This year the full might of the classical music industry fell behind an unlikely trio of composers (Wagner, Verdi and Britten) and triggered an avalanche of tribute recordings and reissues. But the most rewarding discs often come from the sidelines. Quietly revelatory takes on familiar ground, new outings for unsung repertoire… Whittling down 12 months’ worth of classical releases is a heart-wrenching business, and I’ve cheated by adding five extra titles at the end. It’s also worth noting that while The Herald takes a special interest in music being made in Scotland, every one of the following selection made the cut on blind merit. It’s a list that speaks not of geographical bias but of the extraordinary calibre of Scotland’s classical ensembles.
1 Berlioz: Les nuit d’ete and La mort de Cleopatre. Cargill/SCO/Ticciati. LINN 421
Robin Ticciati has by now embedded the unique soundworld of Hector Berlioz into the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s DNA – the impact is audible in the way they play core repertoire like Beethoven and Schumann. Meanwhile the orchestra brings fresh style and insight into the French composer’s orchestral writing. Last year’s period-ish account of the Symphonie fantastique was a real ear-opener; this year’s follow-up – a gorgeous collection of Les nuits d’été, the Love Scene from Roméo et Juliette and La mort de Cléopâtre – is even more seductive thanks to the poetic, tender, captivating voice of Arbroath-born soprano Karen Cargill. The sound engineers at Linn capture every shimmering hue.
2 Bach: Brandenburg Concertos. Dunedin Consort/Butt. LINN 430
The world hardly suffers from a dearth of Brandenburg recordings, but as usual John Butt and the period-instrument Dunedin Consort bring something totally new to these well-trod concertos. This is lean, spry, spirited playing. Solos are taken from within the group and there’s a real sense of shared ownership from every gutsy, exuberant player. Butt’s academic authority reveals some fascinating relationships and instrumental colours, and there’s the added bonus of his edifying sleeve notes, but the performance never sounds fastidious: its learnedness never gets in the way of a good tune or a swinging dance rhythm.
