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September highlights from EMI and Virgin Classics S p o t l i g h t Verdi: Rigoletto Diana Damrau, Juan Diego Flórez Verdi’s Rigoletto is justly one of the best-known of all great chorus operas, and this new production from Dresden’s Semperoper brings it back with a wonderful international cast under renowned conductor of Italian opera, Fabio Luisi. Directed by Nikolaus Lehnhoff, this production features star soprano Diana Damrau, tenor Juan Diego Flórez, baritone Zeljko Lucic and the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. “[Diana Damrau] caused a sensation with her immaculate coloratura, radiant high register and skilful breath control, enough on their own to place her at the forefront of interpreters of the role. But it was her capacity for filling each note with sincerity of spirit which made her portrayal so exceptional and drew ovations from the first-night audience.” Das Opernglas a l S o n e w t h i S month 12 Cellists of the BPO A journey through the musical landscape of France featuring arrangements of works by Poulenc, Fauré, Ravel, Debussy and Satie to Edith Piaf’s La vie en rose La vie en rose La vie en rose La vie en rose Fleur de Paris Fleur de Paris Fleur de Paris and Fleur de Paris, made famous by Maurice Chevalier. Puccini: La Rondine Angela Gheorghiu Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna star in the 2008 Metropolitan Opera production of Puccini’s rarely performed opera. Directed by Nicholas Joël, the DVD features bonus interviews with Gheorghiu, Alagna, Lisette Oropesa and Marius Benciu. Renaud Capuçon Renaud Capuçon Renaud Capuçon Renaud Capuçon Renaud Capuçon and Frank Braley have devoted much of their 2009-10 concert schedule to Beethoven’s sonatas for violin and piano. “These sonatas are full of memories for me” says Capuçon. Verdi: Don Carlo Rolando Villazón Rolando Villazón, Marina Poplavskaya, Simon Keenlyside, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Sonia Ganassi star in Nicholas Hytner’s new staging of Verdi’s grandest and arguably greatest opera. Antonio Pappano conducts. Paavo Järvi Paavo Järvi takes up his position as Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris in the 2010-11 season. Virgin Classics marks the new collaboration with the release of their first recording, a programme of orchestral works by Bizet. Gounod: Faust Angela Gheorghiu David McVicar’s spectacular 2004 production of Gounod’s Faust features a divine cast of opera’s superstars including Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, Bryn Terfel, Simon Keenlyside and Sophie Koch. Visit us online for new release information, catalogue search, music and video, podcasts, concert listings, artist features and more! www.emiclassics.co.uk www.youtube.com/emiclassics www.facebook.com/emivirginclassics www.twitter.com/emiclassics
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Contents – October 2010 ‘In the opening of Sospiri, Sol Gabetta enters on a whisper and strings fall about her as if from above, deathly quiet’ The sensational Elgar recording (including the Cello Concerto) from new star cellist Sol Gabetta, reviewed by Rob Cowan on page 71 Letters In praise of Fauré; remembering Taddei 8 editor’s choice The sublime final instalment in La Risonanza’s Handel series; Lang Lang’s finest recording yet; Haitink’s Heldenleben 12 S o u n d b i t e S I m A G e S / G e t t y / A F P I S I c K V A L A S S e r P A t r : p h o t o g r a p h y the Gramophone awards short List Find out who’s in the running for the world’s leading classical music prizes 14 anthony roLfe johnson, a tribute Sir John Eliot Gardiner reflects on a great artist and a dear colleague 17 for the record Domingo to sing Rigoletto; a new label from New College Choir, Oxford 18 a conversation with… …composer Sally Beamish 23 diary Pianist Louis Lortie on the importance of working with different instruments 24 richard eyre The captivating philosophy of Glenn Gould 27 recordinGs on triaL Does Otto Klemperer’s classic version of Bach’s B minor Mass stand up today? 30 www.gramophone.co.uk F e At u R e S Leif ove andsnes The piano great on the long-awaited completion of his Rachmaninov cycle 36 pierre bouLez at 85 A rare (and combative) interview with the iconic and still irascible musician 44 reputations:maLcoLmwiLLiamson How we neglect a great composer 50 new season preview Gramophone’s guide to the best live events around the world in the forthcoming season 52 the Gramophone coLLection Richard Wigmore seeks a favourite recording of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito 62 Inside the piano mind of Leif Ove Andsnes 36 e n C o R e musicaL journeys Early music in York; Lorin Maazel’s festival; Channel Classics celebrates in Holland 121 pick of the musicaL month Hampson’s Macbeth; ENO in Luxembourg 125 audio and visuaL Marantz’s stereo on a budget; eye-poppingly expensive super-speakers from Sonus 128 mymusic Baroness Susan Greenfield 146 Reaching 85 hasn’t mellowed composer, conductor and polemicist Pierre Boulez 44 GRAMOPHONE october 2010

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September highlights from EMI and Virgin Classics

S p o t l i g h t

Verdi: Rigoletto

Diana Damrau, Juan Diego Flórez Verdi’s Rigoletto is justly one of the best-known of all great chorus operas, and this new production from Dresden’s Semperoper brings it back with a wonderful international cast under renowned conductor of Italian opera, Fabio Luisi. Directed by Nikolaus Lehnhoff, this production features star soprano Diana Damrau, tenor Juan Diego Flórez, baritone Zeljko Lucic and the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden.

“[Diana Damrau] caused a sensation with her immaculate coloratura, radiant high register and skilful breath control, enough on their own to place her at the forefront of interpreters of the role. But it was her capacity for filling each note with sincerity of spirit which made her portrayal so exceptional and drew ovations from the first-night audience.” Das Opernglas a l S o n e w t h i S month

12 Cellists of the BPO

A journey through the musical landscape of France featuring arrangements of works by Poulenc, Fauré, Ravel, Debussy and Satie to Edith Piaf’s La vie en rose

La vie en rose La vie en rose La vie en rose

Fleur de Paris Fleur de Paris Fleur de Paris and Fleur de Paris, made famous by Maurice Chevalier.

Puccini: La Rondine Angela Gheorghiu

Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna star in the 2008 Metropolitan Opera production of Puccini’s rarely performed opera. Directed by Nicholas Joël, the DVD features bonus interviews with Gheorghiu, Alagna, Lisette Oropesa and Marius Benciu.

Renaud Capuçon

Renaud Capuçon Renaud Capuçon Renaud Capuçon

Renaud Capuçon and Frank Braley have devoted much of their 2009-10 concert schedule to Beethoven’s sonatas for violin and piano. “These sonatas are full of memories for me” says Capuçon.

Verdi: Don Carlo Rolando Villazón

Rolando Villazón, Marina Poplavskaya, Simon Keenlyside, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Sonia Ganassi star in Nicholas Hytner’s new staging of Verdi’s grandest and arguably greatest opera. Antonio Pappano conducts.

Paavo Järvi

Paavo Järvi takes up his position as Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris in the 2010-11 season. Virgin Classics marks the new collaboration with the release of their first recording, a programme of orchestral works by Bizet.

Gounod: Faust Angela Gheorghiu

David McVicar’s spectacular 2004 production of Gounod’s Faust features a divine cast of opera’s superstars including Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, Bryn Terfel, Simon Keenlyside and Sophie Koch.

Visit us online for new release information, catalogue search, music and video, podcasts, concert listings, artist features and more! www.emiclassics.co.uk www.youtube.com/emiclassics www.facebook.com/emivirginclassics www.twitter.com/emiclassics

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