Sharpness and warmth

Press, 16 April 1984, Page 18

Sharpness and warmth

Classical records review

ALLAN FRANCIS

RODRIGO. Concierto en modo galante. Concierto de estio. Enrique Batiz conducts the L.S.O. with soloists, Agustin Ara, violin, and Robert Cohen, cello. WORLD RECORDS W14746. Why Julian Lloyd Webber let this one go remains a mystery, but it has allowed Robert Cohen to take full advantage of the situation by making giant strides with the Rodrigo repertoire. Some critics have winced a little at the brilliance of the sound quality but as this is more or less a deliberate ploy by the composer to get the required effect, one has to accept his directions just as members of the orchestra might do. Blended very nicely with this sharpness is the customary warmth of composition, which in the end gives that sweet/sour flavour which Rodrigo intended. Whatever else may be levelled at the composer, none of his severest critics could claim that his music is less than enjoyable. Such is the case with the new “Summer Concerto” here and the older brother, “Concierto en modo galante” for the limited solo cello repertoire. Robert Cohen, too, is an outstanding soloist with all the vitality of youth on his side. His tone is warm yet strong, attributes which are compatible with the composer’s requirements. As with Agustin Ara, the cellist plays those haunting themes with great flair. The “Summer Concerto” opens with a simple movement after the style of Vivaldi, followed by the “Sicilienne” section of modest variations and thence to the spirited Catalonia finale. Unless one is expecting some hefty Wagnerian composition it is impossible not to be impresseed with these performances.

LOUIS WIERNE. Symphonies Nos 1 and 3 played by David Sanger, organ, and the organ of La Chiesa Italiana di San Pietro, London. WORLD RECORDS WR 5296 and 5332. *

After being reconciled to the absence of any orchestral accompaniment, the full expression of these two symphonies becomes increasingly apparent. Set in six and five movements respectively, the works are unique, having their roots in the organ music of Cesar Franck and developed by the blind master during his 37 years in Notre Dame Cathedral. Bonuses on each record consist of “Legende Op. 31” and the five “Pieces en Style Libre” rspectively. These are confined to narrower limits of poetic imagination than the symphonies. The organ sound is magnificent. WEBER. Symphonies Nos 1 and 2 played by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Neville Marriner. WORLD RECORDS WR 5069. No-one expects too much from Weber in the symphonic field because his genius lay elsewhere, but these two commissioned works are delightful at least and interesting enough at best. Neither contains music that is truly symphonically integrated but there is much tongue-in-cheek humour and many nicely conceived Mendelssohn touches. There are plenty of oboe passages, conceived with the idea of bowing to the wishes of his employer,

Prince of Silesia, and the slow movements in each are enchanting. It is in the finale where we get to the typical Weber effervescence, that composer’s strongest point perhaps. These works are ideal for non-critical listening. Needless to say, there is little competition. MAHLER. Kindertotenlieder, Five Ruckert Songs, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. MENDELSSOHN. 16 songs sung by Dame Janet Baker, mezzo, with Geoffrey Parsons, piano. WORLD RECORDS ASDZ 4409 and WI 5010. It is interesting to note how little Dame Janet Baker’s versatile mezzo voice has changed in the 14 years that separate these two performances, the first in 1968 and the second in 1982. Most singers have a thickening of tone yet here that supple voice appears to alter very little, allowing for recording techniques and other factors. The colour which Dame Janet applies to the introverted “Kindertotenlieder” is equally graphic in the underrated Mendelssohn songs, the menacing “reislied” contrasting with the

smiling “Morgengruss” being typical examples. As the singer is now approaching the end of her career, the importance of these latter recordings cannot be over-emphasised. The recorded sound in both: cases is excellent. MUSSORGSKY. Pictures at an Exhibition played byArthur Wills on the Organ. of Ely Cathedral. WORLD I RECORDS WR 5323. For this reviewer, “Pictures” reached perfection with Muti’s 1979 account of; the much-recorded work • and thence the matter’ rested. Mehta, Giulini, Karajan and Solti have all produced more than, respectable versions — at--> mospheric, with minor alterations to detail. Coming on top of these, Arthur Wills’s organ version • of the work seems fairly; stodgy and lacking in detail.Instead of the usual tran-; scription by Ravel, theJ original keyboard origins are used here and this at? least makes the pieces marginally more interesting. ; However, there is still alacking of impact, which most of the top orchestral accounts all possess in abundance. The digital processing makes no difference whatever to the end result.