Used Bin Troll Tweets HH.

Ethelbert Nevin

[July 2018.]

“Complete Piano Music, Volume Two.” Antoine REICHA: Six Fugues, Op. 81 (1810); Étude de piano ou 57 Variations sur un même thème, suives d’un Rondeau, Op. 102 (1824). Henrik Löwenmark (pno). Toccata TOCC 0017 (1 CD) (http://www.toccataclassics.com/).

Three cheers for Beethoven! Reicha’s 57 dawdle upon an insipid ditty. It is a lot of work for player and audience to make it to the end. NO.

Grażyna BACEWICZ: Piano Quintet No. 1 (1952)¹; Piano Quintet No. 2 (1965)²; Quartet for four violins (1949)³; Quartet for four cellos (1963)⁴. Silesian Quartet: Szymon Krzeszowiec^1,2,3, Arkadiusz Kubica^1,2,3 (vln), Łukasz Syrnicki^1,2 (vla), Piotr Janosik^1,2 (vlc); Krzysztof Lasoń³, Małgorzata Wasiucionek³ (vln), Wojciech Świtała^1,2 (pno), Polish Cello Quartet⁴: Tomasz Daroch, Wojciech Fudala, Krzysztof Karpeta, Adam Krzeszowiec (vlc). Chandos CHAN 10976 (1 CD) (http://www.chandos.net/).

Perhaps it’s the strange combination, but the four-cello Quartet is far more alluring than either Piano Quintet or the violin Quartet. MAYBE.

“Rachmaninov plays Rachmaninov: The Ampico Piano Recordings (1919-26).” Sergei RACHMANINOV: Var. comps. Sergei Rachmaninov (pno). Decca 425 964-2 (1 CD) (http://decca.com/).

Say what you will, Rachmaninov could play, and quickly too. 18 piano rolls created at last century’s start and reconstituted 1978-79. MAYBE.

“Immortal Bach.” J.S. BACH: Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009 (ca. 1717-23; arr. Eduardo EGÜEZ)¹. Roberto BOCCA: Esegesi (2014)². Carlo BOCCADORO: Power Station (1994)³. Knut NYSTEDT: Immortal Bach (1998)⁴. Iannis XENAKIS: Rebonds B (1987-89)⁵. John CAGE: Third Construction (1941)⁶. Simone Rubino^1,2,3,4,5,6, Sergey Mikhaylenko^4,6, Christian Felix Benning^4,6, Patrick Stapleton^4,6 (perc). Genuin GEN 17479 (1 CD) (http://www.genuin.de/).

This percussion recital reminds that music is about harmony and melody (Bach). Or maybe it’s about rhythm and color (Xenakis, Cage). MAYBE.

“Arditti Quartet Edition 17: Helmut Lachenmann 1.” Helmut LACHENMANN: II. Streichquartett, “Reigen seliger Geister” (1989)¹; Tanzsuite mit Deutschlandlied (1979-80)². Arditti String Quartet^1,2: Irvine Arditti, David Alberman, Garth Knox, Rohan de Saram, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin², Olaf Henzold² (cond.). Montaigne MO 782019 (1 CD).

Upsetting, delightful and incomprehensible, Lachenmann’s expressive intensity shouldering the weight of history continues to astonish. YES.

“Emblema.” Osvaldo COLUCCINO: Emblema 1 (2009-10)¹; Emblema 3 (2009-10)²; Emblema 4 (2011)³; Emblema 5 (2011)⁴; Emblema 6 (2012)⁵; Emblema 7 (2015)⁶. Ex Novo Ensemble: Daniele Ruggieri^1,2,5,6 (fl, b-fl), Davide Teodoro^1,4,5,6 (clar, b-clar), Carlo Lazari^1,2,3,4,6 (vln), Mario Paladin^1,3 (vla), Carlo Teodoro^1,3,4,5,6 (vlc), Aldo Orvieto⁴ (pno). Kairos 0015049KAI (1 CD) (http://www.kairos-music.com/).

Precisely scripted ephemera, rubbings and scrapes that diminish several great players into nearly nothing. (No. 2 is for a larger band.) NO.