Volume 17 Issue 8 - May 2012

BCB performance is Charles Daniels who,as always, bestows his consummate clarity,intelligence and expressiveness upon the roleof the Evangelist. The other soloists are alsoexcellent, particularly soprano Julia Doylewho imbues “Ich forge Dir gleichfalls” withthe perfect blend of delight and innocence.With the CKCC, John Mark Ainsley alsosings a very fine Evangelist, and hearingthe voices of Paul Agnew, Stephen Varcoand Catherine Bott makes for a cheerful tripdown memory lane.Both choirs sing with impeccable ensembleand depth of expression; the Bethlehemgroup in particular sounds truly congregationalin the chorales, a very welcomequality. The orchestral playing in both isfirst-class, with refined expressiveness, clarityand attention to detail, and the continuogroup players in both are equally topnotch.While the thoughtful playing of theBrandenburg Consort on period instrumentsis a little more to my own taste, the BachFestival Orchestra players play elegantly,adopting “historically informed” influencewith skill and flexibility. Kudos to all involvedin these two excellent recordings.—Alison MelvilleCantate DominoOttawa Bach Choir; Lisette CantonIndependent 2011www.ottawabachchoir.caThe Ottawa BachChoir celebrates itstenth anniversarywith the release ofthis recording whichincludes the choir’sfavourite repertoire.Bach, of course, isgiven pride of placewith first and last selections; first being thewedding cantata, Der Herr denket an unsBWV196, and lastly the motet Der Geisthilft unsrer Schwachheit BWV226. A smallbaroque ensemble led by violinist HélènePlouffe serving as orchestra shines brilliantlyin the opening Sinfonia and director LisetteCanton coaxes excellent work from the choirthroughout. The choir’s namesake appearsagain in a later setting; Knut Nystedt’sImmortal Bach, in which the theme takenfrom Komm süsser Tod BWV478, withlayered notes from the original, is sung indifferent time intervals. Rather than theexpected fugal effect, a unique and etherealmass voice emerges alternating betweenconsonance and dissonance.Soloists shine in Monteverdi’s Beatusvir, and Messiaen’s O sacrum convivium!shows off the choir’s warm and unifiedresponsiveness. One can only wish theOttawa Bach Choir continues to delight theiraudience for (at least) another ten years.—Dianne WellsI’ve Got A Crush On YouMeasha BrueggergosmanKelp Records 333www.kelprecords.comMeashaBrueggergosman isone of those vexingcreatures — theunpredictable artist.Just when you thinkyou know whereto place her, outcomes Measha — thehost of Canada’s Got Talent; Measha — theCBC’s celebrity panellist; Measha — live inconcert in the Maritimes. Her recent DVDappearance in The Rise and Fall of the Cityof Mahagonny welcomed with considerablecritical acclaim for both singing and acting,opened the possibility of Measha, the credibleWeill and cabaret performer … Well, notso fast. I’ve Got a Crush on You throws yetanother spanner in the works. If you expecta solid, even and predictable collection ofstandards old and new, forget about it. Therange of this album is enormous — from acringe-inducing Secret Heart to a brilliantand jazzy Both Sides Now, to a hilarioussend-up of Misty (with whom else but MartinShort) to the greatly nuanced title song andEmbraceable You. Brueggergosman is ather best when she trusts her innate sense ofrhythm, her sultry voice and the considerabletalent of the accompanying musicians.The low points come when she tries to forcethe non-operatic works into an operaticidiom. So yet again, she confounds expectations,surprises, and at times delights — cometo think about it, something that every artistshould strive for. A must for her fans, and aworthy detour for the curious. I wonder whatshe will come up with next …—Robert TomasConcert Notes: “An Evening with MeashaBrueggergosman” includes selections fromI’ve Got a Crush on You at the GrandTheatre in Kingston on May 4 and at theShowplace in Peterborough on May 17.EARLY & PERIOD PERFORMANCEUne fête BaroqueLe Concert d’Astrée; Emannuelle HaïmVirgin Classics 50999 730799 2 7Le Concertd’Astrée celebratedten years togetherwith a commemorativeevent atthe Théâtre desChamps Elysées lastDecember, uniting24 soloists in agala fund-raising display of talents for theGustave Roussy Foundation which seeksnon-standard treatments for cancer.Rameau is the first composer selectedfor the gala. Natalie Dessay and StéphaneDegout are the soloists leading the choir ofsavages in Rameau’s Les Indes galantes;there is nothing savage about the interpretations!Anne Sofie von Otter’s plaintive “Airde Phèdre” is greatly enhanced by the stringplayersin the song from Hippolyte et Aricie,an opera which also affords us Jaël Azzarettias a shepherdess in “Rossignols amoureux.”This double CD should not be misinterpretedas purely a collection of intensebaroque arias; Patricia Petibon’s “La Folie”from the ballet-bouffon Platée and the audience’slive laughter prove this.Sometimes there are pleasant surprisesin this worthy anthology. “What Power ArtThou,” the “cold song” from Purcell’s KingArthur, is performed by Christopher Purvesto, dare one say it, chilling effect.Handel’s music dominates the secondCD. Sacred and secular, his most popularoperas are treated with passion by singersand instrumentalists. How better to end thanwith the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’sMessiah — with audience participation?And there is even a rendition of Purcell’sSound the Trumpet which, I hope, wouldhave appealed to Purcell’s sense of humour!—Michael SchwartzBach – Goldberg VariationsDavid JalbertATMA ACD2 2557Bach – Goldberg VariationsDaniel BarenboimEuroArts 2066778We have somany “Goldbergs”to choose from. Infact Goldbergitisfever insures usthat one or morenew versions will bereleased each year.What differentiateseach of these performances?Thereis also the questionof whether any ofthe new CDs willever replace thetwo iconic GlennGould recordings.Often the choice issubjective and sentimental. I grew up listeningto the Gould version but I also loveAndras Schiff, Murray Perahia and the verypersonal and unique performance by SimoneDinnerstein. What puts new CDs in the topechelon of Goldberg recordings? I believeit is the quality of tone, effortless technique,virtuosic control and command of the contrapuntallines, orchestrating the piano and theindecipherable quotient of magic.David Jalbert on the ATMA label certainlyhas the virtuoso technique and articulation62 thewholenote.com May 1 – June 7, 2012