Classical reviews

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> Jenny McLeod: The Emperor and the Nightingale, Rock Concerto, Three Celebrations. NZ Symphony Orchestra. Naxos CD.

New Zealand composer McLeod shows her splendid musical inventions in this programme of three major works, all stemming from the 1980s. The first is a colourful score to accompany a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, narrated here by Helen Medlyn.

Three Celebrations for Orchestra (revised in 2010) creates vivid scenes of landscape and recreation (snowy mountains, a seaside bay, and an A and P show) all familiar to New Zealanders.

Rock Concerto began as a sonata for virtuoso pianist Eugene Albulesco, then had the orchestra added in 2009 at his request. Popular music styles are placed in classical structure. The soloist is Albulesco, capably supported by the NZSO, which is conducted by Uwe Grodd throughout this disc.

Highlight: Latin romp finale of concerto.

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> Schubert: Piano Sonatas Nos.4 and 13. Wanderer Fantasy. Eldar Nebolsin (piano). Naxos CD.

Uzbekistan pianist Eldar Nebolsin has won prizes and medals at several international competitions and acclaim for previous recordings of Chopin, Liszt, Dohnanyi and Rachmaninov. Now he enjoys playing masterpieces by another great Romantic composer.

The passion and pathos of the two Schubert sonatas, with their song-like melodies and adventurous harmonies, set the scene for one of the composer's most powerful solo piano pieces, the Wanderer Fantasy (so technically demanding that Schubert himself is reported to have exclaimed "the devil may play it!").

The work (based on his song) is a four-movement sonata - after the big chordal opening comes a slow, singing variation, scherzo with contrasting powerful and lyrical themes and a fugual finale. Sheer bravura.

Highlight: grand virtuoso playing in stunning Wanderer Fantasy.

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