HMV: Harvard Square
Back in 1999, I interviewed for a job in Boston. During the trip I visited the His Majesty's Voice record shop and this comes from one of my early blog posts, c. 2000.
As many know, several years ago I visited the HMV record store at Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA, and got a so-called ' CD Store Discount ' with a non-existant WGBH card. This year on my summer travels I stopped by this well-stocked store once again, and made several ripe purchases. I'll highlight a few of these purchases on this page.
JS Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge (BWV 1080) / Berliner Saxophon Quartett
I've seen two sets of DKdF for saxophone, and I am hoping this is the worse of the two. This was actually recorded in 1990, and I've seen it for a few years, but decided now was the time to acquire it, after having purchased a rather good recording by Calefax (a reed quintet) and auditioning a fine recording by Vladmir Feltsman on piano. You can never have too many good recordings of Bach's best work, can you? While some people don't like the sax, it can be a quite beautiful instrument. This recording, however, both confirms this stance and provides strong evidence against it. The quality of players throughout is not consistent, tuning and intonation need work in places, and above all the sound of the baritone at times is just awful. But all this aside, you could still have a good CD. Not a great one, but a good one.
Where things fall apart are in interpretation. One single fugue can contain 3 different styles of articulation, different dynamic shifts (abrupt ones or crescendi), and for what end, I am not sure. Then there are those rare moments when things seem to go right, and then you sit back and enjoy a track or two. A mixed bag, we might say. Interesetingly, there were two things: one I really liked, one I really disliked. First, the good. In the last fugue, right before the entrance of the B-A-C-H theme, they slow down considerably, and almost cadence finally before introducting the BACH theme. Nice touch, good sound at that point. Then the last track of the 2 CD set: what is this? It's filler, no doubt, titled as some 'Spatial Experiment,' it's some ultra-modern mewing of saxes. Most is cliche, and what it's doing on a Bach CD I know not. I would have preferred the deathbed chorale over this.
Capritio: 17th Century Italian Instrumental Music / Tragicomedia
With names like Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs, you know you're in for something grand. The country and time period had me sold, but then I wondered as I took this home, "How will they play all these wonderful works without violin?" Well, that's the treat here! More obscure, but no less grand works from the golden Italian age, on mostly what we consider "continuo" instruments. Composers on this CD include:
- Domenico Scarlatti and dad Alessandro Scarlatti M. Rosi GB Vitali G Strozzi FM Bassano F. Rognoni N. Matteis and B. Pasquini
- M. Rosi GB Vitali G Strozzi FM Bassano F. Rognoni N. Matteis and B. Pasquini
- GB Vitali G Strozzi FM Bassano F. Rognoni N. Matteis and B. Pasquini
- G Strozzi FM Bassano F. Rognoni N. Matteis and B. Pasquini
- FM Bassano F. Rognoni N. Matteis and B. Pasquini
- F. Rognoni N. Matteis and B. Pasquini
- N. Matteis and B. Pasquini
- and B. Pasquini
The A. Scarlatti interpretation of the popular 'L'Folia' is really great. At the end harpsichordist Alexander Weimann "loses control," gets fast, wild, and then the piece ends without a final cadence. Great passion in performing.
The mandolin sound from master Paul O'Dette is odd. I'm not used to hearing a mandolin like this. The CD opens with a great 3-part sonata from the Spanish-careered Domenico Scarlatti, one I didn't know (the sonata that is). After some time, you become accustomed to the mandolin sound, and then in the 3rd (fast) movement, O'Dette let's it all come out and executes these fantastically devlish little fast strums on the small instrument. Wild, takes your breath away. Smooth lyrical playing, sustained, is not missing. Lirone work by Erin Headley is well done, good sound from all instruments, in fact. This is an excellent release, well recommended to those interested in all types of Baroque music. Glad i got mine at some sort of sale price.
HIF Biber: Harmonia Artificioso-Ariosa / Rare Fruits Council / M. Kraemer
I own this work in a recording by the Purcell Quartet on Chandos. This collection, on one CD instead of two, differs in many respects. First, a wider-selection of continuo forces. Harp, church organ, bell stops on the church organ (!), theorbo, gamba, etc., including harpsichord. By far, these performances are far more exciting than the Purcell set. Movements before that were "boring" suddenly spring to life.
Of course, my favorite is the 7th of the 7 partitas. These are works for string ensemble, chamber works in several movements each. The seventh ends in an "aria variata," a passacaglia that's quite to my liking.
I'd give this CD my highest recommendation save for a few disappointments in the last work. Didn't have enough polish for me. I actually prefer the ensemble Il Giardino Armonico's performance of this over the Rare Fruits. But otherwise, a good collection, excellent CD.
Arcangelo Corelli: Sonatas op. 3 et Sonate Postume / Ensemble Aurora
This is a 2 CD set. Corelli's op. 3 must not fit well on one CD. I have another recording by the Purcell Ensemble (which I tend to dislike more and more as better performances come-out on CD), that mixes selections from Corelli's op. 3 and op. 4 trio sonatas. This 2 CD set combines several posthumously-published sonatas—early sonatas—by Corelli with the op. 3 set. It's combined with a large book which holds a philosophical dialogue written by violinist Enrico Gatti over the music of Corelli and his time. Some of that was good. Enrico Gatti is a well-known violinist with several ensembles, and here he leads his own chamber ensemble. Here Corelli loses his awfully sweet, nutty, caramel flavor that was offered up by the Purcell Quartet and the English Concert in previous releases. While the sweetness does shine through at times (recall my own phrase that A Careful Courtesan Savors a Caramel with Corelli before Bed ) but Gatti plays with the tempos a bit. At times I didn't like the fullness of the organ, or the odd-sound of the theorbo, but the violins are always doing their part, keeping Corelli's lines interesting.
On several repeats, we get very florid ornamentation in slow movements which is wonderful, along with a slightly slow vibrato, that when shared between two different violins, offers a throbbing sound that is quite to my liking.
As of yet, I haven't listened to the entire set, but what I heard was well performed. One of the posthumous sonatas was a real treat: Corelli took on a stylus-phantasicus flavor. I shall enjoy returning to this set and savor these unbeforeknownst sonatas. Highly recommended.
Georg Muffat: Suavioris Harmoniae instrumentalis Hyporchematicae Florilgeium Primum - 1695 / Ars Antiqua Austria
Muffat died around the same time as Biber although I always think of him a little more modern. We might remember that Corelli did his publishing in 1700 of his op. 5 violin sonatas. These, however, are more in the style of a Biber's Mensa Sonora, with a French twist. The seven 'Fasciculi' are mini suites for a small string ensemble. The violinist, Gunar Letzbor, tells us that Muffat did quite a bit of writing on how to perform French music, his model, and special bowing techniques were employed for the rhythms in these pieces. They are all stylish numbers, some with some real rhythmic interest. I sat back at one point, saying, "Well, this is a sassy little number." The fact that sass can travel some 305 years impressed me. This being anti-Corellian, with French dances, etc., there's a lot of ornamentation one usually hears in harpsichord music from the period. An interesting collection, well played by Letzbor and ensemble.
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer: Intrada di Polcinelli / John Holloway
(No notes provided)
Jan Dismas Zelenka: Prague 1723 / Il Fondamento
What a surprise, this disk was. I thought I'd enjoy several new works (to my ears) by Jan Zelenka, and instead I heard two well-known works. Many months ago I lost a CD of music by Zelenka and Pisendel. The Pisendel concerto was so good I often over-looked the works by Zelenka. After loaning it to my boss, and she not returning it to me, I was fortunate, now in hindsight, to come across this recording. Featured are works, suites and a concerto, for oboes and strings. The sound quality is a bit distant, but in all the performances are good. The focus often is the orchestra, not one performer, although there is a bit of solo violin stuff going on here and there. The Flemish ensemble is new to me in my recordings, and a welcome addition. Most interesting are the four works. Zelenka did things by the tune of his own drum. He didn't always follow convention, with some inventive key changes and melodies. It makes for thoroughly enjoyable music with a few surprises. During a visit in Prague in 1723, the author penned these works, hence the title of the CD.
G. Tartini: Violin Concerti, op. 6 / L'Arte dell'arco
(No notes provided)
What's fascinating to me now is that I don't remember buying all of these discs at the same time, nor do I remember purchasing them in Boston. I do rememer where I've bought quite a few, but these are details I should have documented in the booklets!
I recently thought of O'Dette, after seeing him at BEMF, and spent a week listening to the Capritio album (still good!).
This post is significant as it is among my earliest reviews.
