In nineteenth-century Portugal, Italian opera was king. During this time, however, instrumentalists still emerged. Piano prodigies Jose Viana de Mota and Guilherme Daddi did considerable work to advance concert life in Portugal throughout their careers. Not only were these gentlemen outstanding pianists, they were also virtuosic composers. Their entertaining and challenging pieces helped to draw Portugal into the scene of European music-making. Performing these works is Sofia Lourenco, an outstanding pianist and educator.

The other three pieces have all received previous recordings but that doesn’t lessen the interest when they are presented as persuasively as they are here by Stanislav Khristenko. The Piano Sonata No.4 dates from 1948 and is a four-movement work of powerfully contained expression. The conjunction, in the slow movement, of both extrovert and more interior gestures is amplified by Krenek’s precise application of sonorous incident – brief but telling – amidst a generally refined tonal color. Marked con passione this is the work’s core but the Rondo offers a rather whimsical example of Krenek’s sort-of modified Boogie patterns with the Jazz references powerfully engaged. His ear for the vernacular was, after all, long practiced. The finale is a Minuet, perhaps surprisingly – perhaps that’s the point – and its variations, one or two a touch crepuscular, or withdrawn, mark a telling way to end the sonata.

The George Washington Variations, Op.120 followed two years later, the result of a commission from a wealthy Los Angeles businessman for his daughter. This genial and clever set of variations takes in the ballroom and subjects its material to deconstruction and reconstruction, as the notes suggest, with much playfulness. Washington’s Grand March is a central focus, and subject to pithy and witty examples of lightly applied atonalism, jazz-hinting rhythms and much more. Playfully ironic in places it in no way outstays its thirteen-minute length. The brief two-minute Prelude packs quite a punch for so short a piece. As Peter Tregear notes in his excellent booklet, the application of twelve-tone is accomplished here with the utmost of lyricism.

The final piece is Krenek’s completion of Schubert’s Sonata in C major, D840, which he wrote in 1921, just less than a century after Schubert had left it a torso. The first two movements had been completed as had the trio of the Menuetto and the first 272 bars of the finale. It was the pianist Eduard Erdmann, a prominent musician then and later, who encouraged Krenek to take Schubert more seriously. In time he came to understand and share Erdmann’s enthusiasm and undertook a study of the composer’s work. His completion of the sonata is a valuable sidelight to his interests at the time and also of his application of compositional process. As Krenek wrote: ‘in both unfinished movements the thematic material was completely established…so Schubert was [not] still composing by proxy, as it were, but I had only to use my knowledge of, and feeling form Schubert’s style and technique in order to supply what he might have done. I think I did a fairly creditable job.’ He noted that the finale might have been longer had Schubert actually gone through with it.

Given the quality of this inaugural volume we can look forward to the second volume with confidence.

– MusicWeb International (Jonathan Woolf)

All four works on this disc rely on existing compositions, with titles that more or less specifically refer to this fact. In the case of Rachmaninov's Corelli Variations, it is the famous theme used by Corelli in his violin sonata La Follia which undergoes a radical pianistic treatment taking it through all the sonic and atmospheric possibilities offered by the instrument. With his celebrated transcription of Bach's Chaconne, Ferruccio Busoni had a very different aim, wanting to shed new light on the work without actually changing it. As he himself wrote, Bach taught him 'to recognize the truth that good, great and universal music remains the same, regardless of whatever means through which it resounds.' A virtuoso pianist, Busoni nonetheless had recourse to great skills in writing idiomatically for the instrument, and turned his transcription into a truly pianistic work. Ravel's collection of waltzes was composed as a nod to Schubert, who in 1823 had written two collections of waltzes, the Valses nobles and Valses sentimentales. In no way is it possible to call the work a pastiche, however - in it Ravel shows the range of his musical palette, in a manner that caused Debussy to call his ear 'the most refined that has ever existed'. Finally, Stravinsky's Three movements from Petrushka is the composer's arrangement of music from his own ballet, commissioned by Arthur Rubinstein. The origin of the music to Petrushka was in fact a sketched work for piano and orchestra, and the later arrangement was therefore to an extent a return to the original concept. The result is a virtuoso piece, in which an almost percussive approach to the instrument is combined with lightning-quick changes in atmosphere and sound. Freddy Kempf has previously recorded no less than ten highly acclaimed solo discs for BIS, of which the latest also contained a series of legendary piano works, namely Mussorgsky's Pictures, Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit and Balakirev's Islamey - according to Gramophone's reviewer 'a formidable programme formidably played... This is "live" virtuosity with a vengeance, with absolutely no hint of a safety net.'

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• World premiere recordings! • For this recording, guitarist Raffaele Carpino used the first printed editions from the 19thcentury, and deliberately performed and recorded all the scored ritornellos and da capos; he also faithfully carried out all other musical directions given by Carulli."

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Listen to the Naxos Podcast to learn more about this release

We have on this disc three highly entertaining orchestral works saturated with Latin rhythms and melodic motives. The Symphony No. 3 actually casts a wider net than just “Salsa.” The performances, featuring Sierra’s home town team under the capable baton of Maximiamo Valdés, do the music proud, and the engineering is vivid.

-- ClassicsToday.com

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Each year at Christmas, Gloriæ Dei Cantores celebrates the "dawn of redeeming grace" with a traditional candlelit Service of Readings and Carols, retelling the stories of Christ's birth that stir us with memories and hopes for peace and love. Just for a time as you listen to these carols and stories, let your heart fill with gratitude for our many blessings, and with goodwill toward others. Gloriæ Dei Cantores offers this recording with a prayer that the joy of the season brings you renewed hope and a fresh sense of wonder!

Pianist Giacomo Di Tollo's New CD, Released on Andromeda, Is a Paean to Both Italian Opera of the 19th C. And to the Glorious Romantic Tradition of Piano Transcription and Virtuosity That Grew Up Simultaneously with the Technological Advancements in Piano Construction Across the Century. Mr. Di Tollo's Choice of Repertoire, Obscure Works or Otherwise, Intrigues and Delights in It's Insistence on Broadening and Deepening Our Contemporary Knowledge and Listening Enjoyment of a Nearly Lost Yet Proud and Insightful Art Form.

The John Reading Manuscripts of Dulwich College, Composer John James, John Blow, John Reading, John Barrett, Maurice Greene, Mr. Seedo, William Croft, Artist Riccardo Bonci organ, Format 1 CD, A noted organist, composer and teacher in his day, John Reading (born in 1685/6) was obviously something of a networker, acquiring many contacts during his spell as a chorister in the Chapel Royal and thereafter becoming friends with some of the most prominent London musicians of the 18th century. The impresario drew on his professional connections to compile what is now considered one of the most important collections of English organ music from around that period: The John Reading Manuscripts. Still housed in the beautiful surroundings of Dulwich College Library, these volumes elucidate a fascinating period of stylistic transition with regard to organ writing in mid-18th-century England. John Blow, John James, Maurice Greene, Mr. Seedo, John Stanley, John Barrett and John Reading himself: these are among the names featured in the collection and which make up this engaging release. The disc explores the inherent musical possibilities of the voluntary, a improvisatory piece which performed an established role as part of the church service, such as the 'double voluntary' and the '1st' or '2nd' voluntary. Two trumpet airs by Reading are included, works which were probably originally written for the harpsichord because of the high register of their solo parts, and the manuscripts also draw attention the two distinct styles of organ composition then in vogue: the old contrapuntal style of the early Baroque, with it's elaborate ornamentation, and the new, lighter textures of the early 18th century - a reflection of the new arrival of Italian opera and the rococo style. Performing these works with aplomb and drawing full attention to the different national styles contained therein is distinguished Italian organist Riccardo Bonci. The recording was, rather fittingly, made on the Dulwich College premises: Bonci plays the 1760 George England organ in Christ's Chapel of God's Gift. Recorded 10 & 11 March 2010. Booklet contains extensive information on the manuscript, it's history, the works and the instrument. This disc presents the most important collection of 18th century English organ music, as collected and edited by the eminent John Reading, organist, composer and teacher from that period. Located in the beautiful historic library of Dulwich College it contains a treasure trove of works by John Stanley, John Blow, Maurice Greene, William Croft, John Barrett and (of course) John Reading himself. Music of elegance, charm and brilliance, featuring many "Trumpet Voluntaries". Played on the historic 1760 George England organ in the Christ's Chapel of God's Gift in Dulwich College, a most fitting and "authentic" environment, by Italian master organist Riccardo Bonci.

A profoundly spiritual composer, Sofia Gubaidulina has said that ‘True art for me is always religious, it will always involve collaborating with God.’ As the present release demonstrates, it is therefore less than fruitful to try to divide her music into sacred and secular compositions. Jauchzt vor Gott, the opening work, is here being released for the first time. The nine-minute piece for choir and organ sets three verses from Psalm 66, and opens with a long cappella section on the word jauchzt, ‘rejoice.’ At this point, the organ enters with an extensive solo involving a massive dynamic intensification, after which choir and organ continue together in music which makes the concept of contrast a determining element. As the title signals, the organ work Hell und dunkel (Light and Darkness) also explores contrasts, especially in terms of color and brightness. Composed in 1976, the work is the earliest on the disc, and it is followed by the large-scale Sonnengesang, written some twenty years later and dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. The choir sings the words of St. Francis of Assisi’s celebrated Canticle of the sun, but it is the solo cello that is responsible for interpreting the meaning of the text. The important solo part is performed here by Ivan Monighetti, in dialogue with the eminent NDR Chor of the North German Radio, and with the support of percussionists from Elbtonal Percussion. Philipp Ahmann conducts this work as well as Jauchzt vor Gott, with Christian Schmitt performing the organ parts.

The hugely prolific Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos was fiercely independent of any one compositional style or influence, yet his work is unified by a unique synthesis of Brazilian and Western cultures.

A collection of compositions by some of the great piano virtuosos of all time, Evgeni Bozhanov follows in the footsteps of Chopin, Schubert, Debussy, Scriabin and Liszt with this inspirational and personal performance Live in Warsaw. Truly internalizing the music, Bozhanov illustrates that internal conception becomes both more complex and clearer with time, emerging into a statement that is relevant to him.

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonatas , op. 10/1–3 • Mari Kodama (pn) • PENTATONE 5186 377 (SACD: 59:20)


This is the latest installment of a cycle-in-progress (though new to me) by Mari Kodama, a Japanese student of Nikolayeva and Brendel. Her playing is impressive in its refinement and control, if occasionally a little predictable. The three op. 10s make for a satisfying program, though they’re curiously presented in reverse order here (Beethoven’s own is more logical, with the biggest, most ambitious work placed last).


No. 1 in C Minor goes well, with few surprises. Kodama generally lets the outer movements speak for themselves—straight, incisive, dramatic, forceful, with effective lyrical contrasts. Tension is well maintained, with a convincing sense of real performance (vs. a recording-studio run-through). The Adagio is straightforward, perhaps to a fault—here I miss the imaginative flexibility and expressive depths others bring to the music (e.g., Schiff/ECM, Lewis/Harmonia Mundi, or the recently reviewed Ohlsson/Bridge and Ehlen/Azica). The recorded sound of her Steinway is rich, resonant, and close, but a little “plummy” for my taste, with a pronounced resonant overhang. Her playing is certainly not over-pedaled, but a real staccato articulation is in short supply.


This is a bigger drawback in the first movement of No. 2 in F where, for all the poise and polish, Beethoven’s numerous injunctions to very short articulations (e.g., at the beginning, bars 38 ff., and 47 ff.) are rarely effectively realized. The development has a slightly stolid feel (the second repeat is observed). The F-Minor Allegretto is taken slowly, to rather dour effect, with (for my taste) an insufficient variety of texture and attack; the Presto finale is kept well under control at a moderate tempo. In the last resort, I find this all a little too uneventful.


The big D Major receives the most consistently satisfying performance of the three. The opening Presto is richly varied, supple and sinuous, with an exciting surging momentum. The Largo e mesto is all dark, glinting marble, and in this instance the finale finds her relishing the music’s wide-ranging phrase and textural discontinuities.


So, a slightly mixed bag. But there’s much playing of real distinction here, and anyone wanting a high-quality version of the three op. 10s in state-of-the-art sound won’t go wrong. For the general collector, perhaps not a first choice (see alternatives mentioned above), but I’ll be keeping this in my collection, and can see returning to the first and third sonatas.


FANFARE: Boyd Pomeroy


This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

This album is the third in a series of recordings of the solo piano works of Brahms by pianist Jonathan Plowright. His two previous discs in this series gained critical acclaim, including Instrumental Choice of the Month in BBC Music Magazine. This recording includes the deeply emotional Piano Pieces Op. 76 and Op. 118, 16 Waltzes Op. 39, and the extravagant Variations on a Hungarian Melody. Variations on a Hungarian Melody is one of Brahms’ most intriguing and famous works. The piece is inspired by the composer’s captivation with Hungarian gypsy music, as well as his friendship with Eduard Remenyi, a popular violinist of Brahms’ day.

Review:

Plowright’s complete Brahms piano music for BIS has now reached Vol 3, with all its intelligence, subtlety and power in full blossom. These sound totally fresh, as though a fully formed, cultured musician, unencumbered by conventional approaches or received wisdom, took up these scores for the first time in maturity. The results are often unexpected, yet always apt and never less than convincing. I have a feeling this is going to be the benchmark Brahms survey for some time to come.

– Gramophone

Before he was thirty, Olivier Messiaen had written the work that established his worldwide reputation asa visionary composer for the organ, La Nativité du Seigneur (The Birth of the Saviour). A synthesis of hisinnovatory compositional style, it is rich in colourful harmonies and precisely noted but flexible rhythms,many derived from Hindu tâlas and from the metre of Gregorian chant. This musical commentary on theChristmas story is divided into nine movements evoking timeless grace, beauty, radiance, exhilaration,and majesty. Tom Winpenny is Assistant Master of the Music at St Albans Cathedral, the oldest site ofcontinuous Christian worship in Britain.

The pianist Anthony Spiri is considered among today's most respected vocal accompanists, chamber musicians and soloists. Born in the USA, he received his training in Cleveland and Boston before removing to Europe where he completed his studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Mr. Spiri is a professor of piano chamber music at Cologne's Musikhochschule. Special attention in the pianist's discography is given over to his modern piano recordings of Bach, father & sons, as is demonstrated here via this W.F. Bach release, his follow-up to his earlier OehmsClassics Faure release.

MOZART Piano Sonatas: in c, K 457; in C, K 545; in B?, K 333. Rondos: in F, K 494; in D, K 485; in a, K 511 • Marcia Hadjimarkos (fp) • AVIE 2138 (76:29)


The best compass, it seems to me, for successful traversal of Mozart’s piano music is constant reference to and evocation of his operatic style. If some gesture cannot conceivably be accomplished by the voice, accompanied by a late 18th-century pit orchestra, chances are it is an anachronism and has no place within Mozart’s keyboard textures. Listening to Avie’s remarkable new release of three sonatas and three rondos by Mozart, played superbly by Marcia Hadjimarkos, the imagination repeatedly roams to the operatic stage where, of the generations after Monteverdi and prior to Verdi and Wagner, the Austrian master reigns supreme.


A native of Oregon, Hadjimarkos earned degrees at the University of Iowa before pursuing her studies at the Paris Conservatoire with Jos van Immerseel; she has specialized in performing on the fortepiano and clavichord since the 1980s. One of the more appealing aspects of Hadjimarkos’s interpretations is her exploitation of the richly varied registers of her instrument (in this case a replica of a 1793 Sebastian Lengerer fortepiano by Christopher Clarke). Mozart himself was keen to mine this expressive potential on the pianos of his day; this tendency constitutes a veritable hallmark of his style that unfortunately is all but lost on modern pianos. Hadjimarkos never neglects expressive nuance in melodic inflections and her varied strategies of attack and release result in a realm of beautifully realized legato and detached effects. The lavishly applied variants—to the repeat of the exposition of the C-Major Sonata and indeed to each thematic repetition in the D-Major Rondo, to cite but two examples—seem both appropriate and inevitable. Nor does Hadjimarkos shy from engaging the una corda mechanism of her fortepiano: witness its highly effective use for long stretches in the F-Major Rondo and in the Andante of the C-Major Sonata.


As a player, Hadjimarkos remains rooted “in the moment,” lending her performances a refreshing emotional immediacy. Inevitably, one comes across the curious interpretive choice. At the beginning of the development in the first movement of the C-Minor Sonata, for instance, Hadjimarkos lifts the dampers in the ascending triad, the central thematic material of the entire movement, which she plays (appropriately) secco elsewhere in the exposition and recapitulation.


The recording was made in Chenôves, France, in August 2004. The parish church there has a sweet, flattering acoustic for the Clarke fortepiano. The engineers have done a marvelous job and the sound is dimensional and clear. Brian Robins wrote the engaging booklet notes, to which Christopher Clarke contributed information on his fortepiano.


This is living, breathing Mozart interpretation of a very high order, simultaneously innocent of “received wisdom” or “tradition” (which, as Artur Schnabel was fond of saying, is nothing but a collection of bad habits) and constantly informed by obvious immersion in the music of earlier masters, including C. P. E. Bach and Haydn. Those who still prefer their Mozart on the modern concert grand will no doubt continue to enjoy the performances of Schnabel (Music & Arts Programs of America 1193) and what perhaps remains the all-around best complete recording of the sonatas, that of Lili Kraus (Sony 88808). But those with an ear for the manifold beauties of the instrument that Mozart knew and loved—the late 18th-century Viennese action piano—are not likely to find more imaginatively realized, full-blooded, or loving readings than these presented by Marcia Hadjimarkos. Very highly recommended.


FANFARE: Patrick Rucker

Noted for his clarity of line and purity of tone, pianist Gottlieb Wallisch focuses on Franz Joseph Haydn’s London period for his fourth Linn recording. +The famed London Sonatas can be seen as the distillation of the composer’s entire sonata-writing experience. +Mr. Wallisch won the ‘Joseph Haydn Prize’ as well as first prize at the prestigious Stravinsky Awards at age 16, thus launching his international career. +"His playing is a thing of rare beauty and a joy to behold." - Fanfare

The guitar’s range and sense of national colour are celebrated in this recital by Armen Doneyan, the exciting young French virtuoso, with music from Hungary, Poland, Italy, Spain, Cuba and Brazil. His programme includes Luigi Legnani’s Fantasia, Op. 19 with its scintillating Listzian brilliance, as well as the fiery and evocative Fantaisie on Hungarian Themes by Johann Dubez. The pivotal figure of Francisco Tárrega, who established a unique Spanish voice for the guitar, is included as is the vivacious, flamenco-influenced Sonata by Turina. A contemporary master, Leo Brouwer, is represented by his evocative Rito de los Orishas.

J.S. Bach clearly thought of the solo Cello Suites as real cycles (no key repetition), while their textures are not as strongly polyphonic as those of his works for the solo violin. It is sometimes thought, therefore, that they were written somewhat earlier, but that is only an assumption. Their invention, technical prowess and form guarantee Bach's output for solo cello it's permanent place in the repertoire, as well as representing a great challenge to every cellist. A member of the Martinu Quartet, Jitka Vlas�nkov� ranks among the finest of contemporary Czech cello soloists.

Bach a poet? In our age of performer's intensive efforts at keeping faithful to the original and the "correct" performing style, this statement sounds surreal today, seeming to reek of nostalgia. From this perspective, Bachiana, featuring the Duo d'Accord, must appear anachronistic, since it's music takes us back to an epoch - the era of the Romantics - in which Bach was played in a free, even occasionally downright carefree, style. "The artistry of Duo d'Accord lies in that their performance appears to develop completely freely and flows with all due desirable precision." - (FonoForum)

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