THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 17, 1994 TAG: 9407150095
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music reviews
LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
Michael Nyman, ``The Piano Concerto'' and ``MGV'' (Argo) - In ``The Piano,'' Michael Nyman's music was Holly Hunter's voice. Nyman has reworked his haunting piano pieces and bustling orchestral numbers into a piano concerto. But this work has a bland solo part, murky orchestration and less atmosphere than the film score.
Nyman's success with ``The Piano'' followed years of scoring such Peter Greenaway films as ``The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover'' and ``Prospero's Books.'' The rock-meets-Baroque energy of those films is recalled in ``MGV,'' a piece for the Michael Nyman Band and orchestra.
``MGV'' stands for ``Musique a Grande Vitesse'' (High-Speed Music). The work was commissioned to mark the opening of a high-speed railway in France. Nyman isn't the first minimalist to consider trains in his music, and this piece begins with standard chugging. But the journey is exhilarating, with layered rhythms, striving chords and a bouncing electric bass.
This package includes a bonus CD of excerpts from other releases on Argo, a label specializing in new and unusual British and American music. Among the cuts are a Nyman cue from ``The Draughtsman's Contract,'' a short piece for strings by David Byrne and a stunning, jazzy piano concerto movement by Paul Schoenfield.
Rossini, ``Semiramide'' and ``Il signor Bruschino'' (Deutsche Grammophon) - These releases, each led by Romanian conductor Ion Marin, feature lesser-known works and share several singers.
``Semiramide'' is one of Rossini's richest and most imaginative compositions, a grand opera that looks ahead to Donizetti and Verdi. Its length and extremely demanding writing have kept it from being performed more.
Soprano Cheryl Studer sings with power and agility in the title role. Jennifer Larmore, in the trouser part of a heroic Babylonian warrior, displays a rich, dark and flexible mezzo. The duets for these singers are a highlight of this performance.
Also outstanding are tenor Frank Lopardo and bass Samuel Ramey. Marin, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra and using the new critical edition of the score, holds the long work together well. Some tempos are fast even for these singers.
``Il signor Bruschino,'' an early farce, calls for elegance and charm. Again, Lopardo and Ramey are outstanding, while Larmore manages to shine in a small role. Marin uses the excellent English Chamber Orchestra to produce an appropriately scaled performance.
As the heroine, soprano Kathleen Battle displays her usual facility and charm, though her voice is beginning to sound diminished and less easily produced. Age may be a greater hindrance to her career than her highly publicized problems with the Metropolitan Opera.
- Paul Sayegh
Violinist Gil Shaham and guitarist Goran Sollscher, ``Paganini for Two'' (Deutsche Grammophon) - Although Paganini wrote extensively for the guitar (more than 100 solo works and more than 70 chamber pieces), most of his guitar parts accompany other instruments.
Shaham and Sollscher bring new life to these tried-and-true pieces with tight, polished performances. Slow movements are elegantly phrased and tone colors are clearly articulated. Shaham, who has appeared with the Virginia Symphony, is poised and lyrical, then flashy and dazzling when the music dictates. Unfortunately, Sollscher, a stellar guitarist, rarely gets to shine as he does on his solo projects.
The recorded sound is ample and crisp. The guitar could have been warmer and richer; It is a bit harsh and tinny. The violin is overbearing at times.
- Terry Joy
John Pizzarelli, ``New Standards,'' (Novus) - If you've heard any of Pizzarelli's previous outings, you're probably familiar with his musical approach. The guitarist and singer has taken the path opened up by Harry Connick's success. With much less fanfare and pretension, Pizzarelli has created a body of work with Connick's youthfulness and the sterling, easygoing musicianship of Nat Cole's small group records.
This accessible 15-tune collection features worthy songs that haven't been widely exposed. Overall, things stay fairly straight ahead, focusing on Pizzarelli's melodic guitar and his voice, a thin, reedy instrument.
As might be expected from a collection emphasizing little-known material, ``New Standards'' boasts some odd selections. Some work well, like Pizzarelli's affecting interpretation of ``Beautiful Maria of My Soul'' (from the film ``The Mambo Kings''). ``I'm Alright Now'' and ``Why Do People Fall In Love'' are two little-known ballads that bring out the relaxed warmth in Pizzarelli's voice.
A reworking of Rosemary Clooney's signature ``Come On-A My House'' and a couple of lightweight Pizzarelli originals leave you wishing this collection were shorter.
- Jack Frieden MEMO: To hear samples of these recordings, call INFOLINE at 640-5555 and touch
6275. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Violinist Gil Shaham and guitarist Goran Sollscher give tight,
polished performances on ``Paganini for Two.''
Soprano Cheryl Studer sings with power in the title role of
Rossini's ``Semiramide.''
by CNB