Beethoven - String Quartets Nos. 9 & 10

Quatuor Turner:

Alessandro Moccia, violin
Adrian Chamorro, violin
Jean-Philippe Vasseur, viola
Ageet Zweistra, cello

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Artwork @ 300dpi = 83 mb

Total playing time: 58:50
Recorded 1998 | Released 2001

Recording:
November 1998, Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente, Haarlem, Netherlands

Harmonia Mundi - HMC 905252

Track listing:
1. No.10, Op.74 'The Harp' - 1. Poco adagio - Allegro
2. No.10, Op.74 'The Harp' - 2. Adagio ma non troppo
3. No.10, Op.74 'The Harp' - 3. Presto
4. No.10, Op.74 'The Harp' - 4. Allegretto con variazoni
5. No.9, Op.59 No.3 'Razoumovsky' - 1. Introduzione. Andante con moto - Allegro vivace
6. No.9, Op.59 No.3 'Razoumovsky' - 2. Andante con moto quasi allegretto
7. No.9, Op.59 No.3 'Razoumovsky' - 3. Menuetto
8. No.9, Op.59 No.3 'Razoumovsky' - 4. Allegretto molto

Info:
"The music of a lunatic": this was the musical public's reaction to the three quartets of opus 59 dedicated to Count Razumovsky and published in 1807, a year after they were composed. It is true that this music is eminently surprising: if ever a work expressed triumph over tragedy whilst marking a decisive advance on its own time, it is the Quartet in C major, in the margin of which Beethoven wrote, "Henceforth, make no secret of your deafness, even in your art." As for opus 74 (1809), it represents (with opus 95) the painful transition between these revolutionary works and what we now call the "late quartets".

Reviews:
Amazon.com editorial review
The Turner Quartet is a period-instrument group that equals more traditional quartets in personality, warmth, and innate feeling for Beethoven's peerless works. They zero in on the right tempo for any given passage, display a comparable sense of structure and rhythmic drive, as well as a masterful sense of dynamics. In the "Harp Quartet," they capture the ghostly opening beautifully, albeit with the clipped-phrase endings that tell you their Beethoven interpretations look forward from an earlier style. The slow movements of both works are done lovingly, although the plucked cello in the Andante of Op. 59 No. 3 is not nearly as prominent as in less understated performances. Throughout, the Turner's instrumental blend is impeccable, and they negotiate the faster movements with admirable swing and precise articulation. Harmonia Mundi's excellent sound is an added attraction to performances that, while they don't supplant the Italiano, Emerson, Talich, and Vegh Quartets, can be welcomed as viable alternative recordings of these inexhaustible pieces.


Gramophone (click to enlarge)

ClassicsToday
Several years ago, Quatuor Turner taped a wildly unconventional and thrilling survey of Beethoven's Op. 18 quartets as its debut release on Harmonia Mundi's Les Nouveaux Interprètes series. Now the Turners are back, this time playing the Op. 74 "Harp" quartet and the last of the Razumovskys with similarly iconoclastic force, in performances that are constantly alive to the structural demands of the music. By coincidence, Op. 74 (with Opp. 95 and 135) was recently recorded by the British Eroica Quartet for Harmonia Mundi, and comparisons between the two are revealing.

With the Turners, you'll get playing that's more urgently incisive. But this bristling ferocity comes at a price, and there are moments when the Turners don't match their rivals' tonal refinement, nor do they explore the textural subtleties of the music so effectively. A key instance comes in Op. 74's mysterious preface to its first movement, where the Eroicas observe dynamics more astutely. But what grips the imagination so completely with the Turner performance is the way the players highlight dynamic and expressive contrasts: the portentous Adagio shocks and chills after the exaltation of the opening allegro and the six variations of the finale also are fully characterized.

Beethoven's sketches for the moto-perpetuo finale of the C major Razumovsky were inscribed, "let your deafness no longer be a secret, even in your art", and this courageous personal resolve and heroism is highly palpable in Quatuor Turner's exceptionally committed reading. There are many superb recordings of this quartet, but on period instruments the Turner Quartet seems unrivalled, and the recorded sound is outstanding.


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Saint-Saëns - Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2

Trio Wanderer:

Vincent Coq - piano
Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian - violin
Raphaël Pidoux - cello

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Total playing time: 58:01
Recorded 2004 | Released 2005

Recording:
August 2004, Salle modulable IRCAM, Paris

Harmonia Mundi - HMC 901862

Track listing:
1. Trio n°1 op.18 - Allegro Non Troppo
2. Trio n°1 op.18 - Andante
3. Trio n°1 op.18 - Scherzo
4. Trio n°1 op.18 - Allegro
5. Trio n°2 op.92 - Allegro Non Troppo
6. Trio n°2 op.92 - Allegretto
7. Trio n°2 op.92 - Andante Con Moto
8. Trio n°2 op.92 - Gracioso, Poco Allegro
9. Trio n°2 op.92 - Allegro

Reviews:
ClassicsToday
These are breathtakingly beautiful performances of breathtakingly beautiful music. Trio No. 1 is one of Saint-Saëns' earliest chamber works, but it shows his trademark style fully in place: elegant, tuneful, and supremely confident in its craftsmanship. The most noteworthy thing about the work, aside from the lovely thematic material, is the characterful use of syncopated rhythms in all four movements. How marvelously the members of Trio Wanderer realize this aspect! Compared to them, the otherwise decent Joachim Trio on Naxos sounds as if it's standing in place. Listen to the vitality the Wanderer brings to the opening movement, or to the heartfelt simplicity of the andante's folk-song main theme, or to the confidence and joie de vivre in the scherzo's delicious rhythmic games. It's simply irresistible.

The Second Trio is less rambunctious in style but more interesting in form, with five movements (two dance pieces bracket a central Andante con moto) and a dazzling contrapuntal finale. Once again it's difficult to imagine the performance being better. Pianist Vincent Coq is particularly impressive, displaying a truly memorable ability to handle Saint-Saëns' fistfuls of notes with just the right touch: light, fluid, and perfectly even. His scales (and Saint-Saëns always writes lots of them) are a joyous experience all by themselves, which is not to take anything away from his similarly immaculate string-playing colleagues. Ideally balanced sonics and a warm acoustic complete a disc that comes as close to perfection as we have any right to expect. Gorgeous!


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Bach - Fantasia and Fugue in A minor, Aria Variata, etc.

Angela Hewitt: piano

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Artwork @ 300dpi included

Total playing time: 67:41
Recorded 2004 | Released 2004

Recording:
3-5 February 2004, Henry Wood Hall, London

Hyperion CDA67499

Track listing:
1. Fantasia & Fugue in a, BWV 904: Fantasia
2. Fantasia & Fugue in a, BWV 904: Fugue
3. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Aria
4. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation I
5. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation II
6. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation III
7. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation IV
8. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation V
9. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation VI
10. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation VII
11. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation VIII
12. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation IX
13. Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana', BWV 989: Variation X
14. Sonata in D, BWV 963: I.
15. Sonata in D, BWV 963: II.
16. Sonata in D, BWV 963: III. Fugue
17. Sonata in D, BWV 963: IV. Adagio
18. Sonata in D, BWV 963: V. Thema all' imitatio Gallina Cuccu
19. Partie in A, BWV 832: I. Allemande
20. Partie in A, BWV 832: II. Air pour les trompettes
21. Partie in A, BWV 832: III. Sarabande
22. Partie in A, BWV 832: IV. Bourrée
23. Partie in A, BWV 832: V. Gigue
24. Suite in f, BWV 823: I. Prelude
25. Suite in f, BWV 823: II. Sarabande en Rondeau
26. Suite in f, BWV 823: III. Gigue
27. Adagio in G, BWV 968
28. Fugue in C, BWV 953
29. Jesu, meine Zuversicht, BWV 728
30. Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, BWV 691
31. Fantasia & Fugue in a, BWV 944: Fantasia
32. Fantasia & Fugue in a, BWV 944: Fugue

Reviews:
Gramophone
A fine musician completes her Bach keyboard journey with a choice selection

Miscellaneous Bach, but Angela Hewitt isn't scraping the bottom of the barrel. On the contrary, she has selected what appeals to her - pieces from 'different periods of Bach's life on this, the last planned CD of solo keyboard works'. Hewitt largely bows out on a high. The degree of preciosity that had crept into her playing of the English Suites has been eradicated, and her musicianship is of the stature that we have come to expect from a thoughtful artist.
A profound one, too, as her interpretation of the Adagio, BWV968, readily shows. This is a transcription (if not by Bach, possibly by his son Wilhelm Friedemann) of the first movement of the unaccompanied Violin Sonata in C major. It is, as Hewitt says, 'a strange and beautiful work' and she extols its qualities through a sustained line and lambent sonority. A similarly thoughtful attitude pays equal dividends in the Suite BWV823; the Prelude and Sarabande are introspective, the Gigue graceful yet sharply rhythmic, and the interpretation is enhanced by the attention paid to the importance of the left hand. Given the positive virtues that abound, it is puzzling to hear the Fugues BWV953 and 944 played in a detached manner. The tempi are well chosen, yet the expectations raised by Hewitt's own descriptions 'in joyous mood' and 'whirlwind moto perpetuo' respectively are not met. Still, it is the only lapse in a series of performances where freedom over articulation, phrasing, embellishment, dynamics and tempo is governed by an artistic sense of responsibility; and the whole recital is heard in a shrewdly balanced recording of fine tonal verisimilitude.

Musicweb
Angela Hewitt’s notes state that this is the last of her CDs of solo Bach keyboard works. It has been a significant series, a laudable one, and there’s no lessening in perception in this volume. It takes a disparate collection of works written over the course of Bach’s career. There are no obvious ties that bind them, though equally the programming as such is perfectly explicable. They show, as she says, great variety stylistically – and that’s one of the greatest of the pleasures to be gathered from this disc.

She certainly evokes the organ sonorities of the Fantasia and Fugue in A minor with commensurate clarity and precision in the Fugue; textures here are luminous, voicings apt, and there is no sense either of diminution of feeling or of unscaled extravagance. Similarly with the Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana' which appears in Andreas Bach’s Book and was probably written in 1709. Like the Goldberg Variations the theme returns at the end. Hewitt disregards the Largo indication for the first variation taking it at a more animated tempo, which feels right, and her left hand pointing in the third variation is captivating. Similarly the sense of speed, accuracy and control is nowhere more apparent than in variation eight and her apposite ornamentation shows itself in the return of the theme in the last, tenth variation.

BWV963 is the only original keyboard sonata by Bach – the others are transcriptions or used material by Reinken. Here she vests the short second movement with great amplitude and prettily brings out the quixotic chicken and cuckoo imitations in the finale marked, as if one couldn’t guess, Theme all’imitatio Gallina Cuccu. Entertaining though it is to hear this rather unbalanced and eccentric sonata the Partie in A major has rather more depth. It was for long thought to be by Telemann and its highlight, as Hewitt suggests, is the second movement Air for trompettes – unique for Bach and tremendous fun to listen to as well, one imagines, to play. The Suite in F minor is an explicitly French influenced compound whose middle movement, a Sarabande en Rondeau, has a gentle gravity; it actually sounds rather reserved here, though her articulation is first class.

Elsewhere we can speculate on the (doubtful) Adagio in C minor; it’s derived from the opening movement of Bach’s violin sonata in C major BWV 968 but the arrangement may well be by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. Her Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten is effectively realised and one can admire the control of her Fugal playing in the Fantasia and Fugue in A minor BWV944 which by virtue of good programming and symmetry matches the opening piece in the same key, BWV904.

Hewitt’s notes are written in a down to earth and attractive way and she has been afforded the same warm and yet detailed acoustic as was the case in previous volumes.

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Bach - Gamba Sonatas

Jaap ter Linden: Viola da gamba
Richard Egarr: harpsichord

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Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 91 mb
Artwork @ 300dpi = 22 mb

Total playing time: 61:15
Recorded 1999 | Released 2000

Recording:
October 17-19, 1999, St. George's Brandon Hill, Bristol, England

Harmonia Mundi - HMU 907268

Track listing:
1. Sonata in G Major BWV 1027 - Adagio
2. Sonata in G Major BWV 1027 - Allegro ma non tanto
3. Sonata in G Major BWV 1027 - Andante
4. Sonata in G Major BWV 1027 - Allegro Moderato
5. Capriccio in B-flat Major BWV 992 - Arioso, Adagio
6. Capriccio in B-flat Major BWV 992 - Double
7. Capriccio in B-flat Major BWV 992 - Adagiosissimo
8. Capriccio in B-flat Major BWV 992 - Double
9. Capriccio in B-flat Major BWV 992 - Allegro Poco
10. Capriccio in B-flat Major BWV 992 - Fuga
11. Sonata in D Major BWV 1028 - Adagio
12. Sonata in D Major BWV 1028 - Allegro
13. Sonata in D Major BWV 1028 - Andante
14. Sonata in D Major BWV 1028 - Allegro
15. Capriccio in E Major BWV 993
16. Sonata in G Minor BWV 1029 - Vivace
17. Sonata in G Minor BWV 1029 - Adagio
18. Sonata in G Minor BWV 1029 - Allegro

Reviews:
Gramophone
Linden and Egarr's lively, well-recorded readings, with their rich, lyrical sound, can take on any other recent recording.

Selected comparisons:
Savall, Koopman (6/00) (ALIA) AV9812
Luolajan-Mikkola, Spányi (7/00) (BIS) CD 1061
Crum, Cummings (7/00) (SIGN) SIGCD024

This is the fourth new recording of the Bach gamba sonatas to have come my way in the year 2000 - proof, no doubt, of the deserved popularity of these finely wrought, tuneful and attractively varied pieces. Indeed, if one had to choose just one CD to represent Bach's instrumental chamber music, then among the plethora of transcriptions and double albums there would perhaps be no better group of works to pick than these.
Jaap ter Linden and Richard Egarr enter a largish field which includes a number of modern cellists unable to resist this superb music, but they emerge as serious contenders for a placing. Linden is one of very few players to have recorded not only these works on the gamba but also Bach's solo cello suites on a baroque cello, and his sound has the smoothness and rich lyricism that one tends to associate with the latter instrument, while at the same time retaining something of the gamba's pleasing incisiveness of line. Richard Egarr's harpsichord is splendidly sonorous, and while his tautly controlled playing is in many ways the opposite of Linden's, the meeting of instruments and minds is nevertheless a happy one. Egarr, playing an obbligato part, has less opportunity to show off his individualism than he would in an improvised continuo accompaniment, but, even if he could have been favoured a little more in the balance, his ability to orchestrate an impressive range of sounds from his instrument is still in evidence, especially in the concerto-like Sonata in G minor. He also dispatches the disc's filler items - two of Bach's early, somewhat old-fashioned solo harpsichord pieces - with vigorous and virtuosic aplomb.
Compared with their recent rivals, then, these are lively performances which steer a comfortable middle course between those of the rich-toned but slightly unimaginative Markku Luolajan-Mikkola and Miklós Spányi and the more intense and inspired but sloppily recorded Jordi Savall and Ton Koopman. Alison Crum and Laurence Cummings suffer too much from a balance unkind to the gamba. It all comes down to taste, of course, but this new recording may just be the one to live with.

Andante
Bach's three beautiful sonatas for gamba and harpsichord are so often played (and recorded) on the cello that the original sound - weak and wheezing is perhaps a harsh but not inaccurate description - takes some getting used to (HMU 907268). Jaap ter Linden, with harpsichordist Richard Egarr, offers the most convincing of several recent versions. He manages to overcome his instrument's acoustical problems, producing both a finely-spun legato and considerable firm articulation. He and Egarr produce true chamber music. The miking sometimes slights the harpsichord, except in the two solo Capriccios (BWV 992,993) which add a lovely contrast.


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Piazzolla, Ginastera, Guastavino - Pasión Argentina

Cello Octet Conjunto Ibérico - Elias Arizcuren (dir.)

Robert Putowski, Jeroen den Herder, Esmé de Vries, Ilonka van den Bercken, Lucie Stepanova, Sanne Bijker, Esther Iglesias, Mikolaj Palosz

Elena Gragera: mezzo-soprano

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Total playing time: 63:25
Recorded 2006 | Released 2007

Recording:
November 10-12 2006, Doopsgezinde Kerk, Deventer, Holland

Challenge Classics CC72170

Info:
Based in Amsterdam, Conjunto Ibérico is the only full-time cello octet in the world. The group of cellists has performed Spanish and South American music around the world and has inspired top composers like Philip Glass to write for them, resulting in 60 premieres and 13 CDs.

Track listing:
1. Astor Piazzolla - Milongas 1 El Titere
2. Astor Piazzolla - Milongas 2 A don Nicanor Paredes
3. Astor Piazzolla - Milongas 3 Alguien le dice al tango
4. Alberto Ginastera - Pampeana n.2
5. Alberto Ginastera - Canciones argentinas 1 Chacarera
6. Alberto Ginastera - Canciones argentinas 2 Triste
7. Alberto Ginastera - Canciones argentinas 3 Zamba
8. Alberto Ginastera - Canciones argentinas 4 Arrorro
9. Alberto Ginastera - Canciones argentinas 5 Gato
10. Alberto Ginastera - Canciones argentinas 6 Cancion al arbol del olvido
11. Alberto Ginastera - Ballet Estancia 1 Los trabajadores agricolas
12. Alberto Ginastera - Ballet Estancia 2 Danza del trigo
13. Alberto Ginastera - Ballet Estancia 3 Los peones de la hacienda
14. Alberto Ginastera - Ballet Estancia 4 El amanecer
15. Alberto Ginastera - Ballet Estancia 5 Malambo
16. Carlos Guastavino - Canciones populares 1 Hermano
17. Carlos Guastavino - Canciones populares 2 Abismo de sed
18. Carlos Guastavino - Canciones populares 3 El Sampedrino
19. Carlos Guastavino - Canciones populares 4 Mi vina de Chapanay
20. Carlos Guastavino - Canciones populares 5 Se equivoco la paloma
21. Carlos Guastavino - Canciones populares 6 Milonga de los hermanos

Reviews:
All Music Guide
This CD is a real anomaly: a recording of Latin American music for voice and eight cellos that does NOT include Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5! The repertoire presented here is so rich that the Villa-Lobos isn't even missed (and for fans who crave hearing Conjunto Ibérico perform it, the group has recorded it for Channel Classics). All of the pieces are expertly arranged for cello octet by Conjunto Ibérico's conductor Elias Arizcuren and Pablo Escande. The three composers represented, Piazzolla, Ginastera, and Guastavino, are all Argentinean, and the music throbs with rhythmic vitality. Mezzo-soprano Elena Gragera is a real find -- she has a luscious but earthy voice that's absolutely secure over her broad range, and she sings with infectious naturalness and abandon. Piazzolla's three Milongas are exuberant and loose-limbed, in the spirit of his tango-inflected music. Ginastera's Canciones argentinas show more of a European influence, but they are still clearly rooted in folk song. The ensemble plays two other Ginastera transcriptions, Pampeana No. 2, originally for cello and piano, and selections from his nationalistic ballet Estancia, whose languid slow movements are especially engaging. The six of Guastavino's 12 Canciones populares performed here are immediately appealing songs. The cello octet performs with the same abandon and freedom as Gragera, making this vibrant music dance so naturally that is hard to remain still while listening to it. The sound quality is clear and present, with excellent balance.

Yo-Yo Ma
"This ensemble is a treasure indeed, a fine example to the world of music ... Wherever I play - Brazil, Japan, the USA - people talk to me about Conjunto Ibérico ... Elias Arizcuren is a true visionary, who has achieved something absolutely unique with his group."

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Nino Rota - Chamber Music

Kremerata Musica

Anna Maria Pammer: soprano
Felix Renggli: flute
Sharon Bezaly: flute
Markus Deuter: oboe
Heinz Holliger: oboe
Bernhard Zachhuber: clarinet
Elmar Schmid: clarinet
Radovan Vlatkovic: horn
Volker Altmann: horn
Klaus Thunemann: bassoon
Lorelei Dowling: bassoon
Maria Graf: harp
Hanna Weinmeister: violin
Gidon Kremer: violin
Gérard Caussé: viola
Firmiam Lermer: viola
Howard Penny: cello
Erich Hehenberger: double bass
Alena Chernushenko: piano
Mascha Smirnov: piano
Marino Formenti: piano
Oleg Maisenberg: piano
Hagen Quartet: string quartet


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Total playing time: 71:52
Recorded 1996 | Released 1997

Recording:
1996, Lockenhaus Festival, Austria (recorded live)

BIS-CD-870

Track listing:
1. Piccola Offerta Musicale for wind quintet (1943)
2. Sarabanda e Toccata per Arpa (1945) - 1 Sarabanda
3. Sarabanda e Toccata per Arpa (1945) - 2 Toccata
4. Trio per flauto, Violino e Pianoforte (1958) - 1 Allegro ma non troppo
5. Trio per flauto, Violino e Pianoforte (1958) - 2 Andante sostenuto
6. Trio per flauto, Violino e Pianoforte (1958) - 3 Allegro vivace con spirito
7. Ippolito gioca per Pianoforte (1930)
8. Il Presepio for soprano and string quartet (1958)
9. Catilena (1971)
10. Intermezzo per Viola e Pianoforte
11. Puccettino nella giungla (1971)
12. Nonetto (1959) - 1 Allegro
13. Nonetto (1959) - 2 Andante
14. Nonetto (1959) - 3 Allegro con spirito
15. Nonetto (1959) - 4 Canzone con Variazioni
16. Nonetto (1959) - 5 Vivacissimo

Reviews:
Gramophone
As with other composers who have made a big reputation with film scores (Rósza and Alwyn, to take but two examples), Nino Rota's numerous other compositions - concertos, oratorios, ballets and operas, including the entertaining Italian Straw Hat and Two Shy People - have tended to be overlooked; and these recordings from Gidon Kremer's festival last year in the little Austrian town of Lockenhaus provide an interesting focus on his chamber-music output. He was not a profound composer nor an avant-gardist, but contented himself with writing music skilfully crafted and immediately accessible, sometimes lapsing into the merely facile but, at its best, concise and tonally adventurous, with refreshingly clean, economical textures and disclosing a gift for long-breathed lines.
The most substantial work here is the Nonet, which Rota revised over a period of nearly two decades until 1977. The first and third of its five movements are characterized by a cheeky cheerfulness; the ingenious and engaging variations that constitute the fourth movement provide a showcase for each of the instruments in the ensemble. Also enjoyable is the earlier Trio, especially its finale, largely a brilliant moto perpetuo: its first movement is boisterously busy, with reflective interludes, its central Andante revealing pensive contrapuntal lines, though with a disturbed middle section that suggests some sense of frustration. Working backwards chronologically, the Intermezzo for viola is predominantly melancholy, with ong melodic contours, but with a diversity of mood; and the ternary Little Musical Offering (dedicated to Rota's teacher Casella) is both charming and effervescent: it is not only the wind quintet scoring that makes me think of the French school, Jean Françaix in particular. This work - like everything else on this disc, indeed - is expertly played, and the recording throughout is exemplary. (A pity about a cougher in the 17-year-old's piece for soprano and string quartet: otherwise there's no suspicion that an audience was present.)

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Ensemble 415 (Chiara Banchini) - Concerti Napoletani per Violoncello

Ensemble 415 - Chiara Banchini (dir.)

Robert Putowski, Jeroen den Herder, Esmé de Vries, Ilonka van den Bercken, Lucie Stepanova, Sanne Bijker, Esther Iglesias, Mikolaj Palosz

Gaetano Nasillo: cello

Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 409 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 98 mb
Artwork @ 300dpi = 28 mb

Total playing time: 70:07
Recorded 2004 | Released 2005

Recording:
May 31 - June 4 2004, Eglise de Frasnes-le-Chateau, France

Zig-Zag Territoires ZZT 050302


Track listing:
Nicola Fiorenza (1700c-1764):
1. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso in Fa maggiore - 1. Presto
2. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso in Fa maggiore - 2. Allegro
3. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso in Fa maggiore - 3. Largo
4. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso in Fa maggiore 4. Allegro

Nicola Porpora (1686-1768):
5. Concerto in Sol maggiore - 1. Adagio
6. Concerto in Sol maggiore - 2. Allegro
7. Concerto in Sol maggiore - 3. Adagio
8. Concerto in Sol maggiore - 4. Allegro

Leonardo Leo (1694-1744)
9. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini in La maggiore - 1.Andantino gracioso
10. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini in La maggiore - 2. Allegro
11. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini in La maggiore - 3. Larghetto
12. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini in La maggiore - 4. Allegro

Nicola Fiorenza (1700c-1764):
13. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso continuo in La minore - 1. Largo
14. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso continuo in La minore - 2. Allegro
15. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso continuo in La minore - 3. Adagio
16. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso continuo in La minore - 4. Allegro

Nicola Sabatino (1705c-1796):
17. Solo di violoncello con due violini e basso in Sol maggiore - 1. Largo assai
18. Solo di violoncello con due violini e basso in Sol maggiore - 2. Fuga
19. Solo di violoncello con due violini e basso in Sol maggiore - 3. Adagio
20. Solo di violoncello con due violini e basso in Sol maggiore - 4. Allegro ma presto


Reviews:
Audaud
Calling themselves "children of the apogee of the compact disc," the founders of the Zig-Zag Territoires label celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2006. During their first decade and since, they have produced more than 100 releases which have illuminated the record catalogues with incomparably high musical and packaging achievements. Whether it's their complete set of the Beethoven symphonies conducted by Jos van Immerseel or this breathtaking disc of gorgeous 18th century cello concertos, Zig-Zag is definitely one of the essential French labels.

As its catalogue has grown, Zig-Zag's approach to sound recording, developed by Franck Jaffrès, has become established as one of the label’s hallmarks. At its best, which is most of the time, it has come to mean a commitment to capturing the texture of the original instruments which perform most of the recordings, not just on a superficial basis but within a profoundly deep musical and acoustical context. So, for example, on this CD, you hear the bite of the bow on the string and the texture of each note not just from the dazzlingly elegant soloist, Gaetano Nasillo, but seemingly from each of the instruments in Chiara Banchini's Ensemble 415.

The cello concertos on this disc, highlighting the the rise of a virtuoso repertoire for cello in Naples in the last part of the 17th century and the first part of the 18th, varies considerably in emotional temperature. There are two fiercely attractive, ferociously minor key concertos by Nicola Fiorenza (d. 1764), and one very laid-back major key one by Nicola Sabatino (c1705-1796), both relatively obscure composers and teachers. By way of contrast there are two extremely gracious and seductive major key concertos by two relatively well-known composers, Nicola Porpora and Leonardo Leo.

In each, Nasillo, Banchini and the Ensemble 415 conspire to capture from the opening bar the nature of the music and an accompanying sense of where its beauties will lie, which make listening a total joy. Only in slower stretches of the Sabatino does their energy and inspiration flag. Overall, this is very heady stuff, as if Yo-Yo Ma had been transfigured back through the centuries, handed a Baroque cello and told to play his heart out according to the stylistic guidelines of the time.

While Zig-Zag's current packaging is not as sumptuous as its first releases were, they still feature provocatively original paintings by Anne Peultier and thoughtful, well-translated (and extended) program notes, in this case by Stefano Aresi. And the sound, of course, as noted above, is sublime.

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Warning: there were some errors ("suspicious positions") while ripping this cd. They are inaudible as far as I can tell...

Suspicious position 1:06:42
Suspicious position 1:06:44 - 1:06:48
Suspicious position 1:06:50
Suspicious position 1:06:54
Suspicious position 1:06:56

Schubert - The Symphonies

Nikolaus Harnoncourt - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

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Artwork @ 300dpi = 22 mb

Total playing time: 279:41
Recorded 1992 | Released 2005

NOTE: this set has two extra tracks compared to the original Teldec issue! These can be downloaded separately.

Recorded:
May & November 1992, The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

Released:
2005, Warner Classics 2564 62323-2

Track listing:
CD 1 - 75:21
Symphony No.1 in D major, D82
Symphony No.4 in C minor, D417 "Tragic"
Overture in the Italian Style in D major, D590
Overture in the Italian Style in C major, D591

CD 2 - 69:01
Symphony No.2 in B flat major, D125
Symphony No.6 in C major, D589

CD 3 - 77:43
Symphony No.3 in D major, D200
Symphony No.5 in B flat major, D485
Symphony No.8 in B minor, D759 "Unfinished"

CD 4 - 58:23
Symphony No.9 in C major, D944 "Great"

Reviews:
Musicweb
Schubert seems to be particularly well served in the CD catalogues at the moment and I for one am most happy with the extensive choice available across his broad range of genres. The Warner Classics label have re-released this four disc box set of recordings that were originally available at full-price on Teldec 4509-91184-2. The only difference from the acclaimed 1993 Teldec set that I am aware of is the inclusion of the two seldom heard D major and C major Overtures in the Italian Style, from 1817. Several of the original Teldec recordings have also been released on Warners’ Elatus and Apex labels.

I understand that Maestro Harnoncourt has studied Schubert’s own manuscripts and has removed many of the inauthentic amendments that have ended up in the printed editions. Readers may well be aware that musicologist Stefano Mollo undertook a similar exercise for Claudio Abbado on his complete set with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe on Deutsche Grammophon. Some of Harnoncourt’s corrections are consistent with Abbado’s, such as the deletion of the eight bars that were added to the first movement exposition of the Fourth Symphony. However, there is little consistency as Harnoncourt does not make the same corrections as Abbado to the andante and the scherzo of the Ninth Symphony. The otherwise excellent Warner booklet notes are rather unhelpful in this area, offering no information about the methodology or the actual corrections made.

Schubert’s close friend Johann Vogl said of him shortly after their first meeting, “There is not enough of the charlatan about him.” These words perhaps suggest that Schubert was less than a streetwise character, a sort of innocent abroad who took his style of musical integrity too seriously, for Schubert’s undoubted gift was for spontaneous and lyrical melody. He turned out melody after melody inspired by his contact with everyday scenes and the emotions of real life. Schubert was strongly influenced by the music that he was studying and hearing: firstly the operas of the Italian masters, which had been recommended to him by Salieri. He then advanced to the music of Haydn, Rossini, Mozart and latterly some Beethoven.

I am in agreement with the view that Schubert’s orchestration is superbly warm and colourful, rarely at fault technically. There may occasionally be ill-judged effects of balance but this is seldom experienced. Music writer Warwick Thompson describes Schubert’s music as having the qualities of, “simplicity, a great sense of vision, and a total lack of pretension ... Schubert’s mature work is never less than a miracle of concision; there is nothing wasted; nothing superfluous; nothing padded or palmed off. ” Musicologist Eric Bloom refers to Schubert as the most transparent of composers and has written about his conspicuous and repeatedly used trademark procedure of distributing harmonic light and shade in his scores by his free and frequent use of interchange of the major and minor keys.

Schubert’s early symphonies are soundly classical in form and not surprisingly they are highly influenced by Haydn and Mozart in form and style, scarcely foreshadowing the greatness that was to come. Schubert’s two symphonic masterworks, the Symphony No. 8 ‘Unfinished’ and the Symphony No. 9 ‘Great’ contain his unmistakable musical fingerprints; his wonderful lyricism; engaging personal charm and his special Viennese gemutlichkeit.

In the first three Symphonies: D major D82; B flat major D125 and D major D200, composed between 1811 to 1814, Harnoncourt superbly directs the Concertgebouw in performances faithful to the Viennese classical tradition. Maestro Harnoncourt never tries to plumb imaginary emotional depths; yet there is an innate sense of discovery from the first bar to the last. The slow movement’s rhythmic pulse is strongly emphasised and the tonal richness of the Concertgebouw strings is memorable. There is a touch too much weightiness given to the menuettos; an observation that has been levelled at other versions.

Between composing his Third and Fourth Symphonies Schubert became acquainted with Beethoven’s music. The Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D417 ‘Tragic’ from 1816 betrays the influence of Beethoven. The four-note rhythm that pervades virtually the whole of the score is not unlike the one that dominates the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The ‘tragic’ pretensions of Schubert’s Fourth, the only one in a minor key, are not cut from the heart-on-sleeve cloth of Tchaikovsky and the world-embracing epics of Mahler. It has been said that the ‘tragedy’ that Schubert was now infusing into some of his writing was an attempt to produce another ‘Eroica’. The subtitle of ‘Tragic’ it appears was appended by the composer to the some time after the work’s completion.

The popular second movement andante of the ‘Tragic’ is given an especially fine performance accentuating the buoyant melodies. In the finale Harnoncourt brings out the strikingly original harmonies of a true Romantic character. As an alternative I am impressed by the intensity of the account from Carlo Maria Giulini and the New Philharmonia Orchestra, recorded live at the Edinburgh Festival in 1968, on BBCL 4093-2 c/w Beethoven Missa Solemnis.

The Symphony No. 5 in B flat major from 1816 is generally acknowledged as one of Schubert’s three most loved symphonies. Although the classical structure and style of Haydn and Mozart are present, neither could have composed the B flat major score owing to Schubert’s remarkable facility for individual expression.

The first and final movements of the B flat major Symphony are buoyant and light-hearted and here display appropriate measures of Haydnesque wit, Mozartian grace and lightness of touch. Harnoncourt is patient and controlled throughout the inordinately long and sentimental slow movement, with the Concertgebouw strings and woodwind in outstanding form. I would not wish to be without the beautiful performance from Karl Böhm and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on a Deutsche Grammophon ‘The Originals’ series 447 433-2, c/w Beethoven Symphony No.6 ‘Pastoral’.

Schubert’s Symphony No. 6 in C major, D589 dating from 1818 is sometimes known as the ‘Little’ C Major’ to distinguish it from the later, larger and greater C major Symphony No. 9. The ‘Little’ C Major’ score, which just predates his famous chamber masterwork the ‘Trout’ Quintet D667, is generally one of the least regarded of Schubert’s Symphonies. Musicologist David Ewen states that, “It is one of the least interesting of Schubert’s symphonies. Nor does fresh lyrical invention compensate for an overall monotony of style.” In this ‘Little’ C Major Symphony Schubert for the first time moves away from his usual third movement menuetto and clearly marks the movement a scherzo.

In the ‘Little’ C Major Symphony the excellent woodwind section of the Concertgebouw have significant roles, especially in the opening movement and are to be congratulated for their pleasing mellow tone. There is particularly fine playing in the fleetness of the third movement scherzo in which mainly energetic material is interspersed with contrasting episodes of calm and sobriety in the trio. The interpretation of the sober finale is most successful, superbly moulding both the capricious first subject and the second subject which is presented in a perpetual-motion style. Harnoncourt and his players crank-up an impressive head of steam to the score’s conclusion.

Schubert’s orchestral masterwork the ‘Unfinished’ Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D759 remains one of the most perennial mysteries of classical music. Intended as a gift to the Graz Music Society to show his gratitude for his honorary diploma, no one knows for certain why Schubert failed to complete the Symphony leaving only two sublime and almost perfect movements and a nine measures of an intended scherzo.

The work is a moderately paced symphony in triple-time and there is often a temptation by conductors to lose control and flex their muscles inappropriately. In this case Harnoncourt provides an impressively poignant mood throughout and Schubert’s ravishingly beautiful themes are performed with considerable affection. The interpretation ensures the impact of the dramatic climaxes and the effect of the dynamic contrasts. The Concertgebouw woodwind do their level best with their rich and velvety tone to demonstrate the accuracy of Julius Harrison’s belief that Schubert’s woodwind writing in the ‘Unfinished’ Symphony was, “sheer inspiration”. This is a superbly performed account with most attractive, highly stylish and restrained playing.

I remain impressed with the recording of the ‘Unfinished’ Symphony that John Pritchard made with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1975 at Watford Town Hall, available on Classics for Pleasure 5748852, c/w Symphony No. 9 in C major, D944 ‘Great’. I still have my original vinyl version of the Pritchard on Music for Pleasure label CFP 40370. Those who have a penchant for historical recordings may wish to search out a recently released ‘Unfinished’ from Wilhelm Furtwängler and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, that I am informed was recorded in January 1950. It is available on the budget Ermitage label 12054-2.

The score of the ‘Great’ C major Symphony No. 9, D944, dated March 1828, was discovered by Robert Schumann amongst numerous manuscripts held by Schubert’s brother Ferdinand. In a letter to his wife, Clara Schumann, he penned these immortal words: “I have found a symphony of heavenly length”. Of the many accolades given to this wonderful symphony, Mendelssohn described the score as, “Bright, fascinating and original throughout, it stands at the head of his (Schubert’s) instrumental works.” Musicologist David Ewen has described the score as containing, “monumental power, profound emotional content, great complexity and individuality.” It should be noted that older publications will refer to the ‘Great’ C major Symphony as the Symphony No. 7 owing to the original order of publication.

Harnoncourt, with impressive bite and energy maintains a seemingly unstoppable forward momentum in the vast opening movement; the longest Schubert ever wrote in a symphony. The second movement andante is described by musicologist Brian Newbould as a, “not-very-slow slow movement (like that of Beethoven’s seventh)”. The extremes of lyricism and dynamism are expressively and compellingly interpreted and in the vast scherzo there is tremendous weight and considerable vigour. Unlike many readings Harnoncourt refuses to take the stupendous climax at a tremendous speed preferring to concentrate on maintaining a controlled intensity and tension.

I have a particular fondness for the acclaimed account of the ‘Great’ C major from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Eugen Jochum which I believe was recorded in 1958. It is available on Deutsche Grammophon 477 5354, c/w Symphony No.5 in B Major, D485. Some readers will recall this Jochum recording being available on Pickwick’s Contour Red Label on vinyl CC 7512, back in 1981.

On this critically acclaimed set Harnoncourt directs wonderful playing from the Concertgebouw and displays impressive sensitivity allowing the listener to appreciate nuance and detail. The main competition is the award winning 1988 set from Claudio Abbado and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe on five discs (Deutsche Grammophon 423 651-2). Although I marginally favour Harnoncourt for the extra element of control neither of these wonderful sets will disappoint. I also admire the complete set from the experienced Haydn conductor Sir Colin Davis and the Dresden State Orchestra on RCA 09026 62673-2. Another worthy of consideration is from Karl Böhm and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, on Deutsche Grammophon 417 307-2.

The Teldec engineers for Warner Classics have provided a wonderful sound quality throughout and musicologist Brian Newbould’s scholarly essay is outstanding. A highly recommendable set.

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Paganini - 24 Caprices

Itzhak Perlman: violin

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Total playing time: 72:29
Recorded 1972 | Released 2000

Recorded:
10.I.1972, Brent Town Hall, London
11,12.I.1972, No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Released:
2000, EMI 7243 5 67237 2 6

Track listing:
1. Caprice Op.1, No.1 in E Major
2. Caprice Op.1, No.2 in B minor
3. Caprice Op.1, No.3 in E minor
4. Caprice Op.1, No.4 in C minor
5. Caprice Op.1, No.5 in A minor
6. Caprice Op.1, No.6 in G minor
7. Caprice Op.1, No.7 in A minor
8. Caprice Op.1, No.8 in E-flat Major
9. Caprice Op.1, No.9 in E Major
10. Caprice Op.1, No.10 in G minor
11. Caprice Op.1, No.11 in C Major
12. Caprice Op.1, No.12 in A-flat Major
13. Caprice Op.1, No.13 in B-flat Major
14. Caprice Op.1, No.14 in E-flat Major
15. Caprice Op.1, No.15 in E minor
16. Caprice Op.1, No.16 in G minor
17. Caprice Op.1, No.17 in E-flat Major
18. Caprice Op.1, No.18 in C Major
19. Caprice Op.1, No.19 in E-flat Major
20. Caprice Op.1, No.20 in D Major
21. Caprice Op.1, No.21 in A Major
22. Caprice Op.1, No.22 in F Major
23. Caprice Op.1, No.23 in E-flat Major
24. Caprice Op.1, No.24 in A minor

Reviews:

Gramophone (click to enlarge)




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Frescobaldi - Canzoni

Bruno Cocset & Les Basses Réunies

Bruno Cocset, ténor de violon, basse de violon "a la Bastarda" & direction
Emmanuel Jacques, ténor & basse de violon
Emmanuel Balssa, basse de violon
Richard Myron, violone & contrebasse
William Dongois, cornets
Xavier Diaz-Latorre, théorbe
Christina Pluhar, harpe
Luca Guglielmi & Laurent Stewart, clavecin & claviorganum

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Artwork @ 300dpi (jpg) = 30 mb
Artwork @ 300dpi (pdf) = 18 mb

Total playing time: 64:51
Recorded 2003 | Released 2004

Recording:
September 2003, Chapelle de l'hôpital Notre-Dame de Bon Secours, Paris

Alpha 053

Track listing:
1. Vigesimaquarta a Due Bassi e Canto detta la Nobile
2. Ottava a Basso Solo detta l'ambitiosa
3. Prima a 4, Canto Alto Tenor Basse Sopra Rugier
4. Seconda a Canto Solo detta la Bernardinia
5. Undecima a Due Canti detta la Plettenberger
6. Prima a 2 Bassi
7. Trigesima Quinta detta l'Alessandrina
8. Seconda a 2, Canto e Basso
9. Terza a 2, Canto e Basso
10. Prima a Basso Solo (Sesta detta Laltera)
11. Quinta a 4, Canto Alto Tenor Basse
12. Decimasettima a Due Bassi detta la Diodata
13. Quarta a 4, Due Canti e Due Bassi
14. Prima a 2, Canto e Basso
15. Quintadecima a 2 Bassi detta la Lieuoratta
16. Settima a Basso Solo detta la Superba
17. Decimasesta a 2 Bassi detta la Samminiata
18. Seconda a 4, Due Canti e Due Bassi
19. Quinta a 3, Due Canti e Basso
20. Terza a Canto Solo detta la Donatina
21. Seconda a 4, Canto Alto Tenor Basse Sopra Romanesca

Reviews:
Gramophone
Canzonas with not a recorder to be heard — and none the worse for that

As this ensemble's name implies, viols are the start here, and part of the disc's attraction lies in the novelty of hearing these pieces, which are played often enough, in an instrumentation that largely dispenses with the more usual winds. The only touch of nonstring colour is provided by the cornetto.
This may sound monochrome, but one quickly gets used to it. The role of the continuo is immeasurably enhanced, becoming not so much a backdrop to the solo lines (as Bruno Cocset points out in his booklet-notes) as their foundation. And the continuo section is rich indeed: harp, claviorganum, theorbo and harpsichord. When everything comes together the result is as colourful and ear-tickling as anything to be heard on other recordings of this repertoire.
Most of the time, however, the choice of canzonas is narrowed down to those for solo bass or two bass instruments. The canzonas have an exceptionally complex genesis and source-history, as Etienne Darbellay, one of the leading Frescobaldi scholars, reminds us in his booklet-note. The logical consequence of the choice of ensemble means that quite a few of the pieces selected tend to appear more rarely elsewhere, and that is reason in itself for Frescobaldi enthusiasts to want to hear this.
The performances rise to the music's challenges with considerable elegance and barely any technical strain, barring an occasional hint of scratchiness in some of the more exposed passages. This disc grows on me with repeated listening, and it has changed my impression of the music. I used to regard Frescobaldi's canzonas as being less inventive than the keyboard music; I don't any more.

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Stravinsky - Works For Two Pianos

Vladimir Ashkenazy: piano
Andrei Gavrilov: piano

Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 206 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 93 mb
Scans @ 300dpi = 18 mb

Total playing time: 67:42

Recorded: January 1990 / June 1991, Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, UK

Released: 1992, Decca 433 829-2

Track listing:
1. Scherzo a la russe
2. Concerto for 2 pianos: 1. Con moto
3. Concerto for 2 pianos: 2. Notturno
4. Concerto for 2 pianos: 3. Quattro variazioni
5. Concerto for 2 pianos: 4. Preludio e fuga
6. Sonata for 2 pianos: 1. Moderato
7. Sonata for 2 pianos: 2. Largo
8. Sonata for 2 pianos: 3. Allegretto
9. Le Sacre du Printemps: Part I - The Adoration of the Earth
10. Le Sacre du Printemps: The Augurs of Spring
11. Le Sacre du Printemps: Ritual of Abduction
12. Le Sacre du Printemps: Spring Rounds
13. Le Sacre du Printemps: Ritual of the Rival Tribes
14. Le Sacre du Printemps: Procession of the Sage
15. Le Sacre du Printemps: Dance of the Earth
16. Le Sacre du Printemps: Part II - The Sacrifice
17. Le Sacre du Printemps: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls
18. Le Sacre du Printemps: Glorification of the Choosen One
19. Le Sacre du Printemps: Evocation of the Ancestors
20. Le Sacre du Printemps: Ritual Action of the Ancestors
21. Le Sacre du Printemps: Sacrificial Dance

Review:
Gramophone

Without doubt, this has to be one of the most satisfying, nay galvanizing, two-piano recitals I have had the pleasure of sampling for a long time. Ashkenazy and Gavrilov commence proceedings with a rhythmically taut, crisply articulated account of the rarely heard two-piano arrangement of the Scherzo a la russe. Originally intended as music for an abortive project for a war film, the Scherzo is more frequently heard in either its orchestral or jazz ensemble versions, but as Ashkenazy and Gavrilov so persuasively prove there is much to be said for more than an occasional airing in Stravinsky's own arrangement for two pianos. Next, come Stravinsky's two original works for the medium: the Concerto for two solo pianos dating from 1931-5 and the Sonata of 1943. The spiky, contrapuntal textures and acute contrasts of the four-movement Concerto are splendidly projected in this performance, lifting what can often sound like one of Stravinsky's more academic essays into a much more attractive and approachable work, and I was also more acutely aware of the influence of Prokofiev in the first movement than I have been in previous encounters with this work—particularly from the latter's Sixth Sonata and Second Concerto. The briefer, leaner, more economical Sonata for two pianos originally began life as a solo piano sonata, but was redesigned for two pianos when Stravinsky realized that four hands were required to successfully bring out the clarity of the four contrapuntal lines, and this is admirably achieved in this appropriately understated performance.

Finally, Ashkenazy and Gavrilov give what must be one of the most exciting renditions of the two-piano version of The Rite of Spring on disc. Apart from a purely academic viewpoint — or as an occasional reminder of the sheer revolutionary nature of this beast — I have never been entirely convinced of the value of this version. That is until now; Ashkenazy and Gavrilov give a full-blooded performance (no pale imitation of The Rite here) rhythmically incisive and with every minute gear change and every nuance finely judged. Their success, I believe, is partly due to a staunch refusal to emulate orchestral sonorities; that, and simply some astonishing playing—in their hands this sounds like a remarkably pianistic score and I can strongly recommend this as a supplement to the orchestral version. An admirable collection of Stravinsky output for two pianos then, superbly recorded and played by two master pianists on cracking form — what more can I say!

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Charpentier - Miserere, Motets

Philippe Herreweghe - La Chapelle Royale

Agnès Mellon, soprano
Isabelle Poulenard, soprano
Henri Ledroit, countertenor
William Kendall, tenor
Peter Kooy, bass

Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 280 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 85 mb
Scans @ 300dpi = 16 mb

Total playing time: 59:56

Recorded: May 1985, Studio 103, La Maison de Radio, France

Released: 2002, Harmonia Mundi HMA 1951185

Track listing:
1. Miserere H.219 - I. Ouverture
2. Miserere H.219 - II. Miserere mei, Deus
3. Miserere H.219 - III. Quoniam iniquitatem meam
4. Miserere H.219 - IV. Asperges me hysopo
5. Miserere H.219 - V. Ne projicias me
6. Miserere H.219 - VI. Sacrificium Deo
7. Miserere H.219 - VII. Benigne fac, Domine
8. Pour la seconde fois que le Saint Sacrement vient au mesme reposoir H.372
9. Pour le Saint Sacrement au reposoir H.346
10. Motet pour l'offertoire de la Messe rouge H.434 - I. Paravit Dominus
11. Motet pour l'offertoire de la Messe rouge H.434 - II. Pluet super peccatores
12. Motet pour l'offertoire de la Messe rouge H.434 - III. Deus justus et patiens
13. Motet pour l'offertoire de la Messe rouge H.434 - IV. Justus es Domine

Reviews:
Gramophone (1986) - click to enlarge




Awards:




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Mozart - Complete Piano Variations

Ronald Brautigam: fortepiano

Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 835 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 342 mb
Scans (English notes) @ 300dpi = 23 mb

Total playing time: 60:37 + 63:07 + 61:37 + 61:21

Recorded: August 1997, Länna Church, Sweden

Released: 2001, BIS-CD-1266/1267

Track listing:
CD 1
1. 12 Variations In C Major On "Ah, Vous Dirai-Je Maman"
2. 8 Variations In G-Major On "Laat Ons Juichen, Batavieren!" (Christian Ernst Graaf)
3. 12 Variations In B-Flat Major On An Allegretto
4. 12 Variations In E-Flat Major On "La Belle Françoise"
5. 6 Variations In F Major On "Salve Tu, Domine" (From Paisello, I Filosofi Immaginarii)
6. Praeludium (Modulating F Major - E Minor)
7. Rondo In A Minor

CD 2
1. 10 Variations En G Majeur
2. Ouverture : Ouverture
3. Ouverture : Allemande
4. Ouverture : Courante
5. Kleiner Trauermarch In E-Moll: Marche Funebre Del Sig.R Maestro Contrapunto
6. Acht Variationen In F-Dur
7. Zwölf Variationen In C-Dur
8. Clavierstück In F-Dur
9. Fantastic Fragment In D-Moll

CD 3
1. 8 Variations in F major on 'Ein Weib ist das herrlichste Ding', K.613
2. Praludium in C major, K.284a
3. Praludium (Fantasie) und Fuge in C major, K.394 - I. Prelude
4. Praludium (Fantasie) und Fuge in C major, K.394 - II. Fugue
5. 12 Variations in E-flat major on a Romance 'Je suis Lindor', K.354
6. Gigue in G major, K.574
7. Adagio in B minor, K.540

CD 4
1. Neun Variationed in D-Dur, K.573
2. Sechs Variationed in G-Dur, K.180
3. Neun Variationed in C-Dur, K.264
4. Thema in F-Dur mit funf Variationen, K.Anh 138a
5. Sieben Variationed in D-Dur, K.25
6. Zwei Variationed in A-Dur, K.460
7. Rondo in D-Dur, K.485

Reviews:
Classicstoday
A signpost reading "Caution: Genius at Play" should mark each and every set of keyboard variations penned by Mozart. The variation form is where Mozart didn't compose so much as he jammed, riffed, and allowed his powdered wig to all hang out in between big projects like operas and concertos. Mozart probably improvised some of these works before setting them to paper, and they best communicate when played in an unfettered, spontaneous manner. The fluency of Mozart's ideas and the beauty and logic inherent in the piano writing has to come across without the pianist sounding as if he or she has practiced the tricky passages a thousand times. Even more than in his excellent Mozart sonata cycle for BIS, Ronald Brautigam's tempos feel just right, whether adrenaline supplements seem to be fueling the pianist's potent left hand in the C major Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je Maman" and E-flat major set on "La belle Françoise", or the delightful, show-offy sections of the "Je Suis Landor" Variations K. 354.

Other significant works sprinkled among the variation sets include Eine Kleine Gigue (its dizzying metric displacements tossed off with lightness and glee), a flexible and refreshingly unsolemn B minor Adagio, the perky D major Rondo, and a graceful and supple rendition of the underrated French Overture K. 399, with its harmonically sophisticated Allemande. In a handful of pieces like the A minor Rondo, I feel that Brautigam's little holdbacks and feminine endings are a bit precious, studied, and ultimately predictable. However, that hardly detracts from the collection's overall success. Once again Brautigam uses a Paul McNulty fortepiano (modeled after an Anton-Gabriel Walter instrument circa 1795). Unlike many fortepianos, it doesn't boast pronounced timbral differences from one register to another, but most of the time the soft pedal produces a delicate lute-like sonority that greatly contrasts to the instrument's tangy brightness. With BIS selling these four discs at the price of two, how can you go wrong?

Musicweb
Brautigam has already recorded the complete Mozart sonatas (BIS-CD-835/837) and, as you can see, although this is called "Complete Piano Variations" it actually slips in along the way (the discs are arranged in listenable sequences, not as above) most but not all of the miscellaneous pieces. I find this a little strange. Having got this far Brautigam presumably wishes to finish recording all Mozart’s piano music and the pieces left over – a handful of sonata allegros, a few minuets and a small number of odds and ends – hardly amount to a full CD (it would be churlish, when this box is being offered at 4 CDs for the price of 2, to suggest that there might have been room for them here, for the timings are not all that long). So why not finish the job then and there?

Compared with most recordings of the variations, this includes K. Anh. 138a, usually known as part of the Sonata K. 547a (but not included in Brautigam’s sonata recordings). The very informative booklet notes go into this in some detail, but not so much as to explain why my Peters edition has an additional variation and a coda not played here.

The instrument used was made in 1992 by Paul McNulty in Amsterdam, following a model of Anton Gabriel Walter of c. 1795. There are times when listening to a fortepiano provokes the irreverent consideration that, were I to record a programme on my auntie’s old upright and palm it off as a fortepiano, no one would know the difference. I think it is the richness of the harmonics which proclaim the present as an instrument of very high quality (and it responds to recording in a church as pianos almost never do). The many, many brilliant pieces here have a really exciting sound, with something of a harpsichord ping to the lower register, tempered with sweetness in the upper notes. Listen to the two presto sections in the D minor Fantasia where rapid scales cover the whole range of the keyboard to hear what a splendidly voiced instrument this is (and what a splendidly even touch Brautigam has). My notes are full of comments such as "a splendid display", so once for all I’ll quote K. 613 as a set of variations which shows pianist and instrument at their full-blooded best. (Note also the covered tone obtained for the minor-key variation). No less effective are the more delicate, musical-box sonorities of K. 573, while the chords of the funeral march for Sig. Maestro Contrapunto are strikingly rich without heaviness.

If I now have to make a few reservations, it should be remembered that most of the music here is of a brilliant, virtuosic nature and my reservations therefore regard a minority of the pieces.

Where grace is called for, as in the last part of the D minor fantasia or the D major rondo, Brautigam remains obstinately firm toned and rather heavy. By the same token K. 455 is somewhat perfunctory. One of the advantages of the fortepiano over the piano is supposed to be that chords from the middle register down don’t sound clumpy. Unfortunately the accompaniment to the principal theme of the A minor rondo shows that they do if the pianist does nothing to unclump them (whereas Rubinstein with his modern Steinway reduces his accompaniment to a gentle pulsation). A melody line tied down by an obtrusively chugging accompaniment tends to be a liability in slow pieces and variations. I noticed this first in the 11th variation of K. 353, and the Adagio in B minor is a long haul indeed. Brautigam seems to find it difficult to liberate his melodies from their accompaniments as we are told Mozart himself did, though to be fair I did make a note that he managed to voice the different layers of texture very successfully in the slow variation of K. 264. I also noted in the freer variations of K. 613 a degree of spontaneity which is not always present elsewhere.

So what does this add up to? Brautigam’s brilliance and enthusiasm, as well as the instrument itself, are just what is needed most of the time. Perhaps he will now record some of the concertos and seek out that depth and spontaneity which he seems capable of, but does not yet have completely on tap, as it were.

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Haydn - The Seven Last Words From The Cross

Gidon Kremer: violin
Kathrin Rabus: violin
Gerard Caussé: viola
Ko Iwasaki: violoncello

Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 269 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 92 mb
Scans @ 300dpi = 12 mb

Total playing time: 67:02

Recorded: July 1981, Loenen a/d Vecht, The Netherlands

Released: 1981, Philips 412 878-2

Track listing:
1. Introduction (Maestoso ed adagio)
2. I: Largo - "Pater, dimitte illis; non enim sciunt, quid faciunt"
3. II: Grave e cantabile - "Amen dico tibi: hodie mecum eris in paradiso"
4. III: Grave - "Mulier, ecce filius tuus, et tu, ecce mater tua!"
5. IV: Largo - "Eli, Eli, lama asabthani?"
6. V: Adagio - "Sitio"
7. VI: Lento - "Consumatum est"
8. VII: Largo - "Pater, in tuas manus commendo spiritum meum"

Reviews:
Gramophone 1983
Haydn wrote his orchestral setting for The Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross in 1786, in response to a request from a canon of Cádiz. As the composer himself said, some 15 years later: "The effect in performance was not a little enhanced by the following circumstances. The walls, windows and pillars of the church were hung with black cloth, and only one large lamp hanging from the centre of the roof broke the solemn blackness... After a short service the bishop ascended the pulpit, pronounced the first of the seven words (or sentences) and delivered a discourse thereon. This ended, he left the pulpit, and prostrated himself before the altar. The interval was filled by music. The bishop then in like manner pronounced the second word, then the third, and so on, the orchestra following on the conclusion of each discourse. My composition was subject to these conditions, and it was no easy task to compose seven adagios lasting ten minutes each, and to succeed one another without fatiguing the listeners; indeed, I found it quite impossible to confine myself to the appointed limits."

Haydn made a string quartet arrangement in 1787, and gave his blessing to a piano arrangement published by Artaria in the same year; he also made a choral version in 1796 with words adapted by Baron van Swieten. I am convinced that this latter version (of which no recording is at present available) is the most effective of the four unless the music is heard in circumstances similar to those of the original Spanish performance, for, despite the poignant beauty of the separate movements as instrumental pieces, the listener undeniably runs some risk of fatigue when hearing them in close succession, without some aural or visual relief. The string quartet version was made for domestic use, and for the enjoyment of the players rather than of a captive audience; and of the various recordings of the work by a string quartet the most successful one remains, to my mind, that by the Aeolian Quartet, in which the movements are separated by a selection of poems beautifully delivered by Sir Peter Pears (Decca HDNV82, 9/77). That much said, I have nothing but the highest praise for this vividly recorded new Philips digital version, which features playing of great sensitivity and finesse, and which, with all repeats observed, has a total playing time of appreciably more than one hour.

Gramophone 1986
This is one of those beautifully realized recreations of a small group playing in a largish room at which the Philips producer/engineers excel. Details are not given as to who was responsible for this example but, eyes closed, one can picture each player, sense their effort, respond to their emotion and feel the elan when a little bit of 'business' comes off. I would not recommend taking in the whole 67 minutes at one go, but this is certainly a disc to come back to. Note the fine sounding viola.

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