Transfigured Mozart - Transcriptions By Reger, Etc / Malan
Haenssler Classic
CD
$5.99Mar 01, 2006
When Mozart died, he was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave. Had he lived, he might well have regained the commercial success and public acclaim he enjoyed in the early 1780s, for no sooner had he passed, his fame rose like a meteor. In the 19th century, Mozart's popularity eclipsed that of nearly all other 18th-century composers. This recording is about the perception of Mozart after his death. The transcriptions and free fantasies that Petronel Malan has selected trace Mozart reincarnated - transfigured - through the ears, technique, and compositional gifts of seven composers. Chronologically, they range from Hummel, a Mozart pupil, to Friedman, a 20th-century keyboard virtuoso who survived World War II. Stylistically the range is equally wide.
Petronel Malan - South African pianist Petronel Malan now makes her home in the United States. Her debut recording with hänssler classic, "Transfigured Bach: The Complete Bach Transcriptions of Bartok, Lipatti and Friedman," was nominated for three Grammy® awards, including "Best Instrumental Solo Album 2004." This album is her second recording in a series with hänssler Classic. As a Blüthner Artist, Ms. Malan uses Blüthner pianos exclusively for her recordings.
Helene Schuetz writes of this new release: “The inspiration for this recording and the choice of works came from the Gigue that ends J.S. Bach’s Partita in B flat major. When I first heard it in concert I knew immediately that this composition would work wonderfully for the harp. With the Gigue as my starting point, I began to arrange the Partita for harp. Of course, the instrument does have other tonal qualities than the piano – and, like any instrument, it has its technical limits when it comes to performance practice. When it comes to chromaticism, the mechanics of the harp are more limited than those of the piano, and one only has eight rather than ten fingers to play with. But it was precisely that challenge that fascinated me in the process of arranging the works: you first need to have a clear idea of the work's intention and to have formed your own view of its interpretation. The task then is to find ways and means to develop one's ideas and perhaps to achieve an even clearer interpretation than would have been possible on the original instrument. In this way, arranging the work for another instrument intensifies the performance, because the use of a new instrument allows other, new facets in the compositions to be illustrated and new tonal nuances achieved…”
Schubert: 4 Impromptus, Op. 90, D. 899 - 3 Klavierstücke, D.
Haenssler Classic
CD
$20.99Jul 21, 2017
His love for the works of Schubert led Ammiel Bushakevitz to the Art Song. He received mentorship in this field from notable singers including the late Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Thomas Quasthoff, Elly Ameling, Thomas Hampson, Matthias Goerne, Teresa Berganza and Brigitte Fassbaender. Born in Jerusalem, Israel and raised in South Africa, Ammiel Bushakevitz developed a special affinity for the music of Franz Schubert from an early age. He is a laureate of the International Franz Schubert Competition Dortmund and is a recipient of the International Schubert Institute Award in Vienna. Ammiel Bushkavitz performs regularly at notable venues across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. Festival appearances include the festivals of Salzburg, Lucerne and Bayreuth, the Festival d'automne a Paris, the Festival Pontino di Latina in Italy, the Jerusalem Schubertiade, the Vancouver Chamber Music Series and the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence.
Florian Uhlig has often played the concerto under the direction of Penderecki as well as with other conductors throughout the world. Uhlig gives an exceptional interpretation of this successful contemporary work that is particularly close to his heart.
Fey’s interpretations of Haydn’s symphonies rank among the best in international critical acclaim. This 20th installment with the Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra balances historical performance practice while using modern strings and historical brass instruments.
This fifth and final CD in her “transfigured” series finds the South African born, New York based pianist Petronel Malan dedicating herself to works of Johannes Brahms as transformed by such figures as Lowell Liebermann, Eduard Schütt and the immortal Ignaz Friedman. Ludwig Stark’s modification of Brahms’s Haydn variations Op 56a here receives its world-premiere recording. Lauded as an unmistakably creative force in the classical music industry, Ms. Malan is a thrice-nominated Grammy® artist, including “Best Instrumental Solo Album” for her debut disc Transfigured Bach.
Bach: Flauto traverso obbligato / Graf, Rilling, Stuttgart Bach Collegium
Haenssler Classic
CD
$24.99Feb 08, 2019
The flute solos from the Bach cantatas require great performers. Some 300 years after they were premiered, the Bach Collegium Stuttgart and Hänssler Classic are pleased to celebrate Peter-Lukas Graf, one of their most eminent soloists! Our selection presents them in what we hope is a pleasing, varied manner and concentrates on bringing out a wide color palette: in addition to the well-known trio sonata form (i.e. two instruments and continuo), the listener will also find pieces associating the flute with another instrument (or more) - such as a second flute, one or two oboi d’amore, a violin sometimes playing in unison - or works in which the flute is accompanied by the full string section, and four choruses from four different cantatas, each with a concertante flute part.
This compilation features compositions, studies and fragments in various arrangements and at various levels of development, pieces that not only represent Bruckner’s course of study but also anticipate his future impact as a symphonist and reformer of musical idiom. So, just as a few pencil strokes outlining the architectural design of a magnificent building may give a more vivid impression than the final realisation of the design, the compositions from the study book may seem more vivid to us than the great symphony. They are a world unto themselves. Bruckner’s piano works (the compositions and sketches from the study book and the published works) occupy, at best, a marginal position in the eyes of the concert world, performers, listeners and organisers. Their rich substance is yet to be duly acknowledged, for these small-scale works are the fascinating building-blocks of great music. The school with which the composer allied himself through his study with connoisseurs of revolutionary musical initiatives (notably Otto Kitzler) has here been embraced by the genius to full effect.
• Mostly premiere recordings of Baroque Recorder Sonatas from the collection of Viceroy of Naples
• The greatest discovery of the collection is certainly the sonata by Adolf Hasse, then Europe's leading opera composer
• These works are among the highlights of late Baroque music
Founded in 1998 with members from the world-famous Gachinger Kantorei, Stuttgart's celebrated men's choir "Die Meistersinger" have devoted themselves to rescuing the rich repository of 19th century works for male voices from obscurity. The "Mannerchor" has a distinguished history throughout the Germanic lands, often serving the community with multiple functions such as a social club, political forum or an ad hoc auxiliary to professional guilds. In keeping with the spirit of the season, "Die Meistersinger" return to offer their perfect blend of voices and rich, goldenhued sound in a program of Christmas favorites.
A program of Serenades and Symphonies from Mozart's Salzburg period has been chosen for this latest henssler CLASSIC'S release. His Salzburg years being centered on orchestral music, this is, altogether, a delightful sampling of some of Mozart's most extrovert and joyous music!
