CLASSICAL NOTES

BY NICK BOSTON

REVIEWS

Adriana González & Iñaki Encina Oyón Isaac Albéniz Complete Songs (Audax ADX13784).

From the opening notes of Adriana González (soprano) and Iñaki Encina Oyón’s disc of the complete songs of Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909), I could tell this would be a treat. Only the opening set, Rimas de Bécquer, is in Spanish, but the themes are familiar - lost love, the fragility of love, life and death, and visions in

dreams and sleep, etc. It is perhaps only in the later songs, such as Art thou gone forever, Elaine? and The gifts of the Gods, and then the lush expressionism of the Deux morceaux de prose, that the piano has a more virtuosic role. Yet Oyón makes the most of the subtlety of interest in earlier songs too, particularly the lilting rhythm of the Barcarola and increasingly expressive accompaniment to Il tuo sguardo. González moves effortlessly between simple romanticism (Una rosa in dono) to extremes of despair (De dónde vengo...?) and tender expression (To Nellie). She even gives us ever so slightly schmaltzy Victoriana in Will you be mine?. But the final four songs are the most evocative, full of Spanish-infused shifting harmonies and crying piano grace notes in the incredibly moving In sickness and health. Oyón’s virtuosic pianism comes to the fore here, and throughout González is a master of communicating the texts with wonderful dynamic control and variety of tone. Highly recommended.

Emily Baines The Ghost in the Machine

(First Hand Records FHR113).

Now for some reverse engineering. In 18th century Europe, there was a fascination with all things mechanical, and musical instruments such as barrel organs and organ clocks were highly popular. Before the gramophone, they were a way to hear again the popular works of the day. But what is also fascinating is how they reveal 18th century tastes for performance, particularly ornamentation and decoration. Recorder player Emily Baines, also director and co-founder with lutenist Arngeir Hauksson of the ensemble Amyas, has transcribed music from such instruments, and it turns out that more is more. Some of the renditions here of Handel, Arne, and even God Save the King, seem to have decoration on virtually every note. Baines plays on a range of recorders, as well as the ‘voice flute’, a recorder that sits in range between the tenor and treble. The transcribed works are drawn from a clock organ made in London by Charles Clay, and a barrel organ made by Henry Holland.

Clay’s incredible clocks, containing works of art, and functioning organs could be seen and heard in his workshop for a shilling. The disc here opens with a ‘suite’ of three popular pieces by Handel, including the Overture to his Water Music, and See the Conquering Hero Comes. The repertoire is lively and full of birdlike trills, twiddles and turns throughout. There’s even a smattering of the 18th century fashion for ‘Scots’ music, with The Lass of Patie’s Mill, and Francesco Geminiani’s (1687-1762) Auld Bob Morrice, with Baines demonstrating particularly impressive virtuosity when the variation takes off. Her effortless ornamentation throughout is also testament to her virtuosity,

but also her deep knowledge and her success in rescuing that ‘ghost’ from the machine.

Luci Briginshaw & Eleanor Meynell Peter Warlock Songbook (Convivium CR062).

Peter Warlock (1894-1930) is probably best known for his Capriol Suite, The Curlew song cycle, or perhaps some of his boisterous drinking songs, but he wrote over 120 songs, as well as numerous choral pieces and works for voice and chamber ensembles. Warlock’s real name was Philip Heseltine, and he had a reasonably successful career as a writer and music critic. The pseudonym was perhaps to distance himself from his critical writings and save his own music from the acidic scrutiny he gave to others. Not formally trained as a musician, Delius became a mentor, although his own music moved away from his mentor’s impressionistic style, towards a mix of folk and Elizabethan influences. Soprano Luci Briginshaw and pianist Eleanor Meynell have got together to record a significant selection of his songs - 28 in all

for this new CD. Briginshaw’s bright tone is well suited to the direct communication of many of the songs, yet she can also conjure up the frequent moments of wistful melancholy. Warlock is fond of lilting triple times (in more than half the songs here), from the tender My little sweet darling, with its nod back to Byrd, to Rest, sweet nymphs, where the simple melody is disturbed by a mildly crunchy piano accompaniment. The early music influences are there in Lullaby, with its steady walking accompaniment, and the Dowland-esque Sleep, despite its unexpected sliding harmonies. Briginshaw delivers the expressive melodies with soft tones, yet she gives occasional more passionate outbursts full weight. Often, Warlock’s piano parts provide chromatic edge but remain in the background, allowing the simple melodic lines to take centre stage. Meynell understands this and doesn’t force the dark undertones through the texture. Yet when Warlock writes more virtuosic piano parts, such as in the passionate and watery Dedication, the playfully chirruping Spring and the highly virtuosic, rippling Consider, her playing shines through, making her restraint elsewhere all the more impressive. Highlights of the collection include the darkly sombre A Sad Song, with its lilting but shifting harmonies and ranging melodic line, and the mysterious Autumn Twilight’s winding accompaniment, with some captivating quiet singing from Briginshaw, also showing impressive control when Warlock challenges with final high sustained notes. A great showcase of another side to Warlock, as well this talented duo.

CONCERTS

The Maxwell Quartet perform Haydn, Dvorák and Prokofiev (Sun 23, 11am, ACCA).

The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Kazushi Ono, perform Stormclouds and Spring Flowers, including Debussy, Dvorak, and Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, with Andreas Ottensamer (clarinet) (Sat 29, 7.30pm, www. brightondome.org).

The London Philharmonic Orchestra also perform an allBeethoven programme - the Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral), and the Piano Concerto No. 4 with Joanna McGregor (piano). Matthew Coorey conducts (Sun 16, 3pm, Congress Theatre, www.eastbournetheatres. co.uk).

www.nicks-classical-notes. blogspot.co.uk

Twitter @nickb86uk

nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk