If you first heard Sergei Prokofiev's music for Alexander Nevsky when you saw the film, you may well have the impression that no recording of the Alexander Nevsky Cantata, which he later synthesized from the score, has ever had the intensity of the original. One might attribute this to the added visual impact of the movie, until you experience this release.

It's a reconstruction that comes as close as humanly possible to the cinema version, and hearing it most would have to agree that it's a case where first was best. There's a clarity and incisiveness which give this rendition a much greater emotional wallop than the cantata. This is further helped by performers who are far superior to the ones Prokofiev had to work with and a conductor who's totally faithful to the tempos and dynamics of what's on the soundtrack.

Also, the recording is absolutely spectacular from both the CD and SACD standpoints. The two-channel tracks will have you recalling those thrilling days of yesteryear when you first saw the film, but in demonstration quality sound rather than the shrill, overly modulated and distorted din you experienced in the theater. The multichannel version is so realistic that you'll be reaching for a life preserver when the ice breaks in the horrendous, final battle.

While we're on the subject of great, Russian releases from the Capriccio folks, by all means take a listen to their recent, equally impressive sounding hybrid, CD(2)/SACD(2/5.1) album of Dmitri Shostakovich's complete symphonies (see the newsletter of 1 January 2006). (Y060223)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

Those of you with fond memories of American composer Cecil Effinger's delightful first symphony (no longer available), which appeared on a Columbia LP almost fifty years ago, are going to love this disc. It features the music of Jon Ward Bauman (b. 1939), who was a student of his. The four works included here have the same simplicity, directness and utter sincerity that characterized the Effinger piece.

The program begins with a short, seven minute work entitled Horizons. This might best be characterized as a tiny tone poem describing some rustic landscape maybe not unlike the ones that Thomas Cole painted. Two versions of it, one for strings and the other for full orchestra, are played in tandem giving the impression that the listener is experiencing this scene at different times of the day. Oddly enough there's an otherworldly element here too in the form of a four note motif that may remind you of the one that figured so prominently in Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Next there's a charming divertimento for strings composed of two very engaging, energetic outer movements bracketing a piously pensive, inner one. The spirit of Cecil is very much alive here.

The program concludes with Bauman's second symphony, which predates the former selections, but sounds much more contemporary. It's very direct and immediately appealing with an originality, sense of purpose and forward drive that make it a very worthwhile addition to the symphonic canon, and something you'll certainly want to return to.

All of the performances here couldn't be better and the sound is superb.

Do give this disc a spin and, if you like it, try the music of another American composer and contemporary of Bauman's, William Wallace (b. 1933). (P060222)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

This release is of exceptional interest because it's the premiere recording of two symphonies by the great, late romantic, French composer-conductor Joseph-Guy Ropartz (1864-1965), who was a student of Cesar Franck.

The first symphony is based entirely on a Breton chorale melody and dedicated to Ropartz's friend Henri Duparc. It's in three movements like that of his teacher, and there's a chromaticism, sense of symmetrical phrasing and cyclical thematic construction very similar to what's found there. Paul Dukas thought very highly of this piece and chances are you will too.

The fourth symphony is a more highly advanced work and stylistically speaking, a unique Ropartz creation. Here he takes the cyclical principle to extremes by basing the whole piece on several, short, recurring, melodic motifs. This unifies it to such an extant that even the brief pauses between its three movements become almost imperceptible. Also, the orchestration is much more colorful and reminiscent in places of the great French impressionists Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

When you hear this release you'll be delighted to know that it's only the first of three discs in Timpani's complete survey of all six Ropartz symphonies. While you're waiting for the others, make sure you try those by his distinguished contemporaries Vincent d'Indy (1851-19310) and Alberic Magnard (1865-1914). (P060221)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

To borrow a term from the world of horse racing, this release is a "Triple Crown Winner." That's because harpsichord recordings just don't get any better than this for three reasons. First, the instrument featured her is exceptional. Second, the music is outstanding. And third, these are exhilarating performances, all of which are presented in demonstration quality sound.

The instrument is a copy of one made in Hamburg in 1734 by one of the most extravagant harpsichord builders of all time, Hieronymous Albrecht Hass. His aim was to make instruments with a breadth and variety comparable to the organ, and that aspiration is very much realized here. The sounds of those amorous skeletons that Sir Thomas Beecham so humorously referred to are certainly not in evidence, but rather an amazing variety and richness of plucked string tone.

The opening chaconne by George Frideric Handel, also known as his second keyboard suite, is majestic to say the least, but the best is yet to come!

The very talented soloist on this disc, Andreas Staier, is a devoted fan of Georg Philipp Telemann, whom he rightfully refers to as perhaps the wittiest, most charming and cheerful composer Germany ever produced. It's therefore not surprising that his music dominates this extraordinary recital. Excerpts from three of his suites are presented. They include the Ouverture burlesque for solo keyboard from the Der Getreue Music-Meister and some really fabulous, four-handed transcriptions from the orchestral suites Hamburger Ebb und Fluth and Alster-Ouverture. Just wait until you hear the concert of frogs and cows from the latter!

The North German, baroque composers Georg Bohm, Johann Mattheson, Heinrich Scheidemann, Matthias Weckmann and the great Dietrich Buxtehude are also represented.

The program closes with an absolutely delightful, tour de force encore by contemporary French composer Brice Pauset.

Even with her Pleyel, custom-built, B-29 of a harpsichord, had Wanda Landowska heard this disc, she would have turned green with envy! And speaking of Wanda, by all means take a listen to a recently released, Testament CD of her playing various Polish dances and other selected, baroque, keyboard treasures (see the newsletter of 9 February 2006), as well as an album of her complete, Johann Sebastian Bach recordings for RCA Victor (see the newsletter of 2 March 2006). (Y060220)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

This superb, late romantic music by Austrian composer Karl Weigl (1881-1949) is full of subtleties that will become apparent only with repeated listening. Although a friend of Arnold Schoenberg, he rejected the latter's abandonment of tonality in favor of the increased chromaticism displayed in the works of such composers as Alexander Zemlinsky, whom he studied with, and Franz Schreker.

Upon hearing Weigl's sixth and last symphony one cannot help but be astounded by the fact that this work has languished in obscurity for sixty years until the release of this recording. Although it's in the conventional four movements, it's one of the most amazingly unified symphonies you'll ever hear due to a thematic inter-connectivity that pervades the entire work.

The disc concludes with another world premiere recording, but this time of an absolutely charming, lighter offering entitled Old Vienna. This pays homage to the memory of the great, Viennese waltz kings like Johann Strauss II. In fact, it starts off with hints of his ever popular An der schonen, blauen Donau. Unlike Maurice Ravel's La Valse, which is really a put-down of the 3/4 tradition, it's in the spirit of Joseph Marx's Alt-Wiener Serenaden and an attempt to recreate in late romantic, musical terms a sense of nostalgia for some wonderful, bygone days.

If you find this release to your tastes, by all means try Weigl's apocalyptic fifth symphony as well as the four symphonies of Franz Schmidt (1874-1939), who was also Austrian. (P060219)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)

The Joseph Joachim Raff (1822-1882) revival continues on Tudor Records with these lovely violin sonatas, which should win many friends.

The first and third are each in four movements and owe a great debt to Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. The first has a very engaging, virtuosic finale where two melodies, one pesky and the other wistful, vie for center stage. The third is some of the most inspired Raff you'll ever hear. It's a beautifully crafted work with a first movement that cannot help but draw the listener in. The scherzo and andante are exceptional, but it's the finale, with what may sound to some like hunting calls, that's the frosting on this glorious, chamber cake.

The program is filled out with his single movement Chromatic Sonata, which was the fourth of the five violin sonatas he wrote. Dedicated to the famous Belgian violinist and compoer Henri Vieuxtemps, it's like no other Raff you've ever heard. That's because of its advanced harmonic structure and adventurous piano part. There's more than a passing resemblance to Vieuxtemp's fifth violin concerto, which was written a couple of years before this sonata, and is also in a single movement.

The performances of all three works are superb and the recorded sound is excellent, so don't hesitate.

By the way, these pieces served as training exercise for Raff's two violin concertos, which have also recently been released on Tudor. They are well worth your attention too. (P060218)

-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com)