La Spagna Our first international bestseller that through its 'Super Sound' status in the 'Abolute Sound' started an era of award-winning BIS recordings. TWENTIETH CENTURY AND BEYOND Delius - Koanga; The Song of the High Hills Soloists; John Alldis Choir; Lo~don -Symphony Orchestra Soloists; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir Sir Charles Groves EMI Classics 7423 5 85142 2 3 Baltic Voices 1 Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Paul Hillier harmonia mundi usa HMU 807311 The Powers of Heaven Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Paul Hillier harmonia mundi i.Isa HMU 907318 n 0 w 0 N w Vl D1stnbuted 1n Canada by Handel: Gloria The World Premiere and still No. 2 recording of the new work by Handel starring BIS 's Grand Irady of Olde Singing: Emma Kirkby. ---- S.!J\:I. 638 The Kingsway, Peterborough I Ontario K9J 7C8 Phone 705-748-5422 Fax 705-748-5628 Email info@sncanada com www srrcanada com Recorded in 1973, this is the only rendering of Delius's opera about life on the Mississippi in Louisiana. Delius completed it in Paris in 1897 but he had spent part of his youth in Florida and it was there the idea was "Baltic Voices" features exciting new born. By the time he completed Ko- repertoire sung by one of the world's anga he had already finished Irme- finest choirs. This
music of Part) with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra. In their second recording together, "The Powers of Heaven," Paul Hillier leads the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir through a selection of sacred choral masterworks from the Slavic Orthodox tradition of the 17th & 18th Centuries, sung in their original language. The title track, Now the Powers of Heaven, by Giuseppe Sarti ( 1729- 1802) is a tour de force for the formidable talents of this choir. Their rich full-bodied tone, powers of declamation, and surprising dynamic range make it hard to believe that this is really only a "chamber" choir of about 28 in number. . When Baldassare Galuppi ( 1706- 1785) was invited by Peter the Great to visit Russia, he brought with him his Venetian style and form which had a great influence on Sarti and also Dmitry Bortniansky (17 51- 1825), one of the most prolific composers of this Orthodox repertoire. Jn the Flesh Thou Didst Fall Asleep by Galuppi clearly illustrates the "Western" musical concepts. Several other pieces by Bortniansky demonstrate an adoption ofWestemharmonic conventions and style, drawing musical parallels to music of the Venetian masters. This is clearly a virtuoso choir under the masterful direction of Paul Hillier. Frank Nakashima Concert Note: Sound.streams Canada presents Paul Hillier and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in two Toronto performances this month. On November 7 they will present a program of contemporary sacred music from the Ba/tics by Patt, Tormis, Kreek, Norgard and Sisask. On November 9 they will join the Elmer /seler Singers and director Lydia Adams in the North American premiere of Henryk Gorec.ki 's monumental cantata Salve, Sidus Polonarum, works by Canadian composers Melissa Hui and Craig Galbraith, plus music from the Russian Orthodox tradition. now, 15 quartets again with the Borodin Quartet but with one important difference: Rostislav Dubinsky, their founder and first violin had left and been replaced by Mikhail Kopelman. A few years ago at the Summer Festival in Round Top, Texas we had the pleasure of spending several evenings with Dubinsky and his pianist wife, Luba Edlina, who were then also faculty members of the music department at Indiana University. He spoke quite freely and as we talked about the Shostakovich Quartets it was clear that he had a special closeness with the composer and with these works. Dubinsky was more than a contemporary, a colleague, a friend. He understood. How else can one explain the spirit of these performances, how one can hear right through to the composer without the musicians getting in the way? In their hands Shostakovich's dots on the stave lines become completely comprehensible and Music is confirmed as the international language. · The original Borodin Quartet was one of the very finest of its time, playing with absolute security and, where called for, alarming intensity or the utmost delicacy. , This is such an important set because it is also a documept of the performing traditions at the time. It should be part of any chamber music or Shostakovich collection. Bruce Surtees Canadian Premieres The Gryphon Trio Analekta FL 2 3174 Shostakovich String Quartets Borodin Quartet Chandos CHAN 10064 When these Melodyia recordings first appeared here in June 1974 on six LPs from EMI, they comprised Shostakovich's complete quartets as the last two had not yet been written. Barelo/ had these been released when Melodyia began recording the, by Toronto's esteemed Gryphon Trio has a long-standing interest in Canadian repertoire that has not previously been represented in their recordings N O VEMBER 1 - D ECEMBER 7 2003 . WWW, THEWHOLENOTE.COM
