Quelle interprétation magique ! [...] Milstein, il chante, éloquent mais stylé, archet tenu, phrasés parfaits, geste un rien hautain.

[...] Lucchesini hat in seiner hochinteressanten Aufnahme zwei Paarungen herausgestellt: den Sonaten Domenico Scarlattis stellt er die sechs »Encores« Luciano Berios gegenüber, Franz Schuberts »Moments Musicaux« sind Jörg Widmans geniale Reminiszenzen an Franz Schubert beigefügt.

Andrea Lucchesini verleiht nicht nur dem „Luftklavier“ eine Leichtigkeit, sondern lässt die Stücke reizvoll kontrastieren, sorgt für einen Verlauf mit Steigerungen, imaginativen Höhepunkten [...]

Andrea Lucchesini verleiht nicht nur dem »Luftklavier« eine Leichtigkeit, sondern läßt die Stücke reizvoll kontrastieren, sorgt für einen Verlauf mit Steigerungen, imaginativen Höhepunkten [...]

Japanische Rezension siehe PDF!

Japanische Rezension siehe PDF!

Sieben der hier gebotenen Stücke werden von Ulrike Hofbauer gesungen, deren silberheller, vibrationsloser Sopran diese Kompositionen in wundervoller Reinheit erklingen lässt. [...] Von größerem Interesse sind auch die reinen Instrumentalwerke, die hier erstmals auf Renaissance-Viola da Gamben gespielt werden, die nach neuesten wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen rekonstruiert worden sind und den Instrumenten des 16. Jahrhunderts entsprechen dürften. Ihr Klang ist von herber Schönheit.

[…] On the evidence of what we hear, the remaining three violinists are rather more au fait (or should I perhaps say ‘connected’?) with current views on Baroque performance practice. Christoph Schickedanz is a seasoned chamber music player and recording artist and offers some imaginative renditions of individual movements, for example the Sarabande from the D minor Partita, where he substantially varies repeated material. In the B minor Partita he takes an emphatically staccato approach to the Corrente, then flies straight into the presto Double. Like Devy Erlih (Doremi) he ‘attaches’ the Doubles to the dances that precede them. The A minor Sonata’s Fugue is thoughtfully played but the poignant Andante that follows it is a little too formal. Here Heifetz (RCA) and Enescu are unrivalled, at least in terms of focused expression. The Chaconne, however, which is pungently played at a good healthy tempo, has an appropriate sense of gravitas about it.

The German-Norwegian violinist and conductor Gottfried von der Goltz is the best known of the group under consideration, principally for his excellent work with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. His approach, though consistent, is drier than either Zsigmondy or Shickedanz, the C major Sonata’s Fugue suggesting little in the way of exaltation – it does drag rather – while the D minor Chaconne is for the most part bereft of expressive vibrato, though there’s something to be said for keeping the tempo more or less steady and some of von der Goltz’s playing at speed is impressive. It’s a good set, very well recorded, but hardly the most memorable on the current market.

The least familiar name among those cited here is Mie Kobayashi, who was invited to become a jury member of the violin division of the Marguerite LongJacques Thibaud International Competition. As to her playing, there are times when she bends the line so severely that it threatens to topple over the edge. The first movement of the First Sonata is pretty slow and the Fugue courts some dynamic extremes, though it’s often quite delicate. Kobayashi will lean into a chord with a purpose, sometimes toying with subtle ritardandos. The opening Allemande of the First Partita occasionally pushes forwards, a dramatic gesture that, while momentarily effective, I wouldn’t want to encounter too often. The Corrente is choppy, like Schickedanz’s, but without the tension that he generates; nor is the presto Double as brilliant as Devy Erlih’s. […]

Essentially a concept album, Seven is two musicians' exploration of creation myths through seven musical fragments, each fragment being inspired by poems of Dr Bastian Rütten. It is unclear how much of this is improvised, and there are no translations of the German poems. All somewhat abstract, perhaps, but there are some interesting stylistic effects along the way, underpinned by a strong jazz influence. The organ is the world's largest German romantic instrument, which is used to great effect. The result, according to Dr Rütten, is 'a musical and poetic plea to love the question more than the answer' ...

Ferenc Fricsay a fort peu dirigé la musique de Richard Strauss. Le programme du présent CD recoupe, pour l’essentiel, ce que le chef hongrois enregistra pour Deutsche Grammophon. La Burleske, captée live en mai 1955, diffère peu de la gravure réalisée en studio quatre mois plus tard. Flattée par le soutien quasi chambriste ajusté par Fricsay, Margrit Weber y séduit par une musicalité et un jeu plus retenus que Byron Janis.

Absent jusqu ’ici de la discographie de Fricsay, le Concerto pour hautbois de 1949 est une pépite d’autant plus précieuse qu’on y retrouve Léon Goossens (1897-1988), star du London Philharmonic en ses glorieuses années Beecham, qui avait gravé l’œuvre de manière inoubliable avec Galliera deux ans auparavant.

Du Concertino pour clarinette et basson, Audite reprend simplement l’enregistrement officiel d’avril 1953. Servi notamment par Heinrich Geuser, légendaire clarinettiste solo du RIAS, il ne lui manque qu’un supplément de finition pour égaler tout à fait la version Kempe/Dresde. Le Till l’Espiègle qui referme l’album provient d’un concert donné au Titania-Palast en février 1952. Par rapport à la ravageuse version studio de 1950 avec les Berliner Philharmoniker, on perd légèrement en qualité instrumentale, sans pour autant gagner en spontanéité. Mais l’adrénaline propre au live est bien palpable. Magnifiques documents, qui s’adressent aux fanas du chef hongrois.