The New Releases for Thursday, November 5, 2009

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• Allegro (I), fr Symphony No. 1 in d, Op. 75; Canzonetta, Op. 65, no. 2
  Giuseppe Martucci
  Symphony Orchestra of Rome/Francesco La Vecchina, conductor
  Naxos 8.570929
  Buy
  As pianist and conductor, Martucci promoted Austro-German instrumental music in opera-mad Italy (he conducted the Italian premieres of Brahms Second Symphony and Wagner's Tristan), and as composer contributed concertos, chamber music, salon pieces and two symphonies...all in an elegant and rich late-romantic style, and all unfortunately neglected these days. Our New Zealand players make us wish to hear more, and Naxos lists this package as "Volume One", so perhaps more is on the way. Goodie!
  10:03 p.m.
• De profundis/Psalm 130 (excerpts); Gloria, fr Dixit Dominus/Psalm 110 (1755)
  Giacomo Puccini, Sr.
  Jonathan Peter Kenny, counter-tenor; Adolph Seidel, bass; Kantorei Saarlouis; Ensemble UnaVolta/Joachim Fontaine, conductor
  Arte Nova Classics 755070
  Buy
  This Giacomo Puccini, founder of a family musical dynasty that would eventually produce a more familiar namesake (G. P. Senior is the famous opera composer's great-great-grand-father), writes in the style of Vivaldi during the age of Beethoven. But these semi-pro performances give an idea of genuine quality of these luxuriant psalm-settings, and serve well enough to introduce us to an interesting corner of music's history.
  10:21 p.m.
• Double Violin Concerto in d, RV 514
  Antonio Vivaldi
  Viktoria Mullova, Giuliano Carmignola, violins; Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea Marcon, conductor
  Archiv Production 477 7466
  Buy
  Happily, this album of rarely-recorded double concertos reminds that Vivaldi created much exciting, and emotional instrumental music beyond the belabored "Four Seasons", and Mullova and friends play them to the hilt. Exciting, dramatic, and grand.
  10:37 p.m.
• Preludio & Finale, fr Concerto for English Horn, Strings and Two Horns, Op. 34 (1947)
  Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
  Alessandro Baccini, English horn; Orchestra Filarmonica Citta di Adria/Giorgio Fabbri, conductor
  Tactus 872301
  Buy
  Constitutionally incapable of embracing the modern styles of his time, Wolf-Ferrari wrote music with a soul-pleasing melodiousness, an agile contrapuntal zest, and a sweet, heart-warming harmony, all thoroughly listenable, if inevitably old-style. But it's 'old wine in new bottles', and tastes fine.
  10:46 p.m.
• Cantos for Slava
  Augusta Read Thomas
  Matt Haimovitz, cello; Geoffrey Burleson, piano
  Oxingale 2015
  Buy
  Haimovitz and Burleson are by no means the 'odd couple' of their album's title, since the 20th century scores (others by Barber, Carter and David Sanford) show them to be a perfectly balanced pair in their compelling advocacy of new music and 'modern classics'. Rich recorded sound contributes to a satisfying experience.
  11:01 p.m.
• String Quartet No. 1 ("In Praise of Poor Scholars") (excerpts)
  Peter Garland
  Apartment House (string quartet)
  Cold Blue Music 0031
  Buy
  Inspired by the cultures and landscapes of the southwest, Garland's scores are subtly involved, more complex than they may first appear. The oddly named British new-music quartet, Apartment House, welcomes us into these open and airy rooms with their unusual views.
  11:10 p.m.
• The Blue Dragonfly, fr The Cunning Little Vixen Suite; Overture, fr From the House of the Dead Suite
  Leos Janacek
  New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Peter Breiner, conductor
  Naxos 8.570706
  Buy
  As some of the most emotionally compelling stage works of the early 20th century, Janacek's operas provided conductor/arranger Breitner with a rich resource for orchestral concert use. The New Zealand Symphony demonstrates a quality that qualifies it as world-class. Rewards are plentiful here.
  11:21 p.m.
• Duett-Concertino for Clarinet, Bassoon & Strings
  Richard Strauss
  Nicholas Cox, clarinet; Alan Pendlebury, bassoon; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Gerard Schwarz, conductor
  Avie 2071
  Buy
  Strauss created this piece for a bassoonist friend, perhaps to prove that Mozart was not the only one who wrote beautifully for that instrument. With a possible 'beauty-and-the-toad/prince' back story, this concertino contains some of its composer's sunniest ideas. Though it proved to be Strauss's last instrumental work, it shimmers with assertive life, and is included in a 2CD set with the wistful Oboe Concerto and two orchestral giants, the "Symphonia Domestica" and "Alpine Symphony". Schwarz, away from his Seattle home, gets superb performances from his English charges here.
  11:37 p.m.