Johann Kaspar Mertz’s duets are unusual for combining a guitar with normal string length and tuning and a smaller instrument with higher tuning, the terz guitar. The rare chemistry of the two instruments reaches high degrees of virtuosity in The Rage but it is Mertz’s colourful depiction of scenes and moods, as in the impressionistic Boat Trip on the Traunsee, the Schubertian Serenade and the atmospheric Going to Vespers which commands our attention. The three elegiac Funeral Laments are amongst Mertz’s finest and most expressive pieces.

With their often turbulent and dark-hued openings, poignant slow movements, elfin Scherzos reminiscent of the music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and tense, thrilling last movements of perpetual motion, Mendelssohn’s String Quartets are works of considerable emotional range and mastery of form. This first disc of the complete String Quartets ranges from the youthful No. 1, Op. 12 (actually the second of the published quartets) to the great, tragic String Quartet No. 6, Op. 80, Mendelssohn’s last major work, composed after the death of his sister.

Christian Ferras, Vol. 1 (Live)

If you enjoy fluent, finely crafted classical period symphonies then this well-played, well-recorded disc is for you. Kozeluch was one of a constellation of Czech symphonies active in eighteenth-century Vienna. His Bohemian roots show in his music’s innate tunefulness, as well as his free use of woodwind instruments. The only thing lacking is that flash of genius, those moments of the unexpected that make Haydn so memorable.

The four works here are nicely varied. The Symphony in C major (No. 6) includes trumpets and timpani. That in G minor has three movements; all of the others have four. Two works, the D major and C major symphonies, begin with impressive slow introductions. Development sections are fully worked out, and the slow movements really sing. Marek Stilic leads lively, smartly paced performances, and gets fine playing from the ensemble. This is music well worth getting to know, and I look forward to further releases in the series.

– ClassicsToday (David Hurwitz)

Shostakovich Performs, Vol. 1: Piano Quintet, Trio & Solos

Classical Music

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BLISS: Oboe Quintet / Piano Quartet / Viola Sonata

Madrid-based Trío Arbós offers a compellingly performed survey of Joaquin Turina's four piano trios, works that document the evolution of his singular style, which was grounded in French models but with increasing and brilliantly effective use of traditional Spanish idioms. Turina composed the F major trio (here recorded for the first time) in 1904 during his years of study in Paris, and it reflects the influence of César Franck transmitted through the tutelage of Vincent d'Indy. A stern and declamatory first movement introduction leads to an Allegro of a kinder but no less dramatic countenance. The Andante's deeply somber mood (with its stirring central section, wonderfully rendered by Arbós) is effectively whisked away by the brightly dancing scherzo in 5/4, while the grandiose Finale employs Franck's cyclic principle of restating all the work's main themes before drawing to an emphatic close.

Turina's Trio No. 1 (1926) and Trio No. 2 (1933) reflect his immersion in the music of Debussy (whose evocative style he seamlessly melded into his own), while the "fantasy trio" Círculo (1936) contains Turina's most overtly Spanish music--nowhere more so than the Mediodía (midday) movement, with its shifting moods of dancing gaiety and contemplation. The Arbós players capture and relay these elements with stunning fidelity, and overall their performance, rich in native color and rhythmic intensity, surpasses the Beckova Trio's recent recording on Chandos. Indeed, the Arbós' emotional authenticity in all four works reflects its profound identification with Turina's style. Only Naxos' bright and somewhat harsh recording is less than ideal (especially when compared with the warmer, fuller sound on Chandos); but this need not prevent anyone from enjoying this remarkable collection.
--Victor Carr Jr., ClassicsToday.com

I wish I could give this disc the highest rating for overall artistic quality, because the performance of Belshazzar's Feast is simply spectacular, but unfortunately other equally fine performances come with more interesting couplings, and even with the two marches this release still offers less than 50 minutes of music. Make no mistake, though, if you care about the major work, then you will want to hear what Paul Daniel and his combined forces do with it. In particular, it's terrific to hear the piece sung by a really large, enthusiastic English chorus of the "festival" variety--the sort of forces that Walton composed it for in the first place. The very opening invocation ("Thus spake Isaiah") has a very different, weightier sound than usual when sung by such a crowd--greater amplitude and richness--but the words remain remarkably clear throughout.


Here's the bottom line: after the comparatively quiet and mournful first 10 minutes, Daniel basically lines up this huge mass of voices and they proceed to scream their collective guts out--and let's face it, what more would you want in this loudest and most energetic of choral works? The enthusiasm and sense of occasion is palpable, and it extends to the work of the orchestra, which renders such moments as the "Praise ye" episode with incomparable vividness from the brass and percussion. Once the piece gets hopping ("In Babylon, Belshazzar the king made a great feast") there's simply no looking back. Granted, the "Joyful noise" at the very end might pass by in a bit of a blur at this tempo, but then it nearly always does, and the Naxos recording is pretty terrific in just about every respect, capturing both an unusual amount of orchestral detail while offering the palpable impression of vast choral forces in a large space.


Baritone Christopher Purves isn't the most smooth-voiced of soloists, but he gets the job done with aplomb, and the two marches (recorded way back in 1996) are effective but obviously are there for lack of anything better. Still, at budget price you won't find a snazzier Belshazzar, and for sheer "pedal to the metal" panache, this one has them all beat. If you want perfect choral discipline you may want to look elsewhere, but for a genuine musical hubbub in the best sense, look no further.
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music

This series of DVDs features travel scenes accompanied by classical music.

The Places

Scenes from Moscow and the Golden Ring, the cluster of historic towns to the north-east of the city, including Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov and Zagorsk, show the historic heart of Russia in Winter and Summer.

The Music

The music here included ranges from folk-song and extracts from the Russian Orthodox liturgy to works by Russian nationalist composers of the later nineteenth century, including Balakirev, Arensky and the more cosmopolitan Tchaikovsky.

This series of DVDs features travel scenes accompanied by classical music.

The Places

We explore the streets, palaces and parks of Madrid, the capital of Castile and of Spain, before turning south to La Mancha, the country of the immortal Don Quixote, and to Toledo, the home of Cervantes and of the great painter known as El Greco.

The Music

The music of Spain held an exotic attraction for composers from other lands. The Russians Glinka and Rimsky-Korsakov found inspiration here, as did the French composers Lalo, Massenet and Ravel, who claimed Basque descent on his mother's side, and Bizet, whose opera Carmen is imbued with the spirit of the country. Spain provided Verdi with a narrative source, and another Italian, the demon violinist Paganini, was equally a master of the quintessential Spanish instrument, the guitar.

This series of DVDs features travel scenes accompanied by classical music.

The Places
The tour of London takes us to the best known parts of the British capital, with views of the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Hampton Court and down river to Greenwich.

The Music
The music for this tour of London is taken from the last two of Joseph Haydn's twelve London Symphonies, the last such works that he would write, composed specially for a series of concerts he gave in London in the 1790s, during two extended visits.

Picture format: NTSC 4:3
Sound format: Dolby Digital / DTS Surround
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Running time: 60 mins
No. of DVDs: 1

Classical Music

This series of DVDs features travel scenes accompanied by classical music.

The Places

St Petersburg, the former Russian capital, established in 1712 by Peter the Great, represented an era of modernisation. Built around the River Neva, which flows into the seas of the Gulf of Finland, its palaces, streets and parks, reflect the age of its construction and wider European influences to which the Tsar sought to direct his country.

The Music

The composers whose music is here included, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui, Liadov and Ippolitov-Ivanov, were themselves closely associated with Russian music of the later nineteenth century and, inevitably, with St Petersburg and its Conservatory.

Johann Rosenmüller was one of the mos ttalented and prolific young composers in Germany: he was organist at Leipzig's Nikolaikirche and all-but-assured the upcoming Thomakantor position, when in 1655 he was arrested due to a sex scandal. Rosenmüller escaped from prison and fled to Venice, where he spent mos tof the rest of his life, performing at Saint Mark's Cathedral and teaching at the Ospedale della Pieta. This recording presents music from the time of Rosenmüller's exile in Italy, and alternates large-ensemble chamber sonatas published in Venice in 1670 with the first recordings of unpublished bass cantatas - featuring the outstanding young baritone Jesse Blumberg - which ACRONYM has freshly transcribed from a manuscript collection.

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ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) releases a recording documenting its close and longstanding relationship with Brazilian born composer Marcos Balter on its own in-house recording label, TUNDRA. Balter and ICE first began collaborating when Balter was on faculty and ICE was in residence at Chicago's Columbia College, and the fruitful relationship has continued to the present day, chronicling Balter's unique trajectory as a voracious and eclectic artist.

VIEUXTEMPS: Viola and Piano Music

Composer, conductor and organist Gabriel Pierné wrote in a wide variety of genres, from operator pieces for solo piano. His orchestral music for the stage shows the utmost refinement and clarity as well as wit and charm in the finest French tradition. His colorful and evocative score for Ramuntcho is rich in Basque flavor with zortzico dance rhythms and village dances, all beautifully textured. Set in the 18th century, the ballet Cydalise et le Chèvre-pied reveals the full range of his inventive scoring, which remains chamber music-like in its finesse.

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5 PIANO SONATAS

Pianist Sviatoslav Richter and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich were among Prokofiev's friends during the last years of his life. They inspired the composer to continue his work and he, in turn, dedicated his 1947 Ninth Piano Sonata to Richter. For Rostropovich he wrote an amazing group of late works, among which was the Sonata for Cello and Piano. Both the Ninth Piano Sonata and the C Major Cello Sonata are considered masterpieces, finding Prokofiev at the height of his powers. The two Sonatinas, Op. 54 are delightful miniature Sonatas, each lasting less than 10 minutes. The two illustrious artists featured on this disc, Donohoe and Wallfisch, partner each other affectionately and in perfect harmony in this recording.