Canadian Landscapes - A program for saxophone and organ that delivers

"And the award for the most tightly-focused program for a classical recording goes to -- 'Canadian Landscapes." If the Grammys ever offered such an award, this disc would win it.

The release features not just music by Canadian composers but works by them for saxophone and organ. It's a very unusual instrumental combination with a very small catalog of original works. And it's a sound worth exploring.

Saxophonist Claudia Tesorino plays with a very distinctive sound. It has the rounded, honeyed tone of the French classical tradition. And yet there's also a slight edge to her playing that gives many of the works an added boost of energy.

The sound of the saxophone blends quite well with that of the organ. Both have a slightly metallic quality. The organ's reed stops use vibrating metal, as opposed to cane for the saxophone. And yet the resulting sound resembles a woodwind.

Organist Jonathan Oldengarm is a first-rate collaborative artist. He ensures his instrument is always in perfect balance with Tesorino's. Whether it's providing accompaniment, counterpoint, or taking the lead.

The music is equally fascinating. Ruth Watson Henderson's Fantasy for Alto Saxophone and Organ has a dreamlike Messiaen feel. Derek Healey's Northern Landscapes uses a soprano saxophone to evoke open spaces.

I think my favorite work was Denis Bedard's Sonata No. 3 for Alto Saxophone and Organ. It's amiable character and straight-forward melodies reminded me of Malcolm Arnold.

The Suite of Wolfgang Rottenberg is also a well-crafted work, though a bit conservative. Peter Matthews' Pastorale is a beautiful, lyrical work. It has a somewhat elegiac sound that can be quite attractive.

This disc has an incredibly tightly-focused program. But it delivers. I enjoyed every selection and added some new names to my list of composers to seek out.

Canadian Landscapes
Music by Derek Healey, Ruth Watson Henderson, Denis Bedard, Wolfgang Bottenberg, Peter Mathews
Claudia Tesornio, saxophone; Jonathan Oldengarm, organ
Klanglogo CD KL1417

Spirited performances of Giuseppe Tartini Violin Concertos and Sonatas

Violinist Laura Marzadori knows Italian music. Her previous releases feature works by Ottorino Respighi, Ernnano Wolf-Ferrari, and Leone Sinigaglia. This album focuses on Giuseppe Tartini, one of the most important figures in the development of violin technique.

The four works Marzadori perform are all demanding. What makes this program refreshingly different is that they're unusual parts of Tartini's catalog.

The two violin concertos were prepared from unpublished manuscripts and receive their recording debuts here.

The Sonatas a Quattro presage the development of the string quartet. Tartini writes for cellos, violas, and two sections of violins -- no basso continuo.

Marzadori is an exceptional performer. Her playing positively sparkles at times. Her interpretations are emotive and energetic. And that energy is matched by the Nuova Orchestra da Camera "Ferruccio Busoni." The ensemble has a resonant sound that nevertheless seems open. They perform with modern instruments, which bothers me not a bit.

Authentic performance practices and historically accurate instruments are important for understanding the music in context. But that's not what Marzadori and "Ferrucio Busoni" chamber orchestra is after. Rather, I think the goal is to celebrate Tartini's inventiveness and complete mastery of the violin.

And if that was the goal, then I believe they succeeded. These spirited performances have an immediate appeal that any listener should appreciate. If you only know Tartini through the "Devil's Trill," you need to hear this music.

Giuseppe Tartini: Violin Concertos and Sonatas
Laura Marzadori, violin; Muova Orchestra da Camera "Ferruccio Busoni"
Massimo Belli, conductor
Brilliant Classics 95769

Missa 1724 -- bold interpretation of Jan Dismas Zelenka

The "Missa 1724" is actually an assemblage of various sacred works by Jan Dismas Zelenka. But to be fair, they all come from the same general period of Zelenka's career, and they do make a convincing whole.

The Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, ZWV 26 recycles some previous material (some only a year older than this 1724 work). The Gloria, ZWV 30 seems to be a rewritten version of a 1714 Gloria. The Credo, ZWV 32, seems to have been a new 1724 composition, using double choirs with eight-voice counterpoint effectively.

The most curious part of this mass is the Benedictus, ZWV dest. Zelenka also arranged music by other composers for performance. One such work was a mass by Giovanni Pisani. It was missing a Benedictus, so Zelenka supplied one -- and it's included here.

The mass may have been cobbled together, but it hangs together pretty well. Because most of the works were written by Zelenka around 1724, there's a stylistic consistency across them. The Collegium Vocale 1704 has a smooth, warm ensemble sound. It's a beautiful sound and it serves Zelenka's choruses well.

That smoothness proved a slight disadvantage in the Gloria. Personally, I sometimes had a hard time following the counterpoint as the voices blended so well with one another. But that's just me.

The Collegium 1704 ensemble delivered sure-footed if understated performances. But that was in keeping with the music. The instrumentalists often doubled the vocal lines. And even when they weren't it was clear that their role was as an accompanying ensemble.

Václav Luks made some bold aesthetic decisions in assembling this music and how to present it. In my opinion, those decisions were sound and resulted in some pretty compelling sounds.

Jan Dismas Zelenka: Missa 1724
Salve Reginia, ZWV 137
Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704; Vaclav Luks, director
Accent ACC 24363

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalBubble Week 2

Last month, the Classics a Day team came up with a theme to reflect the reality of social distancing. The challenge was to share solo works for unusual instruments -- the kind of instruments best played in social isolation. 

For June, the team is again going with the times. Social bubbles are small groups of people (usually family members) who live together and therefore don't need to maintain distance from each other. So the challenge is to share examples of classical bubbles. That is, duos for unusual instruments best not shared in public. 

Below are my selections for the first week of #ClassicalBubble

06/08/20 Gene Koshinski - As One for percussion duo

Koshinski's work uses two performers with identical setups -- including a shared bass drum and marimba.

06/09/20 Wolfgang Amadues Mozart (1756-1791) Horn Duos K. 487

The horns of Mozart's day were valveless instruments. Limited to the harmonic series of the tube, players used hand stopping and pitch-bending to get extra notes.

06/10/20 Bellerofonte Castaldi (1580-1649) Duet for two Theorbos

Castaldi was a composer and a lutenist. This duet comes from a collection he published in 1623.

06/12/20 Andy Scott (1966-) Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Harp

Scott is a British composer and saxophonist. His sonata pushes the technical limits of both the saxophone and the harp.

Neeme Järvi presents Estonian treasures

I first discovered Estonia's rich classical music heritage through Neeme Järvi recordings; specifically, his BIS releases of Edvard Tubin and Arvo Pärt. Maestro Järvi surprises me once again with this new recording of Estonian orchestral music.   

All three composers were born within an eight-year span (1878-1885), and all studied at the St. Petersberg Conservatoire. That influence can be heard in several of these works, although there's also a strong nationalist strain in them as well.

Artur Lemba was a major pianist in Russia and Estonia. His 1910 Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major starts off in a Tchaikovsky-inspired fashion. The concerto is full of grand gestures appropriate to a student of Artur Rubenstein. But there's nothing derivative about them. The concerto has a charming lyricism to it I found quite appealing.

Mihkel Lüdig is best remembered for his work with Estonian choirs. He also established several important music festivals that promoted works by Estonian composers. This album features three of his short orchestral works. They show Lüdig to be a fine orchestrator. These are tightly-constructed, beautifully composed miniatures that heavily reference Estonian folk music.

Artur Kapp studied with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He's considered one of the founders of Estonian symphonic music. He's represented by two works in this release.

Kapp's 1905  Viimne piht (The Last Confession) was originally written for violin and organ. This arrangement for violin and orchestra retains all the simple beauty of the original. It may be a bit sentimental, but the music is charming, nevertheless.

Kapp had a troubled relationship with the Communist Party. A major musical figure in Estonia, he was forced to resign his positions after the Soviets invaded. His fourth symphony was finished in 1948. The "Youth Symphony" was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Soviet Young Communist League. That was most likely a dedication of expedience -- or perhaps even survival.

Whatever the reason, the symphony has little to do with anything Russian or Soviet. There is a youthful energy about it, though. And there are many references to Estonian folk tunes throughout.

And of course, the performances throughout this release are superb. Solo violinist Triin Ruubel and solo pianist Mihkel Poll are Estonian. The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra is conducted by the Estonian conductor, Neeme Järvi. Everyone involved is performing music of their countrymen, steeped in the traditions of their culture.

All of these works deserve more performances and more recordings. But I suspect these may be the definitive realizations of this superb music.

Arthur Kapp, Mihkel Lüdig, Artur Lemba: Orchestral Works
Triin Ruubel, violin; Mihkel Poll, piano
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra; Neeme Järvi, conductor
Chandos 20150