CD Reviews

by Helen Tuckey

L’Orchestre

de Chambre de Genève, cond. Gábor Takács-Nagy

Mikhaïl Pletnev, piano

Works by Beethoven and Shchedrin CLAVES CD 50-3039/40

This CD, recorded live at Victoria Hall, Geneva in 2021, is very much a product of the musically challenging times of the pandemic – a concert that had to be turned into a live streamed concert at the last minute. Three minutes before the recording started, five first violins had to leave due to being close contacts of the concert master, who had just tested positive for Covid minutes before the start of the rehearsal!

The opening track on this two-CD album is Beethoven’s festive and sparkling Overture to King Stephen op. 117, written for a play for the opening of a hall in Budapest, and dedicated to King Stephen 1 of Hungary. Mikhaïl Pletnev is the piano soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, op. 37. A composer and conductor as well as pianist, Beethoven lies close to Pletnev’s heart as he has also conducted a cycle of the Beethoven symphonies. This experience no doubt gives an added perspective to his interpretation as a soloist in this timeless work.

The second CD features a work by Shchedrin for strings and percussion based on themes from Bizet’s Carmen. This very creative orchestration should be studied by all who aspire to write for strings and percussion. Like the characters in the opera, the score is full of humour, drama and colour, and there are many adventures in technique and texture for the performers. In this recording, there are definitely issues of balance, with percussion predominating and some close miking of violins, who work so hard to compensate for absences.

From my symphonic background, I miss at times the warmth and fullness of orchestral sound, as this was played by a numerically constrained and somewhat spread out chamber orchestra. The logistic challenges give an interesting up-close aural perspective to orchestral playing, and at times one can hear sounds of fingers hitting strings, breathing, and humming sounds reminiscent of Casals. However, there is much of musical interest and some very fine chamber and solo playing. A spirited and fiery recording, with much character throughout, no doubt spiked by the adrenalin of recording in such challenging circumstances!

Helen Tuckey

by Andrew Lorenz

Alone Together

Jennifer Koh, vln

CEDILLE CDR 3011

The brilliant violinist Jennifer Koh writes, “This music is not only a musical archive of the COVID-19 pandemic, but testament to the best parts of humanity.” Alone Together expresses a magnificent, divine dichotomy and is celebrated superbly in these recordings. Hats off to all the composers and Koh (dare say Co.) who brought this stunning project to fruition. It has spawned a wealth of creativity; a smorgasbord of 39 newly commissioned vignettes in world premiere recordings for solo violin.

Koh’s two CD set recently won the Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. It would be unfair to highlight any particular work or composer but suffice it to say that there is something for everyone in these recordings. There are so many inspirational and creative moments and the masterful ‘connector’ is Koh. One listening is certainly not enough to digest all the compositions. The liner notes are invaluable in that they express the composers’ thoughts about their pieces and help the listener to understand the many varied contemporary and often traditional sounds. Sometimes the sonic effects are ugly but valid in the context of what the composer is trying to communicate. Again, bravo to all!

BEETHOVEN COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS VOL.2, THE MIDDLE QUARTETS

Dover Quartet

CEDILLE CDR 90000 206

Exquisite playing! The Dovers continue their beautiful exploration of the Beethoven string quartet cycle. Here we have the second volume (3 CDs), middle period quartets. The playing is both mellifluous and dramatically contrasting when required.

Often referred to as the “Russian Quartets”, the three Op.59 string quartets were composed in 1806, commissioned by their dedicatee Count Andreas Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador in Vienna. Beethoven was a very busy lad because at this time he also wrote his 4th symphony and 4th piano concerto. He was also completing Fidelio. His publishers Breitkopf and Härtel must have been very happy. The next ‘cab off the rank’, the 10th string quartet (1809) was given the nickname the Harp quartet by Breitkopf in reference to the pizzicato opening. In a letter to George Smart, Beethoven wrote that the Op.95 in F minor should “never be played in public”. Thank heavens the Schuppanzigh Quartet was unaware of the above request and premiered the work in Vienna in May, 1814.

After winning numerous competitions and awards the Dover Quartet is the Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music amongst others and long may they reign.

Violin Sonatas

Branco, Ravel, Villa-Lobos

Bruno Monteiro, vln, João Paulo Santos, pno ETCETERA KTC 1750 www.etcetera-records.com www.bruno-monteiro.com www.etcetera-records.com/album/810/violin-sonatas

The Sonata No.1 for Violin and Piano was written by Luís de Freitas Branco (1890-1955) in 1908 when the composer was only 17 years old and studying at the National Conservatory in Lisbon. He was to become one of the great Portuguese composers of the Romantic era. The work won first prize in a composition competition in the Portuguese capital and does not deserve the neglect that it has received. This very fine sonata is in four movements and rather forward looking in its melodic and harmonic content. Monteiro and Santos’s ensemble work is excellent and the violin tone is attractive. However the intonation and slides in the violin part are sometimes unconvincing. Ravel’s (1875-1937) Sonata No.2 (1927) fares better in performance, especially the Blues movement. Occasionally the violin tone reminds one of Mischa Elman and this can be heard in the Sonata No.2 for Violin and Piano Fantasia by Heitor Villa-Lobos (18871959). He composed four violin sonatas and this second one, consisting of three movements, was composed in 1914 and exhibits a fantasy like style as suggested in the title.

Aggregate Forms

Catherine Lamb (b. 1982)

Jack Quartet

KAIROS 0018010KAI

Catherine Lamb’s String Quartet Two Blooms composed in 2009 begins with a unison C and gradually the interval expands, eventually enlarging at about the 20 - minute mark, to a major third which gradually goes out of tune and then slips back into tune. In the 27th minute the interval returns to a unison C. It is an otherworldly experience, dare I say, a meditation in tones. At least with Lamb’s explanation about her work, the quartet may represent the mindfulness of meditation.

The booklet includes excellent explanatory notes. Some of the diagrams discuss aggregate forms with pitches relating to a kaleidoscope of numbers which, when linked together, look like a drawing of an ammonite – a rather beautiful shape from the natural world. The sincerity can be heard in Lamb’s writing but I don’t relate naturally to what she describes as her “synaesthesia with numbers.”

The quartet finishes with a C in octaves which to me, actually sounds a little sharper than the original C in unison. (I could be wrong.) This is esoteric writing, at the cutting edge of contemporary, avant- garde composing. Divisio spiralis (2019) is similar to the quartet and the above is not necessarily a critique but rather observations about this two CD set.

PROKOFIEV AND SAINT-SAËNS

Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals Narr. Henri Dès, Musikkollegium Winterthur, dir. Roberto González-Monjas, Winterthur String Quartet, Duo Vilija

Poskute & Tomas Daukantas

Claves 50-3047

Claves has brought out a very fine and stylish recording of Peter and the Wolf (1936) by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) and The Carnival of the Animals (1886) by Camille SaintSaëns. Henri Dès sounds absolutely charming in his French narration but alas, I do not understand a word of it. However, is not French a charming language n’est pas? (The liner notes are also in French only.)

The CD cover of animal drawings is very cute and colourful and the performances are first class. The Musikkollegium Winterthur is directed by Roberto González-Monjas and the core musicians for the Saint-Saëns include the Winterthur String Quartet and pianists, Duo Vilija Poskute and Tomas Daukantas. The composer described the work as a bit of fun and did not want it published in his lifetime. What posthumous success it has had! The educational value of the music for youngsters is invaluable. Prokofiev described his work as a “symphonic fairy tale for children”. The recording quality of the CD is outstanding, as you would expect from Claves.

WORKS FOR VIOLIN & PIANO

Karol Rathaus (1895-1954)

Mateusz Strzelecki, vln, Andrzej Śąlazak, pno paladino music pmr 0124 www.paladino.at

German-Austrian Jewish composer Karol Rathaus studied with Franz Schreker in Vienna and Berlin and, due to the holocaust, eventually migrated to the USA via Paris.

There are 12 years between the Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1, Op.14 (1925) and the Sonata for Violin and Piano No.2 Op.43 (1937) yet the first is contemporary sounding with its imaginative use of atonality. A meditative opening develops into an Allegro of multilayered melodic strands and varying moods. The Intermezzo is rhythmically quirky while the Rondo finale is quite ‘Stravinskyesque’. The second sonata is far more overtly lyrical with the melodic opening theme used in both the first and last movements, and thematic motifs are more clearly defined. A plaintive unaccompanied violin solo introduces the middle movement.

We move back to 1927 for the four- movement Suite for Violin and Piano, Op.27. The wide leaps in the opening movement remind one of the first violin sonata. The Andante is meditative, contrasting very effectively with the Capriccio which follows. The last movement is brilliant in its relentless driving rhythm. The very effective Dedication and Allegro, Op.64 (1949) was commissioned by the violin virtuoso Tossy Spivakovsky. It was written in New York as a tribute to Frederic Chopin on the centenary of the composer’s death. Mateusz Strzelecki and Andrzej Śąlazak are a very fine duo and present these demanding works with great conviction.

SHOSTAKOVICH AND ARENSKY PIANO TRIOS Trio Con Brio Copenhagen ORCHID CLASSICS ORC 100181

The ‘romanticism’ of Czarist Russia combines with magnificent yet also grim aspects of the Soviet Union to produce an intriguing CD. Arensky’s (1861-1906 Piano Trio No.1 in D minor, Op.32 (1894) is rather underrated yet very fine and contrasts beautifully with Shostakovich’s (1906-1975) masterpiece in the Piano Trio No.2 in E minor, Op.67 (1944), relating the horror of Jewish experiences in the holocaust. In between we have Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No.1 in C minor Poème, Op.8 (1923), a transitional piece in terms of the two eras described, and yet it shows another face of the great Dmitri Shostakovich.

Trio Con Brio Copenhagen is the finest piano trio I have heard since the great Beaux Arts Trio. Each musician is of the highest calibre and the delicacy and drama in the playing is superb, the pianist Jens Elkever never overwhelming the string playing. The phrasing is a sheer delight. This CD has won the German Record Critic’s Award and is also the Gramophone Editor’s Choice. Give yourself a treat and buy a copy or a download of these masterful performances. You certainly won’t regret it.

TANGO FINESSE Traffic Strings

SonArt Records

If you are a lover of the tango, this is the CD for you. Lucian Moraru has arranged 10 pieces by Astor Piazzolla and Jealousy by Jacob Gade. Other works include movements from Tango Suite for piano, Oblivion, Tango Choc & Plus Ultra and more. Traffic Strings is heard in live performances, the group consisting of two violins, viola, cello, double bass, panpipe, accordion and piano. Moraru states in his liner notes, “This ‘timbral mix’ gives the project an exotic air which is totally distinct from the sound universe we got used to when listening to Argentine tangos . . . this new timbral combination brings to the forefront rhythms that give the feeling of a sonority created by percussion instruments.” For this reviewer, sometimes the very wide vibrato in the loud playing of the pan-pipe is rather disconcerting; however overall, the tone is attractive. Traffic Strings features fine ensemble work which makes for some exciting and dramatic performances. The writing is virtuosic and the spirit of the tango is certainly brought to life.

Concertos Et Oeuvres Pour Orchestre

Pierre Wissmer (1915-1992)

Nora Cismondi, ob, Oleg Kaskiv, vln, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, John Fiore, cond.

CLAVES 50-3045 www.claves.ch

I recently read a fascinating book, The Prince of the Skies by Antonio Iturbi which is based on the life of Antoine de SaintExupéry, the adventurous pioneering aviator and author of the popular The Little Prince. It was this book which inspired Pierre Wissmer to compose his symphonic score, L’Enfant et la rose, d’apres Le Petit Prince de Saint-Exupéry (1957). The work bears the inscription of the famous quotation: “One can only see well with the heart, the essential is invisible to the eyes.” The music consists of a Theme e Introduzione followed by twelve variations illustrating the action in the novel. It is very entertaining listening and could be described as outstanding and fabulous film music in the true sense of the word. The excellent liner notes by Jacques Tchamkerten state that “Imbued at first with a post-Ravellian neoclassicism, over the years his style has shifted toward a more distanced relationship with tonality and a more inner language.”

Wissmer’s excellent Oboe Concerto (1963) and Violin Concerto No.3 (1987) demonstrate this later style although the violin concerto also exhibits the influence of Alban Berg (1885-1935).

Based on a Lutheran chorale, Clamavi, triptyque symphonique (1957) is most effective; Tchamkerten mentions that it is “the most Honeggerian work of Wissmer”. If this disc is any indication, the Swiss born composer should be far better known. The soloists are outstanding and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande directed by John Fiore is first class. Apart from the violin concerto, all the works are world premiere recordings

Andrew Lorenz

by Susan Pierotti

SONATAS for violin, violone & cembalo, Op. 1

Elias/Kishi/Palmer-Jones

Castrucci

CENTAUR RECORDS www.centaurrecords.com

A student of Corelli and a contemporary of Handel and Geminiani, Pietro Castrucci was employed as Handel’s concertmaster in London. Castrucci’s twelve Sonatas Op. 1, written in 1718, are replete with drama, turbulence and virtuosity. Mostly in minor keys, there is no overall set pattern to movements, which include dances, a French aria, a Venetian Allegro, an Amoroso and in the last one, scordatura with a fugal fantasia and a chaconne. This is the first recording of these fine pieces. Geminiani wrote that ‘Good taste...[consists] in expressing with strength and delicacy the intention of the composer’ and the musicians here deliver that, and more. Elias is extremely fleet of finger, throwing off the finger-twisting ornamentation with ease and elegance. Nishi’s fine cello and Palmer-Jones’s harpsichord continuo provide strong and energetic support.

Susan Pierotti

Cello CD Reviews

by Catherine Milligan

BEETHOVEN CELLO SONATAS

Alisa Weilerstein - cello;

Inon Barnatan - piano

PENTATONE PTC 5186884

Long-time musical partners Weilerstein and Barnatan joined together in 2020 to record these touchstone works. Through the five relatively concise sonatas, we not only hear Beethoven at the various stages of his musical life, but see how the relationship between the piano and cello develops and blooms.

Alisa Weilerstein is an ardent cellist with a very idiosyncratic musical style, and so for me, these recordings were a mixed bag. Both performers display great skill in the projection of articulations, especially the Beethoven fortepiano, as well as an impressive command of dynamic shaping and range. For my taste there is an over- use of rubato. Especially apparent in the A major sonata Op. 69, rather than broaden the expression, liberties taken with tempo restrict the flow of the musical line.

On the other hand, there are moments of refined playing, such as the Rondo of Sonata Op. 5. No.2 which displayed great delicacy. The Allegro molto piu tosto presto of the G minor sonata felt rather too careful and lacking in rhythmic drive, but energy and vitality were not lacking in the allegro movements of the 4th or 5th sonatas. Weilerstein’s expressive vibrato, which was too effervescent in the early sonatas, was toned down by the later sonatas to give a better tonal blend with the piano. Similarly, overly expressive shifting, which seemed incongruous in the early sonatas, was less bothersome in the later sonatas.

This CD recording shows realistic balance between cello and piano. It was pleasing that the places where the piano writing naturally engulfs the cello sound remained un-engineered to favour the cello.

SCHUMANN GOES TANGO

Roger Morello Ros- cello;

Alicia Koyama Muller – piano;

Sara Cubarsi - violin

AUSTRIAN GRAMOPHONE AG0025

This debut CD recording by Spanish cellist Roger Morello Ros and German pianist Alicia Koyama Muller combines sumptuous works by Robert Schumann with tango music from the 20th century. Perhaps not such strange bed-fellows after all, since all works began with inspiration from folk music, and exhibit a similar character of quickly changeable moods and heightened emotion.

Along with the Five Pieces in Folk Style Op.102, and the Adagio and Allegro Op.70 (version for cello and piano), is an arrangement for cello and piano of five of Schumann’s Spanish Love Songs Op.135. Throughout the CD, there is a pleasing conversational interplay between cello and piano, with the ensemble very well balanced and warm-toned in the recording. Cellist Morello Ros plays with great spirit and the interpretations are tonally varied, sensitive and imaginatively coloured. His forte tone is robust with an earthiness that suits the folk-style idiom. Schumann’s Adagio is perhaps a little too hasty to capture the extreme tenderness and subtle emotion in one of my favourite works.

Two works for cello and piano by Italian-Argentine cellist and composer Jose Bragato (1915-2017) demonstrate his admiration for the work of Astor Piazzolla and the “Nuevo Tango” form. Bragato’s Milontan and the Graciela y Buenos Aires, allow the musicians to extend their vibrant playing styles, while Morello Ros shows his technical flair in some long cadenza passages. The CD concludes with Autumn for Piano Trio by Piazzolla (arranged Bragato) where violinist Sara Cubarsi joins the ensemble. The modern tango music is played with suitable Latin panache, passion and dance energy.

Catherine Milligan

by Robert Ekselman

PRIMAVERA II the rabbits

Matt Haimovitz

PENTATONE PTC 5186293

In this 2022 digital release, Primavera II the rabbits, we see Matt Haimovitz exploring new frontiers. His own label, Oxingale has joined forces with Pentatone to feature 13 new commissions for solo cello.

This is the second of six albums in a momentous series encompassing 81 world premieres for solo cello. These North American composers respond in their unique ways to Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli’s enigmatic and controversial 15th century painting, Primavera. As if this wasn’t challenging enough, world renowned contemporary artist Charline von Heyl’s triptych reinterpretation of Spring spins the final overlay of complexity. Von Heyl’s work –featuring the rabbit trilogy from which this album takes its title – is prophetic in nature, suggesting the social upheaval prevalent in our times.

Multi-Grammy award winning Israeli-born American cellist Matt Haimovitz has had a distinctive if non-conventional career trajectory; following early success on the concert circuit and termination of his Deutsche Grammophon contract, dissatisfaction with a traditional career resulted in his focus on non-standard repertoire, as well as non-standard venues. (In 2002 he performed the Bach Suites in night clubs and restaurants right across the US.)

The works are all of short duration. The meaning of the allegory represented in the Botticelli work is open to a range of interpretation, as is von Heyl’s contemporary take. ‘These compositions provide plenty of contrasts of pace and ambience. Special sound effects abound: ponticello, col legno, tapping, etc. Make of them what you will! The interpretations are full of vigour and imagination. In some of them Haimovitz takes on all parts, overlaying four individual lines. In others, his is the lone voice. Native-American rain dance rhythms are represented along with old Korean melodies; all touching on primal motifs of eternity, rebirth and communal ecstasy.

Robert Ekselman

by Anne Berry

MUSIC FOR CELLO & PIANO

Cello Concerto (1976) for cello & orchestra

Fünf Stucke für Klavier (1958)

Nore (1964) for cello and piano

Interludium A (1982) for piano

Espace 1 (1992) for cello & piano

Isang Yun

KAIROS 0015090KAI

Isang Yun was a Korean cellist, composer and teacher of composition (1917-1995). The music in this CD is drawn from different periods of his difficult and tragic life which included incarceration and torture in South Korea. Yun established an orphanage for war orphans and his political goal was peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. His list of compositions is extensive, including 5 symphonies along with opera, choral, orchestral and chamber music. Beginning with his cello concerto (1976) this CD covers works from much of Yun’s lifespan.

Initially this CD was difficult to listen to, later listening drew me into the soundscape. Not because of the performances as these were artistically and professionally recorded – but because of the intense, tragic mood of these works. I found it difficult to listen to the concerto after the worldwide chaos and tragedy over the last couple of years. This work exemplifies much of the characteristics of Yun’s music which fused traditional Korean music with avant garde musical techniques through glissandi, pizzicato, vibrati and a rich vocabulary of ornaments making it technically and stylistically difficult to perform. This was a full and expressive performance by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra with Tatsuya Shimono conducting.

As a cellist I was most drawn to the two works for cello and piano. Nore is a gentler work; improvisational with a light texture due to piano and cello generally alternating rather than playing together. However, the use of harmonic resonance combines for flow across the work. Espace 1 alternates contrasting, tinkling piano with more dramatic cello in a feel resembling Debussy. Both works are demanding. The ensemble between Luigi Piovano (cello) and Aldo Orvieto (piano) is musical and seamless. Both works explore the full range of cello pitch, tonal colour and special effects.

WORKS FOR TWO CELLOS, VOL. 1

CD 1 Three Duetts Concertante, Op. 8

CD 2 Two Sonatas for Cello with a Second Cello, Op. 2

Johann Stiastny (ca. 1764 – 1826)

PALADINO MUSIC, PMR 0121 www.paladino.at/cds/pmr-01

Little is known of the composer Stiastny whose name has been recorded with a variety of spellings and whose lifespan is sketchy. He was a Czech cellist and composer who composed pieces for cello with 11 opus numbers. He is known as one of the founders of the Czech national cello school.

The music in this 2 CD set is amongst the most demanding in the cello literature. The 3 duets Op. 8 share equally in leading and accompanying the two parts. Their appealing variation movements are typical of Stiasny. They have been recorded as separate tracks on the CDs which makes them more accessible for in- depth study.

By contrast, in the two sonatas, the first voice leads whilst the second accompanies. Sheet music for the two sonatas, in D and Eb major was published by Paladino in 2021. (pm 0077).The D major Sonata is quite brash and bright while the Eb major Sonata is gentler, darker and more expressive. Interestingly, the Allegro first movement of the Sonata in D was included in the supplement to Op. 30 by Sebastien Lee published in Paris in 1842. Other works by Stiastny can be found on IMSLP but not the Op.8 duets. Some of the tracks from this recording can currently be accessed on YouTube.

Martin Rummel is well known for his dedication as a pedagogue in both recordings and sheet music publications – improving cellists’ access to a wide variety of cello literature. His work is always well researched. His recordings reflect the teachings of William Pleeth with an emphasis on the music, not the musician. Rummel’s warmth of tone creates a wellbalanced ensemble with the expressiveness of German cellist Alexander Hülshoff.

Anne Berry

by Sharon Lierse

BURKHARD EGDORF Works for Strings

Alexia Eichhorn

Friedmann Eichhorn

Alexander Hülshoff

PALADINO MUSIC www.paladino.at

Born in Bremen in 1954, Burkhard Egdorf has worked as a radio journalist, composer and music editor. He writes chamber music and pieces for organ.

There are eight works on this CD which use two violins, viola and cello in various combinations. However, there are none for a traditional string quartet.

Instead there are duets for two violins, violin and cello; solos for violin, viola, cello, and a trio for violin, viola and cello. Egdorf’s music is “complex with lots of layers” yet retains Western tonality. There is also a playful, whimsical element with a minimalist sound to it. The programme notes contain an interview between the performers and the composer which explains that the works evolved in collaboration with the performers; thus there is a a biographical aspect to the music. The quality of the playing is excellent both in technical mastery and interpretation. The CD is recommended for advanced players who wish to extend their modern repertoire.

CALM. Trio for Flute, Violin & Harp

listening to the music, it is easier to identify the Armenian flavouur. Ani and Marta perform seamlessly with an innate understanding of the style and sentiment. A highly recommended CD for those who enjoy listening to cello music from different countries and cultures.

COMPLETE WORKS for Cello & Piano George Enescu (1881-1955)

Rudolf Leopold, cello

Raluca Stirbat, piano

PALADINO MUSIC www.paladino.at

Works For Cello

Ivan Fedele (b.1953)

Michele Marco Rossi – cello

Francesco Abbescia - electronics

KAIROS Records www.kairos-music.com www.kairos-music.com/cds/0015115kai