All Reviews articles – Page 172
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ArticleEvaristo dall'Abaco: Concertos for strings op.2 nos.5*, 6† , 8‡, 9‡ & 10† & op.6 nos.2*, 3¶ & 6†
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Cappella Coloniensis/Wilfried Boettcher*, Hanns-MartinuSchneidt† , Günther Wich‡, György Fischer¶Composer: Evaristo dall'AbacoFounded in 1954 by Northwest German Radio, Cappella Coloniensis claims to be the oldest period instrument ensemble in the world. It seems to have had a soft spot for the music of ...
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ArticleHaydn: Violin Concertos no.1 in C major Hob.VIIa:1 & no. 4 in G major Hob.VIIa:4. Mozart: Sinfonia concertante K364
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Rachel Podger (violin) Pavlo Beznosiuk (viola) Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentComposer: Haydn, MozartThough Haydn was surrounded by virtuoso players in the court orchestra of the wealthy Esterházy family, his early violin concertos do not make excessive demands of the soloist. The ...
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ArticleTaneyev: Violin Sonata, Romance op.26 no.6 ‘Stalaktiti’ (arr. Feigin), plus piano works
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Ivan Peshkov (violin) Olga Solovieva (piano)Composer: TaneyevIvan Peshkov’s rich, soulful tone colour and sensitively controlled phrasing seems perfectly suited to the two heartfelt works for violin and piano on this disc of music by his compatriot Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev. The declamatory, late-Romantic ...
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ArticleJoshua Bell – at home with friends. Music by Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Lennon & McCartney, Berlin, Gershwin, etc
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Joshua Bell (violin) & guestsComposer: Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Lennon & McCartney, Berlin, Gershwin, etcJoshua Bell’s many admirers can rest assured that he is at his most tonally lustrous and musically seductive throughout this generous collection of lighter musical fare on the reflective side. ...
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ArticleForgotten Virtuosi. Works by Striggio, Baltzar, Schop, Nau, Castello, Marini etc
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Jonathan Talbott (Renaissance violin), Tormod Dalen (bass violin) Maxine Eilander (double harp), Andrew Maginley (theorbo/guitar) Stephen Taylor (organ)Composer: Striggio, Baltzar, Schop, Nau, Castello, Marini etcThis disc comprises an adventurous and engaging programme of violin works from the first half of the 17th ...
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ArticleWorld Wide Bass. Works by Piazzolla, Tugcular, Hirai, Abou-Khalil, Towner, Lowka, Egilsson & Trad
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Christine Hoock, Glen Moore (double bass) Dietmar Lowka (double bass/percussion) Barbara Nussbaum (piano) Andreas Hinterseher (accordion)Composer: Piazzolla, Tugcular, Hirai, Abou-Khalil, Towner, Lowka, Egilsson & Trad. Ten tracks take us on a highly enjoyable musical journey around the world, Christine Hoock and her ...
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Article3 Fervent Travelers
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Time for Three: Zach De Pue, Nick Kendall (violin) Ranaan Meyer (double bass)Composer: VariousThis is Time for Three’s third album, but its first major commercial one, combining live and studio recordings. It is an assured blend of popular American styles within original ...
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ArticleSchumann: String Quartet in A major op.41 no.3, Piano Quintet in E flat major op.44
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Takács Quartet, Marc-André Hamelin (piano)Composer: Schumann As is to be expected, the Takács Quartet provides a sumptuous disc here. In places, however, this lush sound can result in a vibrato that is too wide and slow, especially in the descending fifth ...
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ArticleTippett: String Quartets nos.3 & 5
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Tippett QuartetComposer: TippettThis is a superb follow-up to the Tippett Quartet’s first disc of its namesake’s works (reviewed in December 2008). The two quartets here are separated by 45 years, but share a penchant for lyricism combined with a fascination for Beethovenian ...
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ArticleMozart: Violin Sonatas in C major K296, E minor K304, A major K305 & D major K306
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Duo Amadé: Catherine Mackintosh (violin) Geoffrey Govier (fortepiano)Composer: MozartViolinist Catherine Mackintosh has a balance problem. Not that I expect her to fall over any moment, but in her Bach sonatas she was too forward, edging out harpsichordist Maggie Cole, and here her ...
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ArticleRhapsodic Musings: 21st Century Works for Solo Violin. Salonen: Lachen verlernt. Carter: Four Lauds. Read Thomas: Pulsar. Zorn: Goetia
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Jennifer Koh (violin)Composer: Salonen, Carter, Read Thomas, ZornWhen this disc is loaded into a computer, a menu pops up with links to relevant websites, and the option of viewing a video interpretation of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Lachen verlent, made by artist and filmmaker ...
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ArticleBrahms: Cello Sonata no.2 in F major op.99. Kodály: Solo Cello Sonata op.8. Debussy: Cello Sonata. Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme op.33
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Pierre Fournier (cello) Franz Holetschek (piano)Composer: Brahms, Kodály, Debussy, TchaikovskyRecorded live at the 1958 Salzburg Festival, Pierre Fournier proves his credentials as one of the legendary cellists of the 20th century. His performances come across compellingly throughout, despite the poor mono sound ...
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ArticleTansman: Cello Sonata no.2, Two Pieces, Fantaisie, Partita, Quatre pieces faciles
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Cracow Duo: Jan Kalinowski (cello) Marck Szlezer (piano)Composer: TansmanProlific Polish-turned-French composer Alexandre Tansman (1897–1986) has found ambassadors in the vibrant young Cracow Duo and Polish record label Dux. Tansman, whose glittering career centred on Paris, wrote his Second Cello Sonata (1930) soon ...
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ArticlePopper Cello Suite op.69, Three Pieces op.11, Im Walde op.50 Piatigorsky Variations on a Paganini Theme
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Wendy Warner (cello) Eileen Buck (piano)Composer: Popper, PiatigorskyFocusing on the tradition of the virtuoso–composer, Rostropovich pupil Wendy Warner has compiled an intriguing programme, half of which is devoted to original works by the Hungarian cellist David Popper. Although he is better known ...
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ArticleWieniawski: Violin Concertos no.1 in F sharp minor op.14* & no 2 in D minor op.22†
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Mariusz Patyra (violin) Sinfonia Varsovia/Johannes Wildner*, Sinfonia Iuventus/Gabriel Chmura† Composer: WieniawskiPolish violinist Mariusz Patyra brings much drama, bravura and lyricism to Wieniawski’s two powerful and vastly underrated concertos, particularly to their opening movements, in which his laudable technical assurance and rhythmical control ...
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ArticlePaganini: 24 Caprices op.1
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: James Ehnes (violin)Composer: PaganiniIt was a recording of the Paganini caprices that 14 years ago launched the international career of Canadian-born violinist James Ehnes, and he now revisits the score in an equally superb performance.It is a very literal view ...
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ArticleBirth of the String Quartet Vol.1. A. Scarlatti: Sonate a quattro in D minor. Sammartini: Sinfonia per archi in G major. Boccherini: String Quartet in C minor op.2 no.1. Haydn: String Quartet in D min
The Strad Issue: January 2010Musicians: Casal QuartetComposer: A. Scarlatti, Boccherini, Haydn, MozartThe Casal Quartet has proven expertise in 20th-century repertoire and introduces modern techniques and interpretative approaches into its accounts of these five fledgling Classical string quartets, employing vibrato in abundance. However, its members’ use of four ...
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ArticleMeyer: String Quartets no.5 op.42, no.6 op.51 & no.8 op.67
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Wieniawski QuartetComposer: MeyerThe Wieniawski Quartet features front-desk performers whose mutual understanding has matured over eleven years, and whose name (honouring Poland’s greatest violin virtuoso) sets them daunting challenges to which they rise effortlessly. It is led by Jaroslaw ?olnierczyk, concertmaster of the ...
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ArticleWard: Fantasias and In nomines for five and six viols
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Phantasm, Emilia Benjamin (tenor viol) Mikko Perkola (bass viol)Composer: WardOxford-based viol consort Phantasm, with several award-winning discs already behind it, turns its attention now to the music of John Ward. Born in the reign of Elizabeth I, Ward never held a court ...
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ArticleCaroline Goulding. Music by Kreisler, Corigliano, Schoenfield, Vieuxtemps & Gershwin, Traditional Cape Breton Island Fiddling*
The Strad Issue: January 2009Musicians: Caroline Goulding (violin) Christopher O’Riley, Janine Randall* (piano)Composer: Kreisler, Corigliano, Schoenfield, Vieuxtemps & Gershwin, Traditional Cape Breton Island Fiddling* Every now and then a violinist emerges – Caroline Goulding is still only 16 years of age – who not only has much ...
