All Reviews articles – Page 188
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ArticleFauré: Violin sonatas no.1 in A major op.13 & no.2 in E minor op.108, Berceuse, Romance, Andante
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Olivier Thouin (violin) François Zeitouni (piano)Composer: FauréCanadian-born virtuoso Olivier Thouin, currently associate concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, possesses the ideal sound for Fauré’s endlessly supple, elegant writing. Even compared to such distinguished rivals in these timeless scores as Augustin ...
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ArticlePaganini: Caprices op.1 (arr. Zinn)
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Wihan QuartetComposer: PaganiniWilliam Zinn’s arrangements transform Paganini’s solo violin caprices into string quartets with fascinating, yet questionable outcomes; for Zinn has freely added his own material, whether as introductory bars (for no.24), harmonic, registral or articulation changes, ornamental elaborations, or harmonic and ...
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ArticleBach: Sonata no.1 in G minor BWV1001, Partita no.3 in E major BWV1006. Ysaÿe: Sonatas no.1 in G minor op.27 no.1 & no.2 in A minor op.27 no.2
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Liza Ferschtman (violin)Composer: Bach, YsaÿeThe programming of this disc is impeccable. Ysaÿe’s solo sonatas are consciously first cousins to Bach’s sonatas and partitas, and in these particular works, with G minor Ysaÿe drawing from Bach in the same key, and ...
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ArticleBeethoven: Cello Sonatas nos.1–5
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Sébastien Singer (cello) Marc Pantillon (piano) Composer: BeethovenTen years into his career as soloist and Schweizer Piano Trio member, Sébastien Singer decided the time was right to tackle Beethoven’s cello sonatas. This high-quality recording with Swiss performers on a Swiss label ...
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ArticleSchumann: Adagio and Allegro op.70, Fantasiestücke op.73, Fünf Stücke im Volkston op.102, Three Romances op.94 (arr Gledhill), Märchenbilder op.113 (arr Hausmann)
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Klaus Storck (cello) Aya Ishihara (piano)Composer: SchumannKlaus Storck, soloist since the age of 12, teacher of generations of cellists and still professor in Cologne, Hanover and Munich, is, claims the booklet, one of the few instrumentalists today to keep the chamber music ...
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ArticleShostakovich: Cello Sonata in D minor op.40, Two Pieces from Ballet Suite no.2 (arr. Atovmyan), Viola Sonata op.147 (arr. cello)
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Michal Ka?ka (cello) Jaromír Klepá? (piano)Composer: ShostakovichAlthough Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata is hardly under-recorded, this release is made more interesting by its coupling with the Viola Sonata. Michal Ka?ka performs this work in its original tessitura as opposed to the arrangement by Daniil ...
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ArticleBritten: String Quartets nos.2 & 3, Three Divertimenti
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Elias QuartetComposer: Britten It is a curious fact that the closer Britten’s instrumental writing approximates to the world of his vocal music the happier it invariably sounds. Conversely, the more he attempts to emulate Beethovenian thematicism, the less comfortable ...
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ArticleMozart: String Quintets in G minor K516 & C minor K406
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Chilingirian Quartet, Yuko Inoue (viola) Composer: MozartFlagging finances, and the need to offer the customary three works for a subscription publication, encouraged Mozart to fashion an unconvincing String Quintet in C minor from his Serenade for six wind instruments. It ...
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ArticleCello Journey. Walton: Theme for a Prince. Hussey: Three Interludes. Parsons: Dove l’anima riposa. Rathbone: When all is said and done. Saxton: Sonata for solo cello. Holdsworth: Lost Time
The Strad Issue: January 2010Description: Cello Journey. Walton: Theme for a Prince. Hussey: Three Interludes. Parsons: Dove l’anima riposa. Rathbone: When all is said and done. Saxton: Sonata for solo cello. Holdsworth: Lost Time Musicians: Tony Woollard (cello)Composer: Walton, Hussey, Parsons, Rathbone, Saxton, HoldsworthTony Woollard should ...
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ArticleAlto/Multiples. Works by Hindemith, Zimmermann, Berio, Grisey, Nunes, Carter, Binchois (arr. Kröll), Boulez, Ockegham (arr. Maderna), Rihm, D. Gabrieli, Harvey, Gesualdo (arr. Desjardins) & Fedele
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Christophe Desjardins (viola)Composer: Hindemith, Zimmermann, Berio, Grisey, Nunes, Carter, Binchois (arr. Kröll), Boulez, Ockegham (arr. Maderna), Rihm, D. Gabrieli, Harvey, Gesualdo (arr. Desjardins) & Fedele Christophe Desjardins is a long-time member of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, so this set’s title – ...
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ArticleViolinguistics. Beavers: Violin Sonata. Bolcom: The Graceful Ghost Rag. Ching-chu Hu: Snow Ash. Bright Sheng: The Stream Flows. Puckett: Colloquial Threads. Puts: Aria
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Scott Conklin (violin) Alan Huckleberry (piano)Composer: Beavers, Bolcom, Ching-chu Hu, Bright Sheng, Puckett, PutsScott Conklin’s brilliance of tone and charismatic delivery bring a burnished gleam to this disc of American music from the last 30 years. Stylistically it wanders through ...
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ArticlePassion & Division. Hume: The First Part of Ayres – Captain Humes Musicall Humors
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Susanne Heinrich (viola da gamba)Composer: HumeThis disc comprises selections from Tobias Hume’s The First Part of Ayres – Captain Humes Musicall Humors (London, 1605), which challenged the lute’s preeminence as a solo, ensemble and accompanimental instrument and added an expressive, emotional dimension ...
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ArticleKhachaturian: Cello Concerto in E minor, Concerto–Rhapsody for cello and orchestra
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Dmitry Yablonsky (cello) Moscow City Symphony Orchestra/Maxim Fedotov Composer: KhachaturianKhachaturian’s Cello Concerto (1946) was the last of his triptych of concertos to be written but remains the least known of the three, chiefly as a result of being one ...
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ArticleDvorák: Piano Quintets no.1 in A major op.5 & no.2 in A major op.81
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Goldner String Quartet, Piers Lane (piano)Composer: DvorákThis coupling of Dvo?ák’s two piano quintets contrasts the composer’s somewhat discursive apprentice work with its?richly acclaimed successor. Australians Piers?Lane and the Goldner Quartet provide musically sensitive and carefully determined readings. They capture the moods and ...
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ArticleFauré: Piano Quartets no.1 in C minor op.15 & no.2 in G minor op.45, Nocturne no.4 in E flat major op.36
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Hermitage String Trio, Kathryn Stott (piano)Composer: FauréGabriel Fauré was an emotionally reserved figure of exquisite taste and eloquence, and always insisted that his music should be played absolutely straight if his immaculately crafted scores were to achieve their maximum effect. This is ...
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ArticleHaydn: Violin Concertos no.1 in C major Hob.XVIIa:1 & no.4 in G major Hob.XVIIa:4 Mendelssohn Octet in E flat major for strings op.20
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Gil Shaham (violin) Sejong SoloistsComposer: Haydn Gil Shaham can do what he likes with his own record label, but a decent?A&R man might have warned him off this unsuccessful coupling. We start with the two most popular Joseph Haydn violin concertos, ...
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ArticleMendelssohn: Trios no.1 in D ?minor op.49 & no.2 in C minor op.66
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Itzhak Perlman (violin) Yo-Yo Ma (cello) Emanuel Ax (piano)Composer: MendelssohnThis grouping of ?three star?names ?offers performances ?with an exuberant ?sweep in playing of glowing warmth and purposeful strength.?There is an abundance of detail?brought about by the immaculate balance between instruments, and the ...
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ArticleBeethoven: Triple Concerto in C major for violin, cello and piano op.56. Brahms: Double Concerto in A minor ?for violin and?cello op.102
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Trio Poseidon, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi Composer: Beethoven, BrahmsThis ‘Triple’ Concerto has the immediate benefit of?soloists – violinist Sara Trobäck Hesselink, cellist Claes Gunnarsson and pianist Per Lundberg – who appear on a regular basis as the Trio Poseidon alongside their individual ...
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ArticleBeethoven: String Quartets in G major op.18 no.2, C major op.59 no.3 (Rasumovsky), C?sharp minor op.131 & A minor op.132
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Artemis QuartetComposer: BeethovenThough dating from 1998?and 2002, these are?‘historical’ recordings, as two members of the ensemble have since departed. Virgin is issuing the whole series taped for West German Radio, no doubt reasoning that it gains a Beethoven cycle on the cheap, ...
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ArticleJanácek: Violin Sonata. ?Messiaen: Thème et variations. Stravinsky: The Soldier’s Tale Suite. Shostakovich: Violin Sonata op.134
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Victor Danchenko (violin) ?Hugh Sung, Patricia Parr (piano) ?Joaquin Valdepenas (clarinet) Composer: Janácek, ?Messiaen, Stravinsky, ShostakovichThe Peabody Institute’s proofreader was clearly on holiday when this CD was prepared – ‘Sutie’ rather than ‘Suite’ appears on the cover, among other slips, and ...
