All Reviews articles – Page 210
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ArticleSchumann: Piano Quintet in E flat major op.44. Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major (Trout), Die Forelle
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Atlantis Ensemble, Max von Egmond (baritone) Composer: Schumann, SchubertIt is said that Schumann wept aloud when he heard news of Schubert’s death. Hence this pairing is apt, for this epitome of 19th-century Romantics had the pantheon of Haydn, Mozart, ...
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ArticleTaneyev: String Quartets vol.1: no.1 in B flat minor op. 4 & no.3 in D minor op.7
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Carpe Diem QuartetComposer: Taneyev It has taken us a long time to come round to Sergei Taneyev (1856–1915). Melodiya made several Soviet-era recordings, and aficionados know something of his magnificent opera The Oresteia, but otherwise his symphonic output and ...
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ArticleBach: Sonatas for violin and keyboard nos.1–6 BWV1014–19
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Richard Tognetti (violin) Daniel Yeadon (viola da gamba/cello) Neal Peres Da Costa (harpsichord/organ)Composer: BachSeveral fine period-instrument recordings of this glorious music currently grace the catalogue, including those by Rachel Podger (Channel), Andrew Manze (Harmonia Mundi), Giuliano Carmignola (Sony), Elizabeth Wallfisch ...
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ArticleKorngold: Piano Trio in D major op. 1, Suite op. 23*
Musicians: Trio Parnassus, Matthias Wollong (violin)* Composer: KorngoldThe progress of Erich Korngold (1897–1957) from Viennese child prodigy to Hollywood golden-age film composer is remarkable. Yet his ‘serious’ output spanned all this period, soaring to new heights with his violin and cello concertos.Many other works ...
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ArticleBrahms: ‘Double’ Concerto in A minor op.102, Clarinet Quintet in B minor op.115
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Renaud Capuçon (violin) Gautier Capuçon (cello) Paul Meyer (clarinet) Capuçon Quartet, Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, Myung-Whun Chung (conductor)Composer: Brahms Gautier Capuçon’s first cello entry sets the scene for an affectionate view of the ‘Double’ Concerto, very much ...
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ArticleDvorák: Cello Concerto in B minor op.104, Symphonic Variations op.78
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Pieter Wispelwey (cello) Budapest Festival orchestra, Iván Fischer (conductor)Composer: Dvorák During these hard-pressed financial days it’s a luxury to re-record the same concerto as Wispelwey has done with this work. His first, made with Lawrence Renes and the ...
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ArticleMozart: Sinfonia concertante in E flat major K364, Concertone in C major K190*, Rondo in C major K373
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Julia Fischer (violin) Gordan Nikolitch (violin/viola) Herre Jan Stegenga (cello)* Hans Meyer (oboe)* Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Yakov Kreizberg (conductor) Composer: MozartJulia Fischer again demonstrates her outstanding technical command, musical perception and expressive purpose in these compelling Mozart performances. Her ...
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ArticleGraham Whettam: String Quartets nos.2 & 4, Oboe Quartet no.2
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Carducci Quartet, Jennie-Lee Keetley (oboe)Composer: Graham Whettam The two string quartets here were written over 30 years apart. The Carducci Quartet premiered the Fourth Quartet in 2001, while the First had appeared in 1968. There is a meditative quality ...
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ArticleElgar: Violin Concerto in B minor op.61, Serenade for Strings op.20.
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: James Ehnes (violin) Philharmonia Orchestra, Andrew Davis (conductor) Composer: ElgarAndrew Davis and James Ehnes do not fall into the trap of exaggerating the wide mood swings of the first movement, and they never allow the tension levels in the ...
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ArticleTchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D op.35. Gang ChenZhanhao He: The Butterfly Lovers: Concerto for Violin
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Gil Shaham (violin) Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Lan Shui (conductor)Composer: Tchaikovsky, Gang ChenZhanhao He: In terms of scorching commitment, Isaac Stern’s CBS/Sony account of the Tchaikovsky with the Philadelphia Orchestra in meltdown under their long-time music director Eugene Ormandy ...
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ArticleDavid Matthews: Winter Remembered. Alwyn: Pastoral Fantasia. John McCabe: Concerto funebre. Holst: Lyric Movement. Maconchy: Romance
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola) Orchestra Nova, George Vass (conductor)Composer: David Matthews, Alwyn, John McCabe, Holst, Maconchy Is there a better British violist than Sarah-Jane Bradley? I write just a week after hearing her play a demanding recital and after several ...
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ArticleHelen Callus. Works by Prokofiev (arr. Borissowsky), Vaughan Williams, Tchaikovsky, Wieniawski, Bridge, Swain, Tertis, Schumann & Chopin
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Hellen Callus (viola) Phillip Bush (piano)Composer: Prokofiev (arr. Borissowsky), Vaughan Williams, Tchaikovsky, Wieniawski, Bridge, Swain, Tertis, Schumann & Chopin For her latest recording, Helen Callus has researched the many transcriptions made by the ‘Father of the Russian Viola School’, Vadim ...
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ArticleGiger/Dähler. JS Bach: Towards Silence
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Paul Giger (violin) Marie-Louise Dähler (harpsichord)Composer: JS Bach If you’ve encountered any of Paul Giger’s ECM albums before now, and especially Ignis, you’ll know what I mean when I write of his unclassifiably sacred compositions. They’re not attached to ...
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ArticleViolin Songs. Works by Elgar, Berg, Bridge, Copland, Prokofiev, Massenet, L. Boulanger, Poulenc, Ravel, Schubert & Strauss
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Madeleine Mitchell (violin) Andrew Ball (piano) Elizabeth Watts (soprano)Composer: Elgar, Berg, Bridge, Copland, Prokofiev, Massenet, L. Boulanger, Poulenc, Ravel, Schubert & Strauss The innumerable miniatures and short salon pieces written for the violin don’t get much of an outing nowadays, aside from ...
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ArticleAn Italian Sojourn. Sonatas by Castello, Stradella, Marini, Locatelli, Corelli, Tartini, Handel & Veracini
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Trio SettecentoComposer: Castello, Stradella, Marini, Locatelli, Corelli, Tartini, Handel & VeraciniTrio Settecento’s period-instrument accounts conjure up an attractive intimacy, even if violinist Rachel Barton Pine occasionally reverts to an attack and technical vocabulary more appropriate to the present century. Nevertheless, these players ...
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ArticleRózsa: Violin Concerto, Sinfonia concertante for violin and cello
Musicians: Anastasia Khitruk (violin) Andrei Tchekmazov (cello) Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitri Yablonsky (conductor) Composer: RózsaMíklós Rózsa may have composed the music for over 90 films, but his ‘classical’ output reveals him on a par with his contemporary Erich Korngold. Indeed his solo string concertos, ...
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ArticleJanácek: String Quartets no.1 ‘Kreutzer Sonata’ & no.2 ‘Intimate Letters’. Szymanowski: String Quartets nos.1 & 2
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Schoenberg QuartetComposer: Janacek, SzymanowskiCoupling the Janá?ek and Szymanowski quartets together was an inspired idea, one that as far as I’m aware hasn’t been attempted on disc before. Both composers proudly carried the torch of their respective Moravian and Polish traditions into ...
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ArticleBeethoven: String Quartets op.59 nos.1-3 ‘Rasumovsky’, op.74 ‘Harp’ and op.95 ‘Serioso’
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Orion QuartetComposer: Beethoven The Orion Quartet here displays the fruits of more than two decades of exploration and insight into the music of Beethoven. Violinists Daniel and Todd Phillips swap around the leader’s role, but this is inconsequential as ...
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ArticleFauré: Cello Sonatas op.109 in D minor & op.117 in G minor, Romance op.69, Vocalise, Élégie op.24, Sérénade op.98, Papillon op.77, Sicilienne op.78, Berceuse op.16, Morceau de lecture*, Après un rêve
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Xavier Gagnepain (cello) Jérémie Billet (cello)* Jean-Michel Dayez (piano)Composer: FauréAll cellists have a special relationship with Gabriel Fauré at some point in their lives, whether it’s sitting on a school stage playing the Élégie or Sicilienne, or learning salon pieces like Après ...
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ArticleBeethoven: Violin Sonatas vol.2: Sonatas in A major op.12 no.2, in A minor op.23, in F major op.24 ‘Spring’ & in G major op.30 no.3
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Peter Cropper (violin) MartinuRoscoe (piano)Composer: Beethoven The new duo partnership formed last year between two long-established musicians is currently touring the UK presenting an on-going Beethoven violin sonata cycle to coincide with this series of recordings. That feel of ...
