St. Petersburg Archive
TCHAIKOVSKY: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major; String Quartet No. 3 in e-flat minor – The Heath Quartet – HM
Two Tchaikovsky quartets rife with passionate sincerity come to us from this British chamber ensemble. TCHAIKOVSKY: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11; String Quartet No. 3 in e-flat minor, Op. 30 – The Heath Quartet – Harmonia mundi HMU 907665, 66:24 (11/18/16) [Distr. by PIAS] ****: Tchaikovsky’s initiation into the string quartet medium begins in 1871, at the urging of Nikolay Rubinstein, who had organized a concert devoted to promoting Tchaikovsky’s works. Given the composer’s penchant for “German” forms – those Classical means of musical expression that conveyed a sense of cosmopolitan legitimacy – Tchaikovsky set to work assembling players from the St. Petersburg Conservatory who followed Czech violinist Ferdinand Laub in order to premier the D Major Quartet in March 1871. Despite the clear influences of Schubert, Haydn, and Beethoven, the outstanding second movement – Andante cantabile – takes the composer’s Russian heritage to heart, basing its tender progression on a Ukrainian folk song, “Sidel Vanya.” The Heath Quartet (rec. December 2015) plays the D Major Quartet with studied devotion. The intimate syncopations of the opening Moderato e semplice enjoy a layered effect that has bequeathed the name “The Accordion” on its figurations. The plastic ease […]
TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker – complete ballet transcribed for piano – Stewart Goodyear – Steinway & Sons
An outstanding transcription for piano of a most beloved ballet score – it’ll have you dancing! PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker – complete ballet transcribed for piano – performed by Stewart Goodyear – Steinway & Sons multichannel SACD 30040, 82:21 [10/9/15] *****: Few people are neutral on the subject of Christmas: most either love it or hate it. I’m one who loves it, and I find the music of Christmas to be an enormously important part of the tradition. So I was excited when this transcription for solo piano of the full Nutcracker ballet score arrived. I had enjoyed for years the DGG recording by Martha Argerich and Nicolas Economou of the Nutcracker Suite (in Economou’s piano transcription, and paired with Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances), but that contained only the highlights of Tchaikovsky’s score. This is the whole thing! . . the whole story! Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893) was a unique composer – and the Nutcracker is unique among his works. His father was a mining engineer and his mother was of French background. The boy was destined to be a civil servant, and indeed completed full training at the St. Petersburg School of Jurisprudence at age 19. But […]
RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2 in E minor – Concertgebouw Orch./ Mariss Jansons – RCO Live
RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2 in E minor – Concertgebouw Orch./ Mariss Jansons – RCO Live RCO 16004 multichannel 5.0 SACD, 55:49 (6/24/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: A fine offering of this popular symphony. Rachmaninoff composed his Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 in 1906-1907. Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony premiered in St. Petersburg on February 8, 1908, with the composer conducting. Originally, the work was dedicated to Sergei Taneyev, a Russian composer and teacher who studied under Tchaikovsky. The symphony is one of Rachmaninoff’s most popular works and there are no shortages of fine performances. This disc is an excellent addition to the roster, and while it is a new release in this incarnation the recording is from 2010 and it was previously released under the title Mariss Jansons Live: The Radio Recordings. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has recorded the Second many times, and under many conductors, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Kirill Kondrashin and Kurt Sanderling. The performance here is first-rate and highly emotional, as the Second should be. Jansons is in full control of the orchestra, and he offers a rousing interpretation. The 5.0 SACD layer is crisp with a very stable image at the front speakers. The rear channels […]
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 in E minor and Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture – San Francisco Sym./ Michael Tilson Thomas – SFS Media
Two Tchaikovsky classics ably played and generally well recorded.
SAINT-SAENS: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor; Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major “Egyptian” – Muza Rubackyte, p./ Lithuanian Nat. Philharmonic Orch./ Hans-Martin Schneidt (Op. 22)/ Alain Paris – Doron
Lithuanian virtuoso Muza Rubacktye perfectly realizes two of the Saint-Saens concertos with effortless panache and stunning virtuosity.
![Sokolov – The Salzburg Recital [TrackList follows] = Works of MOZART, CHOPIN, SCRIABIN, BACH, RAMEAU – DGG (2 CDs)](https://www.audaud.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Sokolov-Salzburg.jpg)
Sokolov – The Salzburg Recital [TrackList follows] = Works of MOZART, CHOPIN, SCRIABIN, BACH, RAMEAU – DGG (2 CDs)
The Sokolov 2008 recital from Salzburg reveals a thoughtful, poetic artist whose repertory embraces a grand range of styles.
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6 – Valery Gergiev, Mariinksy Orch. – multichannel SACD Mariinsky (2 discs)
Committed performances and fine recording of these three symphonies from a chaotic period for the composer.
Concerto I = MOZART: Two Piano Concerto in E-flat; LISZT: Concerto Pathetique for Two Pianos; BARTOK: Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion, and Orch. – GrauSchumacher Piano Duo/ Franz Schindlbeck, Jan Schlichte, percussion/ German Sym. Orch. Berlin/ Ruben Gazarian – Neos
A solid and well-done series of readings all in one convenient package.
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor; BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor = Yevgeny Sudbin, p./ Minnesota Orch./ Osmo Vänskä – BIS
Sudbin has pianistic talent to burn.
VAN DER ROOST: Sirius and other works for Orchestra = Sirius; Sinfonia for Orchestra; Manhattan Pictures – St. Petersburg State Sym. Orch./ Vladimir Lande; Philharmonic Orch. of the Belgian Radio/ Fernand Terby – Navona
An appealing collection from the Belgian composer well played and recorded.
SYDNEY HODKINSON, “Shifting Treks” = Potpourri: 11 Very Short Pieces; Epitaphion; Piano Concerto No.1: A Shifting Trek – St. Petersburg State Sym. Orch./Vladimir Lande/Barry Snyder, p./Moravian Philharmonic Orch./Petr Vronsky – Navona
Interesting works worth a listen from this American voice.
SEAN HICKEY, ‘Concertos’ = Concerto for Cello and Orch.; Concerto for Clarinet and Orch. – Dmitry Kouzov, cello/Alexander Fiterstein, clar./St. Petersburg State Academic Sym. Orch. /Vladimir Lande – Delos
Two great new concerti from an interesting new voice.
WEINBERG: Symphony No. 19 “Bright May,”; The Banners of Peace (Symphonic Poem) – St. Petersburg State Sym. Orch./ Vladimir Lande – Naxos
Slowly but surely, Weinberg’s music is appearing on disc with Naxos being one of the prominent contributors.
GLAZOUNOV; LEFANU; MEYER: Saxophone Concertos – John-Edward Kelly, alto sax – Netherlands Radio Ch. Philharmonic/John-Edward Kelly & Micha Hamel, cond. – Neos
Three saxophone concertos, Glazounov’s classic, and two modern compositions, demonstrate musical chemistry between the alto saxophone and a string orchestra.
GLAZUNOV: Complete Symphonies & Concertos – Soloists/Royal Scottish Nat. Orch. & Russian Nat. Orch./ Jose Serebrier – Warner Classics (8-CDs)
A magnificent collection without direct competition, but with excellent performances and sonics.
GAVRIIL POPOV: Chamber Symphony (Septet) for flute, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin, cello, and double bass; Symphony No. 1 – St. Petersburg Orch./ Alexander Titov – Northern Flowers
The performance of the symphony has more enthusiastic abandon than polish; a very fine performance of the Septet makes this release indispensible.
SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Trio No. 1 “Poème”; Seven Romances; Piano Trio No. 2 – Susan Gritton, sop./ Florestan Trio – Hyperion
Works from three distinct periods in Shostakovich’s creative life.
RACHMANINOFF: All-Night Vigil (Vespers)
Moves to the head of the class of recent recordings of Rachmaninoff’s moving liturgical work. We’ll soon cover the just-released SACD version – sure to be better yet!
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
