CD Reviews - October 2022

There have been a crop of recordings coming out of musicians’ exploits during lockdown, and violinist Sara Trickey is a strong addition to the field (released 21 October). Trickey posted weekly videos of solo violin music via YouTube, and as well as bringing her performances to new audiences, she enjoyed the communication from listeners too. As the world returns to some sort of normality of performance, that intimacy of connection is something many performers are now missing. Trickey has recorded a range of repertoire here from those weekly videos, the majority being contemporary works, with several world première recordings and a number of compositions specifically written for her. She begins however with Albéniz’s (1860-1909) popular Asturias from his Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47, in a strong arrangement by Jane Gillie. Written for piano, but also well known in the guitar version, it works remarkably well on the violin, and the instrument has the additional advantage when it comes to sustaining the melodic lines. Trickey communicates the dramatic rhythmic energy, but also adds this element of sustain to the melodies. Telemann’s (1681-1767) Fantasie No. 1 receives a pleasingly light interpretation, with introspection in the slow sections, and an energetic bounce in the faster movements. Her Prokofiev (1891-1953) Violin Sonata, Op. 115 is full of playfulness, dancing through the outer movements, with a light-footed approach to the variations in the middle movement. Norwegian composer Bjarne Brustad (1895-1978) was new to me, and his wistful Lento from his Fanitulsuite No. 1 is beautifully played here, with an ethereal breathy tone in its repeated patterns, often echoed by glassy harmonics. Sally Beamish’s (b.1956) The Wise Maid is folksy and playful, with a surprise towards the end as the harmonies suddenly shift and slide into its quirky conclusion. James Francis Brown’s (b.1969) Soliloquy, written for Trickey, is evocative and improvisatory, again with that introspective feel that speaks of lockdown and isolation. Errollyn Wallen’s (b.1958) Bertha, for which Trickey is joined by Rosie Bergonzi on the handpan is a curious mix of racing, scratchy energy that almost can’t be contained by the gentle insistence of the handpan, followed by a move into more gently rocking rhythms and a delicate song melody from the violin, before the earlier energy returns. David Matthews’ (b.1943) Prelude no. 12 from his set of 15 was written for Trickey’s birthday, with delicate lyricism and birdlike trilling packed into its brief two minutes. Lyell Creswell (1944-2022) sadly passed away just after the recording of his Lento, written for Trickey back in 1994. It has a moving simplicity, played with touching intimacy, and Trickey also played this at Creswell’s funeral earlier this year. The disc ends with a more flamboyant encore piece from Aleksey Igudesman (b.1973). His Applemania is full of energetic, insistent rhythms, with an infectious build which almost bursts out at its conclusion – a fitting celebration perhaps of an end to lockdown. Overall, this is a fascinating survey of varied solo violin repertoire, and speaks of intense commitment and a desire to communicate, as well as clear virtuosic command from Trickey. 

Various. 2022. From an Empty Room. Sara Trickey. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR139.

Pianist Louis Lortie has reached Volume 7 of his Chopin survey, and this volume contains a good spread of the Mazurkas, perhaps the quirkiest genre of Chopin’s (1810-1849) output. Lortie immediately sets out his store with a stylish swagger in the first of the Op. 17 set. The second is suitably wistful, and then he manages well the slightly seasick, circling repetitions of the third, giving the sombre fourth a delicate poignancy, with some relief in its gently throbbing central section. The Op. 68 set is a more mixed bag – the first is a little on the weighty side, but the sombre mood of the second has a lightness contrasting with its thrumming central section. The third has an authoritative command, with light echoes. Lortie saves back the fourth, the most wistfully exploratory, to the end of the disc. For the Op. 30 set, we’re back in sombre territory for Nos. 1 and 2, whilst No. 3 has a ballroom swagger, and the fourth pushes chromaticism the furthest. From Op. 63, No. 1 has a gently meandering central section, surrounded by more ballroom swaying. Lortie gives the nostalgic second a gentle sway too, and the third follows in the same vein. He brings a great delicacy of touch to the delightful Rondo à la Mazur, Op. 5, composed by Chopin aged 16, and full of youthful exuberance, but equally poise and control in its lighter sections. The Boléro, Op. 19, after an opening flourish, settles into a gently lilting melody, before the boléro proper arrives, with its polonaise-like, bouncing accompaniment under its infectious melody. The Rondo, Op. 16 has a highly dramatic introduction, and Lortie lets this develop with virtuosic command, before giving the rondo theme a gently playful bounce, enjoying the gradual build in virtuosic display. The Tarantelle, Op. 43 is a swirling whirlwind, given great energy here by Lortie. The ‘Héroïque’ Polonaise, Op. 53 carries suitable weight, but Lortie avoids overegging the pudding, maintaining a sense of dance amidst the heft. Another great volume in this strong survey.

Chopin, F. 2022. Louis Lortie plays Chopin, Vol. 7. Louis Lortie. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 20241.

 

CD Reviews - November & December 2019

Young Kentucky-born violinist Tessa Lark treads a well-worn path with the title of her debut recording, Fantasy. However, her choice of repertoire here is far from predictable, with three of Telemann’s Fantasies, and her own Appalachian Fantasy nestling amongst the more familiar Schubert Fantasie and Ravel’s Tzigane. Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) was an incredibly prolific composer, and yet his work is still surprisingly often overlooked. The twelve Fantasies for solo violin are gems, and whilst clearly showing influences of Bach and Corelli, they have their own distinctive voice, and Lark gives us three of them here. The dark Grave of the first contrasts with its dancing Allegro sections, and the fourth has great energy in its outer sections. The fifth is perhaps the showiest of Lark’s selection here, but it too has a brief moment of calm in its brief Andante before the final dashing Allegro. In all of these, Lark’s tone is bright and full of life, and she brings out the challenging counterpoint and frequent double-stoppings with poise and ease. Schubert’s Fantasie for Violin and Piano is an extended single movement (at around 25 minutes in all), although it does have a number of distinct sections, and Schubert draws on one of his own songs, Sei mir gegrüsst for the basis of four variations that form the bulk of the piece, following a beautifully singing opening and a playful allegretto, with violin and piano in canon. Lark and Amy Yang (piano) enjoy the playfulness here, and both instruments have a lot to show off about in the challenging variations. Apart from wanting a tad more richness of tone in the opening, there is little to fault here, and this is definitely a performance of equals, with Yang relishing the rich textures of Schubert’s writing for the piano. Lark then follows the Schubert with a real treat – her own composition, Appalachian Fantasy, highlighting another side to her musical heritage as a traditional fiddler. With her violin retuned to produce the traditional open string double-stopping drones, she draws on the melody from the Schubert, as well as bringing in traditional Appalachian tunes, such as Cumberland Gap and Bonaparte’s Retreat, in a fabulously infectious demonstration of her phenomenal talent here. Fritz Kreisler’s (1875-1962) Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta, despite the mouthful of a title, is a typically delightful Kreisler encore concoction, harking back to the heyday of the Viennese waltz, and Lark and Yang give this warmth and a sense of sweet nostalgia. Ravel’s Tzigane is a bravura showpiece for violin, although again, the piano part is not to be sniffed at, and Yang rises to its challenges well. Lark throws off the virtuosic gypsy flourishes with appropriate abandon, making this a lively and exuberant finish to the disc. All in all, this is a highly impressive calling card, amply demonstrating the range of Lark’s talents.

Various. 2019. Fantasy. Tessa Lark, Amy Yang. Compact Disc. First Hand Records. FHR86.

You may have had the opportunity to catch Musica Secreta performing in the Brighton Early Music Festival, and launching their new CD, From Darkness Into Light, which includes the complete Lamentations of Jeremiah by Antoine Brumel (c.1460-1512/13), recently discovered by Musica Secreta co-director, Laurie Stras, in a Florentine manuscript. An abbreviated form of the work, consisting of just two verses and refrain, have been known and performed for many years, but incredibly, Laurie Stras found the complete set, with no fewer than an additional seventeen verses, hiding in plain sight in a sixteenth century manuscript. As a close supporter and friend of Musica Secreta, I can’t claim complete independence in terms of a review of their performances here (although they are stunning!), but this is incredible music by any measure, and the Brumel is joined on recording with a selection of music taken from a convent manuscript, including works by Josquin des Prez (c.1450/55-1521) and Loyset Compère (c.1445-1518). All the music is sung exquisitely here by the nine female voices of Musica Secreta, accompanied by Claire Williams on organ and Alison Kinder on viol. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

Various. 2019. From Darkness Into Light: Antoine Brumel, The complete Lamentations of Jeremiah for Good Friday. Musica Secreta, Deborah Roberts, Laurie Stras. Compact Disc. Obsidian Records CD719. 

The vocal ensemble Fieri Consort, BREMF Live! alumni, have released their third album, focussing on the music of Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677), ‘Virtuosa of Venice’. This gives them the chance to show off their considerable talents in more soloistic repertoire, with works for one, two or at most three voices. They are joined by Toby Carr (theorbo/baroque guitar), Aileen Henry (baroque harp) and Harry Buckoke (viola da gamba), and Carr and Henry also present delightful solo pieces by Giovanni Kapsberger and Ascanio Maione respectively, as well as a beautifully delicate duet from Buckoke and Carr by Bartolomeo Selma y Salaverde. Strozzi was one of the most prolific composers of her time, and the selection of pieces here demonstrates her remarkable expressive range. Sopranos Lucinda Cox and Hannah Ely have beautifully clear and blended voices in the sweetly flirtatious ‘I baci’ (Kisses), whilst Ely’s pairing with bass baritone Ben McKee in the more racy ‘Morso e bacio’ (Bite and kiss) has suitably more bite. Meanwhile Cox joins mezzo Nancy Cole for the gently throbbing ‘Sospira, respira’ (Sigh, breathe). The entwined virtuosic lines of ‘Il ritorno’  (The Return) are delivered with great sensitively and skill by Cox and tenor Tom Kelly. Tenors Kelly and Josh Cooter have great fun with the comically melodramatic ‘Al battitor di bronzo’ (To a brass door-knocker), whilst Ely enjoys the occasional unexpected sensuous chromaticisms amid the dancing lines of Benedetto Ferrari’s ‘Amanti’ (Lovers), with its swinging baroque guitar accompaniment. Monteverdi’s sweet ‘Si dolce e’l tormento’ (So sweet is the torment), as well as Nicolò Fontei’s gentle duet ‘Dio ti salvi pastor’ (God save you Shepherd) receive expressive readings. The disc ends with the passionately moving ‘Lagrime me’ (My tears) from Strozzi, sung with moving expression by Ely, followed appropriately by Cole, Kelly and McKee singing Strozzi’s ‘Conclusione dell’opera’ with great warmth and tenderness. A wonderfully constructed programme, demonstrating the variety of expression in Strozzi’s music, as well as the outstanding talents of these singers and players – highly recommended!

Various. 2019. Barbara Strozzi, Virtuosa of Venice. Fieri Consort. Compact Disc. Fieri Records FIER003VOV.

First Hand Records have a fascinating project on the go remastering early EMI stereo recordings from the 1950s. The third volume focusses on music for harpsichords – not just one, but for most of the disc, four. As contemporary harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani informs us in his disc notes, the instruments of that time, known as ‘revival harpsichords’, were hefty beasts, with iron frames and pedals more akin to pianos, rather than the more historically faithful reproductions that the early music movement has led us to expect. Surprisngly, these weighty instruments actually were capable of much less in terms of volume, so in recording with the Pro Arte Orchestra here, the harpsichordists took advantage of techniques such as shifting register to bring out melodies, and lots of sudden dampening effects. The orchestra also has to play pretty quietly most of the time, even though the harpsichords would have been very closely recorded. And the four harpsichordists? George Malcolm (whose own Variations on a Theme of Mozart appears here) was a conductor and composer as well as a harpsichordist, and Thurston Dart was a musicologist, and key figure in the British early music revival. They are joined by two Australians – pianist Eileen Joyce, more known for weighty romantic piano repertoire, and Denis Vaughan, conductor and performer. The four gave annual concerts together until the early 1960s. Here they play Vivaldi’s D minor Concerto for 4 harpsichords (arranged by Dart), as well as Bach’s arrangement of another Vivaldi Concerto, and Bach’s Concerto for 3 harpsichords (with Vaughan on continuo).The orchestral sound is definitely dated, with smooth strings, and plenty of vibrato, although there is still a surprisingly light energy for most of the time, and the jangling harpsichords, particularly in the faster movements creates a lively soundworld that takes the listener along on an enjoyable journey. Following this are four short solo pieces performed by another harpsichordist, the American, Ralph Kirkpatrick. His playing is definitely less showy than the quartet, and he achieves more of the expressive potential of the instrument in the Sweelinck and Pachelbel in particular. The disc (very generous at nearly 85 minutes) ends with a Bach Cantata, ‘Bide with us’, sung in English by the Bach Choir and unnamed soloists, with the Jacques Orchestra conducted by Reginald Jacques. The singing – both choral and solo – is overly warbly and without the clarity of focus we would now expect in such repertoire. However, there is some delightfully delicate playing from the solo oboist and cellist in the second and third movements. Overall, a fascinating insight here into a different period in music-making, and well worth it for the Kirkpatrick and some of the livelier 4 harpsichord movements.

Various. 2019. Early Stereo Recordings Volume 3. Thurston Dart, Eileen Joyce, George Malcolm, Denis Vaughan, The Pro Arte Orchestra, Boris Ord, The Bach Choir, Jacques Orchestra, Reginald Jacques. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR60. 

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, November & December 2019)

CD Reviews - February 2019

Violinist Johannes Pramsohler is back with more unexplored treasures, highlighting virtuoso violin concertos by Johann Jakob Kress (c.1685-1738), the court concertmaster at Darmstadt.  Four out of the five works here are receiving world premiere recordings, and Pramsohler is joined by the Darmstädter Barocksolisten.  Interestingly, they perform on modern instruments, thereby challenging the idea that Baroque music should now only be the territory of period-instrument groups.  Their attention to historically performed detail and articulation is certainly striking. The disc opens with a wonderful Concerto by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767), with Pramsohler and the players joined by Manfred Bocksweiger on solo trumpet.  Possibly written for Kress to perform, the bright trumpet is matched by a scintillating high register violin part, and a delightful central Adagio is followed by a joyous Allegro finale, with watery running lines cascading from the solo violin.  There are two Kress Concerti on the disc. No. 1 has a beautifully touching, arioso Adagio, with staccato orchestral accompaniment, and a dancing Allegro to finish, and No. 6 has a stately slow introduction with delicate writing for the violin. Its Adagio is mournful, with sustained, unusual harmonic shifts, and the Allegro is a light dance.  The other two works here call for three trumpets in addition to the lighter orchestral forces, and this provides a great contrast.  The Concerto by Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758) contrasts a birdlike solo violin part against the full orchestra, with minor key interjections from trumpets and oboes.  There’s a skip in the step of the walking bass line in the Andante, and the Allegro is celebratory and virtuosic, with bright trumpet fanfares.  The disc concludes with a lively Ouverture (Orchestral Suite) by Johann Samuel Endler (1694-1762).  Its eight movements include plenty of highly virtuosic solo violin displays, often punctuated by punchy rhythmic accompaniment from the orchestra.  Yet there are lighter moments too, with a simple stately dance for strings alone (Fantasie) and a delicate, delightful oboe/violin dialogue in the Passepied.  This is a disc full of delights, and Pramsohler is clearly in his element.  His brightness of tone and lightening touch is matched by great energy and vivid articulation from the Darmstadt players.  Highly recommended.

Various. 2018. Violin Concertos from Darmstadt - Kress, Telemman, Fasch, Endler. Johannes Pramsohler, Darmstädter Barocksolisten. Compact Disc. Audax Records ADX 13716.

The Telling specialise in staged performances and ‘concert-theatre’ pieces to bring the ballads, poetry and story-telling of the Middle Ages to life. They will be familiar to many in Brighton, as they have performed regularly in the Brighton Early Music Festival, and one of their members, Clare Norburn was  co-founder and until recently Co-Director of the festival.  Together with fellow singer Ariane Prüssner, and medieval harp player and singer Leah Stuttard, the three have recorded a collection of striking works under the title Gardens of Delight, exploring the use of flowers as imagery and inspiration in medieval song.  They take us on a trip around Europe, through Spain, France, England, Italy and Germany, and also through time, with music spanning the 11^th to 15^th centuries.  Norburn has a bright, bell-like soprano voice, contrasted beautifully by Prüssner’s rich, deeper tones.  This is particularly evident in the opening traditional Sephardic song, La rosa enflorese, with Prüssner’s haunting voice, full of sadness, followed by Norburn’s yearning tones, all supported by Stuttard with an atmospheric, light harp accompaniment.  The works range from the florid and virtuosic, wandering lines of O rosa bella by Johannes Ciconia (1370-1412), to the unexpectedly passionate anonymous German song Der Winter will hin weichen, and the disc concludes with Hildegard von Bingen’s (1098-1179) passionately ecstatic Ave generosa (with Norburn’s voice souring aloft), followed by a closing Procession.  There are delicate solo works performed beautifully by Stuttard on the harp, as well as richly blended three part singing from them all in Ther is no rose of swych virtu, which may be a familiar tune to some.  Roses and lilies, and their symbolism associated with the Virgin Mary, figure large, but even gladioli make an appearance in one song.  This is a glorious selection of music, performed with clear devotion and the ability to communicate the varied emotions of this fascinating repertoire. Well worth exploring.

Various. 2018. Gardens of Delight - Roses, Lilies and Other Flowers in Medieval Song. The Telling. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR68.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, February 2019)

CD Reviews - November 2014

Baroque violinist Johannes Pramsohler returns with his second album on his own label, Audax Records, this time with friends Varoujan Doneyan (violin), Gulrim Choi (cello) and Philippe Grisvard (harpsichord), under the name of Ensemble Diderot.  I contributed to a crowd-funding initiative to support this recording, and I have to say I am not at all disappointed with the end result.  This is an outstanding recording and one which deserves the widest recognition possible.  The repertoire is chamber music from the Court of Dresden from the first half of the 18^th century, to where the great German violinist and composer Pisendel moved from Leipzig, and established phenomenal influence over a whole network of composers, some of whom we know well - Handel and Telemann, for example – but some of whom will be new names for most.  In fact the three central works on this disc, Trio Sonatas from Johann Fux (1660-1741), Johann Fasch (1688-1758) and Ignác Tůma (1704-1774) are world première recordings.  They are joined by a Trio Sonata from Telemann’s ‘Musique de Table’, and then the whole disc is topped and tailed by two Handel Trio Sonatas.  There are some great background notes from the great Reinhard Goebel (although not a great deal of specific commentary on the works themselves).  But what stands out above all is the bright, lively and delicately poised musicianship on show.  The two violins fizz and shine with perfectly matched tones, and the continuo from harpsichord and cello compliment the solo lines throughout.  The repertoire is also a revelation – one might think a whole disc of Trio Sonatas, with alternating fast, slow movements would pall, but not so.  In the Fux, there are the most beautiful, delicately ornamented duets between the two violins, and in the faster movements, they engage in a game of tag, with each violin taking over from the other as the lines rise and fall.  The Fasch feels slightly less inspired in comparison, with the rising and falling sequences feeling a little more mechanical – but again, the players create interest here nonetheless.  The Tůma fragments (just two movements here) are fascinating, the second of which has exciting faster outer sections sandwiching a short adagio.  The finale of the Telemann has a real fizz, and the Handel that ends the disc is a real joy.  If you have the slightest interest in Baroque music and/or the violin, you must hear this.

Various. 2014. The Dresden Album. Ensemble Diderot, Johannes Pramsohler. Compact Disc. Audax Records ADX 13701.

Louis Lortie is on his third volume of Chopin, and he continues his practice of alternating pieces (here Nocturnes and Impromptus), paired by connected key relationships.  This works very well, and avoids the danger of monotony that can creep into whole discs of Nocturnes, say.  He then gives over the second half of the disc to the third Sonata.  I particularly like Lortie’s approach to Chopin – as I have commented before, he allows the music to speak, and it is the composer that is foregrounded, not the pianist himself.  Right from the first notes of the delicate Nocturne in C sharp minor at the start of the disc, he draws us into Chopin’s world – and once we are there, he releases the wilder, declamatory nature of that Nocturne’s middle section.  And the fiery Impromptu that follows makes perfect sense here – with the reverse pattern of a beautifully tender and lyrical central section, highlighting Lortie’s sensitivity and beauty of tone.  This sums up his approach overall – the passionate, virtuosic moments always have a context, and are not just fireworks displays for the sake of it, and the lyricism so essential in Chopin is never lost.  When it comes to the Sonata, the constant rippling of the Scherzo has real energy.  The Finale might be the one place where a little more abandon would be acceptable, but within the context of Lortie’s consistent style, this is a great performance.

Chopin, F. 2014. Louis Lortie plays Chopin, Volume 3. Louis Lortie. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10813.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, November 2014)

CD Reviews - September 2014

English composer John Ireland’s (1879-1962) songs have been recorded several times in recent decades, but mostly by men.  So it’s interesting to hear 32 of his songs all sung by soprano April Fredrick, and accompanied by a great Ireland pianist, Mark Bebbington.  The collection opens with one of Ireland’s most interesting and individual settings, which also gives the CD its title – ‘Earth’s Call’.  It is particularly in the accompaniment that Ireland, an accomplished pianist himself, creates unsettling uncertainty, which evokes the ambiguity of the text beautifully.  Inevitably with so many songs, many quite short, some stand out more than others.  It is the more substantial pieces that have more time to make a significant impact, such as the atmospheric and sultry ‘Tryst’, and the moving yet slightly disturbing setting of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s ‘The One Hope’, in which the writer hopes that death will finally bring him peace.  In the cycle setting poems by Christina Rossetti, ‘Mother and Child’, one might expect additional weight of meaning from a female voice.  But perhaps because the songs are all quite slight, each one barely a minute long, they suffer alongside the more substantial fare on offer here and lack the necessary import (although Bebbington brings out the lilting, rocking piano part beautifully in ‘Baby’).  In contrast, Songs Sacred and Profane contains more variety and interest, with the depth of ‘My Fair’ (again, with a striking piano accompaniment) and the ironically brittle ‘The Scapegoat’ contrasting with the poignant simplicity of ‘The Salley Gardens’.  An interesting curiosity is the set of Variations sur ‘Cadet Rouselle’, a popular French song, with the composition of the accompaniment to the 12 verses being shared equally amongst Ireland and fellow composers, Bridge, Bax and Goossens.  Ireland’s use of canon in Verse 8, and the glassy effects in Verse 9 are actually possibly the two strongest contenders here.  Fredrick has a beautiful, clear voice, which suits the clarity and precision of Ireland’s settings.  A greater variety of tone and shade would add more intensity to the darker songs, with perhaps a little more sensitivity at the top of the range, but overall her performances are consistently commanding.  Bebbington’s mastery of Ireland’s tricky piano accompaniments throughout is exemplary.  An enjoyable set, with strong performances of some real gems here.

Ireland, J. 2014. Earth's Call: Songs for soprano and piano. April Frederick, Mark Bebbington. Compact Disc. Somm SOMMCD 0137.

Despite being highly thought of in his lifetime by composers such as Bach and Handel, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) is often overlooked.  In a way, his vast output (well over 3000 compositions) was part of the problem – as a result, relatively few works have been embraced by the performing canon in the way that those of Vivaldi, Handel and of course Bach have been.   Telemann’s set of Six Sonatas for Violin were composed in Frankfurt in 1715, dedicated to Prince Johann Ernst, Duke of Saxony, also a talented composer and violinist.  All the sonatas have four movements, contrasting slow and fast tempi, often drawing on dance forms such as the courante, sarabande and gigue.  Yet despite this formulaic construction, Telemann produces great variety, and in particular in the faster movements makes great use of unexpected harmonic turns (note the first Allegro of the fourth sonata, and the Gigue in the fifth).  These are not great virtuosic showstoppers – Telemann was more focused on melody and harmonic interest than extrovert demonstrations of technique.  Yet they make for enjoyable listening, and the lack of extremes of technique reveal Telemann’s imaginative harmonies more.  Violinist Stephan Schardt is joined here by Elisabeth Wand (cello) and Sonja Kemnitzer (harpsichord).  Schardt, ex-leader of Musica Antiqua Köln, has also written informative notes on the sonatas and their background, and his in-depth knowledge also shines through his playing.  I would have liked perhaps slightly more dynamic contrast between and within movements, but otherwise these are lively performances.  The disc is completed with an Ouverture from Telemann’s periodical ‘Der getreue Music-Meister’ (‘The faithful music master’), an educational collection of twenty-five lessons for singers and instrumentalists.  Overall, an enjoyable collection, performed with style and enthusiasm. To win a copy of this CD, email me at nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk - draw at end of October (UK only).

Telemann, G. P. 2014. Violin Sonatas, Frankfurt 1715. Stephan Schardt, Elisabeth Wand, Sonja Kemnitzer. Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc. MDG 903 1835-6.

And something unusual to finish with this month – a string quartet, the Marcolini Quartett, playing Mozart’s opera, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro).  In the centuries before recording, it was commonplace to produce arrangements of popular orchestral works and operas to allow amateur players to hear and play the favourites of the day in their own homes.  Often looked down upon today, these arrangements actually provided a great way to disseminate the music, but also, Thomas Irvine argues in the CD notes, this meant that people had a different relationship with the music by playing it rather than just passively listening.  The Marcolini Quartett play the Overture and arrangements of 19 arias and ensemble pieces from the opera, all arranged anonymously in 1799.  The material has been held in the archive of a Benedictine monastery in Austria, the Cloister Melk (or Melk Abbey), for over two hundred years.  Presumably some talented monks played the music themselves for their own entertainment, and perhaps for their brethren.  The Marcolini Quartett have appropriately recorded the music in the very resonant Cloister Melk, on period instruments.  So if you love the music of the opera, but are happy to experience it in a completely new way, this is worth checking out.  The Marcolini Quartett perform with great spirit, and you don’t have to contend with costume changes, mistaken identity, long lost parents or people jumping out of windows landing on flowerpots…

Mozart, W. A. 2007. Le nozze di Figaro, Bearbeitung für Streichquartett. Marcolini Quartett. Avi 8553046.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, September 2014)