Rosette-worthy recordings of unsung music

[Alan Howe]

The Hyperion recording of Bantock's 'Sappho'.

Reason?

[Amphissa]

 
Myaskovsky Symphony No. 6 (Kondrashin, USSR Symphony Orchestra, 1959) - This is the original and still definitive recording of Myaskovsky's powerful 6th symphony. The original mono LP pressing has good full-bodied audio. The RussianDisc CD transfer is a bit thin sounding, but still quite adequate. More importantly, the tempi throughout are perfectly chosen, and both the playing of the orchestra and the vocalists are authentically Russian. No other recording of the 6th captures the pathos of Kondrashin's final movement. (Note: Avoid at all costs Kondrashin's newer, stereo recording, which is sadly nothing like his original.)
 

[Pengelli]

My apologies,Alan. It's just a wonderful recording. The singing,the orchestral playing,the recording quality. The voice could have so easily have been overwhelmed by the orchestra. Everything about it. An object lesson in how to get a recording of a forgotten piece of music right. An unsung recording classic. I shudder to think what Marco Polo might have done to this work,if they'd recorded it. The singing is so passionate at times,but there is also allot of emotion and sadness to the music. I actually find the recording quite difficult to listen to,because of this. It's very 'deep' music for Bantock.
And no,I'm not picking it because it's a favourite. I actually prefer Elgar these days;but the quality of the performance and the recording is so impressive. This cd made me realise exactly why Bantock was so admired in his day.

[John H White]

I'd like to nominate the 6 piano trios of Ignaz Lachner on a pair of Claves CDs

[Alan Howe]

John: why do you find these recordings rosette-worthy?

[Martin Eastick]

Xaver Scharwenka Piano Quartet Op37 & Piano Trio (No2) Op45
I know it may appear that I have a certain bias for this recording due to my involvement with the original production on Collins Classics, but I was certainly taken aback with the finished article when I first heard it, and it remains today probably my most favorite CD of unsung chamber music!

These are still the only recordings to-date of these two works, but it would be most difficult to better both the recording and the dedicated performances given here, with Seta Tanyel embracing the chamber music genre with much enthusiasm  and never letting the demanding piano writing dominate the proceedings. Add to this the superb contributions from the other intrumentalists, and the result is a performance of distinction and certainly persuades me that they believe in this music, which at the time had been languishing unknown and forgotten for far too long!

[ed reichenbach]

Hello Martin Eastick

I've just finished hearing the Hyperion reissue of Scharwenka's chamber music and I am greatly impressed. I was happy to see that the IMSL project offered the two trios, piano quartet and cello sonata on download, and being able to follow with the scores only enhanced my pleasure, appreciation, admiration. However I quickly noticed that Seta Tanyel and Colin Carr play a later, substantially revised edition of the Cello Sonata (I saw only after that you do mention it in the liner notes), while it is the original edition that is downloadable. Since you provided the scores and parts, can you give me tips as to how to find the revised score? I've search the net but in vain; the best result I obtained (and it is appreciable) was, following a "last-resort" search on your name, to find this blog. I am not a performer, just a listener. See my review on Amazon.com (Discophage).

Incidentally, among my own unsung works and composers, Zarebski's Piano Quintet. Nearly contemporary with Scharwenka, by the way - and very similar in style to his chamber music.

[Martin Eastick]

Hello Ed,

Many thanks for your continued enthusiasm re the Xaver Scharwenka chamber music recordings!
I have just read your review with interest - the other recording that you refer to by the Lake Piano Trio was advertised at the time of its projected release but as far as I know was never ACTUALLY released. Ian Lake himslef had approached me to obtain a copy of the score and parts and did actually give a performance at the Wigmore Hall in London, but it was rather disappointing, and I therefore don't think we are missing much here as Seta Tanyel & friends made a far more impressive case for this excellent work!

As to the revised version of the Cello Sonata - I could arrange to photocopy this if you wish - I will obviously need your address details etc, but it will probably be about 2-3 weeks before I can get around to doing this! I hope that I can persuade another cellist friend of mine to see about the possibility of recording the original version, in view of the fairly substantial differences - anyway this work could certainly do with another version.