Orchestral
CD and Other Review

Review: Avi Avital: Vivaldi

Well, in theory it’s a bad idea to judge a book (or a CD) by its cover, but in the case of Avi Avital’s new recording it works rather well. Set against a Venetian background, the typography of his name neatly reflects the letters in the name of Vivaldi and the two prove to be a fine match for each other. Here, Avital borrows liberally from Vivaldi’s concerti for other instruments. The mandolin’s tuning is identical to that of the violin, albeit with doubled pairs of strings, so it’s a fairly straightforward matter to transfer works across. Of the concertos, he plays the Concerto in A Minor, RV356, and the Concerto in G Minor, RV315, AKA Summer from The Four Seasons. You’d think that some of the hair-raising runs in these pieces, seemingly so effortless on the violin, would be awkward or ungainly on the mandolin, but if that’s the case Avital doesn’t show it. Particularly inspired is the inclusion of the Trio Sonata in C, RV82 (originally for violin and lute) with the combination of mandolin, lute, and basso continuo providing a charming atmosphere of convivial music making. There are some other inventive borrowings from other Vivaldi concerti, too….

September 4, 2015
Orchestral
CD and Other Review

Review: Songs My Mother Taught Me (Nemanja Radulovic)

This is a deeply personal collection from violinist Nemanja Radulovic. It’s an engaging mix of violin showpieces with traditional Serbian dances and film music sitting comfortably alongside short works by classical composers that take varying degrees of inspiration from Eastern European folk traditions. These include a Brahms Hungarian Dance, the Danse Russe from Swan Lake and the March from Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges. Radulovic is also a great champion of somewhat neglected Georgian composer Aram Khachaturian; two of his works appear here including the famous Sabre Dance, which Radulovic plays like leaping flames. His affinity for fiery gypsy dances (there’s a lot of dancing) is clear and his playing full of passion and vigour with a raggedly emotional edge. Radulovic meanwhile is all long, wild hair, skinny black jeans and impossibly shiny boots – a compelling combination as unforced and natural as his playing. The closing Macedonian song, Zajdi, Zajdi, Jasno Sonce, features the only vocals on the album, from the extraordinary Ksenija Milošević, a well-known Serbian violinist and singer who has made several appearances at Eurovision. It’s hard to convey in… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

September 4, 2015
Orchestral
CD and Other Review

Review: Czerny: Bel Canto Concertante (English Chamber Orchestra)

★★★ Carl Czerny’s piano works have been important studies for a very long time but we know almost nothing of his other compositions. Here we have four works with Czerny following the fashions of the day and making elaborate piano variations based around music from particular operas – in this case, bel canto arias from Bellini’s Norma and ll Pirata, Auber’s Fra Diavolo and Gli Arabi nelle Gallie by Pacini. They are clearly showpieces, most probably intended to be watched as well as listened to; just the thing to keep the aristocracy entertained after dinner without giving them indigestion. However, to judge by some of the musical flippancy on hand it is clear that even had there been no Beethoven, Czerny may have not amounted to much beyond his splendid piano exercises. Schumann thought his music was rubbish, and said so. The album ranges from the remarkably trivial (the Norma variations) to the delightful (Fra Diavolo) – the principal theme familiar to me from my early piano exercises as On Yonder Rock Reclining. The most thoughtful piece is the Il Pirata variations and the dullest, those from Gli Arabi. Czerny was a familiar of Beethoven, which is well and good,…

September 4, 2015
Orchestral
CD and Other Review

Review: Island Songs (Amy Dickson)

Amy Dickson shows off her astounding virtuosity in a programme of ‘local’ works for alto and soprano saxophones inspired by natural and imaginary worlds. Island Songs is one of Peter Sculthorpe’s last compositions, drawing on a mix of wartime popular song and Aboriginal chant. The first half, Song of Home, features brooding strings, shimmers of percussion and a sea of oscillating violin melodies, over which Dickson’s pure saxophone soars with a plaintive elegance. The second part, Lament and Yearning, blends Sculthorpe’s love of ancient lands with his sadness for modern climatic dangers. After the long, smooth gliding of Island Songs, Dickson harnesses an entirely different energy for Brett Dean’s Siduri Dances, managing the brutally jagged and dissonant melodic language with a vibrant ferocity. The Sydney Symphony’s strings conjure an effectively disturbing sonic environment led by Benjamin Northey (who also conducts the Sculthorpe). The multi-movement Full Moon Dances is a concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra exploring Ross Edwards’ ‘Maninya’ style with echoes of ritual music from both Western and South-East Asian cultures. Dickson’s dazzling artistry is on display throughout, in particular in the second movement, which jets forward with some unashamedly raucous and ‘ecstatic’ orchestral jiving. Here the SSO plays under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya. Continue reading…

September 4, 2015