Best discovery for 2018

[semloh]

At least once in the past we had a thread at the end of the year inviting people to say what their best musical discovery has been during the year that falls within UC's remit. So, I thought I'd try it again now. BUT you must give some reason or justification for your choice. We don't simply want a thread that becomes a list of works, and so posts that give no reasons are likely to be deleted.

I'll choose the symphonic music of the Flemish composer Jef Van Hoof, on the Phaedra label, which includes his 2nd and 3rd symphonies. His music is unequivocally in a 19thC romantic style although written in the 20thC. Eric and others mentioned his music years ago on UC but I can't recall ever really listening to it until this year. The reason for my choice is that his music is melodious without being trivial, and there's a suspicion of a carefully designed and disguised 'subtext', often articulated through parody. I like the way that he creates and resolves tensions, never letting them become oppressive (especially noticeable in his 'retro' Brahmsian 3rd symphony) but rather using them to propel the music forward. His inventiveness holds the attention just long enough! It is hard to believe that he wrote the symphonies during World War 2 - there is little sign of the pain that he must have felt in the face of the suffering around him - again one looks for the subtext. The songs that appear on the Sym.3 disc are beautiful and sung with passion, and the orchestral suite from an opera is enchanting.

I may be considered 'cheating' by naming whole discs, so I'll pick out the 2nd symphony as my personal find of the year, for the reasons above. 

[mjmosca]

I am happy to submit the recording of Saint-Saens' "Ascanio" as the top discovery for 2018. The opera is magnificent- the characters spring to life, and the music is beautiful, powerful and completely captivating. All of the people involved have the musical skill and in the case of the singers, the voices to tackle this major work. I would place Ascanio in the same league as Saint-Saens' Henry VIII - a great work! Strongly recommended- I cannot imagine anyone who is interested in Romantic period music not enjoying this superb opera.

[Mark Thomas]

I have two nominations, both operas. Firstly Bruch's Loreley, issued by cpo. I love Bruch for his melodiousness and the sonority of his orchestration, although there's little stylistic development throughout his long career. Most of his choral works have their longeurs, even though often punctuated by the odd "purple patch", but not so this early opera, which is one long purple patch. The writing is very grateful for both principals and chorus, Bruch is generous with his melody but the work has plenty of sustained drama and the interest of the listener never flags. The musical setting is appropriate to the action and the performance itself is superb. I suppose the work could be criticised for being rather conventional for its time, but that needn't worry us nowadays, and it remains a hugely attractive, approachable and above all enjoyable piece of work.

My other nomination this year is to echo mjmosca's of Saint-Saëns' Ascanio, an absolute belter of a work. It's a bit of a slow burner, but by the time the third of its five acts is reached, the action is at white heat and the musical drama is almost unbearably vivid. Who knew that Saint-Saëns could write with such passion and intensity? Palazetto Bru Zane's production standards are always tip top, and this release is no exception - a superb cast is matched by fine direction and an excellent recording. I can give no higher recommendation than say that in this work Saint-Saëns approaches Massenet at his best.

[Ilja]

Allow me to forward the entire oeuvre of the Swiss composer and conductor Volkmar Andreae, which had inexplicably passed me by entirely, as my discovery for 2018. Two beautiful symphonies, delicious chamber music, various very good concertante music and a somewhat unexpected foray towards more modernist style in later years: here is a composer of great skill, working in largely traditional forms but whose expression is more inward-looking than usual, particularly in his chamber works. And just very, very enjoyable music, brought to us largely through the effort of the composer's grandson, the conductor Marc Andreae.

[Alan Howe]

For me the finest release of 2018 is almost certainly Ascanio, closely followed by Die Loreley. The Saint-Saëns is a magnificent score, magnificently played, sung and recorded in the recent release. At times I was almost reminded of the sweep of Les Troyens, especially in the choral sections.

I said 'almost certainly' because it's hard not to prefer a fine operatic recording over some unsung chamber music; neverthless, cpo have surpassed themselves this year with two releases of complete string quartets, one of those by Bargiel and the other of those by Reinecke. I suppose the highlight would have to be Bargiel's String Quartet No.4, a masterpiece worthy of comparison with Brahms, but the claims of Reinecke's No.4 are almost as strong. When you hear such mastery of the medium, you're left scratching your head wondering why these pieces aren't part of the standard repertoire.

Otherwise, I'm currently rediscovering the Russian operatic tradition - and being bowled over by R-K's The Tsar's Bride in a fabulous recording featuring Vishnevskaya, Arkhipova, Atlantov and Nesterenko. Say no more!

[Hector]

My listening year has been dominated by John Blackwood McEwen. I hadn't heard any of his music this time last year. First I heard of him was the Chandos Disc with the Solway Symphony which I am in danger of wearing out. I find there is usually an arc with enthusiasm for new music whereby initial unfamiliarity gives way to understanding and appreciation and then to a fervour which at length declines to a more studied judgement, this hasn't happened for me with the Solway, I remain in fervour. I think it is one of the top 5 British symphonies. 'Hills O Heather' on the disc is very accessible and has perhaps for that reason declined a little from a peak of enthusiasm in my estimation, but the other piece on the disc, 'Where the wild thyme blows' has only grown in my imagination perhaps because it is not such easy listening.

I then heard McEwen's Viola Concerto and found myself seized by a similar enthusiasm. To my mind easily the best British Viola Concerto. Clearly written before McEwen's style matured his genius still shines through, as I think it does with the three Border Ballads which I have now heard. I am currently listening to the Violin Sonatas and wishing someone would record the A minor Symphony that I read proceeded the Solway. Next year I intend to work through the Chandos recordings of his quartets, I believe Santa may well be bringing me the first installment this Christmas!

[Alan Howe]

To my mind easily the best British Viola Concerto

Controversial. It's an early work, and therefore not really typical McEwen. Among the few romantic-era British VaCs, I'd rate Bowen's a fair bit higher:
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dw.asp?dc=W96_67546
And then there's the Walton, which I take to be the supreme British VaC - but that's beyond our remit here.

Nevertheless, I agree in general about McEwen. His mature music is very fine indeed. Thanks for the reminder!

[Hector]

Yes, I am aware it is controversial- I have posted about it before on this site. I recognise the quantity of the Walton Viola concerto but it doesn't especially appeal. None of Bowen's music has ever interested me but I realise he is a fine composer. I don't expect my response to music to be entirely logical. ...

[Alan Howe]

Here's Bowen's VaC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0BTu89KwDE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mwq6-_nP0c&list=PL4s5wS1PQ0XnDd47dh2mh9ztxK-vLuPxU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPUZ4jKWwEg&list=PL4s5wS1PQ0XnDd47dh2mh9ztxK-vLuPxU&index=3

[Jonathan]

I think for me, the composer who is a new discovery this year was Benjamin Godard.  I'd obviously been aware of him before but I have spent hours listening to his piano music CDs (via Spotify) on the Grand Piano Label.  As I'd liked these discs, I bought the Hyperion recording of the Piano Concertos which I also thoroughly enjoyed - especially the jolly first concerto.  I look forward to hearing more of his works next year and if anyone could direct me towards any of his other pieces, that would be great!

[Alan Howe]

Try his VCs:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Godard-Violin-Concerto-Romantique-Poetiques/dp/B001LYNQTG/ref=ice_ac_b_dpb?ie=UTF8&qid=1544896864&sr=8-1&keywords=godard+violin+concerto

[Jonathan]

Thanks Alan, it turns out I already had that one in my collection.  Sometimes I forget exactly what i've already got! 

[Revilod]

I was very impressed by Percy Sherwood's Double Concerto for violin and 'cello . It's purposeful, superbly argued and there's no trace of that empty rhetoric which can disfigure so much late Romantic music. As a result, after a few hearings, it lodges itself firmly in the memory. With the soloists playing as a team, the music almost has a neo-Classical feel to it but it remains essentially Romantic in spirit. I can't think of another piece quite like it.

[Double-A]

For me the best discovery of the year came early.  I followed up on a thread on Amédée Méreaux and found a string quartet of his on IMSLP (the only one?).  It was a surprising find since Méreaux is mostly known as the composer of crazily difficult etudes for pianists, a sort of composer one does not expect to engage with the elitist genre of the string quartet, even less if he is French.

I looked at it, ended up typesetting it to get a score.  Matesic was so friendly as to make a recording of it.

It is a very good quartet, well written for the four players in a rather upbeat mood on the whole.  Anyhow, even just the fact that it surfaced as a consequence of a thread on this forum justifies its mention here.

Re:  Godard:  I have long wanted to praise the Andantino from his first string quartet.  It serves as a scherzo-substitute (or intermezzo) and is a tiny set of variations on a tiny theme, first presented in pizzicato, just spiced up enough harmonically to be interesting.  It is a small movement but perfect in its way, a masterpiece (the largo is also very good, the outer movements less impressive IMHO).

[M. Yaskovsky]

This CD was my revelation for 2018 https://www.phaedracd.com/nl/cd-s/in-flanders-fields/in-flanders-fields-97-lodewijk-mortelmans-de-kinderen-der-zee
Strauss, Wagner and Debussy all in one composer and still a voice of his own. I found it brilliant and you don't have to know Dutch/Flemish to let yourself go with the flow of this great selection from this opera Kinderen der Zee/Children of the Sea.