The world of compact discs

Contemporary Review, March, 1997 by Anthony Paterson

One of the most exciting opera recordings in 1996 was Puccini's Tosca from TELDEC (O63O-12372-2) in a two CD set at full price. This recording is a newly edited and remixed version of the original soundtrack of the film of the opera made on location in Rome. Placido Domingo sings Cavaradossi and Catherine Malfitano, Tosca. Scarpia is sung by Ruggero Raimondi and the Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Roma della Rai are conducted by Zubin Mehta. Tosca, like Aida, stands as one of the monumental verismo operas of the nineteenth century and this production captures the grandeur and vastness of the operatic canvas on which Puccini created his first fully symphonic opera. This is Puccini at his grandest and most theatrical. Because the recording was first made for the film, recordings took place in various parts of Rome. This adds a tremendous sense of verisimilitude to an opera that is set in Rome at the opening of the nineteenth century. The singing is excellent throughout. Domingo's Cavaradossi is compelling listening and Catherine Malfitano's Tosca reaches the depth of tragedy and, at times, reminds one of the performances of Maria Callas. Ruggero Raimondi's Scarpia haunts the recording with a sense of looming evil, just as the character haunts the production.

New releases featuring the piano include NIMBUS Records six CD set of Mendelssohn's Complete Piano Music (NI 1772) at a most reasonable price. On these recordings the soloist is Martin Jones who won the Dame Myra Hess Award in 1968 and went on to become a concert pianist in Britain, Europe and America. He is now a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. This is a tremendous undertaking because Mendelssohn's music for the piano includes sonatas, songs without words, fugues, preludes, caprices, fantasies and variations and because the pieces were composed over many years. In addition they range from the reasonably simple score to the elaborate. Martin Jones' musicianship is perhaps seen at its best in his playing of the 'Songs Without Words.' For many years Mendelssohn's music for the keyboard was neglected but this six CD set, so beautifully played by Martin Jones, will do much to earn Mendelssohn's music for the keyboard the attention it deserves. VoxBox has issued the third volume in its Beethoven Sonatas series with the incomparable Alfred Brendel at the piano. This is a two CD set (CDX 5-56) which contains sonatas 1,5,6,9,10,13,14 ('The Moonlight'), 15 ('Pastorale') and 25. The composition of these sonatas began when Beethoven was unknown outside Vienna and end when he had become one of Europe's leading composers. The collection gives us not only some of the most beautiful music ever written but an object lesson in the composer's development. The final selection comes from CARLTON CLASSICS and features Cristina Ortiz playing Clara Schumann's Piano Music (30366 00292). Clara Wieck's love affair with Robert Schumann is one of the great stories of musical history as is her own reputation as a concert pianist. Her compositions for the keyboard are much less well known and almost all date from her early years. They range from the delightful Scherzo in D Minor to the subtleties of her Variations on a Theme of Robert Schumann (Opus 20). The pianist here is the Brazilian born Cristina Ortiz who made the recordings on a Bosendorfer piano in London's Conway Hall. This type of piano gives the music a welcome lilt. This is a most welcome addition to our repertoire of nineteenth century piano music.

A new CD of Beethoven's Overtures has recently been released by TELDEC at full price (0630-13140-2). The Chamber Orchestra of Europe is conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt in this 'limited edition'. The eight tracts contain the overtures to Coriolanus, The Creatures of Prometheus, The Ruins of Athens, Fidelio, Egmont and Leonore (all three versions). Except for the Coriolanus overture all the tracks are live recordings made in Vienna, Athens and Graz, the conductor's home. These performances all have the hallmarks that one has come to expect from Nikolaus Harnoncourt: precision of interpretation, a strong musicality and an informed tempo throughout.

A second collection, this one much more varied and popular, comes from TURNABOUT (30371 00602). The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is conducted by Erich Kunzel in Offenbach's Overtures, a spirited performance of some of the nineteenth century's most beloved overtures and marches. This conductor and orchestra have a superb reputation with the light classics. This recording begins appropriately enough with several of Offenbach's overtures: those to his Orpheus in the Underworld, Vert-Vert, La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein and La Vie Parisienne. This is followed by Meyerbeer's 'Coronation March' from La Prophete, the Czech composer, Julius Fucik's march, 'Entry of the Gladiators', Delibes' 'Cortege de Bacchus' from the ballet Sylvia, and Johann Strauss the son's Jubelfest March. The final item which winds up this collection in great style is Johann Strauss the elder's famous Radetsky March. From the same company, orchestra and conductor comes American Fantasia (30371 00612). This is a more original and intriguing collection of orchestral pieces by six American composers. The collection takes its title from Victor Herbert's 'American Fantasy', written by the Irish-born musician in 1893 and based on a variety of American tunes. In addition there is Richard Rodgers' melodic 'Carousel Waltz', Richard Hayman's 'Pops Hoe-Down' - another collection of American tunes arranged for Arthur Fiedler's Boston Pops concerts, Jerome Kern's 'Mark Twain Portrait for Orchestra', John Philip Sousa's rousing 'Stars and Stripes Forever' March and five songs from George Gershwin. The collection is well played and well chosen to give an insight into the spirit of American culture. It is good that Victor Herbert is given some of the attention he deserves as a composer: one hopes more of his music will now be recorded and made available.