The recipient of important awards and prizes, Charlotte Mattax Moersch first gained critical attention as a top prize-winner in 1980 and 1983 at the International Harpsichord Competitions of Bruges and Paris. She was honored with a Solo Recitalist Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and a Woolley Scholarship for study in Paris. Professor Mattax Moersch studied with Gustav Leonhardt at the Sweelinck Conservatory, Bob van Asperen at the Hague Conservatory, and Kenneth Gilbert in Paris. Charlotte Mattax Moersch has performed on harpsichord at concerts and music festivals worldwide.

A specialist in 17th-century French music, she is the author of the book, Accompaniment on Theorbo and Harpsichord: Denis Delair’s Traité of 1690, published by Indiana University Press.

Rarely heard French baroque composer Pierre Février (1696–1760) was also an organist and harpsichordist. Février lived in Paris and served as organist at two churches on the Saint-Honoré street: the Jacobins' church and Saint Roch. He composed two volumes of harpsichord pieces the first of which is dated 1734 and contains five suites in the elegant and individual keyboard style of the French Baroque.

CONCERTO FOR GUITAR AND ORCHES

STRING QUARTET NO. 4 STRING Q

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Includes work(s) by Carl Stamitz. Conductor: Drostan Hall.

A great introduction to Shchedrin's piano music.

Two of Rodion Shchedrin's works are entitled Concerto cantabile and Concerto sotto voce. These two epithets - sotto voce and cantabile - can be applied to much of his output. He produced bright, brilliant pieces (like the justly famous Carmen-Suite ballet), or works full of daring, rough folk humor (like the popular Concerto for Orchestra Naughty Limericks). Still, the core of Shchedrin's music is dark-hued, philosophic, often religious, always thoughtful. The spiritual closeness to Bach is evident, and not only in the abundance of old-fashioned polyphony. Probably the most successful of the Soviet composers that emerged in the Fifties under the shadow of Shostakovich, Shchedrin is the one with his face turned to the past. Not technically: he knows and uses all the atonal - polytonal - dodecaphonic - aleatoric - you name it - brushes. His music rarely grips you from the first measure: it requires submergence and listening. But when you are in - you are in. And you can be sure that the experience won't leave you with disappointing emptiness: those simple, sparse, seemingly tuneless constructs are genuine, deep music. It is strange. It is Art.
 
More and more of Shchedrin's music is recorded in the West, but these are mostly concertos and choral works of the latest years. The more welcome is then the all-Shchedrin piano recital of pieces from his first creative period, presented so sympathetically by Marina Lomazov.
 
I can't say that I completely understand the logic of the Piano Sonata of 1962. The second and third movements hold very naturally together - the second is a dim, deep abyss, the third a devilish toccata, burning like black fire. Preceding these two goes a much lighter Allegro da Sonata, like an echo of Petrushka's Shrovetide Fair. It is attached, but does not seem to belong.
 
The ten preludes from The Polyphonic Notebook (1972, the latest composition on this disc) are very interesting and rewarding. I wish all 25 were recorded, but even the present torso is a wonderful sequence, full of delicacy and balance. This is one of Shchedrin's Bachianas. The texture is sparse - listen to the lower voices!
 
The earliest composition - Poem of 1954 - could be a page from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. The Humoresque, similarly, may evoke Prokofiev in his more angular self. Yet its voice is not derivative, and the piece is funny and memorable. A la Albéniz is a cold-smoke tango, with enough big pauses for glances, yes and nos, and other decisions. Together, these three miniatures show how multi-faced Shchedrin's muse can be.
 
The four pieces arranged from The Hump-backed Horse ballet bring to the front another big love of the composer: the Russian folk culture. The music is very sincere and innocent, which suits well the fairytale subject of the ballet.
 
Finally comes my favorite: Two Polyphonic Pieces. The Invention is hypnotic. As it is often with Shchedrin, you cannot pinpoint exactly where the “musical experience” is coming from. It's like plain pieces of mosaic summing up into a picture. Basso Ostinato is another virtuosic toccata, a veritable tour de force, completely enthralling. There are torrents of energy, like armies clashing in the night, order and chaos in search of a resolution.
 
Marina Lomazov is a perfect performer for this music. She never "overcooks" it; everything that needs to be dry stays dry. Yet there is all the required energy, and maybe even more. Lomazov plays with ultimate precision, but the result is not mechanical: it is human, personal and soulful, even in the most abstract constructs. There is this "transparent virtuosity" that does not expose itself glamorously, but works for the good of the music. And she does wonders with the rhythm. I wish she considered recording Prokofiev's Sonatas.
 
The recording quality is very satisfactory. The liner-notes are not especially generous. Still there is enough information about the works, the composer and the performer. This disc gives a good overview of Shchedrin's directions in his earlier years, and the selections from the Polyphonic Notebook are a real teaser. It is a multi-character program, recital-like, with changing moods and styles, not a unified album. It is a great introduction to Shchedrin's piano music. It is also a great introduction to a very fine pianist, Marina Lomazov.
 
-- Oleg Ledeniov, MusicWeb International

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RAGTIME CLASSICS 1901–1919 • Brian Dykstra (pn) • CENTAUR 3340 (68:00)


JOPLIN Gladiolus Rag. The Chrysanthemum—An Afro-American Intermezzo. Bethena—A Concert Waltz. Peacherine Rag. Solace—A Mexican Seranade. The Entertainer. LAMB Top Liner Rag. SCOTT Grace and Beauty. TURPIN The St. Louis Rag. JOPLIN/HAYDEN Sun Flower Slow Drag. WOODS Slippery Elm Rag. COOKE Blame It on the Blues. JOHNSON Dill Pickles. AUFDERHEIDE The Thriller!


I interviewed pianist/composer Brian Dykstra in Fanfare 35:6, at which time two CDs featuring his concert rags were very favorably received by Lynn René Bayley, Barry Brenesal, and yours truly. This time around, he’s chosen to bring us some of his favorite classic rags rather than his own novel creations. These include such Joplin staples as The Entertainer, Solace, Peacherine Rag, Gladiolus Rag, and Bethena—A Concert Waltz . The program also features works by composers whom fame has passed by, such as Charles L. Cooke, Charles L. Johnson, and May Aufderheide (according to Dykstra one of many women ragtime composers). Cooke’s catchy Blame it on the Blues sounds quite happy for a song with “blues” in the title and Johnson’s Dill Pickles is more likely to make you caper with frolicsome abandon than pucker you lips with vinegar. Apparently it owes its comical name to chance: Johnson, who worked for the Carl Hoffman Music Company, was stuck for a title when he noticed a fellow employee carrying a box of dill pickles, eh voilà! Aufderheide’s The Thriller! is full of sass and bounce: Dykstra doesn’t hold back on the dynamics in the “thrilling” last measures. There are also pieces by the “other” famous ragtime composers, James Scott and Joseph Lamb. Lamb’s Ragtime Nightingale ’s opening left-hand pattern reminds Dykstra of Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude but, title to the contrary, he doesn’t feel that the music contains any particularly bird-like figurations, so he’s added a lengthy trill to make amends. Looked at from Lamb’s perspective, it’s possible that the composer thought that some of the lighter, “tinkly” bits preceding the trill might suggest the nightingale’s song.


Dykstra’s tempos are sometimes faster than those to which I’ve grown accustomed. I’ve loved Solace since I heard it in The Sting , played, I believe, by Marvin Hamlisch. His languid, dreamy performance made the most of the tango rhythm and brought out more of the music’s wistful melancholy. I prefer his version to Dykstra’s more straight-ahead approach, but it’s interesting to hear a contrasting point of view. Joshua Rifkin (you can hear him on YouTube if you don’t have the original recording to hand) is likewise on the slow side (sometimes too slow for my taste). Of course, Rifkin’s landmark recordings were notable for their slow tempos, which honored Joplin’s oft-quoted advice to “Never play ragtime fast at any time.” A comparison of the two pianists in The Entertainer is also revealing, with Rifkin substantially slower than Dykstra. Rifkin, of course, enjoys iconic status as one of the prime movers of the ragtime revival of the 1960s, but there’s a lot to be said for Dykstra’s spritely playing. Also, he’s either added substantial variants of his own or is playing from an edition I haven’t encountered: This alone makes him worth hearing. Add in that this enjoyable program is garnished with rarities to whet a connoisseur’s palate and it’s plain that it deserves a place in any ragtime collection.


FANFARE: Robert Schulslaper

This album is the first volume in the Centaur Steven Staryk Retrospective. Staryk is former concermaster of the London Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, Chicago Symphony, and Toronto Symphony.

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Souvenirs: Chamber Music for Horn, Flute and Piano by Peter Green

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Centaur presents StAr Splendours, a wonderful new release with a memorable proram for Marimba.

THE BACH FAMILY ALBUM • Aulos Ens (period instruments) • CENTAUR 3068 (63:43)

J. C. BACH Quintet in D, op.22. J. S. BACH Aria, BWV 988; Minuets: BWV Anh.114 & 115; Polonaises: BWV Anh.123 & 125; Musette, BWV Anh.126. C. P. E. BACH Trio Sonata in G, Wq 144; Oboe Sonata in g, Wq 135. J. C. F. BACH Trio in c



"Founded in 1973, the Aulos Ensemble is one of America’s oldest period-instrument chamber groups, if not the oldest. The same five musicians have been with the group since the beginning: Christopher Krueger, Baroque flute; Marc Schachman, Baroque oboe; Linda Quan, Baroque violin; Myron Lutzke, Baroque cello; and Arthur Haas, harpsichord. Their Bach Family Album contains an imaginative selection—rather than programming major works of Old Bach, they have decided to include several short excerpts from the Clavier-Büchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach , arranged to suit the personnel. The famous Aria that begins the Goldberg Variations , for example, is presented here as a cello solo, expressively played by Myron Lutzke. All the other numbers are performed en symphonie with each member given a solo turn.


The bulk of the program is entrusted to three of the Bach sons, including one you don’t hear much about: Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732–95), the so-called “Bückeburg Bach” and the oldest surviving son of Anna Magdalena. His trio for harpsichord, flute, and oboe is a vigorous but ultimately lightweight affair firmly planted in the late galant style. The writing pairs flute and oboe, often in thirds, against solo harpsichord. The Bach son conspicuous by his absence on the program is Wilhelm Friedemann; I would have gladly traded the Friedrich Bach trio for anything by Friedemann.


Johann Christian Bach’s quintet is a bit more substantial; it has been recorded at least once before on period instruments, by members of the English Concert and Trevor Pinnock in the late 80s. The work’s instrumentation is tailor-made for the Aulos Ensemble and they do it justice.


In the 18th century, the term “trio sonata” meant basically any work written for two instruments and basso continuo; the choice of melody instruments was often left to the performers. For its performance of the Emanuel Bach trio sonata, the Aulos Ensemble has chosen flute and violin for the upper parts, and the two instruments offset each other quite nicely. The performance is all one could wish for: idiomatic and expressive.


I am especially gratified to see that Marc Schachman was granted a solo spot on the CD. He is widely regarded as one of the leading Baroque oboists, but there are precious few examples of his playing on disc. His performance of the Emanuel Bach oboe sonata is authoritative and filled with delicious sounds.


The recorded sound is generally good, with excellent balance between the instruments. The rich-sounding harpsichord is given prominence when called for, as in the Christian Bach quintet. Recommended."


FANFARE: Christopher Brodersen

ANTON RUBINSTEIN Grigorios Zamparas, piano; Philharmonia Bulgarica/Jon Ceander Mitchell. ANTON RUBINSTEIN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in G major, Op. 45; PianoConcerto No. 4 in D minor, Op. 70.

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In Bach’s time, the lautenwreck, or lute-harpsichord, was a very popular instrument. It has a much more mellow sound than a modern harpsichord and Bach himself was quite fond of the instrument. John Paul has made numerous recordings with the lautenwerk and hearing Bach’s music played by Paul is exuberating.

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