Reviews

I wish to enthusiastically recommend this superb disc of two exhilarating concertos. Cowie’s Concerto for Orchestra was easily the most vivid example in contemporary music I had encountered at that time. Nor have the passing years diluted its impact – quite the opposite. The spirit of the artist John Ruskin inhabits Cowie’s equally spellbinding Clarinet Concerto No 2. Both performances are outstanding; an enthusiastic RLPO are utterly alert to Howard Williams’ sensitive direction, while Hacker is characteristically magnificent in the Clarinet Concerto, thrilling and hypnotic by turn. Recommended.

How refreshing…West meets East, for despite Farhat’s mastery of Iranian traditional music, these ([Farhat’s works]) are effectively Western-style pieces with hints of Persian spice. Amir Mahyar Tafreshipour retains associations with ancient Iran in his music chiefly through the subject matter… affinities with Boulezian and Messiaenic modernism. Those interested in East-West encounters in the piano repertoire owe Dullea a sizeable debt for keeping this music alive.

Two powerful, concentrated works with the impact of the grandeur and energy of natural forces. Cowie’s forms, harmonic language and rhythmic processes are free and constantly in flux, yet highly organized and disciplined. Masterly.

A unique idiom that can’t usefully be described as tonal, atonal, sonorist, or anything else; it may be any of these things, or directly imitative of natural sounds in close succession, or simultaneously. Progress is determined organically, and the string writing is idiomatic and assured. Tense, edgy, brittle, but with sudden revelatory moments of incandescent beauty.

These pieces by are perfectly suited to the clavichord. Recordings dedicated to the French repertoire on this instrument remain rare. In this, Charlston offers us something new. Charlston completely masters the charm of this intimate tone, close to the lute. And his interpretation combines melancholy, spontaneity and elegance, according to the mood of the movements, with a quality of touch essential in such music. Something to delight lovers of historical instruments.

A marriage made in heaven. On the one hand, we have a violin of unusually small dimensions made by Stradivari (and dated 1685); on the other, we have the entire content for unaccompanied violin from a large volume of music from exactly the same period. [A] fascinating recording… it and the accompanying booklet have much to teach students of organology and violin-making, devotees of the South German-Austrian-Bohemian school of violinist-composers and anyone interested in the history of the partita or suite and its constituent movements.

The towering figure of Jacob Froberger needs no introduction. Terence Charlston is surely one of England’s most modest virtuosi, whose reputation among his fellow musicians is extremely high. Charlston’s approach is seldom neutral. He is an expressive player, keen to communicate more than the intellectual satisfaction of neat counterpoint. It is possible with the clavichord to hear this music in new and refreshing ways.

[Soldano] is very good. An engaging and enjoyable collection of atmospheric piano music… it’s powerful but simple, yet emotionally engaging… pieces that create an ambience rather than having killer tunes.

Ebonit Saxophone Quartet are superb. And a classical green protest album has got to be worth giving a go. Certainly an album for sax fans but also for people who like their music thoughtful.

We’re always glad to see Mary Dullea’s name on a CD; she’s usually tackling modern music, but she always interprets it well.

A good opportunity for listeners to explore 20th-century piano trios from Armenia; the Piazzolla has an especially strong flavor of the concert hall in this trio’s performance: the sort of “conversational” balance that sounds so good in classical chamber music.

In these pieces, Cowie expresses his conviction that music is a biological phenomenon, that music ought to reflect nature. We receive continual surprises, multi-faceted filigree, and material unfolding at independent tempi. Cowie’s language is boldly consistent.

Recommended? Yes. This is music which inquiring listeners and pianists alike should certainly find worth investigation. It helps that Dullea is so attuned to the musical idioms of these composers as also their technical demands.

I was delighted… the interpretation emanates understanding and rhetorical depth.

Three outstanding performers tackling three fine works, and a real opportunity to hear these pieces played to the highest standard. The performance is magnificent and it is difficult to believe that it could be bettered and [is] aided by a brilliant recording. This is well worth investing in.

A modern recording of Ave Maris Stella has long been needed. The impact of Gemini’s performance, in this properly concentrated acoustic environment, is more than enough to explain the high place accorded to the work.

Mary Dullea clearly is in total sympathy with the language of each composer. A fascinating and courageous release… an impressive achievement.

Everything lines up in the plus column, as Cooman has selected some of his best pieces for inclusion here. This is one of the stronger entries in the continuing series of discs devoted to Cooman’s organ music; heartily recommended.

The composer at his most felicitous… fine instrument, and Hartmann is fully the equal of Simmons as a dedicated interpreter of Cooman’s music. You will definitely want to add to your collection; enthusiastically recommended.

Lipkin is no maverick— his music is original and rewarding. This is a great album—the string trio alone is worth the purchase.