Louis Goldstein, piano: Cage: Dream (1948); Sonatas and Interludes (1946-48) (Greensye 4794 [DDD]; 72:04)

WFU professor Louis Goldstein has been playing this music since 1972 -- which is to say, for nearly 25 years. Assuredly, he makes the finest argument to date on behalf of Cage's seminal works for prepared piano. No one who is even vaguely interested in contemporary American music or the keyboard or -- for that matter -- transcendentalism can afford to ignore this disc. In addition, hearing it would be especially beneficial for those who are planning to attend Goldstein's live performance of the 16 sonatas and four interludes, scheduled for Hill Hall on November 7, at the end of American Music Week. And thanks to Goldstein's CD, folks who've kept a record player solely because of the pioneering Maro Ajemian version may now safely retire both! -- John W. Lambert

On November 7, in UNC's Person Hall, Wake Forest University professor Louis Goldstein celebrated American Music Week with an exceptional presentation of John Cage's complete Sonatas and Interludes, written in 1946-48 for what has come to be called a "prepared" piano (although, as the artist explained, "muted" may well be a better term). Cage's music is more often talked about than heard, and Goldstein has devoted a significant portion of his working life to the study of these pieces, so it was a treat to experience his realizations of them. Cage taught for a time at Black Mountain College and gave the premiere of the complete edition there. Goldstein performed some of these Sonatas and Interludes at the NCMA in 1987, and Duke's Randall Love played five sonatas and one interlude over a decade ago, but we believe that this marked the first full local reading. It drew a large crowd which, by and large, responded to Goldstein's introductory comments and performance as one might have expected a devout congregation to react to a deeply moving spiritual message.

A personal favorite is Sonata XII, which to me suggests a flower opening at dawn to greet the sun, depicted by a somewhat remote gamelan orchestra, playing at low volume; as given in Chapel Hill, it proved truly uplifting. This could serve as a good introduction to these remarkable works, which are, as Goldstein said, full of "astonishing musical moments."

Reprinted with permission of SPECTATOR Magazine.

Beethoven: Missa solemnis in D, op. 123. Philippe Herreweghe conducting; Rosa Mannion, soprano; Birgit Remmert, alto; James Taylor, tenor; Cornelius Hauptmann, bass; Orchestre des Champs Elysees. (harmonia mundi HMC 901557 [DDD?]; 77:25)

Cage: Dream (1948). Sonatas and Interludes (1946-48). Louis Goldstein, piano. (Greensye 4794 [DDD]; 72:04)

Gouvy: Quintet for piano and string quartet, op. 241,2. Six Songs3,4: Que dites-vous, que faites-vous, mignonne?; A qui m'avez-vous donné?; Vous ne voulez pas; Regrets; Des beaux yeux de ma Diane; Rosette. String Quartet No. 5, op. 681. Denis Clavier Quartet1; Dimitris Saroglou, piano2; Cyrille Gerstenhaber, soprano3; Hélène Lucas, piano4. (Collection Mémoire Musicale de la Lorriane K617 K617054 [DDD]; 78:06)

Locklair: Choral Music. Windswept (the trees), Brief Mass, "changing perceptions," etc. Robert Russell conducting the Choral Art Society Singers, Prometheus Chamber Players, and Shirley Curry, piano. (Gasparo GSCD-306; DDD; 70:28)

Schubert: Quartet No. 15 in G, D.887 (Op. 161). Borromeo String Quartet. (ICM Artists BSQP 001; ADD; 46:38)

Schumann: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A Minor, op. 541. Symphony No. 2 in C, op. 612. Andreas Staier, pianoforte (J. B. Streicher, c. 1850)1. Philippe Herreweghe conducting the Orchestre des Champs Elysees. (Harmonia Mundi (France) [DDD]; 68:17)

Smetana: Trio in G Minor for piano, violin, and cello, op. 15. Tchaikovsky: Trio in A Minor for piano, violin, and cello, op. 50. Golub-Kaplan-Carr Trio. (ARABESQUE Z6661 [DDD]; 74:43)

Still: Symphony No. 2. Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony. Ellington-Henderson: Harlem. Detroit Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Jaervi. (Chandos CHAN 9226; DDD; 73:54)

Excursions: Music by Mozart, Liszt, Ravel, Gottschalk, Joplin and Barber. Gregory McCallum, piano. (JSC CD 5364; DDD; 68:47. Available at area CD stores.)

Duets by Hoekman, Jaffe, Kouneva, Hoiby and Ward. "To Sun, to Feast, & to Converse": Terry Rhodes, soprano, and Ellen Williams, mezzo-soprano, with - variously - Timothy Hoekman, Stephen Jaffe, Penka Kouneva, and Thomas Warburton, pianos, Lynn Glassock, percussion, Robbie Link, electric guitar, members of the Ciompi Quartet, and orchestra conducted by Scott Tilley. (Albany TROY 172; DDD; 55:51)

Historical releases:

Toscanini conducts Italian Music (1938-48): Compositions by Bazzini, Boccherini, Bossi, Busoni, Bolzoni, Cherubini, Mancinelli, Martucci, Oliveri, Rieti, Scarlatti, Sinigaglia, Tommasini, Verdi, and Wolf-Ferrari. (Arturo Toscanini Society ATCD100/101; AAD; 79:11 & 75:10) (Price: $39.50, including shipping; order from Michael G. Thomas, 5A Norfolk Place, London W2 1QN, England.)

The Art of Guido Cantelli, Vol. I. Monteverdi: Magnificat (with the Robert Shaw Chorale). Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition. Concerti by Corelli and Vivaldi (with Mischa Mischakoff, violin). Symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, & Tchaikovsky. Lesser works. (Music & Arts CD-904; AAD; 63:12, 75:50, 64:36, & 68:47. Specially priced - 4 CDs for the price of 3.)

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor ("Resurrection"). Leopold Stokowski conducting the London Symphony Orchestra; Rae Woodland, soprano; Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano; BBC Chorus; BBC Choral Society; Goldsmith's Choral Union; Harrow Choral Society. (Music & Arts CD-885 [AAD]; 78:29) n

Reprinted with permission of SPECTATOR Magazine.