Classical album reviews: Sir Georg Solti | Savourna Stevenson

Published on Saturday 11 October 2008 17:30

SIR GEORG SOLTI AND THE VIENNA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Das Rheingold ***** Decca 478 0382, £16.99

Decca's 1958 attempt was the first complete recording of Wagner's Ring Cycle and for it, Decca assembled a cast of considerable strength: George London as Wotan, Kirsten Flagstad as Fricka, with even the minor characters portrayed with great feeling. This re-issue has allowed engineers to reduce much of the hiss in those recordings of half a century ago, without losing the humanity of the odd background noise that makes this opera sound so real.

The portrayals are clear, the voices well-attuned to Wagner's demanding music, while Sir Georg Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic bring a resonance that is hard to beat. This is first-class music-making, performed with such skill it makes the opera sound, if anything, too short.

Download this: Prelude

SAVOURNA STEVENSON

Misterstourworm And The Kelpie's Gift

****

Circular CR1015, 11.99

Composer Savourna Stevenson and librettist Stuart Paterson have created a delightful work to introduce children to orchestral music – and to hold them there. A villain named 'Misterstourworm' might be hard to take seriously, but there's no doubting the energy of the performance in this tale of a sea-monster killed by a young hero, especially as narrated by Billy Boyd; the accompanying orchestral version is almost as powerful.

Stevenson has a lushly orchestrated style, which suits the cut and dash of her story, but perhaps is too weighty for the songs that also feature. Here, with lyrics by Les Barker, the RSNO Junior Chorus and National Youth Choir of Scotland have to work hard to get their lyrics across.

Download this: Waiting For The Silver-Sailed Moon