STRING QUARTETS

Violin Recital: Ricci, Ruggiero - BACH, J.S. / MATTHESON / P

BELLINI, V.: Operas (Complete)

COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS

Tchaikovsky: Oprichnik

The award-winning duo of flautist Silvia Schiaffino and guitarist Renato Procopio present a musical travelogue ranging from Western to Eastern Europe before journeying further afield to Japan, Iran and Korea. As well as masterpieces such as Bartok's Romanian Folk Dances, and a rip-roaring Monti Csardas, this evocative selection includes the colourful and piquant, such as the music of Sakura, as well as Procopio's own vibrant arrangement of Korean folk songs.

Dvořák’s chamber music is amongst the most extensive and significant of the 19th century, and the four surviving piano trios embody his command of the form. The first two were written in rapid succession, with No. 1 in B flat major marrying Schubertian lyricism with Slavic inflexions, serenity with joy. No. 2 in G minor is rather more classically conceived, though it shares the same formal structure as No. 1 and exudes a similar quotient of lyric beauty.

Historical Collection: Performers: Boris Christoff (Bass); Alfredo Kraus (Tenor); Renata Scotto (Soprano) This classical-themed box set presents three archival performances by a trio of opera giants. It begins with Boris Christoff, toplining the 1976 Lugano Recital, with performances of Mozart, Rossini, Verdi and Mussorgsky. The Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana lends symphonic accompaniment with Bruno Amaducci conducting. Next up is a 1995 set performed by Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas; it features performances of Cilea, Mascagni, Offenbach, Puccini, Verdi, Massenet and others. The Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria provides musical support under the baton of Jose Collado. Finally, in a performance held and filmed at the 1984 Tokyo Recital, Renata Scotto interprets pieces by Scarlatti, Respighi, Mascagni and others, while Thomas Fulton accompanies the performances on piano.

Ottorino Respighi's 'mystery in three episodes', Maria egiziaca, started out as a concert triptych. It's intensely dramatic and at times symphonic qualities give it a character somewhere between an oratorio and an opera. Based on the life of Saint Mary of Egypt, the archaic story of Maria egiziaca revolves around faith seen through it's various characters, with Maria's journey from prostitution to sainthood conveyed as an expressive and eloquently immediate musical fresco. This Teatro La Fenice production of Respighi's profoundly moving and deeply sensuous stage work was critically acclaimed.

The sumptuous music of Giovanni Paolo Colonna is brought to life in this concert to honour Bologna's patron saint at the Chapel of St Petronio Basilica - the very place in which this great musician was organist and chapel master in the mid-17th century. The works in this programme are rarely heard due to their grandiose proportions and virtuoso demands in performance. They include the colossal Dixit Dominus for two choirs, trumpet fanfare and strings, as well as the dazzling Beatus vir, possibly the earliest ever example of a concerto grosso.

Ottorino Respighi's 'mystery in three episodes', Maria egiziaca, started out as a concert triptych. It's intensely dramatic and at times symphonic qualities give it a character somewhere between an oratorio and an opera. Based on the life of Saint Mary of Egypt, the archaic story of Maria egiziaca revolves around faith seen through it's various characters, with Maria's journey from prostitution to sainthood conveyed as an expressive and eloquently immediate musical fresco. This Teatro La Fenice production of Respighi's profoundly moving and deeply sensuous stage work was critically acclaimed.

Max Reger is best known for vast, abstract keyboard works in fugue and variation form. But alongside these masterful constructions his creativity also turned to more introspective album pages that reveal an entirely different side to his character. The influence of Schumann can be found in the first of his Improvisationen alongside echoes of Brahms and Chopin in the Six Morceaux. We also encounter rhapsodic miniatures from Aus meinem Tagebuch and the popular Maria-Wiegenlied, with the late collection Tr�ume am Kamin appearing as a self-confessional summary of Reger's career and style.

A century after it's world premiere at Teatro all Scala under Arturo Toscanini, conductor Francesco Cilluffo opened the 2024 season of the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari with this acclaimed production of Arrigo Boito's rarely performed Nerone. Set in Rome and focusing on Nero during a time of conflict between belief in Roman Gods and Christianity, Boito's opera displays a forward-looking harmonic palette with an eloquent and masterly handling of large orchestral forces.

A century after it's world premiere at Teatro all Scala under Arturo Toscanini, conductor Francesco Cilluffo opened the 2024 season of the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari with this acclaimed production of Arrigo Boito's rarely performed Nerone. Set in Rome and focusing on Nero during a time of conflict between belief in Roman Gods and Christianity, Boito's opera displays a forward-looking harmonic palette with an eloquent and masterly handling of large orchestral forces.

Each country in South America has over the centuries produced varied popular traditions and distinctive dance rhythms. These include the vivacious and zestful Brazilian choro, as well as the Argentinian tango, of which we hear an example from 'the father of the tango', angel Villoldo. French composer Roland Dyens contributes Bresils, his refined tribute to the musical landscape of Brazil. The Guitalian Quartet have arranged Arturo Marquez's popular Danzon No. 2 along with several other vibrant and evocative pieces from Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.