All Reviews articles – Page 165
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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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ArticleChris Stout’s Brazilian Theory: Live In Concert
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Sparks fly in a multi-continental meeting of fiddle traditionsMusicians: Chris Stout (fiddle) Thomas Rohrer (rabeca/saxophone) Catriona McKay (harp) Carlinhos Antunes (guitar/vocals) Ian Stephenson (guitar) Rui Barossi, Neil Harland (double bass) MartinuO’Neill (bodhran)Composer: Trad.Shetland fiddler Chris Stout leads a pan-global gathering on this ...
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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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ArticleSpirit Song. Works by Jacopo da Bologna, Alexander, B. Turetzky, Hauta-aho & Fricker
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Intriguing but flawed collection from the veteran US duoMusicians: Bertram Turetzky (double bass) Nancy Turetzky (flute)Composer: Jacopo da Bologna, Alexander, B. Turetzky, Hauta-aho & FrickerSpirit Song is Bertram and Nancy Turetzky’s celebration of 50 years of marriage and music making, bringing together ...
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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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ArticleSchumann: String Quartets op.41, Piano Quintet in E flat major op.44
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Recordings of Schumann that are just a little too individualistic for comfortMusicians: Gringolts Quartet, Peter Laul (piano)Composer: SchumannHow you take to the performances by the Gringolts Quartet depends very much on how you respond to the playing of Ilya Gringolts himself in the first violinist’s ...
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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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ArticleReinecke: Cello Sonatas in A minor op.42, D major op.89 & G major op.238
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Neglected Romantic cello sonatas brought alluringly to lifeMusicians: Manuel Fischer-Dieskau (cello) Connie Shih (piano)Composer: ReineckeThree Romantic sonatas for the cello ought to be enough to set the pulses racing given the relative paucity of worthy material from this period. However, although these ...
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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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ArticleReger: Three Suites for solo cello op.131c
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Even top performances can’t rescue Reger’s suites from the practice roomMusicians: Ulrich Horn (cello)Composer: RegerReger’s cello suites are a little bit like cod liver oil: they’re good for you, but would you want to live on them alone? There are a few ...
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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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ArticleBrahms: Viola Sonatas op.120
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Bel canto meets Brahms in some perhaps over-lovingly tended sonata performancesMusicians: Danilo Rossi (viola) Stefano Bezziccheri (piano)Composer: BrahmsThis latest in the apparently unending line of Brahms viola sonata recordings comes from south of the Alps. Danilo Rossi is principal viola at the ...
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ArticleThe American Album. Dvorák: String Quartet in F major op.96 ‘American’. Griffes: Two Sketches Based on Indian Themes. Barber: String Quartet in B minor op.11
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: Quartets that express different aspects of the American experienceMusicians: Cypress QuartetComposer: Dvorák, Griffes, Barber The booklet describes the Cypress sound as being built up from the bottom register, and in Ethan Filner’s introductory viola motif to Dvo?ák’s ‘American’ Quartet ...
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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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ArticleSchnittke: String Quartets nos.1–4, Canon in Memoriam Igor Stravinsky
The Strad Issue: January 2012Description: A Canadian ensemble brings out the songfulness of a modern Russian master’s quartetsMusicians: Molinari QuartetComposer: SchnittkeSchnittke’s four string quartets appeared variously between 1966 and 1989, announced by a work composed originally for the Borodin Quartet that draws upon the micro-gesturing and sonic profiling ...
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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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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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ArticleHaydn: String Quartets op.71, op.74
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Performances that bring out all the characteristics of Haydn’s artMusicians: Takács QuartetComposer: HaydnThe Takács Quartet seems to be working its way backwards through Haydn. The opp.76, 77 and 103 quartets are already in the Decca catalogue, and now here are ...
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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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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 ...
