April 17, 2008
11:45am Friday 18th April 2008
WHAT'S ON
Pianist Alfred Brendel, The Sage Gateshead, final tour, 7.30pm, Sunday. Works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. Box Office: 0191-443-4661
REVIEWS
Veljo Tormis: Choral music (Hyperion CDA67601)
The Holst Singers under the baton of their mercurial conductor Stephen Layton give a gutsy performance of the choral music of Estonian composer Veljo Tormis.
Catchy rhythms and gleaming harmonies are conveyed with glorious singing. A compelling recording.
Richard Strauss: The Complete Songs Vol 3 (Hyperion CDA67602)
This third volume of Strauss Lieder features the young British tenor Andrew Kennedy. Joined by pianist Roger Vignoles, he brings vigour to a selection of works covering the 18 years from 1882 to 1900, during which Strauss composed all his major tone poems.
Ferdinand Hiller: The Romantic Piano Concerto Vol 45 (Hyperion CDA67655)
Pianist Howard Shelley, directing the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, brings to life a largely unknown composer. The First and Third concertos are both first recordings, while the Third was never published. An appealing album.