REVIEWS: Shostakovich: The Girlfriends etc. (Naxos 8.572138)

A treasure trove of Shostakovich rarities, this CD carries four world premiere recordings, including music for the film, The Girlfriends, reconstructed from original sources, including the 1934 soundtrack. A number of recently-discovered Prelude, and the scores for the stage productions of Salute to Spain and Rule, Britannia come from one of the most fertile periods of the composer’s creative life and are almost completely unknown. The album includes an intriguing unfinished symphonic movement from 1945 that turns out to be Shostakovich’s first idea for his Ninth Symphony. Superlative performances by the Polish National Radio Symphony under the baton of Mark Fitz-Gerald.

Stravinsky, The Rake's Progress (Naxos 8.660272-73)

Conductor Robert Craft first met Stravinsky on the same day that Auden delivered the completed libretto to the composer, and was directly involved in what he describes as "the first step" in the composition of The Rake's Progress. This was principally helping Stravinsky master the pronunciation, vocabulary and rhythms of the English text. Craft, who is perhaps the most qualified to direct this work, presents a brilliant performance of the work with the Gregg Smith Singers and Orchestra of St Luke's. Soloists include Jayne West, John Garrison, Arthur Woodley and John Cheek.

Ireland: Piano Trios (Naxos 8.570507)

In keeping with its championing of John Ireland, Naxos presents this disc of the three piano trios and music for violin and piano. The tuneful Phantasie Trio of 1908 was one of the first of his works to bring him to public notice. The Second Piano Trio (1917) reflected Ireland’s intensely emotional response to World War 1, while his Third Piano Trio (1938) returned for its inspiration and musical material to his earlier Clarinet Trio of 1912-13. Performed by the Gould Piano Trio this is a worthy addition to the composer’s discography.

Saint-Lubin: Virtuoso Works for Violin (Naxos 8.572019)

This is the first CD in a new series dedicated to the music of the virtually unknown 19th century composer violinist Leon de Saint-Lubin. Saint-Luben, a teacher and Kapellmeister at the Königstadt theatre in Berlin for many years composed a wide range of work. Violinist Anastasia Khitruk and pianist Elizaveta Kopelman perform several of his works including the Grand Duo Concertant. Recommended.

Bartok, Yehudi Menuhin (Naxos Historical, 8.111336)

Yehudi Menuhin was an influential advocate of Bartok’s music. This 1947 recording of the First Violin Sonata finds Menuhin in particularly intense and vivid form. The Violin Concerto No 2 is performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler.