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Fauré: Nocturnes & Barcarolles

Marc-André Hamelin

Classical - Released September 1, 2023 | Hyperion

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions Diapason d'or
The virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin isn't the first pianist one would think of when it comes to Fauré's music, but he has recorded all kinds of things, even ragtime, and as it happens, he does quite well with the dense miniatures heard on this album. Fauré's Nocturnes are at some level connected to Chopin's but are quite different, with murky chromaticism, especially in the later ones, setting the night atmosphere. Fauré is thought of as a musical conservative, but one would hardly know it from the pieces here that stubbornly refuse to settle on a tonal center. The counterpoint is complex, and a successful performance is one that untangles it. There isn't big, pianistic virtuosity here, but Hamelin's ability to balance Fauré's registers is virtuosic in its own way. The Barcarolles, a genre not much pursued by other composers but for Fauré seeming to allow rays of Venetian sunshine into his rather closed-in French world, are lighter but basically cut from the same cloth. Things lighten up with the final Dolly Suite, Op. 56, where Hamelin performs with his wife, Cathy Fuller. (For those wondering, neither Mi-a-ou nor the Kitty-valse has anything to do with cats.) Although Hyperion's church sound is not idiomatic, it does not damage the remarkable clarity in what is a significant entry in the Fauré discography, one that landed on classical best-seller lists in the late summer of 2023.© James Manheim /TiVo
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Beethoven: Complete Sonatas and Variations for Cello and Piano

Gary Hoffman

Chamber Music - Released September 29, 2023 | La Dolce Volta

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Water

Hélène Grimaud

Classical - Released January 29, 2016 | Deutsche Grammophon (DG)

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With the aptly-named Water, Hélène Grimaud probes the strength and beauty of H20, the most precious gift of nature, and a source of fascination for the pianist. Produced by Nitin Sawhney, who appears more regularly on the electro scene, here he has especially emphasized the fascination that water has inspired in many composers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This idea not only led to this record, it also resulted in a project of the Grimaud with Scottish artist Douglas Gordon, previous winner of the Turner Prize: a concert-installation entitled Tears Become ... designed specifically for the exercise room of a former military building in New York's Park Avenue Armory. Performed in December 2014, this show mixes visual art, music and architecture, and has at its center the "Water" programme of Hélène Grimaud. Before she starts playing, the gigantic hall was gradually flooded to give the impression of a huge "water field" (in the words of Gordon), which eventually encircled the piano concert. Nine composers are represented on the album which opens with Berio's Wasserklavier ("aquatic Piano"). Rain Tree Sketch II by Takemitsu, the Fifth Barcarolle by Fauré, Ravel's Jeux d'eau, Almería Iberia by Albéniz, the Liszt's Jeux d’eau à la Villa d’Este, the Andante Dans les brumes of Janáček and Debussy's La Cathédrale engloutie. These pages were recorded live during the New York concert-installation and then linked together by seven Transitions written and recorded by Nitin Sawhney. Finally, with Water, Hélène Grimaud brought together in a unique way her twin passions for music and the environment...
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Saint-Saëns : Piano Concertos Nos 2, 5 & Piano Works

Bertrand Chamayou

Classical - Released August 3, 2018 | Warner Classics

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions 4F de Télérama - Gramophone Record of the Year - Choc de Classica
For French pianists who don't approach the task in a sympathetic spirit, the nearly obligatory early-career Saint-Saëns recital can seem a chore, for both pianist and listener. Not a bit of it here. Pianist Bertrand Chamayou and the Orchestre National de France under Emmanuel Krivine absolutely nail the Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 22, with a performance notable for its combination of small detail and energy. Saint-Saëns is sometimes criticized, and indeed sometimes rightly, for being a by-the-book conservatory composer, but what to make of the unusual shape of this concerto, with its Allegro middle movement and lack of a true slow movement? Sample that middle movement, which is overflowing with melody, or the solo passage at the very beginning of the concerto, exquisitely carved out by Chamayou. The Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 103 ("Egyptian"), with its supposedly authentic Nile tribal melody in the slow movement, is suitably colorful and exotic, and there are also gems among the rarely played small piano works that close out the program. The Etude, Op. 52, No. 6 ("En forme de valse"), which is just what it says, in the form of a waltz, but not quite a waltz, is an inspired choice. Chamayou tackles the various technical challenges with aplomb, and Erato contributes unfussy sound from a pair of sessions at the Radio France Auditorium. As good a place as any to start with the piano music of Saint-Saëns.© TiVo
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Brahms: Piano Works, Opp. 24, 79, 118 & 119 (Original Edition)

Murray Perahia

Classical - Released November 12, 2010 | Sony Classical

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions Gramophone Editor's Choice - Choc de Classica
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Bacchanale: Saint-Saëns et la Méditerranée

Orchestre Divertimento

Classical - Released March 24, 2023 | harmonia mundi

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The Orchestre Divertimento and its conductor, Zahia Ziouani, often juxtapose European repertory with music from other parts of the world. Ziouani, who is of Algerian background, has a particular interest in the music of that country. She could not have found a composer whose works were more congenial to such a project than Camille Saint-Saëns, who visited Algeria no fewer than 18 times and composed a Suite algérienne, Op. 60, that is heard here, broken up and interspersed with Arabic music. What makes Ziouani's project unique is that there are not two types of music here but three. Many of the Saint-Saëns works are preceded by improvisations in the classical Arabic idiom, on oud, qanun, a traditional viol, derbouka, and the riqq drum. These are quite a musical distance from Saint-Saëns, but Ziouani introduces contemporary Arabic songs, of a semi-popular nature, as an intermediate step. The sets are mostly in related tonalities. This is an ingenious idea that sheds light on both Saint-Saëns, on what he heard when he heard Algerian music, and on the nature of contemporary popular traditions that are rooted in the classical music of the world. The Saint-Saëns performances themselves are entirely creditable, and the album is well recorded at a couple of different locations. A unique release that makes one want to hear more from this distinctive ensemble. © James Manheim /TiVo
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Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66

André Previn

Classical - Released March 19, 2021 | Warner Classics

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Recorded in 1974, André Previn's critically acclaimed performance of Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty has remained one of the most admired offerings in EMI's catalog, and the recording has been reissued several times since that date. In making the transition from LPs to CDs, two numbers -- the Pas Berrichon and the Sarabande at the end of Act III -- were cut from the complete recording to allow the ballet to fit on two discs. Apart from this modest alteration, most of Sleeping Beauty is preserved and it is still remarkably fresh sounding, even after digital remastering in 1993, which apparently removed any traces of analog hiss from an already clean recording. The London Symphony Orchestra made several terrific-sounding albums with Previn at this time, and the ensemble's energy, tone, blend, clarity, expression, and technique are all that could be desired of any world-class orchestra. With his career as a jazz pianist and composer, Previn surprised many with his recordings of the Romantic orchestral repertoire, and his great sympathy with Tchaikovsky's music made this performance especially satisfying because he drew particularly vivid and lively playing from his musicians. While this performance may not be superior to some of the Russian competition, it is certainly among the best by any western orchestra, and in terms of elegance and polish, it is still one of the very best ever released. This classic package is highly recommended for anyone who needs a handsome version of what is arguably Tchaikovsky's finest ballet.© TiVo
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Saint-Saëns: Works for Piano & Orchestra

Alexandre Kantorow

Classical - Released April 1, 2022 | BIS

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In 2019, Alexandre and Jean-Jacques Kantorow’s recording of the last three piano concertos by Camille Saint-Saëns earned the highest praise around the world, including a "Diapason d’or de l’année", "Editor’s Choice" in Gramophone and top marks and recommendations from the leading German websites. The Kantorows’ orchestra of choice was the Finnish ensemble Tapiola Sinfonietta, and they have now returned to Helsinki to record not only Saint-Saëns’ first two concertos, but all of the remaining works for piano and orchestra. Presented on this amply filled disc, the programme spans 33 years, the earliest work being Concerto No. 1, regarded as the first significant French piano concerto and written by a 23-year old composer. Ten years later, in 1868, Saint-Saëns composed the Concerto in G minor, a work which at first met with consternation although Liszt – who was present at the first performance – thoroughly approved of it. The work, which begins with the soloist playing what resembles the improvisations of an organist, soon became popular however, and remains one of Saint-Saëns’ best-known works. The shorter pieces which make up the rest of the programme were written between 1884 and 1891, and could be said to erveal different aspects of the composer: Wedding Cake was written as a wedding present to a close friend, in Rhapsodie d’Auvergne Saint-Saeëns explored French folk music, while Africa is a piece of pure Orientalism, reflecting his lasting affection for North Africa. © BIS Records
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Holst: Orchestral Works

Ulster Orchestra

Classical - Released May 23, 2012 | Naxos

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JoAnn Falletta and the Ulster Orchestra present a diverse program of lesser known works by Gustav Holst, the composer of the perennially popular suite The Planets. Holst's music was informed early on by the late Romantics, and traces of Johannes Brahms can be plainly heard in the Walt Whitman Overture, which Holst composed at college when he was still searching for a personal style. The Symphony in F major, "The Cotswolds," was a major step forward in developing a distinctive voice, and though it partakes of conventions in British symphonic writing, it shows a growing awareness of folk music's potential in his work. A Winter Idyll, influenced by Holst's teacher, Charles Villiers Stanford, shows much the same tentative exploration of the Walt Whitman Overture. But there is a pronounced change in flavor and mood in the Japanese Suite and the symphonic poem, Indra, which show Holst's adoption of impressionist harmonies and atmospheric orchestration, as well as a turning away from purely German influences to draw on Asian musical ideas and philosophies. Fans of Holst's music will find the last 25 minutes of the CD will put them on familiar ground, though the first 40 minutes of the album will at least provide context for his career. The orchestra delivers satisfying performances, and Falletta leads with great control and clarity, so all the pieces feel fully realized and exciting to play.© TiVo
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Albéniz: Suite Española, Op. 47 & 97, Suite Ancienne No.3

Sebastian Stanley

Classical - Released January 25, 2023 | Piano Classics

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Kocsis Plays Bartok

Zoltán Kocsis

Classical - Released February 15, 1987 | Denon

Distinctions The Qobuz Ideal Discography
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Brahms: 8 Hungarian Dances - Dvorak: 5 Slavonic Dances...

Herbert von Karajan

Symphonic Music - Released January 1, 1995 | Deutsche Grammophon (DG)

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Chopin: 4 Ballades & 4 Impromptus

Anna Vinnitskaya

Classical - Released February 5, 2021 | Alpha Classics

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The pianist Anna Vinnitskaya has built up an impressive discography since her victory at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2007: Bach, Brahms, Ravel, and of course the Russian composers with whom she has been familiar since her childhood in Novorossiysk, then her studies with Evgeni Koroliov. She has now made her first Chopin recording, coupling the four Ballades, a cross between the miniature and the sonata, with the four Impromptus he composed at different periods of his life, between 1835 and 1842. © Alpha Classics
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A Hidden Life (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

James Newton Howard

Film Soundtracks - Released December 6, 2019 | Sony Classical

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Thalberg: Piano Works

Francesco Nicolosi

Classical - Released May 14, 2021 | Naxos

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Fauré: Intégrale de l’oeuvre pour piano, Vol 3

Jean-Claude Pennetier

Solo Piano - Released October 1, 2015 | Mirare

Hi-Res Booklet Distinctions 5 de Diapason
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Britten: War Requiem

London Symphony Orchestra

Classical - Released May 7, 2012 | LSO Live

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When Gianandrea Noseda brought the forces assembled here for this live recording of Britten's War Requiem to New York's Avery Fisher Hall in October 2011, Alex Ross, classical music critic for The New Yorker, described it as the finest performance of the piece he had heard, and the recorded performance made at the Barbican, London, the same month is exceptional on many counts. The problem with experiencing the power of the performance on the SACD lies in its acoustic; the piece is recorded at such a low level that it's necessary to crank the volume up far beyond normal listening levels for the performers not to sound remote and underpowered. Even at very high volume, the performers lack the feeling of presence and immediacy that must certainly have been conveyed in live performance. Even so, the strengths of the soloists, choirs, and orchestra, and of Noseda's assured understanding of the score, both in its larger architecture and its particulars, are striking. From the anguished opening, he maintains a taut line of tension throughout that pulls the listener suspensefully forward, even at the moments of the most stillness, toward a conclusion of overwhelming cathartic intensity. The London Symphony Orchestra plays with exquisite attention to detail and gorgeously varied timbral coloration. The London Symphony Chorus and the boys of the Choir of Elthan College sing with immaculate precision and a dramatic urgency that comes from their musically sensitive handling of the texts. Britten veterans tenor Ian Bostridge and baritone Simon Keenlyside deliver remarkable performances -- full-throated, fervent, and poetically eloquent -- and they sing with such clarity that every word is distinct. Soprano Sabina Cvilak is a relative newcomer, but her pure, full, richly colored tone and impassioned singing make her a worthy collaborator with Bostridge and Keenlyside. This is a terrific rendering of Britten's masterpiece whose impact is unfortunately blunted by the inadequate engineering. © TiVo
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Asturias (After Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 from Isaac Albéniz) [Arr. for Marimba]

Adélaïde Ferrière

Classical - Released November 27, 2020 | Evidence (LTR)

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Fauré: 13 Barcarolles & Ballade Op. 19

Jean-Philippe Collard

Classical - Released January 14, 2022 | La Dolce Volta

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Not just anyone can enter the sophisticated, discreet and secretive world of Gabriel Fauré's Barcarolles. French pianist Jean-Philippe Collard has been keeping out of the spotlight for far too long, so his return to both the stage and the recording studio (with his new label La Dolce Volta) is a welcome sight. His comeback sees him return to his first musical love: the composer Fauré, whose Barcarolles cycle he had already recorded, along with his complete piano music, chamber music and a selection of melodies with Frederica von Stade.Over time, Collard’s sound has become simpler, lighter, with a freshness and spontaneity that only comes with musical maturity. The story behind this new recording is a funny one: one day whilst driving his car, Jean-Philippe Collard just so happened to be listening to the radio when a pianist performing the Première Barcarolle started playing. He didn’t care much for the interpretation and hated the performers constant changes in tempo... so you can imagine his dismay when the radio host announced that it was, in fact, Collard’s own recording from 1970... that was the moment he knew he had to work on this cycle again and propose a new and improved version.This second version was recorded in 2020 in the beautiful Arsenal Concert Hall, which is known for its remarkable acoustics. Exactly fifty years after his first recording, Jean-Philippe Collard’s vision for the solo piano version of the Barcarolles and Ballad has now been perfected. It’s been stripped back to basics and exudes the kind of naturalness that, paradoxically, could only ever have been attained through thorough analysis of the written music, its constant modulations and skilful superimposition of melody. Jean-Phillipe Collard has evidently gone through it all with a fine-toothed comb and, consequently, he’s given the world a chance to listen to the very best of what he has to offer. © François Hudry/Qobuz