Works: Images; Pour le piano; Danse (orch. Maurice Ravel); Marche écossaise sur un thème populaire; La plus que lente
Artists: Orchestre National de Lyon
Jun Märkl
The music of three nations – Britain, Spain and France – inspired Debussy’s Images for orchestra, which occupied him from 1905 to 1912. Originally conceived for two pianos (Images I and II for solo piano are on 8.550253), this third set draws on several folk songs in its outer movements, the tripartite middle movement evoking in musical terms Spanish sights, sounds and fragrances. Vivid orchestrations by both Debussy and Ravel of short piano pieces likewise embrace contrasting moods and national characters. Volumes 1 (8.570759) and 2 (8.570993) in this series have been highly praised.
“Markl and his players acquit themselves admirably, and as one-stop shopping for some of Debussy's most engaging orchestral works it's hard to beat.” American Record Guide on Vol 1
Works: Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 53; Rapsodie flamande (Flemish Rhapsody), Op. 56; Petite suite, Op. 39; Concert pour petit orchestre, Op. 34; Sinfonietta, Op. 52
Artists: Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Stéphane Denève
Following a period of soul-searching during the mid-1920s, and as his music gained success outside France during the 1930s, Albert Roussel took the rhythmic dynamism, thematic integration and formal lucidity of his Third Symphony (8.570245) to new heights with his less well-known Fourth, notable for its intensely wrought slow movement. The pungent Sinfonietta, the Flemish Rhapsody, which draws on popular songs of the Belgian provinces, the picturesque Petite Suite and the exquisite Concerto for small orchestra showcase the composer’s colourful orchestration and fastidious craftsmanship. Roussel’s Symphony No. 2 (8.570529) gained The Gramophone Editor’s Choice.
“Denève conducts the RSNO through both, shaping the story with a sensuous arm, freeing the dances and seeking out the nuances in Roussel's rich instrumentation… This is a thrilling reminder of an under-performed composer” Classic FM on Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872–1958) Choral Music No. 8.572465 CD
Louis SPOHR (1784–1859) Concertos for Two Violins, Nos. 1 and 2 etc No. 8.570840 CD
Works: The Voice out of the Whirlwind; Valiant-for-truth; Mass in G minor; Three Choral Hymns; Nothing is here for tears; A Vision of Aeroplanes*; The souls of the righteous; A Choral Flourish (Exultate justi)
Artists: The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
James McVinnie * and Ashok Gupta (organ)
Timothy Brown
Ralph Vaughan Williams’s sublime Mass in G minor reveals the composer’s absorbing interest in using the modal harmonic language and contrapuntal textures of the English late Renaissance to achieve a huge emotional and dynamic range. Undoubtedly the most technically demanding work on this disc is A Vision of Aeroplanes, a virtuosic motet for mixed chorus and organ. Several neglected works also feature here, including The Voice out of the Whirlwind, an anthem for mixed chorus and orchestra or organ, and Valiant-for-truth, one of several works based on Bunyan’s Christian allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress.
“The fine Clare College choir sings [the anthems] with appropriate fervour” The Sunday Times on 8.570318
Works: Concertante No. 1 in A major, Op. 48, Concertante No. 2 in B minor, Op. 88, Violin Duet in G major, Op. 3, No. 3
Artists: Henning Kraggerud and Øyvind Bjorå (violins)
Oslo Camerata & Barratt Due Chamber Orchestra
Stephan Barratt-Due
Louis Spohr’s life-long artistic commitment to elegance, sturdy workmanship and emotional reticence has burdened him with a reputation as a nostalgic conservative. Yet his melodic mastery, delicately poised Classical sensibility and advanced treatment of harmony, are evident in the highly enjoyable music on this disc. Glittering solo passages and congenial interplay between the soloists characterise both the Concertantes, which pay tribute to the Baroque concerto grosso and look forward to the music of Berlioz, Tchaikovsky and Mahler, and the Duo, with its lively dialogues between equal partners.
“The wonderful artistry of the young Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud convinces you that [these works] merit getting to know.” Gramophone on 8.554497
Roy HARRIS (1898-1979) Symphonies 5 and 6
No. 8.559609 CD
Sergey RACHMANINOV (1873-1943) Symphony No. 2 No. 8.572458 CD
Roy Harris made an indelible mark on American orchestral music, enlivening Old World symphonic traditions with New World individualism. Amid the background of war in Europe, he crafted his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the former dedicated to ‘the heroic and freedom-loving people of our great ally, the Union of Soviet Republics’, the latter, subtitled Gettysburg, to ‘the Armed Forces of Our Nation’. The single-movement Acceleration was later reworked within the Sixth Symphony. In each piece, Harris’s nationalistic fervour is underpinned by an abiding faith in the ability of the human spirit to triumph through adversity.
“Alsop elicits a robust, spirited account of the "Folksong Symphony" from her former charges, the Colorado Symphony and its chorus. I'm looking forward to the rest of Naxos' cycle, which will plug the last gap in the discography of major American symphonies.” John von Rhein - Chicago Tribune on Sym 3/4
Works: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27; Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14
Artists: Detroit Symphony Orchestra,
Leonard Slatkin
In the wake of his First Symphony’s catastrophic première, Rachmaninov took a decade before commencing his Second, painstakingly revising it before conducting the triumphant première in 1908. Although haunted, like his First, by the Dies irae chant melody, the Second Symphony brims with Rachmaninov’s revitalised assurance as a composer, from its brooding opening to the vigorous grandeur of its conclusion. This disc marks the start of a new collaborative relationship between Naxos and the Detroit SO under Leonard Slatkin..
“One could argue that no conductor today comprehends this music or frames its rugged profile more eloquently than Slatkin. This was a magnificent performance, a testament to the DSO's collective virtuosity and a ringing promise of a new chapter in its annals.” Detroit News on Slatkin’s inaugural concert as the conductor of the DSO
Antonín DVORÁK (1841–1904) Piano Quartets
No. 8.572159 CD
Pierre RODE (1774–1830) 24 Caprices for Solo Violin No. 8.570958 CD
Works: Piano Quartet in D major, Op. 23
Piano Quartet in E flat major, Op. 87
Artists: Members of the Vlach Quartet Prague:
Jana Vlachová (violin), Karel Stadtherr (viola), Mikael Ericsson (cello) Helena Suchárová-Weiser (piano)
Dvorák’s two piano quartets stand beside those of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Schumann as important contributions to the chamber music repertoire.
Enlivened by Czech inflections, the elegant charm of the First, with its marvellous set of variations and combined scherzo-and-finale last movement, contrasts with the more serious and weighty character of the Second, where an expressive theme for cello in the slow movement and a lyrical scherzo in waltz-time lighten the prevailing mood.
The release continues the highly acclaimed series of Dvorák’s chamber music recordings from the Vlach Quartet, their members showing that intuitive feel for the Czech idiom with an unforced tonal quality that is so totally pleasing. David Denton,
David's Review Corner
“Once again the recording is first class and the playing is superbly nuanced.” American Record Guide on 8.553377
Works: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin No. 1 in C major: Cantabile –Moderato; No. 2 in A minor: Allegretto; No. 3 in G major: Comodo; No. 4 in E minor: Siciliano –Allegro; No. 5 in D major: Moderato; No. 6 in B minor: Adagio –Moderato; No. 7 in A major: Moderato; No. 8 in F sharp minor: Moderato assai; No. 9 in E major: Adagio –Allegretto; No. 10 in C sharp minor: Allegretto; No. 11 in B major: Allegro brillante; No. 12 in G sharp minor: Comodo; No. 13 in G flat major: Grazioso; No. 14 in E flat minor: Adagio con espressione –Appassionato; No. 15 in D flat major: Vivace assai; No. 16 in B flat minor: Andante; No. 17 in A flat major: Vivacissimo; No. 18 in F minor: Presto; No. 19 in E flat major: Arioso – Allegretto; No. 20 in C minor: Grave e sostenuto; No. 21 in B flat major: Tempo giusto; No. 22 in G minor: Presto; No. 23 in F major: Moderato; No. 24 in D minor: Introduzione – Agitato e con fuoco
Artists: Axel Strauss (violin)
The first German artist to win the international Naumburg Violin Award in New York, Axel Strauss was acclaimed for his recording of Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words (8.570213 – limited edition) as ‘an excellent violinist who plays these with wit and verve’.
On this disc he revels in the virtuosic and expressive opportunities offered by Pierre Rode’s 24 Caprices, which preceded those of Paganini by several years.
Rode’s Violin Concertos Nos. 7, 10 and 13, performed by Friedemann Eichhorn, are also available in the 19th Century Violinist Composers series (8.570469).
By Post to:- The Woods, Sussex House, 17a High Street, Bognor Regis,
West Sussex PO21 1RJ
(If you haven’t got an order form please just use your own stationery)
We are happy to take orders by phone (we are here Mon - Sat 9.00am - 5.30pm), you can dial either 01243 827712 or 01243 842615
By Fax on:- 01243 842615
Via e-mail to:- thewoodstcdc@yahoo.com
All items subject to availability.
Our lists are correct to the best of our ability but - owing to the vagaries of time, record companies and even us on occasion - may be subject to change.
If any details on a disc you order have changed since a list was posted on the site then we shall notify you before supply.
