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Ethelbert Nevin

[August 2013.]

Carl NIELSEN: Symphony No. 2, “The Four Temperaments” (1901-02)¹; Symphony No. 3, “Sinfonia Espansiva” (1910-11)². Erin Morley¹ (sop), Joshua Hopkins¹ (bar), New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert (cond.). Dacapo 6.220623 (1 SACD) (http://www.dacapo-records.dk/).

Carl NIELSEN: Symphony No. 2, “The Four Temperaments” (1901-02)¹; Symphony No. 3, “Sinfonia Espansiva” (1910-11)². Lucy Hall¹ (sop), Marcus Farnsworth¹ (bar), London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis (cond.). LSO 0722 (1 SACD) (http://www.lso.co.uk/).

Gilbert’s freshness makes the comparison wonderfully simple. Not quite sure why LSO let this one exit the stable. Davis: NO. Gilbert: YES.

Friedrich CERHA: Bruchstück, geträumt (2009)¹; Neun Bagatellen (2008)²; Instants (2006-07)³. Klangforum Wien¹, Sylvain Cambreling¹ (cond.), Zebra Trio², WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln³, Peter Rundel³ (cond.). Kairos 001315KAI (1 CD) (http://www.kairos-music.com/).

Kairos’ Cerha sampler would have us believe there’s more to Lulu’s completer. But you’d need to relish technical modernism in gray. MAYBE.

Belá BARTÓK: Violin Concerto No. 2 (1938)¹. Peter EÖTVÖS: Seven (2006)². György LIGETI: Violin Concerto (1990, rev. 1992)³. Patricia Kopatchinskaja (vln), Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra^1,2, Ensemble Modern³, Peter Eötvös (cond.). Naïve V 5285 (2 CDs) (http://www.naive.fr/).

I came for Eötvös’ Concerto, but will return for the marvelous Ligeti. It seems Eötvös has better chemistry with the Ensemble Modern. MAYBE.

“a/rhythmia.” Var comps. Alarm Will Sound. Nonesuch 467708-2 (1 CD) (http://www.nonesuch.com/).

Benedict Mason and Conlon Nancarrow’s pieces stand out among a themed release of complex, rhythmically jerky music. YES, please.

“Big Beautiful Dark and Scary.” Var comps. Bang on a Can All-Stars. Cantaloupe Music CA 21074 (1 CD, 1 enhanced CD) (http://www.cantaloupemusic.com/).

Has the new All-Stars lineup lost its edge? Or are we all tired of guitar plus drums backing romping clarinet, low strings and piano? NO.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9, Op. 125, “Choral” (1824). Luba Orgonasova (sop), Anne Sofie von Otter (m-sop), Anthony Rolfe Johnson (ten), Gilles Cachemaille (bass), Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner (cond.). Archiv 0289 479 0358 (1 CD) (http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/).

A limp and bland Ninth oft reissued to tempt new fools. Neither révolutionnaire nor romantique. NO, unless to remove it from circulation.