CD of the week – May
30 May – 3 June
DANIEL BARENBOIM – THE CHOPIN CONCERTOS
Staatskapelle Berlin
Deutsche Grammophon 477 9520
Daniel Barenboim’s first recording of the Chopin concertos was recorded live at the Ruhr Piano Festival in July 2010. Rising-star Andris Nelsons conducts the superb Berlin Staatskapelle. Daniel Barenboim says: ‘When I play Chopin I feel a kind of purely physical pleasure that I get from no other composer’s music.’
23 – 28 May
Mendelssohn: Motets & Psalms
Roger Norrington
Stephen Cleobury
Decca 480 2475
Mendelssohn’s Hear my prayer is a much loved piece of ‘Victoriana’, often sung by boy sopranos. On this recording it is performed by Felicity Palmer, traditionally a mezzo, but using the soprano register of her voice here. She is soloist with the Heinrich Schütz Choir and Chorale under Roger Norrington. The CD also contains the Sechs Sprüche (Six Aphorisms), a collection of short motets for particular days in the ecclesiastical year. It was written in 1845, the year in which Mendelssohn resumed directorship of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.
16 – 20 May
Daniel Barenboim Plays Chopin
(The Warsaw Recital)
Deutsche Grammophon 477 9519
On this CD, internationally renowned pianist Daniel Barenboim pays tribute to Chopin, recorded live at Warsaw’s National Philharmonic Hall on the eve of the composer’s 200th birthday.
25 – 29 April
JULIA FISCHER – POÈME
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo
Yakov Kreizberg, conductor
Decca 478 2684
Renowned violinist Julia Fischer’s new album features a lyrical set of impressionistic works for violin and orchestra. The four pieces, stemming from France, Italy, England and Bohemia, are profoundly poetic. Chausson’s is called Poème, Respighi’s is entitled Autumnal Poem, Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending is based on a poem by George Meredith, and although Suk’s Fantasy is not directly connected with poetry, it belongs at the centre of the late-Romantic tradition.
31 May – 4 June
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Playing The Piano
Decca 476 3609
Playing The Piano, is a compilation from the veteran Japanese musician, producer, songwriter, actor and performer. It collects 10 recordings from Japanese-only albums that were originally released in 2004 and 2005 and adds two new tracks.
From his early days with Yellow Magic Orchestra and his incredibly moving soundtrack work, Ryuichi Sakamoto continues to impress the critics and surprise and delight his legion of fans.
24 –28 May
HEROES & VILLAINS
Opera’s Leading Men
Decca 478 2346 (2 CD)
Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Bryn Terfel, Rolando Villazón and other leading men of opera sing the greatest arias of opera’s heroes and villains. From the heroes of La Bohèmeand Carmen to the villains of Don Giovanni and Faust, revel in these emotional masterpieces.
17 – 21 May
Volupté: Music for Viola and Piano
Roger Benedict, viola
Timothy Young, piano
Ben Jacks, horn
Melba MR 301126
Melba Recordings presents Volupté: Music for Viola and Piano by twentieth century composersCharles Kœchlin and Joseph Jongen, played by outstanding musicians Roger Benedict, Timothy Young and guest artist Ben Jacks. As a communist and passionate Frenchman Charles Kœchlin felt deeply the responsibility that he write music that was within the reach of everyman, at the same time offering pieces that were of uncompromised artistic merit and emotional truth. The viola music of Jongen has an unashamed focus on the melodic line driving the drama of his pieces forward. The harmonic colour of his music shows a love of the French impressionist palette but is always applied with his own brush.
3 – 7 May
PATRICIA PETIBON – ROSSO
Italian Baroque Arias
Venice Baroque Orchestra, Andrea marcon, conductor
DG 477 8763
Rosso is soprano sensation Patricia Petibon’s personal selection from the emotional operas of the Italian Baroque, which includes arias by Handel, Scarlatti, Marcella, Porpora, Stradella and Vivaldi.