Bach - Vivaldi Transcriptions - Yates

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A fine disc

I like this disc very much. It is a selection of concerti by Vivaldi and the Marcello brothers which Bach transcribed for harpsichord. I was ignorant of these transcriptions until now and am very glad to have come across them because they are well worth hearing.

It isn't known exactly why Bach chose to transcribe these concerti, but he has made some excellent solo keyboard pieces out of them. In structure they don't differ much from the originals, with Bach changing keys in places and adding some counterpoint and ornamentation to the solo parts, so they're a lot more Vivaldi and Marcello than Bach but it's still high-quality music and a very enjoyable programme.

This is in no small measure due to Sophie Yates, who is a fabulous harpsichordist and on fine form here. She has superb technique which allows her to phrase and interpret these pieces beautifully, and she brings real individuality to every movement. The recorded sound is excellent and the overall effect is very rewarding.

With good presentation and interesting, readable notes by Yates herself, this is a fine disc all round and warmly recommended.

Rachel Podger - Guardian Angel

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A terrific disc

This is yet another terrific disc from Rachel Podger. It's a collection of what she describes as favourite pieces played on solo violin. It's largely out-of-the-way repertoire, but it makes for a terrifically enjoyable and rewarding programme.

The Usual Suspects of the solo violin repertoire don't really feature here, but there is a wonderful transcription (Podger's owm) of Bach's Partita for Solo Flute BWV1013 which works extremely well on the violin - she says in her contribution to the notes, "I would often play it for fun as a warm up (which would disorient the flute player in the room!)". In addition there are works by Tartini, Matteis, Pisendel and the Passacaglia from Biber's Rosary Sonatas (the engraving for which gives this disc its title). It is a varied and fascinating programme which is just a pleasure to listen to but has genuine musical depth, too.

What makes this special is Rachel Podger's playing, of course. I have enjoyed her work for a very long time now and fell irredeemably in love when I heard her solo Bach discs - which remain my favourite recordings of the Sonatas and Partitas.  She has phenomenal technique which allows her to sound utterly natural throughout the most demanding passages, and is utterly at home in this repertoire. She also has a wonderful sense of the music's meaning which shines through every movement here and shows that her standing as an international star is wholly justified. I'm sorry to gush, but I really do think this is something special.

Channel Classics' recorded sound is excellent and the presentation is attractive with good notes. Even allowing for my pre-existing admiration for Rachel Podger, this is a cracking disc all round and very warmly recommended.

Bach - Violin Concertos etc. - Jansen et al

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Delightful Bach

Janine Jansen is a very fine violinist and I like her work very much. Even allowing for this, I was surprised by how very much I enjoyed this disc. There are many excellent recordings of these works and this stands with the best of them while feeling very fresh.

The works on this disc are Bach's two recognised violin concertos in A minor and E, the double concerto for violin and oboe BWV1060, and two of the sonatas for violin and keyboard. To be honest, I nearly didn't bother trying this disc because these are all so well-known and I have several well-loved recordings already, but I'm delighted that I decided to give it a go. Jansen has a wonderful lightness of touch throughout which gives all these pieces a real zing and a sense of light and air while never losing any of their intellectual weight. She shapes the phrases beautifully and her wonderful technique allows everything to sound effortless.

It really is a delight, and the oboe playing of Ramon Ortega Quero is equally good, making the double concerto a highlight for me - and the finale, one of Bach's most toe-tapping movements, has a terrific spring in its step. The ensemble is very small (four violins, two violas, cello and double bass) and very good, so they have a fabulous, chamber-like flexibility while being able to give it all the necessary welly in the more vigorous passages.

Jansen herself is just as good in the sonatas, although if there is a weakness on this disc it is in the harpsichord playing of her father Jan, which I found a little plodding compared to, say, Ottavio Dantone with Viktoria Mullova or Richard Egarr with Andrew Manze. Nevertheless, these are very enjoyable recordings.

The recorded sound is excellent. The notes are a little pedestrian but perfectly adequate and the presentation is nicely done. Even if, like me, you have several recordings of these concerti and sonatas I would suggest giving this a listen - I find it hugely enjoyable and recommend it very warmly.

Avi Avital - Between Worlds

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A Joy

This is a joy of a disc. I tried it on the strength of Avi Avital's Bach disc which I enjoyed and showed him to be a fantastically talented mandolin player. I think this is even better – the varied and extremely interesting programme makes it a fascinating as well as a very enjoyable listen.

Avital himself is superb. He is a genuine virtuoso with a real feel for what he's playing, so as well as some high-speed fireworks (which aren't overdone) we get a lot of genuine artistic interpretation. The works are always interesting and very varied from slightly louche, slinky dancing in the Piazzola to atmospheric spirituality in the Bloch, for example – and thoroughly enjoyable thoughout. I wasn't at all sure about the idea of Dvorak's American String Quartet arranged for mandolin, violin, viola, cello, double bass and accordion (!) but it's a delight, and the closing duet with the great harpist Catrin Finch is simply fabulous.

I'd suggest listening to a few samples and then snapping this up. It's is a group of fantastic musicians playing great music in an original and hugely enjoyable programme. Very warmly recommended.

de Rore - Missa Doulce memoire etc. - The Brabant Ensemble

Rating: 4/5

Review:
Not the best de Rore recording

I have been a great admirer of The Brabant Ensemble for years now and some of their recordings, notably of Phinot and Moulu are among my very favourites. Although I like this disc, I don't think it is really in the same league as their best.

The music itself is good but perhaps not as rewarding as some of the finest polyphony of the period. Nonetheless, it is well worth hearing and a really great performance could give it real depth and beauty; I don't think the Brabants quite manage that here. As other reviewers have noted, the balance of voices is very top-heavy which robs the music of a good deal of its texture, and this is exacerbated by the recording. It is echoey and distant so the rich, intimate sound of the choir is much diminished and they sound rather disembodied and detached. Also - and this may just be my ears - the normally impeccable intonation of the Brabants sounds slightly off in a couple of places to me. All of these things combine to mar the disc rather and they do diminish my enjoyment.

I don't want to be too harsh - there are moments of real clarity and beauty here, and I applaud the Steven Rice's continuing efforts to bring to light some of the more obscure but beautiful Renaissance repertoire. However, for me this isn't one of the Brabant Ensemble's best discs by any means and I can only give it a rather qualified recommendation.

(For a great recording of de Rore I would suggest The Tallis Scholars' fabulous disc of motets and the mass Praeter rerum seriem or their fine compilation Flemish Masters which includes the mass.)

Purcell - Complete Odes and Welcome Songs

Rating: 5/5

Review: 
A magnificent box

This is a magnificent box. The music itself is wonderful with Purcell's genius shining through every one of the pieces here. His gift for melody and especially for brilliant harmonic invention make these works a treasure trove of great music. Many are extremely famous, but the less well-known also all have something unique and special about them. It has to be said that the words Purcell was given to set are sometimes pretty over-ripe, but this doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of the music at all.

The performances are equally good. The King's Consort were invariably excellent and these recordings from the late 80s and early 90s are among their best in my view. There is a magnificent cast of soloists including Tessa Bonner, Michael George, John Mark Ainsley, James Bowman and others, with the great Crispian Steele-Perkins playing the natural trumpet superbly.

I love every disc and I simply don't think you can go wrong with this set. It is quite an investment, but it is one which will give a lifetime of pleasure. Very warmly recommended indeed.

Purcell - Complete Sacred Music - King's Consort/King

Rating: 5/5

Review: 
A superb box

Purcell's sacred music is stunning and deeply affecting, and the King's Consort do it proud.

These recordings bring out all the musical brilliance and spiritual depth of Purcell's work. There is a starry cast of performers who all plainly love this music and give it everything. Many of these recordings are my favourite versions of the pieces. This isn't universally true, of course - in such a huge set that would be very surprising - but many are. Even those which aren't (like An Evening Hymn, for example, which I prefer in two treasured versions by Michael Chance and Carolyn Sampson) are still very good and there is nothing on any of the 11 discs in this box which I found disappointing.

The recording quality is excellent as is the presentation in a robust cardboard box and sleeves with a very good, substantial booklet of notes and texts of the works. This is a significant investment, but it is a set to last a lifetime, full of well-loved masterpieces and also little-known gems. It has given me immense pleasure for years and will continue to do so for years to come. Very warmly recommended.