That excellent music critic David Mellor, has compiled a list of his top 10 classical CDs of 2006. I thought it would be worthwhile taking a look at them:

1. La Clemenza Di Tito, the Mozart opera, is favoured in two recordings, both excellent : the first by Sir Charles Mackerras, the other by Rene Jacobs.

2. Also by Mozart and conducted by Mackerras is the recital Tutto Mozart.

3. Best reissue is (again) Mozart’s Complete Piano Concertos by Murray Perahia.

4. Best instrumental is Stephen Hough’s Spanish Album, which is “a real connoisseur’s choice”.

5. Best Concerto is Vivaldi’s Violin Concertos, which presents five that have never been heard before, played by violinist, Giuliano Carmignola.

6. Best historical is Jascha Heifetz’s 1930’s recording of the Sibelius concerto, conducted Sir Thomas Beecham.

7. Best orchestral is Richard Strauss’s Alpine Symphony with Polish maestro Anthony Wit.

8. Best chamber is Martha Argerich And Friends with music from the 2005 Lugano Festival, including two Rachmaninov masterpieces.

9. A special award goes to label Lyrita, pioneers of off-the-beaten-track recordings of British music.

10. CD of the Year goes to the 1955 Bayreuth Ring, issued for the first time in four sets by Testament, and originally recorded by Decca.

A splendid top 10 indeed.

The first in an occasional series about the famous contralto

I’m writing this from the home of the most beautiful woman in the world, Hilary Scott, who is in another room sorting through letters and papers belonging to her Auntie Kath.

And that’s not just any old Auntie Kath, but probably the finest singer Britain has ever produced, and a bit of a stunner herself.

Hilary told me about her connection with Kathleen Ferrier some time ago, which, as a publisher, whetted my interest, with the result that I asked Hilary to write a book about her illustrious relation, hence the above mentioned sorting through.

The beautiful Kathleen and Hilary’s mother, Florence Wilson, first met at Blackburn High School in the 1920s and became close friends. So much so that Kathleen usually spent more time at the Wilson home than her own, which is where she met Florence’s brother Bert, who, at that time, was a handsome young pupil at Chorley Grammar School. There can be no doubt they were attracted to each other.

A fascinating little snippet that has come to light today is that after leaving Blackburn High Kath and Florence took part in a series of concert parties, which ironically had Florence doing a great deal of the singing, with Kath playing the piano – and of course she was at that time being trained as a classical pianist. As the future was to prove though she was a natural singer with a range and pitch that could, and does break your heart.

Let me quote you from Florence’s book, ‘Memories of Old Withnell Fold’ where she describes that “…other popular concerts held in the Reading Room [ part of Old Withnell Fold’s village hall] were given by Madame Annie Chadwick, a soprano singer of repute from Blackburn – and her pupils of whom I was one. Our solo pianist and accompanist for these concerts was none other Kathleen Ferrier, who at that time was making quite a name for herself as a pianist and broadcast from Manchester on several occasions…”

A few years later Kathleen was to marry Florence’s brother Bert, who by this time was working in a bank in Silloth, Cumberland.

More of this fascinating story to come.

Steve Newman

A British newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, has listed the top ten opera albums “you must own”, as compiled by Eugene Costello.

Apart from #1, there’s no indication of the version or artists involved, so it’s a rather thin exercise. Nevertheless, for what it’s worth here is the list, with my own modifications:

1. The Ring Wagner. Version: Sir Georg Solti [Excellent choice]
2. La Traviata Verdi.
3. La Boheme Puccini.
4. Madame Butterfly Puccini.
5. Carmen Bizet.
6. Don Giovanni Mozart.
7. Peter Grimes Britten.
8. The Barber of Seville Rossini.
9. The Marriage of Figaro Mozart.
10. Rigoletto Verdi.

Well, there you have it, a goodly list. But I would leave out Peter Grimes and The Barber of Seville and promote Tosca by Puccini, and Fidelio by Beethoven.

But, above all, I would include my favourite opera of all: Wagner’s Parsival, which, in my view, tops anything in range, except maybe Puccini at his very best.

And I would also find room for Richard Strauss’s masterpiece, Der Rosenkavalier, which rather makes a mess of Costello’s efforts.

It’s all a matter of taste, of course. What’s your top ten operas?

The Welsh opera superstar, Bryn Terfel, has triumphed in Covent Garden’s new Jonathan Kent production of Puccini’s Tosca. Critic David Mellor called the performance “the best Scarpia I have seen in the theatre.” He was more critical though of the other star of the night, Angela Gheorghiu.

“Bryn doesn’t see his talent as a reason to puff himself up like some artists. But I’ll come to Angela Gheorghiu later. Off-stage, he simply reverts to being the Welsh countryman who likes nothing more than to live the simple life with his family on his North Wales farm.”

And the “divine” Angela? “Even [she] mostly seemed to meet Kent’s requirements, although hers, after all the hype, was a disappointing evening. Tosca is a spoilt, wilful diva, which, on the face of it, shouldn’t have posed Miss Gheorghiu too many problems on the acting front. But hers is a sketchy assumption and, more fatally, her voice is too small for the part.”

Ouch! But a good Tosca overall.