Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5

“These are superlative performances of these extremely familiar works...The give and take between Fellner and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra is uncanny, in that they seem to be questioning or replying to one another as if only two individuals were concerned.” --BBC Music Magazine, May 2010 *****

“This is a dream partnership with soloist and conductor working hand-in-glove...you will rarely hear playing of such an enviable, unimpeded musical grace and fluency....Fellner's and Nagano's ease and naturalness always allow Beethoven his own voice.” --Gramophone Magazine, June 2010

Austrian pianist Till Fellner, whose two Bach albums on ECM have won him unanimous international acclaim, teams up with conductor Kent Nagano and his Orchestre Symphonie de Montréal for a sensitive and meticulous interpretation of Beethoven’s much-loved Piano Concertos Nos. 4 and 5.

In a review of the recording to be published in the March issue of ‘Fanfare’ Jerry Dubins speaks of “a stunning achievement” and points out that “the recording has a fullness, depth, and solidity to it that are equal to the very best modern technology has to offer.” Fellner and Nagano, musical collaborators for more than a decade, share a delicate and sensitive approach to Beethoven’s middle period that, by eschewing all demonstrativeness, focuses on natural tempi, transparent sound and maximum clarity of articulation. While Fellner continues his muchlauded cycle of Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas on major concert platforms in Europe (including London’s Wigmore Hall), the US and Japan, Nagano and his Montreal orchestra have received much attention with their Beethoven project “Ideals of the French Revolution”.

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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Volume 2

“he plays a rich-sounding modern instrument, and Chandos supplies its usual feather-bed acoustic. Yet whenever there's a chance to be abrasive, Bavouzet seizes it, and he relishes the opportunities Beethoven gives him to sound wispy and 'French'.” --BBC Music Magazine, February 2014 ****

“Those following his Beethoven cycle will not be disappointed by what is on offer here and the final volume can be only keenly awaited.” --International Record Review, February 2014

“This second volume is lucid yet intense in the poised Opus 31 sonatas and vital in the 'Waldstein.'” --Gramophone Magazine, March 2014

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet returns for the second volume of his survey of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas. The project, set to conclude with Vol. 3 in 2014, runs alongside his complete recording of Haydn’s Piano Sonatas. Vol. 1 of the Beethoven series was critically acclaimed, BBC Music calling the performances ‘distinguished and virtuosic’ and Fanfare remarking that ‘his readings will withstand the test of time’. In this release Bavouzet performs the sonatas published between 1800 and 1804.

This period marked a transitional stage in Beethoven’s work and the arrival of his middle period. Included are the two Op. 27 sonatas, both modified ‘quasi una fantasia’ that break away from traditional forms. One of these, the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata, features one of his best-known movements, the opening Adagio sostenuto, which unfolds like a baroque prelude with its famous rolling triplets and lamenting melody. The ‘Waldstein’ Sonata, Op. 53 is one of the glories of Beethoven’s middle period and surpasses all his previous sonatas in scope and scale. Also recorded here is the Andante in F, a piece originally intended as the slow movement to the ‘Waldstein’. Although later replaced by a shorter Adagio molto this is a charming piece in its own right and quickly became one of Beethoven’s most popular works after being published alone as the Andante favori.

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Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4

“the Swedish orchestra’s strength, subtlety and sonority establish a good foundation and foil for Pires’s performances here. That wonderfully rounded, opalescent tone that her touch invariably produces is coupled with the insight, poetic sensibility and discreet life-giving force that come from years of experience.” --The Telegraph, 31st July 2014 *****

“she’s recording the third and fourth piano concertos for the first time — and playing them with such unaffected simplicity that you always feel the notes speaking, never the pianist herself. Turbulent emotions, grandiose gestures and winking gaiety arrive as they should, yet nothing is pushed to extremes.” --The Times, 18th July 2014 ****

Maria João Pires joins ONYX. Her first release for the label is of two Beethoven concertos she has played often, but never before recorded. After giving concerts in Stockholm last October, she went directly into the studio with Daniel Harding and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. This remarkable recording is the result. These are performances of such passion, poetry and drama - Beethoven as he should sound, just as if you are hearing these great concertos for the first time!

Maria João Pires has provided a personal note on her approach to these works.

“Surprisingly, Pires’s beautifully clear singing tone and exemplary articulation, in this set, seem to suit the fiery C minor better than the lyrical G major...the playing of the Swedes is characteristically vivid and sensitive.” --Sunday Times, 27th June 2014

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Great Violin Concertos (10-CD Box Set)

The essence of a concerto is the contrast and combination of a solo instrument with a larger instrumental ensemble. Having developed out of the Baroque concept of concerto grosso, the concerto genre was fully established in the eighteenth century, and many works dating from this period are still a key part of the repertoire today. The opportunity for virtuosic display from the soloist has resulted in the concerto becoming a vital musical force on the concert platform.

Great Piano Concertos · Great Opera · Great Baroque Masterpieces

The violin concerto owes a great deal of its development to the technical achievement of performers, and to this day many works are renowned for their fierce technical demands. Indeed, many composers who have written for the instrument were superlative players themselves—Wieniawski and Paganini among them. The fascinating history and capabilities of the instrument can be traced through the compositions contained herein; from the gossamer threads of Vivaldi to the exhilarating fireworks of Prokofiev, via the lilting swagger of Lalo and Saint-Saëns and nationalistic panache of Sibelius and Glazunov.

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Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5, Sonata No 28

This is without question the best recording that Hélène Grimaud has made for DG. The opening "Emperor" gushes forth like a sparkling fountain, at a freshly invigorating basic tempo. Give credit to Vladimir Jurowski for his excellent collaboration, and to a Staatskapelle Dresden that really stays on top of its collective toes. Grimaud even manages to make something special out of those upward scales that so often signal the pianist's entrances and exits. Only in the slow movement does she indulge in a touch of the preciosity that mars some of her more recent efforts, but it's a fleeting memory at best, and the finale goes with all of the joyful enthusiasm that anyone could ask.

If anything, the sonata is even finer. I have to confess I was a bit worried here: late Beethoven encourages so many pianists to do strange things in the name of "profundity" and "transcendence" and other impressive terms, and to put it kindly, Grimaud can be a bit spacey in this respect. To her credit, she simply plays really well, stylishly but with plenty of poetry too. The inner movements are particularly memorable: an alla Marcia full of rhythmic point and a truly cantabile adagio whose "affetto" never degenerates into mannerism. Grimaud potentially is one of the finest pianists in the business, and let's hope this release signals for her a new level of maturity and artistic depth. The sonics, by the way, are also very good, with Grimaud's piano particularly well-caught, and not too much performance noise. Impressive! [10/16/2007]

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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Phénoménal Vengerov!

Maxim Vengerov is recognised as one of the world's most exciting and brilliant violinists. His exceptional talent emerged when he was very young. He gave his first recital at the age of five and went on to win First Prize in the Junior Wieniawski Competition when he was ten years old, confirming his promise as a violinist of rare talent. Still in his mid-thirties he is now acknowledged throughout the world as one of the great musicians of our time. He is also an outstanding teacher and is Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Perceptive, entertaining and always sensitive to the individual personality and ability of his pupils, he has an extraordinary ability to convey his insights into the music and inspire his students.

This 3CD set offers an incredible value for the price of one mid album, with a great panorama of his art. On CD1, the Beethoven Concerto and two Romances, and Kreisler’s favorite encore ‘Liebesleid’ and ‘Liebesfreud’. The second CD contains the French most famous violin concertos: Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, a piece of bravura with the 3rd violin concerto by Camille Saint-Saëns, and Ravel’s great ‘Tzigane’. Last but not least the 3rd CD celebrates best loved and virtuoso violin works: Meditation de Thaïs, Ave Maria, Hungarian Dances, Vocalise…

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Beethoven: Cello Sonatas Volume 2

“Müller-Schott and Hewitt deliver strong and committed performances characterised by great attention to detail and wonderful musical interaction...both players maximising the degree of tonal variety without any recourse to exaggerated mannerism.” --BBC Music Magazine, April 2010 *****

“These performances are strongly characterised, clearly etched and full of life and drama...In short, these are striking, accomplished, highly individual performances.” --Gramophone Magazine, May 2010

Daniel Müller-Schott (cello) & Angela Hewitt (piano)

The mercurial partnership of Angela Hewitt and Daniel Müller-Schott brought overwhelming intensity and emotional gravitas’ to a first disc of Beethoven’s cello sonatas. Here in a second volume they present two more of these groundbreaking masterpieces, together with the composer’s homages to Mozart and Handel—works which are equally important additions to the cello repertoire.

Hewitt’s characteristic digital dexterity and deep understanding of the classical style and Müller-Schott’s vibrant playing combine to create performances of great energy and sensitivity that will delight their many fans.

In a fascinating booklet note, Daniel Müller-Schott explores the evolution of Beethoven’s works for cello from a musician’s perspective, describing their revolutionary power and demonstrating the composer’s multifarious imagination [‘Mannigfachphantastische’].

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Beethoven: Cello Sonatas Volume 1

“…Daniel Müller-Schott and Angela Hewitt's… respond with imagination and flexibility to Beethoven's mercurial changes of mood, one moment tender and reflective, then bold and dynamic…” --BBC Music Magazine, December 2008 ****

“Müller-Schott’s playing is strong and vibrant … Hewitt brings her characteristic digital dexterity and sparkling articulation to bear … the performances certainly make one look forward to their second disc” --International Record Review

Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice - December 2008

“Daniel Müller-Schott and Angela Hewitt give Beethoven's first three cello sonatas a nimble and colourful outing. Their musical 'dress' sense is immaculate, with never so much as a quaver out of place, no hint of ungainliness or aggression and a cultivated sound world which, whether presented singly or in duet, is consistently smooth. Their duo engagement is compelling and their repertoire of gestures – vivid dynamics, tiny instances of expressive rubato, suspended breathing and so on – is exceedingly broad. Sometimes the reverie might be considered a little overplayed. At the opening of the A major Third Sonata's brief Adagio third movement Hewitt's dreamily sculpted phrasing verges on sounding Chopinesque, though poetic in effect and poignantly responded to by Müller- Schott.

These performances are full of interesting ideas: there's rarely a bar without a subtle bend somewhere along the line and yet the various allegros are sparky in the best sense of the term, rhythmically crisp and alert, especially the rondo finale of the G minor Sonata, which is deliciously pointed by Hewitt. Those in search of a more overtly masculine approach to Beethoven would probably be better off elsewhere but Müller-Schott and Hewitt provide a bright, decorative antidote to their more austere rivals. The recorded sound is beautifully balanced.” 

Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas No. 14 'Moonlight', No. 23 'Appassionata', No. 31 Op. 110

“If you listened blind you'd say this was a souped-up Erard, but it's actually a Steinway from 1882. Braley's musicianship is superb, and he extracts unexpected revelations from these well-known works.” --BBC Music Magazine, November 2013 ****

''Since his victory in the Reine Elisabeth Competition in Belgium in 1992, at the age of 22, Braley has allowed himself plenty of time for reflection, and his career... has been, in his own image, refined and demanding." (Michel Le Naour, Le Monde de la Musique). - ''This young French pianist, who made his recording debut with a Schubert disc for harmonia mundi, is an exquisitely polished player.'' Performance ***** (BBC Music Magazine). - ''Schubertian elegance, a playful fluency, the desire to bring colour and timbre to his sound'' are not the least qualities of this stylish pianist who offers us here, on a rare instrument, a personal and poetic reading of the most famous Beethoven sonatas.

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Beethoven: Mödlinger Tänze

The performances of L’Orfeo Barockorchester, playing on period instruments and directed by Michi Gaigg, are exemplary. The sense of scale is perfectly judged, distinctions of tempo and rhythm are clear but unexaggerated; the sound of the winds is particularly well-blended and the strings play with zestfully clear articulation. The sense is of an orchestra that sounds as though it is enjoying its work and is eager to share its own pleasure. One doesn’t often get the chance to hear these dances – and one certainly doesn’t often get the chance to hear them played so well, with both energy and sensitivity.

The kind of ‘popular’, socially functional dance music which is quite prominent in the work of, say, Haydn and Mozart plays a less central role – for all kind of obvious reasons – in the output of Beethoven. But such music does exist, and here is a fine, richly enjoyable anthology of it.

The twelve German Dances (WoO 8) were written for the annual masked ball of the Pension Society of Viennese Painters, held on 14th November, 1795. The society had a tradition of commissioned distinguished composers to write new music for the ball – Beethoven’s predecessors included Haydn and Dittersdorf. The young Beethoven’s contribution is, by his standards, rather slight in nature, but the dances have real charm and are not without a degree of sophistication. No.6, for example, employs some unexpected accents over a pseudo-rustic drone in a manner that is quite engaging. No.5 has some pleasant writing for the clarinets; no.10 makes entertaining use of the piccolo and of the triangle and tambourine in a kind of alla turca idiom. No.12 has a surprising coda, with a solo for posthorn, before a rather grand conclusion – so grand, indeed, that it must surely have taken the dancers by surprise!

The six minuets (WoO 9) belong to the same period, but are for strings alone (supplemented here by a harp). They are simple pieces, pleasantly melodic and largely unambitious in execution. In no.3 the alternations between pizzicato and arco are attractive; in no.5 the triplet accompaniment by the second violins has a particular grace.

Beethoven’s 12 contredanses (kontretänze) (WoO 14) were again written for the ballrooms of Vienna, a few years after the earlier sets of dances. They are lively and politely brilliant. In some of them one seems to detect touches that belong to Beethoven rather than just to the genre in which he was writing. It is certainly interesting to note that the seventh and the 11th dances share material with Beethoven’s ballet music The Creatures of Prometheus; the seventh is also echoed in the final movement of the Eroica.

The final set of dances on this CD belongs to a later period. The eleven ‘Mödlinger’ dances were, it seems likely, written in the wooded suburb of Vienna which bears that name, in 1819. That, we should remind ourselves, is the year of the Hammerklavier sonata and of the commencement of the Ninth symphony. These, in short, are the work of a fully mature Beethoven. Beethoven had real financial problems at this time, so it may well be that these dances were written for primarily commercial reasons; but it would, I think, be wrong to imagine that Beethoven didn’t take their composition at all ‘seriously’. Certainly they are far more sophisticated than the dances considered so far. They explore a range of forms – there are four waltzes, five minuets and two ländlers. There is a genial smile to all of the music; there are plenty of sparkling passages as, quite without condescension, Beethoven writes wonderfully accessible music. But it is also music that gets better at second and third hearings. These are delightful, small-scale masterpieces, in their own way just as worthy of attention as the far greater works that Beethoven wrote at much the same time.

-- Glyn Pursglove, MusicWeb International

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Great Piano Concertos (10-CD Box Set)

"The box set Great Piano Concertos has been produced to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Naxos and draws on their extensive catalogue of concerto recordings. The recording quality varies from the older 1980’s recordings but there are some good things to enjoy in the 10 CD set particularly Idil Biret playing the two Chopin piano concerts with the Slovak State Philharmonic under Rubert Stankovsky. The two Liszt concertos with Eldar Nebolsin and the RLPO under Petrenko are also very enjoyable as is Jenő Jando playing the Grieg and Schumann concertos with the Budapest Symphony under András Ligeti. There are finer performances available in the catalogue of these works but this box set give an excellent introduction at a bargain price." --Audiophilia, May 2012

At the very heart of a concerto is the interplay and contrast of a solo instrument within a larger instrumental ensemble. The natural progression from the Baroque concerto grosso, the concerto as we know it was fully established as a concert staple in the eighteenth century, and many works dating from this period are still a key part of the repertoire today. The opportunity for dazzling virtuosic display from the soloist has resulted in the concerto becoming a vital musical force both on the concert platform and in the audience arena.

The most important composer in the development of the early piano concerto was Mozart, whose masterly compositions for the instrument paved the way for expansion of the form by composers such as Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Grieg. In the Romantic era, composers such as Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky lent a distinctly Russian fluency and passion to the idiom, whilst no pianistic survey would be complete without the transcendent concertos of those great piano masters, Chopin and Liszt. The twentieth century transformed the piano concerto yet further with splendid offerings from a delicate Ravel, fiery Prokofiev and jazzy Gershwin to name but a few.

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