New Music

Music throughout the ages has been based mainly on folk song, dance music, love songs. The Beatles' "Yesterday" would have been enjoyed by music lovers in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. As they would have enjoyed Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne", or Edith Piaf's "Je ne regrette rien". Folk song, dance music, and love songs are pretty well eternal. Not so much "classical" music after the beginning of the 20th century, that abandoned its roots and became increasingly the preserve of a few trendies, plus music academies. Apart from the music of Shostakovich, I can think of almost no music I listen to composed after 1960. The "music industry" attempts to thrust "new music" on us, but most of us resist with profound indifference. Give me the Beatles, Leonard Cohen or Edith Piaf any day when it comes to post- 1955.

My Record of the Year: Eternal Heaven (Handel)

"I can resist anything, except temptation," Oscar Wilde once quipped. Well, I can resist buying yet another CD; unless it's a collection of Handel arias. The latest to be added to my immense collection of Handel is a CD titled "Eternal Heaven" and features Lea Desandre (mezzo-soprano), Iestyn Davies (counter-tenor), and a small orchestra called Jupiter, directed by Thomas Dunford. 21 tracks, all sung in English, starting with the wonderful aria "Eternal source of light divine" from the birthday ode for Queen Anne (where the solo trumpet is transcribed for Lea Desandre; not a bad idea).

As so often with Handel, the music is wonderful. Handel was a truly great melodist, with a master's touch. I liked both singers -- even the counter-tenor -- and the small band plays much as Handel would have wanted. Many favourite arias from Semele, Theodora, Solomon, Susanna, Esther, and others. A CD strongly recommended for those who want 86 minutes of often achingly beautiful music (try "Hither let our hearts transpire" from Theodora, or "To thee thou glorious son of earth", from the same oratorio.). A CD to file in my "keep close to hand" rack. They don't write music like this any more. "Comfort music"? It may well be. If so: long live comfort music!

I first listened to this new CD on 31st December, so it's just in time to be my Record of the Year 2022. A big bravo to the two soloists, the Jupiter band, the recording company (Erato, recording in a Normandy chapel). And to Mr Händel for the music.

Henry Purcell

Henry Purcell (1659-95) died at the age of 36 and was England's (only) great composer. To paraphrase a remark by Handel: "If he had lived longer, we would all be out of a job". His music is characterised by great harmonic daring, with strange harmonies that often make the late quartets of Beethoven sound conventional by comparison. Above all, his is pure music and makes us conscious of how music, after 1800, became less concerned with pure pleasure and began to gravitate towards emotions and personal statements. Purcell composed for his 17th century audience operas, masques, sonatas, trios, choral works, songs and, picking up a music form already antiquated at the time, Fantasias for the Viols (1680). Viol consorts were dated by 1680. As a change from violin music, I have been listening to the Fantasias as recorded by Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XX in 1994 with an all-star cast including Wieland Kuijken and Philippe Pierlot.

The music is never boring or routine; the tempi and harmonies are in constant flux with these early precursors of the classical string quartet. The CD ends with the In Nomine in 7 parts. Most of the Fantasias are in four parts, with a few in three parts. Think string trios, or string quartets. I first came across the Fantasias when I was around 15 years old and gave one of my sisters a 10" LP of the music, played by I forget whom. I have kept lovingly in touch with them ever since. The music is remarkable, and unforgettable; always highly contrapuntal, and often almost dodecaphonic years before its time. No wonder Handel was an admirer. Purcell is mainly known now for his opera Dido and Aeneas; but even given his short life, there is so much more of his music to admire and love. When I have finished with the Fantasias, I'll start back on his songs, of which there are many and of which he was a master.

 

Augustin Hadelich plays Tchaikovsky and Lalo

For some reason or another, it has been a long time since I last listened to Tchaikovsky's violin concerto. I listened to it today in a live recording by Augustin Hadelich, with the London Philharmonic conducted by Vasily Petrenko. Well recorded, and you would never know it was live, were it not for the (well deserved) thunderous applause at the end of the work.

Hadelich is well on the way to becoming my favourite modern violinist, in a highly competitive field. His intonation is impeccable, his technique beyond reproach. He always makes a lovely sound but, more importantly and more rare, he is a highly sensitive musician who appears to react instinctively to every bar he plays. His playing is always interesting; I would characterise his style as Central European as opposed to what I always think of as the Russian-Israeli-American more macho approach. I listened with pleasure to every bar of Tchaikovsky's concerto and was tempted to join in the final applause. Petrenko and the LPO contribute well, as one might expect; but Hadelich is the star here.

On to the second live recording on this CD, still with Hadelich and the LPO, but with Omer Meir Wellber conducting (never heard of him). A long way from Russia, we meet Eduard Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole -- with all five movements, thank goodness, and not the abbreviated four movement version that was often played in the past on the dubious grounds that a symphonie should only have four movements. Again, it is Hadelich who is the star in this over-familiar work. He is a violinist to whom one listens. The unknown Mr Wellber ensures a first-class accompaniment from the orchestra. Bravo to all concerned: Hadelich, the LPO, the conductors, the recording engineers. This a first-class CD.