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  Handel In Italy-Cantatas,Arias,Serenata

  This 14-CD set showcases works from Handel's short but astonishingly productive time in Italy in his twenties, just before he settled in London. His travels around the country provided him with the opportunity to meet a number of influential contemporaries, and the results of this compositional flourishing are wide-ranging, from opera via instrumental music to secular cantatas. This release focuses particularly on the latter, affording the listener a fascinating glimpse into the first appearance of many melodic ideas which would later resurface in Handel's mature dramatic works. Indeed, listeners might well feel as though they are listening to scenes from operas - cantatas were a means, at the time, of circumventing the ban on opera in Rome. The familiar theme of the joys and sorrows of love pervades much of the music, but the pieces are richly varied, particularly in their scoring: we hear flutes, recorders, oboes, bassoons, trumpets and the full contingent of strings, including viola da gamba, in numerous different combinations. Often, the orchestral forces for a particular piece are modest, but the emotional depth that Handel draws out is always striking. A high-calibre, international roster of soloists and ensembles performs the works, with many of the compositions for soprano sung by Stefanie True, whose "vocal agility, accurate intonation and stylish ornamentation are spot-on in this repertoire" (Music Web International). Meanwhile, early music specialists Contrasto Armonico bring "soft and warm sonorities" to the set (Gramophone). This set presents an extensive collection of works which George Frideric Handel wrote during his short but astoundingly fruitful stay in Italy. Here he met the great composers of the day, imbuing the rich Italian style, full of drama, cantabile and instrumental brilliance. The set's focus is on the secular Cantatas, all of them mini-operas in scale and substance, dealing with human emotions of love, jealousy, hope and despair. The influence of Handel's stay in Italy can be found in many of his great operas and oratorios he later wrote in London. Apart from the Cantatas the set includes a selection of Italian Duets, and the Serenata Aci, Galatea & Polifemo. Excellent performances in Historically Informed Performance Practice, by Contrasto Armonico, Musica Perduta and specialist vocal soloists. Recorded between 1988 and 2014. Contains liner notes written by Philip Borg-Wheeler.

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  Streichquartette

  This is an original coupling on disc - Debussy's sole quartet is nearly always paired with Ravel's - but also a natural and pleasing one, serving to illuminate two lesser-known string quartets with an earlier masterpiece of the genre. Szymanowski's music is saturated with the influence of the two French composers, but his voice is recognisably his own, whether in the three opulent symphonies, the elusive pianocycles, the opera King Roger that is his masterpiece, or these two string quartets, both composed in 1927.Even so, it is also not difficult to hear an affinity with Bartok's experience, particularly in the Second, where the instrumental language is more experimental, in the employment of trills,ground rhythms, percussive chords, spices that thicken the original sap, never resorting to mere quotations but, as in Bartok, using rhythmic cells as kickstarters for the engine of creation. The First Quartet is much lusher, recalling the endless singing lines of the First Violin Concerto and more obviously looking back to the Impressionism of Debussy, though Debussy's own quartet dates from a pre-Impressionist period when he was just beginning to formulate his own language. In the same year as the quartet, 1892, he began to write Prélude a l'apresmidi d'un faune and first saw Maurice Maeterlinck's symbolist drama, Pelléas et Melisande, of which he would produce his own operatic version a decade later. The quartet itself is endlessly satisfying, and any fine new recording has its own things to say.The Quartetto Prometeo is an Italian ensemble founded in 1998, and now with several albums to their name, including Hugo Wolf's complete music for string quartet (BC94166), which contains 'an illuminating interpretation of the String Quartet that is both athletic and elegant, luxuriating in the work's warmth but also plunging fearlessly into its icy depths.' (MusicWeb International) They have forged a creative partnership with one of today's leading Italian composers, Salvatore Sciarrino, which has resulted in commissions and a CD of his famously refined and technically challenging music.This new recording presents an unusual pairing of the complete string quartets by Szymanowski and Debussy.Szymanowksi is one of Poland's most famous composers. Influences on his style are many (Bartok's percussive and motoric drive, Ravel's coloristic sonorities) but he found his own personal language, lush, opulent, rich and sometimes exotic, always expressing a deep emotional content.Debussy's string quartet dates from his early years, a beautiful and romantic work, the French answer to Wagner's richly chromatic language.The Quartetto Prometeo is one of Italy's finest string quartets. Their recording for Brilliant Classics of the string quartet by Hugo Wolf received excellent reviews: "an illuminating interpretation of the String Quartet that is both athletic and elegant, luxuriating in the work's warmth but also plunging fearlessly into its icy depths." (MusicWeb International).

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  The Great Piano Works

  Franz Liszt is universally celebrated as one of the greatest-ever virtuoso performers on the modern piano. Contemporary accounts describe his seemingly superhuman technical abilities and equally striking charisma and stage presence. Yet Liszt was a formidable composer, and his expansion of pianistic possibilities was achieved as much through innovation in his own great piano works as through his astonishing performance on the instrument, if not more. Like many child virtuosos thrust early into busy concert careers (Liszt's began at the age of nine) he retired early, weary of the spotlight, turning his back on the stage at the remarkably early age of 35. Since he lived to the likewise remarkable old age of 75, much more than the latter half of his life was devoted solely to composition, and having been a pianist of his calibre, the works he created for his own instrument were indeed groundbreaking. Showcasing the demanding pieces in this set - from the thundering of Liszt's virtuoso side to the mysticism of his deeply spiritual side - are 15 renowned pianists on recordings dating from 1994-2016. Liszt's piano works may be divided into several diverse categories. These include the virtuoso showpieces based on themes from operas (Isoldens Liebestod Alexander Gavrylyuk, Wagner Transcriptions François Dumont, Bellini and Donizetti Transcriptions Mark Viner, Verdi and Beethoven Transcriptions Michele Campanella), religious-inspired or devotional works (Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude and 2 Légendes Irene Russo) the spare, enigmatic pieces from his last years (Trübe Wolken, En reve, Bagatelle sans tonalité Philipp Kopachevsky and La lugubre gondola Misha Dacic), a ground-breaking sonata regarded as an iconic work of the repertoire (Sonata in B minor Philipp Kopachevsky), and numerous piano transcriptions of other composers' non-operatic works (Grandes études de Paganini Goran Filipec, Beethoven Symphony No.6 in F Op.68 'Pastorale' Michele Campanella). The set concludes with a grand gesture, as Nelson Freire is joined by the Dresdner Philharmonie under Michel Plasson for Liszt's two well-loved piano concertos. Franz Liszt was without doubt one of the greatest (if not The Greatest) pianists of all time, as well as an innovating and visionary composer, in one word...a Genius! This set presents an extensive survey of Liszt's piano works, grand scale or intimate, thundering or tender, passionate or devout. In these works we find all Liszt's pianistic innovations, feats of jaw dropping virtuosity, unheard-of sonorities and future-looking asceticism. All genres of his pianistic output are present: original works like the complete Hungarian Rhapsodies, the Complete Studies, Années de Pelerinage, Ballades, Polonaises, Mephisto Waltzes and the immortal Sonata, Opera Paraphrases and Fantasies, Beethoven Symphony transcriptions and the Piano Concertos and Totentanz. Performed by an extraordinary line up of present day pianists: Enrico Pace, Vincenzo Maltempo, Nelson Freire, and many more. Recorded between 1994 and 2016. This set comes with new liner notes written by Philip Borg-Wheeler.

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  Piano Music of the 20th Century

  This exciting, passionate, and diverse display of twentieth century piano music from the first-place winner of the Bartók-Kabalevsky International Competition offers a taste of some of the powerful, and sometimes neglected, musical statements of the century. The Preludes by Dmitri Kabalevsky are microcosms of the Russian landscape, ranging from simplicity and warmth, spirited humor, and melancholy to the savage landscape, providing a dramatic fresco of emotions. The Third Sonata reflects the somber impact of World War II as well as the themes of joy, relief, and hope. The Preludes and the Incantations from the Popol Vuh by Kent Holliday were recognized and received semi-finalist status in the International Web Concert Hall Competition. Incantations from the Popol Vuh by Kent Holliday takes us on an epic musical portrayal of the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the ancient Quiché Maya. From the opening musical description of the beginning of time, to the epic struggles of the Hero Twin protagonists as they wrestle with the forces of evil, this evocative composition explores a wide range of colors, sonorities, dynamics and power. Challenging in it's technical virtuosity, complex rhythms, and offbeat accents, the listener is transported to the heavens as the Hero Twins ascend to become the sun and moon. The Toccata by the eminent Italian composer Goffredo Petrassi is highly representative of his neo-classical period. Petrassi responded to this recording when he wrote, "It is not often that a composer receives such intense and abundant solidarity from an interpreter...and with this I am deeply satisfied."

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  Silver Guitar

  Ernesto García de León and Martín Pedreira Ernesto García de León and Martín Pedreira are guitarists and composers who enjoy active concertizing and teaching careers in their mutual countries. They are great admirers of each other and have dedicated music to each other. García de León's Acere, Op. 27 (1988) is not only dedicated to Pedreira, but contains themes from Pedreira's own music. Likewise, Pedreira's Homenaje a Heitor Villa-Lobos (1994) is dedicated to his old friend, both composers are ardent aficionados of the great Brazilian composer. Yet, they have much more in common. Both hail from very tropical regions in which folk and popular music play an integral role in the everyday life of everyone. García de León comes from the state of Veracruz, the easternmost region of Mexico on the Gulf, a part of the country more akin musically and ethnically to Cuba than any other part of Mexico. Both have been guests in each other's country, giving recitals and master classes and acting as tour guides for the benefit of musical "a-nationalism". After a consummate analysis and integration of styles, each composer has filtered the folk and popular music of their country and applied it, newly conceived, in their own compositions. Thus we hear the logical result of the 20th century's music in their work. Their music is the subsequent product of Amadeo Roldán and Alejandro García Caturla, Stravinsky and Bartok, Villa-lobos and Brouwer, Ponce and Revueltas, or Chavez and Copland. But it could also easily be said that this is the result of the son-montuno, the son jarocho, the guajira, danzón, the rumba, of Pablo Milanés, of Guty Cárdenas, of Pérez Prado, Toña la negra, Agustín Lara, Silvio Rodríguez, Benny Moré, the Trio Matamoros, Los Panchos, the Beatles, and just about anything else either composer ever heard as a child. It is an important characteristic of the world in which they exist to appropriate, take apart, and reassemble - leaving and adding as they go. Martín Pedreira (b. 1952, Havana) Martín Pedreira (b. 1952, Havana) is a guitarist and composer who is continuing in the compositional tradition of his teacher Leo Brouwer. He has sought to create music that can successfully express a unique voice that is knowledgeable of the music of a post-modern world, while using his beloved traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms and music as the template within which to manipulate these ideals. Although his catalog of work is small, the quality is of a high standard which only bears witness to his meticulous craftsmanship. His Divertimentos (1987), for which he was awarded the Premio Nacional de Composición by the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), is a collection of 25 studies intended to improve the technical abilities of the performer. However, these pieces go far beyond mere technical drivel, passing through many moods and sonorities which contradict the collection's humble intent. In an email, Pedreira comments about these pieces: "With strains of Cuban "country" and African music, the Divertimentos, at their essence, are short pedagogical studies inspired by traditional Cuban music. These references are sometimes direct and obvious, like the Oriki Iyá (ritualistic Lucumí chant), or indirect, as if from a dream, like the series of Islas or Preludios. In some cases, there is an emphasis on specific techniques, but these procedures are applied without losing sight of the principal objective - that of maintaining the expressive character of the music. " In the present recording, Carlo Pezzimenti has chosen a selection of 13 from the Divertimentos, while the "Guajira" is taken from a separate work, Pedreira's Suite Simple. Ernesto García de León Ernesto García de León is represented on this recording by two different works. La Guitarra de Plata (The Silver Guitar), Op. 56 dates from 2001 and has a tragic story. One of García de León's students at the National Conservatory of of Music in Mexico City, Noé García Alcaraz, commissioned a set of twenty etudes that he would perform in his graduating recital. The commissioned work was written (20 Estudios, Op. 50, 1998) and the recital went off without a hitch. As a present for the occasion and for his professorial guidance, Noé presented García de León with a small silver guitar. This piece had been made by artisans in Alcaraz's home city of Taxco, famous for it's silver mines, silver jewelry and crafts, in whose traditional style this 'silver guitar' had been made. Later, García de León learned of the tragic and senseless death of his student in a botched surgery. García de León wrote The Silver Guitar as an elegy to his student that was fittingly premiered in 2001 by Juan Carlos Laguna at the annual guitar festival held in Noé García Alcaraz's home of Taxco. It's structure is in three parts (Introduction, Dance, Elegy) with a coda in the "Elegy". The composer uses free atonality and chance procedures, as well as an ethereal, sometimes sardonic, mood to evoke the melancholic essence from which the piece is born. The "Canción" and "Final" are the last two movements of García de León's Suite, Op. 35 (1992) for two guitars. The tone in these pieces is lighter and more nostalgic, focusing on rhythmic qualities so pervasive in his music, such as the habanera rhythm in his "Canción" and the son jarocho in his "Final". Interestingly, the composer urges a certain amount of improvisation from both performers in the "Final", yet another quality of his style that is representative of the post-modern world. Brian Clemént-Foreman (b. 1952) Lousiana native Brian Clemént-Foreman (b. 1952) has an extensive catalog of compositions featuring the guitar, his own instrument. His latest addition, the triptych Contes Normands (2006) is the product of a vacation the composer took to Normandy. Inspired by the same countryside and hamlets that were such fruitful muses for Guy de Maupassant, Clément-Foreman has produced three pieces for two guitars imbued with the colors and harmonies of what one can aptly call neo-impressionism. While never easily falling into a cliché, the composer weaves a luxuriant fabric of harmonic denseness clearly evoking the reminiscences of his visit. This recording features the first two movements, "Les Andelys" and "Honfleur", named after communities in Normandy. - Notes by Pedro A. Haley Ernesto Garcia De Leon's compositions are published by Michael Lorimer Editions. (ASCAP). Michael Lorimer Editions, 175 west 73rd street (10G) New York 10023 USA. Brian Clement is also a member of ASCAP Martin Pedreira's music is published by Editora Musical de Cuba (EMC) Carlo Pezzimenti Carlo Pezzimenti, who studied under the great Spanish Guitarist Andres Segovia, is the director of the guitar programs at Texas Woman's University in Denton Texas and Brookhaven College in Dallas Texas. He has given concerts around the world, and to date has released 18 recordings. His work has been reviewed by many publications including Gramophone Magazine and the New York Times, which stated, ' In his hands the music made it's effect with reserved eloquence' Brian Rowe Brian Rowe, born in Huston, Texas, studied classical guitar with Carlo Pezzimenti, and earned a bachelor's degree of music from Texas Women's University in 2009. Brian plans to continue studying with Carlo and obtain a master's degree in guitar pedagogy The Silver Guitar Again I am proud to present another in our series of recordings that feature the poetic beauty that can be realized on the classical guitar playing well composed contemporary music, music that is truly inspired, not hatched out based on a formula. The music recorded on this CD will invoke images of nature, of faraway lands, of anguish at a loss, joy of love and the bliss of surrender to life itself... Just listen and allow the silvery notes of Carlo's Fleta guitar and Brian's Rozas guitar take you on a magical ride to worlds that words cannot describe...enjoy. ---Austin Audu.

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