Recording reviews – Page 173
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ArticleYoffe: Song of Songs
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Exquisite performances of a sequence of miniatures that unfortunately quickly pallsMusicians: Rosamunde Quartet, Hilliard EnsembleComposer: YoffeRussian-born composer Boris Yoffe’s Book of Quartets is a remarkable project – an ongoing series of short, often single-page pieces for string quartet that he reputedly composes ...
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ArticleFauré: Piano Quartet in C minor op.15. Brahms: Piano Quartet in G minor op.25
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Some fine performances let down by a piano-dominated balanceMusicians: Primrose Piano QuartetComposer: Fauré & BrahmsThis CD was recorded using a Blüthner piano chosen by Brahms in 1896 for a young British pianist, Margarita Hanson, who had met him while she was studying ...
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ArticleHandel: Complete Violin Sonatas
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2013Description: Stylish accounts of Handel from a German-based ensembleMusicians: Ensemble Vintage Köln: Ariadne Daskalakis (violin) Rainer Zipperling (viola da gamba/cello) Gerald Hambitzer (harpsichord)Composer: HandelThese performers give pride of place to the five echt violin sonatas, but acknowledge the merits of the ...
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ArticleJanácek: Violin Sonata. Schumann: Violin Sonata no. 2 in D minor op.121. Schubert: Fantasy in C major D934
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Mixed success in a recital of varied violin repertoireMusicians: Frank Stadler (violin) Luis MagalhÁes (piano)Composer: Janácek, Schumann, SchubertThe powerful opening chords set the scene for Frank Stadler’s impressively intense performance of Schumann’s Second Sonata. Perfectly capturing the wide mood swings that picture ...
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ArticleAlone. Kodäly: Sonata for solo cello. Shchedrin: Russian Fragments. Sollima: Lame, Alone. Schnittke: Improvisation. Casals: Song of the Birds (arr. Geringas)
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A rewarding solo cello recital from a talented Russian playerMusicians: Boris Andrianov (cello)Composer: Kodäly, Shchedrin, Sollima, Schnittke, Casals (arr. Geringas)Boris Andrianov may not often commit himself to disc – his last solo recording was five years ago – but when he does ...
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ArticleLeighton: Partita op.35, Elegy op.5, Sonata for Cello Solo op.52, Alleluia Pascha Nostrum op.85
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A welcome collection of music by a master writer for the celloMusicians: Raphael Wallfisch (cello) Raphael Terroni (piano)Composer: LeightonRaphael Wallfisch adds yet another high-quality disc of English music to his impressively extensive discography, with Kenneth Leighton’s complete chamber works for cello. As ...
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ArticleMozart: String Quartet in C major K465 ‘Dissonance’. Schubert: String Quartet in A minor D804 ‘Rosamunde’
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A young quartet belies its name in the subtle colouring of its playingMusicians: Chiaroscuro QuartetComposer: Mozart & SchubertFormed in 2005 at the Royal College of Music, the Chiaroscuro Quartet has the inestimable advantage of having Alina Ibragimova as its leader. ...
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ArticleThe Mahler Album. Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony no.5, Adagio from Symphony no.10 (arr. Stadlmair). Beethoven: String Quartet in F minor op.95 ‘Serioso’ (arr. Mahler)
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: An unusual but telling contribution to the recent Mahler anniversaries from a leading string orchestraMusicians: Amsterdam Sinfonietta/Candida ThompsonComposer: Mahler (arr. Stadlmair), Beethoven (arr. Mahler)Cast aside any accusations of ‘bleeding chunks’ with this celebration of Mahler: the composer himself often programmed the Adagietto ...
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ArticleCatch Light. Ness: Mad Cap Tootling. Hellstenius: By the voice a faint light is shed*. Kverndokk: Initiation† . Asheim: Catch Light‡
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Persuasive performances of a quartet of recent Norwegian violin concertosMusicians: Peter Herresthal (violin) Peter Kates (percussion)‡ Bit20 Ensemble/Pierre-André Valade*, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra/Rolf Gupta† , Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra/Peter Szilvay‡Composer: Ness, Hellstenius, Kverndokk, AsheimWith its four violin concertos by contemporary Norwegian composers, this disc ...
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ArticleConcertos for Small Violinists. Works by Huber, Küchler, Rieding, Seitz, Komarowski & Ortmans
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: A showcase for the first steps available for the aspiring concerto soloistMusicians: Elizabeth Glass (violin) Sebastian Stoermer (piano) Composer: Huber, Küchler, Rieding, Seitz, Komarowski & OrtmansI remember at the age of nine asking, somewhat prematurely, to be taught Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. ...
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ArticleRussian Violin Concertos. Conus: Violin Concerto in E minor. Weinberg: Violin Concertino op.42. Arensky: Violin Concerto in A minor op.54
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Three rarities of the Russian concerto repertoire given lyrical readingsMusicians: Sergey Ostrovsky (violin) Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/Thomas SanderlingComposer: Conus, Weinberg, ArenskySuch are the vagaries of taste and fashion that the glorious Conus Concerto is only now beginning to establish a foothold in the ...
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ArticleSchubert: String Quintet in C major D956, Quartettsatz D703
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Well-integrated playing of Schubert from a vintage ensembleMusicians: Tokyo Quartet, David Watkin (cello)Composer: SchubertThough there have been changes in the membership of the Tokyo Quartet since its formation back in 1969, the ensemble has retained its refined sound and impeccable performing standards. ...
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ArticleSchumann: String Quartets op.41 nos.1–3
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Honest accounts of Schumann’s three string quartetsMusicians: Doric Quartet Composer: SchumannAlthough I have become wedded to the Zehetmair Quartet’s pungent and questioning approach to Schumann’s First and Third quartets on ECM, recordings such as this from the Doric Quartet, which offers ...
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ArticleTakemitsu: Distance de fée. Hindemith: Violin Sonata in E (1935). Janácek: Violin Sonata. Silvestrov: Five Pieces
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: A mismatched duo makes for disappointing performances of 20th-century repertoireMusicians: Natascia Gazzana (violin) Raffaella Gazzana (piano)Composer: Takemitsu, Hindemith, Janácek, SilvestrovIf this disc is anything to go by, the two-sister duo of Natascia and Raffaella Gazzana make quite a strange pairing. Natascia’s violin ...
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ArticleTchaikovsky: String Quartet no.3 in E flat minor op.30*. Shostakovich: Piano Trio no.2 in E minor op.67†
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Expressiveness and clarity come together in some impressive chamber-music playingMusicians: Christian Tetzlaff*† , Antje Weithaas* (violin) Tatjana Masurenko* (viola) Gustav Rivinius*, Tanja Tetzlaff† (cello) Lars Vogt† (piano)Composer: Tchaikovsky, ShostakovichCatalogue Number: AVI-Music 8553224Christian Tetzlaff, alongside Thomas Zehetmair, stands at the vanguard ...
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ArticleTchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major op.35. Bartók: Violin Concerto no.2
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Chalk-and-cheese concertos that receive equally winning performancesMusicians: Valeriy Sokolov (violin) Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich/David ZinmanComposer: Tchaikovsky, BartókThis is an unusual pairing. The 25-year-old Ukrainian’s approach to Tchaikovsky is refreshingly straightforward, with none of the over-egging that it too often receives. What is immediately ...
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ArticleVivaldi: Cello Concertos in E minor, F major, A minor & B minor, Concerto in C major, Concertos for two violins and cello in G minor & D minor, Sinfonia in C major. Caldara: Sinfonias no.6 in G minor
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: A well-planned Vivaldi concert with spectacular resultsMusicians: Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello) Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin/Georg KallweitComposer: Vivaldi, CaldaraThe remarkable cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras intends this disc to be savoured in its entirety like a concert. Accordingly he has planned a programme that takes ...
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ArticleVivaldi: Violin Concertos op.6
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Vibrant Vivaldi from period-performance mastersMusicians: Federico Guglielmo (violin/director) L’Arte dell’ArcoComposer: VivaldiThese recordings, the first fruits of these performers’ extensive project involving Vivaldi’s concertos, are based on Alessandro Borin’s critical edition of the Italian composer’s third published concerto set, the six violin concertos ...
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ArticleWieniawski: Violin Concerto no.1 in F sharp minor op.14. Bruch: Violin Concerto no.1 in G minor op.26. Bull: Cantabile doloroso e Rondo giocoso
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Incisive playing and rare repertoire combine to make a highly desirable releaseMusicians: Charlie Siem (violin) London Symphony Orchestra/Andrew GourlayComposer: Wieniawski, Bruch, BullUnashamedly presented as a promotional vehicle for Charlie Siem, Warner’s current young violinist of choice, this disc nonetheless contains some interesting ...
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ArticleZemlinsky: String Quartets no.2 op.15 & no.4 op.25, Two Movements for string quartet
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Benchmark accounts of the music of a key Viennese figureMusicians: Zemlinsky QuartetComposer: Zemlinsky The Zemlinsky Quartet here uses its prize recording as winner of last year’s Bordeaux competition to complete the survey of its namesake’s quartets inaugurated for the same label in ...
