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Volume 16 Issue 9 - June 2011

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VOCALCaldara – La

VOCALCaldara – La Conversione diClodoveo, Re di FranciaAllyson McHardy; Nathalie Paulin; SuzieLeBlanc; Matthew White;Le Nouvel Opera; Alexander WeimannATMA ACD2 2505Le NouvelOpéra, a companydirected bySuzie LeBlanctributeda stellarperformance of a later Roman oratorios, set in the galant stylefor a small instrumental ensemble with sing-Thus we have a cast of four: the pagan Kinghis captain Uberto sung by countertenorThe artistry of the ensemble and the vocalbeauty of these four voices and their marvellousinterpretive skills in conveying dramaticsuperb foil as the forceful warrior to Paulin’stender charms as wife, LeBlanc’s patientand organ provides a masterful but sensitiveaccompaniment, allowing these superb voicesmore evident than in the king and queen’sduet which takes place after the baptismalritual, the two voices intertwining and signi-—Dianne WellsHommage – Joseph RouleauJoseph RouleauAnalekta AN 2 9874–6This collectionof songs and ariasprovides a splendidtribute to thealso serves as anintroduction to agreat singer whoseRouleau spent most of his career performingworld, though he did return frequently tofor his role as Bishop Taché in the landmarkHarry Somers’ Louis RielThe sheer beauty of Rouleau’s voice onmost striking in the excerpts from operas,like Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor withJoan Sutherland, and Boito’s , ishow he dramatically shapes and colours hissongs, especially the complete cycles likeBrahms Four Serious Songs, Mussorgsky’sChants et danses de la morts, and Ravel’sDon Quichotte à Dulcinée, he achieves anexciting sense of emotional urgency, even inTwo songs by Rodolphe Mathieu, the sultryL’automne and the adventurous L’hiver,unfortunately, the booklet provides no informationon them, or on any of the selections,photos, a short biography of Rouleau, andcomments from the singer himself who, ateighty-two, remains active today as national—Pamela MarglesGreat Canadian HymnsPax Christi ChoraleIndependent (www.paxchristichorale.org) invited both professionaland amateurto enter their inaug-eight entries, this recording, lovingly performedby the choir, features eleven hymnsEternal,Unchanging, We Sing to Your Praise thrownrepresented and there is a good mix of newsettings of traditional texts and texts writ-composed I Heard that God Was Power,the text for which was written by his wifeJudith Snowdon of Saint Joseph de Kent,New Brunswick for Do You Not Know, HaveYou Not Heard? Third Prize was awarded topositionGod of All NationsThoughtfully included in this package isresource for organists and choirs who wishfew of the works might pose quite a challengefor congregational singing, they would,—Dianne WellsEARLY & PERIOD PERFORMANCEEarly DreamsConstantinople; Françoise AtlanAnalekta AN 2 9989 has been specialisingfor tenyears in exploringMediterraneanoral tradition andmedieval musicalarea in terms bothmusicological and geographical, not leastwith the export of Spanish music to the New core of sétar, percussion and viola da gambawith a guest baroque guitarist and, aboveOne must single out Detente, sombrade mi bien esquivo (based on Spagnoletta,gamba and lute playing, and the words of her interpretations of baroque settings of declarity of voice alone would make these re-One pleasant question to decide iswhether Oesterle’s settings or those of theFandango of Mexico-basedenjoying a golden age of its music in the mid-the musical legacy of Spain’s conquests of—Michael SchwartzTelemann – The Recorder CollectionClas Pehrsson; Dan LaurinBIS BIS–CD–1488/90This six-discboxed set offers athorough collectionrecorder music: thefantasias, sonatasand miscellaneouspieces with bassocontinuo, duets, and Dan Laurin, an active member in the current50 thewholenote.comJune 1 – July 7, 2011

several players who helped put the recordermaterial has been newly recorded, most ofthe contents are reissues of earlier recordings,and herein lies one of this compilation’sunusual virtues – a chance to hear two differentplayers, at different phases of theirmusical lives, and to compare two somewhatdifferent approaches to this fundamental andand his other solo contributions are the twolovely Neue Sonatinen recorded in 2008 –it’s very interesting to hear what has changedtributions,which include some bravura takeson the solo sonatas, range in recording datedifferent takes on ornamentation in slowmovements, use of vibrato, articulationstyles, and the liberties taken (or not) withwhat Telemann actually indicated in his ownallegro, and presto, and even betweenmore recorder music than some would everwant to hear, it’s some of the best Baroquerepertoire available for the instrument,make clear the fact that instrumental taste—Alison Melvillewww.thewholenote.comwith keyboard music by Froberger performedCLASSICAL & BEYONDCPE Bach – Cello ConcertosTruls Mørk; Les Violons duRoy; Bernard LabadieVirgin Classics 50999 6944920 8Soloist, orchestraand conductorare in perfect synchon this beautiful andstylish recordingof the rarely-heardcello concertos ofbetween 1750 and1752, the three concertos are fascinatingand challenging works and very differentThe nine movements display a wide varietyingwildly in the same movement – andmid-eighteenth century, the Baroque era isThe solo playing of the Norwegiancellist Truls Mørk is full of depth, burstingwith virtuosity and gloriously free andchallenges of the quick movements withpanache, and displays a sweet, transparentand vulnerable sense of line in the slowsublime beauty in these pieces and MørkBernard Labadie and Les Violons du Royinfuse these pieces with tremendous energyand are a great support and foil to Mørk’sthroughout in the tradition of great chamberorchestra cellist Benoit Loiselle who partnersfrom time to time with Mørk in two celloOne further interesting aspect of thisrecording is the varied cadenzas – one by—Larry BeckwithBeethoven – Gods, Heroes and Men(Symphony 3; Creatures of Prometheus)Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal;Kent NaganoAnalekta AN 2 9838My love affairwith the Eroicasymphony started atthe age of 10 whenconcert conductedby the legendaryOtto Klemperer at- out that Herbert von Karajan travelled allthe way to London just to hear Klempererdo the EroicaNagano was a student and associate of SeijiOzawa who in turn was a student and associ-established, now we can rest assured that mybeloved EroicaNagano takes a refreshing look at thearytheme (1st movement) really sings andthe complex architectonics of the 1st move-of the 2nd movement, always a challenge forthe conductor, has a shattering, extraordin-with their joie de vivre and uncanny preci-crowns the Symphony with its ubiquitousPrometheus theme and variations and stampedesalong with breathtaking virtuoso bra-side with the unexpected, devil may care arlyinsight in drawing parallels betweenthe budding Romanticism, the cult of theHero, the Greek myth of Prometheus andNapoleon, a single man who could bringthan that in view of the bloodbath that followedwhich left the French male populationwithout his personal views and literary interpretations,Nagano establishes himself as agreat conductor for our time and this record-—Janos GardonyiThe Romantic Piano Concerto Vol. 53Marc-André Hamelin;RSO Berlin; Ilan VolkovHyperion CDA67635Like a big meal,the Max Reger pianoconcerto in F minor,lengeboth to serveand Schoenberg forhis commitment tomodernism, Reger nevertheless admittedthat his concerto would be misunderstoodhim personal distress, loss of health and an -meets Reger’s relentless demand for highlyReger’s music is contrapuntally thick andHamelin works wonderfully with conductorscore remains balanced, especially in theThe second movement, however, allows onlydermoments here are a compliment to bothpianist and conductor and provide a starkJune 1 – July 7, 2011 thewholenote.com 51

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