SCHUMANN: Chamber music
Martha Argerich (piano) and other artists
EMI 7243 5 57308 2 4
After these heights, down to earth. This is a compilation from last year of various Schumann chamber items, all featuring Martha Argerich and recorded live at a concert in Nijmegen, Holland in 1994. There's the Piano Quintet in E Flat, Andante and Variations (in its cellos and horn version), Fantasiestucke (performed here with cello instead of clarinet), and the rare Marchenbilder. Argerich is herself a true star, and in the first two items she is joined by another, cellist Mischa Maisky.
BELLINI: La Sonambula
Maria Callas, conducted by Leonard Bernstein
EMI Classics, 7243 5 67906 2 9
The sound quality comes crashing down when you turn from the above recordings to this, recorded live in mono at La Scala, Milan, in 1955. EMI apologize for it, but they have nevertheless worked hard and improved things to a considerable extent.
Callas' voice is characteristically extraordinary in many places, here even earlier in her career than in her better-known 1957 version of this opera under Votto, also from La Scala. The audience go crazy from time to time. What you inevitably wish when you hear this is, "If only I could have been there!"
If you can tolerate the sound quality, which isn't so terrible, then the magic of the music and of this particular performance comes over very effectively. Newcomers to opera will get a distorted idea of the art form from these CDs, but afficionados can only be grateful.
CAETANO VELOSO: Eu Nao Peco Desculpa
Universal Music 064 519 2
Last month we recommended the original sound track of the film Talk to Her. Popular on this was the song about a pigeon performed on-screen by the Brazilian singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso, and the good news is that ten of his CDs are available as special imports at FNAC in Taipei. Among them is this collection, recorded last year in company with fellow artist Jorge Mautner. Note, though, that the songs are mostly political, and different in style from the touching and tender item in the movie.
RSS