Volume 17 Issue 10 - July/August 2012

Stade, layers the performance with nuancesof conviction, weakness, doubt and anger.Measha Brueggergosman delivers a powerfulperformance in the small role of Sister Rose.Finally, von Stade this time appears as themurderer’s mother, rounding off this stellarcast of mezzos and dramatic sopranos.This is so much more than just an opera of afilm — this is by now a part of American standardrepertoire.— Robert TomasEARLY & PERIOD PERFORMANCEL’Olimpiade – The OperaRomina Basso; Franziska Gottwald;Karina Gauvin; Nicholas Phan;Ruth Rosique; Nicholas Spanos; VeniceBaroque Orchestra; Markellos ChryssicosNaïve V 5295!!This recording ischeeky and timely.L’Olimpiade was yetanother Metastasiolibretto (like LaClemenza di Tito) setmany times by variouscomposers togain applause witha new version of a well-known text. The plotcentres around the prize of a king’s daughterat the Olympic games, and in this release abunch of arias were jumbled together fromthe earliest setting by Caldara in 1733 toTorchi in 1792, in time to coincide with theupcoming Olympics in London. So far, so fun!The voices range from excellent to adequate.Excellent are Karina Gauvin as Argene, RuthRosique as Aristea, Romina Basso as the athleticMegacle who competes disguised as hisfriend Licida (Franziska Gottwald). Nowadaysit’s steroids; back then evidently the latestscandal was impersonation!The problem is the definition of “pasticcio”which is what this concert is called. Thenotes are by the Oxford Professor of Music,Reinhard Strohm who translates this word as“patchwork.” The word describes a pastry orpie containing various fillings held togetherby the blending of tastes — and in opera, therecitative. As with culinary art, there can begood and bad taste. Do it badly and you getthe Met’s Enchanted Island or the earlierOpera Immaginaria.This new effort is a delightful assortment,but no decent director would have yokedtogether such a disparate selection. Evenamongst the composers selected (includingneither J.C. Bach nor Beethoven) one of themost famous arias of the period, Superba dime stessa by Lampugnani, is omitted for amediocre setting by Hasse. But since this ispleasant summer listening and the singersornament well, it gives a lot of pleasure.You could turn off the TV volume, andturn up the sound for these CDs. I’m afraidthe inevitable next step will be a staging ofL’Olimpiade with naked counter tenors, butI had better not say that too loud. “Propriety”is a word like “pasticcio” that seems to havefallen into disrepute.— Duncan ChisholmBach – Flute WorksDaniel Pailthorpe; London ConchordEnsemble; Julian MilfordChamps Hill Records CHRCD031!!Upon first seeingthis disc, one mightwell ask if we reallyneed another recordingof J.S. Bach’sflute music. Howeverupon listening toit there is much torecommend this CD,a much-cherished project of BBC Symphonyco-principal flutist Daniel Pailthorpe. Playingon a modern wooden instrument, a rarity inthe contemporary flute world, Pailthorpe’swarm and unforced sound is most pleasant,and he and his colleagues play with completeengagement. The Sonata in B Minor for fluteand obbligato keyboard is very well considered,beautifully balanced, and the teamworkbetween Pailthorpe and pianist JulianMilford is impeccable. Also on the program isthe Sonata in A Major, the outer movementsof which are performed with wit and ingenuity.In his rendition of the sonata for solo flute,Pailthorpe’s deft phrasing, wise appreciationof the underlying harmony and intimatesensibility are much appreciated.The Second Orchestral Suite ends the discand receives the same focused treatment,though this particular modern string sound isa bit of a vague throwback to the 1960s. Whilesome will still prefer to hear this repertoireplayed on baroque instruments, this is a veryfine CD carried by the players’ obvious affectionfor Bach’s music and their exemplaryplaying in the style of their choice.— Alison MelvilleCLASSICAL & BEYONDMozart – Piano Concertos 20 & 21Jan Lisiecki; Bayerischen RSO;Christian ZachariasDeutsche Grammophon 4790061!!Canadian JanLisiecki is an incredibleyoung artist whohas recorded theMozart piano concertosNos.20 and21 at the age of 16. Ienjoyed his performanceof the D Minorconcerto for its dynamic contrasts and thedramatic intensity of the cadenza. His playingis clear, structured and without pretence. Theemotions within the music were expressedhonestly and not coated in pretty or exaggeratedstylism. His technique is virtuosic witharticulate scales and arpeggios cascading upand down the keyboard in a refined tonalpalette. The interpretations are artisticallythought through and mature enough to defyhis age. His touch was lovely in a pure Mozartstyle. The second movement, Romance didnot melt my heart as some other performances(Perahia, Uchida, etc.) but he capturedthe natural flow of the music and his phrasingwas impeccable. The Rondo: Allegro Assaiwith the cadenza by Beethoven was brilliantlyplayed with crisp trills and ornaments andthe “dark energy” Lisiecki speaks of in theprogram notes is evident in the intensity ofhis playing.Conductor Christian Zacharias is mostsympathetic and supportive. A well-respectedpianist himself he responds to every nuanceof the soloist. The orchestra is brought intothe performance with spontaneous conversationalzest. I always think of Mozart’s pianoworks, solo, chamber or concerto, as operafor the keyboard. It is a singing conversationand I was pleased to read in Lisiecki’s notesthat this was what he also thought of as a keyto Mozart’s music. “With almost all the composersI play, I think of a human voice. If youplay as you speak and sing, you will producethe most natural phrasing. Mozart’s pianoconcertos sometimes have positively operaticqualities. In the third movement, Allegro vivaceassai of the C Major concerto, for example,one can imagine having different charactersspeaking with one another onstage.”In the Piano Concerto No.21 in C MajorK467, Lisiecki performs impeccably, light asair in touch, texture and mood but intenseand deep in contrasting sections. Lisieckiwrote his own cadenza which was short butwell-written and it fit into the concerto stylistically.The famous Andante was crystal clearand moved me with the singing line. Maturitywill season this movement in time. Lisieckihas found the key to successful Mozart playingand seems to channel Mozart’s exuberance,humour and singing voice.— Christina Petrowska QuilicoSchumann – Piano Concerto in A minorAngela Hewitt; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Hannu LintuHyperion CDA67885Schumann – Chamber MusicNash EnsembleHyperion CDA67923Schumann – Piano Quintet; Piano QuartetAlexander Melnikov; Jerusalem QuartetHarmonia Mundi HMC 902122!!Robert Schumann once wrote: “In orderto compose, all you need to do is remembera tune that nobody else has thought of.” Ifonly it were as simple as that! Whatever mentalafflictions Schumann may have sufferedover the course of his lifetime, there is nodenying his place among the great Romanticperiod composers, and three recent discswill surely please all those who delight in64 thewholenote.com July 1 – September 7, 2012