Archduke Archive
A. SCARLATTI: La Gloria di Primavera – Soloists/Philharmonia Baroque Orch. & Chorale/ Nicholas McGegan – Naxos
What a shame the American continent had to wait 300 years for this wonder. ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI: La Gloria di Primavera – Performers: Diana Moore (Primavera)/ Suzana Ograjensek (Estate)/ Clint Van Der Linde (Autumno)/ Nicholas Phan (tenor)/ Douglas Williams (Giove)/ Philharmonia Baroque Orch. & Chorale/ Nicholas McGegan – Naxos Pure Audio Blu-ray PBP-09BD (5.1 surround + PCM 2.0), TT: 138:36 *****: It’s amazing that this work, unearthed after a 300-year hibernation, has come to light again, especially considering its scope—well over two hours long, obviously a major effort by any standard. McGegan and company have brought it to light in honor of the 30th season of his Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (has it been so long?), and the piece certainly deserves it. Scarlatti was asked if he could produce, rather quickly, an occasional piece honoring the recent and long awaited birth of Archduke Leopold Johann, the heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. This birth was hoped to assuage the long-standing European wars, but hopes faded fast when the unfortunate Archduke didn’t last very long. Neither, apparently, did Scarlatti’s serenata, a work somewhere between a cantata and an opera, not staged, and in form rather simple—a series of recitatives followed by […]
BEETHOVEN: Piano Trio No. 6 in E-flat Major; Piano Trio No. 7, “Archduke” – Alexander Melnikov, fortepiano/ Isabelle Faust, v./ Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello – Harmonia mundi
Diaphanous and lucid realizations of two powerful, late-Beethoven piano trios, performed with unerring good taste and vivacious ensemble.
BEETHOVEN: Concerto for Violin/Cello/Piano in C “Triple Concerto” – David Oistrakh, v./ Mstislav Rostropovich, cello/ Sviatoslav Richter, piano/ Berlin Philharmonic Orch./ Herbert von Karajan – EMI/Resonance Recordings Ltd./Hi-Q Records
A super-classic recording from 1969 with four of the biggest names in classical music at the time, now in super-fidelity (for a price).
Edwin Fischer in two MOZART piano concertos, 3 BEETHOVEN Sonatas, Piano trios of BRAHMS & SCHUMANN – with Vienna Philharmonic Orch. – Orfeo (4 CDs)
Orfeo documents Edwin Fischer’s live appearances at the 1946-1954 Salzburg Festival as solo pianist and conductor, as well as in regally-performed chamber music.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
