Volume 16 Issue 5 - February 2011

is Lozano’s chance to wave the avant-gardemoderated by Doyle’s sunny tones, Bolduc’sMrs BB has an intriguing narrative, Côté’sPhil’s Spirit is a bravura blast with sturdytrombone and tough tenor and the intenseRoney revels in outside play on Trois Recitsde Voyage.Drummer MarkMcLean could callToronto home butseems permanentlyon tour performingwith a multitude ofmusic’s elites. Hisself-produced indieCD Mark McLean– Playground (www.markmclean. com)pictures an über-assured, relaxed jazzerwho’s unquestionably the boss of a Hogtownband featuring guitarist-for-all-tastes KevinBreit while also drawing on the considerableabilities of busy saxman Kelly Jefferson,bassists Marc Rogers or Pat Kilbride pluspianists Robi Botos or David Braid. Alwayscontrolled, all the way from cerebral toappealing, his nine (of 10) compositionscatchy and very much of our time, someobviously referencing his appearances withsingers. Breit is a versatile force throughout,always in the middle of ominous rockinggrooves and ruminative forays as McLeanconjures rhythmic intricacies for everyfeel. Lots to like here.Toronto veteranAlex Dean has adeserved reputationas an excitingplayer on tenor whowas most familiarromping throughthe changes withblistering phrasing,heated blasts and pinpoint point timing. It’sbeen a very long time since he’s recordedas leader, and Alex Dean Quintet – AtThis Point (Cornerstone CD 134 www.cornerstonerecordsinc.com) comes upglorious over-the-top solos. Dean penned theon three of them from immaculate, elegantwork by guitarist Lorne Lofsky. There’s alsopredictably solid support from pianist BrianDickinson, bass Kieran Overs and drummerTed Warren. Mostly you hear warm,away, the playing crafty as a fountain ofideas is explored – on the title track hebustles from mellow to meaty after offeringcharged-up swing, then shows more of hisold self on Mr.B.C. and too-short vintagemayhem with Warren on Pat and Pat.Read more Geoff Chapmanonline at thewholenote.comOld Wine, New Bottles | Fine Old Recordings Re-ReleasedErica Morini was not merely one ofthe greatest female violinists but oneof the greatest. Born in Vienna in1905, of a father who studied with JosephJoachim, at age eight she was the youngestConservatoire. Her artistic individuality,unique sonority and singing qualityfrequently outdid Heifetz and Oistrakh. Herplaying successfull blended old-style charm(Kreisler, Elman), the technical perfectionthat prevailed from the middle of the 20thcentury, and a good measure of her ownindividuality. Audite has released an excellentCD featuring the Tchaikovsky Concertoin D major (audite 95.606). She has otherrecordings of thisconcerto but hereshe is supportedby Ferenc Fricsayand the RIAS-Symphony, live inthe Titiana Palace,Berlin in 1952.Brilliant performancesof shorterworks by Tartini,Vivaldi, Kreisler,and Brahms,accompanied byMichael RaucheisenGreat sound fromDeutschlandradio’sarchive tapes.Jascha Horenstein fans will be happy toknow that hot on the heels of the BeethovenNinth DVD, DOREMI has issued Volume2 of their Horenstein series containing thePrelude and Carnival from Korngold’s 1916opera Violanta, Shostakovich’s SymphonyNo.1 and Hindemith’s Symphonie Mathis derMaler (DHR-7998). (After a few bars of theKorngold, I saw, in my mind’s eye, a pas-Kings Row.Of course! Korngold wrote the soundtrackscore, expanding the 1916 overture to suitconductors of his day, was never chief conductoror music director of an orchestra. TheKorngold and the Shostakovich are with theRoyal Philharmonic, both in excellent stereorecorded in 1965 and 1970 respectively. TheHindemith with the Paris Radio Symphonyis a live performance from 1954. Missing theersare doing their very best... Really quiteinspiring.From the early decades of the 20th CenturyBritain had an impressive array of home-cludingThomas Beecham, Henry Wood,Hamilton Harty, John Barbirolli, EugeneBRUCE SURTEESGoossens, Malcolm Sargent and, of course,Adrian Boult. Boult’s monumental recordedlegacy was well captured by HMV and Deccabut smaller companies, such Pye, Lyritaan undertaking was the Nixa/Westminster’sstereo sessions with the London PhilharmonicOrchestra over a period of six days in August1956. The second set of 3 CDs fromFirst Hand Records contains the four SchumannSymphonies and eight Berlioz Overtures(FHR07). The sheer energy and qualityof the playing are astonishing, as are Boult’srousing tempi and revealing instrumentalbalances: the kind that bring a smile to yourface. The digital transfers of the analog mastertapes were doneat Abbey Road Studiosby Ian Jonesand retain the fullimpact and weightof the originals,adding to the credibilityof the performances.Thisis a superb set inevery respect andan essential acquisitionfor Schumannlovers.I compared thisset to a reissue onDG Originals of the1963/64 recordingsof the Schumann Symphonies with RaphaelKubelik and the Berlin Philharmonic (DG4778621, 2 CDs). Kubelik’s polished interpretationsof the works differ from Boult inthat they are quite stately with the conductor’sear for orchestral balances putting thelie to the persistent belief that Schumann’sorchestrations were dense and should be reworked.(In fact, Gustav Mahler did do somere-orchestrations.) The latest digital processingis impressive with meticulous details.But for me, the Boult set gets the vote forboth performance and sound.There’s more on the web!Check www.thewholenote.com for morereviews: Bruce Surtees delves into anotherOriginals reissue (von Karajan) and fromthere into some irresistible hybrid SACDs;Alex Baran continues his exploration ofrecent XXI-21 organ releases by JacquesBoucher and “Musique française pour violonet orgue” with Boucher and Anne Robert;Geoff Chapman looks at new releases fromMr. Marblesz and David Braid with theCanadian Brass; and Ken Waxman’s takeson international collaborations by a Polish-Ukrainian-German-American quartet,a Paris-Budapest combo and a trio fromCanada and Germany.68 thewholenote.comFebruary 1 - March 7, 2011