Brief Notes

Kalevi Aho Chamber works

Jaakko Kuusisto, Pekka Kuusisto (violin) BIS BIS-2186

Not just a master of orchestral music, the leading Finnish composer here reworks motifs by Bach and Beethoven in these diverse and vibrant works. (FP) ★★★★

Beethoven Clarinet Trios

Kilian Herold, Peter-philipp Staemmler, Hansjacob Staemmler Cavi-music AVI 8553479

Largely engaging performances with some impressive agility on display, particularly from clarinettist Kilian Herold, though there are occasional flat-footed moments too. ( JP) ★★★★

Beethoven Piano Trios Sitkovetsky Trio BIS BIS-2239

Like three good friends enjoying a glass of wine and a natter, the Sitkovetsky Trio sparkle with conviviality in this pairing of early- and middleperiod Beethoven. It’s wonderfully uplifting. (JP) ★★★★★

Copland Appalachian Spring etc Württ em bur gisch es Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn

Berlin Classics 0301411BC

This performance of the chamber version of Appalachian Spring is lithe and vibrant. And sparks fly in the Clarinet Concerto – Sebastian Manz is impressive, the orchestra full of driving rhythmic energy. (OC) ★★★★

Dvo ák • Tchaikovsky

Works for Cello & Orchestra Sandra Lied Haga (cello) Simax PSC1363 Sandra Lied Haga’s wonderfully rich tone suits the long, lyrical lines of Dvo ák’s concerto to a tee. The Rococo Variations move along with a lively swagger too. An enjoyable coupling. ( JP) ★★★★

Franck Symphony; Symphonic Variations Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg/gustavo Gimeno Pentatone PTC 5186 771

Franck’s Symphony in D minor is paired with his lesserknown but equally vibrant Symphonic Variations, which places the piano (Denis Kozhukhin) at the fore. A charming recording. (FP) ★★★★

Górecki Complete String Quartets Molinari Quartet Atma ACD 22802

All three of Górecki’s quartets have appeal, but his Third, Songs Are Sung, is quite the cinematic journey. The Molinaris deliver a robust and enaging reading. (MB) ★★★★

Stephen Goss Still Life etc Patterson/sutton Duo

Ravello Records RR8034

The combination of guitar and cello really is beguiling and these works, influenced variously by folk, rock, hymns and themes of displacement, offer much pleasure – the Welsh Folksongs especially. (MB) ★★★★

Andrew Hamilton Joy etc

Andrew Hamilton (violin, voice) Ergodos Records ER31

Irish composer Andrew Hamilton has a nice voice and is a fine violinist, but the concept of this solo debut feels like a bit of a misfire. Eccentric charm with limited appeal. (MB) ★★

Meredith Monk The Games;

The Politics of Quiet etc

Bang on a Can All-stars

Cantaloupe CA21153

Monk hands over the musical direction to the Bang on a Can All-stars in this new album. Dynamic mouth percussion – recorded in superb, visceral sound quality – gives way to eerie, otherworldly soundworlds. (FP) ★★★★

Pergolesi Stabat mater Capriola de Gioia et al Evil Penguin EPRC 0035

A clean-lined, well-balanced performance. Countertenor Clint van der Linde and soprano Amaryllis Dieltiens largely stay on the straight and narrow, with well-judged bursts of melodrama here and there. (OC) ★★★

John Pickard

The Gardener of Aleppo

Nash Ensemble et al BIS BIS-2461

One of the UK’S under-sung composers, Pickard’s textural writing and narrative descriptions are always captivating, including his poignant portrait of the heroic owner of a Syrian garden centre. Wonderful performances. (OC) ★★★★★

Naomi Pinnock Lines and Spaces Quatuor Bozzini; London Sinfonietta et al Wergo WER64312

Though the fretful, jagged edges of her Second String Quartet make for a rollercoaster opening, Pinnock’s emphasis on pauses and quieter moments elsewhere are striking. (MB) ★★★

Rodrigo Soleriana etc

Orquesta de la Comunitat Valenciana IBS Classical IBS 72020

A chance to explore Rodrigo’s Baroqueinspired, often cheerfully tuneful world, away from the famous Concierto de Aranjuez. Light, breezy and well-polished performances. (JP) ★★★★

Somervell A Shropshire Lad Roderick Williams (baritone),

Susie Allen (piano) SOMMCD 0615

This A Shropshire Lad is equal in quality to Vaughan Williams’s or Butterworth’s with vivid word-painting and an over-arching melancholy so prevalent in English song. Williams is terrific. (OC) ★★★★

Vieuxtemps Works for Violin & Orchestra Reto Kuppel (violin) et al Naxos 8.573993

Vieuxtemps doesn’t exactly plumb the emotional depths; he does, however, write with bucketloads of character and, in Old England in particular, a dash of cheeky humour too. ( JP) ★★★★

Affinity

Works by Brubeck, Tan Dun et al Sharon Isbin (guitar) Zoho ZM202005 A disc bookended by two world premieres for the guitar, this selection of works dips its toes in music from all cultures, making for a pleasant snapshot of guitar music around the world. (FP) ★★★

Arias for Josepha

Mozart, Haidel, Sussmayr et al Sarah Traubel (soprano) et al

Sony Classical G010004268253X

A colourful debut from the German soprano pays tribute to one of the 18th century’s greatest coloratura singers, Josepha Hofer. Sublime Mozart leads a fine confection of lesser-known contemporaries. (MB) ★★★★

Blue Hour Works by Hildegard, Shostakovich et al

Marianne Piketty (violin); Le Concert Ideal Evidence EVCD068

I can’t get enough of this luminous selection of works; evocative and eloquently performed, this is music to lose yourself in. (MB) ★★★★

City Lights JS Bach, Kancheli et al Lisa Batiashvili (violin) DG 483 8586 Batiashvili’s album inspired by different cities is a passion project, which you can hear in her sparky, joyful playing. From Dvo ák to Katie Melua, the tracks segue seamlessly, each more characterful than the last. (FP ) ★★★

Key of A

Works by Beethoven, Franck et al Lara St John (violin), Matt Herskowitz (piano) Ankalagon ANC 144

There’s something wonderfully freespirited about these performances; a pair of downright classics, and a Kreisler encore, delivered with gusto and joy. (MB) ★★★★

London Calling

Works by Matteis, Falconiere et al Michael Oman (recorder), Amandine Beyer (violin); Austrian Baroque Company Fra Bernadino FB2001111

Just the job in these lockdown times – vivacious music such as would have been enjoyed in late 17thand early 18th-century England, all played with a real sense of fun and abandon. (OC) ★★★★

Saint Louis Premieres Bingham, Dove, Jackson et al Saint Louis Chamber Chorus Regent REGCD541

An impressive lineup of composers, including Gabriel Jackson and Judith Bingham, features in this disc of works written for Saint Louis Chamber Choir. The sound is big and brassy, though sometimes a little shrill. (JP) ★★★

Voice of Hope Works by Bruch, Ravel, Fazil Say et al

Camille Thomas (cello) DG 483 8564

At the heart of this seemingly innocuous collection of arrangements lies an unexpected gem – Fazil Say’s Cello Concerto ‘Never Give Up’ is a hard-hitting memorial to the victims of terrorism in Europe and Turkey. (OC) ★★★★

Women’s Voices Works by Maconchy, Mcdowall etc

Yunah Lee (soprano), Paula Fan (piano) Lorelt LNT143

In this selection of choral works, most by living female composers, many are performed by their dedicatees, making for a personal, well-considered approach. Equally engaging sleeve notes. (FP) ★★★ Reviewers: Michael Beek (MB),

Oliver Condy (OC), Freya Parr (FP), Jeremy Pound (JP)