CD Review: Mirrors (Jeanine De Bique, soprano; Concerto Köln / Luca Quintavalle) Berlin Classics 0302017BC

The Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique has in recent years been making quite a name for herself, garnering appreciation in the international music press. Her slender discography to date indicates but a fraction of her eclectic repertoire – Rameau’s Platée, Handel’s Rodelinda (title role) and Mahler’s Symphony no 8. The present recording is De Bique’s first solo release and comprises of opera arias from the baroque period. Yannis François, musicologist and concept creator for the album explains: “The listeners can experience different reflections of the same character as if they were looking at themselves through a broken mirror.” The arias tell of key moments in the psychological development of the protagonists, illuminate the diversity of the female experience and the relatable perspectives of their lives.

Thus, there are portraits of Cleopatra from Handel’s eponymous opera and Carl Heinrich Graun’s Cesare e Cleopatra, from 1742. Agrippina appears in Handel’s opera of 1709 and Georg Philipp Telemann’s lesser-known Germanicus of five years earlier. Rodelinda, from Handel’s 1725 opera of the same name, is contrasted with that of Graun’s eponymous opera from 1741. Alcina, from Handel’s 1728 opera, has a counterpart in the character of Morgana in Riccardo Broschi’s neglected L’Isola D’Alcina from 1735. Deidamia in Handel’s under-rated eponymous 1741 opera is paired with the forgotten 1745 opera Achille in Sciro by Gennaro Manna. Overtures to the opera Partenope by Handel and Leonardo Vinci provide interludes at junctures in this interesting programme.

Many exponents of baroque opera fall down in my experience often fall down on two counts: their enunciation of the text and ability to maintain the desired emotion convincingly throughout the aria. Not so, with Jeanine De Bique. On the evidence of this recording, she’s a singer equally at home in faster, more dramatic repertoire (Handel's 'L'alma mia fra le tempeste' from Agrippina), where her voice flashes with rapier accuracy, as the more contemplative arias (Handel’s ‘Se pietà di me non senti’ from Giulio Cesare), which find her gleaming tones lingering seductively on every note. There’s more though, and it is best summed up in the word feeling. In Jeanine De Bique’s assumptions, these are not dry renditions, but characters inhabited, lived and brought to life through the arias.

The Concerto Köln under Luca Quintavalle’s direction provide appositely discrete yet characterful accompaniment. The recording is first rate, the three booklet notes on the recording concept are informative and the texts and translations are available via a QR code.

If you feel in need of a New Year’s gift – and who does not after the past years – Jeanine De Bique stylish and up-to-date take on the baroque is sure to brighten your life for some time to come. 

CD Review: Brahms Complete Songs vol.1 (Christoph Prégardien, tenor; Ulrich Eisenlohr, piano) Naxos 8.574268

It is impossible to imagine the German lied without the contribution of Johannes Brahms. That said, in the concert hall one encounters only a narrow selection of his 204 individual songs on a regular basis. The adventurous listener who desires to gain a more complete impression of Brahms’ output might be well advised to explore this absorbing repertoire through recordings. To date, two complete sets have been issued. cpo’s 11-volume set has Helmut Deutsch as the accompanist to Iris Vermillion, Juliane Banse and Andreas Schmidt. Hyperion’s 10-volume set, each with a different singer, finds Graham Johnson at the piano. Oftentimes, Hyperion’s set presents individual songs by more than one singer to shape the recital narrative of each release. The individual volumes of both sets were well received by the music press when originally issued. Both are well recorded and continue to offer much pleasure. Against this backdrop, Naxos have embarked upon their own complete Brahms songs set. Volume 1 launches the project in admirable fashion.

The driving force behind Naxos’ series is the pianist Ulrich Eisenlohr; his previous recordings for the label include the complete lieder of Mozart and Schubert, as well as volumes of Schumann and Busoni lieder. Eisenlohr also contributes concise yet informative booklet notes. Following Naxos’ practice, texts and translations are available via their website.

This volume includes the songs of four opus numbers, written across almost 25 years. As Eisenlohr’s notes points out, the songs were often gathered together by Brahms some time after composition. The common thread is in themes that the songs explore: love, loneliness, solitude and a farewell to life.

Several of the songs in this volume suggest natural affiliations to a female voice, given the lyrics that are sung. Both the cpo and Hyperion sets reflect this in their programming, though whilst cpo group the songs under opus number as Naxos have done, Hyperion often distribute individual songs from one opus across multiple volumes of their set. The nine Lieder und Gesange, op.32, explore aspects of love in combination with the downcast emotions of his selected poet, the wonderfully named August von Platen-Hallemunde. The four songs, op.43, tell of relationships to be saved and lamented. The six songs, op.86, chart a gradual journey towards death. The five songs, op.105, have a varied emotional range.

It says much, however, for Christoph Prégardien’s skills as a lieder singer – honed through a distinguished international career – that he savours the words with intelligence. In so doing, he almost turns them into his own narrative, often utilising the subtlest emphasis of breath, timbre or shading. There is absolute security of pitch throughout and his tone possesses both gravity in the lower range and a lightness that belies his years in the upper range, to convincingly realise these interpretations and almost entirely banish thoughts of female singers in this repertoire. Prégardien’s instincts are matched at every turn by Eisenlohr’s, whose pianism possesses a depth and sonority that is entirely appropriate to realising Brahms’ intentions.

The recording, made for South West German Radio, places the voice naturally against the piano, and is of excellent quality. I eagerly await the future volumes of this series, but until they arrive, I shall continue to enjoy the discoveries that are to be made in this one. Most highly recommended!

CD Review: Enescu complete music for cello and piano (Rudolf Leopold, cello; Raluca Stirbat, piano) Paladino Music PMR0104

There are several fine recordings available of the individual works that constitute Enescu’s oeuvre for cello and piano. Only one rival set to this release by pianist Raluca Stirbat and cellist Rudolf Leopold includes the two cello sonatas, the Nocturne et Saltarello (1897) and an F minor Allegro (c. 1898). The last two listed works are juvenilia, written around the time of the first cello sonata, are perhaps only of interest to those that want to collect everything that Enescu wrote.

Enescu was well known as a pianist; he often appeared in concert in this role and he always taught his violin pupils from the keyboard. It is also known that he played the cello on an amateur basis, occasionally taking up the instrument for chamber performances within salon concert gatherings.

A quick examination of the times taken by various cellists for the individual movements reveals the wide variety of tempi that have adopted:

Cellist	Leopold	Radutiu	Spanoghe	Buruiana	Zank	Ilea	Dmitriev	Aneculaesci
S1 M1	12.15	12.42	11.34	12.51	12.09	12.54	11.39	14.41
S1 M2	6.57	7.04	6.53	8.30	7.02	6.42	6.52	7.46
S1 M3	9.01	10.45	9.53	10.33	10.32	11.36	10.15	11.03
S1 M4	5.59	6.12	6.00	6.59	6.24	6.50	6.35	7.00
S2 M1	9.25	13.07	9.43	10.08	9.58	12.09	10.42	12.52
S2 M2	5.54	5.57	6.07	6.02	5.40	7.48	5.47	7.02
S2 M3	5.58	8.23	5.57	6.33	5.49	7.22	7.43	7.57
S2 M4	6.33	6.18	6.58	6.36	6.05	7.13	7.24	7.27
Nocturne	3.42	4.29	3.47	-	-	-	-	-
Saltarello	2.55	3.05	2.55	-	-	-	-	-
Allegro	9.45	9.48	-	9.06	-	-	-	-

On the whole, Leopold and Stirbat are on the faster side throughout. Whilst this might suit the faster movements, I feel the slower tempo markings are not well served by this approach. For this reason, I am inclined overall towards the complete recording by Valentin Radutiu (Hänssler) from an interpretive viewpoint.

The imprint of the Romanian-born pianist Raluca Stirbat is all over this latest release. Not only as one half of the duo, but she is the author of the two booklet essays illustrated by photographs from her collection. Furthermore, it was at her instigation that Leopold concludes the early Allegro movement with a variation upon a song that Enescu wrote around the same time. Given that all the works included here except the late second sonata date from Enescu’s time in Vienna, as Stirbat’s essays make clear, it is appropriate that her chosen piano possesses a Brahmsian glow, as Enescu knew Brahms there in his youth. Rudolf Leopold’s tone is warm, his glissandi occasionally a touch too cautious to maintain the sense of spontaneity that Enescu’s writing often calls for to leap convincingly from the page.

In reviewing the release by Viviane Spanoghe and André de Groote (now available on the Etcetera label), I wrote:

“Listening to the Nocturne you can hear some of Enescu’s mature musical approaches in the early stages of their development. Richly lyrical, this is music that has distinct influences left by the French compositional school – he studied under Massenet and knew Fauré, Ravel amongst others – yet a youthful love of Brahms also seems not too distant from his mind. The Saltarello is made to contrast well in the playing of de Groote and Spanoghe: they pick up the tempo and invest it with much bite and attack. Although folk elements may be evident in the writing, they are of Enescu’s making rather than from authentic sources, and he utilizes them with a deftly cultured touch.” 

De Groote’s touch is more flexible and characterful than Stirbat’s in the sonatas too, as is Donald Sulzen’s partnering Gerhard Zank (Arte Nova). Sulzen’s piano is also superbly recorded.

Laura Buruiana’s Enescu recordings are found on two separate labels with two different pianists – the sonatas with Martin Tchiba on Naxos, the Allegro with Alexandra Silocea on Avie. Whilst these recordings are fine in themselves, there are cellists of greater subtlety to be enjoyed - Valentin Radutiu perhaps heads this list.

All in all, although this superbly recorded release presents the complete Enescu oeuvre for cello and piano on a single disc, this is a recording that has a place in a quite crowded field, rather than at the head of it.

CD Review: Enescu / Mussorgsky / Borodin (Alexander Krichel, piano) Berlin Classics 0302072BC

The combination of piano works by Enescu and Mussorgsky is a new one on record, though both works included here have been recorded several times before. Therefore, this recording by Hamburg-born artist Alexander Krichel faces stiff competition from the start.

Enescu’s Second Piano Suite was written in 1903 and consists of four movements. Given Enescu’s love of J. S. Bach’s music it is unsurprising that he followed the Baroque model of a dance sequence – a majestic Toccata, a noble Sarabande, a slow Pavane and a lively Bourrée.

Even though it is missing the opening Toccata and is captured in less-than-ideal sound, fans of Dinu Lipatti may still want to track town this historic recording of the suite. Lipatti’s compatriot, Aurora Ienei, recorded the suite in 1981 for the Romanian Electrecord label (it was licenced to the Olympia label and second-hand copies can be occasionally tracked down. Although Ienei’s touch is sure, the boxy acoustic does little to enhance her piano’s sound. Luiza Borac’s 2003 recording for Avie was hailed as ground-breaking at the time and followed extensive research into the autograph scores of Enescu’s piano oeuvre. This led to many errors in the printed versions being corrected; the recording very much continues to stand the test of time. Matei Varga turned in a more than creditable recording for Naxos. Christopher Falzone’s recording for the Sisyphe label rather flew under the radar and is intent on sounding more like Bach than anything else. Heard alongside the best of these alternatives (Borac and Varga), Krichel’s recording sounds somewhat cool and detached, even though it is technically very well played indeed.

Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition might be the more famous of the two works on this release, for many that might be a draw. The work might be better known in orchestral incarnations – most often Ravel’s – but the piano original is worthy of exploration. Mikhail Pletnev (Virgin Classics) gets to the heart of the work with insightful characterisation of the Promenade across its several incarnations. Krichel’s performance, although interesting, finds less variety in this connective tissue that runs through the work. Where Krichel does score though is in a few of the individual tableaux that form the exhibition. The missing element, though, is the same one missing from his Enescu: feeling for the music. With that there might be more palpable weight and Russianness in his overall conception.

The slender two minute Nocturne from Borodin’s Petite suite provides an addendum that rounds out the recording in a pleasant manner.

The recording captures the piano faithfully. The interview with Krichel, though, is maybe rather more questionable. When all is considered though, this is a recording that, although possessing positives, does not quite lead the field in this repertoire.

CD Review: Wolfrum - Ein Weihnachtsmysterium (Stefan Vanselow, conductor) Christophorus CHR77458

Philipp Wolfrum is today an all but forgotten figure in the history of music. However, in his lifetime (1854-1919) he was revered as a composer, conductor, choirmaster, organist and Director of Music at the University of Heidelberg. His magnum opus is the oratorio Ein Weihnachtsmysterium, ‘A Christmas Mystery’, written in 1898.

No less a composer than Richard Strauss accurately summarised the oratorio as possessing “Bachian skill unified with Lisztian ecstasy”. In truth, it’s a work of many parts, and this was very much an intentional aspect of Wolfrum’s creation. The libretto was entirely his own creation and draws upon ‘words from the Bible and plays of the people’, as the work’s subtitle makes clear. Cast in two parts of uneven length – the first of roughly an hour’s duration, the second a shade under forty minutes -  the oratorio requires large orchestral and mixed choral forces alongside no less than five vocal soloists. Musically, Wolfrum’s writing possesses individuality, despite the fact that the influences of his musical heroes and contemporaries – Wagner, Liszt, Brahms, Strauss, Mahler, Reger, Humperdinck and Busoni amongst them – can be detected. What could be unexpected for today’s listener is that Wolfrum found room alongside his use of Wagnerian leitmotifs in this Gesamtkunstwerk or total work of art for folk music, Christmas carols and other music that the public of his time would have recognised, played and sung at Christmas.

This, no doubt, was a significant factor in the early success of the oratorio, often performed under the composer’s direction. It still is not appreciated often enough that Elgar’s early reputation was largely forged in Germany, and he acknowledged Wolfum’s influence upon his own oratorio, The Kingdom. In 1901, barely three years after its composition, Elgar directed a performance of Ein Weihnachtsmysterium in Worcester.

The curious might want to investigate the live world premiere recording, made at performances in 2019, online first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d94Q5A6exIw

 The driving force behind the re-emergence of Wolfrum’s festive offering is undoubtedly the conductor Stefan Vanselow. He not only navigates this multi-faceted curiosity with a sense of purpose and surety of hand, but also manages to bring a sense of imaginative wonder to proceedings so that the recording is more than just the document of a musical curiosity. Additionally, he provides a comprehensive essay in the accompanying booklet, which also includes the sung text, an English translation is available via a QR code. The Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie supplemented by the Philipp-Wolfrum-Ensemble play with dedication, whilst the Hamelner Kantorei and Jugendkantorei Hameln provide choral singing of warmth and undoubted enthusiasm. The contributions of Joo-Anne Bitter (soprano), Anne Schuldt (alto), Paweł Brożek (tenor) Martin Berner and Hans Christian Hinz (baritones) round out the forces with performances that do them credit.

If you are searching for something different to listen to this Christmas, look no further than Wolfrum’s Ein Weihnachtsmysterium. Merry Christmas, one and all!