All Reviews articles – Page 192
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ArticleShostakovich: String Quartet no.4 in D major op.83 (arr. Lieberman). Brahms: String Quartet no.2 in A minor op. 51 (arr. Lieberman). Dvorák: Adagio from String Quartet in D minor op.34 (arr. Lieberman
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: American String ProjectComposer: Shostakovich, Brahms, Dvorák:It was Barry Lieberman’s irritation that his double bass was so little used in chamber music that prompted him to add his own part to well-known quartets and quintets. From those modest beginnings has grown a series ...
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ArticleMozart: Violin Concerto no.3 in G major K216*. Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major op.77†
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Gioconda De Vito (violin) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Thomas Beecham*, German Opera House Orchestra/Paul van Kempen† Composer: Mozart, BrahmsGioconda De Vito, one of the finest violinists to emerge from Italy in the 20th century (a span her life almost exactly matched), made ...
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ArticleEnglish Music for Viola. Bliss: Viola Sonata Delius Violin Sonata no.3 (arr. Tertis). Bridge: Pieces for viola and piano
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Enik? Magyar (viola) Tadashi Imai (piano)Composer: Bliss, BridgeMy initial amazement that a violist with such an echt-Hungarian name should be playing this arch-English repertoire, and in such an idiomatic and convincing way to boot, vanished after reading her biography: upon graduating in ...
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ArticleHofmann: Cello Concerto in D major HAYDN Cello Concerto in C major. Mozart: Flute Concerto in D major K314 (arr. Szell/Ciomei)
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Sol Gabetta (cello) Basel Chamber Orchestra/Sergio CiomeiComposer: Hofmann, MozartLeopold Hofmann can justly stand alongside his two illustrious contemporaries here. His interpreters are first-rate: the orchestra’s delicate ritornellos, Sol Gabetta’s pure tone and graceful good taste never straying outside the music’s expressive limits ...
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ArticleSchubert: Duo in A major D574 (arr. Wispelwey), Sonata in A minor D821 ‘Arpeggione’, Fantasy in C major D934 (arr. Wispelwey)
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Pieter Wispelwey (cello) Paolo Giacometti (fortepiano)Composer: SchubertIs period instrumentation a marketing ploy, and how far does it become an integral part of the whole interpretation? For the first few bars of this recording I missed the velvety hues of the modern piano ...
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ArticleBach: Goldberg Variations BWV988 (arr. Giuranna)
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Trio BrozComposer: Bach (arr. Giuranna)This lovely, eminently listenable live recording serves to introduce an outstanding young Italian string trio consisting of the siblings Barbara, Giada and Klaus Broz. In their naturalness, unobtrusive virtuosity and close ensemble they remind me of ...
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ArticleChuck and Albert: Énergie
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Albert Arsenault (fiddle, bass, vocals, percussion) Chuck Arsenault (guitar, harmonica, spoons, vocals)Composer: TradThis collection of songs from Acadie (a region of French-speaking Canada) is drawn from Chuck and Albert’s live show of slapstick comedy and quirky folk music, including the traditional Acadian ...
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ArticleConcerto italiano. Dall'Oglio: Violin Concerto in C major. Stratico: Violin Concerto in G minor. Nardini: Violin Concerto in G major. Lolli: Violin Concerto in C major
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Giuliano Carmignola (violin) Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea MarconComposer: Dall'Oglio, Stratico, Nardini, LolliHere we have four Italian composers from the middle of the 18th century whose names have long dropped from the repertoire, but who, in their lifetime, thrilled audiences throughout Europe with prodigious ...
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ArticleHaydn: Violin Concertos no.1 in C major Hob.VIIa:1 & no. 4 in G major Hob.VIIa:4. Mozart: Sinfonia concertante K364
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Rachel Podger (violin) Pavlo Beznosiuk (viola) Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentComposer: Haydn, MozartThough Haydn was surrounded by virtuoso players in the court orchestra of the wealthy Esterházy family, his early violin concertos do not make excessive demands of the soloist. The ...
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ArticleEvaristo dall'Abaco: Concertos for strings op.2 nos.5*, 6† , 8‡, 9‡ & 10† & op.6 nos.2*, 3¶ & 6†
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Cappella Coloniensis/Wilfried Boettcher*, Hanns-MartinuSchneidt† , Günther Wich‡, György Fischer¶Composer: Evaristo dall'AbacoFounded in 1954 by Northwest German Radio, Cappella Coloniensis claims to be the oldest period instrument ensemble in the world. It seems to have had a soft spot for the music of ...
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ArticleSchubert: String Quartets in E flat major D87 & G major D887
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Hugo Wolf Quartet Composer: SchubertThe Hugo Wolf Quartet’s fine-toned, well-blended accounts demonstrate a striking empathy for the tensions that lie within Schubert’s expansive music and amply explore the emotional colours of its unexpected twists of melody and harmony. These players perform the ...
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ArticleOlivero: Neharót Neharót. Mansurian: Tagh for the Funeral of the Lord, Three Arias (Sung out the window facing Mount Ararat). Komitas: Oror. Steinberg: Rava Deravin
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Kim Kashkashian (viola) Robyn Schulkovsky (percussion) Tigran Mansurian (piano) Kuss Quartet, Munich Chamber Orchestra/Alexander Liebreich, Boston Modern Orchestra Project/Gil RoseComposer: Olivero, Mansurian, Komitas, SteinbergThis new disc from the American-born violist Kim Kashkashian combines music reflecting her Armenian cultural heritage with two major ...
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ArticlePaganini: Sonata concertata in A major, Cantabile in D major, Tarantella in A minor, Sonatas in A minor, D major, A major & E minor
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Pekka Kuusisto (violin) Ismo Eskelinen (guitar)Composer: PaganiniI had never heard these Paganini duos for violin and guitar before, and it came as a surprise to me to read that the composer himself was a fine guitarist. These works are relatively light on ...
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ArticleDevil's Trills. Music by Kreisler, Sarasate, Schubert, Tartini, Tchaikovsky, Vitali & Wieniawski
THE STRAD RECOMMENDS The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Nemanja Radulović, Guillaume Fontanarosa, Frédéric Dessus (violin) Bertrand Causse (viola) Anne Biragnet (cello) Stanislas Kuchinski (double bass)Composer: Kreisler, Sarasate, Schubert, Tartini, Tchaikovsky, Vitali & Wieniawski There is a desperately fine yet crucial line between on the one hand finding ...
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ArticleTaneyev: Violin Sonata, Romance op.26 no.6 ‘Stalaktiti’ (arr. Feigin), plus piano works
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Ivan Peshkov (violin) Olga Solovieva (piano)Composer: TaneyevIvan Peshkov’s rich, soulful tone colour and sensitively controlled phrasing seems perfectly suited to the two heartfelt works for violin and piano on this disc of music by his compatriot Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev. The declamatory, late-Romantic ...
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ArticleWieniawski: Violin Concertos no.1 in F sharp minor op.14* & no 2 in D minor op.22†
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Mariusz Patyra (violin) Sinfonia Varsovia/Johannes Wildner*, Sinfonia Iuventus/Gabriel Chmura† Composer: WieniawskiPolish violinist Mariusz Patyra brings much drama, bravura and lyricism to Wieniawski’s two powerful and vastly underrated concertos, particularly to their opening movements, in which his laudable technical assurance and rhythmical control ...
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ArticlePaganini: 24 Caprices op.1
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: James Ehnes (violin)Composer: PaganiniIt was a recording of the Paganini caprices that 14 years ago launched the international career of Canadian-born violinist James Ehnes, and he now revisits the score in an equally superb performance.It is a very literal view ...
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ArticleBirth of the String Quartet Vol.1. A. Scarlatti: Sonate a quattro in D minor. Sammartini: Sinfonia per archi in G major. Boccherini: String Quartet in C minor op.2 no.1. Haydn: String Quartet in D min
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Casal QuartetComposer: A. Scarlatti, Boccherini, Haydn, MozartThe Casal Quartet has proven expertise in 20th-century repertoire and introduces modern techniques and interpretative approaches into its accounts of these five fledgling Classical string quartets, employing vibrato in abundance. However, its members’ use of four ...
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ArticlePopper Cello Suite op.69, Three Pieces op.11, Im Walde op.50 Piatigorsky Variations on a Paganini Theme
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Wendy Warner (cello) Eileen Buck (piano)Composer: Popper, PiatigorskyFocusing on the tradition of the virtuoso–composer, Rostropovich pupil Wendy Warner has compiled an intriguing programme, half of which is devoted to original works by the Hungarian cellist David Popper. Although he is better known ...
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ArticleBrahms: Cello Sonata no.2 in F major op.99. Kodály: Solo Cello Sonata op.8. Debussy: Cello Sonata. Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme op.33
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Pierre Fournier (cello) Franz Holetschek (piano)Composer: Brahms, Kodály, Debussy, TchaikovskyRecorded live at the 1958 Salzburg Festival, Pierre Fournier proves his credentials as one of the legendary cellists of the 20th century. His performances come across compellingly throughout, despite the poor mono sound ...
