SHAW, Artie: Begin the Beguine (1936-1939)

Ellington, Duke: Cotton Club Stomp (1927-1931)

SMITH, Bessie: Downhearted Blues (1923-1924)

GIANTS OF JAZZ

Ellington, Duke: Jump For Joy (1941-1942)

I like contrasts', Ibert was fond of saying. All six works on this CD show his absolute mastery of orchestral writing, each one of quite different form and inspiration.

ROBESON, Paul: Spirituals, Vol. 1 (1925-1936)

HAWKINS, Coleman: Hawk In the 30s (1933-1939)

FITZGERALD, Ella: It's the Way That You Do It (1936-1939)

FITZGERALD, Ella: A-Tisket, A-Tasket (1936-1941)

I love the piano and those who love the piano. The piano as a medium for expression is a whole world by itself. No other instrument can fill or replace it's own say in the world of emotion, sentiment, poetry, imagery and fancy.' These words, written in 1931 by Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) could stand as the virtuoso pianist and composer's artistic credo. Some basic lessons, and a mere three months of study in Berlin aside, he was largely self-taught, yet made his first public appearance aged nine and began touring as a piano wunderkind. As a concert pianist, he would perform in every continent except Antarctica and Australia. Liszt's death in 1886 scotched Godowsky's plan to study with the legendary virtuoso, who in his own youth had been inspired by Paganini. He traveled instead to Paris, where he befriended Camille Saint-Sa�ns. The French composer and pianist introduced him to many leading French musicians, and even proposed to adopt Godowsky if he would take his surname, though Godowsky declined the offer. In 1890 Godowsky began teaching at the New York College of Music. While there, he married Frieda Saxe and became an American citizen. In 1894 he moved to the Broad Street Conservatory in Philadelphia, and in 1895 to the Chicago Conservatory, where he headed the piano department. A successful European concert tour in 1900 landed him once again in Berlin, where he divided his time between performing and teaching. From 1909 to 1914 he taught master classes at the Vienna Academy of Music. When World War I broke out, he returned to New York, maintaining friendships with many distinguished performers and celebrities; Sergei Rachmaninov dedicated his Polka de W.R. to him. Godowsky was also a close friend of Albert Einstein. Godowsky resumed touring after the Great War, but suffered a stroke while making a recording in London on 17 June 1930. His latter years were marked by family tragedy and his death in 1938, of stomach cancer, was mourned as 'A calamitous loss'. Despite his formidable reputation, Godowsky remained modest, writing that 'A few know the begin to live.

Acknowledged as one of the finest contemporary composers, Barcelona-born Leonardo Balada has written a series of Caprichos, suite-like pieces that illustrate the range of his invention. Fusing traditional and contemporary elements, they generate a symbiosis between the ethnic and the avant-garde, as in 'Caprichos No. 7: Fantasies of 'La Tarara' in which an Andalusian folk melody is transformed into a surrealist canvas, and in the vividly descriptive dissonance of 'Caprichos No. 6.' 'Ballet City' is a youthful work, reflecting Balada's early enthusiasm for neo-classicism. Ensemble Col legno is a Valencian group dedicated to the interpretation of music for chamber orchestra and the performance of new compositions. Conducted by Robert Ferrer since it's foundation in 2006, Ensemble Col legno has performed across Spain and has recently started projects in Europe. The ensemble has performed 30 world premieres of works by living composers, as well as several premieres in Spain.

CINEMA CLASSICS 2005

At the invitation of Respighi’s great nieces, conductor Salvatore Di Vittorio has restored and edited the Berceuse and Lamento d’Arianna. His completion of the orchestration for the Tre Liriche is heard here in a premiere recording. Di Vittorio conducts the Chamber Orchestra of New York with the mezzo-soprano Alessandra Visentin as soloist.

REVIEW:

Alessandra Visentin’s contralto voice acts as a perfect bridge between the 18th and 20th centuries and therefore becomes an ideal voice for this project. The orchestral colors bloom wide and iridescent. Salvatore Di Vittorio more than capably holds the reins, reconciling the voice with the opalescence of the instruments.

— Il Trillo Parlante (Fabio Tranchida)

The brilliant dynamism of Italian Baroque music is at it's most virtuosic and thrilling in works featuring the solo trumpet, whether in original compositions or transcriptions. Albinoni's astonishing ornamentations and the luminous dexterity of Vivaldi's concerto both represent each composer's distinctive character, heard alongside works by Corelli, Zipoli, Baldassare and Torelli. Domenico Sarri's Sinfonia a 5 is heard here in it's world premiere recording. Thomas Reiner is an acknowledged exponent of this repertoire with his performance of German Baroque Trumpet Concertos (Naxos 8.551419) described as 'first rate and spirited... an excellent protagonist' by Fanfare magazine.