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Nando’s (new) Classics
A wrap-up of Nando’s Christmastime favorites
By Nando Schellen
Published on 12/10/2009
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It’s this time of the year again and wouldn’t you like to give your
loved ones gifts you know they would like? My discussion with
Santa this year covers quite a variety:
“Reelin’ in the Years”; Jazz compilation—boxed set of seven
DVDs with performances by Art Blakey, Art Farmer, Erroll Garner,
Coleman Hawkins, Woody Herman, Anita O’Day and Jimmy Smith;
NAXOS DVD 2108003
Jazz is very visual music. You have to be able to see the performers
play rather than just hear them. The label NAXOS has been active
over the last several years releasing many DVD recordings of the
greatest jazz musicians in history. This recently released box is the
fourth in the series of great recordings. Watch Erroll Garner,
probably the greatest jazz pianist of his time (along with Oscar
Peterson), play as if he is inventing the music on the spot. But you
can also see that he was a very serious musician, preferring to pay
on Bechstein Grand pianos only. He used melodies that were either
from popular songs or themes from classical music—such as
Debussy, Rachmaninov or Chopin— and simply turned them into
breathtaking pieces of jazz. Or watch Woody Herman, the ingenious
clarinetist and bandleader with his band the Swinging Herd. He
gives the music a physical excitement you don’t often see in
musicians. No one less than Igor Stravinsky—in my eyes the most
important composer of the 20th century—wrote his “Ebony”
concerto for clarinetist Herman and his band. There is no better
proof of the natural connection between the world of so-called
classical music and the world of jazz than in this collection. All of
these DVDs feature the great jazz musicians of the mid-’60s and
are fascinating to watch.
It also captures a musically rich era—artists
like Elvis and the Beatles had their stunning breakthroughs during
this time as well. This is a wonderful gift. I cherish it as one of the
most precious DVDs in my collection.
Johannes Brahms; “Four Symphonies”; Performed by the Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra, Conducted by Simon Rattle; boxed set of
three CDs; EMI 267252 2
Symphonic music lovers most certainly have a weak spot for the
symphonies by Johannes Brahms, and if this music is performed on
recordings by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008 conducted
by Sir Simon Rattle you will have the very best of what can be
performed today. The unforgettable music will touch your heart
deeply and the dramatic tension in the performance is unique.
Hans Hotter, accompanied by Gerald Moore; “His life in German
Art Songs” with piano and orchestra; boxed set of six CDs; EMI
264901 2
Hans Hotter (1909–2003) was probably one of the most influential
male singers of the 20th century. He was a forerunner in a style of
performance in which the essence of words and music became
more important than the production of a beautiful tone. In the world
of opera he mostly shined in Wagner roles that demanded the
essence of the poetry be expressed in music. On CD number six
you will find proof of that. The magic of his art is in the way he
portrays Brahms, Schubert, Schumann and Hugo Wolf. I know of no
male singer who understands so much of the poetry of each of the
107 art songs he performs. Vocal music lovers should have this set
as a valuable example of art song portrayal. Vocal students need
him, even if the art of expression has developed since he stopped
singing (in 1985). It is not a matter of copying, rather a matter of
learning how to uncover the beauty of the poetry, and at the same
time the beauty of the musical language expressing this poetry.
Hotter will never be forgotten.
Giuseppe Verdi; “Requium”; Performed by Rolando Villazon,
René Pape, Sonja Ganassi, Anja Harteros and the Chorus and
Orchestra Academia Santa Cecilia; Conducted by Antonio
Pappano; Set of two CDs; EMI 698936
The word “requiem” sounds heavy and dramatic. It is the Roman
Catholic Mass for the dead and many famous composers wrote
such a mass—not only classical (Mozart and Verdi), but also
Broadway composers such as Leonard Bernstein and Anthony
Lloyd Webber took on the form. In all cases, the composers had
very personal reasons to write a “Requiem”—the word means “rest”
or “peace,” so you can imagine that most requiems are very
emotional and Verdi’s piece is a champion. When you are a great
composer, as Verdi was, you know how to write music that goes
directly and deeply into the center of the listener’s heart. Verdi’s
“Requiem” is popular and there are lots of excellent recordings of
this work. This is the most recent one and it is a sensational
performance, recorded in Rome, Italy, in January of this year. If you
want to please passionate music lovers, be sure to pick this one up.
Pietro Mascagni; “L’Amico Fritz”; Performed by Angela
Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, and the Chorus and Orchestra
Deutsche Opera Berlin; Conducted by Alberto Veronesi; Set of two
CDs; Deutsche Grammophon 4778358
An operatic comedy, written by Pietro Mascagni—world famous
composer of “Cavalleria Rusticana”—performed by world famous
stars (and married couple) Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna
on the Deutsche Grammophon label. What more could you want?
The comedy is, as usual, about love, about which one of the
characters is cynical. Things look like they are going completely
wrong and at the last moment turn back to where they should be
and the right man gets the right girl. Giuseppe Verdi was asked by
the publisher what he thought of this opera and he said he hated it.
But it is still the second best piece of music Mascagni ever wrote
and the live performance in Berlin, on this recording, was a big
success. Don’t be afraid of lesser known operas. There are many of
them that are truly worth the trouble.
Gaetano Donizetti; “L’Elisir d’Amore” (“The Elixir of Love”);
Performed by Heidi Grant Murphy, Paul Groves; Stage direction by
Laurent Pelly; Bel Air BAC 040
Can opera be funny? Of course—sometimes even more than a
funny movie. But you need the right director with the right sense of
humor who knows how to discover the fun behind the opera
comedy. Such a director is Laurent Pelly. He directs all over the
world and we are lucky that he also works very often at the Santa
Fe Opera. His inventions are hilarious yet he never tries to re-invent
the wheel. And he didn’t need to do that here either, because
Donizetti had a tremendous sense of humor himself as many of his
works show. This is a comedic approach to the fatal love elixir from
the novel of “Tristan and Isolde.” A sophisticated girl, Adina, reads
the novel of Tristan and doesn’t notice how much a simple farmer’s
boy, Nemorino, is deeply in love with her. When she notices, she
thinks she can do better and gives her sympathy to a lieutenant of
the army. Misunderstandings and desperate actions by the lover
make sure that the girl finally gets her ideal husband. This DVD
presents a great opera in a great production.
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