Careers cut short and Italian cantatas
This month’s round-up also includes Martha Argerich and 1970s opera
The fact that Ginette Neveu – The
Complete Recordings (Warner Classics 9029549048) takes up just four discs is sad testament to the violinist’s all-too-short career. Her tragic death in a plane crash in 1949 was a blow to the classical world. This collection, recorded in the late 1930s and mid-’40s, sees a broad mix from Sibelius and Brahms concertos to a rarelyheard Bagatelle by Romanian composer Ion Scarlatescu. The Philharmonia features on two discs, while another sees her performing with her pianist brother, Jean, who died with her.
A veritable who’s who of classical artists enjoyed a Rendez-vous with Martha Argerich (Avanti Classic 5414706 10572), a musical celebration the pianist devised in Hamburg last year. The result is a glorious seven-disc selection of chamber and orchestral works (from Debussy and Ravel to Kodály and Piazzolla) performed by the starry roster of Nicholas Angelich, Guy Braunstein, Michael Guttman, Thomas Hampson, Stephen Kovacevich, Mischa Maisky and Alisa Weilerstein (and more!).
Also across seven discs is Glossa’s collected recordings of Handel’s Italian Cantatas (Glossa
GCD 921528). Fabio Bonizzoni’s ensemble La Risonanza does the honours with a glittering array of soloists, including Roberta Invernizzi, Emanuela Galli, Thomas E Bauer and Salvo Vitale. Originally released 200609, these are considered benchmark recordings of the 22 cantatas with instrumental accompaniment.
Glyndebourne Classics (Euroarts 2038008) is an 11-DVD collection of classic operas from the legendary festival. Taken from the summers of 1972-80, these filmed performances offer a fabulous flashback to productions directed by the likes of Peter Hall, John Cox and David Hockney. Mozart dominates with six titles, plus two by Verdi and one apiece for Beethoven, Stravinsky and Monteverdi. Despite basic packaging, it’s a chance to see some great singers in their prime, from Thomas Allen and Janet Baker to Kiri Te Kanawa and Felicity Lott. The LPO also also features, under Bernard Haitink, Gustav Kuhn, Raymond Leppard and John Pritchard.
The Glyndebourne set is a chance to see great singers in their prime