All Reviews articles – Page 217
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ArticleBartók: String quartets nos.1–3
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: bène QuartetComposer: Bartók For nearly a century composers failed to respond to the painfully introspective soul-searching of Beethoven’s late string quartets – until, that is, Bartók produced his First Quartet in 1908, memorably described by his friend ...
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ArticleDohnányi: Serenade in C major for string trio op.10, String Quartet no.2 in D flat major op.15, Sextet for piano, horn, clarinet and string trio op.37
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Beethoven Trio, Kocian Quartet, Jaromir Klepác (piano), Ales Hustoles (clarinet), Vladimíra Klánská (horn)Composer: Dohnányi Erno Dohnányi is still best remembered for his entrancing Variations on a Nursery Theme for piano and orchestra. Yet a few years ago several ...
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ArticleBrahms: Violin Sonatas in G major op.78, in A major op.100 & in D minor op.108; ‘FAE’ Scherzo in C minor
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Nikolaj Znaider (violin) Yefim Bronfman (piano)Composer: Brahms These beautiful performances, excellently recorded, make up a very satisfying recital, as the three sonatas have a cumulative effect and the players seem to become more assured, with Brahms and with each other, as they ...
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ArticleMozart: Serenade in D major K185 (Andretter), Divertimento in E flat major K113, March K189, Rondo in C major K373, Adagio in E major K261, Rondo concertante in B flat major K269
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Alexander Janiczek (violin/director) Scottish Chamber OrchestraComposer: MozartRecorded in a warm, reverberant church acoustic, this disc features elegant and polished accounts of two of Mozart’s ‘Salzburg’ serenades (K113 and K185) and three of his single-movement works for violin and orchestra.Mozart’s Serenade ...
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ArticleGlazunov: String Quintet in A major op.39; Five Novelettes op.15
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Fine Arts Quartet, Nathaniel Rosen (cello) Composer: GlazunovGlazunov’s Violin Concerto in A minor remains one of his most popular pieces. But the two works on this disc prove how capable a chamber music composer he also was. The Novelettes, a suite of ...
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ArticleSchubert: String Quartets in G major D887 & in G minor D173
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Mandelring QuartetComposer: Schubert What Schubert achieved in his brief life never ceases to amaze, yet even within this short space of time, his style developed hugely. This is particularly evident on this marvellously recorded SACD of two of his ...
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ArticleWieniawski: Violin Concerto no.2 in D minor op.22. Bacewicz: Concerto for Orchestra. Penderecki: Agnus Dei
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Wojciech Plawner (violin), Beethoven Academy Orchestra/Pawel PrzytockiComposer: Wieniawski, Bacewicz, Penderecki Wieniawski’s D minor Concerto has been especially lucky on disc. The scorching intensity and fizzing virtuosity of Michael Rabin’s classic 1960 account (currently out of the catalogue) still take some beating, ...
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ArticleBartók: Violin Sonata no.2, Sonata for solo violin, Contrasts
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Annar Follesø (violin) Christian Ihle Hadland (piano) Björn Nyman (clarinet)Composer: Bartók There is a Nordic chill to these performances that is entirely foreign to the picture of Bartók I have built up over the past half century.I ...
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ArticleScott: Violin Concerto, Festival Overture, Aubade op.77, Three Symphonic Dances op.22
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Olivier Charlier (violin) BBC Philharmonic, Martyn Brabbins (conductor)Composer: Scott At the outset of the 20th century Cyril Scott was much admired by the music establishment as a progressive modernist, but his lack of stylistic development soon found him loosing ...
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Article
Katharine Gowers. Works by Monti, Fauré, Ravel, Gershwin, Debussy, Bloch, Ponce, Krein, Suk, Kreisler, Heuberger, Achron & Hubay.
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Katherine Gowers (violin), Charles Owen (piano)Composer: Monti, Fauré, Ravel, Gershwin, Debussy, Bloch, Ponce, Krein, Suk, Kreisler, Heuberger, Achron & Hubay Katherine Gowers’s refreshingly individual take on these delectable violin miniatures triumphantly prevents this recital from becoming just another in the long line of technique ...
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ArticleHarrison: An Unexpected Light*, A Hidden Light† , Geda’s Weavings‡, Songs for Rusne, …an angel reads my open book…† , The Bride’s Journey in Three Songs and a Memory¶
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Rusne Mataityte (violin), Arturas Silale (violin)‡, Vitalija Raskeviciute (viola)‡, Edmundas Kulikauskas (cello)‡¶, Sergejus Okrusko (piano)† , Albina Siksniute (piano)¶ St Christopher Chamber Orchestra, Vilnius, Donatus Katkus (conductor)*Composer: Harrison Sadie Harrison’s assimilation of what used to be known as folksong ...
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ArticleMaxim Rysanov. Works by Brahms, Glinka, Enescu, Bridge, Franck & Tabakova
The Strad Issue: January 2013Musicians: Maxim Rysanov (viola) Evelyn Chang (piano)Composer: Brahms, Glinka, Enescu, Bridge, Franck & Tabakova This recording makes an interesting calling card for the Ukrainian violist Maxim Rysanov, a major prizewinner from both the Tertis and Geneva competitions. Indeed, at his best, he sounds ...
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ArticleJenkins: Five-Part Consorts
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: PhantasmComposer: Jenkins Last year I heartily welcomed a recording of John Jenkins’s six-part consort music by these interpreters (see The Strad, June 2006). Here is its sequel, including all the five-part ensembles: three pavans and 17 fantasies. That previous ...
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ArticleDvorák: String Quartets no.1 in A major op.2, no.2 in B flat major, no.3 in D major, no.4 in E minor, no.5 in F minor op.9, no.6 in A minor op. 12, no.7 in A minor op.16, String Quintet in A minor op.
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Zemlinsky Quartet, Josef Kluson (viola)Composer: DvorákDvorák completed his first seven string quartets within a period of 13 years in the flush of youthful creativity, though only the Seventh was published in his lifetime. The present disc uses the performing versions from the ...
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ArticleClarke: Viola Sonata; Passacaglia (on an old English tune); Lullaby; Lullaby on an Ancient Irish Tune; Morpheus; Chinese Puzzle; I’ll Bid My Heart Be Still; Dumka; Prelude, Allegro and Pastorale; Unti
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Philip Dukes (viola) Daniel Hope (violin) Sophia Rahman (piano) Robert Plane (clarinet)Composer: ClarkePaul Cortese recently included Rebecca Clarke’s Lullaby and Grotesque (enchanting miniatures, beautifully written) on a Crystal Records recital, although this extensive Naxos collection gives us a better opportunity to assess ...
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ArticleIl virtuoso. Works by Sarasate, Paganini, Bodorov, Wieniawski, Spohr, Kreisler, Suk & Bazzini
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Miroslav Ambroš (violin) Zuzana Ambrošová (piano)Composer: Sarasate, Paganini, Bodorov, Wieniawski, Spohr, Kreisler, Suk & BazziniThough still a student at the Prague Academy, the 19-year-old Czech violinist Miroslav Ambroš has a quite impressive list of prizes in youth competitions to his name, which ...
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ArticleSaint-Saëns: Cello Sonatas nos.1 & 2, Suite op.16
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Maria Kliegel (cello) François-Joël Thiollier (piano)Composer: Saint-Saëns Saint-Saëns is very much the casino player of composers. Sometimes he is on a lucky streak and his formidable compositional technique is coupled with inspired and delightful invention. At other times, however, ...
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ArticleArnold: String Quartets nos.1 & 2, Phantasy for String Quartet (Vita Abundans)
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Maggini QuartetComposer: ArnoldMalcolm Arnold remains a musical enigma; he was never seemingly sure whether he was looking for popularity or craving acceptance as a serious composer. Nowhere is that more in evidence than the two numbered quartets, which was composed ...
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Article
Bach: Sonatas no.1 in G minor BWV1001 & no.2 in A minor BWV1003, Partita no.1 BWV1002
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Jacqueline Ross (violin)Composer: BachThe first interest of this traversal of solo Bach lies in the violin: an Andrea Amati of 1570, the sort of instrument more often viewed in these pages than heard, especially in the flesh. In capturing its eggshell tints ...
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ArticleQuintets with Two Cellos. Brahms: String Quintet in F minor op.34 (reconstr. Brown). Joseph Miroslav Weber: String Quintet no.1 in D major
The Strad Issue: January 2007Musicians: Divertimenti EnsembleComposer: Brahms, Joseph Miroslav Weber Joseph Miroslav Weber’s First String Quintet incorporates programmatic titles for its four movements, offering attractive fare in a style approaching, but rarely surpassing, that of his more illustrious Czech contemporaries Dvo?rák and Smetana. ...
