Vivaldi: Concertos for Strings

The acclaimed Polish period band Arte dei Suonatori perform eight of Vivaldi�s concertos a Quattro. Their version of Handel�s 12 Concerto grossi Op. 6 was awarded �Orchestral Choice of the Month� in BBC Music Magazine, alongside further critical acclaim from the international music press.

As well as being a major composer in the formation of the solo concerto, he also was the leading exponent of the older concerto a quattro � music in four parts, with several players to a part. His works in this genre are notable not only for their beauty, but also for their experimental character and for providing the most important examples of fugal writing in Vivaldi�s instrumental music.

This recording includes eight of the concertos, as well as the Sinfonia from the serenata La Senna festeggiante (The Rejoicing Seine) composed in honour of the young French king Louis XV, and the Sonata a 4 in E flat major �Al Santo Sepolcro�.

Yoshimatsu: Symphony No. 4, Trombone Concerto 'Orion Machine'

'The BBC Symphony [Philharmonic] under Sachio Fujioka plays superbly, and given Chandos' nonpareil sound, Yoshimatsu's music lacks for nothing in terms of production or reproduction.' --Fanfare

'Thoughout the disc, the assured playing of the BBC Philharmonic and Sachio Fujioka, like the superbly focussed sound is a pleasure in itself'. --International Record Review

"The BBC Philharmonic tackles all three pieces with virtuosity and panache and the recording captures the full panoply of the Hollywoodstyle orchestration". --BBC Music Magazine

�Impressive works, performances and recording.� --The Guardian on CHAN 9737

�Attractive, semi-ambient sounds and New Age dreaminess are the basis of these two immaculately executed, picturesque and listener-friendly works.� --Classic FM Magazine on CHAN 9838

Lute music by Lauffensteiner and Weichenberger

1676 was an important year for European lute music � Thomas Mace published his famous volume Musick�s Monument, and the two Austrian composers and lutenists Wolff Jacob Lauffensteiner and Johann Georg Weichenberger were born.

Although these composers� works were stylistically similar to the German school of lute music, they carved out a distinct and independent Austrian movement; this new recording by acclaimed lutenist Miguel Yisrael celebrates their achievements through a programme dedicated to their partitas.

Lute music was, in fact, a central part of Austrian culture in the 17th and 18th centuries: the Habsburgs, for example, played the instrument and employed virtuoso musicians to compose and perform for them. In addition to this, Lauffensteiner and Weichenberger were also exposed a wealth of stylistic influences, primarily the intricate French style of lute playing and the emerging Italian style, which featured a greater emphasis on melody. This rich combination of influences is embodied in their music � idiomatic works blending French textures with song-like melodies that foreshadow the 18th-century galant style. This recording is a valuable snapshot of the uniquely Austrian style of lute playing that Lauffensteiner and Weichenberger established. Miguel Yisrael�s performances demonstrate a deep resonance with this repertoire, and reveal his exemplary approach to the technical and stylistic intricacies of his instrument.

Korngold: Violin Concerto

�Philippe Quint� has produced one of the most persuasive and empathetic recordings of the Korngold Violin Concerto in the catalogue. His seductive tone captivates from the first note, his quicksilver virtuosity suits the piece to perfection, and he gives the work precisely the shaded, bittersweet magic it deserves.� --BBC Music Magazine, October 2009 ****

�Quint's performance rivals even Heifetz. His range of tone is subtle in its extreme contrasts, his phrasing is warmly expressive without ever tipping over into sentimentality or self-indulgence, and his sparkling performance of the finale matches his achievement in the lyrical movements. ...equally compelling is the playing of the Mexican orchestra under Carlos Miguel Prieto, another rising young star.� --Gramophone Magazine, August 2009

Orquesta Sinf�nica de Mineria, Carlos Miguel Prieto

Much admired today as a pioneer of film music, Erich Korngold was a precociously talented composer of concert and chamber music, opera and stage works, as his Schauspiel Overture, written when he was only fourteen, shows.

The phenomenal success of his Violin Concerto, an ultra-romantic masterpiece drawing themes from his scores for the films Another Dawn, Anthony Adverse and The Prince and the Pauper, has overshadowed much of his other music.

Korngold�s Much Ado About Nothing Suite has remained popular for its expressivity, humour and robust good spirits.

Henze: Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 3

�The concerto has been central to Henze's output throughout his career, even if many works do not bear the title 'concerto' or, as with the Requiem, exist in fusion with other genres. This formal freedom is evident in the three violin concertos.

The vibrant First (1948), begun while he was still studying with Fortner, shows his initial, halting attempts at 12-note composition, an ambitious endeavour embarked on with no formal guidance (though the stylistic bedrock is still Hindemith). While a little learning may be a dangerous thing, here it goes a long way indeed. The Concerto teems with magical sounds pointing the way to the operas of the 1950s and '60s.

Concerto and theatre collide in the Second (1971), written at the height of Henze's early period of political engagement. Scored for solo violin (at one point amplified, and whose player is instructed to wear a flowing black tailcoat and plumed tricorn hat), solo baritone, tape and an ensemble of 33 instruments, this expressionist score is dominated by Hans Magnus Enzensberger's poem Homage to G�del with its central image of the 'liar' M�nchhausen extricating himself from a quagmire by pulling at his own pigtail. From it Henze conjures a fascinating sonic tapestry, a most original rethink of the whole notion of the role of the individual that is the Concerto's core concern.

There is a literary connection in No 3 (1997, given here in its 2002 revision), consisting of three character portraits drawn from Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus: Esmeralda, the child 'Echo' and Rudi Schwerdtfeger. The Concerto has common traits with Henze's enchanting Shakespearian Eighth Symphony and is similarly rich in ideas and imagery. The performances by Torsten Janicke are strongly characterised and virtuosic, and Christian Ehwald draws sympathetic accompaniments from the well drilled Magdeburg Philharmonic, recorded somewhat distantly but clearly.� --Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

Nino Rota: Symphony No. 3, Concerto Soir�e

Gianandrea Noseda secures a highly sympathetic set of performances, his Turin forces responding in consistently heartwarming and agreeably spick-and-span fashion. Both soloists, too, acquit themselves with distinction� --Gramophone, August 2011

�Barry Douglas makes the most of a piano part that eschews heroics but responds to sympathetic and intelligent musicianship. All the participants sound as if they're enjoying themselves hugely. In its way, irresistable.� --BBC Music Magazine, September 2011 ****

�Barry Douglas plays with admirable clarity and fondness, careful not to upset the precisely crafted balance between piano and orchestra... Three very engaging works, then, performed with skill and affection, excellently recorded and with good presentation.� --International Record Review, May 2012

Debussy: Pr�ludes - Books 1 & 2

��Osborne has prepared well, and every prelude glows, always rich in atmosphere. Osborne's delicacy of feeling (and texture) is at its most magical in the soft footfalls "sur la neige" although "Feuilles mortes" has similar moments of evocative quietness. The unpredictability of "Le vent dans la plaine" is matched by the stimulated violence of "Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest", and the thrilling climax of "La cath�drale engloutie" has rich depth and sonority.� --Gramophone Magazine, October 2006

Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice - October 2006
Penguin Guide Rosette Winner

�Steven Osborne's pedigree in French repertoire is such that it has been almost inevitable that he would record Debussy's Pr�ludes at some point. He has much in his favour, notably a marvellous range of colour, finely judged touch, and the ability to combine powerful waves of sound with diaphanous passagework while Hyperion have not lost their ability to capture a piano in full, natural sound.� -- BBC Music Magazine, August 2006 ***

�Steven Osborne tells us that in preparing this recording he was struck 'by the enormous scope of these preludes. What other collection of pieces manages to create so many utterly distinct and compelling worlds?' But he has prepared well, and every prelude glows, always rich in atmosphere.
The opening 'Danseuses de Delphes' has a commandingly grave serenity and 'Voiles' floats effortlessly. Yet 'Les collines d'Anacapri' dances with sparkling rhythmic vitality and 'La danse de Puck' is deliciously capricious.

Osborne's delicacy of feeling (and texture) is at its most magical in the soft footfalls 'sur la neige', although 'Feuilles mortes' has similar moments of evocative quietness. The unpredictability of 'Le vent dans la plaine' is matched by the simulated violence of 'Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest', and the thrilling climax of 'La cath�drale engloutie' has rich depth and sonority. By contrast, 'La fille aux cheveux de lin' has a ravishing simplicity, without sentimentalising.

'S Pickwick' brings a momentary smile but his eccentricity is banished by the calm of 'Canope' and the joyful virtuosity of 'Les ti�rces altern�es'.

Osborne's virtuosity is never for its own sake and always reflects the music's spirit. The obvious comparison is with Zimerman's stunningly vivid recording; but his extraordinarily brilliant playing is at times almost over-projected and Osborne's natural spontaneity and powerful conveying of inner feeling is every bit as telling � less intense but deeply satisfying. The Hyperion recording is very realistic.� --The Gramophone Classical Music Guide 2010

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