Anne Baker

Hector Berlioz, France’s greatest Romantic composer, exemplifies the spirit of his age – yet his genius was also ahead of its time. Reflecting his colourful life, his music is astonishing for its originality and ambition, and for orchestration of groundbreaking brilliance. This, the first-ever complete Berlioz edition, comprises carefully selected recordings and even includes works completely new to the catalogue. The accompanying booklet, lavishly illustrated, contains a fascinating commentary from Berlioz biographer David Cairns, whose words bring the composer’s music still more vividly to life.

RCA Victor's The American Album is the most daring and ambitious program undertaken by violinist Anne Akiko Meyers for RCA Victor and features some of the most challenging and invigorating music to be found among her early playing. The showpiece here is Meyers' rendering of Charles Ives' Sonata No. 4 "Children's Day at the Camp Meeting," in which she transits seamlessly from the elementary, student-like playing at the opening through the fierce transcendentalism in the middle section to the whimsical, scherzo-like final movement. Meyers' playing matches Ives' rub-your-head-while-you-pat-your-tummy requirements without losing her sense of line or even tonal beauty.

La Clemenza di Tito can be rather bloodless, but in this instance an elegant, vocally impeccable cast makes up for much of the lack of drama in John Pritchard’s conducting. Werner Hollweg’s pingy tenor cuts through the orchestra brilliantly, and he uses his voice very well. Teresa Cahill and Anne Howells are an attractive-sounding pair as the young lovers, and Robert Lloyd is typically strong as Publio. The honors here go to Yvonne Minton’s anguished, beautifully accurate Sesto, capturing an often under-valued mezzo in one of her best roles. Janet Baker is Vitella, bringing fire and passion to her melodramatic utterances and immaculate singing to a very challenging role. The sound is excellent.

La Clemenza di Tito can be rather bloodless, but in this instance an elegant, vocally impeccable cast makes up for much of the lack of drama in John Pritchard’s conducting. Werner Hollweg’s pingy tenor cuts through the orchestra brilliantly, and he uses his voice very well. Teresa Cahill and Anne Howells are an attractive-sounding pair as the young lovers, and Robert Lloyd is typically strong as Publio. The honors here go to Yvonne Minton’s anguished, beautifully accurate Sesto, capturing an often under-valued mezzo in one of her best roles. Janet Baker is Vitella, bringing fire and passion to her melodramatic utterances and immaculate singing to a very challenging role. The sound is excellent.