Used Bin Troll Tweets N.

Ethelbert Nevin

[August 2015.]

Judith WEIR: The Welcome Arrival of Rain (2001-02); Natural History (1998)*; Moon and Star (1995)**; Forest (1995); Heroic Strokes of the Bow (1991-92). Ailish Tynan* (sop), BBC Singers**, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (cond.). NMC D137 (1 CD) (http://www.nmcrec.co.uk/).

Powerful, unpredictable but engaging melodic contours tell forgotten stories, like reshuffled Copland pages molded into Sibelian peaks. YES.

Giya KANCHELI: Vom Winde bewient (1990)¹. Alfred SCHNITTKE: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (1985)². Kim Kashkashian (vla), Orchester der Beethovenhalle Bonn¹, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken², Dennis Russell Davies (cond.). ECM 1471 (1 CD) (http://www.ecmrecords.com/).

An odd pairing: Chicken or beef? Schnapps or vodka? Sweet or salty? Alternate between two very different and moribund viola concertos. MAYBE.

William SCHUMAN: In Praise of Shahn (1969)¹. Aaron COPLAND: Connotations (1960-61)². Roger SESSIONS: Suite from The Black Maskers (1923; rev. 1928)³. Juilliard Orchestra, Otto-Werner Mueller¹, Sixten Ehrling², Paul Zukofsky³ (cond.). New World Records NW 368-2 (1 CD) (http://www.newworldrecords.org/).

Articulate late-80s recordings from this foremost student orchestra. Unexpectedly, Sessions and Copland have swapped customary styles. MAYBE.

Arnold SCHOENBERG: Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (1899, arr. 1943); Pelleas und Melisande, Op. 5 (1902-03). Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan (cond.). DG 289 457 721-1 (1 CD) (http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/).

Romanticism culminates in buttery Schoenberg. A caloric classic, even if Herr von Karajan’s post-production tweaks will surprise today. YES.

“Complete String Quartets.” Boris TISCHENKO: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 8 (1957)¹; String Quartet No. 2, Op. 13 (1959)²; String Quartet No. 3, Op. 47 (1970)³; String Quartet No. 4, Op. 77 (1980)⁴; String Quartet No. 5, Op. 90 (1984)⁵; String Quartet No. 6, Op. 148 (2008)⁶. S.I. Taneyev Quartet^1,3: Vladimir Ovcharek, Grigory Lutzky (vln), Vissarion Solovyev (vla), Josef Levinzon (vlc); Ilya Ioff^2,5,6, Elena Raskova^2,5,6 (vln), Lidia Kovalenko^2,5,6 (vla), Alexey Massarsky^2,5,6 (vlc); Tver’ Philharmonic String Quartet⁴: Irina Svetlova, Lyubov Shevrekuko (vlns), Alexandra Franzeva (vla), Galina Soboleva (vlc). Northern Flowers NF/PMA 9990-92 (3 CDs) (http://www.nflowers.ru/).

Six quartets from three groups reveal Tischenko’s uneven escape from Shostakovich’s orbit. The hardly tuneful No. 3 endures strongest. MAYBE.

“Altered Realities.” Erden HELVACIOĞLU: Var comps. (2006). Erdem Helvacioğlu (guit., electronics). New Albion NA 131 (1 CD).

Solo acoustic guitar plus real-time electronic manipulations with zero post-processing. Too much limp prettiness drowned with distortion. NO.

Amanda PETRUSICH: Do Not Sell At Any Price (2014). Scribner ISBN 978-1-4516-6705-9 (http://books.simonandschuster.com/).

Magnetic stories of quirky, obsessive collectors (all men!) pursuing, sharing and coveting great music cut into long-since vanished 78s. YES.