Used Bin Troll Tweets XX.

Ethelbert Nevin

[April 2021.]

“String Quartets and Piano Quartet.” Englebert HUMPERDINCK: String Quartet in C major (1919-20)¹; Piano Quartet in G major (1875)²; Menuet in E-flat major for Piano Quartet (1872)³; String Quartet Movement in E minor (1873)⁴; String Quartet Movement in C minor (1876)⁵; Notturno for Violin and String Quartet in G Major (1879)⁶. Andreas Kirpal^2,3 (pno), Lydia Dubrovskaya⁶ (vln), Diogenes Quartett^1,2,3,4,5,6: Stefan Kirpal, Gundula Kirpal (vln), Stephanie Krauß (vla), Stephen Ristau (vlc). cpo 777 547-2 (1 CD) (www.cpo.de).

Genial late-Romantic chamber pieces, even the 1920 Quartet. Humperdinck was more than a Wagner acolyte and Hänsel and Gretel’s creator. YES.

“American Percussion Works.” John CAGE: First Construction (in Metal) (1939)¹. Alberto GINASTERA: Cantata para América Mágica, Op. 27 (1960)². Lou HARRISON: Koncherto por la violino kun perkuta orkestro (1959)³. Edgard VARÈSE: Ionisation (1929-31)⁴. Signe Asmussen² (sop), Niklas Walentin³ (vln), RDAM’s Percussion Ensemble PERCURAMA^1,2,3,4, Jean Thorel^1,2,3,4 (cond.). Naxos 8.574244 (1 CD) (www.naxos.com).

From Denmark comes a varied but tame program of early 20th-century American percussion works, where America includes both continents. MAYBE.

Anton BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 1 (1866-91; Vienna vers. 1891, ed. G. Schaller). Philharmonie Festiva, Gerd Schaller (cond.). Profil PH19084 (1 CD) (www.haensslerprofil.de).

Schaller delivers a solid argument for a less frequently sighted symphonic variant, but this ungainly No. 1 doesn’t implore affection. MAYBE.

Anton BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9 (1887-96; arr. Gerd SCHALLER, 2020). Gerd Schaller (org). Profil PH21010 (2 CDs) (www.haensslerprofil.de).

A curious sometimes clumsy arrangement of an expectably controversial completion. Not helped that Schaller’s colors are on the dry side. NO.

Antonio VIVALDI: Il Giustino (1724), RV 717. Cast includes: Delphine Galou, Emőke Baráth, Silke Gäng, Veronica Cangemi, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, Arianna Vendittelli, Alessandro Giangrande, Rahel Maas, Accademia Bizantina, Ottavio Dantone (cond.). Naïve OP30571 (3 CDs) (www.naive.fr).

Vibrant and energetic from the opening Sinfonia. You might miss a familiar phrase from Op. 8 in Act I, Scene 5 before it “springs” away. YES.

Antti AUVINEN: Junker Twist (2015); Himmel Punk (2016); Turbo Aria (2017-18). Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu (cond.). Ondine ODE 1326-2 (1 CD) (www.ondine.net).

The orchestra as a toy box to be shaken wildly until its contents spill and shatter. Sometimes it’s fun, but what’s the point of it all? NO.