New and Notable CD/DVD Acquisitions,
Sept.-Oct. 2006 (selective list)

Early Music

Andrew Justice

Veracini: Sonate per violino, Op. 1 (CD 15012). Following the generation of Corelli, Cima, Fontana, and Piccinini (see Andrew Manze’s Phantasticus – CD 6652), Francesco Maria Veracini (along with Giuseppe Tartini) continued the Italian violin tradition through the first half of the eighteenth century. This recording is the first half of twelve sonatas composed in Venice in 1716 and dedicated to the Prince Elector Friedrich August of Saxony. The music stretches the Corellian four-movement structure, adding dances and preludes (perhaps catering to the northern Francophile sensibilities). Enrico Casazza effortlessly tumbles through Veracini’s flourishes, backed by the steady (sometimes blasé) continuo work of Francesco Ferrarini and Roberto Loreggian. (For an alternative take on these pieces, see CD 14646 - John Holloway, Jaap ter Linden, and Lars Ulrik Mortensen)

Pugnani: Sonate e Trii (CD 15013). Torinese violinist and composer Gaetano Pugnani, the “vital link in the uninterrupted tradition from Corelli to Viotti”, was also influential in development of the modern Tourte bow. Boris Schwarz describes his chamber music as standing “midway between that of Sammartini and Boccherini, and often dispens[ing] with a figured bass, though not always successfully.” Italian ensemble L’Astrée here finesses Pugnani’s virtuosic pieces, taking care to maintain overall balance as the figured bass begins to emancipate itself, but it is perhaps the sonatas for two violins that are the most enjoyable.

Wenn Engel Musizieren (CD 15014). The musical instruments of the Freiberg Cathedral ( Saxony) are featured on this album – actually, copies of the instruments in the burial chapel that date from 1594. However, the repertoire and format are what make this effort worthwhile. Sacred and secular music each get a full disc of attention, and composers represented include the little-heard names of Antonio Scandello, Giovanni Battista Pinello di Ghirardi, Hans Leo Hassler, Leonard Lechner, and Melchior Franck (there are also several anonymous compositions, as well as a predictable appearance by Orlando di Lasso). Musica Freybergensis admirably interprets these works and achieves the difficult task of making them musically interesting, instead of merely relying on the ‘instrument expo’ angle – one wonders, however, why they did not actually record in the cathedral.

Bull: Organ and Keyboard Works (CD 15015). In a world where behemoth organ recordings can be a dime a dozen, it is often refreshing when performers take a new perspective on a composer’s keyboard works. Siegbert Rampe does just this, assembling a grab bag of John Bull’s compositions on a variety of organs, harpsichord, virginal, and clavichords (all but the clavichord being originals). The clavichord performances are especially charming, as the instruments evoke a lute-like quality that suggests a rather O’Dette-ian experience. What may be most valuable about this album is the eschewing of typical organ-powered bombast that many other offerings impose in favor of a more chamber-like ambiance.

Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 40 & 41 (CD 15016); Cecilia Bartoli: Opera Proibita (CD 15017). The ‘revolutionary, frenzied, and passionate’ Marc Minkowski sets his sights on Mozart’s much-recorded final symphonies, an effort that has recently been hailed by critics for its break-neck tempi and ruthless fervor. Instead, I found Minkowski to deliver a (gasp!) accurate yet earthy period instrument performance of these old warhorses, with some impressive quickness in a few movements and some downright plodding in others*. What is novel about this recording is the inclusion of the final ballet from Idomeneo (news media darling of late), which is excitingly delivered but somewhat comical to imagine people actually dancing to. (Although Mozart symphony recordings are more numerous than the amount of people who think Amadeus is a documentary, I flatter myself into recommending: The Academy of Ancient Music / Jaap Schröder and Christopher Hogwood (CD 5464); The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields / Sir Neville Marriner (CD 6921 vols. 1 & 2); The Cleveland Orchestra / George Szell (CD 1203)).

On the other hand, the album of “forbidden opera” (a reference to Clement XI’s ban on public performance) with Cecilia Bartoli is not to be missed. Minkowski’s flights of zealous fancy are absolutely perfect for this repertoire, and what is amazing is Bartoli’s ability to keep up, nay, completely obliterate The Joneses on about half of the recording. The slower, more lyrical Scarlatti and Caldara arias run the risk of being swallowed up by her dark Novecento voice, but Bartoli takes the wheel on Handel’s machine gun runs and nearly leaves Les Musiciens du Louvre in the dust. Seek ye out this gem, all who prefer their performance practice all’arrabbiata.

Caldara: Cantate, Sonate ed Arie (CD 15032). Whereas Bartoli’s shadowy timbre obscured the music of Caldara, this album succeeds in clarifying its beauty. A prolific composer of early eighteenth-century Viennese vocal works, Antonio Caldara’s grand manner of compositional style takes a back seat in his cantatas and oratorio arias to a gentler, more introspective texture. What sets this recording truly apart, however, is the use of the pantaleon (a large dulcimer invented by the gifted violinist and dancing master Pantaleon Hebenstreit), which Caldara wrote specifically for. The bright ping of the pantaleon works wonderfully here, offsetting the muted tones of the continuo and enhancing the nuanced vocal performance of alto Jürgen Banholzer. A special treat is the inclusion of a sinfonia and sonata for violoncello solo, striking contrasts to the near-contemporary suites of Johann Sebastian Bach, a short jaunt over the Alps.

Seattle Baroque: The Pachelbel canon & other Baroque favorites (CD 15026). Despite a horrendously campy title and the inclusion of one of the most abused pieces in the canon, Seattle Baroque assembles an otherwise agreeable sampler of music for the misshapen pearl. Particularly satisfying are Purcell’s Three parts upon a ground and Pavan in G minor, sinfonias from Scarlatti’s Cantata per il Santissimo Natale, and sonatas by Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre and Johann Rosenmüller. Directors Ingrid Matthews (violin) and Byron Schenkman (harpsichord) accomplish the difficult task of balancing accurate performance with creative choice of repertoire, something that eludes many baroque ensembles. (For further listening, see CD 9209 – Italian cantatas by Handel.)

Popular/Jazz

Jim Alberts

Richard Thompson. 1000 years of popular music (DVD 434). This project started with a question from Rolling Stone: What are the top 10 songs of all time? Characteristically, Richard Thompson responded with a list of twenty-two songs from the early medieval period to 2005. Also characteristically, Rolling Stone refused to print the list (wouldn’t want to make our readers feel all unhip, would we?). This package includes the DVD of Thompson’s live show and two CDs with the same musical content; I was only able to listen to the CDs, so I’ll comment on them.

Thompson performs with only two sidepersons, Judith Owens (vocals, keyboards) and Debra Dobkin (vocals, percussion). Dobkin uses a frame drum for the medieval songs (the only concession to performance practice) and, to wonderful effect, on part of “Whoops, I did it again” (yes, really). Thompson’s assured arrangements and performances work on almost all the tracks; only Morley’s “O sleep fond fancy” is notably rough. Thompson’s virtuoso guitar works everywhere.

Personally, I find Thompson’s style more congenial in the early music and folk ballads (with standout performances of “Bonnie St. Johnstone,” “Shenandoah,” and “Blackleg Miner,” among others) and rock (“Drinking Wine Spo-dee-o-dee,” “Oops, I did it again,” and others) than the mid-20 th century jazz and pop selections. Some music hall songs (and a wonderfully effective Gilbert and Sullivan item) round out the concert. Clearly, one of the pleasures of hearing the concert live, the surprise of not knowing what’s coming next, is missing when listening to or viewing the CDs or DVD. However, that doesn’t diminish the immense pleasure to be had from Thompson’s assured, humorous performances.

Jim White. The mysterious tale of how I shouted One-eyed Jesus (CD 15116), Drill a hole in that substrate and tell me what you see (CD 15117). White is inevitably described as a “Southern gothic” songwriter, but despite his recurring themes (spiritual crises at midnight by the side of a lonesome highway or abandoned graveyard in the pouring rain, with far off train whistles moaning, etc., etc.) the label is not entirely accurate. Neither White’s musical language nor his lyrics are refined enough to really fit the “southern gothic” label, and this isn’t a bad thing.

It’s easy to hear David Byrne’s attraction to (and influence on) Luaka Bop artist White. His complex, multilayered textures and endlessly allusive lyrics sound somewhat similar to Byrne’s music of the early eighties. White brings to the mix an alt-country sensibility and overarching religious obsession that plays like a bad headache (viz. “Static on the Radio” and “Phone Booth in Heaven” among other songs). Fortunately, White’s universe has room for humor amidst the desolation, as in “Combing my hair in a brand new style” and “What if Jesus Drove a Motor Home” (sample lyric: “If Jesus drove a motor home / I wonder how what’d drive. / Pedal to the metal, / or real slow, checkin’ out the stereo. / Cassette playin’ Bob Dylan, motivation tapes. / Tricked out Winnebago, tie-dyed drapes”).

“Drill a hole in that substrate” is somewhat more accessible and lyrical than “One-eyed Jesus” (and features Mary Gauthier and The Barenaked Ladies as guests); the obsessive listenability of songs like “Static on the Radio,” the elegiac “Bluebird,” and “Borrowed Wings” somehow makes White’s lyrics seem all the more desolate. However, both albums strongly deserve a listen.

Pop/experimental/jazz briefly noted

Brian Eno. Ambient 1: Music for airports (CD 14975)

----. Ambient 4: On land (CD 14974)

----. Here Come the Warm Jets (CD 14972)

----. Taking Tiger Mountain (by stealth) (CD 14973)

Eno and Byrne. My life in the bush of ghosts (CD 14976)

Talking Heads. The name of this band is Talking Heads (CD 14977)

These discs need no introduction. Thanks to Andrew J. and Eric Feinstein for suggesting we bulk up our holdings of Byrne and Eno.

The House that Trane built: The story of Impulse Records (CD 15000). This album, a companion to the book with the same name, celebrates and demonstrates the breadth of the Impulse catalog. Although it was most closely associated with Coltrane and the farther reaches of post-bop and free jazz, Impulse also recorded swing and straight bop from such figures as Basie. Clark Terry, and Ben Webster.

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Updated: 13 Dec. 2005