Views
8 years ago

Volume 7 Issue 9 - June 2002

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • Festival
  • Jazz
  • Theatre
  • Choral
  • Choir
  • Orchestra
  • Arts
  • Symphony
  • August

most reliable tenor, Do~

most reliable tenor, Do~ mingowas60 years old when he recorded this disc last July. Also a consummate musician, his voice remains secure, clear, and powerful as those of us who heard his Sigmund in the last Ring cycle at the Met will attest. Chosen are excerpts, vocal anq orchestral, from Siegfried and Gotterdamlnerung. For Siegfried I would have wished for a vital and determined Nothung! Nothung! This \'.Ould reflect the pent-up energy of the forging scene of and the significance of the restored weapon. Also, 'Siegfried's' attempts to emulate the Forest Bird are just too secure and not at all amusing. Except for these two niggardly complaints, Siegfried is rather impressive and satisfying. I do not know in what order the excerpts were recorded but the Gotterdammerung duets with Brunnhilde are very exciting as are the several orchestral selections: Dawn, Siegfried's Rhine Journey and Funeral Music. Clearly, in this DISCOVERIES repertoire Domingo is happier bouncing offa· colleague than in the solo passages. The sound is thrillingly wide-range and large scale with convincing 'opera house' perspectives. A desirable disc for ·all those who respond to this repertoire. Bruce Surtees Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Musk Angela Hewitt, piano Hyperion CDA67341/2 In this highly recommended two-CD set of the complete solo piano music Maurice Ravel, Canadian Angela Hewitt displays the qualities that make her one of the most acclaimed Bach pianists of our day. Her textures are marvelously clear and sparkling; since she eschews lushly pedaled romantic washes of sound. But she nonetheless splendidly captures the evocative, sensuous, nostalgic poetry of these e.arl y 20'" ceT)tury French masterworks, many of which are familiar in Ravel's later orchestrations. J'.h~ most popular work here is probably Pavane pour une inf ante defante, which made an ·in:iforgettable encore at her recent recital at the .Glenn Gould Studio. On this recording Hewitt's luminous touch and meticulous sense of rhythm again create compelling magic. The most virtuosic work is undoubtedly Gaspard de la Nuit. Here Hewitt's imaginative powers of expression are at their strongest. In the thrilling first movement, named after the water sprite Ondine, the melody emerges from different registers of the piano while layers of sound shimmer. There is exceptional beauty in the way she tolls the ominous B-flat octaves throughout the rhilcabre second movement, Le Gibet (The Gallows), evoking what Hewitt, in her perceptive linernotes, calls "the odourof death". In the final movement, Scarbo, she dramatically colours the wickedly difficult figurations to create an enthralling scenario. There are many fine recordings of these ·seminal works available, historic and contemporary, but this is a top choice - one I will return to over and over. Pamela Margles 50 www.thewholenote.com June 1 - July 7 2002

WORTH , REPEATING Brubeck & Desmond 1975: The Duets Dave Brubeck; Paul Desmond Horizon SP703 This album is a total delight. The wonderful introverted, introspective world of Desmond is at its best here. in the intimacy of this musical setting The feeling of ESP between the two he demonstrates a less percussive musicians is almost too good to be approach to the piano than on some true. In the entire history of the music other recordings, replacing it with itisdifficulttothinkoftwomusicians a sensitivity which complements better suited to each other. beautifully the meandering lines of Dave Brubeck's harmonic sense the alto sax. Without bass and drums has always been a t.rademark and it'sjustthetwoofthemplusthevast WholeNote Distribution If your business would like to become a WholeNote distribution point, or if you would like to be a paid driver, please call us at 416-928-6991 or e-mail us at smccoy@interlog.com Approximately 25,000 copies are circulated each month! PEEL REGION 1500 ·500 SARNIA WINDSOR KITCHENER WATERLOO GUELPH BRANTFORD DISTRIBUTION IN THE G.T.A. YORK REGION . 2000 DISCO\ ERn.s musical freedom that such a sparse instrumentation brings to creative spirits. Harmonic boundaries almost cease to exist because of the amazing empathy Brubeck and Desmond have with each other. To Quote Paul Desmond: ''. ... an almost eerie feeling of freedom occurred which seldom happens when there are other instruments to be considered." With Desmond it is always a matter of less being much more. His minimalist approach has been his hallmark and he carries it to a high art form - that and his introverted sense of humour with obscure quotes liberally sprinkled among his wonderful harmonic and melodic variations. These Foolish Things is prime Desmond and worth the price of admission alone. UJ}Je 1!lusit Qt}Jamber 217 Danforth Ave. (416) 406-1641 New and Used' Classical and Jazz CDs Trade-ins Accepted NAXOS New Releases for June Disc-of-the-month George Gershwin Bax: Symphony No. 4 BAX l(",.is,.,;1>:1o ""'"">I '"'"";, .. :"-•~:u :~._,.,__. Shostakovich: Jazz Suites Rosa Ponselle sings Verdi (Naxos Historical) . .. plus 18 other great new releases Available at fii;ie record stores everywhere 1s:~NIVERSARY Ill Ill Ill ill lit Iii Ill II! iii mnmnmnmnmn NAXOS 1111111111111111111111111 1987-2002 www.naxos.com June 1 - July 7 2002 www.thewholenote.com . 51

Volumes 21-25 (2015-2020)

Volumes 16-20 (2010-2015)

Volumes 11-15 (2004-2010)

Volumes 6 - 10 (2000 - 2006)

Volumes 1-5 (1994-2000)