Recording reviews – Page 201
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ArticleAlbinoni: Sinfonie a cinque op.2
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Chiara Banchini (violin/director) Ensemble 415Composer: Albinoni Tomaso Albinoni’s six Sinfonie a cinque, trio sonatas in all but name, alternate with concertos in his op.2 (Venice, 1700). Ensemble 415 performs them with an appealing simplicity, which spawns a natural feeling for ...
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ArticleMusica Latina. Works by Bonfa, Granda, Lara, Pixiguinha, Jobim, Piazzolla, Velasquez, Corona, Duran & Abreu
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Quartetto Gelato, with Penderecki Quartet, Kristina Reiko Cooper (cello) Roberto Occhipinti (double bass) Rosendo ‘Chendy’ Leon, Maninho Costa (percussion) Cynthia Steljes (cor anglais) Composer: Bonfa, Granda, Lara, Pixiguinha, Jobim, Piazzolla, Velasquez, Corona, Duran & AbreuThis is jolly: the Toronto-based Quartetto Gelato (which ...
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ArticleThere Is No Sound in Space
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: James Sudakow (electric violin) Eric Zimmermann (guitar/programming) Composer: VariousDon’t go near this CD if you have a horror of progressive rock, as this is very much violinist James Sudakow’s starting point in creating a disc where his electric violin essentially functions ...
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ArticleBlitzstein: String Quartet ‘Italian’, Serenade for string quartet, solo piano works
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Del Sol Quartet, Sarah Cahill (piano) Composer: BlitzsteinMarc Blitzstein (1905–64) was a phenomenally gifted piano virtuoso as well as a composer with a highly distinctive creative voice. He had lessons from both Schoenberg and Nadia Boulanger, but it was the ...
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ArticleCinema
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Laurent Korcia (violin) Michael Wendeberg, Matthieu Gonet (piano/conductor) Vincent Peirani (accordion) Pierre Boussaguet (double bass) Fuzjko Hemming (piano) European Chamber Orchestra Lochen, plus additional musicians Composer: VariousIf ever a disc was made for shameless wallowing, this is the one. French violinist ...
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ArticleSaint-Lubin: Virtuoso works for violin vol.1: Grand duo concertant op.49, Fantaisie sur un thème de ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ op.46, Thème original et Étude de S. Thalberg op.45a, Adagio religioso op.44,
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Anastasia Khitruk (violin) Elizaveta Kopelman (piano)Composer: Saint-LubinThat the life and work of Léon de Saint-Lubin (1805–50) are not better known is proof that the verdict of history is not always a fair one: the music on this disc is colourful and far ...
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ArticleSchumann: Violin Sonata no.2 in D minor op.121, Kinderszenen op.15. Bartók: Violin Sonata no.1, Solo Violin Sonata. Kreisler: Liebesleid, Schön Rosmarin
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Gidon Kremer (violin) Martha Argerich (piano)Composer: Schumann, Bartók, Kreisler Gidon Kremer and Martha Argerich have given us formidable duo concerts, among which this one from Berlin in December 2006 must stand high. Those who have heard Kremer in recent years ...
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ArticleWalton: Cello Concerto, Passacaglia for solo cello. Bloch: Suite no.1 for solo cello. Ligeti: Sonata for solo cello. Britten: Ciaccona from Cello Suite no.2
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Pieter Wispelwey (cello) Sydney Symphony Orchestra/Jeffrey TateComposer: Walton, Bloch, Ligeti, BrittenThe main pieces on this disc are linked by date rather than genre, all being products of the 1950s. Pieter Wispelwey writes evocatively in the booklet of recording the Walton ...
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ArticleBach's Cello Suites BWV1007–12
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Sigiswald Kuijken (shoulder cello)Composer: Bach Sigiswald Kuijken decided some years ago that the instrument for which Bach wrote his cello suites was neither the instrument we know today nor the viola pomposa he is sometimes credited with inventing, but a ...
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ArticleDohnányi: Cello Sonata in B flat minor op.8. Kodály: Cello Sonata op.4. Strauss: Cello Sonata in F major op.6
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Nancy Green (cello) Tannis Gibson (piano) Composer: Dohnányi, Kodály, StraussNancy Green brings a boldly dramatic delivery to these three fine sonatas, with fluent and forthright performances that are enhanced by her clear and vocally orientated feeling for the musical line. ...
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ArticleDvorák: Bagatelles op.47, Terzetto op.74, Miniatures op.75a. Suk: Piano Quartet in A minor op.1
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Josef Suk, Miroslav Ambroš (violin) Karel Untermüller (viola) Ji?í Bárta (cello) Jan Simon (harmonium/piano)Composer: Dvorák, SukThe expected flood of reissues for Josef Suk’s 80th-birthday year has already begun – the riches include the nonpareil 1958 ‘Dumky’ Trio (Eloquence) – but ...
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ArticleDvorák: Violin Concerto in A minor op.53, Violin Sonata in F major op.57, Violin Sonatina in G major op.100
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Jack Liebeck (violin) Katya Apekisheva (piano) Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Garry WalkerComposer: DvorákBringing together all three of Dvo?ák’s major solo violin scores is an excellent idea for a well-filled disc, particularly so when offered in such outstanding performances. Having rejected the competition circuit ...
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ArticleFrançaix: Les inestimables chroniques du Grand Gargantua, L’heure du berger, Sérénade B.E.A.
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: La PietÁ /Angèle Dubeau, Albert Millaire (reciter)Composer: Françaix Jean Françaix (1912–97) perpetuated the Gallic traditions of Les Six to the end of the last century with a nonchalantly deft style and delicious sense of irony. A brilliant pianist and highly ...
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ArticleHarvey: String Quartets nos.1–4, String Trio
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Arditti QuartetComposer: Harvey The music of the British composer Jonathan Harvey, who turned 70 this year, displays the clear influence of figures such as Stockhausen, Babbitt and Boulez in its complex, striving textures and unusual, restlessly changing playing techniques. ...
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ArticleLegacy of the Hollywood Composers. Korngold: String Quartet no.2 in E flat major op.26. Rózsa: String Quartet no.2 op.38. Rota: Invenzioni
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Weber Quartet Composer: Korngold, Rózsa, RotaThe Swedish-based Weber Quartet deserves full marks for enterprise with this programme of music by composers best-known for their film scores. Only the Korngold piece has tangible links with Hollywood, in that his style remained ...
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ArticleLight
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Ben Powell (violin) Cedric Hanriot (piano) Richard Greenblatt (vibes) Jon Sosin (guitar) Aaron Darrell, David Hollender (double bass) Devin Drebka (drums) Composer: VariousCheltenham-born Ben Powell is still a student in jazz composition at Berklee College. This assured debut recording, produced from a ...
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ArticleLutoslawski: Recitativo e arioso, Subito, Partita. Szymanowski: Myths op.30. Janácek: Violin Sonata
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Ariadne Daskalakis (violin) Miri Yampolsky (piano)Composer: Lutoslawski, Szymanowski, Janácek Lutos?awski’s entire output for violin and piano amounts to less than 25 minutes, and only the Partita can be regarded as a score of major significance. Commissioned in 1984 by ...
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ArticleMatteis: Ayrs for the violin
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Hélène Schmitt (violin) Gaetano Nasillo (cello) Eric Bellocq (guitar/lute) Jörg-Andreas Bötticher (harpsichord/organ)Composer: Matteis Nicola Matteis was a key figure in the development of violin playing in 17th-century England, providing, in Roger North’s words, ‘the means of settling ...
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ArticleMozart: Violin Concertos no.1 in B flat major K207 & no.3 in G major K216, Sinfonia concertante in E flat major K364
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Renaud Capuçon (violin) Antoine Tamestit (viola) Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Louis Langrée Composer: MozartHere we have super-clean Mozart, immaculately executed by Renaud Capuçon and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO), joined in the Sinfonia concertante by the equally fastidious Antoine Tamestit. Capuçon is, in particular, ...
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ArticlePurcell: Complete fantazias
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Fretwork Composer: PurcellAmazingly, Henry Purcell’s fantazia’s in four parts were all written in one concentrated burst of creativity, the first seven dating from almost consecutive days of June 1680, with the remaining two coming from August of the same year. The canon ...
