A Fistful of Naxos
Anthony Kershaw
Symphony
No. 1; In the Faery Hills; The Garden of Fand
Arnold
Bax
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by
David Lloyd-Jones
Naxos 8.553525 
The chronological beginning of Naxos' Arnold Bax symphony
cycle has started with great promise with Bax's Eb
Symphony receiving a fine performance from the Royal
Scottish National Orchestra under David Lloyd-Jones. What must
undeniably be a new experience for the players, emerges as a
performance of stature inspired by the extrovert musical
expression. As such, the 1st Symphony delivers its
special qualities (exuberant melodies and inspired
orchestration) as much on first hearing as the last. Kudos to
Naxos for bringing this somewhat neglected music to market. On
this account, Lloyd-Jones and company will give the
much-lauded Chandos Bax cycle (LPO/Bryden Thompson) a run for
its money. Also included are two famous works, the tone poems
In the Faery Hills and the exquisite The Garden of
Fand. More richness and beauty to be heard through the
light of a fine recording by the Naxos team. Bravo.
Symphony No. 3; The Happy Forest
Arnold Bax
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by David Lloyd-Jones
Naxos 8.553608
A wonderful performance of the
fine 3rd Symphony of Arnold Bax and a superb The
Happy Forest tone poem gain this new Naxos release entry
into @udiophilia.com's
"The
A List". The
trifecta of great music, performance and recording are
alive and well and living confortably together in this stunner
of a release. The symphony is vintage Bax, with dark, brooding
orchestration happily sliced with shafts of bright light.
The light continues in The
Happy Forest, a tone poem of great charm, highlighting Bax's
remarkable powers of orchestration. The flutes and trumpets of
the orchestra are especially wonderful in the subtle transitions
of this great piece.The recording of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (conducted by David Lloyd Jones) is remarkable in its wide and deep soundstage (from Glasgow's Henry Wood hall), and the timbral beauty (and accuracy) of all the instrumental families. Well worth your seven bucks, I would think!
Symphony No 3 (1873 Original Version, ed. Nowak)
Anton Bruckner
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by Georg Tintner
Naxos 8.553454
Bruckner's much underrated 3rd
Symphony is given a wonderfully fresh and profound reading
by Georg Tintner and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Tintner has chosen the original version to record, yet a version
still given the once over by Bruckner's disciple, Leopold Nowak.
The playing of the Scottish orchestra is first-rate and bears
comparison with some of the finest performances at full price.
Tintner (who died recently from a tragic fall) interprets
beautifully, making the long lines from the pen of Bruckner sing
with passion or deep reflection.The recording, from Glasgow's Henry Wood Hall, is reverberant, and yet still maintains considerable detail in both bass and treble. At times, the highest violins touch an early-digital nerve, but for the most part, sound rich and smooth, as does the rest of the orchestra.
I have not been too kind to some of this series of Bruckner recordings, but this great Third can stand head and shoulders with the recently released Ninth, and a little above the fine Seventh. Such glorious music demands excellence in conducting, performance and recording. Naxos has delivered on all counts.
Clarinet Concerto; Five Bagatelles; Three Soliloquies; Severn Rhapsody; Romance; Introit
Gerald Finzi
Robert Plane, clarinet; Northern Sinfonia, conducted by Howard Griffiths
Naxos 8.553566
The quite boomy acoustic in which
these magnificent performances of Gerald Finzi's music were
recorded, is the only caveat stopping this new Naxos CD from
placement on "The A List". For in these performances,
one will find playing on an exalted level, with demonstrations
of elegiac British playing at its formidable best. The
centerpiece of the release is a beautiful performance by Andrew
Planes of Finzi's lovely Clarinet Concerto. This is
followed by an equally radiant performance of the Five
Bagatelles for Clarinet and piano, here in Lawrence
Ashmore's treatment for clarinet and strings. The strings and solo woodwinds of Newcastle's fine Northern Sinfonia get their share of the limelight with lovely performances of Three Soliloquies and A Severn Rhapsody, conducted with sensitivity and care for tone and style by Howard Griffiths. Warm autumnal feelings abound interrupted just occasionally by burgeoning passion. At Naxos' price, this release is necessary in any collection.
Symphonies Nos. 3 and 9
Alexander Glazunov
Moscow Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alexander Anissimov
Naxos 8.554253
This is a real find. The Third
Symphony demonstrates Glazunov's gift for melody, with the
Moscow Symphony Orchestra sounding the notes idiomatically. The
one-movement Ninth, however, is a stunning work of
profound beauty. It is heard here in an orchestration by Gavril
Yudin. Alexander Anissimov draws playing of delicacy and power
from the orchestra, with special praise for the superb trombones
and piccolo. Everytime these players have their moments,
something magical happens. Find
this CD amongst the always-crowded Naxos section, and savour
every note.Violin Concerto - Mendelssohn; Prelude and Good Friday Spell from Parsifal - Wagner
Jascha Heifetz, violin; NBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Arturo Toscanini
Naxos Historical 8.110817
Richard Caniell has done a fine
job restoring this 1944 concert from Studio 8H in New York City.
To hear Jascha Heifetz' live music making is a real thrill. His
technique is so assured, his tuning so flawless, that he leaves
the listener quite breathless. So it goes with the Mendelssohn
Concerto, with a performance so fleet of foot, even the
old speed merchant, Toscanini, has difficulty keeping pace.
Recorded balance is way in
favour of the soloist, but with playing such as this, I did not
mind. A wonderful example of Heifetz' art, and not to be missed.
Sadly, one may miss the Wagner. Phrasing is square and the performance lags, partly due to the dry-as-a-bone acoustic. With no bloom and very little bass energy (both sorely needed in this opulent music), the performance is quashed from the beginning. For ardent Toscanini admirers only.
Gran Partita, K. 361; Divertimento in D major, K. 205
Mozart
German Wind Soloists; Capella Istropolitana, conducted by Richard Edlinger
Naxos 8.553226
This new Mozart recording offers
serviceable performances for a bargain price. The magnificent
Gran Partita receives some fine playing from the German
Soloists (of which nothing is written in the notes). However,
the interpretation, if compared to the finer versions, is
unimaginative (try the full price Harnoncourt on Teldec and
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on DGG to hear this masterpiece played
in its glory).The Divertimento's charms are hidden somewhat by the square phrasing of the Capella Istropolitana. Conductor Richard Edlinger coaxes a decent second-tier performance, resembling nothing more than a Vienna Philharmonic Monday morning run-through.
