Maestro Classical 034: Schubert

John Elwes, Kenneth Slowik, Franz Schubert
"Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795" (mp3)
from "Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795"
(Dorian Recordings)

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Kenneth Slowik and John Elwes deliver an exciting rendition of Franz Schubert’s first song cycle using the beautiful Graf fortepiano from the Smithsonian’s collection. This instrument is the type for which the work was originally intended.

The Atlantis Ensemble
"Trio in B-flat, op. posth. 99" (mp3)
from "Schubert Piano Trio in B flat, Op.99"
(Musica Omnia)

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The first of two releases devoted to the piano trio repertoire of Franz Schubert. It is performed by the Atlantis Trio: Jaap Schroder (violin), Penelope Crawford (fortepiano) and Enid Sutherland (cello), using instruments of Schubert's time.

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Andreas Delfs
"SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished"" (mp3)
from "SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished""
(MSO Classics)

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Commonly known as the "Unfinished Symphony," this piece was started in 1822 but was left with only two movements known to be complete, even though Schubert would live for another six years.

Antonio Meneses
"Fünf Stücke im Volkston, Op. 102 for Cello and Piano" (mp3)
from "Schumann / Schubert: Schumann & Schubert"
(AVIE Records)

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For all the differences between their personalities, their music, and the epochs in which they lived, Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann in many ways represent two sides of the same coin. Both were incomparable masters at composing song, bringing to new levels of sophistication the art of word-colouring and emotion-conveying. Both explored and expanded Classical forms, allowing them to convey an expansive, personal, Romantic sensibility. And both compose music about themselves, Schubert's later work often conveying poignant tension between memories of youthful gay abandon - in all senses, it's now thought - and the terrible knowledge of an imminent, tragically early death, while Schumann's work frequently reflects his turbulent, possibly bi-polar, psychological condition, as often tempestuously dramatic as poetically content.

Oleg Marshev
"Piano Sonata no. 21 in B flat Major, D960" (mp3)
from "Schubert: The Late Schubert"
(Danacord Records)

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A riveting performance of the late piano works by Schubert.

Happy new year listeners. Welcome to indie classical spotlight. Today’s episode we will be playing several sonata pieces from our classical collection.

After 35 years of success the world over, including many award-winning recordings and newly commissioned works, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio continues to dazzle audiences and critics alike with their performances.

The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Joseph Kalichstein, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson
"Trio in B-flat Major, D. 898: I. Andante moderato" (mp3)
from "Franz Schubert: The Piano Trios and Arpeggione Sonata"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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An Oregon native, Marcia Hadjimarkos received degrees in piano performance and French literature from the University of Iowa. She has been devoted to the fortepiano and clavichord since the 1980s, and studied with Jos van Immerseel at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in 1993-94.

Marcia Hadjimarkos
"16 Deutsche Tänze, D 783" (mp3)
from "Franz Schubert: Sonata & Dances for Fortepiano"
(Arabesque Recordings)

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From the beginning of the first movement in Sonata No. 1, you can hear a tender, restrained longing behind the notes, which in turn helps illuminate the passionate outbursts that erupt in the First and especially the Third Sonatas. Zina Schiff has the emotional equipment to convey her powerful reading of these works.

Zina Schiff, Cameron Grant
"Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78" (mp3)
from "Brahms: Sonatas for Violin and Piano"
(MSR Classics)

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Robert Quinney is a sub-Organist of Westminster Abbey. In addition to his work at the Abbey, he has a busy freelance career as soloist, ensemble player, and writer on music. In 2002 Quinney was named Royal College of Organists Performer of the Year.

Robert Quinney
"Sonata I in E Flat Major BWV 525" (mp3)
from "Bach: Trio Sonatas For Organ"
(Coro)

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Happy Holidays listeners! To observe the holiday season, we will be playing 6 holiday tracks from our classical collection.

The London Fox Players
"Deck The Halls" (mp3)
from "Christmas - Woodwind"
(Classic Fox Records)

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Parthenia / A Consort of Viols
"Pavans, Galliards, Almains and other short Aeirs" (mp3)
from "As It Fell on a Holie Eve - Music for an Elizabethan Christmas"
(MSR Classics)

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Stile Antico
"Ave Maria" (mp3)
from "Puer Natus Est - Tudor Music for Advent and Christmas"
(harmonia mundi)

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The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
"Masters in this Hall" (mp3)
from "A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection from The Sixteen, Vol. II"
(Coro)

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Elaine Funaro
"A Baroque Christmas" (mp3)
from "Harpsichord at the Holidays: Christmas Carols Past and Present"
(Arabesque Recordings)

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Johanni van Oostrum, Metropole Orchestra, Dick Bakker, Ockert Vermeulen, Evert van Niekerk, Peter Forrester
"Ding, dong! Merrily on high" (mp3)
from "A Christmas Present"
(Omnium)

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This month we have a very exciting feature. We will be celebrating the 10th year of the recording label CORO which was established in 2001. Bringing together live concerts and recording plans has allowed The Sixteen to develop a glittering catalogue which now boasts over ninety releases, spanning six hundred years of sacred choral music from the earliest plainsong through to contemporary composers such as James MacMillan.

The back-catalogue contains some of the most magnificent choral works ever written including Handel’s Messiah, Allegri’s Miserere, Fauré’s Requiem and Tallis’s Spem in Alium - all of which are best sellers. Added to this list are the entire Eton Choirbook, Bach’s Mass in B minor and Victoria’s Requeim of 1605 all of which have received critical acclaim worldwide. Many of the CDs on CORO are award-winners and many more have been nominated for awards. The accolades include a MIDEM Award, two Gramophone Awards, three Diapason d’Or and four Schallplattenkritiks as well as two Grammy® nominations.

We will be celebrating with pieces from 5 of CORO's albums today.

?The Sixteen/Harry Christophers
"Stabat Mater Dolorosa"
from "Allegri - Miserere/Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli"
(Coro)

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The Sixteen / Harry Christophers
"Libera Nos" from "Philip & Mary: A Marriage of England & Spain"
(Coro)

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The Sixteen/ Harry Christophers
"Magnificat in D major (BWV 243)"
from "Vivald: Gloria in D major / Bach: Magnificat in D major"
(Coro)

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The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
"Messiah"
from "Handel: Messiah"
(Coro)

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Handel & Haydn Society, Harry Christophers, Elizabeth Watts, Phyllis Pancella, Andrew Kennedy, Eric Owens
"Requiem, K. 626" (mp3)
from "Mozart: Requiem"
(The Sixteen Productions Ltd.)

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Bridge Records was founded in 1981 by the classical guitarist David Starobin, and his wife, the violinist, Becky Starobin. The company celebrates its 30th anniversary with a catalog of more than 400 CD and DVDs, as well as a music publishing arm and an artist management division. Both of the Starobin's children, Robert Starobin and Allegra Starobin, work for the company, as well as a staff of engineers, designers and allied personnel.

Bridge now issues between 35 to 40 discs per year, across a broad spectrum of classical music, contemporary music and jazz. The Washington Post wrote that "Bridge is a company with a highly selectiveand consistently excellent catalog". It is this selectivity that has led to 25 Grammy nominations and numerous awards from the international critical press.

New Orford String Quartet
"String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887, Op. 161: I. Allegro molto moderato" (mp3)
from "New Orford String Quartet performs Schubert and Beethoven"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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The New Orford Quartet is a brilliant all-star group from Canada. The quartet includes the concertmasters of the Montreal and Toronto Symphonies. This is the debut recording of the New Orford- a recording which has been receiving rave reviews in the critical press.

Susanna Phillips, Myra Huang
"Poemes Pour Mi: VII. Les Deux guerriers" (mp3)
from "Susanna Phillips: Paysages"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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Susanna Phillips is a spectacular young mezzo-soprano. Ms. Phillips is the winner of the Metropolitan Opera's 2010 Beverly Sills Award. Her solo debut recording on Bridge is called Paysages (Landscapes) and includes French songs by Messiaen, Debussy and Fauré. Here we listen to a track from Olivier Messiaen's magical song cycle Poemes pour Mi.

The Budapest String Quartet
"String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3: IV. Presto" (mp3)
from "Beethoven: The Early Quartets"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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One of the special parts of the Bridge catalog is the company's historical recordings, many released by Bridge for the first time ever. These include 25 volumes of concerts played at the Library of Congress, between 1940 and the present day. Famous names on the Bridge series include George Szell, Leopold Stowkowski, Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber and the Budapest String Quartet. Here the Budapest String Quartet performs from a 1944 concert.

Garrick Ohlsson
"Sonata in B Minor, S. 178: IV. Allegro energico" (mp3)
from "Garrick Ohlsson: Liszt Recital"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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Bridge has a long history of recording many of today's leading soloists. Among pianists in the Bridge catalog you'll find names like Rudolf Serkin, Richard Goode, Peter Serkin and Garrick Ohlsson. Here we listen to Garrick Ohlsson's recent Liszt recording, which celebrates the 200th anniversary of Liszt's birth.

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew David
"Concerto In Pieces - Purcell Variations: I. Theme and Variation I, Vivace Maestoso" (mp3)
from "Concertos of Melinda Wagner and Poul Ruders"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew David
"Concerto In Pieces - Purcell Variations: II. Variation II, Vivace Scherzando" (mp3)
from "Concertos of Melinda Wagner and Poul Ruders"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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Among the strengths of the Bridge catalog is a strong commitment to finding the leading composers of our own time, and recording large portions of their catalog. The Danish composer Poul Ruders has become known for his operas and orchestral music, much of which has been recorded on Bridge. Here we listen to his "Concerto in Pieces", played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis.

Joseph Alessi, Susan Narucki, George Crumb, Paul Cesarczyk, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
"Star-Child: IV. Musica Apocalyptica" (mp3)
from "George Crumb Edition, Vol. 3"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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The composer George Crumb celebrated his 80th birthday last year. Bridge has a particularly close relationship with Crumb, and is involved in recording the great American composer's complete output. Here we listen to the "Dies Irae" from Crumb's massive orchestral work, "Star-Child." This recording was a Grammy winner!

Clara Rockmore, Nadia Reisenberg
"Requiebros" (mp3)
from "Clara Rockmore's Lost Theremin Album"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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Eclectic titles are also a part of the Bridge catalog, and what could be more eclectic than a recording of classical masterpieces on the Theremin! Here we listen to the superb performer Clara Rockmore with an eerily beautiful rendition of Requiebros by Gaspar Cassado, accompanied by pianist Nadia Reisenberg.

Today we will be showcasing some of Beethoven's symphonies, including two tracks from our very special featured release from Avie Records titled "Beethoven: Symphony Nos 6 and 8" performed by Manchester Camerata and Douglas Boyd.


Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Peter Tiboris
"Symphony No. 9, Op. 125 in D Minor -1895 Gustav Mahler Edition: III. Adagio molto e cantabile" (mp3)
from "Beethoven's 9th Symphony: 1895 Gustav Mahler Orchestration"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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Mahler’s grand expansion of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony employs an extra 4 horns and an extra set of Timpani, revoicing many passages of the venerable masterpiece. Mahler adds occasional counter-melodies and thickens the scoring in order to create his own heightened dynamic scale. Of his own performances of this re-scoring, Mahler wrote: "Far from following any arbitrary purpose or course, but also without allowing himself to be led astray by tradition, (this conductor) was constantly and solely concerned with carrying out Beethoven’s wishes in their minutest detail, and ensuring that nothing the master intended should be sacrificed or drowned out amid the general confusion of sound."

San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas
"Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67" (mp3)
from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 and Piano Concerto No. 4"
(San Francisco Symphony)

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The San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas present Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto featuring pianist Emanuel Ax.

Jan Willem de Vriend, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
"Symphony no. 7 op. 92 in A major: Allegro con brio" (mp3)
from "Beethoven: Symphonies nos. 7&8 - Complete symphonies vol.3"
(Challenge Classics)

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Manchester Camerata, Douglas Boyd
"Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 - "Pastoral"" (mp3)
from "Beethoven: Symphony Nos. 6 & 8"
(AVIE Records)

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Manchester Camerata lodges the latest release in its acclaimed Beethoven Symphony cycle. Like the previous releases in this cycle these live recordings capture the spirit and freshness of these remarkable, genre-busting works, as well as the excitement, atmosphere and energy of the chamber orchestra under Music Director Douglas Boyd.

Manchester Camerata has become one of the finest, most innovative chamber orchestras in the UK, and Douglas Boyd has proven to be an eminent Beethovenian. Conducting the composer’s Fidelio at the 2009 Garsington Opera Festival, The Times (London) noted “his grasp of Beethovenian idiom” and “pungent underlining of orchestral detail”, praising the musical performance as “sublime and exultant”.

This is the penultimate release in the Douglas Boyd-Manchester Camerata Beethoven Symphony cycle. The Ninth “Choral” Symphony will be released in November 2011.

This month on Maestro Independent Classical Spotlight we have a selection of four Romantic Period pieces from our classical collection.


Amber Yiu Hsuan Liao
"Piano Sonata No.18 in E-flat major, Op.31, No.3" (mp3)
from "Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.18; Granados: Goyescas; Schumann: Humoreske"
(MSR Classics)

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The three pieces in this recording were all written during difficult times in the lives of their composers. Beethoven composed the E-flat major sonata in the same year he wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament. Goyescas was created shortly after Granados learned about both the death of his close friend Issac Albéniz, and the Tragic Week, a bloody confrontation between the working class of Barcelona and the army. When Schumann composed Humoreske, he was an aspiring composer trying to win the approval of Clara’s father, and was staying in Vienna away from home and his beloved. It is touching to hear how the composers rose above the pain, anxiety and desperation in their lives with such grace. They transcended their suffering, and created these beautiful pieces that have enriched the lives of many others in future generations.

Pianist Amber Yiu Hsuan Liao has given recitals and solo performances throughout United States and Taiwan. Recent engagements include recitals at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center and the Freeport Memorial Library, and the world premiere of Between Stream and Hills III for piano solo by Chih-Chen Wei. Ms. Liao has been invited to participate in several music festivals in Europe, including Courchevel Academie Musicale in France, Internationale Sommerakademie Mozarteum in Salzburg and New Millennium Piano Festival in Gijón, Spain. She has also been selected to perform in the master classes of distinguished artists such as Leon Fleisher, Dmitri Bashkirov, John Perry, Leslie Howard, Oxana Yablonskaya, Michel Béroff and Robert McDonald. As a chamber musician, Ms. Liao’s collaborations with vocalists and instrumentalists have led to performances in the CAMI Hall, Symphony Space and the Lenox Athenaeum, among others. She was the pianist in the Emerald Quintet, a group dedicated to both standard repertoire and the works of contemporary composers. Ms. Liao started her early music training in Taiwan. As a teenager, she was the prize winner of several regional and national composition competitions. She continued her studies in piano performance in the United States under the tutelage of Boris Slutsky and Arkady Aronov. A winner of the Rose Marie Milholland Award and the President’s Award, she received her Master of Music from the Peabody Institute and Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music. She currently maintains a private studio in New York City, and is on the faculty of Seton Hall University in New Jersey.



Budapest String Quartet, Artur Balsam
"Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25: I. Allegro" (mp3)
from "Brahms and Schumann Recital"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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The Budapest String Quartet was a string quartet in existence from 1917 to 1967. It originally consisted of three Hungarians and a Dutchman; at the end, the quartet consisted of four Russians. A number of recordings were made for HMV/Victor through 1938; from 1940 through 1967 it recorded for Columbia Records. Additionally, several of the Quartet's live performances were recorded, at the Library of Congress and other venues.

More info on Budapest String Quartet.

Artur Balsam (1906-1994) was a highly versatile pianist who was born in Poland and became established as an accompanist for Yehudi Menhuin on a 1932 tour of the United States. After being hounded out of Europe during the Nazi period, Balsam settled in New York and began both teaching and recording. Balsam was a very flexible artist who proved himself quite capable in piano repertoire ranging from the Baroque to ultra-modern works. Balsam was well-known locally in New York City, Rochester and Boston as a teacher, recitalist and chamber musician. He worked for dozens of East Coast based record labels, but the highest concentration of his recordings may be found in the Vox catalogue.

More info on Artur Balsam.


Lavina Meijer
"Impromptu- Caprice, Op. 9" (mp3)
from "Fantasies & Impromptus"
(Channel Classics Records)

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Lavinia Meijer (1983) is recognized worldwide as one of the most promising rising stars of the moment. Born in Korea and adopted into a Dutch family, she is now based in the Netherlands. She studied under the guidance of Erika Waardenburg at the conservatories of Utrecht and Amsterdam, where she received her Bachelor and Masters degrees of Music with the highest distinction. Since then she has toured as a solo-harpist across Europe, America and Asia, showing the many possibilities of the harp as a solo-instrument.

From a young age on, she has won several important music prizes, such as first prize at the Dutch Harp Competition in the Netherlands, first prize at the International Harp Competition in Brussels, a second prize at the International Harp Competition in Vienna and a third prize at both the International USA Harp Competition and the International Harp Competition in Israel. Special awards have been given to her, such as the MeesPierson award and the Vriendenkrans of the Royal Concertgebouw from Amsterdam and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust from London. In 2009 she received the Dutch Music Prize, which is the highest distinction for a Dutch classical musician.

For full bio, please click here.


Vassily Primakov
"Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5" (mp3)
from "Vassily Primakov: Rachmaninoff Recital"
(Bridge Records, Inc.)

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In many ways Vassily Primakov is a reincarnation of the keyboard virtuoso from the early and mid-20th century: he possesses an enormous technique, a highly individual interpretive persona, and a keen sense for drama in the big moments of Romantic and post-Romantic works. To watch him at the piano in performance underscores this atavistic view: Primakov often plays trance-like, seemingly carried away by the music, with all manner of facial expressions and animated movements, while still conveying the sense he is in complete control, despite whatever technical challenges confront him. His growing number of fans will assert that he is fun to watch in his captivating mixture of eccentricity and sensitive virtuosity. Primakov possesses a broad repertory inclusive of Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Shostakovich. But he does not skirt the less meaty repertory, as his performances of Mozart concertos will attest; nor does he avoid the unusual: he plays the generally neglected and less pianistic Dvorák Piano Concerto. Primakov has recorded for Bridge Records and the Van Cliburn Foundation.

Vassily Primakov was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1979. At 11 he became a student of Vera Gornostaeva at the Central Special Music School in Moscow. At 17 he enrolled at Juilliard, where he studied until 2005. His teachers there included keyboard icon Jerome Lowenthal. Primakov eventually made the U.S. his adopted homeland.

For full bio, please click here.

Today's episode will be centered around Opera Works & Songs from our classical collection. We have 4 pieces for you today, and we will end with a piece from our featured release, "Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor."

Nicolai Ghiaurov, Sesto Bruscantini, Alfredo Kraus, Gundula Janowitz, Sena Jurinac, Walter Monachesi, Dimitri Petkov, Olivera Miliakovic
"Don Giovanni" (mp3)
from "Mozart: Don Giovanni"
(Opera d'Oro)

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Steven Kimbrough, Wolfgang Schmid, Andreas Kreisel
"Kommt wieder aus der finst'ren Gruft" (mp3)
from "Geistliche Lieder - Sacred Songs of Bach (from the 1736 Songbook of Georg Schemelli)"
(Arabesque Recordings)

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Inessa Galante, Vladimir Choclov, Janis Bulvas
"A idise mame" (mp3)
from "Goldins: Jewish Folk Songs - Rachmaninov: Romantic Songs"
(Campion)

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Valery Gergiev, Natalie Dessay, Sergei Skorokhodov, Ilya Bannik, Vladislav Sulimsky, Mariinsky Chorus, Mariinsky Orchestra
from "Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor"
(Mariinsky)

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The Mariinsky label’s opera recordings have garnered acclaim and awards from around the world, most recently for Valery Gergiev’s recording of Parsifal released in 2010. For the label’s fifth opera, Gergiev conducts Donizetti’s masterpiece with a magnificent cast led by Natalie Dessay.

Donizetti’s tragic opera in three acts depicts a family feud set in the Lammermuir hills of Scotland. The opera was premiered on 26 September 1835 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, with the coloratura soprano Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani, and a revised version in French followed suit in 1839. Inspired by Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Bride of Lammermoor, the central character of Lucia Ashton (Dessay) is in love with Edgardo di Ravenswood, her brother Enrico’s sworn enemy. With his fortune waning, Lord Enrico plots to force Lucia to marry Lord Arturo Bucklaw, in order to guarantee his continued power. Torn between her family and true love, Lucia submits to her brother’s desires but in turn loses her mind. Lucia’s delicate disposition is tested and results in the famous ‘mad scene’ where Lucia kills her new bridegroom Arturo.

Natalie Dessay is one of the world’s most sought-after sopranos and an admired interpreter of lyric heroines. She is particularly renowned for her interpretation of the role of Lucia, which she has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House and the Mariinsky Theatre. Future engagements include Verdi’s La Traviata with the LSO at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in July and at the Wiener Staatsoper in October.

Piotr Beczala is rapidly establishing a reputation as one of today’s leading lyric tenors. He has recently sung Edgardo with the Metropolitan Opera in New York and on tour in Japan, and this summer will perform at the Bayerische Staatsoper and Salzburg Festival.

Valery Gergiev recently won the Disc of the Year Award from BBC Music Magazine for his LSO Live recording of Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet. In July, Gergiev will conduct the Mariinsky Ballet at New York Metropolitan Opera and in August he conducts at the Edinburgh Festival and BBC Proms with the Mariinsky Orchestra before opening the LSO’s 2011-12 concert season. In October he embarks on a major tour of the USA and Canada with the Mariinsky Orchestra, including residencies at Carnegie Hall and Berkeley. Forthcoming releases include the final instalment in his Mahler cycle on LSO Live featuring Symphony No 9 and the Mariinsky label’s first DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs.

Natalie Dessay appears courtesy of Virgin Classics.

Welcome to the Maestro Classical Podcast. This is episode number 26 and we are featuring music from Joseph Haydn, with performances by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Andreas Delfs. More information on this episode can be found at www.maestroclassical.com.

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan
"Symphony No. 88"
from "Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 104, 88, 101"
(Philharmonia Baroque)

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Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Andreas Delfs
"Haydn: Symphony No. 96" (mp3)
from "Haydn: Symphony No. 96"
(MSO Classics)

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Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham
"Symphony No. 100 in G, 'Military'"
from "Haydn: Symphonies No. 99 & 100"
(Discover Classical Music)

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Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
"Symphony No. 6 In D Major Le Matin"
from "Great Haydn Symphonies"
(Nimbus Records)

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Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Jane Glover
"Haydn: Symphony #104 In D, H 1/104, "London" - 1. Adagio, Allegro"
from "Haydn: Symphony No. 102, Symphony No. 104 "London""
(Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

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Welcome to Indie Classical Spotlight, where we feature independent classical artists, labels and composers. We have 5 pieces for you today, focusing on String Quartets. We also have a very special feature on the Hagen Quartett’s new anniversary album, “Hagen Quartett 30”.

Each is a recent release from our classical collection. For more information please visit www.maestroclassical.com.

Potomac String Quartet
"String quartet No. 6" (mp3)
from "Quincy Porter - String Quartets"
(Albany Records)

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FIRST RECORDINGS OF THE COMPLETE WORKS FOR STRING QUARTET BY QUINCY PORTER.

Like Charles Ives, Quincy Porter was a die-hard Connecticut Yankee from a well-to-do family with strong ties to Yale University. In fact, both studied composition under Horatio Parker at Yale. And both of them were staunchly patriotic and nationalistic, although Ives was the more radical composer. Porter, as part of his "day job," served as an educator and administrator at many of the nation's most prominent schools: Cleveland Institute, Vassar College, New England Conservatory and, finally, Yale where he taught for two decades. It has been claimed that the String Quartets of Porter are "some of the most substantial contributions to that literature made by an American" in no less an authoritative source than the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Yet, until now, most of them have never been available commercially. The current recorded performances by the Potomac Quartet - a collection of all nine numbered Quartets as well as several shorter pieces - will offer most listeners their first opportunity to explore and access this inexplicably neglected body of work. This immensely important release is the follow-up to the Potomac Quartet's acclaimed cycle of the David Diamond String Quartets (TROY504, 540, 613 and 727) and is the perfect supplement to Albany's equally admired disc of Porter's orchestral music (TROY 574).


Quatuor Antar
"Quatuor en Ré Mineur, K421" (mp3)
from "Mozart: Quatuor en Ré Mineur - Chostakovitch: Quatuor No. 8"
(Integral Classic)

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The musicians of the Quartet Antarès combine two cultures, two different worlds in a French-Italian formation.

Their various knowledge (Italy for violins, France for the viola (alto) and the cello) and the personal experience which marks each personality are being expressed in this quartet, through a great sense of balance and a genuine complicity, " Four hearts in the only thought" (Piero Farulli, Italiano Quartet).


Jerusalem Quartet
"String Quartet no.17 in B flat major K.458 'The Hunt'" (mp3)
from "Mozart: String Quartets"
(Harmonia Mundi)

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Jerusalem Quartet - Chamber ensemble

After two widely acclaimed Hayden releases, the Jerusalem Quartet now logically turns to an exploration of Mozart and three distinct periods in his create life. Haydn is not totally absent from this recording, since the central quartet belongs to the glorious group of six which Mozart, now firmly established in Vienna, dedicated to his elder ins 1785. Twelve years earlier, the teenage composer was still amusing himself with the Sammartinian model in the third of his 'Milanese' Quartets". Click here to read more...


Panocha Quartet
"String Quartet No. 12 in F major American, Op. 96 (B.179), III. Molto vivace" (mp3)
from "Dvořák: The Essential String Quartet"
(Supraphon a.s.)

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Every work of art is exposed to the inexorable test of time. In the case of the majority of composers, precious few works enjoy enduring popularity. Yet in this respect Dvořák is one of the glorious exceptions. When it comes to his 15 string quartets alone, more than one third of them are still an integral part of the repertoire of numerous contemporary ensembles. All the mature opuses - starting with the "Slavonic" Quartet in E flat major (written for the famous Florentine Quartet) through the most celebrated, the "American", to the final opuses 106 and 105, whose musical language reflects the composer's return home from overseas - have been repeatedly explored and performed. The Panocha Quartet, whose exceptional qualities have for over four decades been acclaimed by audiences in four continents, have devoted to Czech quartet creation and Dvořák in particular with great care. This selection from the complete Dvořák works features the most beautiful quartet opuses and is a must-have for all fans of this genre.

The "American" quartet and other Dvořák gems - beautiful and seminal.


Hagen Quartett
"String Quartet in E Minor Op. 59 / 2 - "Rasumowsky"" (mp3)
from "Hagen Quartett - 30"
(Myrios Classics)

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The anniversary album "Hagen Quartett 30" contains new recordings of works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Webern – three composers of central importance for the ensemble.

The Hagen Quartet—unchallenged at the head of the international string quartet elite for 30 years – captivates its listeners again and again. Five years have passed since the end of the group’s exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and now the quartet presents its first recording with myrios classics. The anniversary album, produced in the historic Siemens Villa in Berlin, contains works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Webern – three composers of central importance for the ensemble.