*****
Strong 28 Mar 2008
Returning to this book some ten years after I first encountered Seamus Heaney (under the inescapably unfortunate constellation of GCSE English coursework) I was a little unsure what I would encounter. Those first readings of "Mid-term Break" left me slightly puzzled: these were clearly moving, often quite funny stories, but I didn't "get" the poetry. I couldn't tell what it was that Heaney was doing with language. In short, it all seemed a little, well, pointless.
But now, rather older, and maybe a little wiser (though that's hardly a great improvement: I was a particularly useless example of a 15 year old boy), I find in Heaney a stunning ability to weave language into something that is far more than the sum of its parts. There is a denseness to his poetry, not in the sense of obscurantism or difficulty, but in the sound it makes when you read it, in the weight of the syllables in your mouth, that sets him apart from any other poet I know. And this is not to claim some sort of affective fallacy, whereby the weight of his verse evokes the weight of the Irish soil, but to mark his writing out as something more firm, more resilient, than texts that could be so easily dismissed by a rather glib, arrogant young man.
And now I turn again and again to Heaney, seeing in his writing great thought, close observation and honesty, and I am grateful for the time that has passed.
Friday 28 March 2008
Purcell: Choral and Organ Music
****
A very good overview 28 Mar 2008
Purcell is well served on disc these days, with excellent recordings (particularly those by the Kings Consort) easily available. This budget offering from Naxos is entering a crowded marketplace, and, on the surface at least, has little to distinguish it from the competition. The choir is the usual bunch of professionals, polished in word and deed, and the accompaniment comes only from a chamber organ (you don't even get a nice gut of baroque strings to fiddle away in the background (I'm not sure what the collective noun for baroque strings are: a gut seems suitable, but at times I would find "murder" or "mob" more appropriate. Clearly "gaggle" is the only apposite word for a group of oboes.))
So why do I give this disc 4 stars? Well, there is the repertoire: Purcell's full anthems (unlike his verse anthems, which are extended compositions with long solo passages and, as I infer above, orchestral accompaniment) are relatively short, quite condensed compositions, but that is where their quality lies. Often the writing seems closer to the early masters of English Protestant music (think Gibbons and Weelkes) than Vivaldi or Handel, but this is more often than not a strength, as it is Purcell's remarkable gift as a composer to create music which simultaneously allows for clear expression of the text, allied to beautiful and moving music. One need only listen to "O God, Thou art my God" to hear this demonstrated to the fullest extent.
The Oxford Camerata's discography largely consists of Renaissance and Medieval music, but I believe that it is in this, slightly later, repertoire, that Summerly really comes into his own. The balance, blend and quality of the singing is outstanding, and I have enjoyed this CD for many years now (I must have owned it for nearly 10 years). If you want a budget, one-disc introduction to a great composer, buy this.
A very good overview 28 Mar 2008
Purcell is well served on disc these days, with excellent recordings (particularly those by the Kings Consort) easily available. This budget offering from Naxos is entering a crowded marketplace, and, on the surface at least, has little to distinguish it from the competition. The choir is the usual bunch of professionals, polished in word and deed, and the accompaniment comes only from a chamber organ (you don't even get a nice gut of baroque strings to fiddle away in the background (I'm not sure what the collective noun for baroque strings are: a gut seems suitable, but at times I would find "murder" or "mob" more appropriate. Clearly "gaggle" is the only apposite word for a group of oboes.))
So why do I give this disc 4 stars? Well, there is the repertoire: Purcell's full anthems (unlike his verse anthems, which are extended compositions with long solo passages and, as I infer above, orchestral accompaniment) are relatively short, quite condensed compositions, but that is where their quality lies. Often the writing seems closer to the early masters of English Protestant music (think Gibbons and Weelkes) than Vivaldi or Handel, but this is more often than not a strength, as it is Purcell's remarkable gift as a composer to create music which simultaneously allows for clear expression of the text, allied to beautiful and moving music. One need only listen to "O God, Thou art my God" to hear this demonstrated to the fullest extent.
The Oxford Camerata's discography largely consists of Renaissance and Medieval music, but I believe that it is in this, slightly later, repertoire, that Summerly really comes into his own. The balance, blend and quality of the singing is outstanding, and I have enjoyed this CD for many years now (I must have owned it for nearly 10 years). If you want a budget, one-disc introduction to a great composer, buy this.
Wednesday 26 March 2008
A.A. Gill - Previous Convictions
***
As diverting as it is insubstantial 26 Mar 2008
This is a collection of articles and essays by A.A. Gill from a period of about 20 years, covering everything from the Glastonbury festival, to beetles, to modern Haiti. They are, by and large, fairly short piecees, and many are very funny, so they make for entertaining little bursts of reading.
It is not, however, a book which I can enjoy reading for any length of time, and that can be put down to a number of reasons. It must be admitted, I accept, that Gill is an excellent prose stylist, but there is at times a slight glibness about the writing that suggests deep and meaningful insights, but they are never really developed or rewarded. The description is frequently masterful: Gill's evocation of the appalling squalor of Haiti is striking, but it often ends there. But these merits cannot carry the book as a whole.
For this book can never really be successful as a book, simply because of its origins. These are journalistic pieces, and must perforce lack the thoroughness and rigour of more literary writing, regardless of the panache of the prose. When Gill writes about his father's dementia (in what is a touching and thoughtful piece), the reader is offered no more than a brief vignette, with no more than a passing gesture towards the wider issues which the article raises.
So, a recommendation? For holiday reading, or to take on the train, this is a very good book. As a book itself, it is frustrating.
As diverting as it is insubstantial 26 Mar 2008
This is a collection of articles and essays by A.A. Gill from a period of about 20 years, covering everything from the Glastonbury festival, to beetles, to modern Haiti. They are, by and large, fairly short piecees, and many are very funny, so they make for entertaining little bursts of reading.
It is not, however, a book which I can enjoy reading for any length of time, and that can be put down to a number of reasons. It must be admitted, I accept, that Gill is an excellent prose stylist, but there is at times a slight glibness about the writing that suggests deep and meaningful insights, but they are never really developed or rewarded. The description is frequently masterful: Gill's evocation of the appalling squalor of Haiti is striking, but it often ends there. But these merits cannot carry the book as a whole.
For this book can never really be successful as a book, simply because of its origins. These are journalistic pieces, and must perforce lack the thoroughness and rigour of more literary writing, regardless of the panache of the prose. When Gill writes about his father's dementia (in what is a touching and thoughtful piece), the reader is offered no more than a brief vignette, with no more than a passing gesture towards the wider issues which the article raises.
So, a recommendation? For holiday reading, or to take on the train, this is a very good book. As a book itself, it is frustrating.
Thursday 20 March 2008
Schubert - Winterreise
*****
A very fine performance 20 Mar 2008
review in two parts. Part A is for those who don't yet know Schubert's masterpiece, and B is for those who do, and are in the business of choosing a particular recording.
A. "Winterreise" is a song-cycle written by the great Austrian composer Franz Schubert towards the end of his life. The name "song-cycle" can be a little confusing for some people, as it implies that the music begins and ends in the same place. What is the case is that these are narrative works, in which the singer is the main character, and who relates his experiences through a series of songs. In the case of "Winterreise", these songs describe the character's experience of being driven out of his lover's house, and wandering through a frozen landscape. His sanity gradually slips away from him, and he ends up begging from an old hurdy-gurdy player in a village.
The story is, as you can tell, harrowing, in particular because of the momentary glimmers of hope that appear, such as the sound of the post-horn, which the wanderer convinces himself is bringing a letter from his beloved. However, his isolation and abandonment are all too clear to him, and, despite anger and intense longing, he seems at the end to have accepted his fate as one who will forever be cut off from the world.
The music which Schubert uses to tell this story is remarkable both in its simplicity and complexity. He uses one singer, accompanied by a piano, and yet the range of moods and textures which he achieves is itself extraordinary. One can almost see the glitter of leaves at the start of "Der Lindenbaum", and "Der Stuermische Morgen" is as powerful as any orchestral score. What makes these songs so powerful is, though, the intensity of the emotions that run through them: there is no sentimentality here.
So, if you don't yet know "Winterreise", buy it immediately and set aside an evening to immerse yourself in this extraordinary piece of music.
B. Any recording of "Winterreise" is up against some stiff competition from a wide range of different singers, and there is, of course, the gargantuan figure of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau against whom all will be measured. I do not wish to give a blow-by-blow account of where this version differs from its fellows, or which is better for each individual song, but to argue that this live recording has a great deal to offer, and, while not definitive by any means (and wouldn't a definitive version be dull!), is well worth listening to. Goerne is a pupil of Dieskau, and one can detect the old master's influence on his approach, but he is, unlike the older man, a baritone through and through, and his singing reflects this. He is acutely sensitive to the text, he can create a very satisfying range of vocal and emotional colours. Moreover, in this version he is accompanied by the wonderful Alfred Brendel. While Brendel may not be as renowned an accompanist as Graham Johnson (whose complete recording of Schubert's songs has established a new precedent in thoroughness and dedication to the cause), he is one of the finest pianists of his era, and his interaction with Goerne demonstrates his phenomenal musicianship to the full.
As above, I can heartily recommend this version. I have enjoyed it for several years, and I am sure you will do too.
A very fine performance 20 Mar 2008
review in two parts. Part A is for those who don't yet know Schubert's masterpiece, and B is for those who do, and are in the business of choosing a particular recording.
A. "Winterreise" is a song-cycle written by the great Austrian composer Franz Schubert towards the end of his life. The name "song-cycle" can be a little confusing for some people, as it implies that the music begins and ends in the same place. What is the case is that these are narrative works, in which the singer is the main character, and who relates his experiences through a series of songs. In the case of "Winterreise", these songs describe the character's experience of being driven out of his lover's house, and wandering through a frozen landscape. His sanity gradually slips away from him, and he ends up begging from an old hurdy-gurdy player in a village.
The story is, as you can tell, harrowing, in particular because of the momentary glimmers of hope that appear, such as the sound of the post-horn, which the wanderer convinces himself is bringing a letter from his beloved. However, his isolation and abandonment are all too clear to him, and, despite anger and intense longing, he seems at the end to have accepted his fate as one who will forever be cut off from the world.
The music which Schubert uses to tell this story is remarkable both in its simplicity and complexity. He uses one singer, accompanied by a piano, and yet the range of moods and textures which he achieves is itself extraordinary. One can almost see the glitter of leaves at the start of "Der Lindenbaum", and "Der Stuermische Morgen" is as powerful as any orchestral score. What makes these songs so powerful is, though, the intensity of the emotions that run through them: there is no sentimentality here.
So, if you don't yet know "Winterreise", buy it immediately and set aside an evening to immerse yourself in this extraordinary piece of music.
B. Any recording of "Winterreise" is up against some stiff competition from a wide range of different singers, and there is, of course, the gargantuan figure of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau against whom all will be measured. I do not wish to give a blow-by-blow account of where this version differs from its fellows, or which is better for each individual song, but to argue that this live recording has a great deal to offer, and, while not definitive by any means (and wouldn't a definitive version be dull!), is well worth listening to. Goerne is a pupil of Dieskau, and one can detect the old master's influence on his approach, but he is, unlike the older man, a baritone through and through, and his singing reflects this. He is acutely sensitive to the text, he can create a very satisfying range of vocal and emotional colours. Moreover, in this version he is accompanied by the wonderful Alfred Brendel. While Brendel may not be as renowned an accompanist as Graham Johnson (whose complete recording of Schubert's songs has established a new precedent in thoroughness and dedication to the cause), he is one of the finest pianists of his era, and his interaction with Goerne demonstrates his phenomenal musicianship to the full.
As above, I can heartily recommend this version. I have enjoyed it for several years, and I am sure you will do too.
Giles Wemmbley-Hogg: Goes Off, Series 2
*****
Pure Comedy Gold 20 Mar 2008
Marcus Brigestocke is a many of a great many talents, but they all seem to be united in two greater gifts: the first is to make people laugh (a great deal), and the second is to identify and expose the (frequently wilful) short-sightedness which characterises so much of human behaviour. Many will know him from The Now Show on Radio 4, where his angry young man rants against policies and practices that destroy the environment have made him a personal favourite of mine.
But it was in the guise of the delightfully idiotic Giles Wemmbley-Hogg (two m's, two g's, from Budley Salterton) that I first encountered his art, and it remains one of my favourite comedy series for radio. For those who don't know, Wemmbley-Hogg is a rather dim young man, only recently out of Charterhouse, off on his travels around the world. For anyone who has ever "travelled" abroad (and I use the word advisedly: this is not tourism, but rather the backpacking, earnest and frankly impossibly annoying habit of young people on gap years (before, after or during university) who wish to experience a country on an "authentic" level, away from the corrupting influence of modern tourism and western culture. Except that these people largely deserve nothing but contempt: their world view consists largely of vacuous platitudes about how profoundly they have been changed by the poverty/landscape/injustices/local culture that surround them in any given location, and their entire source of knowledge is the Lonely Planet to whichever country is unfortunate enough to have merited their arrival, much like a plague of locusts, this year. These are people who will scoff at anyone who deigns to pay a premium to a rickshaw driver who lives in his vehicle and for whom foreign tourists offer at least a brief respite from the appalling conditions of his existence. These people strut around, deriving almost pornographic pleasure from the poverty of the poor individuals who surround them, and yet whose understanding of local economic or political conditions could be written on the back of a fag packet.) Having written that, I find myself rather liking Giles. He is, frankly, too stupid to hold any of the views which so irritate me, and his bumbling innocence throws light on the more self-serving habits of the "gap-year generation" which he inhabits.
I'm not sure if this is a review, really, but to gesture in that direction, I will say that this is a very, very funny audiobook, and if you enjoyed the first series, you'll love this.
Pure Comedy Gold 20 Mar 2008
Marcus Brigestocke is a many of a great many talents, but they all seem to be united in two greater gifts: the first is to make people laugh (a great deal), and the second is to identify and expose the (frequently wilful) short-sightedness which characterises so much of human behaviour. Many will know him from The Now Show on Radio 4, where his angry young man rants against policies and practices that destroy the environment have made him a personal favourite of mine.
But it was in the guise of the delightfully idiotic Giles Wemmbley-Hogg (two m's, two g's, from Budley Salterton) that I first encountered his art, and it remains one of my favourite comedy series for radio. For those who don't know, Wemmbley-Hogg is a rather dim young man, only recently out of Charterhouse, off on his travels around the world. For anyone who has ever "travelled" abroad (and I use the word advisedly: this is not tourism, but rather the backpacking, earnest and frankly impossibly annoying habit of young people on gap years (before, after or during university) who wish to experience a country on an "authentic" level, away from the corrupting influence of modern tourism and western culture. Except that these people largely deserve nothing but contempt: their world view consists largely of vacuous platitudes about how profoundly they have been changed by the poverty/landscape/injustices/local culture that surround them in any given location, and their entire source of knowledge is the Lonely Planet to whichever country is unfortunate enough to have merited their arrival, much like a plague of locusts, this year. These are people who will scoff at anyone who deigns to pay a premium to a rickshaw driver who lives in his vehicle and for whom foreign tourists offer at least a brief respite from the appalling conditions of his existence. These people strut around, deriving almost pornographic pleasure from the poverty of the poor individuals who surround them, and yet whose understanding of local economic or political conditions could be written on the back of a fag packet.) Having written that, I find myself rather liking Giles. He is, frankly, too stupid to hold any of the views which so irritate me, and his bumbling innocence throws light on the more self-serving habits of the "gap-year generation" which he inhabits.
I'm not sure if this is a review, really, but to gesture in that direction, I will say that this is a very, very funny audiobook, and if you enjoyed the first series, you'll love this.
Lalande: Music for The Sun King
*****
A rarity, and one to be snapped up! 19 Mar 2008
A relatively obscure recording of French baroque church music would seem at first sight to be an unlikely subject of a case at the High Court, but this disc achieved that remarkable notoriety, and was immediately thereafter taken out of print. I do not wish to go into the rights and wrongs of the matter, but the case concerned the extent to which editors of musical scores can claim rights as composers, and, to put it bluntly, the record company lost. Which is a great, great shame, as this really is an excellent disc, presenting music by a composer who has been rather overshadowed by the greater luminaries of his age such as Rameau, Couperin and Lully.
The CD includes two "grand-motettes" (the Te Deum and Venite) which were performed at the court of Louis XIV. Given that King's predilection for all things gold and shiny, it is only natural that the music for the chapel royal should be equally grand. So, to accompany the royal religiosity, we have a large choir, a small choir of soloists and an orchestra replete with brass, wind and percussion. And what a great noise they make! In typical French style the counterpoint is restrained, but the rhythms are elegant, even swinging at times, and contrast is achieved through variety of orchestration and vocal scoring.
The works themselves consist of many short sections, varying in tempo, and many last less than a minute. There are some entirely solo sections, but the majority are either for small groups of soloists or the larger choir, lending a very satisfying variety to the whole.
A real highlight of the disc is the inclusion of the single movement "Panis Angelicus", taken from another motet, and sung quite exquisitely by Caroline Sampson, who possesses an excellent voice for this repertoire. And the same can be said for the other soloists: James Mustard and Jonathan Gunthorpe are outstanding bass soloists, and James Gilchrist and Paul Agnew provide excellent tenor work. The other soprano part is taken by Natalie Clinton-Griffith, whose light tone contrasts pleasingly with Sampson's richer sound. The choir is as good as we have come to expect from Ex Cathedra (that is, very good indeed), and the orchestral playing is full of flair, but always technically spot-on.
So, not only will this disc be an interesting addition to the other banned CDs in your collection, but also provide hours of real listening pleasure.
A rarity, and one to be snapped up! 19 Mar 2008
A relatively obscure recording of French baroque church music would seem at first sight to be an unlikely subject of a case at the High Court, but this disc achieved that remarkable notoriety, and was immediately thereafter taken out of print. I do not wish to go into the rights and wrongs of the matter, but the case concerned the extent to which editors of musical scores can claim rights as composers, and, to put it bluntly, the record company lost. Which is a great, great shame, as this really is an excellent disc, presenting music by a composer who has been rather overshadowed by the greater luminaries of his age such as Rameau, Couperin and Lully.
The CD includes two "grand-motettes" (the Te Deum and Venite) which were performed at the court of Louis XIV. Given that King's predilection for all things gold and shiny, it is only natural that the music for the chapel royal should be equally grand. So, to accompany the royal religiosity, we have a large choir, a small choir of soloists and an orchestra replete with brass, wind and percussion. And what a great noise they make! In typical French style the counterpoint is restrained, but the rhythms are elegant, even swinging at times, and contrast is achieved through variety of orchestration and vocal scoring.
The works themselves consist of many short sections, varying in tempo, and many last less than a minute. There are some entirely solo sections, but the majority are either for small groups of soloists or the larger choir, lending a very satisfying variety to the whole.
A real highlight of the disc is the inclusion of the single movement "Panis Angelicus", taken from another motet, and sung quite exquisitely by Caroline Sampson, who possesses an excellent voice for this repertoire. And the same can be said for the other soloists: James Mustard and Jonathan Gunthorpe are outstanding bass soloists, and James Gilchrist and Paul Agnew provide excellent tenor work. The other soprano part is taken by Natalie Clinton-Griffith, whose light tone contrasts pleasingly with Sampson's richer sound. The choir is as good as we have come to expect from Ex Cathedra (that is, very good indeed), and the orchestral playing is full of flair, but always technically spot-on.
So, not only will this disc be an interesting addition to the other banned CDs in your collection, but also provide hours of real listening pleasure.
Bach: St Matthew Passion
***
Bach for its time 10 Mar 2008
I was once in a pub and overheard a conversation between two elderly chaps, who were praising the virtues of the organ in the church next door (where I had just spent a rather hungover couple of hours rather wishing it would play a little quieter), and they both agreed that "it plays Bach wonderfully". This gave me pause for thought: the instrument is indeed well suited in tone and colour to the energy and counterpoint of Bach's fugues, but surely they have missed the point - it is the player who plays Bach well, not the instrument. Perhaps the same could be said of this version. The singers are, as the other reviewer remarks, the finest of their generation, but Klemperer ultimately uses them in such a fashion as to make the experience of listening to this an exercise more in endurance, rather than a moving spiritual journey.
I have awarded the disc 3 stars, and each of them is well and truly deserved. The most prominent role is of course that of the Evangelist, sung by Peter Pears, who restricts himself to telling the story without too many histrionics or drawing too much attention to himself (it is hard, though, to agree with the other reviewer, who describes Pears as "castrato" - if anything, that term could apply to Bostridge on the more recent recording by Herreweghe. Pears sings with a full tone throughout, and very impressive it is too.) Moreover, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's Christus is a revelation: it is common practice nowadays for Christus to be dark and massive-toned, but the writing itself suggests a baritone, rather than a bass, should sing the role (there are too many top E's for a low bass to be really comfortable.) The result is that Dieskau introduces a calmly reflective quality to the character that is most welcome. Think saving victim, rather than the Church mililtant. The other soloists are also first-rank in every case. Schwarzkopf is a model of control and beautiful tone; Christa Ludwig is gorgeous (if a little swoopy); Gedda is stunning and Walter Berry sings wonderfully. It is interesting to reflect that these were (with the exception of Pears and Dieskau), first and foremost singers of opera, yet the size of their voices does not get in the way at all of the music - rather, it allows more colour and flexibility, especially at the extreme ends of the range, than many modern specialist baroque singers, (and it could be said that this criticism applies more to singers of 20 years ago than now), who often possess one colour which quickly runs out into harshness when drama is called for. It reminds me a little of the recordings Karl Richter made in the 1960s with singers from the Stuttgart Opera.
However, therein lies the difference: Richter was happy to carry over the excitement, colour, and even adrenalin from the operatic stage into his Bach, and it made for a thrilling result. Not, perhaps, as we would do it today, but nonetheless thrilling. Klemperer, however, has taken a different line, opting for reverence over excitement. The other reviewer clearly likes this very much (saying they project "the words with meaning and feeling in good German diction"), but to my ears what they perceive as feeling for the text is in fact an approach that drains the work of dramatic intensity, which cannot be compensated for by good enunciation. In short, it is far too slow, even allowing for the taste of the time, and the opening chorus can only be said to lumber, rather than pulse with menace, as it should. While the soloists are capable of sustaining the arias, the choruses are by and large very dull: where all the meaning of the text is crying out for a dramatic outpouring of sound, the effect is simply pedestrian. Sadly, this is the undoing of the whole disc.
So can I recommend this recording? There is, indeed, much here that no modern conductor could ever even hope to achieve, largely owing to the remarkable range of voices on display. However, it is simply too slow to be genuinely moving. So who should buy it? If you already own other recordings, this is a fascinating insight into how Bach was performed before the "rediscovery" of early music at the end of the 1960s, and the singers recommend themselves with no further qualification needed. However, if you do not yet know this work, I urge you to look elsewhere, perhaps to Gardiner's recording with Rolfe-Johnson as the evangelist, or to Herreweghe's newer disc (marred only by the choice of Ian Bostridge as the storyteller). I myself look forward with great interest to when the outstanding Balthasar-Neumann-Chor from Germany decide to undertake this project.
Bach for its time 10 Mar 2008
I was once in a pub and overheard a conversation between two elderly chaps, who were praising the virtues of the organ in the church next door (where I had just spent a rather hungover couple of hours rather wishing it would play a little quieter), and they both agreed that "it plays Bach wonderfully". This gave me pause for thought: the instrument is indeed well suited in tone and colour to the energy and counterpoint of Bach's fugues, but surely they have missed the point - it is the player who plays Bach well, not the instrument. Perhaps the same could be said of this version. The singers are, as the other reviewer remarks, the finest of their generation, but Klemperer ultimately uses them in such a fashion as to make the experience of listening to this an exercise more in endurance, rather than a moving spiritual journey.
I have awarded the disc 3 stars, and each of them is well and truly deserved. The most prominent role is of course that of the Evangelist, sung by Peter Pears, who restricts himself to telling the story without too many histrionics or drawing too much attention to himself (it is hard, though, to agree with the other reviewer, who describes Pears as "castrato" - if anything, that term could apply to Bostridge on the more recent recording by Herreweghe. Pears sings with a full tone throughout, and very impressive it is too.) Moreover, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's Christus is a revelation: it is common practice nowadays for Christus to be dark and massive-toned, but the writing itself suggests a baritone, rather than a bass, should sing the role (there are too many top E's for a low bass to be really comfortable.) The result is that Dieskau introduces a calmly reflective quality to the character that is most welcome. Think saving victim, rather than the Church mililtant. The other soloists are also first-rank in every case. Schwarzkopf is a model of control and beautiful tone; Christa Ludwig is gorgeous (if a little swoopy); Gedda is stunning and Walter Berry sings wonderfully. It is interesting to reflect that these were (with the exception of Pears and Dieskau), first and foremost singers of opera, yet the size of their voices does not get in the way at all of the music - rather, it allows more colour and flexibility, especially at the extreme ends of the range, than many modern specialist baroque singers, (and it could be said that this criticism applies more to singers of 20 years ago than now), who often possess one colour which quickly runs out into harshness when drama is called for. It reminds me a little of the recordings Karl Richter made in the 1960s with singers from the Stuttgart Opera.
However, therein lies the difference: Richter was happy to carry over the excitement, colour, and even adrenalin from the operatic stage into his Bach, and it made for a thrilling result. Not, perhaps, as we would do it today, but nonetheless thrilling. Klemperer, however, has taken a different line, opting for reverence over excitement. The other reviewer clearly likes this very much (saying they project "the words with meaning and feeling in good German diction"), but to my ears what they perceive as feeling for the text is in fact an approach that drains the work of dramatic intensity, which cannot be compensated for by good enunciation. In short, it is far too slow, even allowing for the taste of the time, and the opening chorus can only be said to lumber, rather than pulse with menace, as it should. While the soloists are capable of sustaining the arias, the choruses are by and large very dull: where all the meaning of the text is crying out for a dramatic outpouring of sound, the effect is simply pedestrian. Sadly, this is the undoing of the whole disc.
So can I recommend this recording? There is, indeed, much here that no modern conductor could ever even hope to achieve, largely owing to the remarkable range of voices on display. However, it is simply too slow to be genuinely moving. So who should buy it? If you already own other recordings, this is a fascinating insight into how Bach was performed before the "rediscovery" of early music at the end of the 1960s, and the singers recommend themselves with no further qualification needed. However, if you do not yet know this work, I urge you to look elsewhere, perhaps to Gardiner's recording with Rolfe-Johnson as the evangelist, or to Herreweghe's newer disc (marred only by the choice of Ian Bostridge as the storyteller). I myself look forward with great interest to when the outstanding Balthasar-Neumann-Chor from Germany decide to undertake this project.
Bach: Matthäus-Passion
****
Very fine, but with some reservations 25 Feb 2008
The St Matthew Passion by Bach occupies a unique place in the world of music: its scale, intensity and expressive range set it apart even from the grandest operas, and yet it is music which was composed for the Good Friday service in Leipzig's Thomaskirche, where Bach was organist. The term "passion" refers to the story of Christ's suffering and crucifixion at Calvary; the bulk of the story is told by a tenor Evangelist and Christ's words are sung by a bass. As was traditional, verses from chorales are placed throughout the work, allowing the congregation to take part in the narrative, and solo singers and choruses are allowed the opportunity to comment or reflect on the action taking place.
This rather dry definition, while giving an impression of the different forms of music to be found herein, but words cannot even come close to the incredible dramatic force which Bach achieves in this work. The music ranges from breathtaking stillness (as in "Aus Liebe", sung by a soprano) to virtuoso solo singing ("Geduld", sung by the tenor, is a fine example), to grandly-scaled choruses (as in "O Mensch, bewein") and fabulously expressive writing for the Evangelist (whose part is incredibly demanding, calling for a top Bb right at the end of the work, after about 3 hours of singing!).
To bring this music to life is, it seems hardly necessary to say, a mammoth task. Not only must a conductor have at his disposal singers and instrumentalists of the highest quality, but also be able to control the drama and pace of a performance lasting over three hours. In the case of this recording, Herreweghe achieves these criteria in almost every respect, and this is a fine disc, although there are some disappointing aspects which should be balanced with the clear strengths.
To deal firstly with the pace and drama of the performance, Herreweghe does a very sound job. The tempos are varied, erring on the quicker side, but very few numbers feel rushed (it is disappointing that the wonderful bass aria "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein", is a little too fast, seeming too restless to my ears). Overall, though, there are very few complaints.
On the subject of singers and musicians, the picture is again largely very positive. The choir is, as a unit, excellent - perfectly in tune and very disciplined, although some of the "step-out" roles (where singers from the choir portray roles such as Herod, Peter and the High Priests) are less successful. The orchestra is outstanding 99% of the time, but it is very disappointing that the viola da gamba player on the bass aria "Komm, suesses Kreuz" seems to be suffering an asthma attack during the piece. While I am all in favour of performers engaging fully with the music, this "heavy breathing" is taking it a step too far.
But what of the soloists? Another reviewer on this page argues that the presence of Ian Bostridge (as the Evangelist) and counter-tenor Andreas Scholl should be enticement enough for any buyer, but I would counsel against getting one's hopes up too much. In the case of Scholl, his tone is, it must be said, fabulous, but at times I feel a little disconnected from the meaning of the music when listening to all this glorious sound - his "Erbarme Dich" is just too forthright to really communicate the sense of a plea for mercy. Bostridge is yet more troubling. I have heard live performances where he makes the most appalling hash of some of the difficult passages (yodelling like a lusty Swiss mountaineer), and he is quite simply far too self-indulgent far too often. While a sense of drama is vital to deliver this passage successfully, he veers at times dangerously close to histrionics, and often gets in the way of the narrative. And at other times his voice just is not very pleasant to listen to. The other singers are a mixed bag. Franz-Josef Selig (Christus), is very fine, with a massive, dark tone, and Werner Güra (tenor arias) is brilliant (he is far too under-rated in this country). The soprano soloist Sibylla Rubens sings beautifully, and is very musical. Less felicitous is the bass soloist Dietrich Henschel, who at times simply runs out of room at the bottom of his range (as in "Mache Dich"), and at others is too monochromatic and metallic to be pleasant to listen to.
So the question remains, can I recommend this CD? On balance, yes, and there is an enormous here to really enjoy. There are other fine recordings around, though (Anthony Rolfe-Johnson on Gardiner's recording is a more listenable Evangelist than Bostridge), so you might want to look at some more reviews before shelling out your £25 for this.
Very fine, but with some reservations 25 Feb 2008
The St Matthew Passion by Bach occupies a unique place in the world of music: its scale, intensity and expressive range set it apart even from the grandest operas, and yet it is music which was composed for the Good Friday service in Leipzig's Thomaskirche, where Bach was organist. The term "passion" refers to the story of Christ's suffering and crucifixion at Calvary; the bulk of the story is told by a tenor Evangelist and Christ's words are sung by a bass. As was traditional, verses from chorales are placed throughout the work, allowing the congregation to take part in the narrative, and solo singers and choruses are allowed the opportunity to comment or reflect on the action taking place.
This rather dry definition, while giving an impression of the different forms of music to be found herein, but words cannot even come close to the incredible dramatic force which Bach achieves in this work. The music ranges from breathtaking stillness (as in "Aus Liebe", sung by a soprano) to virtuoso solo singing ("Geduld", sung by the tenor, is a fine example), to grandly-scaled choruses (as in "O Mensch, bewein") and fabulously expressive writing for the Evangelist (whose part is incredibly demanding, calling for a top Bb right at the end of the work, after about 3 hours of singing!).
To bring this music to life is, it seems hardly necessary to say, a mammoth task. Not only must a conductor have at his disposal singers and instrumentalists of the highest quality, but also be able to control the drama and pace of a performance lasting over three hours. In the case of this recording, Herreweghe achieves these criteria in almost every respect, and this is a fine disc, although there are some disappointing aspects which should be balanced with the clear strengths.
To deal firstly with the pace and drama of the performance, Herreweghe does a very sound job. The tempos are varied, erring on the quicker side, but very few numbers feel rushed (it is disappointing that the wonderful bass aria "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein", is a little too fast, seeming too restless to my ears). Overall, though, there are very few complaints.
On the subject of singers and musicians, the picture is again largely very positive. The choir is, as a unit, excellent - perfectly in tune and very disciplined, although some of the "step-out" roles (where singers from the choir portray roles such as Herod, Peter and the High Priests) are less successful. The orchestra is outstanding 99% of the time, but it is very disappointing that the viola da gamba player on the bass aria "Komm, suesses Kreuz" seems to be suffering an asthma attack during the piece. While I am all in favour of performers engaging fully with the music, this "heavy breathing" is taking it a step too far.
But what of the soloists? Another reviewer on this page argues that the presence of Ian Bostridge (as the Evangelist) and counter-tenor Andreas Scholl should be enticement enough for any buyer, but I would counsel against getting one's hopes up too much. In the case of Scholl, his tone is, it must be said, fabulous, but at times I feel a little disconnected from the meaning of the music when listening to all this glorious sound - his "Erbarme Dich" is just too forthright to really communicate the sense of a plea for mercy. Bostridge is yet more troubling. I have heard live performances where he makes the most appalling hash of some of the difficult passages (yodelling like a lusty Swiss mountaineer), and he is quite simply far too self-indulgent far too often. While a sense of drama is vital to deliver this passage successfully, he veers at times dangerously close to histrionics, and often gets in the way of the narrative. And at other times his voice just is not very pleasant to listen to. The other singers are a mixed bag. Franz-Josef Selig (Christus), is very fine, with a massive, dark tone, and Werner Güra (tenor arias) is brilliant (he is far too under-rated in this country). The soprano soloist Sibylla Rubens sings beautifully, and is very musical. Less felicitous is the bass soloist Dietrich Henschel, who at times simply runs out of room at the bottom of his range (as in "Mache Dich"), and at others is too monochromatic and metallic to be pleasant to listen to.
So the question remains, can I recommend this CD? On balance, yes, and there is an enormous here to really enjoy. There are other fine recordings around, though (Anthony Rolfe-Johnson on Gardiner's recording is a more listenable Evangelist than Bostridge), so you might want to look at some more reviews before shelling out your £25 for this.
Bach - Mass in B minor
*****
A fascinating recording of a masterpiece 17 Feb 2008
As so often with this sort of music, this review must serve two purposes: put simply, some people know the music, and some don't. I'll start with those people who don't know the music, and say that this work by Bach is quite simply one of the greatest achievements in music from all times and all cultures. Taking the words of the Roman Catholic communion service (hence "Mass in B Minor") Bach created a colossal work which ranges from thrilling, exhilarating writing for 8 different voice parts and full orchestra, through to quiet, meditative movements for solo voice which reflect on the essence of what it means to be human. To listen to it from start to finish is a great undertaking: with this recording you will need almost 2 hours, but you can put on any part of it and find what can only be described as music of complete genius. Add it to your collection today.
For those who already know the work, this is a recording that I can recommend wholeheartedly, as it offers a genuinely exciting alternative to the major "brand names" in the Baroque music world. There are very fine recordings by great conductors, with some stellar line-ups of soloists on offer (Herreweghe trumps almost everyone with his incredible array of singers), but this is a breath of fresh air. The Baltasar-Neumann-Ensemble is a relatively new group to join the fray, but it brings with it a director who made his name with some fascinating work on early operas, whose sense of drama and above all of pace sets him apart from his peers. Where Gardiner can at times seem mechanical and hurried, and Herreweghe over-indulgent (at least in his version of the Agnus Dei, no matter how wonderfully Andreas Scholl sings it), Hengelbrock allows slow movements to breathe naturally, but can inject real fire and pace when he needs it (witness the Et Resurrexit).
And this vision of the music is thrillingly brought to life by an outstanding choir and orchestra. Technically there is some breathtaking work on this recording (again to mention the basses on the Et Resurrexit, where in the tricky central passage they fly through the runs with real style, and yet never putting a foot wrong.) The phrasing is incisive and very musical, and the overall effect quite stunning.
Where this recording deliberately sets itself apart from its competitors is in its soloists. Whereas most other groups bring in big names to attract the customers, Hengelbrock makes use of his own singers to "step out" and deliver the various solo and duet arias. These are technically tough works, and while none of the singers has a voice quite as brilliant as a Scholl or Kooy, they give excellent and moving performances. And I believe there is more value to be found here: because the same singers perform both chorus and solo items, the quality of sound is consistent throughout, so that the noise the sopranos make, for example, does not suddenly give way to a welter of full-throated opera for one number, and then switch back to a nice, polite chorus sound. For me this is a very pleasant revelation, and the variety of singers used adds real interest to listening for long periods.
This is a long review, and it has gone on for long enough. Buy this CD.
A fascinating recording of a masterpiece 17 Feb 2008
As so often with this sort of music, this review must serve two purposes: put simply, some people know the music, and some don't. I'll start with those people who don't know the music, and say that this work by Bach is quite simply one of the greatest achievements in music from all times and all cultures. Taking the words of the Roman Catholic communion service (hence "Mass in B Minor") Bach created a colossal work which ranges from thrilling, exhilarating writing for 8 different voice parts and full orchestra, through to quiet, meditative movements for solo voice which reflect on the essence of what it means to be human. To listen to it from start to finish is a great undertaking: with this recording you will need almost 2 hours, but you can put on any part of it and find what can only be described as music of complete genius. Add it to your collection today.
For those who already know the work, this is a recording that I can recommend wholeheartedly, as it offers a genuinely exciting alternative to the major "brand names" in the Baroque music world. There are very fine recordings by great conductors, with some stellar line-ups of soloists on offer (Herreweghe trumps almost everyone with his incredible array of singers), but this is a breath of fresh air. The Baltasar-Neumann-Ensemble is a relatively new group to join the fray, but it brings with it a director who made his name with some fascinating work on early operas, whose sense of drama and above all of pace sets him apart from his peers. Where Gardiner can at times seem mechanical and hurried, and Herreweghe over-indulgent (at least in his version of the Agnus Dei, no matter how wonderfully Andreas Scholl sings it), Hengelbrock allows slow movements to breathe naturally, but can inject real fire and pace when he needs it (witness the Et Resurrexit).
And this vision of the music is thrillingly brought to life by an outstanding choir and orchestra. Technically there is some breathtaking work on this recording (again to mention the basses on the Et Resurrexit, where in the tricky central passage they fly through the runs with real style, and yet never putting a foot wrong.) The phrasing is incisive and very musical, and the overall effect quite stunning.
Where this recording deliberately sets itself apart from its competitors is in its soloists. Whereas most other groups bring in big names to attract the customers, Hengelbrock makes use of his own singers to "step out" and deliver the various solo and duet arias. These are technically tough works, and while none of the singers has a voice quite as brilliant as a Scholl or Kooy, they give excellent and moving performances. And I believe there is more value to be found here: because the same singers perform both chorus and solo items, the quality of sound is consistent throughout, so that the noise the sopranos make, for example, does not suddenly give way to a welter of full-throated opera for one number, and then switch back to a nice, polite chorus sound. For me this is a very pleasant revelation, and the variety of singers used adds real interest to listening for long periods.
This is a long review, and it has gone on for long enough. Buy this CD.
Tye/Mundy: Vocal Works
*****
One of my favourite early music discs 2 Feb 2008
Time has not been particularly kind to either Christopher Tye or William Mundy. In the former's case, the flowering of his genius came just at that crucial time in English musical history when the old Catholic way of life was abandoned, and with it went a spectacular tradition of choral singing. Mundy was young enough at the Reformation to continue composing after the switch to Protestantism, but the musical dogma of that time, which enforced dry, lifeless psalm settings and syllabic hymns, has left his reputation sullied by music he clearly would rather not have written.
Thankfully, though, this disc brings to life the music that these men would have wished to be remembered by. In Mundy's case there is the glorious motet "Peccavimus", which is full of deep Lenten sorrow and powerful emotions, which bears happy comparison with his other great work "Vox Patris" (not on this disc). From Tye there is the sublime mass setting "Euge Bone", a work that can justifiably be described as a true masterpiece of its era. Each movement carries with it a different mood and colour, from the beautifully introspective setting of the Agnus Dei (especially the third "gimel" section for upper voices over a quietly moving bass line) to the majesty of the Sanctus, and the dramatic brilliance of the Benedictus.
Jeremy Summerly's Oxford Camerata give this music a wonderful performance, full of feeling and yet technically outstanding too. The recorded sound here is intimate, and this serves the music well, as you find yourself surrounded and entwined in the weaving, mellifluous lines of the polyphony. I bought this CD nearly somewhere around 9 years ago, and I have never tired of it.
One of my favourite early music discs 2 Feb 2008
Time has not been particularly kind to either Christopher Tye or William Mundy. In the former's case, the flowering of his genius came just at that crucial time in English musical history when the old Catholic way of life was abandoned, and with it went a spectacular tradition of choral singing. Mundy was young enough at the Reformation to continue composing after the switch to Protestantism, but the musical dogma of that time, which enforced dry, lifeless psalm settings and syllabic hymns, has left his reputation sullied by music he clearly would rather not have written.
Thankfully, though, this disc brings to life the music that these men would have wished to be remembered by. In Mundy's case there is the glorious motet "Peccavimus", which is full of deep Lenten sorrow and powerful emotions, which bears happy comparison with his other great work "Vox Patris" (not on this disc). From Tye there is the sublime mass setting "Euge Bone", a work that can justifiably be described as a true masterpiece of its era. Each movement carries with it a different mood and colour, from the beautifully introspective setting of the Agnus Dei (especially the third "gimel" section for upper voices over a quietly moving bass line) to the majesty of the Sanctus, and the dramatic brilliance of the Benedictus.
Jeremy Summerly's Oxford Camerata give this music a wonderful performance, full of feeling and yet technically outstanding too. The recorded sound here is intimate, and this serves the music well, as you find yourself surrounded and entwined in the weaving, mellifluous lines of the polyphony. I bought this CD nearly somewhere around 9 years ago, and I have never tired of it.
Return of the Brecker Brothers
****
A welcome return, but not quite a return to form 1 Feb 2008
The 1970s were a nervy time for jazz: Miles was making electric albums with rude words in the title, Weather Report were producing strange aural soundscapes, and up in New York a bunch of young men with terrifying techniques and amplifiers were scaring the living daylights out of anyone who happened to cross their paths. They were the Brecker Brothers, formed by the brothers Randy (on trumpet) and his tenor-playing brother Michael. Their music was fast, funky and great fun, and perhaps best described by the title of their live album "Heavy-Metal Bebop". But, as is the nature of these things, the group disbanded in the early '80s, and the two men went their separate ways. Both made tons of money playing as session men on other people's albums (and produced some excellent music), and Michael recorded a series of excellent solo albums that were much closer to what one might call "jazz" than the Brecker Brothers material.
But, as is the nature of these things, a record company had the bright idea that, in 1992, the Brecker Brothers might re-form, and get some albums together, and this, The Return of the Brecker Brothers, was the result. And far from mimicking the headlong blowing madness of the seventies, this is a much more urbane affair, drawing together everything from African sounds to abstract funk influences. The opening number - Song for Barry - is a highlight in terms of the originality of the material, and Above and Below demonstrates a much more jazz-led approach to the work, with some great synth playing. Spherical is an exciting tune, and Michael's muscular, light-speed tenor is demonstrated to the full.
Having said that, there are some really dire numbers which go little further than providing a hip-hop loop for the brothers to blow over (King of the Lobby is awful, and Randy's comic vocal on That's All There Is To It does no-one any favours).
So this isn't a classic album, treading as it does a slightly unsteady path between lift-music and great arrangements, but it does provide some very enjoyable music. If you want my advice, get their follow-up album Out of the Loop, or, even better, go for the really early 70s stuff like East River, which has aged much better than this.
A welcome return, but not quite a return to form 1 Feb 2008
The 1970s were a nervy time for jazz: Miles was making electric albums with rude words in the title, Weather Report were producing strange aural soundscapes, and up in New York a bunch of young men with terrifying techniques and amplifiers were scaring the living daylights out of anyone who happened to cross their paths. They were the Brecker Brothers, formed by the brothers Randy (on trumpet) and his tenor-playing brother Michael. Their music was fast, funky and great fun, and perhaps best described by the title of their live album "Heavy-Metal Bebop". But, as is the nature of these things, the group disbanded in the early '80s, and the two men went their separate ways. Both made tons of money playing as session men on other people's albums (and produced some excellent music), and Michael recorded a series of excellent solo albums that were much closer to what one might call "jazz" than the Brecker Brothers material.
But, as is the nature of these things, a record company had the bright idea that, in 1992, the Brecker Brothers might re-form, and get some albums together, and this, The Return of the Brecker Brothers, was the result. And far from mimicking the headlong blowing madness of the seventies, this is a much more urbane affair, drawing together everything from African sounds to abstract funk influences. The opening number - Song for Barry - is a highlight in terms of the originality of the material, and Above and Below demonstrates a much more jazz-led approach to the work, with some great synth playing. Spherical is an exciting tune, and Michael's muscular, light-speed tenor is demonstrated to the full.
Having said that, there are some really dire numbers which go little further than providing a hip-hop loop for the brothers to blow over (King of the Lobby is awful, and Randy's comic vocal on That's All There Is To It does no-one any favours).
So this isn't a classic album, treading as it does a slightly unsteady path between lift-music and great arrangements, but it does provide some very enjoyable music. If you want my advice, get their follow-up album Out of the Loop, or, even better, go for the really early 70s stuff like East River, which has aged much better than this.
Anita O'day Swings Cole Porter With Billy May
****
Swinging and great fun 31 Jan 2008
Anita O'day is one of those jazz singers whose career never quite hit the heights of the greats (think Ella, Lady Day, Sarah Vaughan), but whose contribution to the music is considerable. Early records show a young woman with a big, powerful voice, and this later offering provides just as much punch, but with more finesse and style. The repertoire is great - all the classic Cole Porter songs are here - and the arrangements swing all the way. It's hardly revolutionary stuff, but then it is a hugely enjoyable jazz record that has given me several years of listening pleasure.
Swinging and great fun 31 Jan 2008
Anita O'day is one of those jazz singers whose career never quite hit the heights of the greats (think Ella, Lady Day, Sarah Vaughan), but whose contribution to the music is considerable. Early records show a young woman with a big, powerful voice, and this later offering provides just as much punch, but with more finesse and style. The repertoire is great - all the classic Cole Porter songs are here - and the arrangements swing all the way. It's hardly revolutionary stuff, but then it is a hugely enjoyable jazz record that has given me several years of listening pleasure.
Madrigals for a Tudor King
****
Very good singing indeed 10 Jan 2008
This disc has appeared on the Obsidian label, new to the music marketplace in 2007, but their first few offerings have been very well received in the press. Reading a little between the lines, it seems that Obsidian is the means by which Alamire, also a new entrant to the cut-throat world of early music, can get their recordings out into the wide world, but it would be entirely unfair to accuse this of being a vanity project: these are serious records of serious music for serious listeners, exploring parts of the repertoire that are poorly represented on disc.
This is not, however, to suggest that the music is of that variety which, when first you hear it, causes you to think "now I see why this has been left unrecorded for so long." It must be admitted that there is occasionally a habit among aficionados of square notes and Latin texts to confuse new discoveries with quality, but in this case the repertoire being presented is of genuine worth, and it is given sensitive and thoughtful performances.
Verdelot belongs to that generation of composers which have come somewhat into vogue in the past three or so years among the early music scene, as he lived between the two apparent golden ages of Renaissance music: those of Josquin and Palestrina. Both of those seams have been heavily mined by every ensemble out there: The Clerks Group have made outstanding discs of Josquin, Obrecht and Ockeghem; the Tallis Scholars have made Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli their own; and the Cardinall's Musick have given Byrd a truly memorable series of recordings. The period around 1520-1550, at least for music from Continental Europe, however, has been a little overlooked: in England the last of the great Catholic composers were enjoying their polyphonic heyday (think Taverner, Sheppard and Ludford), and much has been recorded from that time, but on the continent it is only really Gombert and Morales who from this period have attained any real fame in the modern era (and Gombert was only dragged out of the specialists' clutches by the Tallis Scholars in their relatively recent disc of his Magnificats.) As such, it would be fair to say that Philippe Verdelot's name is one which, although known to many who perform and listen to early music, is not rated alongside greater luminaries of his age.
And that is not to say that he deserves to be considered an equal to Tallis or Josquin, but that he wrote some very fine, very moving music which is very enjoyable indeed to listen to when sung by a good group such as Alamire. These madrigals are all very short (the longest is just over three and a half minutes) and set texts in Italian by Petrarch, Machiavelli and other lesser known writers. Some are for six voices, but most bring together fewer singers to the accompaniment of lute or harp. This allows for a very pleasing diversity of moods, sonorities and textures, demonstrating expressive solo singing and some expert ensemble work.
Alamire clearly are well-worth looking out for, especially if they continue producing discs of this interest and quality. A very worthwhile addition to your collection.
Very good singing indeed 10 Jan 2008
This disc has appeared on the Obsidian label, new to the music marketplace in 2007, but their first few offerings have been very well received in the press. Reading a little between the lines, it seems that Obsidian is the means by which Alamire, also a new entrant to the cut-throat world of early music, can get their recordings out into the wide world, but it would be entirely unfair to accuse this of being a vanity project: these are serious records of serious music for serious listeners, exploring parts of the repertoire that are poorly represented on disc.
This is not, however, to suggest that the music is of that variety which, when first you hear it, causes you to think "now I see why this has been left unrecorded for so long." It must be admitted that there is occasionally a habit among aficionados of square notes and Latin texts to confuse new discoveries with quality, but in this case the repertoire being presented is of genuine worth, and it is given sensitive and thoughtful performances.
Verdelot belongs to that generation of composers which have come somewhat into vogue in the past three or so years among the early music scene, as he lived between the two apparent golden ages of Renaissance music: those of Josquin and Palestrina. Both of those seams have been heavily mined by every ensemble out there: The Clerks Group have made outstanding discs of Josquin, Obrecht and Ockeghem; the Tallis Scholars have made Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli their own; and the Cardinall's Musick have given Byrd a truly memorable series of recordings. The period around 1520-1550, at least for music from Continental Europe, however, has been a little overlooked: in England the last of the great Catholic composers were enjoying their polyphonic heyday (think Taverner, Sheppard and Ludford), and much has been recorded from that time, but on the continent it is only really Gombert and Morales who from this period have attained any real fame in the modern era (and Gombert was only dragged out of the specialists' clutches by the Tallis Scholars in their relatively recent disc of his Magnificats.) As such, it would be fair to say that Philippe Verdelot's name is one which, although known to many who perform and listen to early music, is not rated alongside greater luminaries of his age.
And that is not to say that he deserves to be considered an equal to Tallis or Josquin, but that he wrote some very fine, very moving music which is very enjoyable indeed to listen to when sung by a good group such as Alamire. These madrigals are all very short (the longest is just over three and a half minutes) and set texts in Italian by Petrarch, Machiavelli and other lesser known writers. Some are for six voices, but most bring together fewer singers to the accompaniment of lute or harp. This allows for a very pleasing diversity of moods, sonorities and textures, demonstrating expressive solo singing and some expert ensemble work.
Alamire clearly are well-worth looking out for, especially if they continue producing discs of this interest and quality. A very worthwhile addition to your collection.
Cowon iAUDIO A3 60GB
*****
Expensive, but exceptional 1 Jan 2008
Rocking in at almost double the price of the most expensive iPod, this most recent portable media player from Cowon would seem to have an almost impossible task if it is to win hearts, minds and customers away from Apple's all-conquering mp3 player. Its strength, however, comes from the fact that it deliberately avoids taking Apple on at a game they've got pretty much stitched up, and offers features and functionality that make the iPod look like nothing more than a beautifully presented toy for grownups.
Cowon have never been big in the UK market, but they are hugely popular in the US and Asia, and are widely regarded as manufacturers of very high quality products aimed at "serious" users. The a3 fits this model in every way, offering functionality that requires a degree of learning to make the most of, but the flexibility and quality are outstanding.
What attracted me to this player is the sheer range of formats (both music and video) that it supports, and the simplicity of using it. It requires no specific software to use (unlike the distinctly clunky Creative Media Browser or the appalling iTunes), and is customisable in almost every possible way. The sound quality is brilliant: I used to own an iRiver H320 which beat any iPod in terms of sound, yet this, when listened to through my Sennheiser PX100s, offers spacious, lively sound with excellent bass and clear treble. I have tried it with everything from heavy-duty drum'n'bass through to Grieg songs for soprano and piano, and it is perfectly comfortable with all of them.
Another important feature for me was the recording function this offers. For a brief period I owned a Creative Zen Vision:M, which offered a record function, but only through the dreadful built-in microphone. I recently recorded a rehearsal of solo voice and piano using a Sony microphone in FLAC (lossless) format (a range of mp3 formats are also available) and the results were terriffic. And what's more, this machine can record video too! I've not had the chance to try it, but one needs only to plug a TV or DVD into the machine and it will record and encode the file (at a range of different qualities depending on your needs).
Playing this lot back is a pleasure in the simplicity of the interface, which is mostly controlled through a small "jog-lever". There are four buttons, three of which offer different functions according to the context (which is always clearly displayed at the bottom of the screen). And this brings me on to the screen. It is quite simply outstanding. It is large, clear and bright, and can be read easily from any angle, so when it comes to viewing photos or films it really is excellent.
This is not an iPod killer, and never sets out to be, but rather an excellent piece of equipment for people who take listening to, watching and recording media seriously.
Expensive, but exceptional 1 Jan 2008
Rocking in at almost double the price of the most expensive iPod, this most recent portable media player from Cowon would seem to have an almost impossible task if it is to win hearts, minds and customers away from Apple's all-conquering mp3 player. Its strength, however, comes from the fact that it deliberately avoids taking Apple on at a game they've got pretty much stitched up, and offers features and functionality that make the iPod look like nothing more than a beautifully presented toy for grownups.
Cowon have never been big in the UK market, but they are hugely popular in the US and Asia, and are widely regarded as manufacturers of very high quality products aimed at "serious" users. The a3 fits this model in every way, offering functionality that requires a degree of learning to make the most of, but the flexibility and quality are outstanding.
What attracted me to this player is the sheer range of formats (both music and video) that it supports, and the simplicity of using it. It requires no specific software to use (unlike the distinctly clunky Creative Media Browser or the appalling iTunes), and is customisable in almost every possible way. The sound quality is brilliant: I used to own an iRiver H320 which beat any iPod in terms of sound, yet this, when listened to through my Sennheiser PX100s, offers spacious, lively sound with excellent bass and clear treble. I have tried it with everything from heavy-duty drum'n'bass through to Grieg songs for soprano and piano, and it is perfectly comfortable with all of them.
Another important feature for me was the recording function this offers. For a brief period I owned a Creative Zen Vision:M, which offered a record function, but only through the dreadful built-in microphone. I recently recorded a rehearsal of solo voice and piano using a Sony microphone in FLAC (lossless) format (a range of mp3 formats are also available) and the results were terriffic. And what's more, this machine can record video too! I've not had the chance to try it, but one needs only to plug a TV or DVD into the machine and it will record and encode the file (at a range of different qualities depending on your needs).
Playing this lot back is a pleasure in the simplicity of the interface, which is mostly controlled through a small "jog-lever". There are four buttons, three of which offer different functions according to the context (which is always clearly displayed at the bottom of the screen). And this brings me on to the screen. It is quite simply outstanding. It is large, clear and bright, and can be read easily from any angle, so when it comes to viewing photos or films it really is excellent.
This is not an iPod killer, and never sets out to be, but rather an excellent piece of equipment for people who take listening to, watching and recording media seriously.
Song of the Black Swan
*****
Excellent disc 28 Dec 2007
I first encountered these performances on Radio 3, where I was impressed by the beauty of line and musicality of the playing by both Blake and Webb. Listening to the whole disc has confirmed these impressions, and given me the great pleasure of an hour or so's utterly charming music.
All but two of the works are arrangements from other sources, including some song adaptations, and the results are sensitive and musically very satisfying. As Webb remarks in her liner notes, the sonorities of the two instruments are "obviously complimentary", yet the two performers have achieved a rich range of textures, dynamics and moods across the 19 tracks on offer. Above all, though, there is none of the aggressive quality which a piano can bring to music in this performance, and the abiding impression is one of calm reflection, even in the more lively pieces.
It is frequently the case that arrangements of famous works are looked at askance by "serious" classical music fans, yet this disc presents works from composers as diverse as Lennox Berkely, Gershwin and Debussy in a new and excellent way.
Excellent disc 28 Dec 2007
I first encountered these performances on Radio 3, where I was impressed by the beauty of line and musicality of the playing by both Blake and Webb. Listening to the whole disc has confirmed these impressions, and given me the great pleasure of an hour or so's utterly charming music.
All but two of the works are arrangements from other sources, including some song adaptations, and the results are sensitive and musically very satisfying. As Webb remarks in her liner notes, the sonorities of the two instruments are "obviously complimentary", yet the two performers have achieved a rich range of textures, dynamics and moods across the 19 tracks on offer. Above all, though, there is none of the aggressive quality which a piano can bring to music in this performance, and the abiding impression is one of calm reflection, even in the more lively pieces.
It is frequently the case that arrangements of famous works are looked at askance by "serious" classical music fans, yet this disc presents works from composers as diverse as Lennox Berkely, Gershwin and Debussy in a new and excellent way.
The Cambridge Companion to John Donne
*****
An excellent overview 28 Oct 2007
The Cambridge Companions series really is a godsend to anyone looking for a well edited, thorough, and yet also manageable guide to an author's output, and this Companion to John Donne is as good as any I have used to date. The 16 essays cover all the ground one would expect of a volume such as this, including a useful biography, and thematic overviews of the main areas of his writing. The quality of the contributors is very high indeed (only Judith Sherer Herz, in her postmodern take on "Reading and rereading Donne's poetry", allows herself to slip into the jargon (and consequent sloppiness of thought) of Lit.Crit.
There are, however, some gems on offer here, and the book is worth the purchase alone for A.S. Byatt's wonderful meditation on Donne which concludes the volume. Somehow it seems right that the final word on a great poet should be given to a writer of great sensitivity and thoughtfulness, rather than an English Professor with a sharpened pen and a department to run.
This is clearly aimed at undergraduates and above: if you are doing Donne for your A-levels then I suggest the York Notes volume would suit you better, but for anyone studying or teaching the great man, this is an indispensable starting point for reflection and research.
An excellent overview 28 Oct 2007
The Cambridge Companions series really is a godsend to anyone looking for a well edited, thorough, and yet also manageable guide to an author's output, and this Companion to John Donne is as good as any I have used to date. The 16 essays cover all the ground one would expect of a volume such as this, including a useful biography, and thematic overviews of the main areas of his writing. The quality of the contributors is very high indeed (only Judith Sherer Herz, in her postmodern take on "Reading and rereading Donne's poetry", allows herself to slip into the jargon (and consequent sloppiness of thought) of Lit.Crit.
There are, however, some gems on offer here, and the book is worth the purchase alone for A.S. Byatt's wonderful meditation on Donne which concludes the volume. Somehow it seems right that the final word on a great poet should be given to a writer of great sensitivity and thoughtfulness, rather than an English Professor with a sharpened pen and a department to run.
This is clearly aimed at undergraduates and above: if you are doing Donne for your A-levels then I suggest the York Notes volume would suit you better, but for anyone studying or teaching the great man, this is an indispensable starting point for reflection and research.
Annie Proulx - Postcards
****
Not perfect, but imaginative and striking 28 Oct 2007
Some people really do not like this book. Some have given it one star in a review, and others have complained that it does not stand up next to Proulx's much more famous "The Shipping News", yet I feel moved to come to its defence. This is Proulx's first novel, and, for those who do now know the storyline, it begins with the collapse of a family unit on a small farm and goes on to chart the progress (in inverted commas) of the members of that family across the geography and time of the United States in the 20th century.
The fiercest accusation levelled at this book is that it lacks a plot, and I would be inclined to agree, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, I often find that otherwise good books are spoiled by their plots, and many of my favourites have no plot at all. This is an episodic, thematic approach to writing, but one could argue that this is perhaps closer to how we experience the world than a meticulously planned thriller which leads you by the nose to its ravishing conclusion.
Proulx does take a gloomy view of the world in this book, but again that is to be applauded, but that places it in a very fine tradition of American writing (think of how relentlessly depressing "The Grapes of Wrath" is, and that book is twice as long as this). It is not perfect, and it needs to be read quickly for it not to become slightly tiresome, but it is a fine, and adventurous piece of fiction.
Not perfect, but imaginative and striking 28 Oct 2007
Some people really do not like this book. Some have given it one star in a review, and others have complained that it does not stand up next to Proulx's much more famous "The Shipping News", yet I feel moved to come to its defence. This is Proulx's first novel, and, for those who do now know the storyline, it begins with the collapse of a family unit on a small farm and goes on to chart the progress (in inverted commas) of the members of that family across the geography and time of the United States in the 20th century.
The fiercest accusation levelled at this book is that it lacks a plot, and I would be inclined to agree, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, I often find that otherwise good books are spoiled by their plots, and many of my favourites have no plot at all. This is an episodic, thematic approach to writing, but one could argue that this is perhaps closer to how we experience the world than a meticulously planned thriller which leads you by the nose to its ravishing conclusion.
Proulx does take a gloomy view of the world in this book, but again that is to be applauded, but that places it in a very fine tradition of American writing (think of how relentlessly depressing "The Grapes of Wrath" is, and that book is twice as long as this). It is not perfect, and it needs to be read quickly for it not to become slightly tiresome, but it is a fine, and adventurous piece of fiction.
Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet
*****
Wonderful music 28 Oct 2007
1956 was a good year for Miles Davis. In two days in the studio he fulfilled the requirements of his contract with Prestige, and produced four brilliant albums to boot. The band - the first "great quintet" of Davis, Coltrane, Garland, Jones and Chambers - was playing supremely well, and the material was an exciting mix of perfectly-delivered standards and newer jazz compositions.
It would be wrong to argue that any one of the four albums recorded in 1956 (the others are Relaxin', Workin' and Steamin' all "with the Miles Davis Quintet") is better than the others, as each demonstrates moments of inspired genius in different ways, but this is for me one to which I turn more frequently than the others. There is one obvious reason for this, which is Paul Chambers' bass playing on "My Funny Valentine", yet the overall effect is important too. This feels like a club set, with its mix of easy swing and straightahead workouts, and the final pairing of Tune-Up and When Lights are Low works brilliantly.
As I suggested in my review of Relaxin, this is an album that every lover of jazz music simply must own, but its appeal will stretch far beyond this one corner of the musical world. Anyone with a serious interest in music will find here imagination, musicianship and playing of the very highest order, and one of the great albums of the 20th century.
Wonderful music 28 Oct 2007
1956 was a good year for Miles Davis. In two days in the studio he fulfilled the requirements of his contract with Prestige, and produced four brilliant albums to boot. The band - the first "great quintet" of Davis, Coltrane, Garland, Jones and Chambers - was playing supremely well, and the material was an exciting mix of perfectly-delivered standards and newer jazz compositions.
It would be wrong to argue that any one of the four albums recorded in 1956 (the others are Relaxin', Workin' and Steamin' all "with the Miles Davis Quintet") is better than the others, as each demonstrates moments of inspired genius in different ways, but this is for me one to which I turn more frequently than the others. There is one obvious reason for this, which is Paul Chambers' bass playing on "My Funny Valentine", yet the overall effect is important too. This feels like a club set, with its mix of easy swing and straightahead workouts, and the final pairing of Tune-Up and When Lights are Low works brilliantly.
As I suggested in my review of Relaxin, this is an album that every lover of jazz music simply must own, but its appeal will stretch far beyond this one corner of the musical world. Anyone with a serious interest in music will find here imagination, musicianship and playing of the very highest order, and one of the great albums of the 20th century.
Relaxin' With The Miles Davis Quintet
*****
Iconic, and rightly so 27 Oct 2007
This is one of four albums recorded in a remarkable two day session when Miles was working to finish a contract with Impulse records so that he could start a more lucrative deal with Columbia. He had four discs left to make, so he simply took his band into the studio and recorded non-stop.
This description may make the results seem underwhelming, but one or two caveats should be made: firstly, the band ought to be described. This was the first of Miles' two great quintets, featuring John Coltrane on tenor, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. It is perhaps no exaggeration that Coltrane, Chambers and Jones were each the finest performers on their respective instruments, and Garland was himself a very very talented musician indeed.
And the nature of the session left its mark on the performances. Whereas Miles' later albums would each bear the mark of a distinct artistic project, these were as close as it is possible to get to "live" studio performances of the repertoire that this group played day in, day out. As a result there may be less sense of breaking new ground, there is a terrific sense of five men working in absolute harmony with one another, interacting on a level that defies rational explanation. The playing is quite simply phenomenal, from the swinging opening number through to the headlong drive of "Oleo" and the charming "It Could Happen To You".
This is an album that every lover of music should own. Fans of jazz music must have a remarkable document in the history of a one of the greatest groups in the history of the genre. Everyone else will be getting a disc of wonderful, exciting, thrillingly played music that represents a true genius at work. To coin a phrase from M&S, this is more than just jazz music: this is a masterpiece.
Iconic, and rightly so 27 Oct 2007
This is one of four albums recorded in a remarkable two day session when Miles was working to finish a contract with Impulse records so that he could start a more lucrative deal with Columbia. He had four discs left to make, so he simply took his band into the studio and recorded non-stop.
This description may make the results seem underwhelming, but one or two caveats should be made: firstly, the band ought to be described. This was the first of Miles' two great quintets, featuring John Coltrane on tenor, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. It is perhaps no exaggeration that Coltrane, Chambers and Jones were each the finest performers on their respective instruments, and Garland was himself a very very talented musician indeed.
And the nature of the session left its mark on the performances. Whereas Miles' later albums would each bear the mark of a distinct artistic project, these were as close as it is possible to get to "live" studio performances of the repertoire that this group played day in, day out. As a result there may be less sense of breaking new ground, there is a terrific sense of five men working in absolute harmony with one another, interacting on a level that defies rational explanation. The playing is quite simply phenomenal, from the swinging opening number through to the headlong drive of "Oleo" and the charming "It Could Happen To You".
This is an album that every lover of music should own. Fans of jazz music must have a remarkable document in the history of a one of the greatest groups in the history of the genre. Everyone else will be getting a disc of wonderful, exciting, thrillingly played music that represents a true genius at work. To coin a phrase from M&S, this is more than just jazz music: this is a masterpiece.
Debussy; Dutilleux; Ravel - String Quartets
*****
Excellent repertoire played by an excellent ensemble 26 Oct 2007
This review must, I suppose, serve two purposes. If on the one hand you do not know the Ravel or Debussy string quartets, buy this cd immediately. This is music of the highest quality, written by composers at the height of their powers, which demonstrates their unique gifts for melody and colour.
For those who might be comparing different discs, then I can make the same recommendation as above, and without the slightest reservation. The Belcea Quartet are one of the most talented new groups performing this repertoire, and they are rapidly establishing themselves as serious competition for the older and more famous groups out there. This is an excellent performance.
Excellent repertoire played by an excellent ensemble 26 Oct 2007
This review must, I suppose, serve two purposes. If on the one hand you do not know the Ravel or Debussy string quartets, buy this cd immediately. This is music of the highest quality, written by composers at the height of their powers, which demonstrates their unique gifts for melody and colour.
For those who might be comparing different discs, then I can make the same recommendation as above, and without the slightest reservation. The Belcea Quartet are one of the most talented new groups performing this repertoire, and they are rapidly establishing themselves as serious competition for the older and more famous groups out there. This is an excellent performance.
The Green Mile
***
Compelling, but questionable 26 Oct 2007
There is something compelling about setting a film which explores the resilience of the human condition in a prison, and many good movies have come of it. The most famous, and one which all too often is claimed to be someone's "favourite film", is The Shawshank Redemption, but there are of course countless other, and better examples. This epic (it runs at well over 3 hours) seems cast very much in Shawshank's mould, and it is a gripping narrative, but it is not without some major flaws.
The storyline, which is very simple and clearly signposted from the beginning, concerns the Death Row block in a prison in a Southern gaol which bears the nickname "The Green Mile". Its chief warder, Paul Edgecomb (played by Tom Hanks), is a man of good manners, grace and consideration, both to his colleagues and inmates, and the world over which he presides should be a happy one. However, this is a Hollywood movie, so of course he has a bladder infection and the nephew of the state governor's wife (played by Doug Hutchison) is a small-minded, almost psychopathic youth whose motivation for working on the Mile is to see people fry. So much, so predictable. The prisoners range from the silent and meaningful Native American Arlen Bitterbuck to the "problem child" Wild Bill Wharton (who neither really wild nor problematic at all, and would certainly not cause a hardened prison guard even the slightest concern), but the overwhelming impression is that these are "good guys" who did something stoopid and now have to pay for it all with their lives.
And then there is John Coffey, a character of true Stephen King vintage. This giant of a man (and he is played magnificently by Michael Clerk Duncan) is brought in convicted of the murder of two little girls, having been found cradling their blood-stained corpses in his arms. He, however, can barely string a sentence together, yet possesses magical healing powers which can restore health to both Tom Hanks (more's the pity) and a pet mouse (which out-acts Hanks for every second it's on screen).
So what does this film do well? As I have suggested above, it is a gripping narrative, and the slow pace never drags. Moreover, there are some excellent performances (if a little too much in the "dryly humorous good-natured Southerner" mould from the supporting cast (led by David Morse). The camera-work is at times imaginative, and the locations outside the prison are full of southern grandeur. There are even moments of wit, and the tear-jerking is kept to a minimum.
Unfortunately, there is an awful lot wrong with this film. Firstly, Hanks is ridiculously one-dimensional as a character, relying on the twinkle in his eye and good manners to get him in and out of any situation. Never once does he hint at human weakness (his tearful confession of doubt to his wife feels like an afterthought), and the effect of this is to turn the story in to a fairy-tale, which renders its moral value void. Moreover, there are points in the film when the direction degenerates into pure pantomime, such as during the execution of the loveable madman Eduard Delacroix). Simply put, the scene goes on far too long and turns what should have been a shocking, appalling act of cruelty into a ludicrous sequence of cliches and over-the-top acting. And while I do not wish to spoil the ending, it should be noted that the coda (in which Edgecomb reflects on his life since those dramatic events on the Green Mile) undoes all the good work of the movie to that point.
These flaws (and they are only a selection) are, however, subsidiary to the fundamental problem with the film, which is the assumptions about race that the viewer is invited to make in order to believe the premise of the story. In essence, it would be impossible to make this film the other way around, with black prison guards and an old white prisoner, because our cultural expectations of black people differ so markedly from those of European origin. Non-white people are, if this film is to be believed, mystical and mysterious, in touch with strange forces that lie beyond the bounds of science and rational inquiry, yet which return us to those origins which we had forgotten. The figure of the illiterate, retarded black giant (all bulging muscles, sinews and sweating skin) is only a step away from the much more unpleasant images of Uncle Tom that once were all too common in our culture. Time and space do not permit me to explore this idea further, but movies like this, with their comfortably reassuring reassertion that whites learn something from blacks but don't really get forced to change the social order in any significant way, do perhaps more harm than good.
Compelling, but questionable 26 Oct 2007
There is something compelling about setting a film which explores the resilience of the human condition in a prison, and many good movies have come of it. The most famous, and one which all too often is claimed to be someone's "favourite film", is The Shawshank Redemption, but there are of course countless other, and better examples. This epic (it runs at well over 3 hours) seems cast very much in Shawshank's mould, and it is a gripping narrative, but it is not without some major flaws.
The storyline, which is very simple and clearly signposted from the beginning, concerns the Death Row block in a prison in a Southern gaol which bears the nickname "The Green Mile". Its chief warder, Paul Edgecomb (played by Tom Hanks), is a man of good manners, grace and consideration, both to his colleagues and inmates, and the world over which he presides should be a happy one. However, this is a Hollywood movie, so of course he has a bladder infection and the nephew of the state governor's wife (played by Doug Hutchison) is a small-minded, almost psychopathic youth whose motivation for working on the Mile is to see people fry. So much, so predictable. The prisoners range from the silent and meaningful Native American Arlen Bitterbuck to the "problem child" Wild Bill Wharton (who neither really wild nor problematic at all, and would certainly not cause a hardened prison guard even the slightest concern), but the overwhelming impression is that these are "good guys" who did something stoopid and now have to pay for it all with their lives.
And then there is John Coffey, a character of true Stephen King vintage. This giant of a man (and he is played magnificently by Michael Clerk Duncan) is brought in convicted of the murder of two little girls, having been found cradling their blood-stained corpses in his arms. He, however, can barely string a sentence together, yet possesses magical healing powers which can restore health to both Tom Hanks (more's the pity) and a pet mouse (which out-acts Hanks for every second it's on screen).
So what does this film do well? As I have suggested above, it is a gripping narrative, and the slow pace never drags. Moreover, there are some excellent performances (if a little too much in the "dryly humorous good-natured Southerner" mould from the supporting cast (led by David Morse). The camera-work is at times imaginative, and the locations outside the prison are full of southern grandeur. There are even moments of wit, and the tear-jerking is kept to a minimum.
Unfortunately, there is an awful lot wrong with this film. Firstly, Hanks is ridiculously one-dimensional as a character, relying on the twinkle in his eye and good manners to get him in and out of any situation. Never once does he hint at human weakness (his tearful confession of doubt to his wife feels like an afterthought), and the effect of this is to turn the story in to a fairy-tale, which renders its moral value void. Moreover, there are points in the film when the direction degenerates into pure pantomime, such as during the execution of the loveable madman Eduard Delacroix). Simply put, the scene goes on far too long and turns what should have been a shocking, appalling act of cruelty into a ludicrous sequence of cliches and over-the-top acting. And while I do not wish to spoil the ending, it should be noted that the coda (in which Edgecomb reflects on his life since those dramatic events on the Green Mile) undoes all the good work of the movie to that point.
These flaws (and they are only a selection) are, however, subsidiary to the fundamental problem with the film, which is the assumptions about race that the viewer is invited to make in order to believe the premise of the story. In essence, it would be impossible to make this film the other way around, with black prison guards and an old white prisoner, because our cultural expectations of black people differ so markedly from those of European origin. Non-white people are, if this film is to be believed, mystical and mysterious, in touch with strange forces that lie beyond the bounds of science and rational inquiry, yet which return us to those origins which we had forgotten. The figure of the illiterate, retarded black giant (all bulging muscles, sinews and sweating skin) is only a step away from the much more unpleasant images of Uncle Tom that once were all too common in our culture. Time and space do not permit me to explore this idea further, but movies like this, with their comfortably reassuring reassertion that whites learn something from blacks but don't really get forced to change the social order in any significant way, do perhaps more harm than good.
Bach: Cantatas, BWV140 & 147
***
Not entirely successful 25 Oct 2007
Of the two cantatas on offer on this disc the first, "Wachet Auf", has become hugely well known through innumerable alternative versions of its central movement, in which the choral melody is accompanied by an utterly charming string obbligato. As a whole work, however, it is not well represented in recordings, and does not often receive live performances. A brief survey of other discs currently available returned only the old Helmut Rilling recording from the 1960s, a more recent version by Harnoncourt, and some other sessions by ensembles I had never heard of. It has not yet appeared on Gardiner's beautifully packaged new versions, and Suzuki's Bach Collegium Japan have also neglected it thus far.
In all honesty, I must admit that their decisions seem justified when one engages with the music itself, as this is not Bach's finest hour. True, there are some moments of sublime inspiration, but much of "Wachet Auf" seems distinctly workmanlike: the opening chorus, for example, wears very thin very quickly, and the two duets between soprano and bass (representing the soul and Christ) seem fidgety and almost slightly rushed. The second cantata ("Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben") is a more ambitious and overall much more successful affair, with much more variety in its writing for chorus, and the solo arias offer the sort of quality one expects of Bach.
Given the lack of other options (at least ones recorded within the last decade), this disc would seem to be the best possible choice. However, there are some caveats. The performance overall is very polished and professional, and the chorus singing is excellent (if a little monochromatic), but it feels a little like a rushed job. The acoustic of St Andrew's Church in Fontmell Magna is dry (it is not a large building) and while this makes for a very "present" sound, in which every detail comes through, at times any unevenness is very difficult to disguise (such as the oboe obbligato in "Wachet Auf"). Moreover, there are points when the echo is nothing if not a little "bathroomy": one need only listen to the soprano aria "Bereite dir, Jesu" to hear a reverberation that would not be out of place in a railway waiting room. The soloists are a good team, but Ruth Holton is too straight for my taste, sounding too much like a treble and not really colouring the music in a way that conveys the text. Similarly, Stephen Varcoe (whom normally I rate very highly indeed) comes across as strangely underpowered and lacking in warmth.
Can I recommend this recording? I would say at the time of writing (October 2007), yes, as it is the best of a pretty average bunch, but I would suggest waiting until Suzuki and Gardiner have released newer versions before going for this one.
Not entirely successful 25 Oct 2007
Of the two cantatas on offer on this disc the first, "Wachet Auf", has become hugely well known through innumerable alternative versions of its central movement, in which the choral melody is accompanied by an utterly charming string obbligato. As a whole work, however, it is not well represented in recordings, and does not often receive live performances. A brief survey of other discs currently available returned only the old Helmut Rilling recording from the 1960s, a more recent version by Harnoncourt, and some other sessions by ensembles I had never heard of. It has not yet appeared on Gardiner's beautifully packaged new versions, and Suzuki's Bach Collegium Japan have also neglected it thus far.
In all honesty, I must admit that their decisions seem justified when one engages with the music itself, as this is not Bach's finest hour. True, there are some moments of sublime inspiration, but much of "Wachet Auf" seems distinctly workmanlike: the opening chorus, for example, wears very thin very quickly, and the two duets between soprano and bass (representing the soul and Christ) seem fidgety and almost slightly rushed. The second cantata ("Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben") is a more ambitious and overall much more successful affair, with much more variety in its writing for chorus, and the solo arias offer the sort of quality one expects of Bach.
Given the lack of other options (at least ones recorded within the last decade), this disc would seem to be the best possible choice. However, there are some caveats. The performance overall is very polished and professional, and the chorus singing is excellent (if a little monochromatic), but it feels a little like a rushed job. The acoustic of St Andrew's Church in Fontmell Magna is dry (it is not a large building) and while this makes for a very "present" sound, in which every detail comes through, at times any unevenness is very difficult to disguise (such as the oboe obbligato in "Wachet Auf"). Moreover, there are points when the echo is nothing if not a little "bathroomy": one need only listen to the soprano aria "Bereite dir, Jesu" to hear a reverberation that would not be out of place in a railway waiting room. The soloists are a good team, but Ruth Holton is too straight for my taste, sounding too much like a treble and not really colouring the music in a way that conveys the text. Similarly, Stephen Varcoe (whom normally I rate very highly indeed) comes across as strangely underpowered and lacking in warmth.
Can I recommend this recording? I would say at the time of writing (October 2007), yes, as it is the best of a pretty average bunch, but I would suggest waiting until Suzuki and Gardiner have released newer versions before going for this one.
Ockeghem: Requiem; Missa Fors Seulement
*****
Outstanding 31 Aug 2007
The Clerks' Group have over the past few years gained a very strong reputation for themselves in the small, but very competitive field of early music, largely through the strength of their personnel and choice of repertoire. For the former they turn to established professionals who will be well known to anyone with even a passing interest in groups such as The Tallis Scholars, The Cardinall's Musick and the Sixteen, but their approach is much more rehearsal-intensive, and consequently the ensemble is more satisfying than groups which meet for only short periods of time and rely on the preternatural sight-reading abilities of their singers. Their repertoire is similarly interesting: they have made the music of the Low Countries in the 15th and early 16th centuries their own, and have dug up some fascinating new works alongside well-established pieces.
This disc presents the earliest complete setting of the Requiem for polyphonic voices, as well as chansons by Pierre de la Rue, Ockeghem and Brumel. The requiem is a stark, spare piece, which seems to turn its back on warmth and happiness. The chansons, in contrast, are a much more passionate group of pieces. The original was written by de la Rue, but Ockeghem and Brumel later developed the work each in their own fashion. By far the most interesting is that by Brumel, in which the bass, Robert MacDonald, produces some fabulous low notes to underpin a rich harmonic texture.
In all, a very fine disc of early music. Buy it.
Outstanding 31 Aug 2007
The Clerks' Group have over the past few years gained a very strong reputation for themselves in the small, but very competitive field of early music, largely through the strength of their personnel and choice of repertoire. For the former they turn to established professionals who will be well known to anyone with even a passing interest in groups such as The Tallis Scholars, The Cardinall's Musick and the Sixteen, but their approach is much more rehearsal-intensive, and consequently the ensemble is more satisfying than groups which meet for only short periods of time and rely on the preternatural sight-reading abilities of their singers. Their repertoire is similarly interesting: they have made the music of the Low Countries in the 15th and early 16th centuries their own, and have dug up some fascinating new works alongside well-established pieces.
This disc presents the earliest complete setting of the Requiem for polyphonic voices, as well as chansons by Pierre de la Rue, Ockeghem and Brumel. The requiem is a stark, spare piece, which seems to turn its back on warmth and happiness. The chansons, in contrast, are a much more passionate group of pieces. The original was written by de la Rue, but Ockeghem and Brumel later developed the work each in their own fashion. By far the most interesting is that by Brumel, in which the bass, Robert MacDonald, produces some fabulous low notes to underpin a rich harmonic texture.
In all, a very fine disc of early music. Buy it.
Charles Mingus - Blues and Roots
*****
An excellent album, and an excellent introduction to Charles Mingus 28 Aug 2007
Charles Mingus is a somewhat daunting figure in jazz music, and his records are not only musical adventures, but to delve even into the field of anthropology and psychology. Knowing where to start is difficult (Mingus' first major album's title was in Latin!), and the later records are conceptually so broad that they could put the casual listener off. This is not to say that they are not great music - they are stunning - but if you are looking to get into one of jazz music's most exciting and individual band leaders, you could do a lot worse than start with this disc.
This album was recorded at an exciting time in Mingus' life and work. His ensemble had grown to what could be described as a small big-band of around 9 musicians, and he was drawing on a feast of ideas which were coming out of the Jazz Workshops in New York City. He recorded three great albums in this period, of which "Mingus Ah Um" is probably the most famous, and although "Blues and Roots" does not quite match it in the brilliance of its execution, it remains a thrilling, highly musical and enormously enjoyable jazz record.
It was the producer Nesuhi Ertegün who put forward the idea for "Blues and Roots", partly to refute criticism of Mingus which claimed he did not swing hard enough, and also to provide "a barrage of soul music: churchy, blues, swinging, earthy." If nothing else, this album succeeds on this scale a hundred times over. However, Mingus himself went on to say "blues can do more than just swing", and it is in this dimension that the album provides such lasting musical food for thought.
The swing of the album is set off powerfully in the opening number - "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" with its pulsating bass line. "Moanin" (track 3) swings like nothing on earth: Pepper Adams' baritone sax provides the bass ostinato figure and Dannie Richmond drives the ensemble into a frenzy of blues-soaked figures. However, this track also demonstrates the ability to change texture and mood that makes the album so satisfying: no sooner has the climax of the ensemble playing been reached, than the horn players all drop out and a much lighter solo section is introduced. Mingus uses these shifts and changes to brilliant effect throughout the disc, so that at no point does any one texture become monotonous or dragging.
The other side to the album is to be found in the variety of feelings which Mingus achieves with a relatively small force of instrumentalists. "Tensions", for example, is edgy and the horn players provide a figure that sits uneasily over the rhythm section's work. It should be noted that the bass solo on this track is vintage Mingus.
I mentioned above that this album is not as great as its very near contemporary "Ah Um", but it is still a great album, and one which really should be in your collection. What it does do is provide is fantastic musicians blowing great tracks that pulse and surge with energy.
An excellent album, and an excellent introduction to Charles Mingus 28 Aug 2007
Charles Mingus is a somewhat daunting figure in jazz music, and his records are not only musical adventures, but to delve even into the field of anthropology and psychology. Knowing where to start is difficult (Mingus' first major album's title was in Latin!), and the later records are conceptually so broad that they could put the casual listener off. This is not to say that they are not great music - they are stunning - but if you are looking to get into one of jazz music's most exciting and individual band leaders, you could do a lot worse than start with this disc.
This album was recorded at an exciting time in Mingus' life and work. His ensemble had grown to what could be described as a small big-band of around 9 musicians, and he was drawing on a feast of ideas which were coming out of the Jazz Workshops in New York City. He recorded three great albums in this period, of which "Mingus Ah Um" is probably the most famous, and although "Blues and Roots" does not quite match it in the brilliance of its execution, it remains a thrilling, highly musical and enormously enjoyable jazz record.
It was the producer Nesuhi Ertegün who put forward the idea for "Blues and Roots", partly to refute criticism of Mingus which claimed he did not swing hard enough, and also to provide "a barrage of soul music: churchy, blues, swinging, earthy." If nothing else, this album succeeds on this scale a hundred times over. However, Mingus himself went on to say "blues can do more than just swing", and it is in this dimension that the album provides such lasting musical food for thought.
The swing of the album is set off powerfully in the opening number - "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" with its pulsating bass line. "Moanin" (track 3) swings like nothing on earth: Pepper Adams' baritone sax provides the bass ostinato figure and Dannie Richmond drives the ensemble into a frenzy of blues-soaked figures. However, this track also demonstrates the ability to change texture and mood that makes the album so satisfying: no sooner has the climax of the ensemble playing been reached, than the horn players all drop out and a much lighter solo section is introduced. Mingus uses these shifts and changes to brilliant effect throughout the disc, so that at no point does any one texture become monotonous or dragging.
The other side to the album is to be found in the variety of feelings which Mingus achieves with a relatively small force of instrumentalists. "Tensions", for example, is edgy and the horn players provide a figure that sits uneasily over the rhythm section's work. It should be noted that the bass solo on this track is vintage Mingus.
I mentioned above that this album is not as great as its very near contemporary "Ah Um", but it is still a great album, and one which really should be in your collection. What it does do is provide is fantastic musicians blowing great tracks that pulse and surge with energy.
"The Merchant's Prologue and Tale" (York Notes Advanced)
****
Serves its purpose very well indeed 27 Aug 2007
The York Notes series have their admirers and detractors, and it should be admitted that the unfortunate side-effect of the books is whole sets of essays which all toe the same critical line. However, inasmuch as they provide what might be described as a "safety net" to cover all the main points of a text, they do a very good job.
And this book does that job as well as any other. It is easily digestible in size (120 pages in all), and there is a useful glossary to cover the technical terms which are employed. What appeals most to me, however, is the way in which it admits not only a standard "Lit. Crit." reading into its coverage of the Tale, but also a more linguistic focus, which makes the book of use to someone doing a Language & Literature A-level, for example.
In all, a tidy little volume: the only reason it does not receive 5 stars is because it gives a slightly wayward definition of "trope" in its glossary. That aside, I would recommend it most highly to any A-level or university undergraduate student.
Serves its purpose very well indeed 27 Aug 2007
The York Notes series have their admirers and detractors, and it should be admitted that the unfortunate side-effect of the books is whole sets of essays which all toe the same critical line. However, inasmuch as they provide what might be described as a "safety net" to cover all the main points of a text, they do a very good job.
And this book does that job as well as any other. It is easily digestible in size (120 pages in all), and there is a useful glossary to cover the technical terms which are employed. What appeals most to me, however, is the way in which it admits not only a standard "Lit. Crit." reading into its coverage of the Tale, but also a more linguistic focus, which makes the book of use to someone doing a Language & Literature A-level, for example.
In all, a tidy little volume: the only reason it does not receive 5 stars is because it gives a slightly wayward definition of "trope" in its glossary. That aside, I would recommend it most highly to any A-level or university undergraduate student.
Art Pepper - Modern Jazz Classics
****
Get it while you can! 24 Aug 2007
If ever there were a jazz musician who took the stereotype of the hard-living, rebellious hipster to its ultimate extension, it was Art Pepper. In and out of jail and mental asylums over the course of his career, his brand of fluid, Bird-inspired alto playing remains one of those great what-if's in the history of jazz music. Albums such as "Meets the Rhythm Section" have acquired cult status owing to the myths which have grown up about Pepper coming out of jail and the next day going straight into the recording studio to jam with Miles Davis' own rhythm section. Whatever the truth of these stories, it remains the fact that Pepper possessed a fantastic alto sound, and his gift for deeply musical improvisation remains rarely equalled.
This disc is unique in his output, in that it teams Pepper with a full big band (which itself contains many of the great session men of the day (Mel Lewis appears on drums, Pete Candoli on trumpet and Herb Geller leads the sax section) to perform swinging arrangements of some great bop numbers. In some ways the disc was already anachronistic at the time of its recording in 1959: Bop had moved on and big, closely scored ensembles were no longer breaking new ground in jazz. However, the selection of tracks, teamed to enjoyable arrangements, makes this a disc that bears many listenings.
Perhaps its greatest attraction is that it features Pepper not only playing alto, but also tenor sax and clarinet. His tenor sound is not as smooth as his alto, but it's fascinating to hear a man adapt his playing to the demands of a new instrument.
This disc is difficult to get hold of (I found my copy lurking at the back of a second hand record store), and it's a shame that it should be out of the catalogues, so my recommendation is: get yourself a copy, and enjoy something very different from Art Pepper.
Get it while you can! 24 Aug 2007
If ever there were a jazz musician who took the stereotype of the hard-living, rebellious hipster to its ultimate extension, it was Art Pepper. In and out of jail and mental asylums over the course of his career, his brand of fluid, Bird-inspired alto playing remains one of those great what-if's in the history of jazz music. Albums such as "Meets the Rhythm Section" have acquired cult status owing to the myths which have grown up about Pepper coming out of jail and the next day going straight into the recording studio to jam with Miles Davis' own rhythm section. Whatever the truth of these stories, it remains the fact that Pepper possessed a fantastic alto sound, and his gift for deeply musical improvisation remains rarely equalled.
This disc is unique in his output, in that it teams Pepper with a full big band (which itself contains many of the great session men of the day (Mel Lewis appears on drums, Pete Candoli on trumpet and Herb Geller leads the sax section) to perform swinging arrangements of some great bop numbers. In some ways the disc was already anachronistic at the time of its recording in 1959: Bop had moved on and big, closely scored ensembles were no longer breaking new ground in jazz. However, the selection of tracks, teamed to enjoyable arrangements, makes this a disc that bears many listenings.
Perhaps its greatest attraction is that it features Pepper not only playing alto, but also tenor sax and clarinet. His tenor sound is not as smooth as his alto, but it's fascinating to hear a man adapt his playing to the demands of a new instrument.
This disc is difficult to get hold of (I found my copy lurking at the back of a second hand record store), and it's a shame that it should be out of the catalogues, so my recommendation is: get yourself a copy, and enjoy something very different from Art Pepper.
The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail
**
Gripping, but unfortunately complete rubbish 20 Aug 2007
Having read this book three times, I feel it might be interesting to offer three short reviews of it, charting my changing opinions as my acquaintance with it grew better.
Reading 1: Truly a thrilling read; inspirational, even. In the single sitting it took to complete the book, I found almost every received idea which I had hitherto accepted as single fact overturned and revealed either as entirely false, or as having a meaning far beyond anything I had ever imagined. History was laid bare, opened up to reveal a great network not only of people but of ideas that had shaped and guided European history for one-and-a-half millennia. The authors had uncovered a remarkable society which had survived in secret since the Dark Ages, and which sought to restore the blood line of Christ to the throne of Europe. My life would never be the same again.
Reading 2: I was baffled. This was no longer the same book which I had devoured so eagerly two years before. Those passages which had so dazzled me were flat, or I could no longer identify them, and the pace had gone. It took me a period of reflection to work out why, but I realised that the book relies on its breakneck pace to keep its narrative going, and that a reader who already knows what is coming around the corner is at a major disadvantage. The nature of this disadvantage is serious: at a second reading one is automatically more critical and scrutinises the evidence more closely, and it was in doing this that, on the one hand the narrative fell apart, but on the other, the glaring flaws in logic, scholarship and writing became apparent. Ideas which were presented as hypotheses in one chapter suddenly became fact in the next, and became the basis for yet more hypotheses which in turn were morphed into incontrovertible truths. The sheer sloppiness of the historical approach shocked me: lack of evidence was taken to be evidence in itself, and absence of proof served to prove anything which lacked evidence. The approach of the book revealed itself to be nothing more than that of a spy novel: a series of clues lead to the revelation of a great global conspiracy. Sadly, that is not the way that good scholarship works. While the effect may be thrilling, what is all too easy to see is that not one of the pieces of evidence which was used to present the case stands up to even the slightest scrutiny, and it is at that point that the book ceases to be worthwhile.
Reading 3: perhaps more motivated by nostalgia than anything else, I returned again to the book to see if I had judged it unduly harshly on my previous reading. If anything, I realised that I had been too lenient. The whole premise of this book (that Christ's bloodline survived in a dynasty of early medieval French kings, later to be taken up by the Cathars, the Knights Templar and a quasi-Masonic organisation) defies rational inquiry, and ignores not only any sane assessment of how history operates, but also the significance of the claim were it to have any merit whatsoever. On the one hand it is nonsensical to believe that there is a shadowy organisation which has lurked in the background of history for one-and-a-half thousand years, and, especially when its leading lights were as disparate as Isaac Newton and Claude Debussy (of course Newton is famous for his interest in masonic matters, but Debussy was hardly in a position to usher in revolution on a political scale, regardless of his brilliance as a composer.) Moreover, it matters not one jot whether Christ's bloodline survived through Mary Madgalene - his children would simply belong to the House of David just as he had done. They would not be Gods, or even able to do especially clever card tricks: the point, if one subscribes to Christian theology, of Christ, is that he was uniquely human and divine. His significance as a human on earth came to an end when he ascended into heaven.
This is one of those galling books which captures the popular imagination and spreads its memes around in the most insidious way, although it would be deeply unfair to accuse the authors of anything so sinister. What they are guilty of is a credulously sloppy approach to writing history, in which unproven and insubstantial evidence is adduced and shoehorned into an absurd thesis which, as they themselves admit, can never itself be proved. Don't waste your time here.
Gripping, but unfortunately complete rubbish 20 Aug 2007
Having read this book three times, I feel it might be interesting to offer three short reviews of it, charting my changing opinions as my acquaintance with it grew better.
Reading 1: Truly a thrilling read; inspirational, even. In the single sitting it took to complete the book, I found almost every received idea which I had hitherto accepted as single fact overturned and revealed either as entirely false, or as having a meaning far beyond anything I had ever imagined. History was laid bare, opened up to reveal a great network not only of people but of ideas that had shaped and guided European history for one-and-a-half millennia. The authors had uncovered a remarkable society which had survived in secret since the Dark Ages, and which sought to restore the blood line of Christ to the throne of Europe. My life would never be the same again.
Reading 2: I was baffled. This was no longer the same book which I had devoured so eagerly two years before. Those passages which had so dazzled me were flat, or I could no longer identify them, and the pace had gone. It took me a period of reflection to work out why, but I realised that the book relies on its breakneck pace to keep its narrative going, and that a reader who already knows what is coming around the corner is at a major disadvantage. The nature of this disadvantage is serious: at a second reading one is automatically more critical and scrutinises the evidence more closely, and it was in doing this that, on the one hand the narrative fell apart, but on the other, the glaring flaws in logic, scholarship and writing became apparent. Ideas which were presented as hypotheses in one chapter suddenly became fact in the next, and became the basis for yet more hypotheses which in turn were morphed into incontrovertible truths. The sheer sloppiness of the historical approach shocked me: lack of evidence was taken to be evidence in itself, and absence of proof served to prove anything which lacked evidence. The approach of the book revealed itself to be nothing more than that of a spy novel: a series of clues lead to the revelation of a great global conspiracy. Sadly, that is not the way that good scholarship works. While the effect may be thrilling, what is all too easy to see is that not one of the pieces of evidence which was used to present the case stands up to even the slightest scrutiny, and it is at that point that the book ceases to be worthwhile.
Reading 3: perhaps more motivated by nostalgia than anything else, I returned again to the book to see if I had judged it unduly harshly on my previous reading. If anything, I realised that I had been too lenient. The whole premise of this book (that Christ's bloodline survived in a dynasty of early medieval French kings, later to be taken up by the Cathars, the Knights Templar and a quasi-Masonic organisation) defies rational inquiry, and ignores not only any sane assessment of how history operates, but also the significance of the claim were it to have any merit whatsoever. On the one hand it is nonsensical to believe that there is a shadowy organisation which has lurked in the background of history for one-and-a-half thousand years, and, especially when its leading lights were as disparate as Isaac Newton and Claude Debussy (of course Newton is famous for his interest in masonic matters, but Debussy was hardly in a position to usher in revolution on a political scale, regardless of his brilliance as a composer.) Moreover, it matters not one jot whether Christ's bloodline survived through Mary Madgalene - his children would simply belong to the House of David just as he had done. They would not be Gods, or even able to do especially clever card tricks: the point, if one subscribes to Christian theology, of Christ, is that he was uniquely human and divine. His significance as a human on earth came to an end when he ascended into heaven.
This is one of those galling books which captures the popular imagination and spreads its memes around in the most insidious way, although it would be deeply unfair to accuse the authors of anything so sinister. What they are guilty of is a credulously sloppy approach to writing history, in which unproven and insubstantial evidence is adduced and shoehorned into an absurd thesis which, as they themselves admit, can never itself be proved. Don't waste your time here.
F Scott Fitzgerald - Tender Is the Night
*****
Beautiful Writing 24 Jun 2007
This review is intentionally very short, as other reviews consider the novel in more detail. It is worth noting that this novel demonstrates Fitzgerald's skill as a writer to the full, and is a pleasure to read.
The purpose of this review is to clarify a point raised in another review, which asks about why this Popular Classics edition appears to present a corrupt, or at least unauthorised text. The reason for this is that it follows the structure of the novel as set out in the 1951 revision, edited by Malcolm Cowley, based on notes and corrections made by Fitzgerald himself. This revision of the original 1934 text rearranges the novel into chronological order, and divides the text into a different number of sections. This is why the Spark Notes referred to by another reviewer are confusing: they describe the 1934 text. It should be noted that, according to the Penguin Modern Classics edition at least, current critical thinking prefers the 1934 edition, as Cowley's interventions in the later edition make it unclear the extent to which Fitzgerald's intentions were followed.
Of course, no exam board would ever bother to be clear as to which text is to be studied: that would be far too easy for us all, wouldn't it?
Beautiful Writing 24 Jun 2007
This review is intentionally very short, as other reviews consider the novel in more detail. It is worth noting that this novel demonstrates Fitzgerald's skill as a writer to the full, and is a pleasure to read.
The purpose of this review is to clarify a point raised in another review, which asks about why this Popular Classics edition appears to present a corrupt, or at least unauthorised text. The reason for this is that it follows the structure of the novel as set out in the 1951 revision, edited by Malcolm Cowley, based on notes and corrections made by Fitzgerald himself. This revision of the original 1934 text rearranges the novel into chronological order, and divides the text into a different number of sections. This is why the Spark Notes referred to by another reviewer are confusing: they describe the 1934 text. It should be noted that, according to the Penguin Modern Classics edition at least, current critical thinking prefers the 1934 edition, as Cowley's interventions in the later edition make it unclear the extent to which Fitzgerald's intentions were followed.
Of course, no exam board would ever bother to be clear as to which text is to be studied: that would be far too easy for us all, wouldn't it?
Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau - Quartet
****
A very good disc 20 April 2007
I have for a long time rated Brad Mehldau as one of the most talented pianists playing jazz today, an opinion formed from many listenings to the "Art of the Trio" series of records. Those discs, comprising a mix of live and studio sets, approach the standards repertoire in a loose, richly swinging way that is a source of great refreshment to those who may perhaps have tired of Keith Jarrett's sound.
This record follows on from the very well received release from last year and the two lead men clearly enjoy each other's musical company. Mehldau is as sensitve an accompanist as he is a leader, and Metheny remains a hugely talented guitarist with a very distinctive sound (although it must be noted that one or two of his synth effects appear not to have changed since his days playing in Michael Brecker's groups of the late '80s and early '90s).
The material on show here is all original, and mixes a broad range of styles very effectively: some is reminiscent of Joanna Macgregor's disc of spirituals with Andy Sheppard in the lilting piano grooves that underpin gently undulating solo lines, whereas others is more vigorously driven by Larry Grenadier on Bass and Jeff Ballard on Drums. Stylistically one might describe the music as lying midway between country and jazz, but that has long been Metheny's preferred hunting-ground, and it is very effective in this group context. In fact, Mehldau's straightforward piano, rather than banks of synthesizers, means Metheny's sometime more synth-led sound enjoys more freedom than if it were enveloped in great clouds of sound. One or two tracks do cut loose a little more (En La Tierra Que No Olvida is a good example), but the music stays well within distinct stylistic bounds.
There can be no criticism of the musicality of all the players on this album, which really is first-rate in every case, but I must admit that, while everything that they do play is brilliantly conceived and executed, I was a little disappointed by what they did not play. At no stage do we really hear Mehldau fire up his engines as he does on his trio discs, nor does the group ever really take great risks with the repertoire. Despite the title, the abiding impression this disc makes is that Mehldau is accompanying Metheny: there is none of the beautifully balanced interplay such as is to be found, for example, on Bill Evans and Jim Hall's "Undercurrent". (However, it should not be forgotten that Brad Mehldau has famously disavowed any influence from Evans!)
Despite these caveats I can thoroughly recommend this CD: the music on it is very good, and it does make for consistently enjoyable listening.
A very good disc 20 April 2007
I have for a long time rated Brad Mehldau as one of the most talented pianists playing jazz today, an opinion formed from many listenings to the "Art of the Trio" series of records. Those discs, comprising a mix of live and studio sets, approach the standards repertoire in a loose, richly swinging way that is a source of great refreshment to those who may perhaps have tired of Keith Jarrett's sound.
This record follows on from the very well received release from last year and the two lead men clearly enjoy each other's musical company. Mehldau is as sensitve an accompanist as he is a leader, and Metheny remains a hugely talented guitarist with a very distinctive sound (although it must be noted that one or two of his synth effects appear not to have changed since his days playing in Michael Brecker's groups of the late '80s and early '90s).
The material on show here is all original, and mixes a broad range of styles very effectively: some is reminiscent of Joanna Macgregor's disc of spirituals with Andy Sheppard in the lilting piano grooves that underpin gently undulating solo lines, whereas others is more vigorously driven by Larry Grenadier on Bass and Jeff Ballard on Drums. Stylistically one might describe the music as lying midway between country and jazz, but that has long been Metheny's preferred hunting-ground, and it is very effective in this group context. In fact, Mehldau's straightforward piano, rather than banks of synthesizers, means Metheny's sometime more synth-led sound enjoys more freedom than if it were enveloped in great clouds of sound. One or two tracks do cut loose a little more (En La Tierra Que No Olvida is a good example), but the music stays well within distinct stylistic bounds.
There can be no criticism of the musicality of all the players on this album, which really is first-rate in every case, but I must admit that, while everything that they do play is brilliantly conceived and executed, I was a little disappointed by what they did not play. At no stage do we really hear Mehldau fire up his engines as he does on his trio discs, nor does the group ever really take great risks with the repertoire. Despite the title, the abiding impression this disc makes is that Mehldau is accompanying Metheny: there is none of the beautifully balanced interplay such as is to be found, for example, on Bill Evans and Jim Hall's "Undercurrent". (However, it should not be forgotten that Brad Mehldau has famously disavowed any influence from Evans!)
Despite these caveats I can thoroughly recommend this CD: the music on it is very good, and it does make for consistently enjoyable listening.
Joe Henderson - Power to the People
*****
More than Miles 24 Feb 2007
The impulse to draw comparisons between this album and those released by Miles Davis in the late sixties is understandable, given that the piano/bass team of Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter spent several years in Miles' "second quintet", and Jack DeJohnette played on other Miles discs at the time. However, while the music learns much from the advances made by Miles' groups in the sixties, it retains very much its own distinctive flavour, and goes in a direction that Miles never really took his music.
By 1969 Miles had already recorded Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way and was exploring the new possibilities of those remarkable albums. Henderson, however, sticks more closely to the traditional "jazz" structure of music making, despite employing electric bass and electric piano on some of the tracks. The effect of this is to produce an album that is at turns beautiful and at others powerful, yet perhaps more direct and forthright than Miles' work at the time.
Henderson has always been one of my favourite saxophonists, and I find his playing easier to enjoy than that of Coltrane or many of his contemporaries. This is not to say he is saccharine or anaemic, but that his ideas are more finely distilled and each is given its own space to breath and develop. He can be wonderfully patient, such as in his solo on the opening track, Black Narcissus, or earthy and bluesy, as on Isotope. Technically his facilities are extraordinary, but I have never found myself lost in a whirlwind of notes nor squawked at by some militant horn-man with a point to prove.
The remaining personnel on the album are, with one exception, so famous as to render comment on their abilities superfluous, except to say that it was on this album that I for the first time really enjoyed Herbie Hancock's piano playing. I've owned albums by and featuring him for years now, but it was not until I acquired this disc that I actually genuinely looked forward to one of his solos. Perhaps the slightly more restricted format of the studio album in which his playing has to be more concentrated brings out the best of him. The one player about whom least is known is Mike Lawrence, who brings a Milesy flavour to the proceedings, and, although his playing is not in the same league as those around him, yet he brings a new colour to the group, and a greater range of texture which adds to the overall effect of the album.
I rarely award discs five stars, but this on its first listening stood out as a distinctive and very special achievement, and I have returned to it as often, and perhaps more frequently, than some of its more famous contemporaries. It really is an excellent disc, and in this very well presented edition it deserves to be in your collection.
More than Miles 24 Feb 2007
The impulse to draw comparisons between this album and those released by Miles Davis in the late sixties is understandable, given that the piano/bass team of Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter spent several years in Miles' "second quintet", and Jack DeJohnette played on other Miles discs at the time. However, while the music learns much from the advances made by Miles' groups in the sixties, it retains very much its own distinctive flavour, and goes in a direction that Miles never really took his music.
By 1969 Miles had already recorded Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way and was exploring the new possibilities of those remarkable albums. Henderson, however, sticks more closely to the traditional "jazz" structure of music making, despite employing electric bass and electric piano on some of the tracks. The effect of this is to produce an album that is at turns beautiful and at others powerful, yet perhaps more direct and forthright than Miles' work at the time.
Henderson has always been one of my favourite saxophonists, and I find his playing easier to enjoy than that of Coltrane or many of his contemporaries. This is not to say he is saccharine or anaemic, but that his ideas are more finely distilled and each is given its own space to breath and develop. He can be wonderfully patient, such as in his solo on the opening track, Black Narcissus, or earthy and bluesy, as on Isotope. Technically his facilities are extraordinary, but I have never found myself lost in a whirlwind of notes nor squawked at by some militant horn-man with a point to prove.
The remaining personnel on the album are, with one exception, so famous as to render comment on their abilities superfluous, except to say that it was on this album that I for the first time really enjoyed Herbie Hancock's piano playing. I've owned albums by and featuring him for years now, but it was not until I acquired this disc that I actually genuinely looked forward to one of his solos. Perhaps the slightly more restricted format of the studio album in which his playing has to be more concentrated brings out the best of him. The one player about whom least is known is Mike Lawrence, who brings a Milesy flavour to the proceedings, and, although his playing is not in the same league as those around him, yet he brings a new colour to the group, and a greater range of texture which adds to the overall effect of the album.
I rarely award discs five stars, but this on its first listening stood out as a distinctive and very special achievement, and I have returned to it as often, and perhaps more frequently, than some of its more famous contemporaries. It really is an excellent disc, and in this very well presented edition it deserves to be in your collection.
Ronald Blythe - Akenfield
*****
Exceptional and memorable 24 Feb 2007
Akenfield is a book which makes a concerted effort to fall between boundaries of fiction, biography and reportage, and as a result, is all the richer for the elements which it draws from each and blends into a most satisfying and enjoyable whole.
To deal with each element in reverse order, the book's reportage is that of a documentary of a Sussex village in 1974, although its field of vision extends as far back as the years before the Great War. The feeling is one of decline and fall, of a community which no longer is bound together by its old practices and habits, but which in many ways has benefited enormously from the changes brought about in society after the Second World War. At no stage is does this become a nostalgic lament for a lost England, but rather does Blythe reveal to us quite how hard life was for the poor in England's villages well into the Twentieth Century.
The biographical aspect of the book is to be found in the way Blythe presents a succession of different characters from the village and its surrounding area, from the farmhand to the housewife, and the magistrate in the Town. Each has his or her own story and fascinating, and often very funny, account of their lives, and one is left with a rich picture of a village society, where no one perspective is privileged over another.
And fiction? Well, Blythe makes plain in his introduction that Akenfield is a palimpsest of many villages, and its people are not single individuals but prisms through which the lives of many are reflected for us. Blythe's style of writing is brilliantly neutral and understated, even when dealing with harrowing or very funny topics (frequently the two go hand-in-hand).
Few books have made such a great impression on me.
Exceptional and memorable 24 Feb 2007
Akenfield is a book which makes a concerted effort to fall between boundaries of fiction, biography and reportage, and as a result, is all the richer for the elements which it draws from each and blends into a most satisfying and enjoyable whole.
To deal with each element in reverse order, the book's reportage is that of a documentary of a Sussex village in 1974, although its field of vision extends as far back as the years before the Great War. The feeling is one of decline and fall, of a community which no longer is bound together by its old practices and habits, but which in many ways has benefited enormously from the changes brought about in society after the Second World War. At no stage is does this become a nostalgic lament for a lost England, but rather does Blythe reveal to us quite how hard life was for the poor in England's villages well into the Twentieth Century.
The biographical aspect of the book is to be found in the way Blythe presents a succession of different characters from the village and its surrounding area, from the farmhand to the housewife, and the magistrate in the Town. Each has his or her own story and fascinating, and often very funny, account of their lives, and one is left with a rich picture of a village society, where no one perspective is privileged over another.
And fiction? Well, Blythe makes plain in his introduction that Akenfield is a palimpsest of many villages, and its people are not single individuals but prisms through which the lives of many are reflected for us. Blythe's style of writing is brilliantly neutral and understated, even when dealing with harrowing or very funny topics (frequently the two go hand-in-hand).
Few books have made such a great impression on me.
John Donne - Selected Poetry
****
Excellent introduction to his work 21 Feb 2007
The review which appears on this page seems to be rather out-of-place, inasmuch as, despite her many qualities, Vanessa Redgrave has little to do with John Donne's poetry, at least in any direct sense. As such, it seems a new review is necessary.
The majority of people who buy this book will be in the business of studying it, and for that purpose it is well equipped. The text has been modernised, but those who need an original spelling edition will not be looking at a "selected" edition, so we need not let that worry us. Indeed, there is much to be said for setting the idiosyncrasies of 16th century orthography to one side, although the modern rendering sometimes loses the charm of the original, and flexibility of the old spelling system did allow for a reflection of stresses that are no longer so clear.
If you are not studying Donne, then this volume will give you all the poems you need, and many more. All the favourites are here, from the bawdy through to the divine, and there are dozens more gems to be found.
My only caveat with this edition lies with the introduction by John Carey. In many ways it is excellent, but it would have been useful to have had more grounding in contemporary context. However, there exists the excellent Cambridge Companion to John Donne which offers a far more detailed range of essays.
So the decision has to be reached as to whether this deserves four or five stars. The poetry, of course, is belittled by even the highest star rating, but the edition is not yet perfect. However, for most people's needs it is far more than sufficient, and besides, it's John Donne, who remains the finest poet ever to have written in the English language.
Excellent introduction to his work 21 Feb 2007
The review which appears on this page seems to be rather out-of-place, inasmuch as, despite her many qualities, Vanessa Redgrave has little to do with John Donne's poetry, at least in any direct sense. As such, it seems a new review is necessary.
The majority of people who buy this book will be in the business of studying it, and for that purpose it is well equipped. The text has been modernised, but those who need an original spelling edition will not be looking at a "selected" edition, so we need not let that worry us. Indeed, there is much to be said for setting the idiosyncrasies of 16th century orthography to one side, although the modern rendering sometimes loses the charm of the original, and flexibility of the old spelling system did allow for a reflection of stresses that are no longer so clear.
If you are not studying Donne, then this volume will give you all the poems you need, and many more. All the favourites are here, from the bawdy through to the divine, and there are dozens more gems to be found.
My only caveat with this edition lies with the introduction by John Carey. In many ways it is excellent, but it would have been useful to have had more grounding in contemporary context. However, there exists the excellent Cambridge Companion to John Donne which offers a far more detailed range of essays.
So the decision has to be reached as to whether this deserves four or five stars. The poetry, of course, is belittled by even the highest star rating, but the edition is not yet perfect. However, for most people's needs it is far more than sufficient, and besides, it's John Donne, who remains the finest poet ever to have written in the English language.
Jacky Terrasson - A Paris
*****
An album I've loved for ten years 12 Feb 2007
If ever there were a story of good luck in picking out a cd, then how this album came into my hands must be it. Almost ten years ago I was out in town and happened to see this disc on the shelves; Terrasson's was a name I had heard but I knew nothing about him, but it looked, in a word, interesting. From the first listening I loved it, and it's possible to say there's not a month that has gone by in all the years since then that I haven't listened to it and enjoyed it as much as any other cd in my collection.
The music is eclectic, as much as any homage to Paris probably would have to be, from gently swinging guitar and piano duets to high-voltage out-there funk jazz, with a little bit of most things in between. The abiding memory of this album is that there is a warmth and good humour to the music which distinguishes it from so much music. It cannot be said of this album that it breaks any new ground, or that there is playing on here that is technically superior to anyone else, or that the artistry is more profound than any other artist, but for consistent enjoyment, there is hardly a cd I can think of that has given me such pleasure.
An album I've loved for ten years 12 Feb 2007
If ever there were a story of good luck in picking out a cd, then how this album came into my hands must be it. Almost ten years ago I was out in town and happened to see this disc on the shelves; Terrasson's was a name I had heard but I knew nothing about him, but it looked, in a word, interesting. From the first listening I loved it, and it's possible to say there's not a month that has gone by in all the years since then that I haven't listened to it and enjoyed it as much as any other cd in my collection.
The music is eclectic, as much as any homage to Paris probably would have to be, from gently swinging guitar and piano duets to high-voltage out-there funk jazz, with a little bit of most things in between. The abiding memory of this album is that there is a warmth and good humour to the music which distinguishes it from so much music. It cannot be said of this album that it breaks any new ground, or that there is playing on here that is technically superior to anyone else, or that the artistry is more profound than any other artist, but for consistent enjoyment, there is hardly a cd I can think of that has given me such pleasure.
Magdalena Kozená - Enchantment
***
Stunning Voice, Sometimes Perpexling Performance 11 Feb 2007
Magdalena Kozena's voice is a wonder to listen to: her control, tone and range of colours are a real pleasure to enjoy, and her communication with the listener draws the listener in immediately.
This disc is a selection chosen ostensibly by Kozena herself and which brings together a broad range of composers: Bach to Britten would be a fair description. The bias is towards the baroque, certainly the first of the two discs consists largely of early muisc, and even the second disc, which features Shostakovitch, Britten and Dvorak, still contains a substantial chunk of catgut and low pitch (by this I mean the instruments, and not the voice).
My abiding impression of the disc is that it doesn't quite hang together. It was not conceived as a recital, and as such there is no link between the tracks other than that of the soloists, which means that one lurches from Gounod to Bizet to Mozart Handel (to take the opening four tracks of the first disc). In addition, some of the performances themselves are a little odd: Bach's wonderful aria "Vergnuegte Ruh" is taken at a bafflingly quick pace, which belies any sense of pleasant rest, and leaves the listener faintly seasick. That said, Kozena's performance of "Voi che sapete" from "Figaro" is worth the purchase alone. For me the greatest pleasure is to be found in the selection of songs which make up the second half of the second disc: these works are new to me, and Kozena performs them with consummate skill.
Can I recommend it? Yes, I can, but I would suggest rather that you look out for Kozena as a soloists on complete works, rather than opting for this not entirely felicitous compilation.
Stunning Voice, Sometimes Perpexling Performance 11 Feb 2007
Magdalena Kozena's voice is a wonder to listen to: her control, tone and range of colours are a real pleasure to enjoy, and her communication with the listener draws the listener in immediately.
This disc is a selection chosen ostensibly by Kozena herself and which brings together a broad range of composers: Bach to Britten would be a fair description. The bias is towards the baroque, certainly the first of the two discs consists largely of early muisc, and even the second disc, which features Shostakovitch, Britten and Dvorak, still contains a substantial chunk of catgut and low pitch (by this I mean the instruments, and not the voice).
My abiding impression of the disc is that it doesn't quite hang together. It was not conceived as a recital, and as such there is no link between the tracks other than that of the soloists, which means that one lurches from Gounod to Bizet to Mozart Handel (to take the opening four tracks of the first disc). In addition, some of the performances themselves are a little odd: Bach's wonderful aria "Vergnuegte Ruh" is taken at a bafflingly quick pace, which belies any sense of pleasant rest, and leaves the listener faintly seasick. That said, Kozena's performance of "Voi che sapete" from "Figaro" is worth the purchase alone. For me the greatest pleasure is to be found in the selection of songs which make up the second half of the second disc: these works are new to me, and Kozena performs them with consummate skill.
Can I recommend it? Yes, I can, but I would suggest rather that you look out for Kozena as a soloists on complete works, rather than opting for this not entirely felicitous compilation.
Pulp Fusion - Fully Loaded
****
A Fine Selection 11 Feb 2007
The strapline for this disc promises "Original Full Length 1970's Ghetto Jazz & Funk Classics", and I suppose this is as good a description of the disc as one could ask for. The epithet "Full Length" is a little puzzling: on the one hand it is a pleasure to hear tracks given their full room to breath, but there are many songs here with extend no more than the standard three minutes. What would happen if only the edited highlights were available?
Although this is all well and good, the essence here is on proper blaxploitation and funk, and the refreshing thing about this double-cd compilation is the satisfying range of styles on offer. Dizzy Gillespie's opener "Marix" would not sound out of place on Herbie Hancock's "Fat Albert Rotunda" of the late sixties, whereas "Evolution" by Magnum is proper funk all the way. There are one or two truly wierd things on offer: Gordon Staples and the Motown Strings cook up a dangerous mix of orchestral freeform and funky basslines, but the funk never lets up.
A Fine Selection 11 Feb 2007
The strapline for this disc promises "Original Full Length 1970's Ghetto Jazz & Funk Classics", and I suppose this is as good a description of the disc as one could ask for. The epithet "Full Length" is a little puzzling: on the one hand it is a pleasure to hear tracks given their full room to breath, but there are many songs here with extend no more than the standard three minutes. What would happen if only the edited highlights were available?
Although this is all well and good, the essence here is on proper blaxploitation and funk, and the refreshing thing about this double-cd compilation is the satisfying range of styles on offer. Dizzy Gillespie's opener "Marix" would not sound out of place on Herbie Hancock's "Fat Albert Rotunda" of the late sixties, whereas "Evolution" by Magnum is proper funk all the way. There are one or two truly wierd things on offer: Gordon Staples and the Motown Strings cook up a dangerous mix of orchestral freeform and funky basslines, but the funk never lets up.
Gesualdo: Fifth Book of Madrigals (Quinto libro di madrigali, 1611)
*****
Very fine indeed 2 Feb 2007
Two ensembles dominate the performance of Italian madrigals, and, just as with the English early music scene, it comes as no surprise that they are essentially the same group of singers performing under what might be described as flags of convenience. The older of the two is the Concerto Italiano, directed by Rinaldo Alessandrini, which predates La Venexiana by about a decade.
This uniformity of personnel to a certain extent does imply, and cause, a certain uniformity of style, and on the surface this is true. Both groups favour a highly expressionistic approach to this repertoire, which is characterised by restless, rapidly changing harmonies, and sudden shifts of mood and temper. Tempi and colour change almost every bar, which is a world away from the more flowing style of madrigal which the English school espouses as its own.
However, there are important differences between the two groups, which directly impact on the performance of the music and on our perception of that performance. Gesualdo's music is intense and challenging - much like the temperament of the man himself - and it is difficult to shape a convincing whole out of a performance of disparate parts, and it is interesting to note how the Concerto Italiano and La Venexiana adopt different approaches to this music. Allessandrini's group, possibly because of the presence of the conductor, favour greater extremes of contrast, whereas the conductor-less Venexiana make less of the sudden shifts and jolts on the listener's ear. This is not to say that one is more or less effective than the other, but this disc does allow for what might be described as a less choleric interpretation.
I have hardly written anything about the music, and that is deliberate, for I believe that everyone should come to this music on their own terms, and without preconceptions of how it "should" be. Gesualdo was a passionate, violent man whose music well conveys deep, dark emotions in an undisguised form. Though the texts of these madrigals may seem mannered to modern eyes, it is that mannerism that allows him to articulate those conflicts which exist within us all.
I can heartily recommend this disc as one to approach slowly, and with the understanding that it will be a long time before its intricacies become apparent, and perhaps even before one can bear to listen to more than a few tracks at a time. However, within its beautifully presented exterior is an extraordinarily fine performance.
Very fine indeed 2 Feb 2007
Two ensembles dominate the performance of Italian madrigals, and, just as with the English early music scene, it comes as no surprise that they are essentially the same group of singers performing under what might be described as flags of convenience. The older of the two is the Concerto Italiano, directed by Rinaldo Alessandrini, which predates La Venexiana by about a decade.
This uniformity of personnel to a certain extent does imply, and cause, a certain uniformity of style, and on the surface this is true. Both groups favour a highly expressionistic approach to this repertoire, which is characterised by restless, rapidly changing harmonies, and sudden shifts of mood and temper. Tempi and colour change almost every bar, which is a world away from the more flowing style of madrigal which the English school espouses as its own.
However, there are important differences between the two groups, which directly impact on the performance of the music and on our perception of that performance. Gesualdo's music is intense and challenging - much like the temperament of the man himself - and it is difficult to shape a convincing whole out of a performance of disparate parts, and it is interesting to note how the Concerto Italiano and La Venexiana adopt different approaches to this music. Allessandrini's group, possibly because of the presence of the conductor, favour greater extremes of contrast, whereas the conductor-less Venexiana make less of the sudden shifts and jolts on the listener's ear. This is not to say that one is more or less effective than the other, but this disc does allow for what might be described as a less choleric interpretation.
I have hardly written anything about the music, and that is deliberate, for I believe that everyone should come to this music on their own terms, and without preconceptions of how it "should" be. Gesualdo was a passionate, violent man whose music well conveys deep, dark emotions in an undisguised form. Though the texts of these madrigals may seem mannered to modern eyes, it is that mannerism that allows him to articulate those conflicts which exist within us all.
I can heartily recommend this disc as one to approach slowly, and with the understanding that it will be a long time before its intricacies become apparent, and perhaps even before one can bear to listen to more than a few tracks at a time. However, within its beautifully presented exterior is an extraordinarily fine performance.
The Aeneid
*****
Utterly Compelling 15 Jan 2007
Robert Fagles' new translation of Virgil's masterpiece has received excellent reviews from many sources, and it was that printed in the first London Review of Books of 2007 that caused me to pause long enough in the book shop to pick up a copy for myself. Since then I have been held captivated by the force of this extraordinary narrative, told with great skill and sensitivity by a master of the translator's art.
Fagles, we are told, comes to Virgil from a Hellenistic background, having produced acclaimed renditions of Homer, and his skill in that most difficult of disciplines is evident from his confidence in creating new for us one of literature's most famous opening lines. Most impressive is his ability to balance dramatic urgency of narrative with a measured and never over-the-top tone, achieving a sense of balance which retains for the work a distinctly "classical" feeling.
However, it is the story itself that makes this book quite so stunning, and rightly so. The cast of characters is extraordinary, from the mightiest of gods to the most base of humans, yet the semi-divine hero of the tale, Aeneas, son of Venus, remains profoundly human throughout. His grief at having to forsake Dido is not some passing gesture in the mouth of a man obsessed by destiny, yet Aeneas knows it remains to him to take the household gods of Troy, laid waste by the Greeks, and sail to found his new kingdom at Rome.
Such is the awe-inspiring reputation of this work that one is unlikely to turn to it for entertainment, let alone light reading, but it is entertainment of the very best sort that this book offers. The world created by Virgil and opened up to us by Robert Fagles is more vivid than any fiction of the intervening two thousand years, and it can be highly recommended to every reader.
Utterly Compelling 15 Jan 2007
Robert Fagles' new translation of Virgil's masterpiece has received excellent reviews from many sources, and it was that printed in the first London Review of Books of 2007 that caused me to pause long enough in the book shop to pick up a copy for myself. Since then I have been held captivated by the force of this extraordinary narrative, told with great skill and sensitivity by a master of the translator's art.
Fagles, we are told, comes to Virgil from a Hellenistic background, having produced acclaimed renditions of Homer, and his skill in that most difficult of disciplines is evident from his confidence in creating new for us one of literature's most famous opening lines. Most impressive is his ability to balance dramatic urgency of narrative with a measured and never over-the-top tone, achieving a sense of balance which retains for the work a distinctly "classical" feeling.
However, it is the story itself that makes this book quite so stunning, and rightly so. The cast of characters is extraordinary, from the mightiest of gods to the most base of humans, yet the semi-divine hero of the tale, Aeneas, son of Venus, remains profoundly human throughout. His grief at having to forsake Dido is not some passing gesture in the mouth of a man obsessed by destiny, yet Aeneas knows it remains to him to take the household gods of Troy, laid waste by the Greeks, and sail to found his new kingdom at Rome.
Such is the awe-inspiring reputation of this work that one is unlikely to turn to it for entertainment, let alone light reading, but it is entertainment of the very best sort that this book offers. The world created by Virgil and opened up to us by Robert Fagles is more vivid than any fiction of the intervening two thousand years, and it can be highly recommended to every reader.
Pilgrimage to Santiago
**
Astonishingly Poor 2 Jan 2007
The other reviews of this disc have all praised it most highly, and there is indeed here much to be praised, but to my mind the disc as a whole smacks of poor preparation, self-indulgent conducting and a willingness to rely on reputation as a means of selling discs.
The music here is all to a greater or lesser extent connected with the shrine Santiago in Compostella, although it is hard to see a direct link between Dufay and Spain. The repertoire extends from the twelfth century to the sixteenth, and takes in monodic compositions from the Codex Caxtilinus and polyphonic masterpieces by Victoria. Indeed, there can be no criticism whatsoever of the music Gardiner has chosen to present on this disc, as any compilation which brings together Victoria's Vadam et Circuibo and works by Morales and Clemens non Papa is always to be recommended.
However, the singing on this disc can only be described as very patchy. Gardiner has assembled a choir of excellent singers, and at times he achieves a truly marvelous sound (witness the opening section of Vadam), but there are simply far too many moments where the tone is rough, aggressive and raw, and there is no real account taken of the line of the music. Most shocking is that the tuning of the ensemble is often shaky, with some distinctly rank points in the Mass by Victoria.
Gardiner made his name performing early music, but it seems to me that he has lost his touch, particularly in his choice of tempi. Perhaps in order to bring variety to what will always be a fairly homogeneous work (the Mass O Quam Gloriosum, being a parody of a motet, is inherently limited in the material at the composer's disposal), Gardiner chooses speeds that at times crawl with all the life of a dying snail, and at others race along as if he were embarrassed of the section and wished to finish as soon as possible.
Can I recommend this CD? Sadly I cannot: there are much finer recordings of all the repertoire here, and such a charmless offering as this deserves to be forgotten as quickly as possible.
Astonishingly Poor 2 Jan 2007
The other reviews of this disc have all praised it most highly, and there is indeed here much to be praised, but to my mind the disc as a whole smacks of poor preparation, self-indulgent conducting and a willingness to rely on reputation as a means of selling discs.
The music here is all to a greater or lesser extent connected with the shrine Santiago in Compostella, although it is hard to see a direct link between Dufay and Spain. The repertoire extends from the twelfth century to the sixteenth, and takes in monodic compositions from the Codex Caxtilinus and polyphonic masterpieces by Victoria. Indeed, there can be no criticism whatsoever of the music Gardiner has chosen to present on this disc, as any compilation which brings together Victoria's Vadam et Circuibo and works by Morales and Clemens non Papa is always to be recommended.
However, the singing on this disc can only be described as very patchy. Gardiner has assembled a choir of excellent singers, and at times he achieves a truly marvelous sound (witness the opening section of Vadam), but there are simply far too many moments where the tone is rough, aggressive and raw, and there is no real account taken of the line of the music. Most shocking is that the tuning of the ensemble is often shaky, with some distinctly rank points in the Mass by Victoria.
Gardiner made his name performing early music, but it seems to me that he has lost his touch, particularly in his choice of tempi. Perhaps in order to bring variety to what will always be a fairly homogeneous work (the Mass O Quam Gloriosum, being a parody of a motet, is inherently limited in the material at the composer's disposal), Gardiner chooses speeds that at times crawl with all the life of a dying snail, and at others race along as if he were embarrassed of the section and wished to finish as soon as possible.
Can I recommend this CD? Sadly I cannot: there are much finer recordings of all the repertoire here, and such a charmless offering as this deserves to be forgotten as quickly as possible.
Santiago a Cappella
*
Self-indulgent and of decidedly mixed quality 2 Jan 2007
When first I saw this CD I was very excited by the prospect of such a high quality choir performing repertoire that I believe to be of exceptional beauty and brilliance. However, my reaction on hearing the disc was one of extreme disappointment, and subsequent listening has served only to confirm my initial impressions.
The music on this disc is all loosely connected with the shrine of St James at Santiago de Compostella in Spain, and brings together works spanning four centuries. The earliest pieces are taken from the Libre Vermell, which was compiled not for Santiago but for Montserrat, and date from the late twelfth century, through to the motet Crux Fidelis by Joao IX of Portugal. It must be mentioned that this latter work is very beautiful, but of doubtful provenance, and there are strong reasons to believe it to be a 19th century forgery.
That aside, the repertoire is unimpeachable. Sadly the same cannot be said of the singing. The choir is composed of excellent singers, but John Elliot Gardiner achieves very mixed results. At best the sound is brilliant, perfectly blended and very expressive, but at worst it is, to be blunt, rank. Tuning is frequently sour (listen to the opening of Ave Virgo Sanctissima) and at times the timbre of the voices is bitter and harsh. Most disappointing, however, are the tempi: Gardiner chooses very slow paces for several works, evidently aiming for an aetherial quality, but the effect is ultimately that the life is drained of the music. Though it be sacrilege to suggest this of such a fine musician, much of the conducting here seems self-indulgent.
In all, this disc falls far short of that which a listener has a right to expect. There are better recordings of all this repertoire elsewhere: for the stunning Lamentations by Alonso Lobo look to the King's College, London recording under David Trendell. The Libre Vermell is available in a very good Naxos recording, and the motets can be found on better discs by such groups as The Cardinalls Musick, Magnificat and the Choir of Westminster Cathedral.
Self-indulgent and of decidedly mixed quality 2 Jan 2007
When first I saw this CD I was very excited by the prospect of such a high quality choir performing repertoire that I believe to be of exceptional beauty and brilliance. However, my reaction on hearing the disc was one of extreme disappointment, and subsequent listening has served only to confirm my initial impressions.
The music on this disc is all loosely connected with the shrine of St James at Santiago de Compostella in Spain, and brings together works spanning four centuries. The earliest pieces are taken from the Libre Vermell, which was compiled not for Santiago but for Montserrat, and date from the late twelfth century, through to the motet Crux Fidelis by Joao IX of Portugal. It must be mentioned that this latter work is very beautiful, but of doubtful provenance, and there are strong reasons to believe it to be a 19th century forgery.
That aside, the repertoire is unimpeachable. Sadly the same cannot be said of the singing. The choir is composed of excellent singers, but John Elliot Gardiner achieves very mixed results. At best the sound is brilliant, perfectly blended and very expressive, but at worst it is, to be blunt, rank. Tuning is frequently sour (listen to the opening of Ave Virgo Sanctissima) and at times the timbre of the voices is bitter and harsh. Most disappointing, however, are the tempi: Gardiner chooses very slow paces for several works, evidently aiming for an aetherial quality, but the effect is ultimately that the life is drained of the music. Though it be sacrilege to suggest this of such a fine musician, much of the conducting here seems self-indulgent.
In all, this disc falls far short of that which a listener has a right to expect. There are better recordings of all this repertoire elsewhere: for the stunning Lamentations by Alonso Lobo look to the King's College, London recording under David Trendell. The Libre Vermell is available in a very good Naxos recording, and the motets can be found on better discs by such groups as The Cardinalls Musick, Magnificat and the Choir of Westminster Cathedral.
Western Digital 60GB Passport V2 External USB 2.0 2.5" Hard Drive
*****
Portable, light and very effective 25 Nov 2006
Though very portable, flash memory sticks can fill up very quickly, especially if you use large PowerPoint files and audio clips. I am a teacher, and found that, as interactive whiteboards have become more and more common in classrooms, I rely on multimedia in my work, and even a 2 gigabyte memory stick would have been too small.
This portable hard disc has solved a great many problems for me. It now functions as my My Documents folder for my PC, and all I need to do is back up my files from it about once a week. The software provided by Western Digital offers secure encryption, should you wish to really lock down your hard disc, but as I usually have to use at least 2 different computers each day, I have decided against that option.
The disc itself is hardly larger than an iPod, and is very light - sufficiently light to be kept in the inside pocket of a jacket without damaging the lining - and seems well built. The only design drawback is the separate USB cable, but a small cloth bag filched from an old minidisc player accommodates both disc and cable very well.
This really is one of the best purchases I have made in terms of increasing the flexibility with which I can work. No longer do I have to worry about having the right files on my memory stick, or be concerned about the most up-to-date version of a file. Now everything is stored in one place and backed up to one place. Simplicity itself.
Portable, light and very effective 25 Nov 2006
Though very portable, flash memory sticks can fill up very quickly, especially if you use large PowerPoint files and audio clips. I am a teacher, and found that, as interactive whiteboards have become more and more common in classrooms, I rely on multimedia in my work, and even a 2 gigabyte memory stick would have been too small.
This portable hard disc has solved a great many problems for me. It now functions as my My Documents folder for my PC, and all I need to do is back up my files from it about once a week. The software provided by Western Digital offers secure encryption, should you wish to really lock down your hard disc, but as I usually have to use at least 2 different computers each day, I have decided against that option.
The disc itself is hardly larger than an iPod, and is very light - sufficiently light to be kept in the inside pocket of a jacket without damaging the lining - and seems well built. The only design drawback is the separate USB cable, but a small cloth bag filched from an old minidisc player accommodates both disc and cable very well.
This really is one of the best purchases I have made in terms of increasing the flexibility with which I can work. No longer do I have to worry about having the right files on my memory stick, or be concerned about the most up-to-date version of a file. Now everything is stored in one place and backed up to one place. Simplicity itself.
Victoria - Requiem
*****
First class singing 2 Sep 2006
Phillip Cave's ensemble "Magnificat" might be regarded as just another in the long line of professional mixed voice choirs which specialise in music from the Renaissance, were it not for the consistently high quality of their recordings and interesting choices of repertoire. This disc, made in 1995, demonstrates the group's excellent blend, tone and musicality in performing the wonderful Officium Defunctorum by Victoria.
The music is quite marvelous: richly sonorous, sustained, and yet frequently harmonically taking turns which the listener does not expect. The opening movement of the Requiem will be immediately recognisable to anyone familiar with Spanish Renaissance music, but it demonstrates Victoria's distinctive gift for extended suspensions and plangent harmony. In all, this is a wonderful piece of music.
My only question about the disc is the inclusion of a considerable amount of plainchant, weighing in at almost five minutes in total across two tracks. This criticism is not down to the performance: the chant is sung expressively and musically, but it smacks rather of an attempt to "recreate" the mass "as it might have been heard", somewhat in the vein of Paul McCreesh's work with the Gabrieli Consort, but whereas McCreesh includes instrumental music as well as prayers, responds and plainchant psalms, this disc is a mass with a bit chant tacked on for good measure. I would rather Cave had included another motet or two, and made the disc thereby of more wider appeal.
However, this is but a very small criticism of a very enjoyable and excellent disc. Treat yourself.
First class singing 2 Sep 2006
Phillip Cave's ensemble "Magnificat" might be regarded as just another in the long line of professional mixed voice choirs which specialise in music from the Renaissance, were it not for the consistently high quality of their recordings and interesting choices of repertoire. This disc, made in 1995, demonstrates the group's excellent blend, tone and musicality in performing the wonderful Officium Defunctorum by Victoria.
The music is quite marvelous: richly sonorous, sustained, and yet frequently harmonically taking turns which the listener does not expect. The opening movement of the Requiem will be immediately recognisable to anyone familiar with Spanish Renaissance music, but it demonstrates Victoria's distinctive gift for extended suspensions and plangent harmony. In all, this is a wonderful piece of music.
My only question about the disc is the inclusion of a considerable amount of plainchant, weighing in at almost five minutes in total across two tracks. This criticism is not down to the performance: the chant is sung expressively and musically, but it smacks rather of an attempt to "recreate" the mass "as it might have been heard", somewhat in the vein of Paul McCreesh's work with the Gabrieli Consort, but whereas McCreesh includes instrumental music as well as prayers, responds and plainchant psalms, this disc is a mass with a bit chant tacked on for good measure. I would rather Cave had included another motet or two, and made the disc thereby of more wider appeal.
However, this is but a very small criticism of a very enjoyable and excellent disc. Treat yourself.
Late Victorian Gothic Tales
****
Excellent selection, both for the student and the casual reader 12 Jul 2006
I bought this in conjunction with Fred Botting's Gothic and have found this to be an excellent pair of books to supplement my knowledge and understanding of late Victorian Gothic literature. The range of tales on offer extends from well established names such as Oscar Wilde and Henry James through to rather more obscure figures like Grant Allen and B.M. Croker.
The collection is edited by Roger Luckhurst who provides an excellent introduction, and it is on the basis of this that I award this book 5 stars. His essay will be required reading for my students, and the select bibliography is thorough and up-to-date.
Above all, though, these stories provide entertaining and at times chilling reading, while at others the reader cannot help but laugh out loud at what seem to modern eyes hopelessly sentimental and over-the-top evocations of gothic terror.
All in all, this is well worth buying, whether you intend to study the period in depth, or want a range of engaging and effective stories.
Excellent selection, both for the student and the casual reader 12 Jul 2006
I bought this in conjunction with Fred Botting's Gothic and have found this to be an excellent pair of books to supplement my knowledge and understanding of late Victorian Gothic literature. The range of tales on offer extends from well established names such as Oscar Wilde and Henry James through to rather more obscure figures like Grant Allen and B.M. Croker.
The collection is edited by Roger Luckhurst who provides an excellent introduction, and it is on the basis of this that I award this book 5 stars. His essay will be required reading for my students, and the select bibliography is thorough and up-to-date.
Above all, though, these stories provide entertaining and at times chilling reading, while at others the reader cannot help but laugh out loud at what seem to modern eyes hopelessly sentimental and over-the-top evocations of gothic terror.
All in all, this is well worth buying, whether you intend to study the period in depth, or want a range of engaging and effective stories.
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