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From your Chairman
What
a wonderful first quarter 2005 has been for us and for all lovers of
Hispanic music who attended our concerts, and as I'm writing these words, I'm preparing
to hear one of my son David's compositions, premiered by the distinguished
Belgian pianist Diane Andersen. If you want to know what it feels to be a
proud father, just ask me! I would like you to take notice of the change of
artist for our April concert. In charge will be the young guitarist Liat
Cohen with a beautiful programme, in a concert promoted in association with the
Embassy of Israel. Thanks to our faithful and very active member Mavis
Brake, we are now in the process of studying the possibility of a trip, next
year, to Spain, to attend the musical events in connection with the
"Misterio de Elche", near Alicante. We'll keep you informed. I would
like to thank you all for your continued support and look forward to seeing you
at our future concerts.
Alberto Portugheis STOP PRESS!!
JUNE LAUNCH OF ILAMS CONCERTS AT ST. BRIDES We are delighted to announce an additional venue for
our concerts, at the St. Brides Institute, Fleet Street, London. Launching this
exciting venture for ILAMS on 7
June at 1pm,
Alberto Portugheis will play an exciting programme of Hispanic and Latin
American music, including some old favourites by Albéniz, Ginastera, Guastavino,
Piazzolla, Villa-Lobos and Chopin. So come and join in the celebration for what
promises to be a memorable occasion. Dates
for your Diary 20
April
(1.10pm) Liat Cohen, guitar at St. James’s
Piccadilly. Programme to be
announced. 23 April
(7.30pm) John Collins’ organ recital of music by composers
from Portugal, England & the Catalan region of Spain at St. George’s
Parish Church, St. George’s Road, Worthing Church, Worthing, East Sussex. This
is not one of our concerts but it is one we are happy to recommend. 3 May
(5pm) Lecture-recital on Portuguese piano music by Nancy
Lee Harper at Morley College, Waterloo, London. 4
May (1.10pm)
Nancy Lee Harper, piano, plays Schumann, Óscar da Silva, António Fragosa, de
Falla
(arr. E Halffter) & Ginastera at St. James’s, Piccadilly. 1
June
(7.30pm) Wigmore Hall recital given by international
soprano Carole Farley, who performs songs by North American composers, and also
Lecuona and Guastavino. Miss Farley will be partnered by the distinguished
Brazilian guitarist and ILAMS Council member Fabio Zanon in the songs for
soprano and guitar by Guastavino. 7
June (1pm) Piano
recital by Alberto Portugheis at the St. Brides Institute. (See announcement
above). 30
June
(1pm - 6.15pm) Events commemorating Ernesto Halffter’s
centenary at the St. Brides Institute & the Royal College of Music. Further
details are to be announced. The Tercentenary of José António Carlos Seixas
(1704-42) by
John Collins José
António Carlos Seixas was the most
important figure in the history of Portuguese keyboard music in the 18th
century. His early years were spent in Coimbra, where he succeeded his father as
cathedral organist in 1718; 2 years later
he moved to Lisbon, becoming organist of the Royal Chapel. Although
Barbosa Machado wrote in 1759 that Seixas had composed some 700 keyboard works,
only 113 from surviving sources have been published, 105 in the two volumes
edited by Santiago Kastner for the Gulbenkian Foundation, the 80 in the first
volume being taken from 3 MSS sources in Lisbon and 2 in Coimbra, with the 25 in
the second volume found in an MS formerly in private hands. A further collection
of 12 sonatas, the contents of MS 5015, acquired in 1994 by the Biblioteca
Nacional, Lisbon, was published in 1995, of which 8 were not in the Kastner
volumes. Of the pieces published by Kastner, several are anonymous in the
sources, and an attribution has been inferred from either stylistic evidence or
from the titles of the MSS in which they are to be found. It is probable that
many MSS containing his pieces were lost in the earthquake of 1755, which
destroyed much of central Lisbon including the Royal Palace and its extensive
archives; Kastner also mentions the existence of notebooks of minuets by Seixas,
that are yet to be published. Whilst
much has been made of the association between Seixas and Dominico Scarlatti
during the latter’s stay at the court in Lisbon from 1720-28, (and there was
certainly a mutual admiration), it appears very unlikely that Seixas was unduly
influenced by the older Italian. Certainly Seixas was far more disposed to the
multi-movement sonata (or toccata, as the pieces are entitled in some MSS), many
of them including a minuet with or without its trio, frequently in the tonic
minor. Gigues also appear, by name, as in no. 18, final movement and 20 first
movement, as well as by inference in several fast 6/8 movements.
A few pieces are not in binary form, being through-composed (as no. 8
& 9, 1st movements). Whilst some sonatas were probably composed
as teaching material for beginners and players of only a relatively modest
attainment, several sonatas call for a prodigious technical ability, with runs
in thirds, fast passages in octaves for the LH, wide leaps at speed, crossed
hands and sweeping arpeggiated figures, sometimes for both hands simultaneously.
The 390 bars of no. 10 will test all players to the extreme. Sonatas 42 and 44,
both in F minor, and no.
5 in D major from the second volume will present similarly taxing tests. Many of
the slower sonatas in minor keys seem to echo the Empfindsamstil with their
heightened expression, and several in major keys (no. 32 in E flat) are
tunefully galant. Keys used range up to 3 flats and 4 sharps in the major, and 4
flats and 3 sharps in the minor. when
played with a relatively transparent registration, even including reeds. Other
works surviving by Seixas include a harpsichord concerto, sinfonia and overture,
as well as a few choral works; many more must have been lost. His influence on
the sonata composers of the later 18th century whose work was
published (Batista and Gomes da Silva) is quite discernable. We should be
grateful that even a small number of pieces has come down to us of this young
Lusitanian which deserve to be more widely heard by the listening public.
Incidentally during the late 1960’s Alberto Portugheis, inaugurated the
Recital Hall of the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. He opened his recital with
sonatas by Seixas, which were heard for the first time since their rediscovery.
Seixas on CD: Highly
recommended is José Luis González Uriol (on the Antunes harpsichord of
c1757) who plays the Harpsichord Concerto and 12 sonatas. Portugaler 2003-2.
This forms part of an intended series of discs dedicated to Seixas. A Naxos disc
8.557207 by Álvaro
Cassuto and the Algarve Orchestra includes an excellent version of
the Sinfonia. Sonata
recordings were also made by the pianist Felicja Blumental, reissued on
two Claudio discs, CB4835-2 & CB4836-2, and by the
harpsichordist Sophie Yates, for Chandos CHAN0635.
Note also the two recordings listed in the New CD Releases, as yet not
heard. Amongst deleted discs there is a pair of 1994 Veritas discs
featuring the Concerto, Sinfonia and Sonatas VC5 45114-2 and the Missa
and Dixit Dominus with 4 organ sonatas, VC5 45115 2, both with Ketil
Haugsand directing the Norwegian Baroque Orchestra and the Coro de
Câmara de Lisboa. On Archiv Codex, from 1971 a double disc 453182-2
featuring Carvalho’s remarkable Te Deum and including
Seixas’ motets Ardebut Vincentius and Tantum Ergo, played by the Gulbenkian
Chamber Orchestra and Chorus, directed by Michel Corboz. To
help any interested members, the Editor knows of specialist shops selling some
of the deleted discs. The
Unicorn in the Garden: Morgan Szymanski in conversation with Ray Picot 2004/5
has been a roller-coaster ride for the young Mexican, Morgan Szymanski:
following first class honours graduation awards, he became the first guitarist
to be selected by the Young Concert Artists Trust. A series of high profile
concerts followed, which enables him to showcase a brace of exciting new
commissions, and he also had appeared on national radio as an interviewee of
Sean Rafferty on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune”. Morgan has now brought out his
first CD. This really enables him to showcase growing maturity as a performer
and the disc is imbued with a strong poetic vision. The cover design is atypical
of ‘classical’ CD covers showing the spiky flower of the Bird of Paradise
and a unicorn. To quote Morgan, it represents ‘the courage to be true to
ideals, to create, to turn fantasy to reality’. Not a bad aspiration for an
artist really! Morgan is clearly going places, so the time seemed ripe to catch
him in-between engagements and discuss his cherished project. Ray
Picot: Your
CD is not a typical guitarist's debut album and with a high proportion of
new commissions it must have been difficult to achieve the right balance, and
take your audience with you Morgan
Szymanski: I
wanted to record music that my family and friends would enjoy. It was not
intended as a 'musicians' album, but something for everyone to enjoy. It was a
sort of 'thank you' for everyone that has supported me. 'The Unicorn in the
garden' (inspired by a painting by the Brazilian artist Ana Maria Pacheco) is
such a special work to me. It symbolises my ideals and I feel so privileged that
Alec (Roth) dedicated it to me. Hence, I decided to name the album after the
piece. Our 'composing' sessions were so special, and the way the piece sprung up
from them fascinating. I also feel strongly about it because my father has a
horse called 'Saxon' which is the horse on the cover. He has become an honorary
unicorn and sticks his head through the kitchen window whenever the CD is on! RP:
You chose some older pieces by Ponce and Barrios, but even these are not the
most often-played works. What governed your choice, on what to leave out? MS:
Of course I wanted to record Ginastera (the Sonata), another piece by
Alec called Invocation, also some Brouwer and Rodrigo. But these can wait
as they have been recorded by many guitarists, so I though I should do something
fresh and new. I wanted this CD to be one that you can listen to with your
coffee on a Sunday morning. I also wanted my Grandmother to enjoy it, therefore
recording Ginastera didn't seem right and also think it works well visually and
better overall on stage. I
also wanted to record something by Ponce, one of my favourite guitar composers.
The idea of some Bach was also an option, and this Suite (in A minor)
blends them both in perfectly. It is rarely played now, and there are few
recordings of it so it seemed a good idea since it is such a gorgeous work. Una
Limosna por el Amor de Dios was the composer’s last piece, and is quite
popular amongst guitarists. To me, it symbolises the plight of the poor in Latin
America. RP:
Can you tell me something about the newer pieces and their background? MS:
The two pieces by Simone Iannarelli are just brilliant and I will always play
them. I first met Simone while I was studying in Amsterdam, and we became good
friends. His Valzer Brillante fitted perfectly, since it is a 'Hommage to
Barrios' and his Cancion para Beatriz is so beautiful, I couldn't exclude
it. Alec's
Cat Dances were the first pieces we worked on together; he said I
reminded him of the Cheshire Cat because of my big smile! That is how that cat
and the rest sprung to mind. The Egyptian cat is inspired by the Gayer-Anderson
cat, which is a beautiful bronze statue that lives in the British Museum. It was
supposed to be Cleopatra's cat. Jeffrey was Alec's cat, and his favourite
pastime was to jump on the keys of the piano and play the most amazing music!
You can hear that in the piece. The Javanese cat is so much fun to play. I
always imagine a tail-less cat (cats in Java don’t have tails) strutting
around, stopping, miaowing on a wall at night, as cats do! The
Capoeira Variations by Jorge Ritter, have only been recorded once before.
They are more serious contemporary repertoire than the rest of the pieces (based
on a theme from the Brazilian martial art, Capoeira) and I thought it would be
good to record them. He is my neighbour in Mexico City and I have known him
since I was young. RP: How did your approach change from the live recital to
recording, which I understand took you over a year? MS:
I had an excellent engineer in Toni Castells. He was very helpful, and created
that wonderful sound. Also as a musician, it was good to have him there for his
valuable contribution. It took a year to record, since the studio was
kindly lent to me by Jose Maria Cano, and I could only use it when he was away.
Recording is very different to playing a live recital. You must lose the edge
and adrenaline of the stage, and replace it with care and technical command, so
every note, harmonic and phrase is thought of, like putting a jigsaw puzzle
together. RP:
How has your YCAT award changed your life? What are your immediate plans? MS:
I feel so fortunate to have been selected by YCAT. They are like a family to me
now, and have been so helpful and encouraging. The amount of exposure I have
gained has been fantastic, as well as the concerts: I have played at the Wigmore
Hall, Purcell
Room, Paris, Madrid, etc. It is wonderful knowing that there is
someone behind you, acting as a cushion to all the stress and pressure. It is
also a fantastic opportunity for the guitar as a concert instrument. Some of the
venues I have been to have not had a guitarist for years! It is nice to be
able to break the ice. RP:
Which
guitarists (living and dead) excite you the most? Who/what was your biggest
musical influence? MS:
Jimmy Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Paco de Lucia and Andrés Segovia spring to mind
first. I have had many teachers, but those who have most influenced me have been
Carlos Bonell, Gary Ryan, Tudor Morris, Pavel Steidl (guitar) and Peter
Buckoke (Alexander technique). This
brilliant guitarist will be giving the ILAMS lunchtime concert of 16
September at St. James’s, Piccadilly. If
your appetite has been whetted, the CD The Unicorn in the Garden costs £10
plus P&P, and is exclusively available through YCAT. Contact Sue Hudson, Tel:
020 7379 8477. Please mention ILAMS. Francisco
Mignone (1897-1986) and his 12 Studies for solo guitar, by Fabio Zanon independent
recording by Brazilian guitarist Flavio Apro. Mignone
belongs to the second generation of Brazilian nationalism and shares, together
with Villa-Lobos and Guarnieri, a position in the triumvirate of major composers
of this period. He came from an Italian family and learned music first from his
father, a professional flautist, and later in Milan. Upon his return to Brazil
had a constant flow of major symphonic and stage works, many of them seminal to
the Brazilian literature; his symphonic poem Festa das Igrejas was in the
repertoire of Toscanini and he had other works premiered by major orchestras in
Europe and the USA. His piano music has always been popular, and his collections
of Brazilian waltzes and choros have a central position in the repertoire. Also
involved with the organization of musical events, he was revered as a historic
figure at the time of his death in 1986. Since then, most of his work has
dropped out of the repertoire, but in recent years there have been signs of a
revival, with successful outings of works that had remained unperformed for over
40 years. At the heart of Mignone’s creation there is a whole
discussion of national identity in Brazilian culture, which was at its heyday
during his youth in the Twenties, and he could not remain oblivious to this
important moment. He managed to develop a language that is informed by a deep
knowledge of the folkloric and urban popular traditions but also indebted to the
Italian operatic language that was the staple diet of all stages in São Paulo
in his formative years. Possessor of an uncanny ear for colour and detail, his
music is generally clear and balanced in its formal outlook, developed over an
enlarged harmonic palette of modal and chromatic features, and frequently
embedded in a profusion of rhythms of African origin, as exemplified by his most
famous piece, Maracatu de Chico Rei. At some point in the early sixties, he felt the
limitations of his quest for a national language, and the resulting crisis led
to a series of atonal works; after this hiatus he returned to what was in fact
his own musical fingerprint, but the conflict was established and many of his
later works present a more complex interplay of aesthetic inclinations. We are
fortunate that the 12 Studies for Guitar were composed during this rich period,
and will always be grateful to Carlos Barbosa Lima, the noted Brazilian
virtuoso, who encouraged and collaborated with the composer during the
compositional process. Unlike Villa-Lobos’12 Studies, Mignone’s are not so
tightly tied to the technical study format: technical formulae play a role in
their conception, but they are knit in a much more complex fabric, where wide
thematic ideas frequently predominate over the simple working-out of a limited
number of motifs. The result is a collection of studies which are simultaneously
a series of character pieces. In
comparison to Villa-Lobos’ ground-breaking set, we can say that Mignone was
less concerned with technical and artistic innovation – after all, these
studies are essentially tonal and find their source of inspiration in the
Romantic tradition of the étude de concert. Nevertheless his compositional
finish is much more sophisticated, the psychological content is richer, the
expression is more varied, the formal plan is more carefully set, the harmonic
structure less (or completely) independent of the geography of the fingerboard,
and, individually, the pieces tend to be more complex and self-sufficient. One
can say that in this collection he manages to fully develop the ideal of
enhanced expression married to instrumental inventiveness that had been only
hinted at in some of Villa-Lobos studies like numbers 7, 8 or 11, and, in that
sense, as much as a proposal for a language that is at once international and
undoubtedly national, they constitute not only a natural extension of that
acknowledged masterwork but also one of the highest achievements in the
whole literature for guitar in the 20th Century. For
a copy of the
full version of this article, which includes a detailed commentary on the
individual studies, please contact ILAMS. The now deleted Barbosa
Lima recording, is also available on loan from ILAMS for a small fee. Tânia
Lisboa traces Villa-Lobos’ early life and compositions for violoncello When
Heitor Villa-Lobos started picking out tunes on the piano, at an early age, his
father began to teach him his own instrument, the cello. Some accounts state
that he first used a viola held in a cello-fashion; others insist that it was a
small gut-strung guitar (and indeed, he later became a master of the guitar).
His father also taught him the clarinet, but the cello was to remain
Villa-Lobos’ instrument, the one he studied seriously – as opposed to the
piano and the guitar, which were virtually self-taught. After
his father died, Villa-Lobos played in itinerant instrumental bands
(chorões) and by working as
a cellist in theatres, cinemas
and cafes. Around 1912, in Rio,
Villa-Lobos begun to do some serious, and perhaps rather academic composing.
Several of his compositions for cello and piano are dated from this period,
between 1913 and 1917, just before he met the French composer Darius Milhaud. At
a time when he was writing the Danças
Características Africanas experimenting with new rhythms in his orchestral
works, he was writing miniature pieces for the cello, exploring the singing tone
of the cello through simple, but beautiful melodies. On
November 13th 1915, several of Villa-Lobos' early compositions were
presented at a concert at the Jornal do Comércio Hall: the Piano Trio No.1, the Sonata
No. 2 for violin and piano, the Waltz
Scherzo for piano solo, a Berceuse
for cello and piano, and several songs. The concert was given a controversial
reception and may have prompted Villa-Lobos to start studying more seriously. Whilst keeping
his job at the cinema as a cellist, he decided to enrol at the National
Institute of Music studying the cello with Benno Niederberge and composition
with Francisco Braga, a pupil of Massenet. However, he found the formalities
stultifying, and gave up his classes to read and study scores outside the formal
educational structure. During this time, whilst still earning his living as a
performer, he was turning more and more to composition. It
is a pity that these early pieces are now seldom played, but they contain music
of great interest. The main published cello and piano pieces written at the
beginning of his career (between 1913 and 1917) include the Pequena Suite,
Prelude No.2, Sonhar, Berceuse, Capriccio, Elegie
and O Canto do Cisne Negro. The Pequena
Suite and the Prelude No.2, both
dated 1913, derive from a period when the rich middle classes of Rio were
faithful consumers of European art. At
the same time as Villa-Lobos was being exposed to classical and romantic
composers, he was travelling, collecting data from Brazilian folklore. By
the time of World War I, the influence of post-impressionism was beginning to
reach Brazil and may account for Villa-Lobos' seemingly audacious and innovative
harmonic approach to Sonhar (1914), Berceuse
(1915), Capriccio (1915) and Elegie
(1916). The popular O Canto do Cisne Negro
(1917), written for violin (or for cello with piano accompaniment) is an
excerpt from the symphonic poem Naufrágio
de Kleônicos. The
works for cello and piano from this first period do not seem to incorporate
elements of folklore to the same extent as his late compositions. They are
melodic, resembling the French influence that Rio was experiencing at the time
and exploring, in a somewhat romantic approach, the full range of cello.
Many of these compositions were written in the prevailing style of salon
music, as for example the Prelude No. 2 (Prelude No. 1 is never
mentioned in catalogues of his music). Considering that Villa-Lobos was actively
working as a cellist during the time that these melodic, generally slow, and
rather short pieces were written, one might assume that they reflect the type of
repertoire that he was performing as an itinerant musician. However, they
contrast considerably with the Sonata No.2 written in 1916 (the score of
the first sonata is missing), which displays a more virtuoso style and is
much more technically demanding for both the cello and the piano.
The
multi-cultural influences to which Villa‑Lobos was subjected at critical
stages of his development can be identified throughout his creative output. Both
the European and Brazilian influence inform his Second
Sonata for cello and piano opus 66. It comprises four movements, which make
strong but effective demands on the two instruments. Intriguingly, the
whereabouts of a first sonata remains a mystery. The Sonata No.2 brings
together stylistic elements representative of different periods of
Villa-Lobos’ creativity: the influence of Debussy with the use of whole-tone
scales, widespread seventh and ninth chords, and parallel dissonances and fifths;
the use of more conventional tonality, exploring the lyricism of the cello; the
strength of the rhythmic elements which is strongly present for the first time
in his cello compositions. Written
in 1915, the Grande Concerto No. 1
Op.50, for cello and orchestra was first performed in Rio de Janeiro in May
1919, by Newton Padua as soloist and Villa-Lobos conducting himself.
Stylistically this concerto fits in well with the compositions of this era, and
whilst there are no extrovert nationalist displays (there is a gavotte in the
first movement) it does have a Brazilian feel with its nostalgic and sentimental
character. There are moments of great lyricism, which contrast with rapid tempo
changes. Overall the writing for the cello is quite demanding and the broad
symphonic canvass is complimentary. The mature successors were the Fantasia
for cello and orchestra and the Cello Concerto No.2, but
these were not written for many years later, in the last two decades of the
composer’s life. A copy of the full article, may be obtained through
ILAMS. This contains a more detailed discussion of each piece and other
associated work, however it is hoped that we shall be a able to publish further
extracts in a later issue. Suggested
CD’s: Villa-Lobos: Cello Concertos 1 & 2, Fantasia for cello & orchestra. Antonio
Meneses, cello. Víctor Pablo Pérez, cond. Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia. Auvidis
Valois V4843 Villa-Lobos: O Violoncello do Villa: Vol.1 Pequena
Suite, Bachianas Brasileiras No.2, Berceuse, Sonhar, Preludio No.2,
Divagation, Capriccio, etc. Tânia
Lisboa, cello. Miriam Braga, piano. Meridian CDE84357 Vol.2
Sonata
No.2 Op.66, 2 Chôros Bis, 2 Prelúdios (transc from J S Bach)& Trio No.1 in
c minor. Tânia Lisboa, cello. Miriam Braga, piano. Yang
Zhang, violin Meridian CDE84391 Vol.3 Trio No.2 & 3 Tânia
Lisboa, cello. Miriam Braga, piano.Richard Milone, violin.
Meridian CDE84475 CD
Review A Latin Mosaic Mignone:
Orchestral music. BIS
BIS-CD-1420 (F)
Brazilian Mosaic. (Mignone, Netto, Krieger,Villa-Lobos,Miranda &
Nobre) Lorelt LNT115 (F) Tango Duo. (Nazareth & Piazzolla) Finlandia 3984-29709-2 (F)
Escenas Argentinas. (Buchardo,Aguirre, Piazzolla, Gianneo, Guastivino
& Giúdice) Chandos CHAN10185
(F) Ginastera: Orchestral music.
First Edition FECD-0015 (F)
Chávez: Violin and Piano Concertos. Spartacus
SDX27299 (F) In his fine article, Fabio Zanon mentioned two of
Francisco Mignone’s most famous pieces, the choral ballet Macaratu de Chico
Rei and the symphonic impressions Festa das Igrejas. These two works appear a new BIS release,
conducted by John Neschling, who we know from his fine readings of the Guarnieri
symphonies. In the ballet, Mignone
achieves a quite distinctive Afro-Brazilian style, whipping up scenes of
exultant ecstasy, played with a feeling of compelling emotional abandonment.
More reserved but no less colourful, with overtones of Respighi (not just in the
title), is the Festival of Churches. Using his subtle colouristic pallet,
Mignone portrays four well-known churches in atmospheric tone poems, ending on
jubilant peals of orchestral bells. From the 1930’s we fast-forward 16 years
to 1958, to the completely changed soundscape of the Sinfonia Tropical,
inspired by the sights and sounds of North East Brazil. Melodies are tinged with
melancholy in a work that reveals its secrets with repeated listening. Following the Mignone connection, this time as the
arranger of dances by the ‘father of Brazilian nationalism’ Ernesto Nazareth,
in a delightful programme of music for two pianos executed stylishly by the
Japanese duo, Izumi Tateno and Emiko Mizuki. Whilst the arrangements do not
really add much of significance to the pieces, they are coupled with a rewarding
selection of arrangements of Piazzolla’s music. Members may recall the
successful 4 Hands recital last summer, and the tangos on this disc are played
with great character and are an enticing reminder of the concert. Staying with Mignone but in a mood of rhapsodic
nationalism, we turn to Clélia Iruzun, who brings us the the rollicking and
virtuoso 3rd Brazilian Fantasy for piano and orchestra, as the opener
to the well-named album, “A Brazilian Mosaic”. This piece contrasts with
Villa-Lobos’ alternative version of his Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9 in a
beautifully shaped performance by Odaline de la Martinez and Lontano (they also
recorded the original choral version on Lorelt LNT102). An interlude of
rhythmically varied and unusual solo piano works is followed by two demanding
concertante pieces. Miranda contrasts more contemporary stylings and harmonies
with a sparkling lyrical rondo whilst Nobre’s extraordinary imagination takes
us a roller coaster ride from the Neo-Baroque, to an atmospheric cançoã (redolent
of Villa-Lobos) ending in a finale electrified with rapid figurations. Superbly
recorded and played with consummate skill and commitment, all the musicians
deserve the highest praise, not least for an imaginative programme (and look out
for these and other fine musicians in the La Linea festival in London during
April). The same can be said of “Escenas Argentinas”, a
disc that encompasses a wide range of expressions
of nationalism over the course of the 20th Century. Half-forgotten
names and pieces are brought to life through the imaginative skill and vision of
Gabriel Castagna; recorded as he wished, in Argentina with a national orchestra,
the Orquesta Sinfónica de Entre Rios accompanied by occasional birds in the
belfry! This is his 3rd CD for Chandos (previously he recorded works of
Ginastera and Piazzolla) and it is a triumph. The music is all well chosen, and
Castagna’s persuasive advocacy makes you quickly forget the novelty of these
premiere recordings. Just listen to the scintillating open-air panoramas of
Buchardo’s Escenas Argentinas or the subtly inventive tone poems of
Gianneo and Giúdice; conductor Ernest Ansermet’s arrangements of 2 delightful
piano pieces by Aguirre; the unexpected pleasures of hearing the gentle piano
evocations of Guastavino played on an orchestral palette and not forgetting
Piazzolla in full orchestral tilt! If you’re looking for some rare Ginastera I
recommend First Editions’ historical retrospective on the composer of World
Premiere recordings (1954, 1969 & 1980), featuring the enterprising
Louisville Orchestra, conducted respectively by Robert Whitney, Jorge Mester and
Akiro Endo. Ollantay and Pampeana No.3 are better known now than at the time of
these recordings, but the readings are interesting and worth investigating. The
rarity is Jubilum, an extended three movement fanfare: not the greatest
work but brilliantly scored and full of characteristic touches. From Ginastera to that other Latin American
‘great’ of his generation, Carlos Chávez, and his Piano Concerto.
This great work, now sadly ignored, represents the composer at his most
extravagant, rather than in his more typically pithy vein. It is no less
original: written on the grandest scale, it is a piece of outsize exotica,
crammed with rhetorical gestures and Latin fantasy, reminiscent of Villa-Lobos.
The concerto has only received a handful of recordings, but it is the original
Westminster recording of the composer conducting and pianist, Eugene List that
remains the classic (last issued on CD by Millenium Classics and deleted). This
colourful score cries out for a modern recording and I am pleased to say that
this has been splendidly achieved on the Mexican Spartacus label with pianist,
Jorge Federico Osorio. He is a fine soloist, with a list of successful Hispanic
recordings to his credit: he really understands the music and the need to
balance virtuosity with sensitivity. The tour-de-force is completed by one of
the composer’s masterpieces, the Violin Concerto (of 1948), which was
highly thought of in its day by many, including Leonard Bernstein. Set out in a
logical sequence and forming an arch of eight sections, the music is written in
an accessible style, though with little mercy shown to the soloist! Pablo
Roberto Diemecke is an outstanding violinist and succeeds in blending the
moments of lyrical intensity with the outbursts of drama and passion. The
conductor Enrique Arturo Diemecke is a commanding presence with excellent
playing from the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico. Echoes of old
Spain Concertos
for Harp and Orchestra (Moreno-Buendia, Glière & Jongen) Boston Records
BR1049CD (F)
En
la Alhambra (Chapí, Bretón, Monasterio & Carreras) Almaviva DS-0107 (F) Some of you may recall a lovely recording on LP (alas
not reissued on CD) of Manuel Moreno-Buendia’s Suite Concertante for
Harp and Orchestra by, by Marisa Robles (the work’s dedicatee). He belongs to
the ‘Generation of ’37’ (Halffter etc) and this is probably his most
popular piece. Written in 1958 to commemorate the 400th Anniversary
of Emperor Charles I, and in keeping with the tribute, the music stylistically
harks back to the Renaissance. The harp alternates been solos and joining with
the orchestra and over its five movements the music encompasses a rich variety
of moods. The soloist Gretchen van Hoesen, prepared this performance with the
help of the composer, and is very well supported on this American recording by
the New Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rossen Milanov. An enterprising Almaviva disc of orchestral music,
directed by Juan de Udaeta, explores the late 19th Century Spanish
musical fashion of Alhambrismo, with a selection of picturesque suites,
symphonic poems and shorter pieces. They all contain recognisable
Arab-Andalusian devices, which gives them an exotic flavour. Most of the
composers are better known now as exponents of Zarzuela, but some of the
lollipops (sugary pun intended) have worn quite well. There are no forgotten
masterpieces here and the music is mainly in a lighter vein. Listening to the
attractive orchestrations of Tomás Bretón and Ruperto Chapí, it is clear that
these musicians did have something to offer and the pieces selected contain much
to interest the enquiring listener. Both
of these composers wrote more serious music, but any recordings have seldom
stayed long in the catalogues. The playing by the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada is
excellent. Virtuosity! Los Otros: Tinto (Murcia, Martin y Coll, Corbetta, Kapsberger &
Selma y Salaverde) DHM
05472 778612 (F) Los Otros: Aguirre ( Aguirre, Martin y Coll, Holbourne, Murcia &
Sanz) DHM 83876 604892 (F) If the best of Early Music instrumental groups
balance disciplined ensemble work with knowledge, spontaneous re-creation and
improvisation, then Los Otros positively storm into this company with two
outstanding CD’s. Whilst the individual members Hille Perl, Lee Santana and
Steve Player, with Pedro Estevan have active careers outside the group when they
combine their considerable skills they achieve quite astonishing results. Their
sound is of plucked strings (baroque guitar, chitarrone etc) contrasted mainly
with bowed strings (viol or viola da gamba), and (discreet) percussion. There is
no denying the impact of, say, Jordi Savall’s superb rendering of Martin y
Coll’s Diferencias sobre las Folias (Alia Vox AV9805), but the
expressive power, subtlety and virtuosity of Los Otros in their interpretation
(on ‘Tinto’) is mesmeric. The whole CD is revelatory, projecting the
musicians’ understanding of what the music is about. ‘Aguirre’, recreates
music from a little known Mexican manuscript of cittern music, “Metodo de cítara”
by Sebastián de Aguirre, (?-c.1720). The project also involved building the
first modern ‘Mexican Cittern’, which was detailed in the manuscript, and
interpreting its chaotic musical content. The pungent sound of this instrument
gives the pieces an added dimension, with attractive dance-based pieces like the
Hacha, Folias (outstanding!), Morisca Triste and Tocotin,
arranged for the ensemble. Very few of these works have been recorded
previously, so there is a real treat for the listener discovering something new.
Los Otros amply demonstrate their empathy for the pieces and develop the
connection between music and dance to bring the notes alive, sounding 400 years
young!
Ray Picot, Editor
ILAMS’
Newsletter No.19 Supplement
Spring Serenade The
magnificent baroque arches of St. James’s picked out in gold tracery, were lit
by a fine Spring sunshine to set a fitting scene for the lunchtime concert on 18
March. Octavio Moreno, accompanied by Daniel Villegas serenaded one of ILAMS’
largest audiences with his richly expressive baritone. That Octavio’s voice
was so well suited to the Italian ‘bel canto’ repertoire was clear from his
opening arias by Donizetti and Bellini, elaborating the words with expressive
gestures and always a smile dancing in his eyes. Relaxed, and warming to the
occasion, he drew spontaneous applause with a memorable outing for Rossini’s
‘Largo al factotum’, which was a favourite for the Pre-War gramophone and
aria-concerts, but now less frequently heard. From
the theatrical to the more intimate enchantments of Manuel Ponce songs, which
were given a rare performance away from the artists’ native Mexico. Daniel
Villegas proved himself as a model accompanist, successfully blending voice and
piano, whilst Octavio Moreno illuminated the poetic inspiration of these
underrated pieces. From Ponce to Barcelata and onto Guastavino, where many of us
were on more familiar ground. The composer’s melodic gift was self-evident in
the three songs, which was most naturally conveyed by the artists, which is
clearly a partnership of equals. We
were returned to the stage and into the entrancing world of the Spanish
Zarzuela. Each aria (by Moreno Torroba, Guzmán and Roig) was delivered with
flair and passion underlining the moments of pathos and drama. And if that was
not enough we were treated to an encore with a traditional song, “Un mundo
raro”, to which the audience responded enthusiastically. Bravo!
Fascinating Rhythms A
very well attended St. Martin-in-the-Fields, hosted a lunchtime concert on 22
March given by the ‘Grand Lady of Belgian piano playing’, Diane Andersen,
for ILAMS and The Beethoven Piano Society of Europe. Opening
with an authoritative performance of Beethoven’s Bagatelles, Op.126, Miss
Andersen demonstrated she really understood the quirky rhythms in these
wonderful pieces, which have been described, not inappropriately by some, as
‘chips off the Master’s workbench’. Perhaps lacking the sweep of the late
sonatas, the music is concentrated and contains many wonderful moments, which
this distinguished artist highlighted. The more familiar Schubert Klavierstück
No.2, D946 was also a delight in this pianist’s hands. We
were next treated to the World Première of ‘Piece for Film’, a fascinating
contemporary but approachable work by David Portugheis. Despite its short span,
this is a complex piece, in which the young composer has spun a web of musically
interesting ideas enhanced with an inventive use of rhythm. The music is
astonishingly mature in concept and struck a chord with the audience, who
responded enthusiastically to the excellent performance. Rhythmic
ideas abound in the ‘Saudades do Brazil’, by the French composer Darius
Milhaud. This music, which proved to be something of a catalyst for the young
Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, is an effervescent exploration of
regional dance rhythms. Diane Andersen presented a selection of four pieces from
the two suites, drawing out the undercurrent of longing whilst celebrating the
more exotic elements. This was a triumphant conclusion to a memorable a very
well received event. Ray
Picot New CD Releases
(Pricing Key:
SB: Super Budget. B: Budget.
M: Medium F: Full) A
bataller estrellas. Eduardo Lopéz Banzo, cond. Al Ayre Español.
Harmonia Mundi HMI987053 (F) Aguirre.
Los Otros Deusche
Harmonia Mundi 82876 60489-2 (F) Albéniz:
Piano music (Iberia etc). Esteban Sánchez. Brilliant Classics
92398 (3 CD’s)
(SB) Albéniz
& Granados: Piano works. Martin Jones, piano. Nimbus NI7718/9
(B) Bolivian
Baroque.
Florigeum & Bolivian soloists Channel
Classics CCSSA22105 (CD & free DVD) (F) Braga Santos: Cello Concerto, Divertimento Nos. 1 & 2, Nocturno & Staccato
brilhante. Jan Bastiaan Neven, cello. Álvaro Cassuto, cond.
Algarve Orchestra. Marco Polo 8225271 (F) Cant
de la Sibillia. Montserrat Figueras, sop. Jordi Savall. Capella Reial de Catalunya.
Alia Vox AVSA9806 (F) Canto
espiritual judeoespañol. Miguel
Sánchez,cond. Alia Musica Harmonia Mundi
HMA1957015 (SB) Casals,
Cassadó & Toldrà: Sonates. Agustín León Ara, vn. Albert Attenelle,
piano. Columna Música 1CM0106
(F) Cuyàs: La Fattucchiera.(1838) Josep Pons, cond. Var soloists, Choir &
Orchestra Gran Teatro del Liceu, Barcelona.
Columna Música 1CM0101
(F) Escudero: Illeta (Funeral Oratorio). Juan José Mena, cond.
Ricardo Sasaberria, bar. Coral Andra Mari. Bilbao Symph.Orch.
Naxos 8557629 (SB) Gerhard: Concerto for piano
& strings c/w Ferguson, Darnton &Rowley. Peter Donohoe, piano/cond.
Northern Sinfonia. Naxos 8557290
(SB) Ginastera: Ollantay, Pampeana No.3 & Jubilum. Louisville Orchestra
conducted by Robert Whitney, Jorge Mester & Akiro Endo. First
Edition FECD0015
(F) Gols:
Chamber music. Rosa Mateu, sop. Albert Guinovart, piano. Quartet Alla Breve.
Columna Música 1CM0129 (F) Gomes:
Missa de Nossa Senhora Da Conçeiçao. Geert Soenen, cond. Various
soloists. Coro Sint Martinus. Coro Magnificat.
Jeemoo Orchestra . Bongiovanni GB2366-2 (F)
Granados:
Piano works played by the composer (rec. 1908-16)
Dal Segno DSPRCD008 (M) Granados:
El Follet (opera in piano reduction) Various soloists. Elke Sanjosé, piano.
Columna Música 1CM0110 (F) Guarnieri:
Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 3. Max Barros, piano. Thomas Conlin, cond.
Warsaw Phil Orch. Naxos 8557666
(SB) Guerrero: Misa Puer Natus Est & Canciones y Villanescas Espirituales. Josep
Cabré,cond. Capilla Peñaflorida Almaviva
DS0126 (F) Homs:
Piano Sonata No. 2 etc Jordi Masó
and Miguel Villabla, pianos, Marco
Polo 8225294 (M) Isabella
I Queen of Castille. Montserrat
Figueras, sop. Jordi Savall, Hespèrion XXI
Alia Vox AVSA9838
(F) Mignone:
Festa das Igrejas, Sinfonia Tropical & Macaratu de Chico Rei
(ballet). John Neschling, cond. São Paulo Symphony Orchestra &
Chorus BIS
BIS-CD-1420 (F) Mompou:
Complete piano works played by the composer. Brilliant Classics 6515 (4
CDs) (SB) Mompou & Co: Mompou, Marshall, Nin Culmell, Torra & Surinach. Mac
McClure, piano.
Columna Música 1CM0135 (F) Montsalvatge: Complete songs. Rosa Mateus, sop. Antonio Comas, tenor. Mac
McClure, pf. Columna Música
Vol.1: 1CM0080 Vol.2 1CM0079
Morales:
Virgo Maria. Consortium Carissimi ASV
CDGAU343 (F) Morel: Suite del sur for guitar & orchestra etc. Jorge Morel, guitar.
Marta Luna , cond. Artis Orchestra. GMR2894 (F) (via www.fretsonly.com) Nazareth:
Tangos, Waltzes & Polkas. Iara
Bebs, piano. Naxos
8557687 (SB) Nin:
Songs 1920-30. Elena Gragera, mezzo Antón Cardó,piano
Miguel Bofill, sax. Columna Música
1CM0072 (F) Nobre:
Orchestral,Vocal & Chamber works. Various artists. Léman Classics
LC44100 (2 CD’s) (F) Piazzolla:
Tango Nuevo. Boulouris 5 Claves
502414 (F) Piazzolla
arr. Gubaidulina: Grand Tango. Moscow
Contemporary Music Ens. Vista Vera VVCD0053 (F) Ponce:
Concierto del sur; Rodrigo:
Concierto de Aranjuez; Villa-Lobos:
Guitar Concerto. Sharon Isbin, guitar. José Serebrier, cond. New York
Philharmonic Orchestra. Warner Classics 2564 60296-2 (F) Revueltas & Pomar: Music
for Chamber Orchestra. Juan Carlos Tajes, spkr, Werner Herbers, cond. Ebony
Band Amsterdam Channel Classics CCSSA21104
(F) Rodrigo:
Piano works Vol.1 Artur Pizzaro, piano.
Naxos 8557272
(SB) Segovia
Collection: II: Mompou, Rodrigo & Torroba
DG 474 6082. III. Albéniz, Milan & Sanz. DG 474 6092 (M) Seixas:
Harpsichord Sonatas. Christian Brembeck, harps.
Musicaphon M56867
(F) Seixas
& Soler: Sonatas and Fandango. Richard Lester, harps.
Privilege Accord CDPA12604 (F) Soler:
Organ Quintets Paul
Parsons,piano, Razumovsky Quartet Guild
GMCD7280/81 (2 CDs) (F) Spanish
18th Century Arias & Cantatas. Carles Megraner, cond. Var. soloists. Capella de Ministrers.
Licanus CDM0306
(F) Surinach:
Symphonic Melismas, Double Concerto for Flute, String Bass and Chamber
Orchestra, Sinfonia Chica Var.
soloists, Thomas M Sleeper, cond. Miami University Symph. Orch.
Centaur CRC2256 (F) Turina:
Piano music Vol.1. Jordi Masó, piano. Naxos
855715 0 (SB) Turina:
Piano Trios Nos. 1, 2 & 3 and Quintet. Lawrence Dutton, viola. Damocles
Trio. Claves 502408 (F) Turina:
Historic recordings. Various artists.
Almaviva DS0128
(2 CDs) Usandizago:
Mendi Mendiyan.(opera) Juan José Mena, cond. Var soloists & choir. Bilbão
Symphony Orchestra. Marco Polo
8225240/1 (2 CD’s) (F) Villa-Lobos:
Florestas do Amazonas & Symphony. Yevgeny.Svetlanov, cond. Natalia
Gerasimova. Russian State Symph Orch. Russian
Disc RDCD00530 (F) Zarzuela!
Orchestral excerpts & arias sung by Teresa
Berganza & José Carreras. Enrique
García Asensio & Antoni Ros Marbà, conds .
English Chamber Orchestra. Brilliant
Classics 92380 (4 CDs) (SB) |
ILAMS
