Der 1980 in Nizza geborene und mittlerweile international tätige Pianist...

Superbe interprétation de Johannes Strobl et très belle prise de son du grand...

The earliest know concerto written for clarinet was written by the very successful composer German composer, Johann Valentin Rathgeber (1682-1750). He was born in Fulda in Lower Franconia and studied theology in Würzburg, where he became a schoolmaster and an organist. In 1707 he entered the monastery at Banz as a chamber musician and was ordained there in 1711. In the same year he was appointed choirmaster, a post he held until his death. As a composer he concentrated on writing sacred music for churches which could not afford professional singers and players. His music is melodious and technically not too demanding - the main reason it became so popular throughout Germany. The tuneful ‘Muri Mass’, here released for the first time, was discovered in the library of the abbey at Einsiedeln. It was catalogued there as the anonymous ‘Muri Mass’ but was recently identified as a work by Johann Valentin Rathgeber. The present recording restores the music to its place of origin as it was recorded in the beautiful abbey church of Muri, with its outstanding acoustics and splendid baroque architecture. The original sound of the composition and the interpretation with baroque instruments meet and form a unique whole. To complement the existing instruments from the baroque era, a number of replica historical instruments were reconstructed, including the trumpet marine, a monochord string instrument ingeniously designed to sound like a trumpet, and the chordophone drum whose sound is produced by striking a single string. Solo concertos taken from Johann Valentin Rathgeber’s ‘Chelys sonora’ and recorded here as well present other historical instruments (baroque violin, baroque trumpet and baroque clarinet). The trumpet marine is also represented in a solo concerto by Rathgeber’s contemporary, Christian Gottfried Telonius. The music is performed in energetic and authentic style by the excellent Cappella Murensis and the ensemble Arcimboldo, directed by Johannes Strobl and Thilo Hirsch. The SACD sound quality is outstanding and this unique release is highly recommended.

К этому достаточно пространному тексту...

Hoy en día una Carmen que no sea interpretada en francés parece una herejía....

Audite presenta dos discos con el Cuarteto Manderling como protagonista...

Audite presenta dos discos con el Cuarteto Manderling como protagonista...

La pianista japonesa Hideyo Harada interpreta veintidós de las sesenta y seis...

He aquí un SACD revelador, no tanto por el repertorio sino por la...

A talented Hungarian conductor who died young and a legendary French pianist who lived long past his prime combine, in concert, for one of the least satisfying recordings I have ever encountered.

Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony begins in promising fashion with an exceptionally slow and dark-hued introduction. The Allegro begins at a reasonable clip, but Fricsay soon slams the pedal to the metal. His breakneck pace leaves little, if any room for subtlety or expression. When he does finally slow down a bit at the beginning of the recapitulation, the result sounds hopelessly stiff and stodgy. The second movement is treated in similar fashion. Once past the glacially paced opening bars, Fricsay breezes through the remainder of the movement as if he can't wait to get it over with. The Scherzo is icy, and the finale lacks any discernable Russian flavor or passion. Tempos here are so fast that the orchestra simply can't stay together. The sound of the broadcast tape is harsh and gritty with metallic strings, boxy tuttis, and a dynamic range that runs the gamut from mezzo forte to forte and back.

In the 1920s, Alfred Cortot made some of the finest trio recordings ever with his erstwhile friends Pablo Casals and Jacques Thibaud. With orchestra he made spirited recordings of the Saint-Saëns Fourth Concerto and Franck's Symphonic Variations. He was also one of the most penetrating and sensitive interpreters of the solo music of Robert Schumann. Nonetheless, Cortot was hardly the greatest keyboard technician. In his early years, though, his miscues rarely disrupted the flow of the music or the power of his expression. Alas, that is not the case here.

By the time this concert took place, Cortot's technique was almost completely gone. There are fleeting moments when he effectively expresses the poetry inherent in the music, but whenever bravura showmanship and heroism are required, Cortot simply cannot muster the necessary energy or power. His interpretation lacks any sense of purpose or direction, and wrong notes are as common as ants at a Memorial Day picnic. More than once I was reminded of the spectacle of David Helfgott's embarrassing concerts. Fricsay, to his credit, desperately tries to hold up his end of the bargain, but even his best efforts cannot save this misbegotten travesty. The microphone seems to have been placed directly under the piano, ensuring that we don't miss a single flaw in Cortot's miserable performance.