CELEBRATING

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CONCERT DVD
PIANO
OPERA
ORCHESTRA
CLASSICALCDS&DVD
Mozart – Violin Concertos
Nos. 3, 4 and 5
Wherever it is found, genius – artistic genius, in particular – thrives when it’s
restricted in some crucial way. That’s the story behind this trio of violin concertos,
which were composed by Mozart in 1775 while he still resided in his hometown of
Salzburg. Beholden to his patron after having toured internationally, Mozart felt
confined by circumstance, but managed to rise above his discouragement and create
these three effervescent pieces, which are performed by the Norwegian Chamber
Orchestra on this recently released Naxos concert DVD. For fans of the incomparable
Amadeus, this is a fine airing of material culled from the composer’s early period.
Violinist Henning Kraggeruit elevates all three concertos with emotive phrasing and
dispassionate technique, investing the pieces with the sort of precise pathos one might expect from such a world-class
musician. As with other Naxos DVDs, the audio quality here is more than adequate, and the cinematography – while fairly
basic – will be sufficient for most armchair concert goers. – Chris Morgan
> Henning Kraggeruit (violin), Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
> Naxos, 2016
Philip Glass: Glassworlds 4:
On Love
Philip Glass is among the world’s best-known composers of modern instrumental
music. The latest release in his Glassworlds series, entitled ‘On Love’, is an apropos,
given the mood of the music collected here. As performed by acclaimed pianist
Nicholas Horvath, these works are evocative, cinematic and filled with a pathos that
defies easy definition. A suite of pieces culled from the BAFTA award-winning score for
the 2002 film The Hours is the most expansive offering here, presented in its entirety,
complete with three previously unpublished movements. Rather than simply reproducing incidental music, Horvath’s
naked arrangement shines a light on the score, allowing listeners to appreciate the subtle aspects of the work, both on an
emotional and technical level. Glassworlds 4 also includes ‘Music in Fifths’ – a piece once described by composer Steve Reich
as being “like a freight train” – as well as the breathtaking ‘Modern Love Waltz’, and the world premiere recording of Notes
on a Scandal. Classical Glass, indeed. – Chris Morgan.
> Nicolas Horvath
> HNH International, 2016
The Ghosts of Versailles
It took about a quarter-century, but the “grand opera buffa” The Ghosts of Versailles
has been recorded for posterity, and released in a handsome two-SACD set by
Pentatone. The journey to create the definitive audio documentation of this acclaimed
work was a long one, but fans and students of modern opera will be delighted
with the crisp fidelity of the sound and the rich, full tone captured by the hybrid
multichannel technology. The work itself only benefits from the audio improvements.
Sound reproduction is bright and lively while the performances by the 2015 LA Opera
are a triumph. The principal cast members are excellent in their roles as well, with top marks going to Christopher Maltman
for his winning portrayal of Beaumarchais and Lucas Meachen as Figaro, who turns in an amusing performance in the first
act but reveals more nuance as the opera progresses. Worth the wait. – Chris Morgan
> John Corigliano and William M. Hoffman
> Pentatone Music, 2016
Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring / Bartok –
Concerto for Orchestra
Seasonally incongruous as it may be, this recently released recording of Igor Stravinsky’s
iconic orchestral work The Rite of Spring seems more expressive of autumn’s displays
of arboreal color than nature’s slow awakening in March and April. Nevertheless, the
musicians of the Park Avenue Chamber Orchestra, guided by conductor David Bernard,
have rendered the piece in such a way that it sounds good, no matter what the season is.
At times contemplative and enigmatic, and at other times cacophonous and dissonant,
The Rite of Spring has lost nothing of its potency in the century since its composition,
and this is the same energy that the players bring to their performance. Bela Bartok’s
Concerto for Orchestra receives similarly appropriate treatment, imbued first with a focused intensity that eventually settles
into a compelling series of duets by the second movement. Then it’s onto an array of quirky solo sections, a showcase of
sorts, in which Bartok’s gift for composing folk-flavored melodies is in full bloom, setting the stage is set for the concerto’s
life-affirming fourth movement.
– Chris Morgan
> Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, David Bernard
> Recursive Classics, 2016
ART
FICTION
POETRY
BOOKS
Ken Danby: Beyond the
Crease
There are certain paintings that occupy a special place in the consciousness
of the Canadian nation, works by Alex Colville and Emily Carr, for example.
Ken Danby’s ‘At the Crease’ (1972) - which depicts a nameless hockey
goalie viewed at eye level - belongs among these iconic pieces, too;
but it should be no surprise that Danby’s work and world was far more
encompassing than this – or any - single image of his might convey.
Goose Lane Edition’s recently published work, Ken Danby: Beyond the
Crease explores the artist’s entire career and life, in a beautiful hardcover
volume, filled with over 70 reproductions of his major paintings, drawings
and prints. Rarely seen archival photography immerses readers in Danby’s
mind and environment, exposing the influences that inspired his work. A pair of essays – one by Ihor Holubizky and the
other by Greg McGee – delve deep into methods, intents and motivations behind Danby’s work, and create, ultimately,
a fuller, more realized understanding and appreciation for the vision of this true Canadian original.
–Chris Morgan
> Ihor Holubizky, Greg McKee and Andrew Oko
> Goose Lane Editions, 198 pages
The Alchemists’ Council
For thousands of years, the nearly immortal Alchemists’ Council has used
the power of the Lapis to maintain balance in the world between the four
primary elements and Quintessence, an overarching fifth, all while guarding
against attacks from the nefarious Rebel Branch, who are anxious to shatter
the Council’s power, and bring chaos. As a junior initiate, Jaden has just begun
to learn her place among the Council when a new initiate is found, one
with knowledge of alchemy, beyond what any mortal should possess. After
discovering that her memory has been altered and that both her past and
future may lie with the Rebels, Jaden becomes less convinced that Council’s
ever more extreme activities are truly necessary to uphold the group’s primary
purpose. And as Council members begin to probe the sudden disappearance
of bees from Lapidarian documents and artwork, Jaden is forced to choose
between free will offered by the Rebels and maintenance of order with the
Council. From the first page warning that, “The Alchemists’ Council forbids
you to read this book”, Cynthea Masson has crafted a sophisticated fantasy realm that intersects our own. Her multidimensional
characters and skillfully woven plot will keep readers guessing about allegiance and motivation, even
among the story’s protagonists. Masson includes a detailed history and organizational structure for the Council, and
has a blog explaining the book’s language and symbolism, rounding out a new world that will thrill fans of the genre.
- Adam Shirley
> Cynthea Masson
> ECW Press, 421 Pages
You Can’t Bury Them All
From the first pages of You Can’t Bury Them All, the writing hums with
internal music. More than imagery, even more than the technique of Patrick
Woodcock’s poetry is this rhythm - and so it is no surprise when, partway
through the collection, he describes a ‘Maudlin Manitou Sunset’ in musical
terms: “....I conducted with my frozen toes/and archived the echoes within
my lungs; more than/the current caroled tonight. I closed my eyes to hear/
the hiss of a punctured sun deflating and let this sound/within me....I ached
to ferment these colours and ravage them like wine.” Woodcock’s poems of
Iraq are heat-drowsy and slow-motion, lilting in the underwater: “Watch
our ephemeral lives, the curt cycle/of our souls; watch our desire to kill and
shift/the weight; watch flames joust and jostle, wrestle/misery and coddle
the hector and the thrapple/full of hate.” There’s something there, beyond
the words - as though the poet is standing in a high place, the toes of his
boots kicking at stones that bounce down the mountainside. The title poem
alone is worth the price of admission. There is a buoyant and bright quality to his writings of northern Canada, an
affectionate tongue-in-cheek given to the dark. A wry humor chuckles like a thoughtful bassline throughout the book.
Of being “Abandoned at Charlie’s cabin to take inventory,” he muses, “You must talk to the walls/and talk to the floors/
and then onto the roof/to wonder and wish/for an answer to all that/this cabin implores:/Save the moose antlers/or
satellite dish?”
- Amy Andersen
> Patrick Woodcock
> ECW Press, 128 pages
JANUARY 12 - FEBRUARY 28 • 2017 CELEBRATING 27 YEARS
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