What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? IV

[Master Jacques]

I was interested in the remark about women's voices in a work about Oxford. I admit this point had never occurred to me. I think VW included them because he liked the 'other-worldly' sound of women's choirs (e.g. Sinfonia Antartica) . He also liked women,of course, but that's another story...

I used to have a reel-to-reel tape if An Oxford Elegy with Bernard Miles as narrator. I think that was the most idiomatic performance I have ever heard (and no, he didn't do it in dialect). . Incidentally, I've read that the work was possibly an elegy for VW's friendship with Gustav Holst. The idea of harking back to one's youth is underlined by the use of a passage from his early tone poem Harnham Down.

RVW had boys voices in mind when he was writing the work (the Queen's College choir of the 1950s) and I feel that shows in the writing. He wouldn't have minded women's voices, no doubt; but using a boys' choir in this work highlights its most distinctive profile.

I would love to hear that Bernard Miles version you recall: I have an old, family (World Records) LP of him reading Dickens's Christmas Carol, for which the producer had the excellent idea of using an all-RVW "incidental" sound track, using his Tallis Fantasia and the Fantasia on Christmas Carols. It is a warming combination.

[Master Jacques]

I'd mentioned this in New releases, and would concur, except to say that I think that the suite that Leighton made (effectively a concerto, as you say) works better than the whole thing, at least for me. And Willcocks is certainly not surpassed in the RVW. I don't particularly like the Nimbus Christ Church/Darlington version either, for that matter.

I'm with you on all points, Pulcinella. Despite the fact that the Christ Church/Darlington recording features one of my model actors (Jack May) the sound balance is not quite ideal, somehow, with too much sense of declamation about it, which means the work fails to quite lift off the page.

[richardfinegold]

Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn VCs, Isaac Stern/Ormandy PO. Playing through one of the large (stereo) Ormandy reissue boxes. I had this lp and played it frequently, so good to encounter it again after 40 years. Both concertos have been over recorded and everyone will have their personal favorites, and Stern is so over miked that for the longest time I had to readjust my expectations when hearing a soloist in concert, as they all sounded underpowered compared with what one heard on the stereo. In this case the rest of the orchestra (particularly in the Tchaikovsky) sounds like a victim of the loudness wars, very compressed compared to the soloist. Still, a nice trip down memory lane. I need a Proust to commemorate these warm nostalgic rushes triggered by old recordings

[Pulcinella]

I'm with you on all points, Pulcinella. Despite the fact that the Christ Church/Darlington recording features one of my model actors (Jack May) the sound balance is not quite ideal, somehow, with too much sense of declamation about it, which means the work fails to quite lift off the page.

I've just remembered that I have this Naxos version too, bought primarily for the Finzi, with Jeremy Irons, but iirc it didn't surpass the King's version either.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8047594--flowers-of-the-field

[smittims]

Cesar Franck: La Redemption. A Netherlands Radio recording from 1976 conducted by Jean Fournet, a fine interpreter of Franck's work.

I was overwhemed by this when I first heard it on 'Through the Night' . It's much shorter than Les Beatitudes, which I think is his masterpiece, but on the same level of inspiration,in my opinion.

[Serial_Apologist]

"That Sweet City"
Leighton: Veris gratia; Vaughan Williams: An Oxford Elegy
Rowan Atkinson (reciter), Nick Pritchard (tenor)
Choir of Queen's College Oxford, Britten Sinfonia
c. Owen Rees
(Signum classics, SIGCD917)

An Oxford Elegy is not quite so successful. This is one of my desert-island works, and Signum's new recording doesn't quite meet the standard set by the famous King's College Cambridge recording under David Willcocks, with John Westbrook the ideal narrator. Rowan Atkinson is congenial and clearly loves the Arnold poems from which RVW drew his text, but he suffers from that actor's tic of pausing to relish random words, rather than letting the sense and rhythms speak for themselves. The use of female choristers seems anachronistic in a work wedded to 19th century Oxford and its university. Their tone is liquescent but over-sweet, and their diction is not as crystal-clear as Willcocks' Kings boys ("musk carnations" comes out as 'muscarnations'). An Oxford Elegy is always a pleasure to hear, but Veris gratia remains the main draw.

An Oxford Elegy has received quite a few brickbats as a least among VW's works. I suppose it's the psycho-geographer in me that lends this one its special appeal. I haven't heard this new recording but without having to I completely get what you mean about actors with poetry.

[Master Jacques]

An Oxford Elegy has received quite a few brickbats as a least among VW's works. I suppose it's the psycho-geographer in me that lends this one its special appeal. I haven't heard this new recording but without having to I completely get what you mean about actors with poetry.

Yes, it has been on the receiving end. But then, speech over music always seems to get a bad rap, even where it is done (as here) with perfect sensitivity. You won't be surprised to learn that Lelio is just about my favourite Berlioz work, due to its similar marriage of spoken and sung words. But that needs a Jean-Louis Barrault to do it justice!

[french frank]

F. Couperin, Les Barricades mystérieuses, B. Verlet, Harmonia Mundi. The Talented Mr Service is 14 years less voluble than currently. I sought more enlightenment on the mystery.

[oliver sudden]

F. Couperin, Les Barricades mystérieuses, B. Verlet, Harmonia Mundi. The Talented Mr Service is 14 years less voluble than currently. I sought more enlightenment on the mystery.

Verily a performance for the ages. Endlessly inventive rubato. One of my favourite musicians on record.

[pastoralguy]

Mendelssohn. Piano Trio in d minor. No.1. Op.49

Martha Argerich, piano. Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin & Mischa Maisky, ‘cello.

Piano Trio in c minor. No.2. Op.66.

Martha Argerich, piano. Renaud Capuçon, violin & Edgar Moreau, ‘cello.

Fascinating to compare these two groups of players in these marvellous works.

In the d minor trio, Mutter tones down her ‘super star’ status to play as an equal instead of some of her previous chamber music recordings where the lesser mortals she performs with are relegated to backing group ‘collaborators’. (Try her recent recording of Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet which virtually turns into a star vehicle for the pianist and violinist. I wonder if she was influenced by the amazing Argerich.

Of course, Capuçon needs no such taming and this is a lovely performance. The recording is much better too and reflects the charm of this work.

[smittims]

Speaking of The Trout quintet, I was listening to Artur Schnabel's recording with members of the Pro Arte quartet and Claude Hobday, double bass. One of only four chamber music recordings by Schnabel . Some of the tempi are very fast in comparison with other recordings, but Alphonse Onnou copes brilliantly with the violin part so they may have been his idea.

[richardfinegold]

Mendelssohn. Piano Trio in d minor. No.1. Op.49

Martha Argerich, piano. Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin & Mischa Maisky, ‘cello.

Piano Trio in c minor. No.2. Op.66.

Martha Argerich, piano. Renaud Capuçon, violin & Edgar Moreau, ‘cello.

Fascinating to compare these two groups of players in these marvellous works.

In the d minor trio, Mutter tones down her ‘super star’ status to play as an equal instead of some of her previous chamber music recordings where the lesser mortals she performs with are relegated to backing group ‘collaborators’. (Try her recent recording of Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet which virtually turns into a star vehicle for the pianist and violinist. I wonder if she was influenced by the amazing Argerich.

Of course, Capuçon needs no such taming and this is a lovely performance. The recording is much better too and reflects the charm of this work.

The Second Mendelssohn Trio pops up on programs of summer chamber music festivals frequently. It’s extroverted nature makes a great crowd pleaser

[smittims]

Both the Mendelssohn trios are wonderful . I cherish a 1959 Prades Festival recording of the C minor with Ferras, Kempff and Casals.

[AuntDaisy]

Walton's Façade with Timothy West & Prunella Scales, Jane Glover & the London Mozart Players.

[Ian Thumwood]

Both the Mendelssohn trios are wonderful . I cherish a 1959 Prades Festival recording of the C minor with Ferras, Kempff and Casals.

I always thought that the Octet was supposed to be Mendelssohn's greatest work. Not a composer I have ever really appreciated and a bit surprised that his reputation was been subject to revisionist approval. For me , it is difficult to escape the negative perception that was associated with the fact he had enjoyed such good favour from Prince Albert. I can recall my Mum's poor perception of him and that he was not taken to be a serious composer when she studied music in the1950s. At that time more modern composers were very much in vogue and anything remotely Victorian was frowned upon.

It is interesting that he has been rehabilitated as few composers could have had such low stock as Mendelssohn back then.