• Milan-born pianist, composer and conductor Giorgio Gaslini is a jazz musician of international fame, who to his credit has given more than 3,000 concerts, recorded 100 CD's and is a ten-time Critics Award winner. The flute works were composed between 1955 and 2011. Their performer and dedicatee is Roberto Fabbriciani, with whom Gaslini has had a long collaboration."
Friederike Chylek, born in Starnberg, began playing the piano and the recorder at age seven. Whilst still attending secondary school in Stockdorf and Gräfelfing, she began her artistic education in Munich with the harpsichordist Michael Eberth. Starting in the year 2000, she studied harpsichord and figured bass at the world renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with professors including Jesper Christensen, wtih Rudolf Lutz and Edoardo Torbianelli. She performs regularly in numerous concert halls in Germany and abroad and is a welcome guest at such select festivals as the Cadenza Baroque Days in Berlin, the Handel Festival in Göttingen and the Festival Maj z Muzyka Dawna, Wroclas, amongst many others. With the present album, Friederike Chylek puts an end to prejudices against English music - England was long denigrated as the "Land without music" - bringing time to a standstill with works from the Golden Age of Virginal Music, numerous performance and compositional techniques of which provided decisive impulses for the development of European keyboard music.
This Varied Piano Recital Release from the Bella Musica Label of Keyboard Works Stretching Across Three Centuries and Spotlighting Six Composers Highlights the Playing of the Doyen of German Pianists, Prof. Manfred Reuthe. A Berliner of Impeccable Degree, He Has Taught for Over 40 Years in Addition to Giving Concerts and Recitals All Over the World, Yet His Playing Remains Fresh and Vigorous Still. His Recital Programs Often Feature the Virtuosic Works of the 19th C. Romantic Piano Tradition, Including Those By the Austro-German Romantics and the French Impressionists.
Acclaimed Chinese/American composer Bright Sheng has been fascinated by folk music for his entire career and Northern Lights is his first work to use Scandinavian folk music, exploring its kinship with American sources such as Appalachian and Bluegrass music. Inspired by ancient Chinese poetry, Melodies of a Flute captures deep and sensuous moods of love and longing, while Hot Pepper refers to the spicy cuisine of Si Chuan province. Bright Sheng combines Chinese and Western musical ideas to create luminous, deeply expressive and rhythmic scores, giving new meaning to the idea of music as a universal language.
Lalo: Symphonie espagnole - Manén: Concierto español / Tianwa Yang, Darrell Ang
Naxos
CD
$9.99$19.99Save 50%Oct 14, 2016
Learn more about the music from this Naxos Classical Spotlight podcast episode!
These two concertos - one a staple of the repertoire, the other almost unknown - share melodic richness and a Spanish influence. Lalo's Symphonie espagnole reflects the quicksilver technique of its dedicatee, Pablo de Sarasate, in its ingenious and virtuosic passagework, with its moods and rhythms indelibly Iberian in feel. Juan Manén, in his day almost as famous as his fellow Catalan Pau Casals, was an admired virtuoso violinist and a prominent composer. His Concierto español, the first of three violin concertos, is suffused with technical demands, lyric warmth, and rhapsodic nostalgia. Soloist Tianwa Yang's Sarasate recordings have received international acclaim.
REVIEW:
Yang seems to have a natural affinity for Spanish works, having already recorded the complete violin works of Pablo de Sarasate, and her dazzling brilliance seems perfectly suited to the nature of the music. As in the Sarasate set, Yang is paired with a Spanish orchestra for even more authenticity.
Schumann: Piano Quintet, Marchenbilder & 5 Stucke im Volkston / Levitz, Moore, Benvenue Fortepiano Trio
Avie Records
CD
$9.99$19.99Save 50%Sep 09, 2016
AllMusic praised The Benvenue Fortepiano Trio’s “intensity, commitment, and unfettered navigation of Schumann’s scores.” This release is the third in the ensemble’s series dedicated to the works of Robert Schumann (1810-1856). This volume features Schumann’s most influential chamber work, the Piano Quintet in E flat Op. 44. The piece, which was premiered in 1843, is remembered for it’s “extroverted, exuberant” character. It is considered one of Schumann’s finest works. The ensemble performs here on period instruments, which enhances the recording by creating the intimate atmosphere for which this chamber music was written. Fanfare Magazine writes that the atmosphere creates “an enlightened view of the music.” The Benvenue Fortepiano Trio is pianist Eric Zivian, performing here on a Franz Rousch 1841 fortepiano, violinist Monica Hugget, performing on a 1770 Dutch, and cellist Tanya Tomkins, playing on an 1811 Joseph Panormo.
Volume 2 of this complete edition of Martinu's songs is set mainly to Czech poems on themes of life, love and nature. Mezzo-soprano Jana Wallingerova, a member of the National Theatre in Brno, Czech Republic, has sung many of the most well-known mezzo roles on it's stage. Concert activities are also an essential part of her repertoire. Prague-born Giorgio Koukl is a pianist/harpsichordist and composer who has given many recitals and concerto performances.
Baker: Piano Concerto "From Noon to Starry Night" / Hamelin
Naxos
CD
$9.99$19.99Save 50%Oct 13, 2017
Award-winning and much decorated composer Claude Baker here entwines his evocative soundworld with the powerful imagery of two great poets. Recorded in its premiere performance with Marc-Andre Hamelin as soloist, the Piano Concerto ‘From Noon to Starry Night’ draws on and amplifies the structures and meanings of five poems by Walt Whitman, expressing the heroism and darkness of war, exuberant celebrations of nature and a wistful ‘remembrance of things past.’ Aus Schwanengesang is a memorial piece that expands and ‘re-composes’ the poignant Heine Lieder from Schubert’s song cycle with oblique and multi-layered references.
Bruno Walter, like many another revered conductor, was also a composer. Let's not forget Weingartner, Klemperer, Furtwängler and Leslie Heward to mention only a few. I am also sure there were and are plenty of revered composers who were also conductors. Walter's conducting heritage has had its meed of recognition especially on CBS-Sony (39-CD box issued in 2012) but also on Decca with Ferrier and Patzak in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.
His work as a composer came to an end when exposed at close quarters - conducting premieres in many cases - to the full glory to the music of his friend Mahler. Before that withering blast had taken its toll he wrote two symphonies, Das Siegesfest for solo voices, chorus and orchestra, various songs and one each string quartet, piano quintet, piano trio and violin sonata. The violin sonata has had quite a few recordings - Graffin (Hyperion), Wallace (VAIA) & Shahan (Talent) - but it was CPO's contribution of the red-blooded hour-long Symphony No. 1 in D Minor with Leon Botstein that knocked me sideways. Mahler had dismissed the work out of hand, it seems. I have been waiting with enforced patience for CPO to follow up with Walter's Second Symphony. Incidentally I should also mention, curiosity value or not, Walter's two-piano arrangement of Mahler's Resurrection (Naxos).
The Violin Sonata is very much a sonata for violin and piano with neither player ancillary to the other. It's in a romantically high flown yet not over-boiled style with some indebtedness to Brahms. Earnest it may be but this is no obstacle to Walter prefacing the middle movement's dolce-dolce writing with what amounts to a gawky troll tango. It's a clever touch and carried off in a very seemly way. While there is ardor in spades in the first movement, the 'Moderato' finale flirts with some florally static salon-style pages before, in its last few moments, asserting itself. Interesting but not transfixing. The other three recordings of the Sonata come with works by other composers. This Naxos disc introduces listeners to Walter's four-movement Piano Quintet; a first recording as far as I can see. This is an exultant work with plenty of joyous activity for each of the five musicians. It is demonstrative, tense and brimming with intense cantabile. Here the finale makes for a convincing conclusion; more so than the equivalent movement in the Sonata. It should appeal to those who are already captivated by the quintets by Vierne and Medtner. Both performances are more than capable with the listener gaining the feeling that the players know the music well enough to enjoy putting it across rather than having to concentrate on forming the notes.
The notes, in German and English, are accompanied by a well selected photograph of the young, confident, and pursed-lipped Walter adorning the booklet cover.
Without doubt, Linus Roth is a serious and thoughtful musician with a technical gift that allows him to be unfazed by even the most demanding writing. The Shostakovich gets a strongly individual and brooding reading; indeed, this is as fine a concerto recording as I have heard in recent times. The Tchaikovsky is just about as good. The sound is excellent. The orchestra surrounds the soloist without hemming him in, orchestral detail is weighty without being synthetically highlighted. The wide range of tone Roth draws from his "Dancla" Stradivarius is beautifully caught.
Romance showcases Lang Lang’s innate yet sophisticated feeling for nuance and reflection. Carefully selected from his Sony Classical discography, the selections achieve a fulfilling programmatic unity through subtle contrasts in mood and style. The slow, yearning repeated note themes of Liszt’s Liebestraum No. 3 and Chopin’s “Aeolian Harp” Etude naturally lead into Hans Zimmer’s captivating main soundtrack theme from the film Gladiator. Similarly, the juxtaposition of Chopin’s C-Sharp Minor Nocturne, Liszt’s Consolation No. 3 and the Adagio from Beethoven’s Sonata, Op. 2 No. 3 and Bach’s Air on the G String illuminates the common ground between four proudly individual composers. Romance casts fresh light on Lang Lang’s lyrical gifts, revealing the artist behind the phenomenon.
Founded in 1987 the annual Rarities of Piano Music Festival in the North German town of Husum is a major event. Danacord is proud to release the recording from the special 30th Anniversary Festival in 2016 featuring again rare piano music played by some of the leading pianists of today. Lovers of all Romantic piano music will appreciate this live recording featuring Johann Blanchard, Severin von Eckardstein, Ziata Chochieva, Martin Jones, Hubert Rukowski, Florian Noack, Joseph Moog, and more, including world-famous piano duos. As an additional note- Dacord releases live recordings of this spectacular festival each year, and all previous recordings are available as well.
Dornel: Livre De Simphonies Contenant 6 Suittes En Trio / Musica Barocca
Naxos
CD
$9.99$19.99Save 50%Jul 29, 2008
DORNEL Suites, op. 1: No. 1 in a; No. 2 in A; No. 3 in 3; No. 4 in D; No. 5 in G; No. 6 in e • Musica Barocca (period instruments) • NAXOS 8.570826 (69:06)
We know very little about the life of Louis-Antoine Dornel, who lived from 1680 until approximately 1756 or 1757 (Naxos’s tray liner gives an incorrect date of 1765 but gets it right in the insert notes). He had appointments as organist at Ste Madeleine-en-la-Cité in Paris and the abbey of Ste Geneviève, as well as music master of the Académie Française, where he was required to write an annual motet for the feast of St Louis. His motets received praise in the Mercure de France, but none of them have survived.
The six works recorded here were published as Dornel’s op. 1, entitled Livre de symphonies contenant six suittes en trio pour les flutes, violins, hautbois, & c. avec Sonate en Quatuor. Each starts with either a prelude or a two-movement overture followed by four, five, or six dance movements. Dornel’s relative obscurity compared with his more-recorded late Baroque contemporaries apparently has nothing to do with his ability as a composer. The music here is inventive and enjoyable. However, I did find it better to listen to these works in a couple of sessions rather than straight through.
Part of the reason for this “ear fatigue” can, I think, be attributed to the interpretation. Musica Barocca’s playing is not at fault; the performances are excellent. But I question the decision to entrust the two solo lines to voice flute, a type of alto recorder. Although the score mentions flutes, violins, or oboes, there is, of course, no reason why interpreters cannot choose other solo instruments. But I found the voice flute to be a bit overwhelming after listening to a couple of these works, and would have welcomed some variety. Also, judging from scores I downloaded from the Internet, it appears that some of these works had to be transposed to be played by the voice flutes; the insert notes make no mention of this fact.
The recording does not include the Sonate en quatuor that was published as part of op. 1; there was not enough room on the disc for it. However, the Sonate can be found on a disc entitled “The Sultan and the Phoenix” on Signum, which includes works by seven other French Baroque composers. This is the first complete recording of the six suittes en trio; I find only one of the suites available elsewhere on a Glossa recording. The music is worth getting to know, and the recording will provide enjoyment. But there is room for another recording using different solo instruments and with all works recorded in their original keys.
The Magma Duo took their name from one of their favorite pieces: In de magmakamer (In the magma chamber( by Reza Namavar, that was written especially for them. Although equally at home with music by Beethoven and Frank, their first album features only 20th and 21st century music, ranging from the popular Poulenc Sonata recording to recording premieres of Aleksey Igudesman’s irresistible 2nd Violin Sonata and the Namavar piece. The Magma Duo’s fiery musical temperament makes for a spellbinding album, that will engage listeners regardless of their musical tastes. In 2014, the Magma Duo won the first prize in the senior category of the “A Feast of Duos!” international competition for violin-piano duos in Sion, Switzerland. According to judges, the Magma Duo convinces through its ‘energetic playing which evokes reactions.’
Nashville-based Cristina Spinei (b. 1984) is a Latin Grammy nominated composer, who has consistently remained in high demand by choreographers, musicians, and film directors. Spinei is frequently commissioned by ensembles such as the Bohemian Trio, Denison University Orchestra, Gallim Dance, London Central School, the Metropolis Ensemble, New York Chamber Music Festival, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, to name a few. The works on this release were all composed for dance, and include four string quartets, a duet for cello and percussion, and a piece for string orchestra. All of the pieces pulse with rhythmic energy and convey the American minimalist tradition. On the piece “Bootleg Sugar Lips,” which is included in this album, one reviewer writes: “[Bootleg Sugar Lips] was solidly minimalist in its aesthetic with a keen sense of large-scale form… Spinei was effective in creating enticing patterns and then drawing attention to a particular part, thereby creating a sense of large-scale melody and individual voices within a full texture…” (David Pearson of I Care if You Listen)
Vol.2 in the Toccata Classics cycle of the complete string quartets of Matthews (b. 1943). The American critic Reilly described the music on Volume One as ‘some of the most concentrated, penetrating writing for this medium in the past 30 years or more. It is musical thinking of the highest order and quartet writing in the great tradition of Beethoven, Bartok, Britten, and Tippett’.
J.S. & C.P.E. Bach: Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord (Transcribed for Cello)
Avie Records
CD
$9.99$19.99Save 50%Mar 01, 2015
The Brook Street Band has easily earned its reputation as “the smartest new baroque band around” (The Times, London). Among today’s most notable Handel specialists, the group’s founder, cellist Tatty Theo, and harpsichordist, Carolyn Gibley, turn their attention for only the second time to the music of J.S. Bach as well as his son Carl Philip Emmanuel. Like father, like son, each wrote three Sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord. These works have long been a valued part of the cello repertoire, but this recording is the first to make use of a regular four-string baroque cello.
