Used Bin Troll Tweets EEE.

Ethelbert Nevin

[January 2022.]

“Choral Works by Antti Auvinen and Sampo Haapamäki.” Sampo HAAPAMÄKI: Maailmamaa (2010). Antti AUVINEN: Obviously Foreign Infantry (2017); on, -ne, -ni (2010). Helsinki Chamber Choir, Nils Schweckendiek (cond.). Alba ABCD 457 (1 CD) (www.alba.fi).

Three inventive choral works expertly performed: Maailmamaa (meaning “Worldland”) adds tape and ruminates upon nationalism and identity. YES.

“Mythologies.” Anna CLYNE: Masquerade (2013)¹; This Midnight Hour (2015)²; The Seamstress (2014)³; Night Ferry (2012)⁴; <<rewind<< (2005)⁵. Jennifer Koh³ (vln), Irene Buckley³ (voice), BBC Symphony Orchestra^1,2,3,4,5, Marin Alsop¹, Sakari Oramo^2,3, Andrew Litton⁴, André de Ridder⁵ (cond.). Avie AV2434 (1 CD) (www.avie-records.com).

Extremely polished and cinematic, which isn’t a bad thing, except that after the lights come back up, we’re unmoved and left with vapors. NO.

“Nemeton.” Matthias PINTSCHER: Nemeton (2007)¹; Mar’eh (2010-11; rev. 2015)²; Verzeichnete Spur (2005)³; NUR (2018)⁴; Beyond (A System of Passing) (2013)⁵; Lieder und Schneebilder (2000)⁶; Sonic Eclipse (2009-10)⁷. Victor Hanna¹ (perc), Diego Tosi² (vln), Nicolas Crosse³ (cbs), Dimitri Vassilakis^4,6 (pno), Sophie Cherrier⁵ (fl), Yeree Suh⁶ (sop), Clément Saunier⁷ (tpt), Jean-Christophe Vervoitte⁷ (hn), Ensemble Intercontemporain^2,3,4,6,7, Matthias Pintscher^2,3,4,6,7 (cond.). Alpha 769 (2 CDs) (www.outheremusic.com).

As time passes, the notes and allusions pile on and the concertos grow gluey and gray. The solo works (percussion, flute) sustain better. NO.

“David Hackbridge Johnson: Orchestral Music, Volume Two.” David Hackbridge JOHNSON: Symphony No. 10, Op. 312, No. 1 (2013); Motet No. 6, “Benedicite maria et flumina,” Op. 337, No. 4 (2015); Symphony No. 13, Op. 361, No. 1 (2017). Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Paul Mann (cond.). Toccata Classics TOCC 0452 (1 CD) (www.toccataclassics.com).

Meaty and hefty symphonic works penned by a sure hand. Plenty to chew on with noteworthy contours. Seek out the other volumes as well. YES.

“A Well-Tempered Conversation.” J.S. BACH: Major key Preludes and Fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 846, 848, 850, 852, 854, 856, 858, 860, 862, 864, 866, 868 (1722). Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: Bagatelle in C minor, WoO 52 (1795). Frédéric CHOPIN: Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op. 50, No. 3 (1842). Sergei RACHMANINOFF: Prelude in D minor, Op. 23, No. 3 (1903). Gabriel FAURÉ: Prelude in E-flat minor, Op. 103, No. 6 (1909-10). Maurice RAVEL: Fugue (Allegro moderato) from Le Tombeau de Couperin (1914-17). W.A. MOZART: Fantasia in F minor for Mechanical Organ, K. 608 (1791; arr. Ferruccio BUSONI, 1922)*. Johannes BRAHMS: Capriccio in F-sharp minor, Op. 76, No. 1 (1878). Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH: Prelude in G minor, Op. 34, No. 22 (1932-33). Ferruccio BUSONI: Prelude in G-sharp minor, Op. 37, No. 12 (1880). György LIGETI: Sostenuto – Misurato – Prestissimo from Musica ricercata (1951-53). Max REGER: Two-part Canon in B-flat minor, WoO III/4, Book 1, No. 19 (1895). Arnold SCHOENBERG: Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19 (1911). Julien Libeer, Adam Laloum* (pno). Harmonia Mundi 902696.97 (2 CDs) (www.harmoniamundi.com).

An oddball concept on a new straight-strung grand piano: the 12 minor-key Preludes and Fugues are replaced with aspiring descendants. MAYBE.

“The Diabelli Project.” Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: 33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli in C major, Op. 120 (1819-23). Lera AUERBACH: Diabellical Waltz (2020). Brett DEAN: Variation for Rudi (2020). Toshio HOSOKAWA: Verlust (2020). Christian JOST: Rock it, Rudi! (2020). Brad LUBMAN: Variation for RB (2020). Philippe MANOURY: Zwei Jahrhunderte später… (2020). Max RICHTER: Diabelli (2020). Rodion SHCHEDRIN: Variation on a Theme of Diabelli (2020). Johannes Maria STAUD: À propos de… Diabelli (2020). TAN DUN: Blue Orchid (2020). Jörg WIDMANN: Diabelli-Variation (2020). Johann Nepomuk HUMMEL, Friedrich KALKBRENNER, Conradin KREUTZER, Franz LISZT, Ignaz MOSCHELES, Franz Xaver Wolfgang MOZART, Franz SCHUBERT and Carl CZERNY: Variations from Variationen über einen Walzer von Anton Diabelli (1824). Rudolph Buchbinder (pno). DG 483 7707 (2 CDs) (www.deutschegrammophon.com).

As coda for Beethoven, these 11 newbies are uneven (maybe not Dean and Widmann). Would have liked more from the other 1824 set of 50. MAYBE.