The Well-Tempered Ear
YOU MUST HEAR: Alkan’s ‘Barcarolle’
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By Jacob Stockinger
One of the standout recordings for The Ear this past year was “Waves.”
It is a recital of Baroque, Romantic and modern French piano music by Bruce Liu (below), who won the 18th Chopin Competition in 2021 and has since skyrocketed to fame.
Here is Liu’s story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Liu
Liu’s first recording for Deutsche Grammophon was a memorable and highly acclaimed all-Chopin recital made up of excerpts from his competition appearances. Recently, “Waves” (below), his second solo recording, was released.
You can enjoy “Waves” for the crisply articulated Rameau theme-and-variations suite. Or for the nuanced Ravel in “Miroirs” (Mirrors).
But Liu — who was born in Paris to Chinese parents, who came of age in Montreal, Canada, and who speaks fluent Mandarin, French and English — manages to unearth a piece that at least this pianophile never heard before and now wants to play.
It is the Barcarolle by the eccentric and misanthropic French-Jewish composer Charles-Valentin Alkan (1833-88, below).
I’m not usually a fan of Alkan.
He possessed a titanic keyboard technique and his music often sounds too much like simply a showcase for it, especially his Solo Concerto for Piano. Too often he sounds just too much over the top, too forced and virtuosic, not naturally lyrical or accessible.
Perhaps that stems from having so little social contact in his personal and artistic life.
Here is a walk-through narrative of his life: https://www.pianotv.net/2016/10/brief-history-charles-alkan/
And here is his Wikipedia biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Valentin_Alkan
But then I heard Liu playing Alkan’s Barcarolle — one of a set of pieces —and was joyfully surprised. It sounds mysterious and wistful, more like a nocturne than a rocking-boat barcarolle to me. And it even sounds playable by amateurs like The Ear.
So I intend to check out more Alkan, especially the short pieces like preludes.
Listen to the 4-minute Barcarolle in the YouTube video at the bottom.
What do you think?
Do you like it? Are you surprised by it?
Would you want to play it?
What do you think of Alkan?
Can you suggest other listenable and even playable pieces by Alkan?
The Ear wants to hear.
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Brrr! It’s time to hear the ‘Polar Vortex’ aria
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By Jacob Stockinger
We in the Upper Midwest — like much of the rest of the United States down to the Gulf of Mexico — have been treated to an Arctic gift from Canada for the next week or so.
It is called the Polar Vortex (below).
As you can see if you look closely or enlarge the diagram, the vortex has dropped way south from the North Pole, bringing with it way-below average temperatures, many of them going into the double digits below zero. And that doesn’t even include wind chill. (China has also been experiencing recording-breaking extreme cold.)
So it seemed only reasonable to see how a composer has expressed such extreme cold in a piece of vocal music — especially as the cold weather might seriously affect the Republican presidential caucuses that get started tomorrow in Iowa.
So here — complete with lyrics by the famous English writer John Dryden — is “The Cold Song” from 1691 opera “King Arthur” by the British baroque composer Henry Purcell (below), who did a terrific job of word painting and sound painting.
The Ear calls it the “Polar Vortex” aria. Officially its title is “What Power Art Thou Who From Below” and is sung by a character called The Cold Genius.
In the YouTube video below it is interpreted by the world-renowned countertenor Andreas Scholl (below) who is accompanied by the highly praised period-instrument early musical ensemble Accademia Byzantina under director Stefan Montenari.
The quivering repetitive rhythm you see in the notes duplicates shivering as a kind of extreme vibrato.
It is a literally chilling performance.
If you follow the words, the lyrics add to the sense of being stuck in a deep freeze.
How well do you think the imaginative song captures the extreme cold of The Polar Vortex?
The Ear wants to hear.
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Here are winners of major international music competitions in 2023. What’s next?
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By Jacob Stockinger
Which young, up-and-coming classical musicians should you keep an eye on during the coming year?
Which ones, if any, will be booked in coming years to performance locally, say, at the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Wisconsin Union Theater; or at the Salon Piano Series; or as a University of Wisconsin Mead Witter School of Music guest artist?
One guide to 2024 and beyond might be to review the winners of the international music competitions held in 2023.
Thanks to The Violin Channel, here is a list of many such winners who may go on to establish more prominent careers. If you click on the names of the competitions, posted in red, you will be linked to fuller stories about the competitions, many of which you have probably never heard of. The Ear follows many contests but had never heard of many of these.
Here is a link:
You can find out about histories of the competitions, other prize winners, places they are held and how often, jury members and contest rules and formats, and more. And you can hear excerpts from some prestigious competitions including the Bischoff Chamber Music competition and a competition for young child prodigy violinists in Italy.
At the bottom of the story, you can hear a YouTube video with the 19-year-old, Asian-American pianist Magdelena Ho in her contest-winning performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 at the Clara Haskil Competition in Switzerland. She looks to have a promising future.
The winners came all continents — Asian, Africa, North America, South America and Europe.
And the competitions were held in many different places and focused on many different kinds or genres of classical music: violin, viola, cello, double bass and guitar; piano; saxophone;mharp; percussion and drums; chamber music and symphonic music; conducting; singing; and early music.
At the bottom is a vibrant performance of a familiar Bach suite by Canadian cellist Luka Coetzee who won Finland’s Paulo Competition and also took first prize at the Pablo Casals Competition on 2022.
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New Yorker critic Alex Ross names 26 notable classical music recordings from 2023
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By Jacob Stockinger
Alex Ross (below) writes for The New Yorker magazine and is perhaps the most respected classical music critic not only in the U.S. but in the world.
His bestselling book of collected essays, “The Rest Is Noise,” has been acclaimed and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. HIs latest book about Wagner, art and politics has also been highly praised.
This year, unlike in many others, Ross chose to list notable recordings along with a few general observations about the live performances and the recording scene.
For example, he has both sharp criticism and high praise of how the largest commercial labels as well as smaller specialty labels such as BIS and Hyperion are coping with the ever-growing popularity and challenge of streaming.
Ross also sounds a warning about the “transformation” of the iconic Mostly Mozart Festival by Lincoln Center to re-conceive the famous summer concert series as more “inclusive” — despite its financial and artistic success over decades.
Ross’ remarks serve as a timely warning for programmers at concert venues and radio shows to be careful of trying to increase popularity with simplistic ways to “de-canonize” and “de-colonialize” the repertoire in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion.
One suspects that what matters most of all to Ross is the quality of the compositions and the performances — not the genre, color or culture of those who are responsible for them. Not all parts of culture, he suggests in a longer version of the remarks, need to appeal to all parts of society.
Anyway, read his remarks about the best recordings and see the list of 20 others and see what you think:
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2023-in-review/notable-classical-recordings-of-2023
One noteworthy fact is that he named the young Korean pianist Yunchan Lim (below, in a photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucci) to his “best-of” list for Lim’s live recording made during the Van Cliburn Competition that he won last year at the age of 18.
In the YouTube video at the bottom you can hear Lim play “Mazeppa,” perhaps the most fiendishly difficult of Liszt’s “Twelve Transcendental Etudes.” It depicts a Ukrainian folk hero who is punished for his adultery by being strapped naked to a galloping wild horse and struggles to free himself.
And if you have not yet heard Lim’s electrifying performance Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with conductor Marin Alsop during the finals of the Cliburn competition, you should check it out at YouTube.
Do you have any opinions about the recording that Ross selected?
About Yunchan Lim?
The Ear want to hear.
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A canceled Russian diva sues the Met. Who should win?
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By Jacob Stockinger
Soprano Anna Netrebko — singing in France in 2020 in the Getty Image below and singing the famous aria “Sempre libera” from Verdi’s “La Traviata” in the YouTube video at the bottom — is a world-famous Russian diva and longtime opera star.
But ever since Russia’s war on Ukraine started, she has defended the so-called “special military operation” — complete with war crimes and human right violations — and announced her continuing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Like other nationalistic arts figures who have done the same — including the conductor Valery Gergiev and the pianist Denis Matsuev — her career has suffered as she has seen concert appearances disappear and canceled or withdrawn.
Now she has filed a suit against the Metropolitan Opera and its general director Peter Gelb — whose Canadian wife Keri-Lynn Wilson has conducted tours of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Netrebko is seeking $360,000 in damages and restoration of her fees for her upcoming cancelled performances.
Here is a story with the basics: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66413874
And here is a blog column by lawyer and Georgetown University professor Jonathan Turley (below) — a well-known legal analyst with a large public reputation for television and radio commentaries.
He supports Netrebko’s lawsuit in the name of free speech and artistic expression. He argues against cancelling her appearances and withholding payment because contracts have already been signed. And he compares such sanctions to loyalty oaths.
What do you think about artistic performances being canceled because the artist supports Russia’s war on Ukraine and Vladimir Putin?
Should athletes who act similarly be barred from competition, including the upcoming summer Olympics?
Do such cancellations fall under the heading of justified sanctions or illegal broken contracts?
Who do you think should win the lawsuit?
The Eat wants to hear.
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Hyperion Records to stream music — finally
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By Jacob Stockinger
It is a case of answered prayers.
The Ear very much wanted to hear the critically acclaimed recordings of late piano pieces by Brahms and Chopin nocturnes by the British pianist Sir Stephen Hough. But they were unavailable for streaming. (You can hear appeal excerpts from the release along with critical acclaim in the YouTube video at the bottom. Click on Watch on YouTube.)
So I was considering buying the expensive recordings in CD format.
Until Friday. Now I don’t have to worry or spend money. And neither do you if you use a streaming service.
For the first time in its history, Hyperion Records will start streaming its classical catalogue. This weekend streamed both of the Hough recordings.
Here is a story with more details: https://www.classical-music.com/news/hyperion-records-to-stream-for-the-first-time/
That means consumers who use a streaming service such as Apple Music, Idagio, Spotify, Presto, Total and Amazon will finally have access to some terrific artists and outstanding recordings.
Specifically, Hyperion — the home to many fine and well-established artists (below) has been acquired by Universal Music Group and will be issued on Decca and Deutsche Grammophon labels.
Clockwise from top left are: Violinist Alina Ibragimova, pianist Andrey Gugin (who won the Sydney International Competition), pianist Angela Hewitt, pianist Stephen Hough, conductor Martyn Brabbins and cellist Steven Isserlis. (Image courtesy of Hyperion Records)
Hyperion was something of a longtime hold-out when it came to the streaming platform. However, as Hyperion’s managing director Simon Perry explains, times have changed for the privately owned, independent label.
“The world is moving very quickly towards a different way of accessing music,” he says. “This seems to be the way forward, as it’s what people want. It also became clear to us that we needed to make sure that our artists had representation on streaming platforms, so we decided it was time to get involved.”
The Ear is very big fan of Hough, who has performed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra several times and offered a master class at the UW-Madison.
He also relishes listening to Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt’s outstanding and prize-winning performances of Baroque keyboard works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, and François Couperin as well as her complete Beethoven and Ravel cycles. She has performed at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
Cellist Steven Isserlis has also performed at the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Union Theater. And the prolific supervirtuoso pianist Marc-André Hamelin has performed Ravel and Richard Strauss with the symphony. (I particularly like his several volumes of piano sonatas by Haydn.)
One of my favorite string quartets — the Takács String Quartet, which has also performed at the Wisconsin Union Theater — will also have its catalogue of great quartets by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert available. Its new recording combines works by Dvorak and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
If you go to the Hyperion website (bel0w) and click on More, you can see an impressive lists of performers: https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk
The initial batch to be streamed will feature 200 releases and by spring of 2024 will gradually work its way through the entire Hyperion back catalogue of more than 2,000 recordings, off music from the 12th century to the 21 century, that date back to the label’s founding in 1980.
What do you think of Hyperion’s move to streaming?’
Who are your favorite Hyperion artists?
What are your favorite Hyperion recordings?
The Ear wants to hear.
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15-year-old South Korean pianist wins the Cliburn Junior
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NOTE: More on the unpopular move by the UW-Madison Mead Witter of Music to kill off the 130-year-old, campus-community Choral Union will be coming shortly. The Ear as received some very interesting replies and information.
By Jacob Stockinger
Boy, are the kids ever good — and getting better!
A 15-year-old Korean boy — Seokyoung Hong (below) — has won the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition.
He won the demanding contest with an outstanding performance of “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” the technically challenging concerto by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
When out comes to pianists, South Korea is on a roll.
Hong’s triumph follows the impressive win by his fellow South Korean Yunchan Lim, 18, in the senior competition last year. He is the youngest ever pianist to win the prestigious competition.
Here is a link to the story on the British website Classical FM, with a sample of his playing in the finale of the concerto performance with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra:
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/piano/rachmaninov-2023-cliburn-junior-winner/
And in the YouTube video at the bottom you can hear Hong play his quarter-round solo recital of Rachmaninoff, Haydn, Chopin and Dutilleux.
The 14-year-old Chinese pianist Yufan Wu placed second. In third place was Jan Schulmeister, 16, of Czechs (Czech Republic).
And 21 of the 23 competitors, chosen out of 248 applicants from 44 countries, were Asian. Click on the profile to see their biographies and personal statements.
Asian players keep racking up wins in international music competitions. Here is a link to a recent blog post about why Asian musicians seem to dominate Western classical music right now:
You can hear other competitors in many rounds of recitals and concertos on YouTube if you put “Cliburn Junior 2023” in the search engine.
Check them out at all stages of the competition.
The Ear promises: You will be impressed.
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Why are Asians dominating Western classical music?
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By Jacob Stockinger
The month of May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage month in the U.S.
And here is a perfect story to provide questions and raise issues that pertain to that theme as it figures in classical music.
We have not seen many of them booked for concerts locally, but perhaps you have noticed how so many Asian musicians, particularly pianists, have been winning major competitions.
Those competitions include the Van Cliburn (Korean Yunchan Lim, below top), the Chopin (Chinese-Canadian Bruce Liu, below bottom), the Tchaikovsky, the Arthur Rubinstein, the Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, the Leeds Competition, the Geneva Competition and many others that are less famous.
Perhaps you have also noticed how we hear more Asian opera singers at the Met and more Asian string players in orchestras around the world.
More Asians also seem to be studying and performing in lower and higher educational institutions and organizations.
And perhaps you, like The Ear, have wondered what is behind that trend?
Here is a terrific first-person story — with research, details, photos and performance videos – written by a Canadian musician of Japanese descent that appeared on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
But The Ear thinks it could easily apply to the United States, Australia and other non-Asian places and cultures.
Here is a link:
Do you think this story applies to Asians and Asian-Americans in the U.S.?
If you yourself are an Asian or Asian-American musician or music student, do the observations and analysis in the story ring true to you own experience?
Do you have other thoughts to add about the cultural reasons for the surge of Western classical music in Asia and among Asians elsewhere?
Are there important lessons here for non-Asian people and places?
The Ear wants to hear.
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Meet Kevin Chen, who just won the 17th Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition
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By Jacob Stockinger
The Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition is one of the most prestigious keyboard competitions in the world.
It ranks right up there with the Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Leeds and Van Cliburn competitions.
It takes place every three years in Tel Aviv, Israel. And this year, it started on March 14 and wrapped up just a week ago, on April 1.
This was the 17th Rubinstein Competition.
And it was won by an 18-year-old Chinese-Canadian pianist from Calgary.
He is Kevin Chen (below). He also composes and seems well on his way to a major career, especially since last year he also won the Geneva piano competition and was the youngest winner ever of the Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Budapest.
Winning the Rubinstein has launched many major career from Emanuel Ax, the first winner in 1974, to Daniil Trifnov in 2011.
At the bottom is a YouTube video with a recital by Chen along with a recital by the Georgian pianist who placed second: Giorgi Gigashvili. Chen’s performance of Chopin’s 12 Etudes, Op. 10, for example, begins at 2 hours, 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
You can also find a YouTube video of Chen’s prize-winning performance of Mozart’s last piano concerto, No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595; and a wonderful recital from the Geneva competition. And more solo videos from the Rubinstein are sure to be posted soon.
Here is a fine story, with lots of personal details, from Chen’s hometown newspaper:
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/kevin-chen-piano-arthur-rubinstein-competition
Here is a story about all the winners:
Israel’s Rubinstein Piano Competition Announces 2023 Winners
And for much more background about the competition’s history, the jury members for this year’s contestants, the past winners, repertoire requirements, mandatory stages, rules and so forth, go to:
https://arims.org.il/competition-2023-homepage/jury-2023/
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The Well-Tempered Ear 
Apple Music Classical is now available for iPads
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By Jacob Stockinger
Apple Music Classical (logo is below) continues to make headway in the streaming service market.
Originally, it was only available on iPhones with an OS operating system. Then it became available on Google’s Android phones.
As of this week, it is now available on iPad, programmed for bigger formats.
The Ear finds the app particularly useful and cheap for checking out new releases. IT offers more than 5 million recordings.
Some critics complain, however, that the app is still not available for other Mac computers and Apple devices. But one imagines Apple is working on that too even as it continues to buy up other classical music labels.
The recordings on the Hyperion label are now fully available on the app, thanks to that label’s decision to finally offer streaming. (The Ear particularly likes having accessibility to the recordings of prolific pianists Marc-André Hamelin and Stephen Hough as well as those of violinist Isabelle Faust and cellist Steven Isserlis.)
The app also now has the complete catalogue of the critically acclaimed Swedish label BIS as well as the Pentatone label it started with.
Here is a story from MacRumors about the technical update, with almost 70 comments and some very good background and tips about how to use it — which you can also find in the YouTube video at the bottom:
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/11/16/apple-music-classical-comes-to-ipad/
And here are links to previous posts about Apple Music Classical and its release and expansion:
What do you think of Apple Music Classical?
Do you use it or plan to subscribe?
Like it or dislike it?
Why?
The Ear wants to hear.
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