Antheil: Symphonies 4 & 6; McKonkey's Ferry (Naxos)
George Antheil flashed briefly to fame in the mid-1920s with his Ballet Mecanique and Jazz Symphony, pieces with an almost naive single-mindedness that lifts them well above the ordinary. He never shied from displaying the courage of his convictions, but notoriety didn't lead to ongoing success, and when he returned to his native US his style moved with the times. The three works here from the 1940s reflect that decade's military struggles (Antheil worked as a war correspondent) and might well be taken to be the work of an American admirer of Shostakovich. It's a nice twist that their appearance in Naxos's American Classics series comes in committed performances from the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine under Theodore Kuchar.
Michael Dervan
Mengelberg conducts Beethoven (Pearl, 3 CDs)
Willem Mengelberg (1871-1951) was one of the major conductors of the 20th century, taking charge of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra at the age of 24, and preceding Toscanini at the helm of the NYPO. Pearl's new Beethoven collection (GEMS 0074) focuses on the Beethoven symphony recordings (Nos 1, 3-6, and 8) made in Amsterdam for Telefunken between 1937 and 1942. Mengelberg was in many ways an individualistic autocrat, and the Concertgebouw he created was a finely-disciplined ensemble, well able to follow the sometimes convoluted tempo manipulations he favoured. His Beethoven shows a remarkable, sinewy vitality, a crystalline clarity of texture, and a spareness of vibrato that would put most period-instruments bands to shame. Not to be missed.
Michael Dervan
Shura Cherkassky 1909-1995 (Nimbus, 7 CDs)
FEW pianists in the later years of the 20th century had the ability to surprise and charm the way Shura Cherkassky did - himself, in concert, as well as his listeners. His art was avowedly subjective, and the artifice was at times taken to extremes which stretched musical coherence. But, as he said himself, "I don't think anybody can call me boring." The idiosyncratic breadth of his repertoire is well represented here - the expected romantics, the delightful bon-bon encores, but also Beethoven, Berg, Stravinsky, Messiaen, and Bernstein. The recordings are exceptionally truthful, capturing both the atmosphere and instrumental colours of Cherkassky's concerts. At the bargain prices of Nimbus's boxed sets, this valuable collection is also great value for money.
Michael Dervan
