To make the piano sing and draw from it a sweet and melodious sound” is the expressed wish of the composer in his note to his Three Nocturnes, Op. 45.  If Op. 81 suggests Donizetti, then Op. 45 ushers in thoughts of bel canto Bellini (in the A-flat La dolcezza) and John Field (in La semplicita). Simple phraseology, lyrical scales and arpeggios, and a light-handed, melodic grace place this opus alongside Mendelssohn and the more polished gems of Hummel. Anyone hearing the opening of the second of the set, La melancholia in G Minor, surely would think he had entered Chopin’s sighing, rarified world.

The rather lovely D-flat Major Ballade’s opening measures sound much like the Dvorak Piano Quintet’s beginnings; the keyboard style, however, owes debts to Chopin’s nocturnes. Its dark, middle section in F Minor borrows from Weber and Schubert. The Second Ballade makes us recall that Herz successfully toured the United States and likely exerted an influence on Louis Moreau Gottschalk. Both sugary-sweet in its B Major cantabile sections and brilliant, with its 16th runs in diaphanous textures, it points to several pieces by Gottschalk, the cadenza stolen rather unashamedly from Mozart’s D Minor Fantasia, K. 397. Another Weber (his Op. 24 Sonata) influence is the Herz Le movement perpetual, a wrist-buster that requires light and dexterous hands. The right hand must carve out a melody atop the flurry of sparkles on which it rests. The so-called Dramatic Fantasy wants to capitalize on the success of Meyerbeer’s opera Les Huguenots and adds an ‘air de ballet.’ While Meyerbeer utilized the Protestant hymn Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, it appears nowhere in the Herz treatment. Instead, Herz builds upon a gavotte-like sequence which divides into two distinct episodes and becomes predictably ornamental in cluttered, bravura fashion. Whatever ‘chorale’ effects there are, they pale next to Mendelssohn’s treatment of Ein feste Burg in the Reformation Symphony. If Gottschalk has his monster piece of jingoism in The Union, Herz swaggers his stuff with his 11-minute Fantasy on National American Airs, which quotes the Chapel Hill Serenade, Hail Columbia, and the perennial stand-by Yankee Doodle, here in E Major. One might look to Vieuxtemps’ Souvenir d’Amerique for equally bombastic, shallowly-entertaining treatment. Gaudy fun and obviously a source of constant delight to pianist Martin, at the very least.

— Gary Lemco
 

Ted Nash, reeds – The Mancini Project – Palmetto Records

by | Jul 30, 2008 | Jazz CD Reviews

Ted Nash, reeds – The Mancini Project – Palmetto Records PM 2134, 60 min. ****:

Saxophonist Ted Nash is also a composer, arranger, conductor and educator.  He is associated with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the Jazz Composers Collective.  His first Palmetto CD was selected by The New York among their Top 10 of the Year.

Nash grew up in LA in the 60s and 70s and was very familiar with all the great music that came out of the movie industry – most of all that of Henry Mancini. Both Ted’s father and uncle were prominent studio musicians and were present on nearly every Mancini project. His reeds teacher also played with Mancini, and all three of them appeared on a weekly local TV show, “The Mancini Generation.”

Nash reveals that the new CD was something of a departure from his usual approach as the composer of the music to be featured.  He wanted to celebrate Mancini’s great diversity as a composer.  Surely the jazz flavor of so much of his music to begin with made the effort a lot easier.  The instrumentation is evidently that of a quartet, but in the provided notes Nash only identifies “Frank, Rufus and Matt” in  “joining me in reinterpreting the music.” So that’s all I can tell you re: his sidemen.

Most of the 14 tracks are naturally from Mancini film and TV scores. Peter Gunn, The Night Visitor, Blind Date, The Pink Panther, Mr. Lucky, Sunset, Soldier in the Rain, The Party, Two for the Road, Experiment in Terror, and Hatari are some of them. One of the two themes from Breakfast at Tiffany’s is the unexpected music for Mr. Yunioshi – the very politically incorrect Mickey Rooney portrayal of Holly’s Japanese neighbor.  Didn’t want to be reminded of that awful faux pas, but four stars anyway to Nash for avoiding “Moon River”… Mancini himself started out on bass flute and used it effectively in some of his music, so Nash inserts his alto flute on a couple tracks, including a Mancini tune written for his father in one of the films.  Altogether a most enjoyable theme idea for a quartet album!

TrackList: Theme from Night Visitor, Dreamsville, Something for Nash, Shot in the Dark, Lujon, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Cheryl’s Theme, Mr. Yunioshi, Soldier in the Rain, The Party, A Quiet Happening, Two for the Road, Experiment in Terror, Baby Elephant Walk.

 – John Henry

Furtwaengler: The Early Recordings, Vol. 2 = BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture; Symphony No. 5 in C Minor; WEBER: Der Freischuetz – Overture; ROSSINI: Ov. to Il barbiere di Siviglia; Ov. to La gazza ladra – Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Furtwaengler – Naxos

by | Jul 30, 2008 | Classical Reissue Reviews

Furtwaengler: The Early Recordings, Vol. 2 = BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture, Op. 84; Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67; WEBER: Der Freischuetz – Overture; ROSSINI: Overture to Il barbiere di Siviglia; Overture to La gazza ladra – Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwaengler

Naxos Great Conductors 8.111003, 66:38 [Not distr. in the US] ****:

More restorations from the early electrical recordings, 1926-1935, by Wilhelm Furtwangler (1886-1954) and his Berlin Philharmonic, the directorship of which he assumed in 1922.  As engineered by Mark Obert-Thorn, the “real” addition to the Furtwaengler legacy is a “full” performance of the Symphony No. 5 (1926), whose original technicians failed to complete the music to splice the two sides of the Scherzo; so, Obert-Thorn felt compelled to utilize corresponding bars from the 1937 inscription to make the transition musically accurate.  The Fifth Symphony in Furtwaengler’s first commercial recording is a driven affair, disregarding the first movement repeat and throttling forward in full fury. The Andante con moto, however, receives a leisurely tempo, an Adagio, as broad and noble a reading as one s likely to hear, given the rather stoic temperament which evolves as a consequence of the approach.  Liquid string playing with the bassoon and horns testify to a firm discipline from Europe’s leading orchestra. The Scherzo’s almost ponderous, ominous tone rings of the message of Fidelio, the heroically tragic urge to freedom.  The contrapuntist assumes a visceral, dizzying speed; then, it relaxes through the flute and bassoon segue to some of the most pianissimo dynamics from the period. The graduated crescendo generates a powerful tension, only surpassed by the Kleibers, Erich and Carlos. The last movement enjoys a fluid mobility; but the basic tempo is too marcato for my personal taste, effective as it is. The presto passages, however, which include many a Mannheim rocket figures, exemplify the homogeneity of tone Furtwangler could urge from his players, a level of execution equaled in that period by Mengelberg, Stokowski, Toscanini, Harty, and Coates.

The program opens with a 1933 Egmont Overture, taken relatively rapidly for Furtwaengler, the slow, molded introduction moving from F Minor to the major with abandon, once Furtwaengler sets the whirring figures in motion. A specialty of Furtwangler’s, Weber’s Overture to Der Freischuetz (16 October 1926), rife with Gothic and magical elements, appealed to the conductor’s predilection for controlled, moody drama. I find Furtwaengler’s gait in this reading both poised and relaxed, given the hard-driving nature of the musical materials. The motion remains fluid, but Furtwaengler still manages to build in pregnant pauses as he intimates at the depths of the Wolf’s Glen Scene. An immense hush falls upon the orchestra just prior to the final explosion of sound, the victorious march singing in eloquent jubilation. The Overture to La Gazza Ladra (1930) captures a moment of roguish charm in Furtwaengler, rare at any time. He plays the opening march pomposo, the French horn in excellent form. The BPO strings and principal flute respond sympathetically, even if the brio and unbuttoned abandon of the Beecham and Toscanini treatments is lacking. The last selection, The Overture to The Barber of Seville (1935), smiles benignly rather than romps with affectionate buffa, a mite Teutonic and heavy. The phrases receive a “rounded” approach that Karajan would push even farther. Short, jabbing staccati mark the presto passages, rather a virtuoso approach, impressive though not stylistic. A debonair reading, certainly, but testifying to the flexibility of the ensemble rather than to the merits of the light, jovial score.

–Gary Lemco
 

Harmen Fraanje Quartet – “Sonatala” – Challenge Jazz

by | Jul 30, 2008 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Harmen Fraanje Quartet – “Sonatala” – Challenge Jazz Multichannel SACD SACHR 70116, 59:32 **** [Distr. by Allegro]:

(Harmen Fraanje, piano; Nelson Veras, guitar; Hein Van de Geyn, bass; Matthieu Chazarenc, drums)

There’s no information about Harmen and his group in the note booklet, which is blank on the inside. So with some Googling: He’s a Dutch pianist on the international jazz scene, but as with so many Dutch musicians he is open to every sort of music – in his case this includes classical, improvisation, Pygmy music, Duke Ellington – you name it.  In 2006 he received the Bird Award from the North Sea Jazz Festival. He is half of a classical piano duo and also performs as a trio with an avant-garde cellist and a Senegalese singer/percussionist. Guitarist Veras was born in Brazil and freelances in the Paris area.  He has performed with Pat Metheny and Bereli Legrene among others.

This is quite a different-sounding quartet from the typical one featuring guitar and piano. There is more of a European classical music influence – especially in the lovely title tune and in the mostly guitar-solo Intermezzo. The tune of Paris Song has stayed with me for a day now. All of the dozen compositions are originals of Harmen’s. Some sound like part of a score for a thoughtful European movie. Then there are the surprise jumps into uptempo post-bop swing, as in Mokka and Bungee. Sonics are very clean and well-spaced-out, as with all Challenge SACDs.  This is a jazz experience that doesn’t shout, it just is.

TrackList: Sonatala, Hans, Nanne, Mokka, Mulle, Sixtension, Acela, Spirit, Paris Song, Bungee, Intermezzo, Winter.

 – John Henry

 

The Mummy Returns, Blu-ray (2001)

by | Jul 29, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

The Mummy Returns, Blu-ray (2001)

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velasquez, The Rock 
Directed by: Stephen Sommers
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Video: 2.35:1 anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9 1080p HD
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Spanish, French DTS Surround 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Supplements: Audio commentary with Director/Writer Stephen Sommers and Editor/Executive Producer Bob Ducsay; “Spotlight on Location” featurette; “An Army to Rule the World, Part 2” featurette; “Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy” featurette; “An Exclusive Conversation with The Rock” featurette; visual and special effects formation vignettes; outtakes; LIVE music video “Forever May Not Be Long Enough”; sneak peek of “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”; storyboard-to-final-film comparison; picture-in-picture; U-Control
Length: 130 minutes
Movie Rating: ****1/2   Video Rating: ****1/2    Audio Rating: *****

Set ten years after the first film, “The Mummy Returns” finds Rick O’Connell married to Evelyn and living in London with their nine year-old son, Alex.  When a chain of events both resurrects the mummy Imhotep and an even more dark and powerful force, the fate of the world is threatened.  As these two evil forces clash, the O’Connells embark on a desperate race to save their son and all of mankind.  Sequels to blockbuster films often times fail to live up to expectations, but happily this isn’t the case with “The Mummy Returns”.  This film reunites the same principal cast, adds a couple of new charismatic characters to the mix, and then ratchets up the level of special effects, action, and overall fun.  As much as I liked “The Mummy”, I found “The Mummy Returns” even more enjoyable.  Highly-recommended.

The high definition video quality of this Blu-ray DVD is excellent.  Images are crisp with nice detail.  Blacks are uniformly deep throughout the movie.  Colors are vibrant and bold with well-saturated hues.  Picture defect mastering is commendable with no major flaws or compression artifacts.  The overall audio quality is also excellent with the English DTS 5.1 track.  The soundtrack does a great job of incorporating all of the discrete channels into its mix.  Dialogue is intelligible and properly positioned in the center channel.  The surround channels are aggressively utilized both for the sound effects and music score, plus include numerous split rear effects.  The low frequency effects channel is very active and powerful.

– Calvin Harding Jr.

 

Secretary (2002)

by | Jul 29, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

Secretary (2002)

Starring: James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Director: Steven Shainberg
Studio: Lionsgate
Video: Enhanced for 16:9 widescreen
Audio: English Dolby Surround
Subtitles:, English, Spanish
Extras: Commentary track by director and writer of screenplay, Behind-the-Scenes featurette, Photo Gallery
Length: 111 minutes
Rating: *****

Lee, who lives at home with her squabbling parents, has been released from a mental facility after ineffective treatment for her self-mutilating propensity.  She takes a typing course and ends up applying for a secretarial position at the not-very-busy office of attorney Mr. Grey.  The lawyer has a very elaborate sign with lights proclaiming “Secretary Wanted,” which suggests that he has run thru quite a few of them.

Things start out between the two a bit strained, but nothing like what they eventually develop into.  He circles her spelling errors in letters she types with big red permanent Pentels. He recognizes her submissive personality and takes advantage of his dominant leanings (which might have been responsible for all the past secretaries leaving suddenly).  Soon Lee gets spanked for her typos and their game evolves from there.

Mr. Grey fights his kinky tendencies by firing Lee, and they are both devastated.  She accepts a sudden marriage proposal from  her ordinary boyfriend but while being fitted with her wedding dress realizes what she really wants and runs back to Grey’s law office.  He has a very rigid test for her which soon involves all her friends and relatives plus the local media. This part seemed improbable and a denial of their quirky secret, but it’s still a hilarious and very thoughtful tale that certainly can’t by accused of recycling old plot ideas.  Spader and Gyllenhaal are perfect for their parts and convey a world of emotion and feelings with just a glance or a tiny action. Be advised this is not a family movie, with – as the R rating says – “Sexuality, Nudity, and Depiction of Behavioral Disorders.”  The commentary track is one of the most interesting I’ve sampled. The music score is by Angelo Badalamenti, who did Twin Peaks.

 – John Sunier

Ian Shaw – Lifejacket – Linn Records

by | Jul 29, 2008 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Ian Shaw – Lifejacket – Linn Records AKD 311 – Multichannel SACD, 52 min. ***:

This disc represents, for me, my first experience with pianist/vocalist Ian Shaw – who’s been lauded by the UK press with various awards for best male jazz vocalist – and I have to be honest with you, the English concept of modern jazz music sometimes leaves me quite cold. While there have been numerous classic jazz icons to emerge from the UK jazz scene, unfortunately, and with rare exception (Linn Records stable mate Claire Martin definitely springs to mind), very little that I hear strikes the appropriate chord for me personally. And such is the case with Ian Shaw’s first collection of original tunes, Lifejacket. Despite some excellent arrangements and playing by all involved, I’m just having a real problem getting past the songs – the best and most listenable of which (for me) are just a little too self-wallowing and maudlin for my tastes. And while I really can appreciate much of what strikes me as his motivation for the subject material of the songs, unfortunately, I have much less of an appreciation for their musical incarnations as presented here.

From a technical standpoint, the multichannel SACD disc is exceptionally well done, and offers a remarkably good representation of the performances. Unfortunately, those performances just didn’t create any resemblance of a spark for me; however, they could very well be your cup of tea. English music across a variety of genres has always struck me as either hit or miss; many of my friends and family are baffled by my fascination with the English folk/prog rock group Strawbs, whom I adore – but they find almost totally unlistenable. I guess beauty is, as always, in the eye of the beholder. You can sample much of this album online at Linn’s website and elsewhere, so go check it out for yourself – you may very well like what you hear.

TrackList: Love At First Tequila; Lifejacket; She’s Loaded; A Good And Simple Man; Glue; Forty-Two; Northop Road; Pamela; I Want To Live In Paris; Hiraeth; My Safest Place; Letter From A Dead Soldier; Flowers.

— Tom Gibbs

 

Fiona Mackenzie – Elevate – Linn Records

by | Jul 29, 2008 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

 Fiona Mackenzie – Elevate – Linn Records AKD 307 – Multichannel SACD, 37 min. ****1/2:

Fiona Mackenzie has been gaining a huge reputation over the last few years in folk music circles in the UK and Europe for her remarkably clear voice and her heavily Gaelic-influenced offerings. As part of the group Mackenzie, which is comprised of Fiona and her two sisters, Eilidh and Gillian, she first started singing in their native Isle of Lewis, which is part of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. Needless to say, I was expecting a mostly folk-oriented album, and while Elevate is that and more, it really stretches Fiona Mackenzie’s boundaries significantly, both musically and stylistically. In terms of performance, recorded sound and sheer enjoyment, this surprising record is definitely in my top five for 2008!

The disc starts off with Fiona strumming her acoustic guitar and singing “When The Sunny Sky Has Gone,” a heartwarming little tune about her willingness to be there when skies turn gray. The track highlights her crystalline voice, and presents the song in a simple and uncluttered fashion – setting for me what I thought would be the tone of the entire album. So when the second song, “In Between,” powered through with a driving electric bass line and pulsating electric guitars, I was quite taken aback. The remainder of the album is no less surprising, combining elements of folk, Gaelic, pop/rock, jazz, techno and electronica! For an album comprised entirely of originals, this is without a doubt one of the most entertaining and eclectic mixtures of diverse sources I think I’ve ever heard.

The sound quality of this multichannel SACD disc is nothing short of amazing – Linn Records have truly outdone themselves with this excellent disc. The multichannel layer occupied the vast majority of my listening time, and it offers a wide and deep soundstage that places the players in a very real representation of the recording space, and mainly uses the surrounds to add to the overall ambience. Fiona Mackenzie’s voice is rock-solid, front and center, for the most part, with the exception of the track “Hi O He,” where her voice comes at you from all channels to a hauntingly good effect!

The only quibble I’d have with this otherwise superb offering is its relatively brief 37 minute run time, and that alone holds it to four and a half stars. But Fiona Mackenzie’s magnificent and often hauntingly evocative voice and the incredibly entertaining qualities of this disc more than outweigh that complaint. Very highly recommended!

TrackList: When The Sunny Sky Has Gone; In Between; Bye Bye; A Little While Longer; An Roghainn; At The Bottom Of The Sea; Elevate; Lots Of People; Duisg Mo Chridhe; Hi O He; Everybody Knows.

— Tom Gibbs 

BRAHMS – Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) – Atlanta Symphony Orchestra /Robert Spano, Conductor – Telarc

by | Jul 29, 2008 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

BRAHMS – Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) – Atlanta Symphony Orchestra /Robert Spano, Conductor – Telarc Multichannel SACD-60701, 67 min. *****:

Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem has always been met with a mixture of acclaim and criticism; while it is almost universally acclaimed as a masterwork of the choral genre, music critics of Brahms’ day decried the fact that it wasn’t a truly liturgical mass in the classic sense. Composed in the aftermath of the deaths of Robert Schumann and Brahms’ own mother, the mass is less a ritual liturgical ceremony for the dead than it is a celebration of comfort for the souls of the recently departed and those who mourn them – a message of peace whose relevance is not lost on modern audiences.

This disc represents Telarc’s third recording of this monumental work, and the second by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Telarc CD-80092). The ASO first recorded the work for Telarc under the baton of the late maestro Robert Shaw, who was particularly enamored with Brahms choral masterpiece. He worked diligently on an English translation in hopes of recording it as a companion to the German version, but he died before that came to fruition. Telarc did eventually record his English translation with the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Telarc CD-80501), conducted by Craig Jessup, who was a longtime associate of Robert Shaw. That recording was met with mixed criticism, especially those voices who felt the English translation was not particularly in keeping with Brahms’ original vision, and that the singing just didn’t flow as well from a diction standpoint as the original.

ASO music director Robert Spano shows his affinity with the choral oeuvre in this magnificently realized recording of Brahms’ German manuscript. From the opening notes of the rapturously beautiful “Selig sind, die da Lied tragen” (Blest Are They That Mourn), you are fully immersed in the tranquility of Brahms’ message of acceptance of the inevitable. Michael Bishop and all at Telarc have done a magnificent job – as usual – with overcoming any obstacles present in Atlanta’s less-than-acoustically perfect Symphony Hall. The multichannel mix – which is the only way to fully experience the immersive quality of this masterpiece – is nothing short of perfection, and fully negates any of the Atlanta facility’s shortcomings. The ASO choir, also as usual, is equally brilliant; somewhere in the afterlife, Robert Shaw must be smiling!

Even though I sprachen very little German, Johannes Brahms’ denotation here is quite clear to me. I don’t see how anyone who has suffered a loss could not be moved by the serenity of this glorious music. Very highly recommended!

— Tom Gibbs
 

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 – Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Elsa Cavelti/Ernst Haefliger/Otto Edelmann/ Festwochenchor/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Wilhelm Furtwängler – Tahra

by | Jul 29, 2008 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 – Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/ Elsa Cavelti/Ernst Haefliger/Otto Edelmann/ Festwochenchor/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Wilhelm Furtwängler – Tahra Mono SACD FURT 2001, 72 min. *****:

For their very first SACD the Tahra classical reissue label has decided to reissue a new hi-res mastering of their signature CD that won a Gramophone Award in 1995 and has been most popular with music lovers. This recording, one of nine existing live recordings of Furtwängler conducting the Ninth, was made in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1954 just three months before the death of the conductor. It was available on LP, but in compromised sound. The 1994 CD release by Tahra improved on the fidelity, but it was felt that only with SACD could the full sonic experience of the original tapes be realized.  Here is our earlier more detailed review of the CD version. [Gary and I disagree about the bass end of the recording. If it wasn’t deliberately filtered out on the SACD, our differing impressions might be because I have a subwoofer and my main speakers go down to 26 Hz whereas Gary’s don’t…Ed.]

 
The recording most often referred to when one thinks of Furtwangler’s unique interpretation of the massive Ninth is the one he conducted in Bayreuth in 1951, though there is also a valued recording from Berlin in 1942. (I’d rather not think of the dark irony of this great pean to the brotherhood of all mankind being performed in the capital of Nazi Germany in 1942.)  The Lucerne performance is less violent than some of the earlier versions, with greater attention to details in the score, which are brought out with great clarity by the recording. The winds come thru more strongly than some of the other versions, but the real revelation is the gorgeous clarity of the four top vocal soloists. They have almost a three-dimensional quality. The Ode to Joy becomes one of the most heavenly and transporting versions in the history of recording. The pacing never lags, it seems almost driven but not in a violent fashion. The closing instrumental measures race to a breathless conclusion.

There should be some credit for the audio engineers of the Swiss Radio involved in this landmark live recording.  It has some of the qualities of Rudy Van Gelder’s “deep mono” recordings; many listeners would probably never guess this was not a stereo recording. However, the extreme treble is a bit steely and deep bass frequencies are absent.  If you have access to that audiophile bane of tone controls you might want to use them judiciously on this SACD.

 — John Sunier

 

Audio News for July 29, 2008

by | Jul 29, 2008 | Audio News

Consumer Electronics Devices Increasingly Link Up Wirelessly – A new publication from ABI Research, “Short-Range Wireless in the Home Networking Environment,” describes the landscape and opportunities in linking together consumer electronics products.  It says that the various technologies will by and large coexist and complement one another for full wireless network coverage rather than competing. The report listed the specialty of each technology: Bluetooth will drive the personal area network as well as remote controls and headphones, Wi-Fi will be the key for local area networks (LANs),  UWB and 60 GHz will handle respectively home office peripherals and for wireless HDMI connections.  ZigBee is a technology used strictly for home automation. Some countertrends to these approaches have appeared: Intel and OZMO Devices have a new program for PANs and the newly-formed consortium Radio Frequency for Consumer Electronics is developing a protocol for RF remote controls which could compete with Bluetooth.

Vinyl LPs’ Resurgence – Though still a niche market, public interest in vinyl has increased greatly and sales of both new and reissue LPs has been taking off both in brick & mortar stores and on the Internet. Even outlets such as Costco and Wal-Mart have started carrying USB turntables – designed to play thru computer audio systems and to make it easier to turn valued vinyl collections into digital files.  A few new vinyl albums have even been issued together with a URL and code to allow downloading the same album as a MP3 files from the Net – giving the buyer the best of both worlds.

Even some major labels which haven’t done much with LPs for years are launching new vinyl series. Concord Music Group has a new section of their web site called The Collector’s Corner, selling rare vinyl, box sets, and out of print releases from their many different jazz and pop sub labels. Their first new vinyl reissues include classic albums from Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. [ConcordMusicGroup.com/collectors-corner/]   Strangely, one area that was vinyl-intensive is now making much less use of the needle in the groove.  That would be the DJs, who provided the only experience of LPs to many young people, but many of which now put all their music on laptops via MP3 files.
 
A clerk in a department store in  Portland OR ordered a new R.E.M. album on vinyl by mistake instead of the CD version. Nevertheless, they put it on the shelves and it flew off, so now all the stores in their chain are stocking some LPs.  So far this year, 803,000 LPs have been sold in the U.S. – a 77% increase over last year. It is expected total sales for 2008 could be 1.6 million, while CD sales are down 16% from last year.  There’s a fly in the ointment though – it’s the higher price of petroleum from which vinyl is made, as well as the oil to lubricate the pressing machines and the gas to transport the heavier LPs.  One pressing plant said the basic cost of pressing a CD is about $1 each whereas the more labor-intensive LP is $4 to $8 per unit for the initial pressing, and further increase may be coming.  Some audiophile LPs already retail for as much as $40 each.

ROSSINI: The Italian in Algiers (2006)

by | Jul 28, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

ROSSINI: The Italian in Algiers (2006)

Performers: Soloists/ Schoenberg Choir/ Mahler Chamber Orchestra/ Riccardo Frizza
Studio: Bel Air Classiques BAC025 [Dist. by Naxos]
Video: 16:9 widescreen color
Audio: DTS 5.1; DD 5.1; PCM stereo
No region coding
Length: 135 minutes
Rating: *****

Composed in 1813 in anywhere from 18 to 27 days depending on your choice of biographers (Rossini naturally claimed 18 days), L’Italiana in Algeri premiered at the Teatro San Benedetto, Venice in May of that year. With text by Angelo Anelli, the 21 year old Rossini labeled the opera a dramma giocoso similar to Mozart’s Don Giovanni, but its strong farcical elements make it a pure, sparkling opera buffa. The first of Rossini’s comic operas to acquire a lasting place in the repetoire, it still manages to amuse regardless of how well acquainted with it you are. The plot is delightfully idiotic, the music a bubbly confection of memorable tunes that its first auditors hummed throughout Europe, insuring Rossini’s fame as a composer. In no other work does Rossini exploit the comic possibilities of nonsense words as effectively as he does here in several patter songs. The stupendous ensemble finale of Act One is a brilliant example of this: it is a masterful mixture of musical verve and verbal craziness embedded in a trademark Rossini vocal crescendo. Those first audiences must have been stunned by the opera’s novelty.

Unlike the three-dimensional living presence that inhabits each role created by Mozart for his magisterial Da Ponte trilogy of operas, in L’Italiana in Algeri the characters are merely sketched. Rossini draws them deftly, with a caustic accuracy bordering on caricature. The life depicted here is sharp-angled, idiosyncratic and psychologically motile. A successful performance of this opera requires a strange bi-polar mixture of frenzy and calm, often in the very same scene. Tipping into either extremity does severe damage to the opera’s equilibrium, much to the detriment of a performance. Like walking a tightrope, performers must maintain an acrobatic balance if they wish to portray Rossini’s mixture of comic mayhem and its serious consequences. This DVD presentation of the opera, filmed in July 2006 for the Festival d’Aix-en-provence in France, manages the balancing act with masterful agility. The result is a superb L’Italiana in Algeri: funny, touching, satirical and heart-warming by turns, it is an entertainment of the highest order.

The cast is brilliant, with an especially amusing performance as the somewhat addled, all-powerful Bey Mustafa by bass Marco Vinco. As his love for his wife Eivira (soprano Elisaveta Martirosyan in a poignant performance) wanes, his desire for shipwrecked Isabella (contralto/mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn, who is excellent) grows exponentially. She loves Lindoro (tenor Maxim Mironov) who, amazingly, has just recently been captured and enslaved by the Bey. The means by which Elvira is reunited in love with Mustafa, and those who have been captured regain their freedom, involves much delirious absurdity and inspired lunacy, all of it funny. It includes a great deal of Monty Pythonesque insanity surrounding the nonsense word “Pappataci”, a title conferred upon Bey Mustafa that is meant as an emblem of glory but which actually means “eat and shut up”. All of these events are portrayed with rare comedic skill, as wonderfully directed by Toni Servillo. The acting and singing by the entire cast is splendid. The stage design is spartan, containing a single three-level wooden structure set at an angle which functions variously as a ship’s prow, Mustafa’s castle, a harem and all of the character’s apartments. The costumes are traditional and quite beautiful in their simple utility. It is the simplicity of this production, beautifully filmed in high definition, coupled with the inspired brilliance of the performances, that make this version of Rossini’s youthful shout of joy my current favorite of the opera.

The music is splendidly performed by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under Riccardo Frizza and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir. The Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 sound is spacious and clear, enabling a precise illusion of stage movement. The PCM stereo sound removes some of the air between the voices, substituting an increased richness, deeper bass and greater depth to the music. All three soundfields produce an image of stunning clarity, a feeling of “live” presence that is warmly satisfying. As if by magic, the naturalness of the sound is paired with the simple organic nature of the performances and stage presentation to produce an opera DVD that glows like a speciman of rare earth.

– – Mike Birman

 

Stuff Live at Montreux 1976, (2008)

by | Jul 28, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

Stuff Live at Montreux 1976, (2008)

Producers: Terry Shand & Geoff Kempin
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Video: 4:3 color
Audio: DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo
Length: 62 minutes
Rating: ***1/2

Stuff was a nearly legendary jazz-funk band from the mid-seventies that featured guitarists Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree, bassist Gordon Edwards, drummer extraordinaire Steve Gadd and keyboardist Richard Tee. All five members were seasoned and highly sought after session musicians, and individually, they played on a veritable who’s who of pop, rock and soul albums from the 60s thru the 80s, including work for the likes of Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Paul Simon, Billy Joel and Steely Dan. In between their ongoing session work, they toured as a group and recorded five albums. This film of their 1976 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival has never been available publicly, and documents an event revered by anyone in attendance. The liner notes include a segment written by singer/actor Chris Rea, who stumbled onto the Stuff video in a Montreux bar, and somehow managed to get a copy of it, which he swears was the only one in the entire world, and moves him to tears every time he watches it.

This performance took place not long after the group had formed, and contains a few originals, but mostly contains songs that are either personal favorites of the band members, or songs that they’d played on as session musicians. Their individual talent as musicians is undeniable, and they achieve a truly phenomenal groove as a collective. Guitarists Gale and Dupree trade deliciously rhythmic solos, while drummer Steve Gadd – who’s appeared in more than 600 sessions, including the classic Steely Dan albums Aja and Gaucho – hammers away at the skins throughout the set and alleviates any mystery as to why he’s always been so heavily in demand. And Richard Tee’s extremely jazz-influenced keyboards are always superbly lyrical throughout. One of the many highlights comes from the medley “Lift Every Voice/Oh Happy Day,” when the band is joined on stage by the equally legendary Odetta, who provides a vocal as the individual musicians tear through one fiery solo after another. [Really? I thought it was some amateur they invited to do a number with them! She almost wrecked the concert, getting one of the guitarists entangled in her mike cable as she entered, and singing while holding the mike miles away from her mouth…Ed.]

Technically, the film suffers from its obvious thirty-plus-year-old video origins, and the image quality is not particularly clear throughout most of the film. The sound quality, however, is much, much better; the DTS 5.1 option was particularly enveloping and enjoyable. In light of the rather rare nature of this performance – not to mention its historical significance, as it’s the only film I’m aware of that documents the band’s existence – there’s very little room left to quibble with the details. Recommended, not only to fans of the group, but to anyone interested in a really entertaining jazz-funk-rock performance that will totally prove why these guys were so very much in demand.

— Tom Gibbs

 

Carlos Santana Plays Blues at Montreux 2004, (2008)

by | Jul 28, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

Carlos Santana Plays Blues at Montreux 2004, (2008)

Producers: Terry Shand & Geoff Kempin
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Video: 16:9 widescreen color
Audio: DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo
Length: 94 minutes
Rating: ****

I’m really surprised that this excellent disc didn’t make it as one of Eagle Rock’s series of Blu-ray concert discs they’ve been releasing over the last year or so. For any fan of not only the blues, but also of Carlos Santana, this superb presentation will become required watching. The disc focuses on performances from three blues artists, two of whom – Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Buddy Guy – are instantly recognizable to most blues aficionados. The third, Bobby Parker, was unfamiliar to me, but in the excellent liner notes, Carlos Santana reveals that Parker’s signature tune, “Watch Your Step,” was as often emulated in Santana’s Tijuana origins along with other classics such as “Green Onions.” Most American blues artists heavily influenced the rock and roll generation, but even John Lennon said that he stole the riff from “Watch Your Step” for the Beatles “Day Tripper,” and at first listen, I immediately could tell where Jimmy Page got the intro for Led Zep’s “Heartbreaker!”

The concert is superb throughout, and opens with a set by Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown in which both Carlos Santana and Buddy Guy take supporting roles in his band, with the focus clearly on Gatemouth. Santana adds several superb solos, however, and takes a much more active role in the set by Bobby Parker, in which several Santana band members, including vocalist Andy Vargas participate in rousing versions of “Chill Out” and the aforementioned “Watch Your Step.” The disc concludes with a set by Buddy Guy that includes a fiery performance of “Stormy Monday” that evolves into a lengthy jam in which both Guy and Santana trade truly energetic solos.

Technically, this disc is superb, with an excellent image that only wavers occasionally (something that probably would have been alleviated on a Blu-ray release). The sound quality is magnificent, although, once again, any of Blu-ray’s available uncompressed options would probably be even better. When the performances are as good as this, though, it’s really senseless to nitpick. Very highly recommended!

— Tom Gibbs
 

Joe Zawinul, A Musical Portrait, (2007)

by | Jul 28, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

Joe Zawinul, A Musical Portrait, (2007)

Director: Mark Kidel
Studio: Arthaus Music [Distr. by Naxos]
Video: 16:9 widescreen color
Audio: DD 2.0
Subtitles: German, French, Spanish
Extras: Performance Videos
Length: 76 minutes
Rating: ***1/2

The late Joe Zawinul (who died of cancer in 2007) lived a long and diverse life, and came from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential musicians of his generation. At age 12, he witnessed firsthand the atrocities of World War II in his native Austria. In his teens he became interested in jazz music, and he and his friends became what he called “racists,” because they only listened to black jazz musicians. He came to America in the late fifties, and soon was playing for the likes of Cannonball Adderley and Dinah Washington; although he felt he didn’t have a unique style. He often emulated the piano stylings of Horace Silver, and one night, Dizzie Gillespie called him to task and challenged him to develop his own style. He says he went into a depressed sort of funk, and during a break from touring, dropped acid. His entire creative process changed at that point, and he started composing five and six tunes a day, many of which went on to become his signature tunes when he played with Miles Davis on the groundbreaking records In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew, which he composed much of the music for. He later joined Wayne Shorter (also ex-Miles Davis) and formed the classic fusion group Weather Report, with which he achieved phenomenal success, especially with 1977’s multi-platinum Heavy Weather. His work with Weather Report also helped launch the global fascination with “World Music.”

The film is a travelogue, of sorts, and basically follows Zawinul from his home in Malibu back to Vienna and his jazz club, Zawinul’s Birdland. While traversing the streets of Vienna, he points out many locations of historical significance not only to himself personally, but also musically. He also spends quite a bit of time boxing and sparring with friends; not unlike Miles Davis, he had a lifelong fascination with boxing, and saw it as an excellent tool to help maintain his health throughout his life. The documentary portion of the film is interspersed with musical performances by the Zawinul Syndicate, his post-Weather Report band, that were taped live in his jazz club in Vienna. In attendance at the sessions is the current president of Austria, who was a childhood friend of Joe Zawinul. He speaks at length about his constant desire to extend the jazz keyboard literature beyond the acoustic piano, which he essentially abandoned from his work with Miles Davis forward. Even though I can’t claim to be a great fan of his musical vision post-Weather Report, it was nonetheless interesting to see and hear his revelations on his musical choices throughout his career.

From a technical standpoint the image quality is quite serviceable, although it just doesn’t have the absolute clarity that a film of such recent vintage should possess. The graininess that’s apparent throughout was, in all likelihood, a conscious artistic decision by the filmmakers. The Dolby stereo soundtrack is also quite acceptable for a film that’s essentially a documentary, although the music sequences would have benefited enormously from a 5.1 surround track. However, this is a truly interesting and entertaining film, and a fitting tribute to one of the true giants of jazz music. Highly recommended.

— Tom Gibbs

 

Vampyr (1932/2008)

by | Jul 28, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

Vampyr (1932/2008)

Director: Carl Dreyer
Studio: Danish Film Institute/The Criterion Collection 437 (2 DVDs + screenplay)
Video: 1.19:1 letterboxed B&W
Audio: German Dolby mono
Extras: Printed screenplay, “Camilla” by Le Fanu, Commentary by film scholar Tony Rayns, new English subtitles; On Disc 2: 1966 documentary on Carl Dreyer by Jorgen Roos, Visual essay by scholar Casper Tybjerg on Dreyer’s influences in creating Vampyr, 1958 radio broadcast of Dreyer reading from his essay on filmmaking, Printed 1964 interview with producer and star Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg plus three other articles about Vampyr and one on the transfer to DVD
Length: 73 minutes (feature)
Rating: ****

This is one of the classic early horror films, from Danish filmmaker Dreyer, who also did The Passion of Joan of Arc.  While influenced by the German Expressionists, surrealism, Le Fanu’s book Camille, and various other vampire stories including Bram Stoker’s, Vampyr is an artistic and conceptual achievement of singular distinction.   He shot it outside of studio involvement, financed by a wealthy French nobleman who acted the main role of a visitor to an inn where inexplicable things are going on. Dreyer began shooting Vampyr as a silent film but it was realized that by 1932 sound was the thing and some brief dialog was added to the film, plus an interesting music score.

The film imparts a dreamlike, nightmarish feeling with settings often full of fog, the use of an abandoned building and factory, very creative camera work and layered sound effects and music.  Many of the shots mimic various paintings, and a repeated disturbing image is that of a farmer with a very large scythe. Both the unsettling images and the sound come across with greatly enhanced clarity in Criterion’s transfer compared to previous prints of the film I have seen.  Some of the images are left completely unexplained – such as the disfigured man behind a door of the inn, or the little shadow creatures which scurry along as the young man is investigating the occurrences. The plot line differs from other vampire stories in the vampire being an old woman, and her henchman at the end is killed not in a dark scene but one where all is brilliant white. There is a peg-legged man serving the vampire whose shadow has a separate life from himself, and the hero of the story falls asleep on a bench while his soul gets up and investigates things on its own.  This has to be one of the most interesting dreamlike pieces of cinema ever made.

 – John Sunier

HANDEL: Water Music – Music For The Royal Fireworks – Le Concert des Nations (Manfredo Kraemer, concertino) / Jordi Savall (director) / Alia Vox

by | Jul 26, 2008 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

HANDEL: Water Music – Music For The Royal Fireworks – Le Concert des Nations (Manfredo Kraemer, concertino) / Jordi Savall (director) / Alia Vox multichannel SACD AVSA9860 / 73:51 ***** [Distr. by Harmonia mundi]:

This is the third volume in Alia Vox’s Heritage Series, remastered for a multichannel SACD release from a recording originally made by Pierre Verany for the Astrée label.

Jordi Savall has arranged the music for the Water Music into two suites, the first being in D and G, the second in F. This works very well here, and as history doesn’t give the details of the first performances in 1717, we don’t know which movements were played and in which order they were played in each suite. It is thought that the movements with trumpets and horns were played on the water, and the quieter movements, probably the suite in G, played later at dinner. Although extracts were published from 1729, these being just the minuets, the full edition came off the press only in 1788.

The Music for Royal Fireworks was written to celebrate the signing of the peace treaty at the end of the War of the Austrian Succession in 1748. First played at rehearsal in 1749 at Vauxhall Gardens, the music was to order from King George II to be martial and not contain “fiddles”. Reports tell us that the orchestra consisted of a hundred musicians, and the audience for this rehearsal numbered 12000 – such was Handel’s popularity. At the first performance proper, a little later, there may well have been even more instruments, and it is said that as a result of the fireworks not running as planned it was the music which saved the occasion.

Savall uses an orchestra of about 35 for this recording, so recreates what the early performances may have been. When Handel performed the Fireworks Music a month later for a benefit for the Foundling Hospital he certainly included strings in the orchestra. The Water Music also had a number of outings after its first performances and again Handel would have orchestrated to fit the occasion. All in all, Le Concert des Nations sounds just the right size for listening at home! Savall and his players provide all the rhythmic bounce this music needs, and the quieter movements come across with sensitivity. This orchestra has so many very fine players their combined virtuosity is stunning.

Recorded in March 1993 at the Chateau de Cardona, Catalonia by Pierre Verany, the sound is of a warm and expansive acoustic coupled with tangible presence which allows the life of the performances full rein. Remastering has been extremely successful, and this issue can be recommended most highly.

— Peter Joelson