The Northern Classical Review

Introduction Beethoven's 4th symphony. Schumann called this piece "a slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants", of course referring the world changing Erocia and almost equally revolutionary 5th that sit either side. The 4th sits in the same group as the 1st, 2nd and 8th. Largely overlooked, and wrongly so. I can't for the life of me understand why, particularly in the case of the 4th. The 1st movement takes an awfully long time to actually start, and eventually drops in with a joyous melody.  It's 3rd movement is the best of any Beethoven symphony (excluding the 9th). The symphony is far from a mere bench-warmer for the 5th. Despite it being largely overlooked by the public (in the context of Beethoven's other hugely popular symphonies anyway), conductors seem to love it! I have no hard evidence, but in the past few years I have seen it on programs more than any other Beethoven symphony. I think this is due to the other more 'pop' Beethoven sym

Are the Rachmaninoff concertos the most recorded pieces of the piano repertoire? I certainly get that impression when I open Gramophone every month and see a new release of either the 2nd or 3rd. I'd suspect if you have been a recording savvy person your whole life this could get rather tiresome. Not for me, I still look forward to every new recording of these works. I will probably get bored one day. I like to think I have listened to a respectable range of recordings of the Rach 2's and 3's. For a while now, my favorite recordings have been Alexandre Tharaud for the Rach 2 (of course, excluding the absolute sublime glory of Richter's), and Denis Matsuev (with Gergiev) for the 3. I favor a Slavic, 'hammer' approach that is for sure. In my opinion, the piano has to be the dominant force by a mile, and the loud sections should be deafening. This month saw the release of a new recording. Could it bring my bias as to how a Rachmaninoff concerto sound to its knees

Overall this is a very charming recording of Mahler's 1st symphony. I'd first like to point out that the sound of the actual CD is fabulous. It sounds fresh, refined, but almost natural enough to sound live. This stands the actual interpretation in good stead. The first movement starts off really rather timid, but it sings nevertheless. That may be an odd thing to say about 1 note being played for a long time, but it is really rather lyrical. As Mahler intended, it effectively creates a peculiar air for the proceeding melodies to emerge from. The 'cuckoo calls' stand out from the rest of the orchestra to an extent I have not heard on any other recording. Although I point out the dynamics are timid, they are very balanced and delicate, just restricted. Throughout the symphony, the various folk tune are very gay and child like. I'd like to think this is something Mahler would have approved of. More than anything, this really illuminates the irony in the music, you sen

As we've all heard a million times over, Mahler's music is full of contrasts. The jolly and the melancholic and chaotic. This is a great tool Mahler uses to create an air of tragic irony. No where is this more apparent in the second symphony. What makes the second symphony fascinating is the order. It starts with a funeral march, and finishes with a resurrection. That's quite a plot. Bach's St John Passion broadly does the same thing, but that is just, well, a bit boring (apart from the blistering first and last movements). The music contained within the hour and a half symphony is so diverse and progresses so naturally. Variations on themes blossom in to countless different beautiful tunes and melodies with interesting rhythms and textures. Beyond the second symphony, Mahler composed many other symphonies and song cycles, all of them have similarly admirable attributes. Because of this, I cannot stop thinking to myself, how can artists like David Bowie and Elton John