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Many would say that the big three of the top English composers of the 20^th Century would be the three whose music makes this album one of the hidden gems available at NativeDSD 

Elgar is celebrated for his Symphonies, his Cello Concerto, and (of course) The Enigma Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches.  Elgar’s Cockaigne Overture may not be his most celebrated work, but it is a delightful trip to London at the turn of the last century.  It’s short, light, and full of happy nostalgia. 

Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia is a favorite of mine.  The music consists of non-vocal passages from his opera, Peter Grimes, which work very well as a standalone suite.  Haunting, exciting, superbly orchestrated, this music has become part of the standard repertoire.

But the shining jewel on this album is Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 5.  The Fifth contains some of the most beautiful music ever written, yet when performed properly has the drama and tension that keeps it interesting.  Maestro Carlos Kalmar and the Oregon Symphony might not be the first group you’d think of in this music, but they are excellent!  And that excellence is on full display thanks to a fine Pentatone recording.  

No “stiff upper lips” here– just great music to fall into.

Also consider…

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The extremely talented Ning Feng is joined by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto in the Violin concertos of Edward Elgar (1857-1934), and Gerald Finzi (1901-1956).

Elgar’s Violin Concerto isn’t quite as well known as his Cello Concerto, but has a similar passion and beauty. It’s been said that Elgar’s pieces are like time capsules of their time and place, and I must agree. In my imagination, I am transported to the turn of the last century England in a way unlike any other composer’s music.

Finzi’s music often contains the most simple melodies; but they are melodies that convey a warmth of emotion that wraps your heart in a pretty bow, and makes the world seem like a wonderful place. Although finished in 1927, the Violin Concerto was not premiered until 1999– nearly a half-century after Finzi’s death. It turns out he was dissatisfied by the two fast movements, although no one really knows why that might be. I’ve become a big fan of Finzi’s music, and I urge you to seek it out.

These works are very British, and they are very beautiful. Luckily for us, Ning Feng, plays them with love and commitment, and the Channel Classics recording is superb.

I urge you check these out as well:

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Here are two excellent recordings of a work that might be new to you: 

Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium). Quoting Bernstein, “The music, like Plato’s dialogue, is a series of related statements in praise of love.” The work is scored for Solo violin, harp, string orchestra, and percussion. It was premiered in 1954 in Venice with Isaac Stern, violin, with Bernstein conducting. Bernstein considered it his best “serious” work.

The recording with the amazing Salvatore Accardo was my introduction to the Serenade. It won me over from the first few bars. The Album also features conductor Krzysztof Penderecki’s own Violin Concerto.

Released just this year, the album featuring soloist James Ehnes, with Stephane Deneve conducting the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra also features John Williams’ Violin Concerto no. 1.

So, which one is the winner? They’re both excellent! You might decide on the basis of the additional works. There’s an old world magic to Accardo’s playing. James Ehnes is fine in the John Williams Concerto, as well as the Bernstein. I might lean toward the Accardo just a bit, but I wouldn’t want to be without either one.

You might also be interested in:

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I admit it. I was never a fan of director Sergio Leone’s “spaghetti westerns”. I got tired of closeups that allowed me to count the pores and follicles on the bad guy’s face, and the music that seemed a bit draggy. A lot of people disagreed. Many American westerns began to resemble spaghetti westerns. Don’t get me wrong, there are many fine Italian films I love and have in my collection, and there are elements from each of Leone’s films that show remarkable creativity. But boiling it down, I was in no hurry to listen to this album.

But when I did… Finally I get it! I’m still not a big fan of spaghetti westerns but I have tremendous respect now for the music of Morriconi, because of this album.

These suites are made up of themes from his most famous scores from different genres, and from different directors. Marco Serino’s solo violin is in the spotlight. Ennio Morricone’s son, Andrea conducts the Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano and Trento.

If you already know the films and the music, you will love the album. If you don’t, forget about the movies and just listen to the lovely and unashamedly romantic music. After the second listen, I was hooked!

Also interesting:

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The amazing classical cellist Maya Fridman joins with jazz musicians, pianist Atzko Kohashi an acoustic bass player Frans van der Hoeven, to create something unique!

It’s wonderful, it’s superbly played; but what is it? Yes, it’s jazz, but Maya Fridman’s cello makes for something like classical chamber music. Or, chamber jazz. (I didn’t coin that phrase, by
the way, but it works.) The three musicians play together as one, even as they occasionally improvise.

The recording is amazing. For me, this is music for being alone – perhaps with a dash of melancholy.
It’s music that suggests a dream – one you don’t want to lose when you wake up.

Quiet, thoughtful, calming- but this music is never “background.”
But what do you call it? I call it uniquely involving, beautifully played, soul- touching music!
I hope you will take the time to “discover” this one for yourself.

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When I was young I was very impressed by music from “big” motion pictures. There was Miklos Rozsa (Ben Hur, El Cid, Quo Vadis), Alex North (Spartacus), Bernard Hermann (Vertigo and other Hitchcockian delights), Dimitri Tiomkin (Giant, Lost Horizon, High Noon), and others. Aaron Copland, Prokofiev, and other “classical” composers also wrote music for films. But the most remarkable composer for films was probably Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957), and he only did the music for sixteen of them.

When he was a child Korngold was writing music that impressed everyone. Mahler called him a genius and Strauss marvelled at how such totally adult music could be composed by a boy.

He was a successful opera and concert composer in Vienna, but spent some time in Hollywood writing music for a few Warner Brothers films. He made the final move to Hollywood while escaping with his family just as their home was being confiscated by the Nazis. Luckily he’d been tapped to do the music for “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” making the trip possible.

In 1918, Korngold was commissioned to write incidental music for a production of Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing (Viel Lärm um Nichts) that received its first hearing at Vienna’s Schönbrunn Castle in may 1920.

Korngold was just 15 when he wrote the Sinfonietta, first performed by Felix Weingartner and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in 1913. It earned the praise of no less than Richard Strauss. 

Korngold is most impressive to me for his absolutely gorgeous dramatic melodies, and his amazing orchestrations, even in these two early works. John Storgards and the Helsinki Philharmonic are excellent in this music, and the recording is first class!

This was definitely an overlooked treasure for me– A true “discovery!”

You may be interested….

And here’s a YouTube BBC Documentary with Leonard Slatkin talking about his family and Korngold.

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I was looking through some releases from last year when I was reminded of this award winner.  Sebastian Stanley’s Rachmaninoff album showcases his masterful playing, and HR’s superb recording quality.

Rachmaninoff has a special place in my life.  I began piano lessons just 7 years after his death. I’ve always seen the modern side of his works.  He was a superb conductor, a much admired concert pianist, and he sure could write a tune!

The Morceaux de Fantasie was first published in 1893.  The Prelude is certainly the most well known.  Melody and Serenade were revised with second versions much later in 1940. Although all five were performed frequently by Rachmaninoff, it was these two that he performed in many different versions.  The Chopin variations are delightful as well.

As I often say, when doing these reviews, I have too many different performances I like to say this one is RIGHT and that one is WRONG.  (Although…  Sometimes…) What I can say about this one is that I’m glad I found it again!  Stanley’s touch, his feeling, his total approach makes me eager to hear more from him.

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Everybody knows Prokofiev’s ballets, and his 5^th Symphony.  I can’t think of a single work by Prokofiev that I don’t like.  

Well… there is an opera that takes some effort.  

The Firey Angel was commissioned in the early 1920s, but not performed in its entirety until after Prokofiev’s death.  There is (to my knowledge) only one complete recording of that opera, with Neeme Jarvi conducting.  As I said, it takes some effort.  In 1929 Prokofiev had a brilliant idea, he “reinvented” a lot of the music from the opera in his Symphony No. 3.  The result is outstanding.  It’s symphonic in structure, and it’s bold.  But it’s as accessible as his later ballets.  Noseda’s Prokofiev Symphony No.3 has become one of my favourites.  Big, flamboyant, but always involving. Sample the tracks and download the liner notes. The recording is first class!

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Related Albums…

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I’d like to put out some praise for “warhorses.” There’s a reason they hang around. People like them! And occasionally a conductor will come up with a new performance that reminds us why.

This recording was the 2020 Orchestral Album of the Year at NativeDSD. Rimsky-Korsakov was one of the great orchestrators, bringing new color and life to the symphony. His students included Respighi and Stravinsky.

Vasily Petrenko and his Oslo Philharmonic gang really put the fire into these pieces. One critic said that the solo violin in Petrenko’s Scheherazade is like an operatic aria – especially in the final farewell. I don’t think I’ve ever heard better performances of Scheherazade or the Capriccio Espagnol, and both pieces have been part of my life for a very long time.

The recording of these wonderful performances is excellent!

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Related albums

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This lovely, haunting album of Czech orchestral songs is a real winner. It’s a followup to last year’s Folk Songs, winner of Album of the Year in the vocal category. This new one from Magdalena Kozena, backed by the Czech Philharmonic with Sir Simon Rattle conducting, is even more attractive to me because 14 of these art songs are from Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959), a composer whose works I have fallen in love with over the last few years.

The peacefulness and beauty that flows from this album is amazing!

Martinu’s Nipponari, from 1910 were inspired by Japanese culture. He lived in Paris from 1923 until 1941 when war and politics caused him to move to the US. His Songs on One Page were written in the US.

I can’t begin to describe how much I enjoyed Magdalena Kozena’s marvelous voice and interpretations. Sir Simon is an excellent accompanist.

More wonderful songs follow from Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904), and two lesser-known composers, Hans Krasa (1899-1944) and Gideon Klein (1919-1945). Pentatone’s recording is up to their usual high standard. The booklet is very informative and well written. 

Take a moment to sample it! Highly recommended!

Related works to explore:

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