War Poems of Wilfred Owen (Paperback)

*****
An excellent edition of an outstanding poet

31 Oct 2008

This review is intended to serve two different audiences: in the first part I'll talk about Owen's poetry, and why, if you've not done so before, you should, must and absolutely have to spend some time getting to grips with his writing; and in the second part I'll deal with the ins and outs of this particular edition of his verse (there being a great many available on the market.)

So, why be so insistent that you read Owen? Well, he was in many ways the most talented poet writing in English in the First World War, and his poems go furthest to communicate the experience of the men who fought in the trenches to readers almost a century away from the battles he saw. His most famous poems, such as "Anthem for Doomed Youth" and "Dulce et decorum est" are lyrical, elegant pieces of poetry that present intensely moving images of what Owen himself described as "the pity of war", and no-one will ever forget the image of the young man who was a second too slow to put his gas mask on. These poems are his most traditional, owing a clear debt to Keats and Shelley, and it seems as though in them he is writing the final verses of the great Victorian century of poetry. Yet there is much more to his writing: some of his poetry shows the early shoots of modernism, for example in the more allusive (and elusive) "Strange Meeting" and "Insensibilty", in which Owen seems to be looking forward, using language and techniques not unlike those of Eliot and Pound. For me, though, the poem which has moved me every time I have read it for over 15 years is "Futility", a tender and beautiful lament for a young man killed just before dawn. It is true that 90 years have passed since Owen died, but his poetry remains for us the defining account of the Great War.

So to the second part of this review. Owen is back on the A-level syllabus, and many readers will want to know if this book will help them in their studies. And the short answer is, yes. John Stallworthy is an excellent editor: honest and open about the choices he has made, and uncricitical in his provision of a great variety of alternative views and interpretations. His notes, which follow every poem, are wonderfully generous (citing whole other poems where necessary), and each poem is given a brief account of the circumstances in which it was produced. His introduction is excellent, describing Owen's life and literary influences (an understanding of which is essential if you are to really get to grips with his work), and giving readings of some of his more famous works. In all, I could not wish for a better edition of his war poetry: early and incomplete works are also provided, and the feeling one gets is of first rate scholarship.

I will be honest that for some time I had an ambivalent relationship with Owen's work, beeing too much distracted by the apparent simplicity of his more famous work, and not appreciating the remarkable creative process, and in particular his engagement with the poetic tradition, that lies behind his work. Using this edition has restored my enjoyment, and I am hugely greatful for it. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Stanford:Choral and Organ Works

****
Flawed, but wonderful nonetheless
3rd November, 2008

Stanford in C. There are few phrases so evocative for any musician who has spent any period of time performing English church music. The words are redolent with faded Victorian pomp, a little like those glass cases full of stuffed birds, or a large, overstuffed armchair. The phrases move along in their steady four-four rhythm, with a gently plodding bass-line below, and occasional moments where the basses get a rest, and the top voices drift away on a melody that would rather like to be limpid, but had a little too much for lunch. But, despite all this, and it is so easy to mock Stanford, I love his music. His evening service in C maybe a little full of hubris, but his service in G is charming, and the three latin motets are genuinely well written. And for those reasons alone, you should buy this disc, and have a jolly good enjoyable listen to it, perhaps with a glass of sherry, and a leg of mutton to wash it all down.

But that's not quite the full picture. The choir of St John's College, Cambridge, are a very fine group indeed, and their series of English choral music for Naxos has been a very welcome addition to the catalogue. Much of their singing is excellent: Christopher Robinson trains the boys to sing with incision and great intonation, and out of the ranks of the young, male choral scholars have come some of the finest singers of this current generation (there are one or two present on this disc, for good measure.) They can be thrilling, and they can be blended, but I can't help feeling the performances are not very well balanced. For example, in the middle of "For Lo, I Raise Up", there is a beautiful passage of very sensitive writing, but Robinson forces the crescendo of the line almost beyond breaking point, and any sense of mood is gone for good. And what's more, there are some really quite unpleasant noises that come out of the speakers when one listens attentively: the trebles can be harsh (and dominated by Oliver LePage-Dean, who is - admittedly - excellent, but it makes for tiring listening), and the alto line in the early bars of the C major Magnificat seems to have been replaced by enthusiastic chickens. One can only hope they were free range. My suspicion is that the budget nature of the recording has something to do with this, and that takes which otherwise should not have been put onto the CD were included for the lack of any alternatives. In any case, I don't think this singing represents John's at their best.

But here's the thing: why are we consigning Stanford to the dusty recesses of Choral Evensong when he has so much more to offer? Performed with organ his music is, it is true, a bit flat-footed, but that's not the way he wanted it to be heard. His music was written for a large choir with an orchestra, and he wrote for orchestra with real skill, and there is some thrilling orchestration to be found (I recently experienced the Evening Service in A to the accompaniment of a full orchestra, and the effect was a revelation: suddenly Stanford's talent became clear to me.) So, should any passing record producers stumble across my review, here's my challenge to you: do a disc of Stanford using the chorus and orchestra of La Scala. I think it would sound bloody great.

Hamlet (Norton Critical Editions) (Paperback)

****
Very useful, but caution is advised
11 Nov 2008

There are a great many editions of Hamlet available at the moment, and, as it is a play that is never far from the syllabuses of A-level boards and university English departments, there are a great many people who need a copy of the text that they can trust, and which will give them the level of support they need to get the most out of this text. The Norton Critical Edition of "Hamlet" will, of course, be of great service to some people, but many readers will be better off elsewhere. In short (as I've realised this review is getting rather long), if you're studying the play for AS level, then this is probably not the best book for you: try the Cambridge School Shakespeare instead, and add the York notes for extra depth and background information. If you're at A2 or university, then the more detailed text of the Oxford (my preference) or Arden editions will be of greater use. So, that rather begs the question, who is this book good for?

To answer that, let's look at what the book actually does. Norton Critical Editions receive their name from the selection of critical material which they provide in the form of extended appendices to the main text. In this case, there is a very useful section on "Intellectual Contexts", which includes contemporary writings on such topics as Melancholy, ghosts, and also gives excerpts from Montaigne's "Apology", which bears striking similarities to Hamlet's speech early in Act 2 on "what a piece of work is man." In terms of enriching one's appreciation of the terms of reference in which Shakespeare's plays were understood, these texts are invaluable, but their provision seems arbitrary: no justification is given for their selection, and there is no direct evidence that Shakespeare read any of them (even the Montaigne essay is the subject of debate amongst critics as to whether or not Shakespeare had read it, or whether it was itself simply part of a wider discussion at the time about human nature). Moreover, there are countless more omissions than there can be inclusions - there is no Greek mythology, no Garden of Eden, no early English tragedy against which to judge the play-within-a-play - so one is left feeling a little adrift, especially if your knowledge of the period is not very strong.

The "critical" part of this edition comes in the form of a very generous selection of essays and responses to the play, including some early criticism (although it would have been nice to have some contemporary writing on drama too), going back to the early 18th century, and with a liberal selection of big names, including Hazlitt, Goethe, Coleridge, Wilson Knight, Eliot, Lawrence and Lewis. These have been well edited to leave only the apposite passages, and in many cases are an absolute delight to read. Lawrence's comment that Hamlet seems "a creeping, unclean thing" is well worth remembering in the light of Goethe's pure "soul unfit", and Bradley's essay on the play is excellent (it's a spirited defence of Claudius).

This is a very attractive package, and it is for the critical material that I can award the book four stars, but there are some significant drawbacks. Firstly, the text of the play itself is nothing more than a cleaned up version of the first quarto, with no indication as to where the Folio (or any other texts) vary from it. Moreover, the editing of the text is niggardly in its provision of supporting notes and explanations, which means that it really is only of use if you have another, fuller version of the play (like the Oxford edition) to hand. Lastly, there is no introduction, so the editorial principles cannot be set out, leaving us rather in the dark as to what choices were made, and what the rationale was behind those choices.

In the end, we are left with a really useful book that is not really very useful, as you'll always need other texts to hand to get the most out of it. If you're planning on doing serious work on the play, then yes, I can recommend it, and, if someone else is paying for your books, then it's a fantastic addition to your shelf, but for other readers, I can't quite see how it all fits together.

The Brabant Ensemble - Morales - Magnificat

****
An excellent recording, but there is a caveat
4 Oct 2008

Amazon reviews are a funny old business. My experience has led me to believe that people only really say reviews are helpful if they award a product five stars, and that more moderate reviews are either overlooked or deemed unhelpful. Perhaps people see a helpful review as one which confirms a decision they have already made, and anything which might cause them to reconsider is just a nuisance. I don't know. But despite my desire for popular reviews, I'm not going to award five stars, and I have a good reason for it. However, if you want a disc of outstanding music sung with precision, beauty of line and great taste, then look no further. Morales was the first great master of Spanish music, setting the stage for a century of musical splendour to match the apogee of the nation's star on the world stage, and his writing is moving, understated, emotionally intense and exquisite throughout. The Lamentations are real masterpieces, and the other motets distinctive and no less well crafted. Moreover, the singing by the Brabant Ensemble is of the highest order, well blended, tasteful and possessing a fine tone.

So why only four stars? Well, for the simple reason that this disc is yet another beautifully performed selection of polyphonic choral music by a professional ensemble consisting mostly of singers who began their careers at Oxbridge colleges. And there's the rub: this is, sadly, nothing new. There are now dozens of ensembles out there (and I have commented in another review on the practice drawing on a relatively limited pool of singers to make up the bulk of Britain's professional choirs), each of which promises to perform unjustly neglected music, but I must admit they are pretty hard to tell apart. With the exception of the fantastically barmy i fagiolini, they perform the repertoire in a very safe way, one that fits our preconceptions of how the music "should" sound.

So here is my challenge to the directors of Britain's early music groups: do something new! Yes, performance styles have changed over the past three decades, but surely now it's time to do something really radical with these "early dots". Be imaginative, outrageous even, but please don't give us any more of this sort of performance.

Christian Gerhaher - Robert Schumann "Melancholie"

*****

One of the finest Schumann recitals I have heard" 20th July 2008

There are a great many great recordings of some of the music on this disc. In the case of the wonderful Opus 39 cycle, which forms the heart of this record, there have been performances by such great names as Matthias Goerne, Ian Bostridge and Kate Royal (in collaboration with Graham Johnson on his excellent Hyperion series), so this new CD is entering a crowded marketplace. However, do not let the big names sway you before you consider buying this. Goerne's tone can at times be reedy and not entirely pleasant, and anyone who has read any of my other reviews will know of my intense allergy to Bostridge. Yes, the man has a pleasant, light tenor voice, but his interpretation seems hysterical, neurotic at times, and I can bear no more than about 5 minutes of his disc which combines "Dichterliebe" with Opus 39. In the case of Johnson, I must admit I have enormous admiration for his projects, but his playing rarely gains my affection - it can seem at times almost a little clinical for my tastes.

So what does Christain Gerhaher have to offer? He is a young man (and a trained doctor, should you ever fall ill at one of his concerts) who has released some very well received discs, but he has not achieved anything like the superstar status of his contemporary Goerne. His voice is a classic baritone: expressive, controlled and capable of dramatic excursions into high registers without any hint of roughness or effort, and warm enough at the lower end to drive the grittier lines in Schumann's writing. But above all it is a voice that is hugely enjoyable just to listen to, and through which to experience wonderful music.

And that is where the success of this disc lies: Opus 39 is for me a unique achievement in Schumann's output in that it is so distinctly different from all his other cycles. Even on a disc with as restrictive a title as "Melancholie", Opus 39 seems to glow with the calm reflectiveness that characterises so much of Eichendorff's poetry. Where Heine (whose poetry supplied "Dichterliebe" and Opus 24) is full of sardonic, ironic and bitter energy, Eichendorff prefers to find redemption in solitude. That is not to say he is all sweetness and light, though: the final line of "Auf einer Burg" is heartbreaking, nothing less.

I have written a lot about Opus 39, but for me the joy of this disc was finding new works that I otherwise overlook. Gerhaher takes some small sets in complete form, and makes "melancholic" selections from others, and the contrast with Opus 39 is striking. The opening song could almost be by Wolf, and Schumann's remarkable range is demonstrated in his settings of poems by poets as great and diverse as Goethe and Chamisso. In fact, I can think of few other discs where the line-up of poets is as formidable as this!

Unfortunately, there is one small drawback which should be considered, or at least allowed for when you buy this disc, especially considering the quality and power of the poetry contained within. The texts are provided, but without translations of any kind, so, unless you are an avid reader of German romantic lyrics (and I must admit that I do fall into that category), you may want to use the excellent Lied and Art Songs page to find good translations. However, this is only a minor disappointment when taken into consideration against the achievements of this CD. Gerhaher has brought wonderful repertoire to life in a considered, powerful and intensely musical way, employing his outstanding voice to great effect. I know I will be enjoying this disc for many years to come.

Julie Otsuka: When the Emperor Was Divine

****
Captivating 9th June, 2008

This is Julie Otsuka's first novel, and it draws on her heritage as an American of Japanese descent, exploring the experience of a Japanese family during the Second World War, when thousands of Americans with connections to Japan were internet, and families separated from one another. There is no suggestion that this work is autobiographical, and there is a long list of credits at the back citing other works of reference from which Otsuka has drawn her material. However, that should not be taken as to imply that the novel is merely derivative: it is a beautiful and deeply engaging narrative, told with imagination.

The story is told by four different voices, one for each of the chapters of the novel, and one for each of the members of the family. The opening chapter, in which the mother takes her leave of the family home, and must dispose of its contents as best she can, is deeply moving and tenderly evoked. Similarly effective is the depiction of the train journey, told by the daughter. The bulk of the novel, at least in terms of pages, is given to the son, who relates the family's stay in an internment camp in the middle of the desert, where dust coats every surface and people are shot for reaching through the barbed wire to touch a beautiful flower. The final chapter, and the briefest of the (already slim) novel, is allocated to the father, and is a striking, even strident piece of writing, whose tone shatters the peace of the rest of the book. Technically it is a demanding challenge, and I am not sure Otsuka quite achieves it fully, but it is memorable in many ways.

Where this novel shines is in its material and its sense of distance. On the one hand it reminds us that the War, which so often is depicted as a simple struggle between good and evil, required moral compromises on the part of the Allies that cannot simply be put down to expediency, but might perhaps reflect a darker undertone to the societies which committed them. Moreover, it is interesting to reflect on this as a counterpart to the fascinating "Letters from Iwo Jima", which again goes some way to redressing the balance in terms of who narrates and controls our memory of this extraordinary period.

So why four, and not five stars? The books qualities are many, and the technical device of four different narrators is hugely impressive. The writing is often first-rate, and avoids sentimentality with admirable success. However, I was left feeling a little short-changed at the end, given the book's enormous promise in the first chapter. It is certain that the balance is not quite right: I have never entirely been convinced by wide-eyed children as narrators of novels, as I feel a little pressured to make an implied moral judgement, which I do not like at all.

However, I would gladly press this book into anyone's hand and recommend that they read it, not because it is the greatest novel they will ever read, but because it does give great pleasure to read and later to reflect on, and that, I suppose, is why we pick up books in the first place.

Pentax K200D 18-55mm Lens Kit

*****
Excellent Alternative to the Usual Canon and Nikon Suspects
30th May 2008


This is Pentax's second "entry level" digital SLR camera, following their very successful K100d, and it is entering a very crowded marketplace. In fact, many people who wish to graduate from "point and shoot" cameras will never even get as far as the K200d, such is the dominance of other models by Canon, Nikon and Sony. However, by ignoring this excellent camera, they are missing out on a trick.

So what is it that the Pentax does that, for example, the Sony A350, Nikon D60 and Canon 450i don't do? Well, for a start, it might be worth explaining that it in many ways it does exactly the same as those three big name models. It takes excellent pictures, offering rich, strong colours and it copes pretty well with even quite low-light situations. It offers a range of preset modes, which fiddle with a whole range of settings to help out novices users, and it offers the standard range of Av, Tv, P and M modes for more flexibility. It comes with a standard kit lens of 18-55mm, which allows for a pretty broad wide-angle shot (though by no means a true fish-eye) through to about 4x apparent magnification of the subject. The 50-200mm lens is a worthwhile addition, and performs very well in a range of situations. The camera is relatively small (compared to semi-pro and professional DSLRs), but boasts a large, bright screen and yet isn't too cluttered with buttons.

So what makes it special? Why did I spend my money on this, and not a Sony (for its live view), an Olympus (for its small size) or a Nikon (for the ability to borrow my mate's amazing collection of lenses)? Well, there were a number of reasons:
- The feel: I have quite large hands (I'm 6'5") and found the Olympus and Canon to be very uncomfortable when I tried it in a shop. It fits well in my hand, and, while heavier than the competition, I only began to tire after a whole day of using it (about 500 shots).
- The viewfinder: the viewfinder is bright and clear, and I find it very comfortable to use. The viewfinder on the Sony, in contrast, was far too small for me because of the extra live-view sensor they have crammed in next to the pentaprism.
- The weatherproofing: unlike any of its competitors the camera is splash- and dust-proof, which, allied to the anti-dust system in the body, makes it a very attractive package.
- The system: Pentax are an old firm with an outstanding reputation in the world of optics and imaging, and their digital SLRs are all designed so that virtually any lens (from about the 1950s onwards) can be used with their cameras. This is in stark contrast to Nikon's decision to take the auto-focus motor out of the D60, which severely limits the range of lenses available which can auto-focus. One of Pentax's specialities is its very compact prime lenses, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the 70mm 2.4 limited, which looks simply stunning for portrait photography.
- The power: the Pentax uses AA batteries, which many Nikon and Canon users scoff at, believing it impossible that ordinary batteries will last more than a dozen or so shots. In one day's shooting of about 500 frames, including a fair few with flash, the lithium batteries which are supplied in the box did not even register on the power display. With high-quality 2500 or 2700 mAh rechargables you can expect about 6-700 shots, which is as good as any proprietary battery in a Sony, Canon or Nikon. Moreover, I know that, should my batteries run out, I can pop into any shop and get enough power to keep going for the rest of the day: a luxury which is denied to other brands.
- Being different! You see Canons and Nikons everywhere you look (there are over 30 million photos taken using a 450i on Flickr), but Pentax is something else, and I really value that.

This really is an excellent camera, and I would urge you strongly to consider it if you're looking at a digital SLR. That isn't to say it doesn't have its drawbacks, but none is a deal-breaker for me. True, it isn't as simple to use as the Nikon D60, and it doesn't have the high resolution of the Canon or its enormous screen. It is aimed at people who want to take photographs properly, and it takes some learning to get the best out of it. However, with patience you will have a tool that is flexible, powerful and very satisfying to use.

I am, I suppose, proud to say: I'm a Pentaxian!

Cantus Cölln - Bach Motets

****
A more than valid alternative 3rd April 2008

In this country we are, I feel, very bad at looking beyond our own shores when it comes to choral music. This, of course, can be attributed to the remarkable strength of professional singing, from college chapel choirs up to the many outstanding ensembles that make all sorts of wonderful music. However, this strength is also in some ways a weakness. The system which produces all these excellent singers is, by and large, that of the university choral scholarship, followed by cutting one's teeth in the shark-pond of London professional singing (this, of course, does a disservice to the many excellent singers from outside the capitol, but it is true for the majority). Because of this, a certain approach, and a certain style are fostered: one of perfect sight-singing, purity of tone and unobtrusive "blend". I would not for a second criticise the results this achieves, but I would argue that it is definitely worth, once in a while, listening to something completely different!

Cantus Cölln are a very small ensemble from (as you might expect) Germany. They have been making records for about 20 years now, cracking out an impressive 30 discs in that time, largely specialising in German Baroque repertoire, and garnering a large clutch of awards for their pains. This disc (which was first recorded in 1997), is fairly typical of their output, combining a choir of soloists (if that's not an oxymoron) with small instrumental forces, and the results are very convincing indeed. The singing is excellent, and the vocal colour is entirely unlike the "English" approach: these singers prefer expression over machine-gun accuracy, which leads at times to slight infelicities in tuning and blend, but lends the performance a satisfyingly distinctive character.

It should be noted that this approach to singing Bach (which is also favoured by Paul McCreesh's Gabrieli Consort) has its merits and drawbacks. On the positive side, the individual vocal lines are beautifully expressed, and the listener is impressed by the clarity with which they can hear every single note on the page. On the downside, individual voices cannot hope to match the weight and dramatic range of a larger force, meaning dynamic contrast can be sacrificed. Moreover, the human ear is so well attuned to picking out different voices that listening can become ever so slightly wearing for long periods. (This point is, however, only a very, very minor one).

So, this disc is a matter of taste: if you want a very musical, very satisfyingly different way of "doing" Bach, you will find a great deal here to enjoy.

Death of a Naturalist

*****

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.

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.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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.