All Reviews articles – Page 186
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ArticleRaff: Violin Concerto no.1 in B minor op.161 (original version), Suite for solo violin and orchestra op.181, La fée d’amour
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Tobias Ringborg (violin) Norrlands Opera Symphony Orchestra, Andrea Quinn (conductor)Composer: Raff Raff’s prolific output is often described as ‘eclectic’. In part, this is a tribute to his profuse writing in a variety of genres, and a style that ...
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ArticleEsperanza Spalding: Esperanza
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Esperanza Spalding (double bass/electric bass/voice) Leo Genovese (piano) Otis Brown (drums) Horacio ‘El Negro’ Hernández (drums) Jamey Haddad (percussion) Niño Josele (guitar) Donald Harrison (saxophone) Gretchen Parlato (backing vocals) Theresa Perez (backing vocals) Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet)Composer: Various Double ...
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Article
Martin: Polyptique – Six Images de la Passion du Christ, Maria-Triptychon, Passacaille
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Muriel Cantoreggi (violin) Juliane Banse (soprano), German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Christop Poppen (conductor)Composer: Martinu This immensely rewarding disc includes two thrilling discoveries, plus one of the masterpieces of 20th-century music. Frank Martinursquo;s Passacaille is one of a number of works ...
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ArticlePeteris Vasks': Gr?mata cellam, Partita, Episodi e canto perpetuo
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Dmitry Sitkovetsky (violin) David Geringas (cello) Kalle Randalu (piano)Composer: Peteris Vasks Lithuanian-born Rostropovich pupil David Geringas has been closely associated with the Latvian composer P?teris Vasks since the latter dedicated his 1993–4 Cello Concerto to ...
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ArticleLidarti: Violin Concertos in D minor, in A major & in C major, Quartetto (Sinfonia) in G major
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Francesco D’Orazio (violin/director) Auser Musici Composer: LidartiBorn in Vienna into an Italian family, Christian Joseph Lidarti (1730–95) sought instruction in Italy from Niccolò Jommelli and settled eventually in Pisa. His violin concertos are not especially profound, but illustrate ...
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ArticleString Quartets by Opera Composers. Puccini: Crisantemi. Respighi: Il tramonto. Wagner: Albumblatt. Humperdinck: String Quartet in C major. Verdi: String Quartet in E minor
THE STRAD RECOMMENDSThe Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Leipzig Quartet, Ruth Ziesak (soprano)Composer: Puccini, Respighi, Wagner, Humperdinck, Verdi It was an inspired idea to put together a programme of string quartet music by composers who, with the exception of Respighi, are celebrated almost ...
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ArticleA Very Nice Album
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Nigel Kennedy Quintet Composer: VariousHaving ventured into partnership with Blue Note in 2006, Kennedy has taken his new Polish jazz quintet back to EMI for this double album. Disc 1, ‘Melody’, runs through a panoply of diluted world influences, ...
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ArticleTangos y Historias. Works by Piazzolla, Gsmonti, Ibert, Albéniz & Falla
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Friedemann Eichhorn (violin) Thomas Müller-Pering (guitar) Composer: Piazzolla, Gsmonti, Ibert, Albéniz & Falla The Piazzolla bandwagon keeps rolling, with his compositions being recorded in the most varied arrangements. If after a while Piazzolla’s pieces do betray the ...
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ArticleSchubert: String Quartets in C minor D703 & in D minor D810 ‘Death and the Maiden’, Quartettsatz
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Jerusalem Quartet Composer: SchubertFew things in music are more cheering and exciting than a young ensemble renewing old warhorses with skill, vigour and musicality. With these two performances, the Jerusalem Quartet reaches a standard that few predecessors have achieved.The ...
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ArticleElgar: Violin Sonata in E minor op.82, Serenade (arr. Szigeti), Adieu (arr. Szigeti). Grieg: Violin Sonata no.3 in C minor op.43 no.3, Two Brown Eyes, You Cannot Grasp the Waves’ Eternal Course
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Charlie Siem (violin), Andrei Korobeinikov (piano)Composer: Elgar, GriegIn his fine booklet note, Charlie Siem draws interesting parallels between Grieg and Elgar, who composed the violin sonatas in this recital during what might be termed their respective ‘late’ periods. This appears to have ...
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ArticleHommage Á Eugène Ysaÿe. Ysaÿe: Solo Violin Sonatas op.27, Sonata for two violins, Variations sur le 24e Caprice de Paganini, Caprice d’après l’étude en forme de valse, Exil!
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Ingolf Turban (violin) Kolja Lessing (violin/piano) I virtuosi di PaganiniComposer: YsaÿeThe six unaccompanied sonatas which Ysaÿe dedicated to violinist friends form the backbone of this interesting compilation, which marks the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth. They alternate with piano-accompanied pieces and ...
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ArticleBrahms: 21 Hungarian Dances (arr. Joachim). Joachim: Variations in E minor
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Hagai Shaham (violin) Arnon Erez (piano)Composer: Brahms, Joachim The most important work here is the one advertised in smaller type on the cover, Joachim’s E minor Variations, a magnificent assemblge of an introduction, a theme and 18 brief variations ...
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ArticleHindemith: Sonata for double bass and piano. Frank Proto: Sonata ‘1963’. Armando Trovajoli: Sconcerto
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Jens Bomhardt (double bass) Roberto Paruzzo (piano) Composer: Hindemith, Frank Proto, Armando TrovajoliJens Bomhardt gives an alluring account of Hindemith’s late Double Bass Sonata, gracefully despatching the first two short movements, the Allegretto and Scherzo, before embarking on the ...
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ArticleMendelssohn: Octet in E flat major op.20, String Symphony no.10 in B minor
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: London Concertante Composer: MendelssohnI suspect the Mendelssohn Octet is a repertoire piece for London Concertante. At any rate, the players handle all its aspects with aplomb and I enjoyed their reading very much. What is more, they are excellently ...
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ArticleDohnányi: Violin Concertos no.1 in D minor op.27 & no.2 in C minor op.43
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Michael Ludwig (violin) Royal Scottish National Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta (conductor)Composer: DohnányiErno Dohnányi (1877–1960) suffered an eclipse after his death, ceding place in his native Hungary to Bartók and Kodály, and (except for his popular Nursery Variations) less of a platform performer after ...
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ArticleFauré: Cello Sonatas nos.1 & 2, Après un rêve, Papillon, Sicilienne, Romance, Berceuse, Sérénade
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Maria Kliegel (cello) Nina Tichman (piano)Composer: Fauré The relative rarity of Fauré’s cello sonatas in recitals is possibly connected with their dark character, the first written during the First World War, the second in 1921 near the end of ...
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ArticleHaydn: Violin Concertos in C major Hob.VIIa:1, A major Hob.VIIa:3 and G major Hob.VIIa:4
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Augustin Hadelich (violin) Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Helmut Müller-Brühl (conductor) Composer: Haydn2006 Indianapolis Competition victor Augustin Hadelich gives impressive accounts of Haydn’s three surviving violin concertos. Although there is plenty for advocates of period performance to baulk at, not least ...
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ArticleHindemith: Viola Sonatas op.11 no.4 & op.25 no.4, Solo Viola Sonatas op.11 no.5 & op.25 no.1
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Michael Zaretsky (viola) Xak Bjerken (piano) Composer: HindemithPaul Hindemith wrote all his viola music for his own use during his years as a soloist. The earliest piece is one of the most popular: the Sonata for viola and piano ...
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ArticleBartók: Violin Sonatas nos.1 & 2, Rhapsodies nos.1 & 2
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Georgy Valtchev (violin) Lora Tchekoratova (piano)Composer: BartókOn an interpretative level, this Bulgarian husband-and-wife team makes a first-rate duo. I find the distaff side of the partnership more consistent but there is no doubt that Georgy Valtchev and Lora Tchekoratova know Bartók’s music ...
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ArticleFeldman: The Viola in My Life I-IV
The Strad Issue: January 2008Musicians: Marek Konstantinowicz (viola) Cikada Ensemble, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Christian Eggen (conductor)Composer: Feldman The comparison is often made between Morton Feldman’s large spaces of sound nearing silence and the washy canvases of his friend Mark Rothko, but the ...
