Reviews

“Music that remains by the hearth in the library, caftan-wrapped, brandy snifter at hand, faithful hound at its feet. It is comfortable and, for those seeking such, comforting. All performances are quite good, and the production is untainted by excessive reverb, the sound clean and direct. The piano balances the soloists on all the sonatas, while remaining clear and forthright.”

“These two symphonies (parts of a tetralogy) are unlike The Planets, unless you think of them as uber-Holst: they cause a visceral reaction and suggest a metaphysical cri de coeur… they embody mystery and the unknown. They are both accessible, and while Artyomov is often compared to Arvo Pärt, I hear a little more of Rautavaara.”

“No herald indicates where Grieg ends and Finnissy begins. Finnissy follows on seamlessly from Grieg’s 234th bar to produce a sturdy 27-minute “chamber symphony. Despite exceeding the half-hour mark, I wish Finnissy had taken the coda’s startling new gestures around the block a few more times. Chadwick and the Kreutzer Quartet effortlessly navigate Grieg and Finnissy’s real and fanciful worlds.”

“It would be hard to understand anyone who did not find his music to their taste, such are the rapturously gorgeous melodies that [the composer] weaves into these delightful compositions. They are totally satisfying and one wants to hear them again and again and it is quite impossible to single any out as being more attractive than any other. You cannot fail to be won over by Bortkiewicz’s facility in writing the most wonderfully attractive and deliciously satisfying tunes. . One can only shake one’s head in disbelief that this composer is not as equally well known or indeed equally popular as Chopin, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, and Liadov. Alfonso Soldano certainly seems at home playing this music and his obvious enthusiasm for it comes through strongly.”

“Vyacheslav Artyomov is a distinctive and important voice in Russian music. These impressive symphonies are like momentous journeys, full of incident and emotion and the most wonderful ideas. The performances are all that you could wish for making these two discs valuable releases.”

“The Symphony On the Threshold of a Bright World is in 18 continuous episodes, separately tracked. A surreal and even psychedelic ambience is the order of the day. It is like a Dali dreamscape in constant and meltingly waxy motion. There is some glorious writing. The short Ave, Crux Alba – The Order of Malta Hymn – is sensationally grand and strides – never struts. It makes a huge sound accentuated by a lively acoustic. The sound is good and carries the whispers and grand climactics with satisfying fidelity. There is certainly plenty to intrigue and enthral.”

“This is Volume 12 in Divine Art’s Russian Piano Music series, and it joins other fine recordings of this composer, whose music will appeal immediately to anyone who enjoys the music of Rachmaninoff. Soldano’s work here and the recording and booklet qualities all stand up fully to the other recordings. Bortkiewicz’s piano writ¬ing calls for a very secure technique. He is skillful at writing beautiful melodies, and I find his music generally positive and bright. Soldano clearly has an great affinity for this music and has also written a biography of Bortkiewicz. I have enjoyed this many times.”

This performance of the serenades on modern instruments is mellifluous and blend­ed. A fine performance of the B-flat Serenade.

“I was very interested when this arrived. This release is an interesting exploration of music that was or might have been played by one of the great romantic artists on one of his prized violins. The Amati is obviously excellent and sounds fine on all strings and all registers. It is good to be able to hear it again playing the music that so many heard from it when it was played by its greatest owner.”

“Philip Henderson’s programmatic release begins with what may be the strongest work. The Hop-Picker’s Daughter is a beautiful, energetic piece of music filled with character and excitement. It tells its story so well that my mind’s translation of the music was actually what was declared in the liner notes. It has an energy often found in musical theater granted by tonal shifts and dramatic pacing. Sea Voices embodies this excited energy as well.”

“It’s an interesting CD, music pared back to the minimum. Worth investigation if you’re adventurous.”

“By contemporary we mean the last century or so and by Irish we don’t mean songs about whisky in jars: while some parts of this CD are charming, others are more challenging. Interesting and not at all inaccessible, though some sections take some getting used to.”

Created during Beethoven’s lifetime and commissioned by the composer himself. A must listen to!!!

I was seriously impressed by this present arrangement of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony for piano quartet. The detail that this chamber version adds is revelatory: I found myself noticing shades of significance that I had not discovered in the original. In many ways, this recording is more than a mere transcription: it is a ‘masterful chamber work’ in its own right. The playing on this CD is superb: meticulous, nuanced and controlled. This is an ideal recording with the players working together to deliver what is truly a masterpiece. The next time I choose to listen to the Eroica Symphony, it may well be in this version.

This recording (the first ever) provides the modern-day listener with a keen insight as to what the composer had in mind with respect to chamber arrangements of his orchestral works. And without the use of period instruments, the four performers admirably evoke a rightful sense of gran­deur in this majestic symphony. The disc is to be commended on two levels: exemplary performances by the four musi­cians; and for providing the present-day listener with a glimpse into a particular facet of music-making during the early 19th century. Highly recommended.

[The musicians] play marvelously together, as if they had been doing so for years. And how does this reduction of the Eroica itself sound? Quite satisfying! by and large, the experience of being introduced to this reduced version of the Eroica satisfies one’s curiosity and pleases. The CD is handsomely packaged. This listener highly recommends it.

The piano quartet version … gives us a very cogently boiled-down version of the classic symphony, yes, but in hearing it we experience the work on entirely different terms, as chamber music. Perhaps surprisingly the music wears its chamber identity quite well. Part of this has to do with the quality of the transcription. The chamber quartet enter into the spirit of the music with enthusiasm and joy, with style and great grace. They give to the music all the Beethovenesque stylings one could ask for. I for one find this recording enlightening and quite a joy to hear. Bravo!

Due to the compact instrumentation, each voice appears significantly more accessible. In an unbeknown way one can feel to be closer to the composition: the harmonic and rhythmic peculiarities gain in importance, because the dramatic sound of the orchestra is omitted. The strings display convincing skill, using a transparent presentation of vibrato, and pianist Shorr is convincing with discreet precision.

The full orchestral piece is reduced to four instruments but retains much of the power of the original piece, while simplifying what the listener hears. It’s powerful but lacks the pomp of the full version (a good thing). We reckon it’s a very digestible arrangement; it really will have you thinking Oooh, so THIS is what all the fuss is about.

This is an important Kreutzer Quartet production. The performances of all this music are riveting and have captivated listeners who would normally find engagements with some of this music far from easy. Recommended for essential purchase.