I wish I could be more wholeheartedly enthusiastic about this latest installment in Naxos’ and Alsop’s ongoing Barber series, especially as the Essays get terrific performances. No. 2 in particular surges forward powerfully, with a characterfully played central fugue and climaxes that achieve grandeur without pomposity. Soprano Karina Gauvin also does well by Knoxville: Summer of 1915, singing with even timbre, good diction, and a clear awareness of the text. But she’s facing awfully tough competition from Leontyne Price, Dawn Upshaw, and of course Eleanor Steber, for whom the piece was written. In this grand company, Gauvin falls a bit flat, having neither Steber’s compelling projection of character, Price’s tonal beauty and hint of sensuality, nor Upshaw’s easy naturalness.
As for Toccata Festiva, which has received three fine recent recordings including two outstanding ones on Linn and Cedille, this rendition finds itself hampered by an ill-balanced and singularly unimpressive organ. Still, it’s the only modern version available on an all-Barber compilation, even though as the weakest performance this fact only adds to my frustration. Organ problems aside, Naxos’ sound really is fine, and there’s nothing here the falls below the level of “good.” But for great, notwithstanding that superb Second Essay, you will need to look elsewhere.
