What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[bart]

Chopin - Nocturnes
Arthur Rubiinstein
Qobuz 24/96




Good to hear the great old masters from time to time.

In August-September 1965 (February 1967 for Op.55 No.2) Rubinstein, then 79 years old, recorded for RCA these 19 Nocturnes here reissued — following Chopin's wishes, Rubinstein never performed or recorded the two unpublished nocturnes that fill out many recorded sets. Between effusion and restraint near-ideally balanced, and in a true, fair and alert tone, Arthur Rubinstein stands apart, in addition to his incomparable rubato, by a spontaneity and youth of heart with which he animates these pieces; bathed in light and colors, they are no longer melancholic only. (Qobuz)

"The set of Nocturnes Rubinstein recorded in 1965 is unmatched: a miraculous balance of singing line, tonal luster, poetic nuance, romantic fancy and classical form." (Washington Post)

"A strong, eloquent version, played without pathos" (France Musique)

[bart]

Johannes Brahms - Sonatas & Liebeslieder for cello and piano
Emmanuelle Bertrand
Pascal Amoyel
Qobuz 24/96




We quite enjoyed this new release.

Emmanuelle Bertrand and Pascal Amoyel celebrate their twenty years together as a cello and piano duet. It is hardly surprising that they chose to mark this anniversary with the music of Brahms, a composer who has been a constant on their beautiful journey together: beyond his two ultra-romantic sonatas, they take the listeners to an even deeper emotional realm, that of his lieder, splendidly “sung” here by the cello! © harmonia mundi

[bart]

Domenico Scarlatti - Stabat Mater
The Zurich Chamber Singers
Qobuz 24/96




Very intense indeed.
Wonderful but short new release.

Restriction and reflection. Like every choir, the Zurich Chamber Singers have been particularly suffering since the beginning of the pandemic due to the restrictions and limitations imposed by hygiene regulations. Canceled concerts, canceled recordings, but then at the beginning of 2021 came along the possibility of recording with a small ensemble. Conductor and ensemble leader Christian Erny saw the opportunity and seized it: "The composition falls into a time when Scarlatti had a very good choir at his disposal. We assume that he thought that he could draw from the full. It's really 25 minutes of the highest intensity with ten solo voices cast, and it goes from the innermost sorrow, from the most intimate despair, to operatic drama that at times you feel the piece is exploding". And that with only ten voices.

Scarlatti's setting of the medieval funeral poem of Jesus' sorrowful mother standing in front of the cross of her own son displays the full range of emotions of the text. Scarlatti, who is more commonly known for his 555 Sonatas, exploits the vocal possibilities to the full, creating a dense web that the Zurich Chamber Singers never allow to become opaque. © Berlin Classics

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by bart

Johannes Brahms - Sonatas & Liebeslieder for cello and piano

Emmanuelle Bertrand

Pascal Amoyel

Qobuz 24/96









We quite enjoyed this new release.



Emmanuelle Bertrand and Pascal Amoyel celebrate their twenty years together as a cello and piano duet. It is hardly surprising that they chose to mark this anniversary with the music of Brahms, a composer who has been a constant on their beautiful journey together: beyond his two ultra-romantic sonatas, they take the listeners to an even deeper emotional realm, that of his lieder, splendidly “sung” here by the cello! [emoji767] harmonia mundi

Very nice, thanks Bart.

[Antonmb]

Beethoven: Piano Concertos 4 & 5
Yevgeny Sudbin, piano
Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä
BIS (2011), via Qobuz

I’m sure this has been posted before, but it’s worth repeating. These are wonderful performances and excellent recording.

IMG_3881.jpg

[bart]

Haydn - Cello Concertos
Zuill Bailey
Philharmonia Orchestra, Robin O'Neill
via Qobuz




A cellist with a gorgeous tone.
This is very well played.
I adore the pieces.
They breathe optimism and energy.

[bart]

Bach - Cello Suites
Zuill Bailey
via Qobuz




We wanted more from this formidable musician.
I must have heard 20 versions at least from these masterpieces.
Bailey sounds very fluid and elegant.

[bart]

William Walton - Cello Concerto
Richard Strauss - Don Quixote
North Carolina Symphony, Grant Llewellyn
Zuill Bailey, cello
Roberto Díaz, viola
Qobuz 24/96




More of the great Zuill Bailey!
Glad to (finally) have discovered this musician!

Even with the overall sparsity of music for solo cello, the pairing here seems to be unique. Cellist Zuill Bailey and the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra under Grant Llewellyn combine William Walton's Cello Concerto with Richard Strauss' Don Quixote, Op. 35, a nifty combination of tone poem and concerto for cello and viola. The Walton work is much more often joined to the Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, a very different work, but here, the Cello Concerto from Walton's later years, with a pair of thoughtful slow movements flanking an Allegro appassionato, finds an ideal match in Strauss' often gently comic Don Quixote, with its army of sheep and other delights. The cello represents the Don himself, with the viola (Roberto Díaz) and other instruments stepping into the role of sidekick Sancho Panza. The Walton concerto is an ideal vehicle for cellist Bailey, who grew up listening to Mstislav Rostropovich, a champion of this work; his big-hearted style may bring that Russian master to mind. The Strauss is a little less successful. The North Carolina Symphony is not the Berlin Philharmonic, but Bailey and Díaz are suitably lively, and the spirit of the work comes through. The performances were recorded live at the orchestra's home in Durham in 2019 and benefit from the spontaneity, though there are few distracting audience noises.

© TiVo

[bart]

Robert Schumann - Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
Johannes Brahms - Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 102
Ernest Bloch - Prayer
Max Bruch - Kol Nidrei
Zuill Bailey, cello
Philippe Quint, violin
Philharmonia Orchestra, Robin O'Neill
North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, Grant Llewellyn
Qobuz 24/96




A rewarding journey through the catalogue of this great cellist!

[bart]

Originally Posted by bart

Mendelssohn - IN TIME - Violin Concerto & Octet
Anima Eterna Brugge, Jakob Lehmann
Chouchane Siranossian, violin
Qobuz 24/88.2




Our beloved Concertgebouw Orchestra (the one from Bruges, where we are members) had to do it with young (assistent and guest) conductors last year.
Van Immerseel had a liver transplant, but he's alive and kicking again now.
Nevertheless, he is looking for the survival of his fantastic orchestra into the next decades, this with fresh blood.
This album is the first recording with new talent leading Anima Eterna.
We attended a concert earlier this year (Beethoven's 9th), and we rest assured: there is a future for this orchestra!

This was recording of the month in "Stereoplay".

Chouchane Siranossian is a rising star of the baroque and classical violin, Jakob Lehmann a virtuoso violinist and orchestral director who frequently conducts Anima Eterna. Together, they embody what the Bruges orchestra and its founder, Jos van Immerseel, have decided to call the ‘Next Generation Anima Eterna’... Today they are presenting Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in its original version. “We wanted to take a look into Mendelssohn’s workshop. He struggled with his self-diagnosed ‘revision disease’ and always strove to work hard on himself and his creations” says Jakob Lehmann. Chouchane Siranossian keeps on : “It was a fascinating experience for me to discover historical research and its implementation on period instruments in collaboration with Anima Eterna Brugge. In my interpretation, I used exclusively the fingerings, bowings and other performance markings of Ferdinand David and Joseph Joachim, both of whom rehearsed the work with the composer.”
This recording is rounded off with the Octet, also in its original version, which is longer and has many alterations in instrumentation, harmony and articulation... © Alpha Classics

One of my favourite releases of 2018.