Symphonic Dances: Copland, Ravel, Stravinsky
Park Avenue Chamber Symphony/David Bernard
Recursive Classics 2061415
Total Time:  64:28
Recording:   (*)**/****
Performance: ****/****

If you are in New York City and have had the opportunity to hear the Park Avenue Symphony, you already know that this particular release is going to be an exciting exploration of three very popular 20^th-Century works.  Conductor David Bernard has received many accolades for his recordings with the ensemble willing to tackle mainstream repertoire that has been the recorded realm of far more well-known orchestras.  For this recording, the orchestra is using a newly-edited version of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (1919) that Bernard had a hand in editing.  The orchestra and label released an earlier album that had the extended Copland ballet and a different version of the Firebird Suite back in 2016.  Of course, audiophiles will have their favorite performances of all these pieces so this album becomes an important way more for the orchestra to have product for sale at their concerts, but it really also allows for a wider appreciation of their performances.  To that end, this recording will certainly be treasured by those who support the rise of such orchestras in America.

Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite opens up the album.  Bernard’s performance manages to keep the music flowing well here.  The recording sometimes creates a more ambience than one might want though.  This works against some of the crystal clear delineations of Copland’s lines.  The orchestra though moves through this work with some excellent solo playing, especially in the winds and brass.  Strings cut through this texture warming it as needed in Copland’s orchestration though one wishes it was a bit larger.  That said, with just a few places where the attacks might be more precise, one gets a sense more of what a live performance might entail.  It may not be the “best” of the versions of this available, but it has a tremendous amount of joy and energy that captures the spirit of the work.

The second suite from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe is among one of his more popular concert pieces.  One wants a bit more string sound in the opening “Lever du jour” to help create the sheen of sound here, but Bernard still manages to pull from the ensemble a sense of the blurred edges while primary thematic statements waft out of the texture.  All the beauty one comes to expect from the piece is certainly there.  The flute solos are certainly among the best captured for this work.  Perhaps on another level, we have here a closer sense of the chamber ballet orchestra that creates a different intimacy within Ravel’s textures that can get lost when it is performed as a big orchestral showpiece.  That makes this a more attractive performance which is capped by a thrilling “Danse generale”.

Another attractive addition will be the new edition of the Firebird Suite (1919).  Here the delicate colors and rhythmic precision are equally important and handled well by the orchestra.  One wonders if the decision to record this was intended to improve upon their earlier exploration of the piece as well as wanting to explore the smaller details of the new edition.  Regardless, the ensemble seems to really own this work much more than the other two no doubt aided by Bernard’s quite intimate knowledge of the score.  This makes for a thrilling conclusion to this release.

While one can find a few minor things along the way in the performances, the real issue for some will be the sound quality which can sometimes seem “thuddy” and other times has an odder balance that pops out.  The Stravinsky seems to be somewhat better served here sonically though sometimes the levels seem to fluctuate at times.  That said, it is perhaps closer to what one might experience in the concert hall and from a live performance.  Here, the Park Avenue Orchestra is on some of its finest ground yet and this release will likely be a treasure for its fans.

Summer and Winter Songs
Maeve Hoglund, soprano.
Jean-Paul Bjorlin, piano, tenor.
Navona Records 6236
Total Time:  41:48
Recording:   ****/****
Performance: ****/****

Mira J. Spektor may be better known as the founder of the Aviva Players.  The group, begun in 1975, focuses on chamber music and songs by women composers from the 12^th to 21^st Centuries.  As a composer, she has written several chamber operas and even music for film and television.  In this release, listeners are introduced to her music through eighteen different songs featuring some of her own poetry as well as classic poetry and even some from her granddaughter, Lily Nussbaum.

Spektor’s music is a blend of art song and musical theater (“Have Song Will Travel” is a perfect early example of this approach).  The tonal language is a more expanded romantic style with nice turns of phrases.  The piano provides both gorgeous harmonic support while also connecting to the melodic line of the soloist.  The texts move us through a sense of nostalgia that connects to the over-arching seasonal sequencing of the texts and songs.  Listeners will be enthralled by the engaging melodic writing and the way the music shifts from a classical romanticism coupled with a theatrical, classic Broadway style that is further informed by fun jaunts into jazz harmonies and rhythms.  Spektor’s music has a way of moving effortlessly to connect with the many moods of her texts that can illustrate intimacy, as well as big exciting moments.  A sense of wit also can be heard where this is appropriate.  “Sunday Psalm” is a more religious departure textually with a hymn-like musical style for the borrowed text which then moves on in beautiful reflections to the poetry of Phyllis McGinley.  Spektor is equally at home with German or French texts that have as natural an approach as her English songs on this album.  “Il Neige Dans Mon Coeur” might have been a perfect song for say Edith Piaf.  The music might reference these other influential styles, but Spektor’s style makes these unique and one begins to get a sense of her approach to text setting by the time the disc reaches its conclusion.  It is always inventive and communicative.

Texts for each of the songs accompany this release.  It is helpful for those looking closer at the structure and the way Spektor’s text settings flow with the poems.  Hoglund’s gorgeous voice navigates the moods of these pieces and is a real pleasure to hear as she nuances the texts and changes mood from one to the next.  Her high range is quite exquisite and her middle range has a rich, full sound.  Bjorlin is a perfect partner in these works and the balance between the two is handled well in the sound picture.  In some ways, Spektor’s music has its foot in art song and popular song and that will make this release a wonderful discovery for those who appreciate contemporary vocal writing.