Stanley Scism » Music

Music Reviews

Stanley Scism — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:54:58 +0000

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Greatest Hits

These are: movements from Symphonies 3, 5, 7 and 9 and from a violin concerto; Turkish March; ‘Moonlight’ Sonata; Fur Elise. How do you reduce Beethoven to one CD?

Harry Belafonte’s Calypso Hits

I like ‘Island in the Sun’, ‘Banana Boat Song’, ‘Man Smart (Woman Smarter’, ‘Mama Look a Boo-Boo’, ‘Jamaica Farewell.’ Fun songs—calypso has a light, playful beat and many of these songs have words to match. Originally recorded 1956-1967, this compilation 2006.

Ray Conniff Singers’ Sixteen Most Requested Songs

Not my most requested. I do like ‘I’d Like To Teach the World to Sing’, ‘Way We Were’, ‘Just the Way You Are’ and ‘Emotion/How Deep Is Your Love’, but not their sound-effect-without-words-songs or their versions of ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ (Carpenters are better), ‘I Write the Songs’ (Toni Tennille is better), or ‘You Light Up My Life’ (Debby Boone is better).

Anne-Sophie Mutter’s Mendelssohn/Brahms Violin Concertos

Outstanding violin concertos of the 19^th century German repertoire are four: Ludwig van Beethoven’s (1806), Felix Mendelssohn’s (1844), Max Bruch’s (1866) and Johanns Brahms’ (1878). This CD has two of the four. Bruch’s and Mendelssohn’s are easier to play.

After studying for a while, Mendelssohn wrote his concerto for Leipzig virtuoso Ferdinand David. The work is very original—for instance, instead of the traditional orchestra opening the themes, the soloist does it.

In Portschach, an Austrian village, Brahms in 1877 completed his lyric Second Symphony. That same year, he also arranged Bach’s Chaconne from the D minor Partita for the piano left hand.

In 1878 summer, Brahms evolved from Bach, Viotti and Beethoven’s styles a violin concerto in E minor. He’d written a piano concerto twenty years before, and was again combining virtuoso instrumental writing and symphonic utterance. Again, brilliant violinist Joseph Joachim was present to advise (as W.H. Reed would Elgar, and as Jascha Heifetz would Walton). Result: a work of fierce technical challenge—difficult leaps and challenging double-stops—used strictly for musical purpose. The orchestral parts respond richly. The Beethoven Concerto requires the conductor to care for rhythm and tuning, while the Brahms Concert is ‘soft clay to be molded in performance’, says Yehudi Menuhin. First comes the oboe, then the violas, violins, bassoon, with a happy ending.

In 1879, Brahms wrote another violin concerto, in G major, there.

Played with Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan, born in 1908 in Salzburg. He started studying at the Mozartium when still a boy. At age 21, he became principal conductor to the Stadttheater in Ulm. In 1934-1941 he worked in Achen as general music director. He was appointed to succeed Wilhelm Furtwangler as principal conductor to the Berlin Philharmonic. For many years he also served as artistic director for the Vienna State Opera and Salzburg Festival. He recorded his first album in 1939. In 1967, he founded the Easter Festival at Salzburg. In 1973, he started the Whitsun Concerts. He founded the Herbert von Karajan foundation and the Orchestral Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic. He pioneered stereo sound, music on video. He was a perfectionist. He died in 1989.

Anne was born in Rheinfelden, Baden. She asked for piano lessons for her fifth birthday present, then switched to violin a few lessons later. After her first teacher, Erna Honigberger, died, Anne switched to the Winterthurr Conservatory, attending master classes taught by Aida Stucki, pupil of Carl Flesch. Her success, especially at Lucerne Festival. At age 13, she was invited by Karajan to play for him. In 1977, her solo career began. She also works in chamber music combos. Made in 1981.

Harry Belafonte’s An Evening With Harry Belafonte and Friends

Stanley Scism — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:47:21 +0000

This was a live performance, and if you can ever see one on video, do. He’s an artist who has lost nothing with age. This is the best performance by him I’ve heard yet. The precise, expert, varied arrangements and accompaniment combine smoothness and pep in an almost flawless production. If I could make one change, I’d eliminate one of the two songs by Richard Bona, the

Cameroon guest artist, but it’s still a fantastic recording. Best songs are many, but I select “We Are the Wave,” “Skin to Skin,” Matilda,” “Dangerous Times,” “Try to Remember,”

Jamaica

Farewell” (done completely differently than I’ve ever heard him do it before), and “Day-O.” He grew up in

New York, served in the

navy in World War II, then went to a dramatic workshop at

New

School of Social Research with classmates like Walter Matthau, Rod Steiger and Marlon Brando. But being black kept doors closed to him, and in music he found opportunity, along with Dizzie Gillespie, Billie Holliday and others. Paul Robeson, Pete Seeger, Woodie Guthrie, Mahalia Jackson and others influenced him. He has since involved in his concerts international artists Nana Mouskouri from

Greece

, Ladysmith Black Mambazo from

South Africa

, Odetta from

America

, Youssou N’Dour from

Senegal

and many other people. Harry Belafonte is now a world performer—Japanese sing “Day-O” (The Banana Boat Song), Germans sing “Hava Nagila” (led by an African-American with

Caribbean roots), and Carnegie Hall has seen command and repeat performances.

Cecilia Bartoli’s A Portrait

Stanley Scism — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:46:51 +0000

The best soprano in the world. My favorite pieces: the very familiar “Voi che sapete” from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, “Bel raggio lusinghier” from Rossini’s Semiramide and “Nacqui all’affanno…Nonpiu mesta” from Rossini’s La Cenerentola. In Rossini she has found a soul-mate for coloratura—the virtuosity and triumph simply stun the listener. Recorded in 1989-92.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations

Stanley Scism — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:46:26 +0000

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations, performed by Glenn Gould

Bach wrote these monuments of keyboard music during 1742 while he was the court composer. Usually, he didn’t like variations per se, but Bach had to feed a family and therefore he agreed when Count Kaiserling, Russian ambassador to the Saxon court, who employed as musician Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, one of Bach’s best pupils, asked Bach to compose restful keyboard music Goldberg could play at night so the insomniac Kaiserling could sleep. In that can be ornamented. Bach ranged far beyond and greatly outclassed the melody. If Goldberg played this so Kaiserling could sleep, he didn’t play it well. Glenn Gould’s 1955 performance, however, still rates higher than any other.