A wealth of classical CDs from Northwest artists

The Northwest is always a rich producer of new classical CDs: Here's a selection of noteworthy local offerings.

"The Cathedral Tenor," Howard Fankhauser (Loft Recordings): As the tenor soloist for St. James Cathedral, Howard Fankhauser is one of the busiest and most-heard concert and liturgical singers in the region. This disc shows why Fankhauser also is one of the most admired. Fankhauser's beautiful, unforced sound and his superb sense of musical style make his singing a consistent pleasure. Fine partnership from Joseph Adam and Clint Kraus (keyboards), Jennifer Sokol (violin) and Page Smith Bilski (cello) add to the impact of this disc.

"In Shadow, Light," Zartouhi Dombourian-Eby, Piccolo (Crystal Records): Zartouhi Dombourian-Eby is the stellar piccolo of the Seattle Symphony — a player of enormous verve and daring, as well as technical finesse and an unusually rich tone. Here, she is heard in solo and chamber repertoire, much of it composed for her, by Martin Amlin and Seattle composer Ken Benshoof.

Dombourian-Eby tosses off the works' often-substantial technical demands with ease, and there's a prevailing sense of fun in the title work — a Benshoof suite that also has Marjorie Kransberg-Talvi (violin), Timothy Hale (viola) and Theresa Benshoof (cello) as excellent partners.

"The Heart of Christmas," Virginia Moore, piano (local book/record stores or 425-893-8159):

Virginia Moore is well known regionally as harpsichordist, pianist, and the creator of delightful music-education programs for children and families. (Fans of the Northwest Chamber Orchestra will remember her many seasons there as harpsichordist.)

In this CD, Moore turns to the piano for an easy-listening, listener-friendly assortment of carols, some in George Winston arrangements and some by a spectrum of other pianist/arrangers. Occasionally, two arrangements of the same carol ("Lo, How a Rose" or "Angels We Have Heard on High") are placed back-to-back to intriguing effect. The 29 tracks extend from the traditional to the contemporary. This is a spirit-soothing, low-key evocation of the Christmas spirit that unfrazzles the nerves.

"So Great a Joy," soprano Janeanne Houston (Elmgrove Productions; local record stores or www.sogreatajoy.com): Janeanne Houston's clear, richly shaded soprano illuminates this unusual collection of 20th-century British and American songs, carols and other works of the season, with pianist Michael Kelly and several assisting artists.

Houston has chosen selections from Finzi's "Dies Natalis," Barber's "Sure on This Shining Night," carols of Vaughan Williams and Howells, and several works of Northwest composers — such as William Bergsma, Alan Hovhaness and James Holloway. Holloway, Houston's late colleague on the Pacific Lutheran University faculty, is the dedicatee of this disc, and was originally to have been the pianist. Houston's CD, with its thoughtful choices and lovely singing, is a remarkably fine tribute.

Handel's "Messiah," Seattle Chamber Singers/Orchestra Seattle (Classical KING-FM, or 206-682-5208): Conductor George Shangrow has long been known as one of the region's pre-eminent Handelians, conducting annual performances of "Messiah" (among other oratorios).

His long study into the score and his extensive performance history are apparent in this fine traversal of the holiday classic, with two ensembles Shangrow has founded (the Seattle Chamber Singers and Orchestra Seattle) and a strong lineup of soloists (Brian Box, Catherine Haight, Emily Lunde and Stephen Wall). Watch for some strongly distinctive touches, from the opening overture (given very broadly, with a different rhythmic interpretation) to unusual tempo choices (some faster, some slower than you might expect, including a very stately finale).

Excellent and stylish contributions from harpsichordist Robert Kechley.

"The Skylark Sings," Music by David Kechley (Liscio Recordings, local book/record stores or www.lisciorecordings.com):

David Kechley, the scion of one of Seattle's most prominent musical families, is an accomplished and accessible composer who has written for widely diverse forces — from solo and chamber repertoire to concerto, symphonic and song-cycle works. This is probably his best disc yet, with remarkably good performances by the New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra (Richard Hoenich, conductor) of Kechley's scintillating "Transformations: An Orchestral Triptych," and the energetic, propulsive "Tuakhu," as well as the elegiac title work, "The Skylark Sings" (for soprano and orchestra). Written in memory of the composer's brother Peter Kechley who died in 1994, the beautifully scored work features the agile, lofty soprano of Thomasa Eckert, Peter's widow, in lyrics drawn from haiku and other varied sources.

"Alexander Glazunov: Complete Piano Music, Vol. I," Duane Hulbert (Bridge): Ask your music-loving friends to listen to the first two impromptus on this CD, and they'll go crazy trying to identify which Chopin pieces they're hearing. Of course, it's not Chopin, but Glazunov does an excellent counterfeit (later works on this disc show more of the distinctly Russian timbre that is more characteristically Glazunov). The composer, who studied with Rimsky-Korsakov and was a little older than Rachmaninoff, has never ascended to the fame of either, but this disc of sonatas, variations and other pieces makes it clear that he had a genuine gift for keyboard music.

Pianist Duane Hulbert, who teaches at the University of Puget Sound and is well known as a solo and chamber artist, makes the music sparkle with his exceptional technical clarity. He makes an excellent case for this overlooked but worthy composer.

Melinda Bargreen: 206-464-2321.