This 1987 Naxos CD has the Nutcracker and Swan Lake suites, but omits the Sleeping Beauty. The Slovak Philharmonic, directed by Michael Halasz, excels on the rather longer Swan Lake suite, with some nice playing in the brass and a lovely duet between solo violinist Josef Bogacz and an unnamed cellist. The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (op. 71). The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It was given it's premi�re at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on Sunday, December 18, 1892, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's opera, Iolanta. Swan Lake Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875-76. The scenario, initially in two acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales[a] and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger. The ballet was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet on 4 March [O.S. 20 February] 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Although it is presented in many different versions, most ballet companies base their staging's both choreographically and musically on the 1895 revival of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, first staged for the Imperial Ballet on 15 January 1895, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. For this revival, Tchaikovsky's score was revised by the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre's chief conductor and composer Riccardo Drigo.

Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker was first performed in St. Petersburg in 1890, damned with the faintest of praise by the Tsar, who remarked that it was "very nice". The composer himself expressed dissatisfaction with his music for The Nutcracker, a subject proposed by Marius Petipa and the Imperial Theatre Directorate in 1891 and first performed at the Maryinsky in December, 1892, again to a cool reception. The music itself, however, had already proved popular enough in a suite arranged by Tchaikovsky for a concert earlier in the year. The story of the ballet is drawn from E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale, Der Nussknacker und der M�userk�nig. Set in the eighteenth century, initially in the house of the President of one of the German states of the period, the ballet opens with a children's Christmas party, at which Drosselmeyer, a slightly sinister adult, brings presents, a doll for Clara, the daughter of the house, and a toy soldier for Franz, her brother. When the children are told not to open their presents, Drosselmeyer quietens them by giving the two a pair of nutcrackers, promptly broken by Franz who tries to crack the biggest nut he can find. The Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava), the oldest symphonic ensemble in Slovakia, was founded in 1929. The orchestra's first conductor was Franti�ek Dyk and over the past sixty years it has worked under the direction of several prominent Czech and Slovak conductors. The orchestra has made many recordings for the Naxas label ranging from the ballet music of Tchaikovsky to more modern works by composers such as Copland, Britten and Prokofiev. For Marco Polo the orchestra has recorded works by Glazunov, Gli�re, Rubinstein and other late romantic composers and film music of Honegger, Bliss, Ibert and Khachaturian. Ondrej Lenard was born in 1942 and had his early training in Bratislava, where, at the age of 17, he entered the Academy of Music and Drama, to study under Ludovit Rajter. His graduation concert in 1964 was given with the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and during his two years of military service he conducted the Army Orchestral Ensemble, later renewing an earlier connection with the Slovak National Opera, where he has continued to direct performances.

2000 release. The Nutcracker Christmas Eve narrated by Prunella Scales with the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michael Halasz & the Moscow Symphony Orchestra conducted by Igor Golovschin.

This inventive album presents Tchaikovsky's occasionally heard songs in arrangements for violin and orchestra by Peter Breiner. Although the songs may not often be performed today by singers, these irresistible melodies provide justification enough to be heard in this almost equally satisfying form: "Why?", "Not a word, O my friend", and "The fearful minute" are among the composer's most inspired creations and should be heard more often. A few, however, such as the ever-popular "None But the Lonely Heart", need the soulful evocation of the human voice to make their full effect. Ljuba Kazarnovskaya's vocal recital (also on Naxos) demonstrates what a great singer can bring to this impassioned music.

But overall Takako Nishizaki's beautiful singing tone and sweetly-wrought phrasing, partnered with Breiner's affectionate conducting, make these transcriptions pleasing and satisfying musical experiences, even without the love poems that were Tchaikovsky's main impetus. My only caveat concerns the disc's tracking order: placing so many slow and similar-key selections together unavoidably engenders feelings of monotony. But since this easily can be remedied with the CD's programmability, there's no reason for you to hesitate about obtaining this serene, relaxing disc. Naxos' atmospheric recording balances Nishizaki's violin significantly forward relative to the orchestra.

--Victor Carr Jr., ClassicsToday.com

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor - Tchaikovsky: Violi

This is one of those discs you might pass over if you see it in the bins, and you'd be making a big mistake. Tchaikovsky is one of those composers whose style is so personal that even its chips and discards sound characteristic, if not always as impressive as his fully realized masterpieces--and in any case many of the items in this collection show him at his best. Take the symphonic poem Fatum, which really is formally dysfunctional and hardly from Tchaikovsky's top drawer thematically. When performed as here, with a take-no-prisoners directness and excitement, it comes off as the best orchestral work that Liszt never wrote. The overture from the opera The Voyevoda (not to be confused with the late symphonic poem) is a welcome rarity--and when was the last time we had a chance to savor the prelude to The Queen of Spades as a separate item?


All of the other items are interludes and dances, and as you no doubt know, dance music almost always finds Tchaikovsky at his best. The Gopak from Mazeppa is relatively well-known, but the similar character numbers from The Maid of Orleans, Cherevichki (The Slippers), The Enchantress, and The Oprichnik are all marvelous and well worth hearing. Best of all, Theodore Kuchar and his Ukrainian orchestra deliver powerful, thrill-packed performances full of color and rhythmic excitement. The sonics capture Tchaikovsky's vivid scoring with often overwhelming impact: bass drum and cymbals leap from the speakers, while the brass bellow powerfully, hovering on the edge of that splendidly muscular vulgarity that seems to have disappeared from today's Russian orchestras. In short, this disc offers nearly 70 minutes of pure enjoyment. [3/16/2006]
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Includes work(s) by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Ensemble: Aurora Duo.

"The orchestra is full of interesting colors, and, under Yablonsky gives the familiar melodic material considerable direction and shape. There is something wonderfully human about the interpretive ideas that makes these performances so interesting." -- Peter Dobrin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 2003

"Let me say immediately that this new complete Swan Lake is thoroughly recommendable, and most enjoyable, both as a performance and recording. The Russian State Symphony Orchestra is obviously thoroughly at home in this glorious music. So is their excellent conductor, Dmitry Yablonsky, whose tempi can hardly be faulted.Throughout the four acts, Tchaikovsky's magnificent score is presented spontaneously and excitingly, vividly underlining the coherence of this masterpiece. The Russian solo playing is consistently impressive: Act 2's 'Dances of the Swans' (with fine solo violin and cello contributions) are as vivid as the national dances of Act 4. The orchestra is set back realistically and the effect is always convincing, suitably brilliant with good range and atmosphere and arresting climaxes (the Russian trumpets are especially striking)." -- Ivan March, Gramophone

TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture / Romeo and Juliet / Capriccio It

Sir John Tavener describes the Lament for Jerusalem as a mystical love song. The Lament brings together Christian, Judaic, and Islamic texts and is sung in Greek and English. The musical structure is that of a lattice whose proportions are carefully designed so that the listener is invited to focus on key points of the text which are themselves supported by transcendental melodic, harmonic, and textural devices. The simplicity of the work's form and it's logical progression through a series of seven linked, self-referential tableaux allow the Lament to grow in power and beauty during it's course. The American composer Steve Reich has described some of his own music as purveying 'a kind of dynamic stasis' and that aptly sums up the effect of Tavener's Lament for Jerusalem. The Lament is rooted in grim tradition, yet it looks longingly into the future to a time when beatific vision is restored, and, as in much of the very greatest art, form and content are inseparable.

TAVENER Ex Maria virgine. Birthday Sleep. O Do Not Move. A Nativity. Marienhymne. O Thou Gentle Light. Angels • Timothy Brown, dir; Clare College Cambridge Ch • NAXOS 8.572168 (63:46 Text and Translation)


Two of the selections are first recordings: Ex Maria virgine , the major work at 38 minutes, and Marienhymne . The other works are not widely available, for Birthday Sleep was recorded by Stephen Layton (28:4), A Nativity by Matthew Greenall (not issued over here), and Angels by David Hill (23: 2). I cannot find the first recordings of the other two pieces.


Marienhymne is sung in German, while O Thou Gentle Light is sung in Greek (the ancient hymn Phos hiláron , which Dom Lucien David also set as a neo-Gregorian chant). The earliest work on the program, Angels , dates from 1985.


The major work is a setting of nine age-old texts in Latin or English separated by a refrain, “Ex Maria virgine,” the first movement being repeated at the end. One movement has a Greek refrain, the original of “hail, Mary,” but the first word is pronounced “kay-ray” rather than “ky-ruh.” The composer has a devoted following, so these accomplished performances will delight them.


FANFARE: J. F. Weber

"The five violin concertos here are in Tartini's characteristic three-movement form (fast-slow-fast); all but D.28 (which includes a pair of horns) have string accompaniments. Their appeal lies in their fresh simplicity, which the excellent soloist Ariadne Daskalakis and the Cologne Chamber Orchestra directed spiritedly by Helmut Müller-Brühl capture to perfection, as they do the expressive appeal of the slow movements, notably that of the G major, D.80, and the D major, D.28; but the B minor is graceful too, and its Larghetto is given the title Lascia ch'io dica addio ('Let me say goodbye'). The recording is first class and, for those who like modern-instrument performances, as do we, the disc is worth seeking out."

- Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music - 2008 Edition, page 1353

It was only in July 2012 that I first came to know Polish composer Alexandre Tansman when I reviewed three discs of his piano music written for children (review review). They contained no fewer than 147 pieces all of which were both delightful and simple. Last year I reviewed a disc of Tansman’s piano music not written specifically for children (Naxos 8.573021) and discovered how amazingly talented he was and how multi faceted was his music. Now I have the opportunity to discover chamber music he wrote for violin and piano. On the strength of it I cannot wait for further releases since there is clearly a lot more waiting to be discovered.

Tansman made such a name for himself in his adopted Paris in the early years of the twentieth century that his music seemed to be on the programmes of every concert hall. It seems hard to see how so much of his output is yet to be discovered by our present generation. On this disc we have four world première recordings of music written as early as 1918 and as late as 1941.

The Romance which he wrote aged 21 is a delightfully sweet little concoction with which he won one of the first three prizes in the Polish National Composition Competition in 1919. He also won the two other prizes having entered all three works under pseudonyms – a kind of musical blind-tasting. Following this he was encouraged to move to Paris where his success was confirmed and extended. His four movement Sonate No.2, written between 1917-19, is as the booklet notes observe reminiscent of early Szymanowski. This is unsurprising since much of Szymanowski’s music has Polish folkloric undertones and Tansman always said of himself that despite spending many years abroad in France and the USA his music was deeply rooted in the Poland of his formative years. I love its mixture of sweetness and passion.

It is useful to have each work on this disc in the chronological order of its composition since this enables an appreciation of his musical development. His Sonate quasi una fantasia from 1924 reveals a considerable hike in his maturity. The Scherzo is a real joy with both instruments appearing to tumble down the scales at one point. The entire sonata has a real feeling of unity of purpose with themes recurring to help tie the movements together. Tansman’s Sonatine No.1 is identified as a world première but that seems to be because it was written for either flute or violin and piano; the version with flute is better known. It is doubtful that this version is programmed much at all in the concert hall and what a shame that is because once heard it makes a real impression. Each of the five short movements is a delight including a jazzy Scherzo in the form of a fox-trot while the Finale has distinct Polish melodies.

Moving on to 1941 his Sonatine No.2 belies the fact that Tansman was about to leave his adopted homeland which he had come to love so much. He was to go into exile in the USA to escape the France of Nazi occupation. The mood is generally light and carefree which can be partly explained perhaps by the fact that it was written in Nice, as far away in France as it was possible to get from the sound of the jackboots that were assailing the streets of Paris. The second movement is especially sweet with the piano, to my ears, creating an air of mystery while the finale is upbeat and particularly cheery before things slow down. Themes from each of the two previous movements are brought back to end the work in an atmosphere of calm.

The final work on the disc is Tansman’s Fantaisie which comprises six linked movements. The first is brilliantly energetic and rushes along breathlessly creating a really exciting setting. This contrasts considerably with the second which is gorgeously presented. It is full of shadowy mystery which the piano at various points helps create by the repetition of two notes while the violin weaves up and down the scales. The Fuga injects a contemporary element into the proceedings with its atonal leanings. The fourth section grows seamlessly out of it staying in the same modernistic arena before the Canon reverts to an earlier age of sweetness and light. The finale in the form of a scherzo revisits elements from the opening Divertimento which neatly rounds things off in the same fast and furious atmosphere as its opening. It ends mid-phrase.

This music confirms my opinion of Tansman as an extremely energetic and inventive composer with a huge range of ideas that never seems to falter. Another disc I reviewed was of music by four Polish composers, Tansman amongst them. It included Tansman’s Triptyque written in 1930 for string orchestra. It is typical of writing at that time and embodies an exciting feeling of spontaneous exuberance and rhythmic energy. Everything I hear by Tansman makes me want to hear more and this disc is no exception. Readers of my reviews will already be acquainted with my opinion of Giorgio Koukl whose tour de force recording of all of Alexander Tcherepnin’s solo piano music on eight discs (review) made so much of an impression on me. It is of no surprise that he makes such a sympathetic partner here in music that treats each musician equally. What came as a real surprise — though I feel a little ashamed in saying it — is that the violinist Klaidi Sahatçi is originally from Albania a country about which we know almost nothing in any terms musically or otherwise. However, what an accomplished musician he is with a prodigious talent. His powers are in full evidence here whether he is called upon to command the proceedings or play with feather-like gentleness. Each of them helps present this wonderful music in the best possible light. I sincerely hope there is more of Tansman’s music for this combination to be discovered and that these two musicians will be playing it.

I understand that a disc of piano music by Paul Le Flem a French composer whose work is yet to be widely discovered is due to be released later this year played by Giorgio Koukl. I await that with bated breath.

– Steve Arloff, MusicWeb International

Alexandre Tansman's range of styles makes him difficult to pigeon-hole. The Clarinet Concerto begins like the prelude to Debussy's Pelléas but continues with sinuous, chromatic melodic material. On the other hand, the Concertino (which is actually longer than the concerto) is rhythmic and neo-classical, a bit like one of Martinu's concerto grosso-type works. The Six Movements are spiky and dissonant, quasi-Bartók, but melodic. Tansman's decision to write the obligatory fugue at the end is unfortunate, but there's plenty of interest before we get to that point. All of these pieces were composed in the period from 1952-63.

The performances are quite good. Both wind soloists have attractive timbres and the strings play crisply and cleanly (save for a few screechy bits that seem to be more Tansman's fault). The engineering, though, balances the two soloists much too far forward, making soft playing impossible and capturing way too much clicking of keys. Forewarned is forearmed, so keep this in mind before you decide to sample this otherwise intriguing disc.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Polish by birth, Alexandre Tansman settled in France, a major influence on his composition. He was a close associate of Stravinsky, particularly during his war-time exile in America. Tansman favored the clarinet, in particular, among wind instruments.