5 comments about Borodin: String Quartet No. 1 in A Major; String Quartet No. 2 in D Major.

1. 
   This is probably Borodin Qt's greatest recording, even greater than their Shostakovich cycle. In both no.1 & 2, they achieve near-miracle performance with amazing technical perfection and warm autumanal tone. The famous Nocturne in the 2nd quartet is undescribably beautiful and even Borodin Qt's own later versions fall far short of sheer sublimity of the music making. Rarely performed Quartet No.1 is even greater work in many ways, and here Borodin Qt captures the rustic beauty of the music like no other ensemble could. Buy this one while availalbe (EMI has notorious habit of deleting great recordings while reissuing inferior recordings as Great Recordings of the Century!), you shall never regret.



2. If I had learned nothing from the lectures of Robert Greenburg other than the existence of the music of Borodin, I would still be indebted to him. These pieces are magnificent.
   
   Borodin's music, as perfomed for this recording, is achingly beautiful and original. That it was written by an "amateur" composer who was a physician and scientist by day only adds to the wonder and beauty of it.



3. How else can one describe this incredibly soulful, beautiful recording of Borodin's string quartets (A & D Major)? In this case, Borodin (and the similarly-named quartet) proved the experts wrong in the common saying that the minor is richer than the major. Every movement is a gem played with heartfelt devoltion to the music and the man. The melodic lines are stunning, almost bitter sweet in their mournful rise and fall. The sheer inventiveness of the composer is apparent throughout. In other words, run (don't walk) to your nearest store and purchase this CD or but it off Amazon.
   
   This is not a cerebral (think Emerson Quartet) but a soulful performace, straight from the Grand Age of Composers when performers were called gentlemen and the audience had a knowledge of the music. As in all good quartets, there are no "standout" performances, just a seamless cohesion between the members. If anyone thinks this is recording is an exception they are mistaken. The Shoshtakovitch has as much heart (if not soul). An old tale circulates (confirmation?) that the artist (Shoshtakovitch) worked with the quartet during the process of composition, experimenting for the right sound(s). Beethoven is given a rich Romantic treatment (particularly the Große Fuge) and that is the way I always think of this group - an aristocratic, ensemble specializing in the type of music that they love - Brahms, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Rachmoninov.
   
   My Grade: A+



4. Everyone here (a large family gathering)who has heard this recording over the Christmas period has been very impressed with its quality. I would strongly recommend it.
   John Fothergill



5. Borodin requires emotion, strength, and an understanding of both joy and melancholy. Originally recorded in 1980 by MELODIYA, the musicians and the recording quality go far beyond expectations. This is truly music for the heart.

3 comments about Flute For Relaxation.

1. This music is really soothing and relaxing. All you have to do is put the CD on and close your eyes. Stress relief on a CD. Great!



2. This CD is the BOMB-- I really enyoy listening to it



3. This is a great CD. If you're a James Galway fan, this is a must have. He is, after all, THE GREATEST flutist in the world today. The CD is filled with some of the most beautiful (and relaxing) music ever written. Buy it. You will love it.

5 comments about The Yellow Shark.

1. I defer to the excellent reviews submitted by others as to the the nature and composition. I only want to add that this is NOT "Spoken Word", except for Frank's intro, and also that it is fantastic music that will echo for all time.



2. I've been Zappa-fan for years, and since he has so many different albums with much different types of music, I always had a couple of preffered ones, sometimes more jazzy ones, sometimes more avantgarde or rock... But it's been last year or so that I started to fully appreciate Zappa's classical opus. It started with a revelation of "Civilization phase III". Marvelous album. And so is "The Yellow Shark". I just can't get enough of it. And this CD is packed with a booklet that adds to the total which is, to simply put it: one of the greatest musical achievments of all time.
   I bow to Z, and Ensemble Modern.



3. ok... this is Mr Zappa's last record he did before his death in 1993. releasing over fifty albums before this album, it is needless to say he had quite a legacy. that means a lot of pressure is put on this one, and it defanetly does not disappoint. go ahead and have high hopes, its safe!! it is a seventy minute album of avant garde and some chamber music too. this album has a very serious feel to it, just look at the cover. it is a shame that such a god had to die so young, but i'm glad this is how his final album sounds, this is Zappa's specialty. the album starts off with a roaring applause, zappa being himself, a funny and charming announcer then introducing the fine conductor, peter rundel. the ensemble plays the best versions of some oldies (dog breath & uncle meat) that i have ever heard. it segues beautifully into the enchanting (outrage at valdez) the next song is a very eratic and random and lengthy song called times beachII. its always an interesting listen. the band plays a similar song of times beach, but just wood wind this time (III Revised) the band plays a perfect stranger classic flawlessly (the girl in the magnesium dress) the band plays george duke's free style jazz melody from roxy and elsewhere. the next song is the truly mind blowing piano solo that flows beautifully without any melody (ruth is sleeping) a tripple string instrumental continues (none of the above, pentagon afternoon, questi cazzi di piccione) time s beach III takes place hahaha. the talking and hilarious piece (food gathering in post-industrial america, 1992 & welcome to the united states) changes the place giving listeners a breath of Zappa's silly side. a couple chamber music pieces changes the pace (pound for a brown*best version i've heard by the way* then the peaceful piece excercise #4) the album wraps with two incredible suites. the first is the romantic sounding get whitey which is nice and long. the last is the jazz from hell masterpiece g-spot tornado being played by a freaking orchestra!!!!!!!!!! do i have to say more?!?!?!?!??! *warning* g-spot tornado is a three minute song, zappa always lists how long the song is, on yellow shark, it says g-spot tornado is five minutes, don't be fooled, its three minutes it wraps up with two minutes of roaring applause . it really puts a fuzzy feeling in your heart hahaha Mr Zappa is no doubt the Mozart of the twentieth century



4. Frank Zappa was very proud of this great and difficult work done at the end of his (too short) life.
   It requires also great concentation and a capability that probably I don't have to well understand this kind of experimental classic music.
   It goes beyond the experimental rock that is typical of many of his works, leading him to the level of great contemporary experimental classic composers.
   Given such a level of difficulty I don't know how much I can suggest to buy it. You just should try to hear at this music and decide if it does fit with your soul (how could I believe just a few years ago that today I would like so much 'Your funeral my trial' of Nick Cave?)



5. FZ goes to Germany to upstage Karlheinz Stockhausen and tries to be avant garde. The Germans have perfected this form of expressionism and even though he uses a German band, conductor and theatre it remains a display of technical virtuosity. The orchestra is exemplary as is Peter Rundel and as there's little to no rhythm the result is too intellectual. Spoken word pieces attack political issues, like immigration and abortion. Its a must have for a Zappa fan catalogue but has limited popular appeal

5 comments about Mozart: The Complete Piano Trios.

1. I can't add much to Mike Powers excellent review, but a few thoughts. This is another in the Philips Duo series, which I find a good source for the chamber music of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert etc at bargain prices. The way these composers are played remains pretty much unchanged since these recordings were made in the late 60s and the 1970s, and made by the finest players of the time. When you thought piano trios you thought the Beau Arts Trio, who made the piano trio their speciality. So you can be sure that the interpretation will be excellent, which it is, and, despite the age of the recording, the sound is very good. And the music ? Some who take life too seriously might put them down as " more Mozart lollipops", well, they don't pretend to compare with a Brandenburg, but they are joyfull and airy, more like a small scale piano concerto, plenty of fine melodies for all the players.
   I have no hesitation in giving five stars, there might be a better version available, but it will cost at least twice as much.



2. The last two star review is frankly flabbergasting. I guess some people may be just a little hard to please and perhaps if you are a musical expert or virtuoso you may have a case against these performances by the uniformly excellent Beaux Arts Trio.
   
   Look at what everyone else thinks! This is exceptionially beautiful music played with heart and soul. There are so many performances of Mozart's chamber music that to these untrained ears just sound dull, thin-lipped and polite - for a long time I found much of Mozart's music rather superficial - very clever and witty - but ultimately superficial - I could fully understand why Glenn Gould recorded his sonatas just to show how overrated he had become!
   
   Listening to the Beaux Arts Trio, all is forgiven. I can hear all instruments perfectly equally; the pacing is spot on and somehow the performance brings out a profundity in Mozart's chamber music I was unable to hear before.
   
   Having said all this I would of course love to hear the other Phillips recording that is meant to be so definitive.



3. I take my chamber music very seriously, and thought this would be a good deal at $14 from Amazon. I'm severely disappointed, but concede you get what you pay for. Both the remastering and the playing leaves something to be desired. I have these same three players playing the Dumky Trio and the Mendelssohn d minor Trio, and the Schubert Trios and they're quite good. These are bad enough that I would not even consider backing the CDs up.
   
   First, the balance seems to be biased towards the violin / clarinet. Daniel Guilet is often criticized for milking the music too much, and it is no exception here, and this, imho, is a severe flaw when interpreting Mozart. His style is also inconsistent. For example, his Mozart spiccato at pianissimos becomes sloppy detaches that are way too long at fortes. Menahem Pressler sounds like he's playing with the soft pedal and the lid down. At times Mozart's clever left hand counterpoint is lost in the background. In the Clarinet Trio, the viola is often lost behind the clarinet. Overall, the intonation is not very good, especially in the awkward passages, like in the E major Trio. (Both Guilet and Greenhouse have issues tuning against the piano... perhaps because the lid was down?)
   
   I give two stars because it could be even worse. My expectations compare to the excellent (especially in comparison) interpretation by Ingred Haebler of the Mozart Piano Quartets (released by Philips). There the exacting intonation and precociousness of Mozart shines. With these recordings I feel like I'm listening to a sight-reading through the wall, closest to the violinist/clarinet player.



4. These performances are wonderful, pure, relaxed and elegant. Mozart's Piano Trios are mostly mature works, still more easy listening and less expressive, less demanding than his "Haydn" quartets, most essential string quintets (K. 515, 516, 593), the piano/wind quintet (K 452), the piano quartet (K. 478) and the trio labelled "Divertimento" (K. 563). This makes it more difficult to explain what their charm consists in. Let me try with words like playful coolness, charming equanimity, happy serenity, light imperturbability, natural elegance, soothing purity or unruffled whiteness... Elegance is the keyword.



5. I have had this recording for about five years, and have enjoyed it immensley. Recorded in the 1960's, it features the original personnel (Menahem Pressler, Piano - Daniel Guilet, Violin - Bernard Greenhouse, Cello).

   The Beaux Arts Trio is just wonderful in this literature. Menahem Pressler's dynamic shading, articulation, and interactions with the other instruments are always "just right".

   The sound of the recording itself is fine. Even though it was recorded in 1967, it was digitally remastered to cd.

   I highly recommend this set. The Beaux Arts has been around for over 40 years. As a result, they have a lot of experience playing with each other, and it shows in this masterful compilation.

5 comments about Bach: Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin.

1. Estas grabaciones de Miltein a pesar de tener casi cincuenta años, son insuperables. Si bien el sonido de las grabaciones actuales es mejor, estas dos no desmerecen. La musicalidad que imprime Milstein a su interpretación entendida esta como la versión personal de lo que otro escribió adquiere un nuevo sentido, para recomendar la Chaconne de la partita N° 2. Tengo Versiones de Zsering, Grumieux y otros pero estas son sin duda la guía de los demás.



2. Bach's Sonatas and Partitas are usually recorded according to the order of their BWV number. Hence, it begins with sonata 1, followed by partita 1, so on. A two-disc set usually contains sonata 1, partita 1, and sonata 2 in one disc and partita 2, sonata 3, and partita 3 in the other. Depending on your preferences, you'd pick one disc to play more than the other. Perhaps, it wouldn't really matter that much. However, to my mind, I find the balance that many of Bach's works emanate is disturbed by such an arrangement. With this product, Nathan Milstein grouped the sonatas in one set. I have posted my rave over the other disc containing the partitas, also by Milstein. I admit, I initially found the grouping strange. But I realize it was merely unexpected. As I continue to listen to these works, I come to find that having the sonatas and partitas grouped among their compatriots does the works more than a little good.
   
   Of course, I make the last point that this set of Sonatas and the set of Partitas written by Bach and performed by Milstein is valuable not merely as a consequence of packaging. Nathan Milstein was one of the foremost pupils of the celebrated violin teacher, Leopold Auer, and among the most highly regarded violinists of the 20th century. I don't think I have to say much regarding the genius of J.S. Bach.



3. I had listened to Grumiaux's set for years before deciding to try out Milstein's. Am I ever glad that I did. These Sonatas (along with the Partitas), are simply glorious. There is just something about Milstein's tone that suites these works perfectly, just as Josef Suk's playing goes perfectly with Dvorak and Brahms. I still think Grumiaux's performance is flawless (as always), but they just don't do it for me like these. Don't worry about these being mono recordings, as the sound is fine.



4. As the first reviewer said, this 1950's recording shows the performer perfectly aligned with the composer's intention. Bach's unlimited creativity , limitless intellect and full emotional range are captured by this recording. The later recording by Nathan Milstein, to my ear, is more an outward showpiece and less a reflection of the perfection of Bach's astounding musical genius. Try to buy not only this CD, but get the entire 6 Sonatas and Partitias, if possible from Milstein's 1950's recording. This recording is the pinnacle of Bach's writing played to perfection.



5. Bach is my favorite composer, and of all Bach's works, the Goldberg Variations, and these solo violin sonatas/partitas, are my "desert island" works. I've listened to many recordings of these sonatas/partitas, from Yehudi Menuhin to Jascha Heifetz, Grumiaux, Perlman, Podger, and others. Milstein's survey from the 1950s on EMI stands as my favorite, in comparison with his DG rendition in the 1970s.
   
   I had a conversation with one of the editors of the Penguin guide about these recordings, and Milstein was also his favorite, but he preferred the 70s DG version for reasons of sound quality and technical brilliance. I countered that the EMI Milstein set from the 50s was superior for the depth of insight brought to these pieces. Nathan Milstein was in his absolute prime when he first recorded this survey in the 50s. His insights into Bach are pure, with the required delicacy in slow movements, the right touch of silence here and there to let the music breathe, without being CONSPICUOUSLY slow, such as the Perlman set, which tends to drag at times. His fugues are perfectly light on their feet, his rhythms perfectly sprung, without making it a horse race. In short, Milstein stays out of the way of Bach in every moment of the EMI set, and we are face to face with the composer. But in the DG set from the 1970s, Milstein seems to be rushing through some passages (as does Grumiaux), with more regard for "technical brilliance" as the Penguin editor cited, instead of pure musicality and reverence of Bach. I have listened to both Milstein versions, and the 70s DG recording simply does not reach down into the depths of Bach in the same way.
   
   The Jascha Heifetz rendition is also outstanding, but when you listen to it, you know that it's about Heifetz, not so much about Bach. Now, Heifetz was indeed the best of the best, in terms of his technical mastery. The one segment where Heifetz wins me over from everyone else is in the mighty Chaconne from Partita 2. In this Mount Everest of solo violin, Heifetz takes you on an exhilarating ride that leaves you speechless. I have never heard the Chaconne played with such fearless power and confidence than from Heifetz. For that one segment alone, I bow to him above all others. He was indeed the best.
   
   But Heifetz himself always heaped praise upon Nathan Milstein, which was exceedingly rare. Heifetz never praised anyone! Heifetz always demanded that his students go to see Milstein perform. If his students didn't go, they'd be in trouble! So Milstein certainly commanded a great deal of respect from Heifetz. And when you hear Milstein play the mighty Chaconne, he almost has the supreme technical mastery of Heifetz. Not quite, but almost. However, once again, when you hear the Heifetz version, you are hearing Heifetz, the master. When you hear the (50s EMI) Milstein version, you are hearing Bach.
   
   I invite the listener to compare one specific movement between these two Milstein versions, and then make their own decision. Listen very carefully to the opening Grave movement from Sonata 2 in A Minor. Compare and contrast the depth of insight in the 50s version on EMI, and the 70s version on DG. You will most likely come to the same conclusion as I did after making my own comparison. Then compare other movements throughout the set, but start with that one. For me, there is no doubt. The 50s set is pure, unadulterated Bach at its finest. No other violinist came closer to the heart of this beautiful music than Milstein did in the 1950s. Even HE didn't get as close to it when he remade this music later in his life. And by the way, in terms of sound quality, this EMI set from the 50s is perfect! There is no cavernous reverb, just the pure unadulterated sound of Milstein's violin, so clean and clear that he is right there in the room with you. The two words I always come away with after listening to this 50s Milstein set on EMI are "intimacy" and "insight."

4 comments about The Best Of Saint-Saëns.

1. Camille Saint-Saens was merciless in composing a score, often demanding performances that crowded the very limits of what is possible. Consequently, there are a lot of recordings that are frustrating to listen to because one can hear where the work is close but unfulfilled. This anthology of recordings compiled by Philips is the holy grail of Saint-Saens because the choice of conductors and artists was obviously based on melodic phrasing. There is no better performance of the seamless second movement or of the third movement's full string-section counterpoint in Violin Concerto No. 3. This CD set has the best Danse Macabre ever done; people think they know this symphonic poem, but unless they have heard the one conducted by Bernard Haitink, they have not. This Danse Macabre is symphonic perfection. Again, people think they know the Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, but the one with Henryk Szeryng playing violin and conducted by Edouard Van Remoortel transcends and bewilders the mind. Both piano concerti, No 2 and especially No. 4, these works open a new musical paradigm, the piano played by Michele Campanella in No. 4 making music only Saint-Saens knew a piano could make. The undeniable conclusion is that the performances were searched for and chosen as a tour de force of melodic phrasing, with an impressionist composer who imagined brilliance beyond this world.



2. I must admit that the Penguin Guide was overly critical of this CD. They said the recording of the Organ Symphony was not exciting and they are certainly far from being correct. The standard by which I judge the Symphony is mainly (if not almost) purely based on the finale. Out of the recordings I have heard this is the finest account. I found the Ormandy version a bit too fast forsaking the majestic feel. The Levine version is well played, but there just seems to be some issue with balance and heaven forbid the Berlin Philharmonic percussionists making a mistake near the end (they played 2 bars late). Dutoit's account is fairly similar to this recording, but I find Edo de Waart's recording has a more 'natural' and richer sound. There is something magical in the finale, the organ is brilliantly captured throughout. Polished, balanced, finely controlled tempi and well-executed this is the best version of the Organ Symphony. If you're starting a Saint-Saens' collection, this 2CD set will certainly not disappoint. The accounts of the other pieces are first-rate.



3. As an orchestral player (violinist, violist) and student conductor who is currently in a performance cycle of Symphony No. 3 "Organ", I think that this is one of the best recordings I have heard of the symphony. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for great balances and a full sound of an orchestra!



4. This was my first Saint-Saëns CD, and I did not quite know what to expect. It was love at first hear(?!). An excellent collection, ranging from the humorous "Carnival of the Animals" to the serious Organ Symphony. If you are not familiar with Saint-Saëns, I would strongly recommend this collection as a great introduction.

5 comments about Vivaldi and Piazzolla: Eight Seasons.

1. The `eight seasons' referred to in this CD's name are the `Four Seasons' of Vivaldi and the `Four Seasons' of the Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. Piazzolla is the composer most responsible for the meeting and merging of Argentine Tango and Western Classical music. From his large output, "Cuatro Estaciones Porteños," "The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires" (people from Buenos Aires are known as "Porteños"), is one of the undisputed masterworks. There are numerous recordings of these four wonderful pieces available, including one I would also highly recommend by a trio known as Opus 3 (composed of members of the Israeli Philharmonic), though I don't know if it is available in the U.S. (I purchased it in Argentina). But the recording of the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires that I think most moving is that on this CD with Gidon Kremer. If you're primarily interested in Piazzolla's music, it is likely that, like me, you probably don't need another copy of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but the juxtaposition of the two works on this CD is not entirely without merit, as Piazzolla does quote from Vivaldi's seasons in his own pieces, often with very pleasing effect.
   
   The `Four Seasons of Buenos Aires' are therefore in effect orchestral tangos, though they nonetheless inhabit a different sound-world than, say, the patron saint of traditional Argentine tango, Carlos Gardel. If you have heard other versions of these pieces, you may be surprised at how wonderfully refined Kremer and his group are able to make them sound, yet without losing any of the power and color inherent in the tango as a musical form. My personal favorite of Piazzolla's seasons is "Invierno Porteño," "Winter in Buenos Aires," which is a sensuously beautiful yet melancholy classical tango played with just the right combination of passion, intensity, and restraint. In this version Kremer's violin along with the wonderful strings suit the music perfectly.



2. Having heard a live performance of Eight Seasons given by Tasmin Little at De La Warr pavilion,Bexhill was enthusiastic to get a copy. The performance by Gidon Kremer does not disappoint. The Vivaldi is as fresh as ever, far less mannered than the Nigel Kennedy version, and with the revolutionary 'naturalistic' effects of the seasons that make it so endearing a piece played with sensitivity and grace. The Piazzola 4 Seasons of Buenos Aires is similarly responsive to the atmospheres of the city but composed with amazing a-tonal effects. Huge glissandi and sonorous climaxes along with cool, lazy tango rhythms make a complete musical portrait of the sounds of the city. Very exciting music making - very rewarding listening



3. I really know hardly anything about Argentinan music or Kremer, but I bought this album after I became enraptured with the spring and summer suites at a ballet. My local company created a piece inspired by the works of expatriate artist Amaranth Ehrenhalt and set to alternating Vivaldi and Piazzola selections. I was amazed by how Vivaldi's Seasons took on new life. Everything was vivid and fluid and meshed perfectly with the dance. I recommend this--you can truely feel the seasons alive in all of their glory.
   BTW: Rio de la Plata means River of Silver.



4. Gidon Kremer has been building himself quite the reputation as an interpreter of the music of the late and great Argentine musical polymath, Astor Piazzolla. Here he takes the very well-known Four Seasons of Vivaldi and stands them up to the Four Seasons of Piazzolla and the result is an aural delight.
   Most who are reading this are probably curious about this CD for one of two reasons: either they are Vivaldi fans, or they are Piazzolla fans. But who says that being a fan of one has to exclude the other? After you listen to this, you are likely to become a fan of the music of both composers and of Gidon Kremer as well if you were not already.
   Being a huge Piazzolla fan,I never tire of hearing different interpretations of one of his most important works. The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires may be born of tango, but it is much more than that. It is a masterful marriage of classical elements with those of tango. Piazzolla could do many things with music and what he has created with his Four Seasons is an electrifying blend that will stand the test of time.
   And so here is Gidon Kremer with yet another skillful and faithful interpretation of the both the spirit and the letter of Astor Piazzolla's music, cleverly juxtaposed with that of one of the Old Masters. Kremer brings us full circle with his presentation of the Four Seasons sequences of both composers, beginning with Vivaldi's La Primavera (Spring) and after a musical journey through the year, ending with Primavera Portena (Buenos Aires Spring) so that we finish where we began.
   Kremer and his Kremerata Baltica do a virtuoso job throughout. Though I am a partisan of the music of Piazzolla, I enjoy Kremer's interpretation of Vivaldi as well. If you know and love this music as I do, then Eight Seasons merits an esteemed slot in your CD collection.



5. Parts of this recording are so beautiful that when I listen while working, I have to pause what I am doing and close my eyes. I don't remember how I ended up buying this CD (it certainly wasn't planned), but I am so grateful.
   
   My rabbit hates it though. When I listen to it at home, he stamps his feet. So I can only listen to it at work. :(

5 comments about Mikhail Pletnev ~ Domenico Scarlatti - Keyboard Sonatas.

1. If you're looking for perfection, keep looking. Technically shoddy to the point of distraction. However, for $3/CD, it will make a good gift for your mother-in-law.



2. Another favorite disc which prompted me to purchase both Horowitz and Schiff recordings. I can't find fault with Pletnev's playing and he certainly does not suffer by comparison with any other pianists I've heard performing Scarlatti. There's a very good chance you will love these performances too. The music is dazzling.



3. I bought this two-CD album after reading many of the glowing reviews
   here. Boy, was I in for an unhappy surprise. These performances are
   in general joyless and sound like Mr. Pletnev was sight-reading them
   after a few disinterested practice sessions, eager to finish his contractual obligation, collect, and move on. The recorded sound is
   very blah. In no way can these performances be compared with those
   of pianists like Horowitz or Sudbin or Browning, who bring life-
   enriching insight, technical polish and a sense of mission to their
   work. Do yourselves a favor and stay away. Oh, and BTW, don't forget
   the old saw, "If the bargain is too good to be true.." You get what you
   pay for.



4. Pletnev's interpretation of Scarlatti is excellent and a definite improvement on the standard set by Horowitz. Highly recommended.



5. ... overshadowed in his youth by his father, always known as "the Great Scarlatti," and now overshadowed once again by the rediscovery of daddy Alessandro's spectacular oratorios and altar-operas. I suspect that Domenico would gnash his teeth rather than exulting in filial pride. Nothing I've read about the younger Scarlatti suggests a generous spirit.
   
   Even more tragic, Domenico Scarlatti was born too soon; he wrote at least 555 sonatas for an instrument that hadn't yet been invented!Domenico Scarlatti never knew the piano. He composed all his sonatas on and for the harpsichord. Anyone who has encountered my previous reviews of Glen Gould and Angela Hewitt may remember that I'm bluntly contemptuous of performances of JS Bach's harpsichord music, especially the Goldberg Variations, on modern piano. One might as well play beach volleyball in a tuxedo.
   
   Domenico Scarlatti arrived on the scene of keyboard composition at the very moment when the resources of the harpsichord were no longer adequate to the musical aesthetic of the era. Those 555 sonatas scream out for pianism, for shadings of dynamics, for sustained resonances, and other qualities in herent in the piano and absent from the harpsichord. I can enjoy Scarlatti on harpsichord only one sonata per listening session, whether live or recorded. More than one, frankly, bores me to slumber. The same sonatas played on piano can also be monotonous if the pianist treats them gravely, earnestly, as grand art. Scarlatti didn't even call these works 'sonatas' but rather "essercizi" - exercises. He intended them as whimsies, as ingenious musical jests, to stretch his own keyboard techniques to the level of fantasy as well as to give free rein to his delight in the sounds of nature, of Spanish folk music, and popular dance.
   
   Mikhail Pletnev performs the 31 essercizi on these two CDs exactly as I imagine Domenico would have, if he'd had a piano, with impassioned eccentricity. Pletnev's technique is fully up to the demands of odd hand-crossings, tumultuous rhythms, unrestrained clashes of dissonance, and greyhound finger passages. He achieves what I think is necessary in Scarlatti, to define and yet to articulate the fleeting moods of these four minute tours de force. In comparison, every other performance on CD of the younger Scarlatti sounds to me plodding and timid - like "exercises" indeed.
   
   Ironically, it's Domenico Scarlatti's vocal works that have the greater power to energize a modern audience. See my previous review of his Stabat Mater a dieci voci, performed by Concerto Italiano, conducted by Rinaldo Alessandrini.

5 comments about Charlotte Church.

1. Charlotte church is truely a remarkable success in the press,for her wonderful voice as a child of 12-14 years old, I give her credit and i would love to meet this girl one day, i think the world of her, it would be wonderful if she could sing those songs when she was a child, because she has got such a beautiful voice, which I think is just amazing,i think the reason why she doesnt like this new pope is becayse she had religion shoved down her throat and she prberly had a gutful of religion,but she still sys that she is quite religious,if she deicdes to go back and doing opera that would be really wonderful because people would rcongise her once again, I wish the press would back off and stop all this harsh critism because when you come to think of it she is a true star in the making, and nobody should she make you feel that you should shun her music, good luck Charlotte my true friend and long time lost romeo



2. Charlotte church is truely a remarkable success in the press,for her wonderful voice as a child of 12-14 years old, I give her credit and i would love to meet this girl one day, i think the world of her, it would be wonderful if she could sing those songs when she was a child, because she has got such a beautiful voice, which I think is just amazing,i think the reason why she doesnt like this new pope is becayse she had religion shoved down her throat and she prberly had a gutful of religion,but she still sys that she is quite religious,if she deicdes to go back and doing opera that would be really wonderful because people would rcongise her once again, I wish the press would back off and stop all this harsh critism because when you come to think of it she is a true star in the making, and nobody should she make you feel that you should shun her music, good luck Charlotte my true friend and long time lost romeo



3. I had heard that Charlotte church might consider to go back to her classical roots, but give her time, I mean I dont like it when the press say you must do this and that, the poor girl has been through alot, I will give her 100% in all that she does,she is an inspiration to me, and she had a voice that had potential and was very beautiful,it she does decide to go back to doing opera, it would be good to hear hard rock music in the background while she sings sweetly,and always it would be wonderful if she could do something a bit unusual, for example with the song that she sang at 13 which is "Just wave hello, and if she sings it now with an opera voice it would be wonderful,while rock music is in the song, but it would be good if the msic of the song could be reversed, i mean to have rock in the beining and then opera at the end, its just my suggestion, I wish her all the best in the future, and she tells me that she wants to be a opera singer in the near future which is a long long way away, good luck my dear, your no top 1 fan Jamie Cox



4. you are definetly my number one top fan,I love your voice, so full, sweet and bright, you are a wonderful person, I dont care what people think of you, proberly they dont like you, but I feel very bad and very sad when people talk bad about you, you are defintely my dream come true, I know that so much harsh critism has been made about you, because it all amounts to them being jelous of you,I would defintely would like to meet you one day, i will always admire you,you do indeed make a good rock singer, and your music has given me potential in my voice and singing, you are my inspiration and your music has released out alot of tension in my body,and it has made me a better person, i wish people would stop judging you, and leave you alone, if you sing opera one day,that would be wonderful too! (I wish the press would back off)but i still remember a little welsh girl of 13 who sang sweetly and had showed respect to God, I am a catholic, it would be wonderful to meet you one day Charlotte, my best friend, if you are reading this,my dear, good luck to you.



5. Where,has charlotte church gone,very downhill i would imagine, I was a huge charlotte church fan, i always thought the world of her, her voice was so sweet,full and bright, and the image that she represented was about a young lady in a cathedral who loved her God and never questioned anyone even the Priests, she has gone down the river of no return, for someone who had such wonderful talent, when you come to think of it, what a waste she recorded it on junk,and I hope she will make peace with pope bendict because I think he is just wonderful, there be must be something to clear up her name,I used to love her, but after reading one revierwer which said to boycott her music, i was very shoscked, because i always thought she was brought up properly, anyway I feel to boycott and let prayer back into my life for the comming years ahead.

2 comments about Schumann, Brahms: Piano Quintets.

1. If it's quick tempi you seek in these two works you won't be disappointed with this recording. Certainly Andsnes is the star and the playing of the Artemis is precise and tuneful but both performances lack the warmth I would expect in these two Romantic masterworks. Sometimes there is a rather clinical feel to the playing. The acoustic is just live enough to give a bloom to the sound unlike the Schubert Ensemble's recording (Schumann) where the excess echo causes serious blurring.
   
   The Artemis' upper strings have a tendency to a thin sound at times but there is plenty of grunt at the lower end and a good separation between all instruments. Unfortunately I think this is a recording I would tire of quite quickly because overall the playing is not sufficiently engaging. There are better readings of the Schumann but the Brahms has considerable merit on this disc.



2. If you were to sample the first and last movements of the Brahms Piano Quintet on this CD, the musical alliance of Andsnes and the Artemis Qt. seem ideal. Aided by gorgeous recorded sound, the ensemble carries wonderful conviction in their phrasing -- you are pulled into a genuinely complex emotional world. I wouldn't rank the Artemis among the front rank of quartets that have recorded this masterpiece, but hey have a lovely sheen and a light touch. It's really Andsnes who carries the day -- he showed himself to be an outstandingBrahms player in his recording with Simon Rattle of the Piano Cto #1. But the rhythms of the third movement seem a bit mechanical, and I don't feel the pathos of the second movement. The group seems intent on making sure that we don't hear the same old musty Brahms, but in cleaning off the varnish, I think they lost some of the painting.
   
   The Schumann is an enjoyable, skillful reading, but I don't hear much personality. Andsnes and the Artemis prefer a quick-step first movement, but when they get to the Scherzo and finale, which benefit from sparkle and brio, their pacing is moderate -- I found myself wishing for a lot more zest. In every respect it's the Brahms that arouses the most interest. The Emerson Qt. and Leon Fleisher have jsut released their own masterful account, which this one can't compare to, but on its own terms the Andsnes-Artemis reading is certainly laudable.
   
   P.S. -- In fairness I should note that this recording became one of the Gramophone's Recordings of the Year for 2008.