Reviews

The present anthology contains two well-filled discs of organ music, the medium in which I believe Cooman has written more music than any other. Indeed, his compositional legacy for the instrument will surely be considered one of the more important of his era in 100 years. Cooman has his own voice, and someone well-versed in his music will easily spot his fingerprints, which in­clude a sure sense of counterpoint containing occasional piquant sonorities out of diatonicism, sur­prising turns of melody, and unexpected harmonies. The work that closes the set, Canzona II, is among the most majestic organ works that I have ever heard. If you admire Cooman’s music, as I do, or if you simply desire to hear two and a half hours’ worth of finely wrought organ music by a master of the instrument, this will be a set that you will certainly want to acquire. Definitely recommended to organ enthusiasts, and to others as well.

“This is a highly specialized but massively rewarding disc. . Christopher Fox’s music is never less than fascinating… Fox’s aural imagination is simply remarkable: haunting does not even begin to cover it. Irish composer Linda Buckley contributes Nùmarìmur… Hilliard’s plangent, pure sound seems absolutely perfect; more, her control in the hypnotic repetitions of fragments around five minutes in is stunning. The disc is in fact a huge achievement for Elizabeth Hilliard. It is also an enriching experience for the listener.”

New release from the highly skilled Octet of the European Union Chamber Orchestra, who deliver a delightful reading. Mantas nicely balances the general optimism of the “Gran Partita” with its excursions into stateliness, melancholy, wistfulness, and self-reflective seriousness… this reading sustains its interest over the long span, which is what the music needs. Faithful, vivid sound. On every count this is one of my preferred CDs of two lovable masterpieces.

“[The Symphony] is an engaging work that makes a considerable impact. Predominantly underpinned by low, resonant sound from the basses and organ, one senses the work is depicting the aspects of the universe. Ave atque vale is a gratifying work that can engage the listener with reasonable concentration. Ave Crux Alba is weighty and highly dramatic. Under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia has full measure of the work conveying a sense of mystery and an impressive overall grasp. This album of works by Vyacheslav Artyomov, one of Russia’s unsung composers, make a substantial impression with his unique soundworld.”

“[The Symphony] is a remarkably powerful score that maintains a mood of inexorable mystery, of an almost ethereal luminosity contrasted with tension-filled episodes of menace and anger. [In Tristia II] the Russian National Orchestra excels under baton of Teodor Currentzis, giving a compelling performance that feels well-paced, producing wonderful orchestral textures. Pianist Philip Kopachevsky provides alert playing of real clarity. excellent sound, crystal clear and nicely balanced too.”

“Signs of Occupation represents an intro­duction to the varied musical perspectives of this eclectic composer. The performers’ response to the demands of the music is sensitive and com­mitted to revealing its complexities, a richly rewarding experience that occupies the listening space long after the music has finished.”

“This is a great addition to the catalogue. Metier is a company that fearlessly explores music of unapologetic modernism that demands a hearing, and this disc is no exception. The music of Michael Finnissy, while challenging, has an immediacy of impact that draws the listener in. The recording is perfect, clear and with realistic distancing, while the performances themselves are mesmeric. Lesser herself seems to have superhuman breath control. A superb release.”

“Vyacheslav Artyomov is best known for his six cosmic-mystical-syncretic symphonies, which together make up one of the most distinctive continuations to the post-Soviet Russian branch of the genre. Two of those symphonies make welcome appearances here in characterful performances, vividly recorded. There is an unmistakable sense of a journey travelled and of emotional states transfigured into spirit. All the performances here are terrific and Robert Matthew-Walker’s booklet-notes argue at passionate length for Artyomov’s uniqueness and importance.”

“BWV 849 is surely one of Bach’s most beautiful creations. I enjoyed Natalia Andreeva’s performance of this splendid work. My touchstone for the Well-Tempered Clavier is Andreas Schiff, however I was moved and impressed by the present recording of this boundless work. The Prelude, Choral and Fugue is stunningly played by the soloist here. The informative liner notes, complete with musical examples, were written by Natalia Andreeva. The recording of all the music is ideal. It is always clear, vibrant, powerful and alive. I enjoyed all the music on this CD: the playing is always definitive.”

“Let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed every piece. [The CD] gets off to a great start with the last of Beethoven’s middle-period Piano Sonatas… The romance, imagination and intimacy is perfectly captured by Natalia Andreeva. The Sonata No.10 [of Scriabin] is stunningly played here by the soloist. The recording of all the music is ideal. It is always clear, vibrant, powerful and alive. I enjoyed all the music on this CD: the playing is always definitive. I look forward to hearing much more of the pianist Natalia Andreeva playing ‘discoveries’ and standard repertoire.”

“This is an excellent CD from Divine Art, pianist Alfonso Soldano playing the work of UKranian Sergei Bortkiewicz to a high standard, and Bortkiewicz proving to be an interesting composer. As a whole the CD leans towards the romantic; very enjoyable, and accessible for the more casual listener.”

[A] most elegant performance of two of Mozart’s wind serenades. This CD is the first recording in which we are able to hear the original version; this performance therefore constitutes an important contribution to Mozartian studies. The recording is extremely balanced and clear; the interpretation by Santiago Mantas is graceful and well-informed. This is a thoroughly enjoyable recording, of the highest calibre.

“The works here are all for solo soprano. But the overall effect is anything but solo, with electronics providing independent background as well as accumulations of Elizabeth Hilliard’s pure voice.”

“The music has a kind of folk-like archaicism in parts, a post-modern down-to-earth quality and ultimately a couple of defining songs, especially “New York Sing Me!” as done by Pia Sukana… the suite pulls together music of enchantment. Philip Henderson gives us something unexpected, original and filled with homespun charm. It is easy on the ears yet singular enough to gain and keep the attention of the more musically demanding among us. Bravo!”

“Recorded with a dry, strikingly clear sonic perspective, this is an intriguing wander through a mind filled with culture and creativity. The beauty of such a canvas is that what you discover throws your own thoughts into sharp relief – it’s not so much about the pieces themselves, but what kind of mirror they hold up to the listener.”

“Listening to James Weeks’s recent CD Signs of Occupation (métier msv 28559) against the backdrop of the last few days, I find myself drawn to its sheer robustness as much as anything else. In sombre moments, I sometimes imagine what art, what music, would be left in the instance of a Station Eleven-type apocaplyse… the music with the most fighting chance would be that which made the least demands on resources… Weeks’s chamber pieces, several of them represented on Signs of Occupation, are exemplary. While Weeks’s music is far from easy, I don’t believe its successful realisation depends upon expertise (and specialisation) so much as dedication – a product of desire and time, a very different proposition.”

“Pianist Alfonso Soldano takes on this music for what it plainly is, a form that refused to budge with the changing currents of its time. What emerges is not an apology for the music but an argument for its credibility. Bortkiewicz had a voice of his own, that subtly reshaped the familiar late Romantic sound… applying his unique subtleties to show us that the late Romantics may have given up too soon.”

“Now a CD has appeared, which presents an interpretation in which Bortkievicz’s music comes in an optimal way. This is thanks to the pianist Alfonso Soldano, who plays this music with so much devotion and heart blood that one can not be but charmed. The almost heart-warming emotionality that Soldano puts into his interpretation is simply disarming. Moreover, Soldano represents Bortkievicz exactly what he is: as a composer of the twentieth century, who might have been born 80 years earlier. A remarkably beautiful piano sound in a marvellous recording also makes this CD a reference recording of Bortkievicz. I’d say this beats pretty much anything else I’ve heard of this composer from other pianists on other labels.”

“The music sounds surprisingly fresh, somewhere between Rachmaninov and early Scriabin, yet continuously original in its thematic-melodic creativity. So the end result sounds not so much derivative as an integral voice, another pianistic force within the style-set. Soldano makes a convincing case for these works, with virtuoso dramatics, sparkle, shimmer and dash. I find in Bortkeiwicz as presented here a real discovery, not in some history-changing sense but in the quality and originality of the music. Bravo! “

“Hope knows exactly how to deal with each of the instruments used and to emphasize his specific sound qualities. Thus, each of the sonatas is characteristiclly rich in pleasing melodies … excellent color and virtuosity. The performances and recording are of very good quality.”