Label: BIS SACD 1264
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HARVARD COMPOSERS - WALTER PISTON: String Quartet No. 1 (1933); LEON KIRCHNER: String Quartet No. 2 (1958); EARL KIM: Three Poems in French for soprano and string quartet (1989); BERNARD RANDS: String Quartet No. 2 (1994); MARIO DAVIDOVSKY: String Quartet No. 5, Dank an Opus 132 (1998). Mendelssohn String Quartet; Lucy Shelton, soprano. A year ago we released our first recording featuring the Mendelssohn String Quartet. (With Robert Mann as second viola in a recording of the string quintets by Mendelssohn.) The critics lauded this. Typically, the Sunday Times wrote "The US-based ensemble play both works with jubilant conviction and mastery of a wide range of color, dynamics and expressive nuance, the whole sounding wonderfully spontaneous." For almost a decade the players of the Mendelssohn Quartet were artists in residence at Harvard University. This residency naturally gave them a great familiarity with the "Harvard" composers. Harvard University has played an important role in contemporary music in the USA. Not that there is a specifically "American" musical tradition at Harvard - rather the opposite, in fact. Walter Piston, who taught there for some 35 years, had attended Harvard as an undergraduate. But he also studied in Paris with the legendary Nadia Boulanger and was powerfully influenced by the neo-classicism of Igor Stravinsky. Many of Piston's students became leading figures in the musical life of the USA, among them Elliott Carter, Irving Fine, Harold Shapero and Leonard Bernstein. The international influences on the "Harvard composers" were strengthened during the Second World War when Nadia Boulanger came to Boston to teach and Stravinsky held his famous lectures on the poetics of music at Harvard. For this disc the Mendelssohn Quartet have chosen works spanning 65 years of music by composers with a relation to Harvard: from Walter Piston's String Quartet No.1 (1933) to Mario Davidovsky's String Quartet No.5 (1998). An added bonus is that the recording is being issued as a hybrid SACD playable on all CD players and offering a surround-sound option for those with the right equipment. The huge range of expression both of the music and of the Mendelssohn Quartet really comes into its own when reproduced in surround sound. A further bonus is the American soprano Lucy Shelton who sings the three French poems set for voice and string quartet by Earl Kim. This is a disc, which will provide a host of new insights into the tradition of music in America - in which Harvard University has played an important role.

Label: BIS SACD 1348
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Symphony No. 6 in B minor (‘Pathetique’), Op. 74; Francesca da Rimini, fantasy for orchestra, Op. 32 (1876) - Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeve Jarvi

Neeme Järvi is one of the most recorded conductors of our time – but this is the first time he records the Tchaikovsky symphonies! He does so with “his” orchestra of 22 years standing, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra: a combination whose many recordings on BIS has made huge audiences very happy indeed! That Tchaikovsky and Järvi really is a ‘dream team’ concert audiences all over the world have been able to hear for themselves over the years. A student of the legendary Yevgeni Mravinsky – whose Tchaikovsky interpretations are still considered among the greatest – Järvi here gives us a vibrant Pathétique of unusual clarity, firmly rooted in the great Russian tradition, followed up by a Francesca da Rimini of great passion and fire. We are of course extremely proud to be able to offer this unique opportunity to fans of Tchaikovsky, Järvi, the GSO – and to all other music lovers. That the recording is also one of the first multi-channel, surround sound releases of these much-loved works surely adds to the attraction!

Label: BIS SACD 1398
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Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13, “Winter Daydreams” (1866/74);
The Snow Maiden, Op. 12 (1873) - Orchestral excerpts from the incidental music to Ostrovsky’s play; Romeo and Juliet (1869/70/80)

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Jarvi

On the second installment in our series of Tchaikovsky Symphonies with the Gothenburg SO and Neeme Järvi, we go directly from the composer’s symphonic testament, Symphony No.6 ’Pathétique’, to his first attempt at the form. Symphony No. 1 in G minor (‘Winter Daydreams’) is the work of a 26-year old composer, and one that Tchaikovsky cherished all his life, referring to it as ‘a sin of my sweet youth’. It is not hard to find characteristics of his later music in this work, such as its melodic richness and its often extremely skilful orchestration. Two other fairly early works in the composer’s catalogue complete the program. The first of Tchaikovsky’s ”Shakesperean” overtures, Romeo and Juliet, was also one of his first great successes, and has remained one of his most popular works. In it the composer makes ample use of all the dramatic opportunities in the play: love, fighting and, finally, death. In comparison, Snegurochka, or ’The Snow Maiden’, by the Russian poet Alexander Ostrovsky, is rather more like a fairy tale, telling the story of how the Snow Maiden, through love of a mortal being, herself becomes vulnerable and melts away with the first rays of the sun. The subject would seem to have appealed to the composer, whose incidental music received more praise than the play itself on its première in 1873. For this disc, Neeme Järvi has chosen to record four of his favorite episodes from the ca 80 minute long score. (The Dance of the Buffoons, which ends this ”suite” is often chosen by the conductor as an encore.) Like the previous Tchaikovsky/Järvi disc, this too is a hybrid-SACD – and also attractively packaged in a stylish slipcase – and it’s to be assumed that the sound quality will be as highly regarded this time. (According to reviewers of Symphony No. 6, ‘BIS's DSD recording has all the clarity, presence, and impact you could ask for’ and ‘From the slightest pp whisper to the full force of powerful fortissimos, everything is clean, clear, open and above all very realistic, without any signs of congestion whatsoever. Strings are velvety, never sound hard or "digital" and everything is heard in a coherent acoustic.’) In combination with the ‘virtuosic and deeply committed playing’ of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, this makes for a release to look out for! - SUPER AUDIO CD/HYBRID

Label: BIS SACD 1408
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Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
The Voyevoda, symphonic ballad, Op. 78; Capriccio italien, Op. 45

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Jarvi

On the third volume of the Neeme Järvi / Gothenburg SO cycle of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies, the turn has come to Symphony No. 5 – one of the composer’s ‘fate symphonies’. The work, which begins in deathly sadness but ends in a jubilant mood, was first performed in 1888 under the baton of the composer himself. In spite of the audience’s enthusiastic response, Tchaikovsky had reservations about the work, worrying that it was ‘too colourful, too massive’ and speculating that he had reached the end of his creative career. In spite of this crisis he did go on composing, and one of his next orchestral works was The Voyevoda, a symphonic ballad based on a poem by Alexander Pushkin. Depicting the sad story of a military commander (‘voyevoda’) and his discovery of his wife’s unfaithfulness, the composer found occasion to use – for the first time – the celesta, which he had recently heard in Paris. On a lighter note, the present discs ends with one of the most popular and joyful works by Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien. Written some 8 years before Symphony No. 5, it was inspired by the composer’s experiences while visiting Italy, and actually begun during his stay in Rome in 1880. Even at the time, Tchaikovsky himself felt that the work had a future: ‘Because of the splendid themes which I was fortunate enough to have at my disposal (partly from collections, partly from what I heard on the street) it will certainly make an impact.’ And how right he was! Please note: The music on this Hybrid Super Audio CD can be played back in Stereo (CD and SACD) as well as in 5.0 Surround sound (SACD).

Label: BIS SACD 1418
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Symphony No.2 in C minor, Op.17, ‘Little Russian’ (1872/79; Second Version); Overture in F major (1865/66; Second Version, for large orchestra); Festive Overture on the Danish National Anthem in D major, Op. 15 (1867); The Storm (Groza), Overture, Op.76 (1864)

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
The fourth volume of the BIS Tchaikovsky cycle focuses on Symphony No. 2, nicknamed for its use of themes from the folk music of Ukraine (‘Little Russia’). The first presentation of the work, at a private gathering, was a welcome success for the young Tchaikovsky in 1872: ‘The entire assembled company almost tore me apart with delight, and Mme Korsakov, with tears in her eyes, asked if she might arrange it for piano four hands.’ Even so, seven years later, during a stay in Rome, Tchaikovsky reworked the symphony radically. As on previous discs, the symphony is combined with shorter, and often less well-known, works. The Overture to Ostrovsky’s play The Storm - later used by Janacek for his Kata Kabanova - was written as a holiday assignment during Tchaikovsky’s studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and earned him his teacher’s disapproval for the extravagant, Berlioz-inspired scoring. The Overture in F was also a student work, which Tchaikovsky adapted for large orchestra when offered a welcome opportunity to have his work performed in Moscow. Just a couple of years later, he received a prestigious commission for a work to mark the wedding of the Tsarevich Alexander with the Danish Princess Dagmar. In the resulting Festive Overture he used motifs from the Danish and Russian national anthems, finally letting the Danish anthem resound in all its glory, in a splendid Maestoso. Even in later life Tchaikovsky regarded this piece highly, preferring it to the much more popular ‘1812’ Overture. The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra under its principal conductor emeritus Neeme Järvi gives all in this interesting program.

Label: BIS SACD 1458
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Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36; Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48; Elegy in Memory of I.V. Samarin

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
In the cycle of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies with Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi, we have reached the fifth installment. As described by reviewers, previous releases include ‘a superb Symphony No.1, cleansed from any residues of syrupy romanticism’ (Classics Today France.com), ‘an outstanding performance of the Little Russian Symphony [Symphony No.2], beautifully played and paced and immaculately recorded’ (Gramophone), an interpretation of the Fifth striking in its ‘dramatic and architectural cohesion’ (Le Monde de la Musique), and a Sixth which ‘packs a powerful punch’ with ‘a dazzling performance of the march and some gut-wrenching climaxes in the final adagio’ (The Guardian, UK). The time has now come to Symphony No.4, which – along with No.5 – Tchaikovsky himself often referred to in the context of ‘Fate’, symbolized by a ‘fate motif’ which opens the work and which the composer described as follows: ‘This is fate, destiny, that portentous power that will not permit our quest for happiness to be successful, that jealously stands guard so that our joyfulness and peace are neither perfect nor cloudless, that hangs like the sword of Damocles above our heads and constantly, continually poisons our soul.’ In his description of the end of the work, Tchaikovsky sounds a note of resignation: ‘Look within yourself; do not say that everything in this world is sad. There are simple but strong joys. Rejoice in others’ rejoicing. To live is still possible.’ This last statement seems to be borne out in full by his Serenade for Strings in C major, composed three years later, a carefree expression of happiness that is never seriously disturbed by minor-key sonorities. The program finishes off with an Elegy, also for strings.

Label: BIS SACD 1468
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PIOTR TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 – 1893)
Symphony No.3 in D major, Op.29 ‘Polish’
Entr’acte and Dances of the Chambermaids from the opera The Voyevoda, Op. 3
Dmitri the Pretender and Vassily Shuisky, incidental music (Introduction to Act I; Mazurka)
Serenade for Nikolai Rubinstein’s Name Day; Entr’acte & Waltz and Polonaise from
Eugene Onegin, Op.24

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
This disc completes the cycle of Tchaikovsky's symphonies with Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi, a cycle which as a whole can be described as resolutely unsentimental, with interpretations aiming to rid these popular scores of the melodramatic excesses that have become part of a performance tradition during more than 100 years in concert halls and on disc. This quality has been remarked upon by reviewers, who described Symphony No.1 as 'superb ... liberated from all the slag of sugary romanticism' (Classics Today France.com) and regarding No.4 wrote 'With immense skill and without making any concessions to the pathetic, Neeme Järvi grants the work its full magnitude. A reading at once rich in nuances and carved in rock ...' (Le Monde de la Musique). Another acclaimed installment was Symphony No.2 ‘Little Russian’, hailed in Gramophone as ‘an outstanding performance … beautifully played and paced and immaculately recorded.’ Besides symphonic works, the previous five discs in the cycle have included a number of smaller scores, from favorites such as Francesca da Rimini and the Serenade for Strings to rarities. The present installment also includes a number of shorter works, among which the dances from Eugen Onegin will be familiar to many. Two less well-known works connected with the stage are also represented here, with extracts from The Voyevoda and from the music to the play Dmitri the Pretender and Vassily Shuisky. Equally unusual is the brief Serenade, written in 1872 in honor of Nikolai Rubinstein, the tireless champion of Tchaikovsky’s music who conducted the first performances of a large number of his works. The opening work on this disc is one of these: the Third Symphony, nick-named ‘The Polish’ on behalf of its final movement, with the tempo marking Tempo di Polacca.

REVIEW

CLASSICSTODAY 10/10

Neeme Järvi ends his variable Tchaikovsky symphony cycle on an upswing. Symphony No. 3 benefits greatly from Järvi's characteristic light and fast approach, which emphasizes the music's balletic nature. This also serves to point out the work's structural weaknesses, for example the first movement's "infinite loop" development. As usual with Järvi, clean-lined textures give prominence to the main melodies, some of which are among Tchaikovsky's finest. The beautiful Andante elegiaco receives tender treatment from Järvi and gorgeous playing by the Gothenberg Symphony. If I continue to prefer Muti it's because his heart-on-sleeve approach really brings out the music's passion. But Järvi's cooler-headed way is just as viable, and pays off in the celebratory finale.

There's a whole lot of music by Tchaikovsky that you wouldn't hear outside of the theater (and in many cases, not at all). This disc's generous couplings include excerpts from The Voyevoda (the opera, not the symphonic poem of the same name) that are particularly interesting as they form a sort of mini-ballet. Dmitri The Pretender is Tchaikovsky's take on the well-mined Boris Godunov source material. Next, the brief Serenade for Nikolai Rubinstein's Name Day makes for a somber if somewhat inconsequential interlude. Of course Eugene Onegin needs no introduction, and the excerpts here are certainly welcome. Järvi leads all of these with his characteristic flair, supported by top-notch playing by the orchestra. BIS's recording sounds excellent in both CD and SACD formats. A very worthy release.

--Victor Carr Jr

Label: BIS SACD 1588
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PIOTR TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 - 1893): Piano Concerto No. 1 in B minor, Op. 23
NIKOLAI KARLOVICH MEDTNER (1880 – 1951): Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 33 (in one movement); Liebliches Kind! From Nine Goethe Songs, Op. 6 (transcribed for solo piano by Yevgeny Sudbin)

Yevgeny Sudbin, piano
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra/John Neschling
Making his début on BIS only two years ago, Yevgeny Sudbin has had a uniquely successful start to his recording career. His Scarlatti recital (BIS-CD-1508) earned him universal praise: ‘performances of a superlative vitality and super-fine sensitivity’ wrote The Gramophone, while the French magazine Piano rejoiced over ‘a pianist of the highest class, in complete control of his means and in possession of a charisma and a command which is all to often lacking in musicians of his generation.’ A year later this impression was confirmed, as Sudbin’s Rachmaninov programme (BIS-SACD-1518) reached the reviewers: ‘From beginning to end, we are in the presence here of a major, world-class artist – a fearless technician with an all-encompassing command of his instrument; a musical dramatist of exceptional acumen and sophistication; a poet who moves seamlessly between unbridled rhetoric and extreme intimacy; a stylist who catches the particular spirit of everything he plays’ wrote Piano Magazine, UK. Now, at last, comes Yevgeny Sudbin’s first concerto disc – and what a disc! With Tchaikovsky’s and Nikolai Medtner’s Piano Concertos Nos. 1, he brings together one of the world’s most famous musical works with a concerto that may not have the same mass appeal but by the initiated is considered one of the finest examples of the genre. In his personal and deeply engaging liner notes Sudbin discusses these two contrasting works, talking about ‘the hidden, sometimes almost impressionistic colours that are waiting to be discovered’ in Tchaikovsky and ‘the unique symbiosis between Medtner’s natural feel for the form and its usage, which shows Western qualities, and the emotional intensity with its aristocratic poise, which indisputably speaks in the Russian language.’ Supporting Sudbin is the Brazilian team of São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and conductor John Neschling, acclaimed for colourful interpretations of music by their countrymen Camargo Guarnieri and Francisco Mignone. The disc closes with an encore – Yevgeny Sudbin’s own transcription of the Medtner song Liebliches Kind (‘Enchanting Child’) for solo piano.

Label: BIS SACD 1749
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W.A. MOZART: Finch’han dal vino, Metà di voi qua vadano; Deh, vieni alla finestra (Don Giovanni); Se vuol ballare, Hai già vinta la causa (Le Nozze di Figaro); Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo, K. 584;
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY: Uzhel ta samaya Tatyana, Vi mnye pisali (Eugene Onegin); Ya vas Iyublyu (The Queen of Spades);
RICHARD WAGNER: “Blick’ ich umher…”, Wie Todesahnung (Tannhäuser);
CHARLES GOUNOD: Avant de quitter ces lieuz (Faust);
GIOACCHINO ROSSINI: Largo al factotum (Il barbiere di Siviglia);
GIUSEPPE VERDI: Son io, mio Carlo (Don Carlo);
BENJAMIN BRITTEN: Look! Through the port (Billy Budd)

Artists:
Peter Mattei, baritone;
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Lawrence Renes, conductor.

The Swedish baritone Peter Mattei has made a formidable reputation for himself performing at the most prestigious opera houses in the world: the Metropolitan, Teatro alla Scala and Covent Garden, to mention but a few. On this, his first and long-awaited disc of arias, he revels in the rich opportunities offered by the baritone literature, performing a selection of his favorite arias and roles. Lovelorn young men and cynical libertines, friends faithful unto death and innocent victims of oppression – all of these are brought to life as one of today’s finest operatic baritones displays his entire range with the eminent support of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Lawrence Renes on the podium.
Peter Mattei performed at the Metropolitan Opera in Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades on March 11, 15, 18, 21 and 26.