Chamber Music of Vaclav Nehlybel

From a Serenus stereo record, music by the Czech-American composer/conductor Vaclav Nehlybel. Supervised in Rome by composer/conductor Nicolas Flagello, we have Nehlybel's Trio for Brass, Slavic March, Brass Piano Quartet, Impromptus for Six Woodwinds and Three Intradas for Brass.


I don't think there is a wind player who has not played or heard of a work by Vaclav Nehlybel. A prolific composer, he tended to specialize in works for student ensembles and during his lifetime, was one of the most sought after composers for commission. Born in Czechoslovakia, he allied himself with the West following the second world war, first becoming a director at Radio Free Europe and then emigrating to the US where he taught, composed, and conducted ensembles nationwide.

I'll admit that the quality of Nehlybel's writing can be uneven and it is hard to peg him into a school though at least I can hear traces of Janacek in his works. Like Hindemith, Nehlybel wrote convincingly, for pretty much any and all combinations of instruments, and that, I think, is significant and admirable. The works on this record are lively, imaginative and in cases like the intradas, hark back across the centuries.

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The Complete Iberia of Albeniz with Jose Echaniz

More from the ten marvelous fingers of Cuban born pianist Jose Echaniz. We have the complete Iberia cycle of Albeniz on a two disc Westminster reissue from the late 50's though the original set was first marketed in a handsome box/booklet that I should have bought when I had the opportunity. Not to digress but those 1951-53 Westninster boxes, I think of the first and foremost of the Scherchen Bach B minor Mass, were extravagant and beautifully produced.

Iberia is a wonderful cycle, Albeniz's greatest achievement and one of the modern wonders of the piano repertoire. The music is highly engaging as it captures the full breadth of the diverse and varied landscape of the Iberian peninsula. I don't think enough artists take it up because as a whole, it is a long cycle and bits and pieces in a concert program don't do the work justice.

Certainly, Echaniz plays the music for all it is worth, with strong technique, character, and heart. As the only other cycle I really know is by de Larrocha, I will say that Echaniz, in comparison, is her technical equivilent, only lacking that special, indescribable quality of genius that made Alicia de Larrocha one of the most beloved of 20th century concert artists. A wonderful tour de force here, nontheless.


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Mozart and Telemann on American Decca

The contents of two American Decca LP's, both devoted, somewhat oddly, to the pairing of Mozart and Telemann. The Zimbler Sinfonietta is featured in the ensemble works while Harold Gomberg performs his magic in a smaller, chamber like setting.

Both lps were recorded during a time when musicians were beginning to get a better handle on a more authentic period performance style. The Telemann, for instance, with flautist James Pappoutsakis doing the honors in the Suite for Flute and Strings, has moments of stylistic grace but also has some of the lumpiness characteristic of another time and place. This is best illustrated in the opening ouverture. On the Gomberg record, there are places where the phrasing in the Telemann pieces sounds a bit bloated and overdone. However, I cannot criticize the musicians because, for the most part, they performed in a manner that was accepted, known and regarded as proper. Still, performance practices have come a long way in the last 50 years! Gomberg's tone is, rather hypnotic.

Both of these lps will fit conveniently onto one cd.

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Newell Jenkins in music by Zelenka

Well! This must be one of the first recordings of the music of Jan Dismas Zelenka made on these shores. Early music pioneer Newell Jenkins leads his Clarion Concerts Orchestra in sparkling performances of these Telemannesque pieces recorded circa 1966.

When you think about it, there really hasn't been much of a renaissance for Zelenka, much like we have had with Telemann. For a composer who was admired, and held in high esteem, by both Bach and Telemann this seems a bit odd. He was an inventive writer and seems to have "pushed the envelope" at times so one would think that a more comprehensive appraisal would be forthcoming but alas, this has not been the case. In Zelenka's music one can hear the freshness of Telemann and the forthrightness of Handel while also catching the glimpses of the classical period which was right on the horizon.

Jenkins serves up this program with zest, vigor and scrupulous attention to period performance practice. This is an engaging program and one wishes that an additional work, maybe another ouverture, could have been included on the program. No bother, what is here is a fine slice of the talent of one Jan Dismas Zelenka.

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A Portrait Album by Virgil Thomson

Another offering by Paul Jacobs along with the great talents of Joseph Silverstein and the America Brass Quintet. From one of the earliest digital recordings by Nonesuch (1982), here is a collection of "portraits" by Virgil Thomson.

Though I would not consider Virgil Thomson among the top tier of American composers, he did write some interesting music in operatic, orchestral and instrumental forms. Throughout much of his life, Thomson enjoyed making "gifts" of his music, in the form of rather short miniatures that he termed "portraits." In these portraits, the composer sought to capture the spirit and essence of an individual. Most were either close friends of Thomson or trusted colleagues from throughout the world of art, music and literature. These portraits would range in scope of under a minute to up to 5 minutes or more. This is personal music of Thomson, not meant for an extensive general audience but again, as a personalized and most often intimate and heartfelt gift.

These are delightful pieces, not at all overly intellectual or over the top. The hard thing about performing them is capturing the feeling that Thomson had when composing them. Being a "gift" there is emotion involved and for a third party to feel what the giver had in mind is a very difficult task. Fortunately with these artists, their musicianship and intuitive sense serve greatly to render a satisfying and enjoyable program.  Jacobs is indeed masterful in music which was his specialty but I believe that Joseph Silverstein is the real  master here. What a great musician he is, so versatile and levelheaded! Truly excellent violin playing here, warm and sensitive.

Something different here to enjoy and treasure for the artistic committment by the performers.


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Paul Jacobs performs Busoni's transcriptions of Bach and Brahms

Here is Nonesuch H-71375 featuring the insightful pianoo talents of Paul Jacobs. The program consists of Busoni's transcriptions of chorale preludes by both Bach and Busoni and it was  recorded in 1979. Arbiter has reissued this lp as part of a two cd set.

Paul Jacobs was a brilliant musician, especially valued as a collaborator to late 20th century composers such as Elliot Carter, John Corigliano and William Bolcom. One of the first prominent artists to succomb to the scourge of AIDS in 1983, Jacobs still left behind a valuable discography in roles as a pianist and producer. His Nonesuch recordings of the piano music of Debussy, in particular, are considered among the finest achievements by any pianist in this composer's works.

The chorale preludes are rendered with magnificence as Jacobs has the full measure of each work and understands how to project the music utilizing the smaller means of piano as opposed to the grandeur of an organ. I especially appreciate Paul Jacob's impeccable phrasing and attention to the turns of detail in each of these preludes.

Paul Jacobs was also an integral part of an lp by Nonesuch of the collection of musical "portraits" by Virgil Thomson. I think it was one of his last recordings. I will be posting that soon.


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Duo Schnabel performs Schubert and Brahms

Regular readers of this blog know how much I enjoy programs featuring duo pianos. What surprises me is the number of husband and wife teams that have performed regularly, and successfully, over the years. Luboshutz and Nemenoff, Babin and Vronsky, The Dichlers and Kliens, all have made significant contributions to the art form from their arrangements of pieces to their almost "oneness" when playing together. I guess you could call it non physical lovemaking to some extent!

Karl Ulrich Schnabel and his wife Helen performed together for many years and for a time, the "majors" tried to capitalize on the magical Schnabel name in marketing their efforts. Though both accomplished artists, to be fair, neither approached the level of genius of Karl Ulrich's father Artur. Much the same can be said for Soulima Stravinsky, a talented pianist himself, but far removed from his father's great gifts.

This Epic release, the artwork here is from the identical Philips lp, features the Fantasy for piano four hands of Schubert and a select grouping of Hungarian Dances by Brahms. This is a program well suited to Karl Ulrich and Helen's strengths. The Schubert is definitely the stronger of the performances as it is well crafted and polished in a Viennese kind of way. The Brahms lacks just that bit of "zigane" which adds flair, bite, and spontaneity to these delightful dances. However, they are well prepared with sharp articulation. Above all, I would call this program and performance honest, direct and to the point.

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Handel's St John Passion...well, maybe by Handel

Here's a work that I never knew existed, probably because there remains great doubt to whether it was actually composed by George Frederick Handel. The Passion According to St John led by Bernhard Henking with the Bach Choir of Zurich and Winterthur Symphony. This release is on the Concert Hall Society's "Handel Society" sub label. I'd like to point out that this two record set features one disc of red vinyl branded "Concert Hall Society" and one disc of black vinyl reading " Handel Society. Funky and cool I think.

Back to the authenticity of the work. Scholars believe that it was written in or about 1704 while Handel was in Hamburg. Certainly upon listening to the work, there are a number of places where the style is definitely Handel however, sections exist that bear a closer relationship to Handel's predecessors, namely Reinhold Keiser. Could it be that this work is part Handel and part someone(s) else. A pastiche of sorts? Whatever the true providence, this is a nice work, hardly approaching the depth of emotion of Bach but rather, like Telemann, capturing an event honestly, succinctly and in an approachable way.

This performance is actually quite good. The orchestra and choir are smaller than one would expect from this time period and the conductor paces the performance well. Of the singers, you will well recognize a young Ernst Haeflinger  and possibly soprano Kathryn Harvey. I'm surprised that this early 50's recording sounds as well as it does, pretty immediate and not too harsh as was many a Concert Hall offering. I managed to squeeze everything down to just under 80 minutes in order to accommodate the transfer to one cd.

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Fritz Busch conducts Beethoven and Brahms

Two lp releases, in sequential order, on the Relief label today. Both contain live performances of Beethoven's 7th Symphony  and Brahms' 4th Symphony, from October 1950, featuring Fritz Busch conducting the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

I have tremendous respect for the Busch brothers, Fritz the conductor and Adolf the violinist. Both were men of great integrity and sense of purpose and the recorded documentation they left behind, in terms of performance, is among the most consistent in artistry of anything out there. In particular, Fritz's series of Mozart operas from Glyndebourne have long been viewed as benchmarks in performance.

These two recordings capture Busch's sense of line and organic structure extremely well. Both Beethoven and Brahms were core to his repertoire so the performances combine a great sense of authority with a deep knowledge of what the works are about. In spite of some untidiness in the playing, these are afterall live recordings, the orchestra responds to Busch touchingly and with great respect. We are fortunate to have these documents, considering they were made only months before Busch's untimely, and early, death.

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