Violin Fantasies

Track Listings

1. Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, D. 934

2. Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 131

3. Phantasy for Violin With Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47

4. Trinity- Fantasy for Solo Violin

Tracks:

Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
Fantasia On Greensleeves
The Lark Ascending
Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus'

Amazon.com

Marriner's evergreen 1972 recording of favorite shorter works by Vaughan Williams has yet to be surpassed for warmth of conception and smoothness of execution. The soloists in these accounts (among them William Bennett in the Greensleeves Fantasia and Iona Brown in the Lark Ascending) are all first-rate, and the Academy's strings play with polish and great beauty of sound. The analog recording is excellent, and Marriner's remarkable empathy for the music comes across effortlessly. Some listeners may prefer the richer sonority and arrestingly mystical manner of Marriner's 1993 digital remake of the Tallis Fantasia for Philips, but this disc offers the most desirable coupling of other works and remains a first choice for those interested in getting to know the composer's finest short essays. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Iona Brown was very special.......2007-06-11

The Iona Brown recording of "Lark" here is famous in Britain and justifiably so. Brown, who died in 2004, grew up in the English countryside and had a deep experience of what Vaughan Williams was trying to capture. The rest of the CD is lush, crisp and wonderful -- the Academy's renowned strings at their early 70s peak. It's an analog recording (1972) and the sound is terrific. I don't think this recording has ever been out of print -- how many thousands of us owned the LP and bought the CD as soon as it came out.

Superb.......2007-03-16

This is an essential recording for any classical music collection. I've probably played this CD a thousand times, and I never grow tired of it. Wonderful music beautifully played - buy it.

this England!.......2006-12-14

It is perhaps impossible to hear Vaughan Williams' short works performed more beautifully and unforgettably than in this 1972 ADRM/Argo recording. Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields acquit themselves above reproach. Vaughan Williams - you love him or hate him - must be loved for his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, that haunting and almost religiously uplifting setting of Medieval plainsong that is capable of shifting a driver to the side of the road in open-jawed amazement at the sheer evocative beauty of it.

Greensleeves is emblematic of the English countryside and its melody, easily dismissed as the primped-up stuff of 'Rule Brittania' shops but so much more worthwhile than all that. Iona Brown's violin on 'The Lark Ascending' sounds as though crafted to play this piece once - enduringly- and then tossed like unused Eucharistic wine.

How, one wonders in aesthetic and rationally unguarded moments, could a nation that produced such music have lost an Empire? Or, more accurately, how could a people capable of such lyricism have done otherwise than believed - for an historical blink of an eye - in its own superiority?

That a coterie of *English* musicians should produce the definitive recording of these works is poetically appropriate.

That listeners of many tongues should listen and wonder at Williams' temperamental genius is simply a musical fact on the ground.

Begin Vaughan Williams with this recording. The rest are derivative.

tallis and lark.......2006-10-06

Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis was a piece of music John Williams discovered in a house of sorts during the war in a dresser.He loved to visit small villages to hear local music. This piece and Lark Ascending are, in my mind, the finest music ever written. I love Beethoven, Willie and Lobo, Miles Davis, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nina Simone, Pat Metheny, Patrick O'Hearn, John Lee Hooker, I can go on. But it's these 2 pieces that completely consume the listener, pull you in and stop you dead in your thoughts....to dream. Lark Ascending was literally a piece of music written with the author watching a lark(bird) in a small, cozy valley rising up from the floor, singing all the way up. I have given away these CD's 6 and 7 times over because guests at my house are so touched after the music is over, especially after a jug of wine. Thank you for reading, Greg-Fresno, CA.

smooth as silk.......2006-09-30

I too fell for this music in college long ago, and carry it inside me everywhere I go. I have listened to Lark and Tallis many times when I was worried about school or work, and hum them in my mind when I need an emotional lift. Interesting comment about the Japanese connection -- when listening to Lark I sometimes imagine an English countryside with stream, and sometimes a Japanese.

Marriner is a genius at small orchestra. I like the famous Barbirolli version of Tallis too, but it was Marriner's I fell in love with. A great collection to own. If you love this, don't miss RVW's Serenade to Music on Hyperion - an awesome musical setting of Shakespeare that is as satisfying as Lark and Tallis.

Scottish Fantasies for Violin and Orchestra with Rachel Pine (2 CDs)

Average customer rating:

Scottish fantasies at their best
really, really good

Scottish Fantasies for Violin and Orchestra with Rachel Pine (2 CDs)
Max Bruch , Sir Alexander Mackenzie , and Sir John Blackwood McEwen
Manufacturer: Cedille
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009VI5GG
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Tracks:

Max Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46
Pablo de Sarasate: Airs ecossais, Op. 34

Tracks:

Sir Alexander Mackenzie: Pibroch Suite, Op. 42
Sir John Blackwood McEwen: Scottish Rhapsody ("Prince Charlie")
Rachel Barton Pine.Alasdair Fraser: Medley of Scots Tunes
Video Documentary: "The Making of Scottish Fantasies"

Album Description

Rachel Barton Pine's brand new disc of Celtic flavored works is the first to present Bruch's beloved Scottish Fantasy in an insightful and virtuosic interpretation that highlights its Scottish roots. The album also features Sarasate's Airs Ecossais* and two pieces by Scottish composers: Mackenzie's Pibroch Suite and McEwen's Scottish Rhapsody "Prince Charlie."* Ms. Pine's own Medley of Scots Tunes,* arranged and performed with famed Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser is also included.

As a bonus, the package includes a video documentary on the making of Scottish Fantasies.

Customer Reviews:

Scottish fantasies at their best .......2006-11-15

This double CD is a real treasure, and a showcase of both the musicianship and scholarship. Rachel Barton Pine has researched both the composers and the history of the performances of the works she has recorded. She has produced the most attractive booklet which goes with the CDs, in which she teaches the subject in an effective, friendly and captivating way. Particularly interesting is her documentation of Sarasate's familiarity with Scottish fiddling. Rachel Barton Pine has also a very attractive and informative web site on which one can find information about this project. Just "Google" her and her site comes right up. I think that her web site is great. One can find the schedule of her concerts and all sorts of interesting educational things. I only wish that all great performers would do the same.
Rachel Barton Pine is a virtuoso, but her musicianship shines and it makes her virtuosity just a tool. She is so much more than the flying fingers. In a winning combination with Maestro Alexander Platt, an immensely talented conductor, they have produced a classic which will be listened to for years to come. There may never be a comparable Scottish Fantasy and Pibroch Suite performance. Mr. Platt leaves no note unexpressed. As opposed to the lesser conductors, who sometimes overpower the soloist, or who seek their own limelight at the expense of the soloist, Mr. Platt achieves a perfect union of the soloist and the orchestra, just as it should be. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is also at its best.
These records' main value is in the interpretation, which is insightful and elegant. There are no over-interpretations, however, in which the soloist or orchestra would push their own detailed view of this music. Instead, certain dreaminess is allowed, and the listeners can build their own Scottish Fantasies and become active participants in this music.
Sarasate's Airs écossaise is a totally charming piece. The Medley of Scots Tunes, by Rachel Barton Pine and Alasdair Fraser, a master Scottish fiddler, is an event. I admit to listening to it consecutively eight times, and would have listened to it more times, but was afraid of a total addiction.
The great art of fiddling, the artists' dreams about their countries of origin, pictures of beautiful Scotland, and the musical finesse and musicianship are all the impressions you will come out with after listening to these great recordings.
This review is dedicated to Dr. Andrew B. Dempster for his birthday. Andrew has shown me his native country, Scotland, and guided me through its history. I came back with wonderful memories, and a book of music sheets on Scottish fiddling, my most precious music sheets ever.

really, really good.......2005-06-30

A very pleasant, often lively, evocative and enjoyable set of CDs. The video documentary included in the second CD tells about how Barton Pine studied Celtic/Scottish music before making her recording, and the extra work shows in her ability to render the Bruch as a far lovelier recording than any other violinst has. She finds the tensions, the delicacies and the warmth of this piece. Add to that, the Sarasate is also beautifully done -- sorry it was so short a piece. On the second CD, the Mackenzie and the McEwen, not heard that often, are also really well done. This isn't fiddling -- you get true classical versions of the folk tunes hidden in these selections. Because of that, Barton Pine brings out nuances that were never before explored, and she does it by showing you just how good, how rich, this music can be. The final piece, Barton Pine's arrangement of scottish tunes, is also enjoyable --a fun way to end an album that is both relaxing and delightful. Highly recommended.

OHM: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music

Average customer rating:

excellent but uncomplete
To call it music may be a bit limiting.
A worthwhile collection
OhMyGodHowDreadful
Kid Stockhausen

OHM: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Ellipsis Arts
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004T0FZ
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Valse Sentimentale - Clara Rockmore
Oraison - Ens D'Ondes De Montreal
Etude Aux Chemins De Fer - Pierre Schaeffer
Williams Mix - John Cage
Klangstudie II - Herbert Eimert/Robert Beyer
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Tracks:

Cindy Electronium - Raymond Scott
Pendulum Music - Sonic Youth
Bye Bye Butterfly - Pauline Oliveros
Projection Esemplastic For White Noise - Joji Yuasa
Silver Apples Of The Moon, Part 1 - Morton Subotnick
Rainforest Version 1 - David Tudor
Poppy Nogood - Terry Riley
Boat-Woman-Song - Holger Czukay
Music Promenade - Luc Ferrari
Vibrations Composees: Rosace 3 - Francois Bayle
Mutations - Jean-Claude Risset
Hibiki-Hana-Ma - Iannis Xenakis
Map Of 49's Dream The Two Systems Of Eleven Sets Of Galactic Intervals: Drift Study '31/69 c.... - La Monte Young

Tracks:

He Destroyed Her Image - Charles Dodge
Six Fants On A Poem By Thomas Campion: Her Song - Paul Lansky
Appalachian Grove - Laurie Spiegel
En Phase/Hors Phase - Bernard Parmegiani
On The Other Ocean - David Behrman
Stria - John Chowning
Living Sound, Patent Pending Music For Sound-Joined Rooms Series - Maryanne Amacher
Automatic Writing - Robert Ashley
Canti Illuminati - Alvin Curran
Music On A Long Thin Wire - Alvin Lucier
Melange - Klaus Schulze
Before And After Charm (La Notte) - Jon Hassell
Unfamiliar Wind (Leeks Hills) - Brian Eno

Amazon.com

Opening with Clara Rockmore's reworking of Tchaikovsky with the theremin, and finishing with one of Brian Eno's ambient soundscapes, OHM artfully succeeds in its goal of giving a representative (as opposed to the impossible, comprehensive) overview of the first several decades of electronic music. Over 3 discs, 42 compositions, and 96 pages of notes and photos, OHM clearly illustrates the producers' and contributing writers' point that early electronic music is much of the foundation of contemporary music. Herein lies the connective tissue bridging musique concrète, 20th-century classical, electronic experimentation, and the theoretical avant-garde to psychedelia, ambient, dub, techno, electro, and synthpop and the globalization of sound. The groundbreaking uses of loops, sampling, drones, remixes, and cut-and-paste technology are put fully into context. The diversity of music included makes any sort of summation impossible, but that is also the point: electronic music is not really a genre, but an open field of endless possibility. From John Cage's famous "William's Mix" of tape snippets to Karkheinz Stockhausen's electronic orchestral compositions, from David Tudor and Holger Czukay's experiments in unrelated blendings of audio elements to David Behrman's supremely peaceful duet between computers and musicians, the aural renegades on OHM tread where none (save a few of their contemporaries) had gone before. The liner notes convey the incredible amount of hard work and experimentation it took to stitch together many of these pieces in the predigital era. Putting aside the inevitable quibbles about what's missing (much of it due to legal and/or logistical issues), a more complete collection of musical eggheads, eccentrics, and visionaries is hard to imagine. --Carl Hanni

Customer Reviews:

excellent but uncomplete.......2006-11-12

Althought most of the music here is an excellent collection of electronic music history, this 3 CDs lack of the important contribution given by the RAI phonology studios of Milan, Italy in the 50s
(which was bigger than Koln's WDR studios) with Bruno Maderna, Luciano Berio and Luigi Nono.
This is a big mistake. Milans studios were the biggest of europe and produced many important electroacoustic pieces.
If the collection aim to describe faithfully electronic music history, it should include this artists too.

To call it music may be a bit limiting. .......2006-10-24

Some of the tracks on here are "music". That is that they contain all the bits we're trained to experience as music -- melody, etc. Some are not, and the composers would be the first people to tell you that. A lot of these works are reactions to ingrained rules, so they're bound to be jarring.

A more successful way to approach such a broad and varied collection of audio experimentation is to think of it as curated sound. This isn't something to wash the dishes to, or to seduce someone to (although if you did manage to seduce someone with the recordings on this anthology, HOLD ON TO THAT PERSON, because they've got to be a keeper). These are unique sound textures that deserve a close, probably solitary listen, and I think if you're in the right frame of mind, it can be a very rewarding listen.

My main complaint is sequencing: each dicrete piece follows it's own internal logic, so there are more than a couple rough gear changes. However, since each piece is so different, and the collection is so varied, I'm not sure that you could totally escape that.

A worthwhile collection.......2006-01-11

The OHM collection contains some of those ground breaking electronic compositions that have shaped today's styles, from the early electronic instruments of Theremin and Martenot, through Pierre Schaeffer's Music Concrete tape music and the electronic music of Stockhausen and Subotnick, to the mainframe computer output of Risset and Chowning.

It is unfair to mark this collection down due to the production quality and 'musicality' of its contents, to do so would be to staggeringly miss the point of the development of electronic music through the 20th Century. What this collection shows is the ideas behind those at the cutting edge of the genre before many could even conceive of such output. That said it is hard going at points, as experimental music can be.

Highlights for me are no doubt Olivier Messiaen's 'Oraison' on CD 1, David Tudor's 'Rainforest Version 1' on CD 2 and on CD 3 David Behrman's 'On the Other Ocean' and Maryanne Amacher's 'Living sound Patent Pending'.

OhMyGodHowDreadful.......2005-08-15

Ok, this collection is supposed to be early works and, thus not expected to be very sophisticated or polished. But the OHM collection sounds like the first attempt of a spastic cat turned-loose on a Moog keyboard. When it is not boreing, this collection of random and dissonant sounds (I can't call it music) is without any redeeming qualities to make it worth while. Don't get me wrong, I am a long-time fan of Wendy (nie Walter) Carlos and some other real pioneers of electronic music. However, I find that the Ohm collection has no similar qualities and is a major disappointment.

Kid Stockhausen.......2003-01-17

This is required listening for anybody interested in the history of electronic music. Although implicitly aiming for the techno music audience, this audio history is overwhelmingly focused on the classical avant-garde of electro-acoustic composers. The closest you'll get to pop electronica is the Brian Eno track at the end of the third disc. No Kraftwerk, no Moroder, etc. Instead "OHM" manages to point to the continuities between, say, John Cage and artists currently working at the experimental edges of electronica (so-called IDM). It seems to be saying, "You think Kid 606 is visionary? Well check out this Stockhausen track from '59!"

Admittedly, some of the songs are much more interesting to think about than they are to listen to. Some of the early pieces that were made through thosuands of hours of pains-taking tape-splicing could be made today in an afternoon with a digital audio editor and a few effects plug-ins.

Tracks:

Just Friends - Johnny Frigo/Bucky/John Pizzarelli
Sugar Blues - Clark Terry
Charles Christopher - Phil Woods
Miss Bea - McCoy Tyner
Congo Blues - Red Rodney
Tricotism - Eddie Daniels
I Love Lucy - Paquito D'Rivera
Meditation - Ana Caram
Grandma's Hands - Livingston Taylor
What You Don't Know - Sara K.
Mama Let Me Lay It On You - Cephas And Wiggins
What Am I Gonna Do With You? - Kenny Rankin
The Word Around Town - Rebecca Pidgeon
Samba De Orfeo - Luiz Bonfa
Caribbean Sunrise - Mongo Santamaria
Rhythms - Badi Assad
Rewind - Oregon
No Quiero Verte - Carlos Heredia

Tracks:

Concerto No.2 In C Minor, Op.18: Moderato - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Jascha Horenstein/Earl Wild
Symphony No.2 In D, Op.43: Allegretto - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli
Symphony No.4 in E Minor, Op.98: Allegro Energico E Passionato - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Fritz Reiner
The Four Seasons Concerto In G Minor 'L'Estate' (Summer), RV 315: Presto - The Connecticut Early Music Festival Ensemble/Igor Kipnis
The Flute Quartets: No.4 In A, KV 298: Rondeau - Allegretto Grazioso - Gary Schocker/The Chester String Quartet
Piano Concerto No.9 In E-flat, KV 271: I. Rondo - Presto - Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg/Nicola Frisardi
Goyescas: El Fandango De Candil - Benita Meshulam
Piano Trio In A Minor: Final (Anime) - The Ahn Trio
The Soldier's Tale For Three Actors & Instrumental Ensemble: The Soldier's March - Solisti New York/Ransom Wilson
The Fantasias For Solo Piano: Choro No.21 - David Chesky
Choro No.1 - Orquesta Nova/Carlos Franzetti
Antiphon: Like As A Heart Psalms and Spiritual Songs - Westminster Chor/Joseph Flummerfelt

Customer Reviews:

SO MUCH WONDERFUL MUSIC.......2004-08-09

Top notch performers, diverse musical genres,
expertly engineered recordings...a definate
must buy!!

Pierre Hantaï Plays Bach, Bull, Frescobaldi, Scarlatti, Telemann (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Pierre Hantaï Plays Bach, Bull, Frescobaldi, Scarlatti, Telemann (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Astree
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Binding: Audio CD

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Average customer rating:

Baroque treasure played by a rising star !!!

Violin Fantasies
Telemann , and Podger
Manufacturer: Channel Classics Nl
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Release Date: 2002-09-10

Customer Reviews:

Baroque treasure played by a rising star !!!.......2002-12-13

This is a true gem from the Baroque archives that is rarely played or recorded. These fantasies for solo violin were written in 1735, only 15 yrs after Bach wrote his infinitely famous Sonatas and Partidas for solo violin. Fans of Bach looking for new music will be happy playing and listening to these fresh works. I really enjoy the imagination and creativity displayed here, plenty of rhythmic diversity and unattached musical ideas to spare.

Rachel Podger is a new face in the violin world who surfaced with her debut in only 1999. She plays a baroque violin with rather unique silvery tone and plays with almost no vibrato at all so baroque purists will be pleased. I have to say this CD sounded different than her Bach Sonatas CD, I preferred that tone on that CD a little more for some reason.

I found Ms. Podger's playing to be deeply sensitive, full of impeccable intonation, and there was no sense of hesitation or fumbling for the notes. Like in her In Fantasia numbers one and seven she displays her very fine staccato bowing technique and ability to handle difficult technical demands. In the slow movements I could really feel an underlying sadness in her sound, like she meant every note.

The booklet that comes with the CD that explains the music and Ms Podger's insight to the music is a great addition to this purchase.

A lot of people into baroque violin rave about the talent of her colleague, Andrew Manze who also recorded the same works. I much prefer Ms. Podger's playing because of her sincerity and faithfulness to the score with respect to tempos and rhythm.

I suspect that Ms. Podger will have a bright future as she has already received rave reviews...Rachel, if you are reading this, keep on recording more lesser known baroque compositions for us and thank you.

For a more romantic interpretation, I am aware that Arthur Grumiaux recorded this but I think the recording is rare and only avaiable on vynil.

Tracks:

Fant, Op.73: Zart Und Mit Ausdruck - Robert Schumann
Fant, Op.73: Lebhaft, Leicht - Robert Schumann
Fant, Op.73: Rasch, Mit Feuer - Robert Schumann
Fant, Op.43: Andantino Con Moto - Niels Wilhelm Gade
Fant, Op.43: Allegro Vivace - Niels Wilhelm Gade
Fant, Op.43: Ballade: Moderato - Niels Wilhelm Gade
Fant, Op.43: Allegro Molto Vivace - Niels Wilhelm Gade
Drei Fant, Op.19: Allegro Moderato - August Hendrick Winding
Drei Fant, Op.19: Allegretto - August Hendrick Winding
Drei Fant, Op.19: Vivace Non Troppo - August Hendrick Winding
Fant - Carl Nielsen
Fant - Philippe Gaubert
Fant - Gioacchino Rossini

Average customer rating:

Perfect! Superb!
SPLENDID SOLO & DUO "FANTASY" PERFORMANCES !
Great! Super!
A Fantastic CD and incredible performance !
Superb!

Violin Fantasies

Manufacturer: Cedille
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, D. 934
Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 131
Phantasy for Violin With Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47
Trinity- Fantasy for Solo Violin

Album Description

Jennifer Koh, an emerging superstar "with fierce intensity and audacious intellectual curiosity" (Musical America) leads listeners on a creative excursion through fantasies by four different composers.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect! Superb!.......2007-04-08

The reason why I bought this CD was Schubert's Violin Fantasy. In my opinion, not that many great (or should I say "big-name") violinists are not recording Schubert's Violin Fantasy because it is dreadfully long. As a violinist, I understand this problem since Schubert's Violin Fantasy is not everyone's typical violin piece that would captivate audiences with violinist's virtuosity. In fact, this piece does not allow violinists to show off their skills. This is conflicting since we live in this world where the violinists are expected to be virtuosic/ostentatious/splashy.
However, this Violin Fantasy is different, and I think this is one of the reasons why I love listening to Schubert's works. His works are controlled and not too extravagant (though somewhat repetitive at times).
To simply put, I think my 24 minutes are well spent whenever I listen to Jennifer Koh's recording of Schubert's Violin Fantasy. She plays it flawlessly. I think she played this piece exactly in a way Schubert would have originally intended. Ms. Koh does not rush: she takes her time and tries to fully appreciate this piece while maintaining synchronization with her pianist, Reiko Uchida. As a result, I can take great pleasure in listening to this great album.

SPLENDID SOLO & DUO "FANTASY" PERFORMANCES !.......2007-01-06

Five WONDERFUL Stars!! These four invigorating classical "fantasy" compositions are brilliantly performed by the wonderful violin virtuoso Jennifer Koh in solo, and with Reiko Uchida's amazing virtuoso pianism as a truly 'Dynamic Duo'. Since there is an entire world of "fantasy" compositions to choose from, the choices Ms Koh made are very interesting indeed. The Schumann, Schoenberg, and Schubert fantasies are adroitly performed by the duo and the Coleman fantasy is a marvelous solo performance by Ms Koh. And there is an interesting development when comparing the Coleman and Schoenberg fantasies.

Robert Schumann's "Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, Op 131" had to survive the scrutiny of Schumann's widow and protege' Brahms who were culling out unworthy pieces following his death. Thankfully it did and in this superb performance, we find Ms Koh spinning off an elegant 14-note theme that is wonderfully recapitulated and recast over shifting time signatures with Ms Uchida. This is 15 minutes of pure joy and beauty, as the two performers solo and support each other in a splendid, nuanced manner.

Next, Franz Schubert's "Fantasie in C major for Violin and Piano, D.934" is a marvelous piece of writing and is given a great performance. The mid-portion around 11 minutes beginning at Ms Koh's arco then pizzacato section behind Ms Uchida is fiery and wonderful as they trade leads for the next few minutes leading to the violin soliloquy: MARVELOUS ! During the debut performance in 1828 some of the audience, for whatever reason, left the concert area early. I think Ms Koh and Ms Uchida would have kept that impatient audience nailed to their seats in 1828 with this superlative performance.

The adventuresome Ms Koh gives Ornette Coleman's "Trinity", Fantasy for Solo Violin, a bravura multi-part reading which is surprisingly very lyrical and smooth, almost autumn-like in character. Mr Coleman, the legendary reed, trumpet, and violin "Free Jazz" and classical composer (remember his monumental "Skies of America" with the London Symphony Orchestra?) must be proud of Ms Koh's wonderfully free but disciplined exploration of his work; possibly the best to date. When they met, Mr Coleman's advice to her was "never get tied down by the notes", and she uses that as major musical advice to SOAR pristenely in this beautiful performance.

Arnold Schoenberg's "Phantasy", oddly enough, has the very qualities that one would have expected from the Ornette Coleman piece with it's artful separation between the piano and violin with lots of bombast, sudden single and double stops, and interesting dissonances. All of which, in the end, finally add up to pure Schoenberg 'serialism' and angular beauty. A SENSATIONAL performance.

These two award-winning young ladies are rising virtuosi in the classical world who have shown they can handle difficult compositions with aplomb. Individually, Ms Koh is phenomenal and was recently called "a fearless soloist" by the New York Times, and Ms Uchida has technique and firepower that simply amazes. Together, they are a Dynamic Duo who wowed audiences across America in 2006. Truly enjoyable!! Bravo, ladies! My Highest Recommendation. Five BEAUTIFUL Stars!!!

(Notes:
*this review is based on an ITunes digital download.
*Ms Koh "lost two friends in close succession", prior to this recording and it is dedicated to them "and to the celebration of life" itself. A wonderful sentiment.
* Ms Koh plays the 1727 Ex Grumiaux Ex General DuPont Stradivarius violin.)

Great! Super!.......2006-03-09

I feel Jennifer Koh is a great preformer. This CD shows off her talent. Uchida is an excellent pianist. Together this makes for a great combination and listening pleasure.

This is worth the money, buy it now!

A Fantastic CD and incredible performance !.......2004-04-01

This winning CD contains beautiful, melodic masterpieces which are performed magically and superbly by Jennifer Koh ! A must have for a music & violin lovers !!

Superb!.......2004-03-31

I loved this album! Great pieces and the amazing performances!!! I love this CD!!!

Average customer rating:

Violin Fantasies

Manufacturer: Cedille
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0001RBFIS
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

Fantasies In C Major For Violin And Piano, D. 934
Fantasies In C Major For Violin And Piano, Op. 131
Phantasy For Violin With Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47
'Trinity' Fantasy For Solo Violin

Veress: Hommage a Paul Klee, Concerto, Csardas / Holliger, Schiff

Average customer rating:

Veress: Hommage a Paul Klee, Concerto, Csardas / Holliger, Schiff
Heinz Holliger , Andras Schiff , Budapest Festival Orchestra , and Denes Varjon
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000HYAW
Release Date: 1999-01-19

Tracks:

Hommage a Paul Klee: Zeichen In Gelb, Allegro - Mark In Yellow
Hommage a Paul Klee: Feuerwind, Allegro molto - Fire Wind
Hommage a Paul Klee: Alter Klang, Andante con molto - Old Sound
Hommage a Paul Klee: Unten und Oben, Allegretto piacevole - Below And Above
Hommage a Paul Klee: Stiensammlung, Allegretto - Stone Collection
Hommage a Paul Klee: Grun in Grun, Andante - Green In Green
Hommage a Paul Klee: Kleiner Blauteufel, Vivo - Little Blue Devil
Concerto For Piano, Strings And Percussion: Andante con moto
Concerto For Piano, Strings And Percussion: II Andante
Concerto For Piano, Strings And Percussion: Allegro molto
Six Csardas: Allegretto
Six Csardas: Allegretto
Six Csardas: Allegretto
Six Csardas: Allegro
Six Csardas: Allegro
Six Csardas: Allegro, poco rubato

Amazon.com

A countryman of Bela Bartók and a sometime teacher to both György Ligeti and György Kurtág, Sándor Veress emigrated to Switzerland from what was then part of Hungary in 1949. Settling in Bern, he collected various prizes and teaching posts while working in relative obscurity on who knows how many pieces--most of which have been unavailable. This collection is made up of a pithy trio of compositions dated 1938 (Six Csárdás), 1951 (Hommage à Paul Klee), and 1952 (Concerto for Piano, Strings, and Percussion), and they show what a deftly melodic force Veress was. He's thrilled by blustery string wafts, especially in the concerto, where the percussion adds drama and immediacy. But he also favors sweetly chipper string formations, which surprise the ear during the homage to Klee, especially given the dissonances fostered early on by the twin pianos. The closing piano miniatures of Six Csárdás are counterpoint-rich gems, played with sharp precision by András Schiff. --Andrew Bartlett

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Grieg, Schumann and Franck

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Dedicado a Mi Padre

El Invencible

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Lie: The Love And Terror Cult

1. Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, D. 934
2. Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 131
3. Phantasy for Violin With Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47
4. Trinity- Fantasy for Solo Violin