Review Corner

Category: Classical

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    Robert Radecke: Piano Trios

    Radecke was a skilled player of the pianoforte, organ and violin — the sleeve notes report he was a “sensation” when he played Beethoven in Berlin. He was top in his class at Leipzig Conservatory and as a reward played a Schumann piece to the composer himself, remaining friends with him afterwards. He also greatly…

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    Tchaikovsky: 12 Morceaux

    We always like programmes like this: though it’s Tchaikovsky it’s (i) not too highbrow and (ii) was written for commercial reasons; these two factors make a review easier. Tchaikovsky wrote music for the piano throughout much of his life, mostly as pieces aimed at the amateur — back in those days, composers earned money selling…

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    Emmerich Kalmain: Die Bajadere

    This is an enjoyable CD, presenting an operetta that was first performed in the early jazz age, and combines Hungarian folk tunes, Viennese waltzes, popular American dance rhythms, and exotic moments suggesting distant India — bayaderes are Indian temple dancers — as well as snatches of various national anthems. The main story is of an…

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    David Lumsdaine and Nicola LeFanu: Mandala 3

    A mandala (Sanskrit, circle) is a ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe, and the sleeve of the CD bears a modern interpretation of this. The sleeve notes indicate that it’s about big topics: life, death and the other thing as Douglas Adams wrote. Lumsdaine and LeFanu clearly like the imagery (mandalas created…

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    Allmänna Sangen: Femina Moderna

    This is an interesting album that combines modern choral work with the more traditional, as well as something in between, though the programme of recent works by Swedish and international female composers, and has a preponderance of modern works. The newest piece is Anna-Karin Klockar’s Speeches, winner of the Allmänna Sangen and Anders Wall Composition…

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    Vladimir and Anton: Live

    Slovakian brothers Vladimir and Anton Jablokov are ace violin players who’ve graduated from busking in Ireland, where they now live, to recording contracts. They take familiar pieces and re-do them with lots of energy and fancy playing. We wondered for a moment who’d buy this, before remembering André Rieu and the world-wide following he has.…

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    Richard Strauss: Bourgeois Gentilhomme Suite (Le) / Ariadne auf Naxos Symphony-Suite

    It’s usually damning with faint praise to say something is nice background music, but in this case it is. The pieces on this entertaining programme from Mr Strauss are all incidental music. The title piece, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme suite, was one of his own favourite scores — he had it played at his 84th birthday…

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    Ying Wang: Tun-Tu, Chamber Music Renewed

    Don’t be fooled by the appearance of the words “chamber” and “music” in the title; this is as far removed from Mozart as deathgrind outfit Cattle Decapitation are from the Spice Girls. The interesting sleeve notes explain that Wang was born in Shanghai and grew up listening to western classical music, but when she moved…

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    Patrick Hawes: Revelation, Beatitudes and Quantia Qualia

    This is a tranquil and calming album, despite the title (Revelations featuring blood, mountains of fire, bottomless pits and destruction). It’s a weighty topic delivered with a light touch; the nine pieces that make up the album are inspired by the Book of Revelation and its imagery. A second work, Beatitudes, is a collection setting…

  • Lydia Kakabadse: Concertato

    This charming album is already one of our favourites — a close second to Ensemble Villancico’s Tambalagumba, in fact, but where Tambalagumba is merry South American early music with percussion, Concertato is the sight of sad man weeping softly into his mug of beer as he surveys the world. Both are equally approachable, despite one…