NAXOS AUDIOBOOKS | 446612 | CD4
The Spiritual Verses Book 1
by Jalaloddin Rumi
translated by Alan Williams, read by Anton Lesser

Magical Mystical Tour
Masnavi-ye Ma’navi by the celebrated 13th-century poet Rumi has been called ‘the Qur’an in the Persian tongue’ and consists of six books, the first of which is presented here in a new translation, abridged from 80,000 to 32,000 lines to fit comfortably on 4 CDs. Having read selected poems by Rumi and the Qur’an, too, I was curious to hear The Spiritual Verses being read and was delighted: these admonitory tales (to a Western ear lying somewhere between the Tales of the Arabian Nights and the fables of La Fontaine) come vividly to life in this new translation. Anton Lesser reads with precision, and the fourteen moral tales are interspersed with suitable Persian music to create a suitable atmosphere. It’s like having a storyteller come to visit with a swag of entrancing and thought-provoking stories. – Stephen Schafer

NAIVE | OP30436 | CD | 709861304363
Tuma Orchestral Works
Sinfonias and Partitas
Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini

A CD worth Czeching Out
Rinaldo Alessandrini and Concerto Italiano won me over with their bold tempi and nuanced intonation in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater (Naïve OP30160) and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos (Naïve OP30412): stylish, distinctive readings that made me hear those perennial Baroque favourites afresh. It comes as no surprise that the ensemble brings the same vibrant warmth and clarity to its latest release. The offerings on this disc are comparatively obscure but no less captivating musically. Czech composer Frantisek Tuma (1704-1774) left his native Prague to study in Vienna with Joseph Fux, counterpoint king, and the technical facility he developed dazzles in the double fugue of Sonata a Quattro in E minor. The players attack this work and others with vigour, but it is the beautifully rendered contrast of slower, lyrical movements that I relish the most. I can’t imagine a better ensemble to present this stunning and little known repertoire. – Melissa Lesnie

NAXOS | 8570554 | CD | 747313055470
Godard Violin Concerto No 2, Concerto Romantique, Scenes Poetiques
Chloe Hanslip (violin), Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra Kosice, Kirk Trevor (conductor)

Star Performer Shines in French Repertoire
The wonderful thing about Naxos is the number of new titles released each month, many of which feature composers and works the listener may not be aware of. I found this on listening to Benjamin Godard’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and the other works on this fantastic disc. This recording is a virtuosic tour de force by young violinist Chloe Hanslip, whose passion and talent are clearly displayed in these Romantic, highly melodic works. Her performances are technically perfect and assured, particularly in the Concerto Romantique. The Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, whose Naxos discography is extensive, don’t disappoint on this great recording either. The star, however, is Chloe Hanslip, and I cannot wait for her next recording! – Adam Shaw

LE CHANT DU MONDE | CM2741546 | CD | 794881871322
Lampo
Gianmaria Testa

The Voice of Pure Seduction
There were two things that absolutely struck me as soon as I played this CD – first, this voice cannot possibly come out of a  woman (I know, kill me now, but the ‘maria’ part of the name threw me off course); second, he surely must be a poet!  To my delight, both were confirmed. Gianmaria Testa , Italian singer and songwriter, has a husky pure velvet voice able to melt the sturdiest heart.  His music is intimate; it talks to you about lovers, the moon, time...and you know these even before you understand the words. It is beautifully transmitted through the music.  If your Italian is as good as mine, you will love the fact that this album booklet comes with the lyrics in Italian, French, German & English – and believe me, you want to read the lyrics, they are just as lovely as the music is.  I cannot recommend this album highly enough. It is the sort of music that invites you to kick off your shoes be seduced and seductive - pure poetry to the heart and the ears! Did I mention his voice?? Purrr…. – Gemma Pedregal Mateos

HARMONIA MUNDI | HMD990901314 | DVD2 | 794881868490
Mozart Don Giovanni
Johannes Weisser (Don Giovanni), Marcos Fink (Leporello), Alexandrina Pendatchanska (Donna Elvira), Werner Gura (Don Ottavio), Malin Bystrom (Donna Anna), Sunhae Im (Zerlina), Nikolay Borchev (Masetto), Alessandro Guerzoni (Il commenatore), Freiburger Barockorchester, Rene Jacobs (conductor)

Historically-informed and High Fashion to Boot
Striking contemporary design and a young, dynamic cast mark this production of Don Giovanni as a theatrical triumph. Directed by Vincent Boussard, with costumes by Christian Lacroix,  and filmed in Baden-Baden in 2006, it boasts a particularly charming Zerlina (Sunhae Im), while Johannes Weisser is by turn boyish and mesmerising in the title role. Most intriguingly, Rene Jacobs has restored to the modern stage a rarely seen comic duet from the Vienna version of the score, in which Zerlina indulges a wicked feminist streak and punishes Leporello for his misdeeds. Jacobs’ recordings of Così fan tutte (HMX296166365) and Le nozze di Figaro (HMC80181820) have set a precedent for historically informed, period-instrument interpretations of Mozart’s operas. His musical journey with Freiburger Barockorchester is detailed here in a bonus ‘making of’ documentary, Looking for Don Giovanni.  Now also available as a Blu-ray disc (HMD9809013). –  Melissa Lesnie

BIS | BISSACD1676 | SACD | 7318599916767
Aho Luosto Symphony
Taina Piira (soprano), Aki Alamikkotervo (tenor), Hannu Lehtonen (saxophone), Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Lapland, John Storgards (conductor)

Compelling Spiritual Journey
Although I’d not heard of the Finnish composer Kalevi Aho, this disc captured my attention on first hearing. The enchanting opening movement, named ‘The Shamans’, sends the listener on an intense and emotional voyage into Luosto, a natural region of Lapland. A Shaman acts as a medium between the visible and invisible spirit world, practicing magic and sorcery for his tribe. At times you think there’s a respite, but the music draws you further in with the powerful and emotionally driven percussion, drums and horn sounds from every direction. I was definitely convinced I was part of the world of these tribal people. The second movement portrays the wilderness of Luosto. Marked by long, warm melodic phases from the horn sections of both orchestras and chimes, it is a beautiful relief from the fiery beginning. I felt most drawn into the last movement, which depicts a storm over the region, and felt like I was in the middle of the wind and rain. When the storm passes, there was an eerie sense of something waiting to happen – but nothing does! Aho then left me wanting to explore once more the magical place of Luosto to see what other surprises he could throw at me.  Magical! – Dianne Johnston

GLOSSA | GCDC81104 | CD | 8424562811041
Mozart Arias for Aloysia Weber
No no che non sei capace, Alcandro lo confesso – non so d’onde viene, Vorrei spiegarvi oh dio!, Ah se in ciel benign stele, Mia speranze adorata – Ah non sai qual pena sia, Popoli di Tessaglia! _ Io non chedo eterni Dei, Nehmet meinen Dank ihr holden Gönner Cyndia Sieden (soprano), Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Frans Bruggen (director)

Singing Up A Storm!
I enjoyed this recording of arias that Mozart wrote for Aloysia Weber very much. She must have been some singer, because Mozart gave her hair-raisingly virtuosic music that takes no prisoners! There are spectacular rapid-fire coloratura passages aplenty as well as some hyperstratospheric notes that would leave the Queen of the Night gasping for breath. Vocal pyrotechnics aside, Aloysia must also have been a very intelligent and expressive performer because the seven arias on this great CD call for immense sensitivity and expressive lyricism as well.  Cyndia Sieden does a good job stepping into some very big shoes here. Highly recommended – Stephen Schafer

WORLD VILLAGE | WV450005 | CD | 794881886722
Ana Hina
Natacha Atlas, The Mazeeka Ensemble

She’s Got the Whole World in her Voice
Imagine wandering through Paris or London one evening. It’s cold and you’re looking for somewhere nice to eat. Suddenly, you hear a singer backed by what sounds like a Middle Eastern band, but the music sounds like an English folksong. You stop and listen; another song strikes up, this time quite Arabic but with a saxophone. You follow your ears and discover a cosy bar packed to the rafters. Everyone is focused on a very beautiful and glamorous female vocalist accompanied by a large group of musicians playing a mix of modern Western and traditional Middle Eastern instruments. Welcome to the world of Natacha Atlas, former singer with Transglobal Underground and now a superstar in her own right. Ana Hina is her latest album - if you can’t afford a trip to Europe, buy this CD instead. Natacha’s creamy, seductive vocals will sweep you away to another world. Even if you can afford that trip, buy the album to listen to en route! – Stephen Schafer