Book reviews – Page 164
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ReviewHayes: Violin Concerto*, Lucky’s Speech*, Lucky’s Dream*, Port Rhombus, Strides: Books 1 & 2† , Puppet Theatre† , Three Distressed Surfaces† , Slippage† , Lute Stop†
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Aerial acrobatics dominate a recent concerto for violinMusicians: Keisuke Okazaki* (violin) Jonathan Powell† (piano) Esbjerg Ensemble/Christopher AustinComposer: HayesYoung British composer Morgan Hayes has a distinctive voice that combines rhythmic complexity with harmonic approachability. It has to be said, though, that the ...
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ReviewHerbert: Serenade for string orchestra op.12, Seven Pieces for cello and string orchestra, Three Pieces for string orchestra
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Little-known string works by an influential composer–cellistMusicians: Maximilian Hornung (cello) Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim/Sebastian TewinkelComposer: HerbertIrish–American composer Victor Herbert (1859–1924) is best remembered for having written a cello concerto that inspired Dvo?ák to write his own B minor work. He was a fine cellist ...
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ReviewIves: Violin Sonatas nos.1–4
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A welcome collection of Ives’s complete sonatas for violinMusicians: Hilary Hahn (violin) Valentina Lisitsa (piano)Composer: IvesThough Charles Ives’s violin sonatas are central to the composer’s chamber music, discs containing all four have been few. The booklet relates that in the past three ...
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ReviewKreisler: String Quartet in A minor. Zimbalist: String Quartet in E minor. Ysaÿe: Harmonies du soir op.31
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Three major chamber works by composers who were also violin virtuososMusicians: Fine Arts Quartet, Philharmonic Orchestra of Europe/Otis KlöberComposer: Kreisler, Zimbalist, YsaÿeFritz Kreisler’s salon pieces are enshrined in the violin repertoire, but his more serious works have been largely ignored. His String ...
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ReviewMartynov: The Beatitudes, Schubert-Quintet (Unfinished), Der Abschied
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Moving performances of Russian music with a spiritual flavourMusicians: Kronos Quartet, Joan Jeanrenaud (cello)Composer: MartynovThe Kronos Quartet commissioned all these works from Russian composer Vladimir Martynov (b.1946), whose music is imbued with a deep spirituality. Like all these works The Beatitudes is ...
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ReviewModern American Bass. Works by Iadone, Stevens, Porter, Moross, Luening, Beyer, Childs, Perle, Sydeman, Cage, Tenney & Druckman
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A stunning exposition of mastery on the double bassMusicians: Robert Black (double bass) John McDonald (piano)Composer: Iadone, Stevens, Porter, Moross, Luening, Beyer, Childs, Perle, Sydeman, Cage, Tenney & DruckmanUS bassist Robert Black is a founder member of crack new-music group Bang on ...
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ReviewMurmurs and Drones
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A potentially involving Celtic travelogue that is let down by its presentationMusicians: Jamie Laval (violin) Ashley Broder (violin/mandolin) Robin Bullock, Zac Leger, Owen Morrison (guitar) Stuart Kenney (double bass) Kevin Krantz (cello) Rod Weeks (Scottish smallpipes) Ben Mawhorter (tablas)Composer: Trad.American fiddler Jamie ...
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ReviewNuevo Chamber
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A blend of world and chamber music from a promising new ensembleMusicians: Musical Art QuintetComposer: VariousThe Musical Art Quintet (MAQ) grew out of a San Francisco jam night in 2008 and, now as then, performs new Latin-influenced pieces written or arranged by ...
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ArticleBowen: Viola Sonatas no.1 in C minor op.18 & no.2 in F major op.22, Phantasy op.54
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Discerning accounts of viola sonatas that can be overdoneMusicians: Bridge Duo: Matthew Jones (viola) Michael Hampton (piano)Composer: BowenThese are heady days for York Bowen’s music, which is being championed by a growing number of musicians on several different labels. As far as ...
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ArticleBrahms: Piano Trio no.1 in B major op.8. Smetana: Piano Trio in G minor op.15
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A largely successful coupling of two great Romantic piano triosMusicians: Weiss–Kaplan–Newman TrioComposer: Brahms & SmetanaThe Weiss–Kaplan–Newman Trio presents a powerful account of Brahms’s First Piano Trio, one where the choice of tempos in the outer movements gives an ideal sense of creative ...
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ArticleC.P.E. Bach: Viola da gamba Sonatas in G minor Wq88, C major Wq136 & D major Wq137 ABEL Solo Pieces in D major WK186, WK187 & WK190, Viola da gamba Sonata in E minor WK150
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: An attractive disc of 18th-century gamba sonatasMusicians: Rebeka Rusó (viola da gamba) Sebastian Wienand (fortepiano)Composer: C.P.E. BachPerfectly matched in their instinctive musicianship and stylistic sensibility, Rebeka Rusó and Sebastian Wienand can hardly be faulted in these performances, full of remarkable vision and ...
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ReviewSchubert: Piano Trio in E flat major D929, Notturno in E flat major D897
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A high level of playing from an international trioMusicians: Trio Latitude 41: Livia Sohn (violin) Luigi Piovano (cello) Bernadene Blaha (piano)Composer: SchubertFormed in 2009, Trio Latitude 41 was so named because of the common latitude of the cellist’s base in Rome and ...
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Review
The Dam Levels
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: An unusual jazz trio that has a cello instead of the usual double bassMusicians: Will Martinu (cello) Jason Lindner (piano) Richie Barshay (drums)Composer: Will Martinu et alWill Martinu’s group bears some of the hallmarks of recent notable jazz trios The Bad Plus and EST ...
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ArticleErnst: Complete Music for Violin and piano vol.2: Fantaisie brillante sur la Marche et la Romance d’Otello de Rossini, Boléro, Deux romances, Souvenir du Pré aux Clercs, Pensées fugitives pt 1, Variat
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A dazzling tribute to one of the 19th century’s real virtuoso fiddlersMusicians: Sherban Lupu (violin) Ian Hobson (piano)Composer: ErnstEven in an age noted for its dazzling pyrotechnicians, Heinrich Ernst (1812–65) was virtually in a class of his own, as anyone who has ...
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ArticleEvening Songs. Delius/Ireland: Songs arr. cello & piano
The Strad Issue: Feburary 2012Description: Two notable anniversaries celebrated in a delectable collection of song arrangementsMusicians: Julian Lloyd Webber, Jiaxin Cheng (cello) John Lenehan (piano)Composer: Delius/IrelandTo coincide with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Delius and the 50th of the death of John Ireland, Julian ...
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ArticleFauré: Cello Sonatas no.1 in D minor op.109 & no.2 in G minor op.117, Élégie op.24, Romance op.69, Papillon op.77, Sérénade op.98, Sicilienne op.78, Allegro commodo from Sonata no.1
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2012Description: An ideal survey of Fauré’s music for cello and pianoMusicians: Alban Gerhardt (cello) Cecile Licad (piano)Composer: FauréBar a few frequently performed masterpieces such as the Requiem, Fauré’s larger-scale works, not least the cello sonatas, seem to elude concert planners. The ...
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ArticleFranck: Violin Sonata in A major (transc. Delsart). Debussy: Cello Sonata in D minor. Poulenc: Cello Sonata
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A welcome collection of three Gallic cello sonatasMusicians: Anne Gastinel (cello) Claire Désert (piano)Composer: Franck (transc. Delsart), Debussy, PoulencFrench cellist Anne Gastinel returns to her roots in this disc, celebrating 20 years since her first recording. Claire Désert creates a still, quiet ...
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ReviewGrieg: Violin Sonata in F major op.8. Olsen: Six Old Village Songs from Lom Thoresen Yr op.23. Trad.: Hardanger fiddle tunes
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Norwegian music for violin and Hardanger fiddle from a skilled young playerMusicians: Ragnhild Hemsing (violin/Hardanger fiddle) Tor Espen Aspaas (piano)Composer: Grieg, Olsen, Trad.On the evidence of this recording, 23-year-old Ragnhild Hemsing is destined for great things. Already a leading performer in her ...
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ArticleHill: String Quartets nos.10 & 11, ‘Life’ Quintet*
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Antipodean chamber music that needs more stimulating advocates than hereMusicians: Dominion Quartet, Richard Mapp* (piano) singers/Mark Dorrell* (conductor)Composer: HillThis is the fourth instalment in Naxos’s survey of the 17 string quartets by Australian composer Alfred Hill (1869–1960). They’re an odd bunch. The ...
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ReviewKennedy: The Four Elements
The Strad Issue: Feburary 2012Description: Nigel Kennedy’s venture into composition suggests he should stick to playingMusicians: Nigel Kennedy (violin etc) Members of the Orchestra of LifeComposer: KennedyYou can’t fault Kennedy for ambition. Writing almost an hour of new music as a ‘21st-century response to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ ...
