The voice of legendary critic and musicologist Deryck Cooke has officially been recovered from the depths of the BBC’s tape archives.
On December 10, 1960, the Third Programme (now Radio 3) aired Cooke’s lecture-demonstration on his first realization (with the assistance of composer Berthold Goldschmidt) of Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 followed by a performance of the near-complete realization by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Goldschmidt. This program has long circulated privately among Mahler enthusiasts. Testament Records has just released a newly remastered edition of the broadcast under license from the Beeb — along with a live Proms performance of the completed first realization (with further assistance from David and Colin Matthews) on August 13, 1964 by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Goldschmidt.
I’ve just put disc one on the CD player, and can attest to a huge improvement in sound quality over any privately circulated version I’ve run across. I will have much more to say about this release in the next few days. And here’s something else Mahlerites and admirers of Cooke might find interesting.
Nothing quite cheers up an overcast Sunday afternoon in New York City like a little bit of music — in today’s case, that of Michael Finnissy. I’m typing this between the first two tracks on the “Lost Lands” CD, a program of works drawing on the sounds of disappearing musical cultures, from UK indie Metier Records. Oboist Christopher Redgate and percussionist Julian Warburton dispatch the complexities and nuances of “Dilok” and “Dalal”, two particularly pungent and exuberant works, with jaw-dropping ease. The remaining tracks, played by members of new music ensemble Topologies, are equally exciting.
Anagnost was the music director of the poineering New York City chamber orchestra The Little Orchestra Society, and equally at home before audiences of adults and children. He had an amazing knack for adventurous and innovative programming. Margalit Fox has more details at nytimes.com.
Our cat Nicolò meowed one of his assertive meows as the first movement cadenza of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (the Oistrakh / Cluytens / French National Radio Orchestra recording on EMI) was about to emerge from the speakers — and then another as the tricky double-stops toward the end of the cadenza commenced. He’d been fed, so it wasn’t about “noms“. Nic sounded critical of something, but of what exactly I’m not certain, as he walked away.
Joan La Barbara, a pioneer of extended vocal technique, remains a force of nature in the world of new music. Her brief recital at Greenwich House Music School under the aegis of North River Music’s outstanding contemporary music series opened with three brief vocal masterpieces by “New York School” composers Morton Feldman and John Cage.
I was in such a rush to get to my first appointment this morning that I skipped looking at the music headlines, so I learned from Jeffrey Tarlo at J&R that conductor Yakov Kreizberg had died at the far-too-early age of 51. Obituaries are live online at NPR and The Oregonian, and Stephen Hough has a personal reminiscence at the Telegraph (London). His recent recordings with the Netherlands Philharmonic and Netherlands Chamber Orchestra for PentaTone showcased both his extrovert, dramatic interpretive style and his skill building a very good orchestra into an even better one. A longer tribute in Dutch has been posted to the official Web site of the Netherlands Philharmonic.
I am still in the process of sorting through a pile of product samples, swag, and tchotchkes which I brought back from MIDEM over a month ago (which goes to show you how busy things are at Casa Gaudette), and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a number that are well worth some comment. So this is the first in four installments of new product worth tracking down.
The press release just arrived in my email inbox: “BSO Managing Director Mark Volpe announces that James Levine will step down as Boston Symphony Music Director as of September 1, 2011.” It’s not live on the BSO’s Web site yet, so here are excerpts:
The voice of legendary critic and musicologist Deryck Cooke has officially been recovered from the depths of the BBC’s tape archives.
Nothing quite cheers up an overcast Sunday afternoon in New York City like a little bit of music — in today’s case, that of Michael Finnissy. I’m typing this between the first two tracks on the “