All Reviews articles – Page 166
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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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ArticleFrom the Old World to the New. Loeffler: Quatre poèmes op.5. Brahms: Zwei Gesänge op.91. Bridge: Three Songs for voice, viola and piano, Two Pieces for viola and piano. Copland: Twelve Poems of Emily
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: A welcome recital that puts the viola in a vocal contextMusicians: Rebecca Jones (viola) Karina Lucas (mezzo-soprano) Simon Lane (piano)Composer: Loeffler, Brahms, Bridge, CoplandGiven that the viola can be seen as the ‘mezzo-soprano’ of strings, pairing it with a real mezzo-soprano voice ...
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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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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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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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ArticleBarbaric Beauty. Works by Telemann & arrangements of 18th-century dance manuscripts
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: A Baroque master is heard in the context of dance music from his timeMusicians: Miloš Valent (violin) Jan Rokyta (cimbalom, recorders, Armenian duduk and clarinet) Holland Baroque SocietyComposer: TelemannThe title of this predominantly lively album reflects Telemann’s comment in his autobiography about ...
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ArticleFrench Impressions. Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto no.3 in B minor op.61. Ysaÿe: Berceuse de l’enfant pauvre op.20, Rêve d’enfant op.16 (orch. d’Alba). Chausson: Poème op.25. Ravel: Tzigane
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Electrifying accounts of Gallic classics for violinMusicians: Rachel Kolly d’Alba (violin) Bienne Symphony Orchestra/Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Pays de la Loire National Orchestra/John AxelrodComposer: Saint-Saëns, Ysaÿe, Chausson, Ravel As a follow up to her fine recording of Ysaÿe sonatas last year, ...
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ArticleBerlioz: Harold en Italie op.16, Overture to ‘Béatrice et Bénédict’ op.27. Paganini: Sonata per la gran viola op.35
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: A celebration of Paganini in his guise as a violistMusicians: David Aaron Carpenter (viola) Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/Vladimir AshkenazyComposer: Berlioz, PaganiniPaganini wrote his Sonata per la gran viola after finding Berlioz’s Harold in Italy inadequate for his needs. ‘There are too many rests ...
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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 ...
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ArticleMendelssohn: Cello Sonata no.2 in D major op.58, Lied ohne Worte in D major op.109. Chopin: Cello Sonata in G minor, Waltzes op.64 (arr. Davydov)
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Cellist and pianist uncover the Beethovenian influence behind two Romantic sonatasMusicians: Pieter Wispelwey (cello) Paolo Giacometti (piano)Composer: Mendelssohn, Chopin Pieter Wispelwey strips away the sweet veneer of Mendelssohn’s music to uncover a strong connection with a Beethovenian impulse in the Second ...
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ArticleBach and Blues. Poulenc: Violin Sonata. Ravel: Violin Sonata Biber: Passacaglia for solo violin. Bach: Chaconne from Partita no.2 in D minor BWV1004
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Beguiling coupling of classical-meets-jazz and Baroque from a young violinist Musicians: Iskandar Widjaja (violin) Anastassiya Dranchuk (piano)Composer: Poulenc, Ravel, Biber, Bach Berlin-born and -trained, and gold medal- winner at the first International Hindemith Competition, Iskandar Widjaja was taught by Susan Mann ...
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ArticleFranz Benda: Violin Sonatas no.10 in F minor, no.14 in E flat major, no.23 in C minor, no.28 in F major & no.32 in E major
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Persuasive accounts of violin sonatas by an 18th-century Bohemian masterMusicians: Hans-Joachim Berg (Baroque violin) Naoko Akutagawa (harpsichord)Composer: Franz BendaFranz Benda’s sonatas demonstrate his capacity for resourceful melody, structural authority and skilful craftsmanship. The cantabile character of his works was especially noted by ...
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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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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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ArticlePurcell: Twelve Sonatas in Three Parts
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: A superlative account of some of the 17th-century master’s chamber musicMusicians: Retrospect TrioComposer: PurcellEven though more of his music is being performed and recorded than ever before, Purcell still hasn’t quite attained (at least in some circles) the level of recognition he ...
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ArticleSibelius: Violin Concerto. Edwards: Violin Concerto ‘Maninyas’
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Nordic cool meets the heat of the Australian desert in an unusual coupling of concertosMusicians: Adele Anthony (violin) Adelaide Symphony Orchestra/Arvo VolmerComposer: Sibelius, EdwardsAdele Anthony won the ABC competition back in 1984 aged just 13 playing the Sibelius Concerto, and now you ...
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ArticleScelsi: Manto, Coelocanth, Elegia per Ty, Three Studies, Xnoybis
The Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Gripping performances of the music of an Italian modernistMusicians: Vincent Royer (viola) Séverine Ballon (cello)Composer: ScelsiVolume nine of Mode’s Scelsi edition collects together the composer’s complete works for viola, in persuasive performances by contemporary music specialist Vincent Royer, a former Ensemble Modern ...
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ArticleRavel: Violin Sonata in A major, Violin Sonata in G major, Tzigane, Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré. Lekeu: Violin Sonata in G major
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Sultry Ravel meets heated Lekeu in an outstanding collection of performancesMusicians: Alina Ibragimova (violin) Cédric Tiberghien (piano)Composer: Ravel, LekeuThis must count as one of the most satisfying surveys of Ravel’s complete violin music in the catalogue. Alina Ibragimova brings a ...
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ArticleBassolo. Works by R. Gabry?, Szalonek, Boguslawski, Cage, Grisey, Lauck, Dziadek, Roth, Scelsi, Oehring, Pritchard, Knüsel, Lee, Iršai & Xenakis
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2011Description: Ear-bending playing from a master of the double bassMusicians: Aleksander Gabry? (double bass) Consuelo Giulianelli (harp) Jürg Henneberger, Daniel Buess (piano) Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra/Czeslaw Grabowski, Camerata Impuls Chamber Orchestra/Malgorzata KaniowskaComposer: R. Gabry?, Szalonek, Boguslawski, Cage, Grisey, Lauck, Dziadek, Roth, ...
