Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Mozart's works for piano for four hands were written mostly to use for private playing with his sister Nannerl or gifted students. They focus on the fun and joy of playing, which is expressed, for example, in witty musical jokes. Patrick Ayrton and Wolfgang Gl�xam ensure that the irrepressible joy of making music is also present on this recording. The English harpsichordist, Patrick Ayrton, has always had a passion for keyboard instruments, first the piano, then the organ and the harpsichord. He started his musical studies in Switzerland with Francois Demierre. He then studied the organ and church music with Alfred Mitterhofer at the Academy of Music and Figurative Arts in Vienna where he graduated "cum laude". The Austrian harpsichordist, Wolfgang Gl�xam, studied organ playing with Alfred Mitterhofer at the Hochschule f�r Musik in Vienna, as well as harpsichord with Ton Koopman at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. 1979 and 1980 he was winner at the international competitions in Brugge/Belgium and Nijmegen/Holland.

Don't be put off by those who opine that these piano sonatas are less interesting than some other Mozart compositions; they are wonderful compositions in their own right and were frequently performed by Mozart himself! I'm delighted to be playing this selection of Mozart's piano sonatas from what was the golden period of the fortepiano. In a letter to his father dated 1777, Mozart declared his enthusiasm for a new Stein piano that he had tried out, a development of the instrument he was used to. About 1782 Mozart bought a piano by Gabriel Anton Walter on which the majority of these keyboard works were probably composed and performed. However, the modern concert grand piano speaks and sings and dances - it's arts of voicing, pedalling, accentuation and touch all combine to add an extra dimension to the performance, which I believe Mozart would have loved! Mozart had a mischievous sense of humour, but he also had contact with something sublime, outside this world, and both sides of his character are combined to give the sonatas their special appeal. I agree with others who have said that Mozart really catches fire in the K.300s and produced his most troubled, alarming and even dangerous music during black moods, as illustrated by the forceful, angst-ridden A minor Sonata, K.310. In stark contrast, he brings grace and poise to the contemplative slow movements and sprightly mischief to the brilliant passages in all the sonatas on this recording. I've always thought that the glory of Mozart's music comes from being performed and enjoyed, being felt, not studied. I do hope you will enjoy listening to these sonatas with me! [Virginia Black]

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Tomas Cotik, violin and Tao Lin, piano, continue their series of recordings for Centaur with this new release. Their Schubert recordings have been released to great acclaim. Here they brilliantly perform the complete Mozart Sonatas for Violin and Piano. Hailed by Michael Tilson Thomas as “an excellent violinist,” Tomas Cotik is internationally recognized as a soloist, chamber musician, and professor. A much sought-after recording artist, Dr. Cotik is currently involved in more than fourteen album recordings for Naxos and Centaur records, which have received over a hundred reviews and the highest praises from some of the best-known publications. Committed to passing on his passion for music, Dr. Cotik taught at the University of Miami, Florida International University, and West Texas A&M University. He was appointed assistant professor of Violin at Portland State University in 2016. Described by critics as possessing “Keen musical intelligence and excellent facility” (Miami Herald) as well as “opulent and romantic tone” (Fanfare), Chinese-American concert pianist and Steinway artist Tao Lin has performed in Asia, North America, and Europe. A versatile musician, he is equally at home as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.

This new release takes much recorded idea (Mozart’s Sonatas) and presents it in a whole new way. Three of these Sonatas by Mozart were arranged for Flute & Piano by Ludwig Wenzel Lachnith (1748-1820). The fourth is a a sonata by Mozart arranged for flute and piano by Yoav Talmi. These works all work beautifully in this form. Flutist Erella Talmi was born in 1942 in Tiberias, Israel. She received her diploma in Flute performance from the Juilliard School of Music in New York. She has performed in many high-profile orchestras, including the Louisville Orchestra, the Kentucky Opera Louisville, and the Israel Chamber Orchestra, Tel Aviv. Since 1992 she has served as the music director for the “Tones and Colors” series in Tel Aviv. She is the wife of Yoav Talmi, who has arranged the fourth Sonata on this release.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Ben Kim writes: "I've long been interested in using the modern piano to mimic the unique temperament of the fortepiano, to make the notes not only sing but speak like a human voice, accentuating not only the luxuriant vowel sounds of the modern piano but also the short, staccato consonants created by the fortepiano. Mozart is master of the lyrical, but there are even more layers of dimension to be revealed by adding the percussiveness of the fortepiano, sometimes taking the modern piano off it's contemporary pedestal, and weaving the more transparent texture of it's historical sibling with the orchestra. For this recording, I had the privilege of playing with members of one of the world's most prestigious orchestras. Working with leader Michael Waterman, our hope was for the orchestra to be fully integrated, to create a whole that's greater than the sum of it's parts, soloist included. The recording was done without conductor, in a diplomatic approach more common to chamber ensembles than a 28-strong orchestra. We made musical decisions far in advance and in rehearsal set the balance so that the piano could suitably accompany the orchestra, rather than only the other way around. Removing it's lid to open up the piano, the orchestra huddled around it so that I was face-to-face with the operatic winds, bringing them to the forefront, with easy access to all string players around me. In this configuration we were able to fully relish the accompanimental and often under-prioritized middle register which so often forms the backbone of the music, contributing heavily to it's character. Taken together, this attitude of musical camaraderie was instrumental in helping us create a distinctive sound and feeling for these much-loved works."