A fantastic review of Rousset’s recording of Bachs’s works to help you wait for the Froberger's Suites to be released on Monday!

While Christophe Rousset’s Froberger’s Suites are to be released on Monday 3 May, the other recordings of the French harpsichordist are still being acclaimed all over the world. The following review comes from the Canadian Toronto Star newspaper.

★★★1/2 (out of 4)

French harpsichordist, period-instrument orchestra leader and Baroque opera conductor Christophe Rousset has a master showman's instinct about when to show off and when to pull back. It's been 27 years since the Aix-en-Provence native won the international harspsichord competition in Bruges, Belgium, and left a wave of expressive, engaging and meticulously researched music along the way.

His most exciting work has been in the French Baroque -- either as a soloist or as collaborator in larger works.

His recordings of the keyboard works of J.S. Bach are not new (they date from 2003 and 2004), but French label Naïve has assembled 5-1/4 hours of Rousset's recordings into a six-CD set of the French and English Suites, as well as the Little Keyboard Book for Wilhelm Friedemann. All were recorded at the Museum of Art and History in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, which has a J.S. Bach-period harpsichord made by Johannes Ruckers in its collection.

This set is a fantastic study in effortless sound. Rousset plays the Suites with as much poise and assurance as the easiest pieces Bach wrote for his son Wilhelm Friedemann. The clarity of the playing also allows us to appreciate the composer's boundless invention.

I have to admit that, for sustained listening, I prefer hearing the Suites on the piano rather than the instrument for which they were originally written. But for anyone keen on a true period sound and feel, you can't do much better than this.

By John Terauds

You can also read the article on the Toronto Star website.

Award-winner Patricia Kopatchinskaja now featured in the Financial Times!

Following the article dedicated to Patricia Kopatchinskaja in the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine, the acclaimed violinst is now featured in the Financial Times after winning the Orchestral Award at the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2010 on Tuesday 13 April. Below is an extract from Harry Eyres’s article.

In the front line of creation

“Fortunately, some musicians were able to be there in person – one not just to collect her award but to play for us. This was the young Moldovan Patricia Kopatchinskaya, whose disc of the Beethoven violin concerto was the surprise winner of the orchestral award. Genre-bending and full of gypsy devilry, Kopatchinskaya played a solo piece by George Enescu and Jorge Sanchez Chiong’s Crin, in which her voice and violin struck sparks off each other. If anyone thought classical music was stuffy or corseted, here was the riposte.”

By Harry Eyres

You can read the full article on the FT website.

Award-winner Patricia Kopatchinskaja featured in the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine

The latest issue of BBC Music Magazine features a special article about Patricia Kopatchinskaja. The acclaimed violinist won the Orchestral Award at the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2010 on Tuesday 13 April. Below are some highlights from the article.

A daring double take on Beethoven proves a winner for the adventurous Moldovan violinist.

When, for her groundbreaking recording of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Patricia Kopatchinskaja wanted to include the cadenza from the composer’s piano version of the work, the only way to accommodate all the notes on her instrument was to indulge in a little overdubbing in the studio.
(…)
Controversial, possibly. But any offended purists were outnumbered by those who were taken with her approach, including BBC Music Magazine reviewer Erik Levi.
‘Kopatchinskaja manages to bring it off quite brilliantly,’ he wrote in December, adding that the recording ‘must be one of the most stimulating that has ever been committed to disc.’
(…)
This wasn’t tinkering for tinkering’s sake. Kopatchinskaja’s radical take on Beethoven stems from the composer’s own thoughts.
(…)
‘It led to something new – it was almost like a premiere. No longer this monumental piece that you normally hear in the concert hall, but something almost experimental. The violin is no longer the soloist, but becomes like a ghost hovering above the orchestra.’ [says Kopatchinskaja]

You can read the full article in the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine (May 2010).

The Guardian ★★★★

Assembled movement-by-movement to different commissions between 1992 and 2009, Pascal Dusapin’s Seven Solos is, he says, his attempt to produce a “complex form comprising seven autonomous episodes regenerating themselves from within”. The separately titled pieces have complex harmonic and melodic links, sometimes exploring the same material from different perspectives, sometimes continuing or even reversing musical processes begun in an earlier piece. The first, Go, is an exercise in melodic flexibility, the preoccupations of the third, Apex, are mostly harmonic, while the fifth, Exeo, seems to assemble itself from a whole collection of sharply contrasted ideas. Over the last decade or so, the wildness and fractured textures of Dusapin’s early pieces have been replaced by music of far greater continuity and traditional expressiveness. Though some of these seven pieces uncoil climaxes of savagery, there is a delicacy and refinement to much of the orchestral writing that sometimes recalls Dutilleux or other French composers of an earlier 20th-century generation.

By Andrew Clements

You can also read the article on The Guardian website.

The awaited 5-star review of Accentus’s recording of Strauss’s works by The Sunday Telegraph

The Sunday Telegraph ★★★★★

Strauss’s virtuosity in scoring for the orchestra was equalled in his works for unaccompanied choirs, of which the Deutsche Motette, his 1913 setting of a poem by Rückert in 20 real parts (16 for the choir, four for the soloists), is the greatest example. The colours, contrasts and contrapuntal wizardry are magnificently presented by the Latvian Radio Choir, conducted by Laurence Equilbey. Less complex but just as spellbinding are the better-known Der Abend (Schiler) and Hymne (Rückert).

By Michael Kennedy

Accentus, Laurence Equilbey and Sandrine Piau reviewed by Allmusic.com

The two large-scale choral works reissued on this two-disc Naïve release -- Haydn's Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross and Dvorák's Stabat Mater -- might appear on first glance to be an odd pairing, but their subject matter is closely related, the first dealing with Jesus' passion and the second with its effect on his mother. They are also works for which their composers created multiple versions, and they are presented here in their less familiar form. Haydn's first version of Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross was for orchestra, but he later created an arrangement for string quartet, which remains the most frequently performed, authorized an arrangement for keyboard, and finally, made this choral setting with vocal soloists. Dvorák originally wrote his Stabat Mater for soloists, chorus, and piano, and it's that recently discovered version that's heard here, rather than the popular version the composer later made with orchestral accompaniment, which includes three additional movements and other musical alterations.

Laurence Equilbey leads the French chamber choir Accentus and Akademie für alte Musik, Berlin in a lean, clean account of the Haydn, which gives the orchestra a central, rather than a merely accompanying role, as is appropriate for a work that was orchestrally conceived. The soloists are exceptionally fine, particularly a luminous Sandrine Piau. This version of the Stabat Mater lacks the grandeur of the orchestral version, but there is much to be said for the intimacy and delicacy that are gained. The piece makes a very different kind of impact when heard as a chamber piece, and any fans of the standard version should be interested in hearing the composer's first thoughts on the texts. Accentus is smaller than the full choirs that often perform the Dvorák, and the clarity and purity of their sound highlights the very personal nature of the texts. The soloists are not international stars, but they sing beautifully, with intense but unmannered expressivity. Naïve's sound on both discs is excellent: clear, present, and spacious.

By Stephen Eddins

You can also read the review on the Allmusic website.

Fantastic review of Alessandrini’s work on his recording of Marenzio’s Madrigali

Stephen Eddins wrote an excellent review of Alessandrini’s recording of Marenzio’s Madrigali on the Allmusic website. Rinaldo Alessandrini also recorded works from Vivaldi (Gloria, Armida) and Handel’s Arie per basso with Lorenzo Regazzo. Below is an extract from the review.

“Marenzio wrote over 400 madrigals, and this collection, a reissue of two Opus 111 releases, includes a healthy sampling of almost 50, written during the composer's most fruitful period, between 1580 and his death in 1599. Four-, five-, and six-part madrigals are represented, some a cappella and some accompanied, and there are several instrumental arrangements of the works made by composers of Marenzio's generation. Using texts by a variety of poets, they are remarkable for the emotional depth and inventiveness of the text setting, the sure handling of harmonies that are sometimes vertiginously chromatic, and their broad expressive range. The majority are melancholy meditations on lost love, but Marenzio finds infinite ways to express anguished intensity. Rinaldo Alessandrini leads the singers and a small instrumental ensemble of Concerto Italiano in impassioned performances. The singers have distinctive, lovely voices, and each sings with warmth and transparent expressiveness, but at the same time, their blend is gorgeously rich and smooth, an ideal combination for these madrigals. Naïve's sound is immaculate and wonderfully present. The collection makes a terrific introduction to Marenzio's work and should be of strong interest to fans of Renaissance vocal music and superlative ensemble singing.”

By Stephen Eddins

If you wish to read the article fully, please visit the Allmusic website.

Another great review of Regazzo’s recording of Handel’s Arie per basso in Opera News, ten months after its release!

Handel's bass singers never achieved the superstar status of some of the castratos and prima donnas who shared the stage with them, and we have no stories of tantrums and demands for rewrites. Yet Handel created roles of great definition and scope for basses, and Lorenzo Regazzo brings glamorous vocalism to a thoughtful selection of opera arias, along with the early cantata Dalla Guerra Amorosa.

The leaps and thrusting energy of the magician Zoroastro's "Sorge infausta una procella" (from Orlando) shows off Regazzo's thrilling sound, though he sometimes loses color negotiating the runs. Leone's "Amor da guerra e pace" from Tamerlano, is a conventional aria for a secondary character, but its vigor and urgent rhythms suit Regazzo's musical temperament well.

For a scene from Handel's early opera Agrippina, Regazzo darkens his voice to a voluptuous smokiness for the seductive, sinewy lines of the emperor Claudio for the aria, "Pur ritorno a rimirarvi". The ensuing recitative confrontation between Claudio and his two-timing mistress Poppea (the attractive soprano Gemma Bertagnolli) crackles with excitement.

Regazzo's voice is a bit too classy, his approach too serious, for Elvino's comic "Del mio caro bacco amabile" from Serse, but he is right at home in the chromatic, expressive "Pensa a chi geme", from Alcina, and he brings lilting vocalism and a touch of rubato to the siciliano.

For Cosroe's creepy aria "Gelido in ogni vena", from Siroe, Regazzo waits until the return of the opening section to bring theatrical expression and definition to the text ("the shade of my dead son fills me with terror"); had he started at that level of commitment and explored more deeply, the performance would be even more gripping.

The solo cantata, Dalla Guerra Amorosa, a gentle attempt to define and flee love's pains, is nicely paced, with an appropriately ironic touch. "Non v'alletti" shows what Regazzo can do with a lighter, more internalized approach (enhanced by cellist Matteo Scarpelli's sprightly playing). Apollo's recitative and aria "Come rosa in su la spina", from Apollo e Dafne, adds an extra commentary and provides a fitting finish to the recital.

Rinaldo Alessandrini and the excellent period orchestra Concerto Italiano provide attentive and theatrical support and offer the overtures to Siroe and Alcina.

You can also read the article in Opera News magazine.

The Vivaldi Edition: Excellent review of Bernardini’s Concerti per oboe by the American Record Guide

The Vivaldi Edition - Concerti per oboe

As part of the Vivaldi Edition, David Schwartz reviewed Bernardini’s Concerti per oboe and was very impressed by it. Below is the full article extracted from the American Record Guide.

“This program is the 42nd in an ambitious series to record all of the works of Vivaldi. The series began in 2000 and will continue until 2015, and a significant portion of the works that will be recorded have not been heard since the 1700s. But the concertos here have not gone unplayed or unheard.

These are very good performances of six concertos. Bernardini is a very good oboist with a pleasing tone, and the accompanying ensemble, Zefiro, plays with elan. The recording quality also is excellent. Performances on period instruments have gotten tremendously better in the last few years. Where the tone of the instruments could be scratchy and unrefined, they seem here to be quite refined and enjoyable. Though there are many recordings of Vivaldi oboe concertos, this is certainly among the better ones.”

David Greilsammer praised by The New York Times once again

David Greilsammer's latest recording received another fantastic review by The New York Times on Sunday, April 4th.

"In recent years the 32-year-old Israeli pianist David Greilsammer has emerged as an exceptionally sensitive and adventurous artist. This new recording presents him as pianist and conductor in arresting performances of Mozart’s Piano Concertos No. 22 in E flat and No. 24 in C minor, with the Suedama Ensemble (Amadeus spelled backward), a lively chamber orchestra that Mr. Greilsammer founded in New York in 2005. Mr. Greilsammer’s playing is a model of refinement. Yet just below the elegant surface lurks a bold and inquisitive musician alert to every ingenious nuance and quirk of these elusive scores. He plays his own inventive cadenzas."

You can also read the article on The New York Times website.

The Quatuor Mosaïques and their recording of Schubert’s ‘The Death and the Maiden’ receive ffff by the French magazine Telerama

Next month this stunning version of Schubert’s famous ‘The Death and the Maiden’ string quartet performed on period instruments will be released in the UK. This will be a great opportunity to discover one of the leading string quartets of our time, the Quatuor Mosaïques.


Already in France this pillar of the chamber music repertoire received a fantastic review by the influential French cultural magazine Telerama. The recording was rewarded with a ‘ffff’, equivalent to a four-star ranking.

This recording features the String Quartet No.14 in D Minor otherwise known as ‘The Death and the Maiden’ but also the D173 in G minor quartet which is an earlier quartet of the master of the genre, Franz Schubert.

Ten months after its release, Regazzo’s recording of Handel’s Arie per basso still receives fantastic reviews… what a pleasure!

It is absolutely enjoyable to produce recordings which still receive fantastic reviews almost one year after their release. This is the case of Lorenzo Regazzo’s recording of Handel’s Arie per basso whose review from Opera has been published in their edition of April. You can find the highlights from the review below.

“Lorenzo Regazzo’s simultaneously achieves an informative historical survey (over nearly three decades, from Agrippina, 1709, to Serse, 1738) and adds up to a rewarding musical experience.”

“Himself a Venetian, Regazzo is a singer I’ve admired in Vivaldi, Mozart and Rossini both in the theatre and on disc, for his polished, precise musicianship, elegantly varied verbal delivery, expert differentiation of dramatic styles, and more than decent command of fast flourish, roulade and run.”

“A sample of Agrippina dialogue for Claudio and Poppea displays to advantage his ability to make recitative unfailingly interesting”

“Regazzo’s cultivated artistry is an unfailing cause of admiration, especially since an exactly matching quality characterizes the accompaniments – and also the handful of purely instrumental items – of Alessandrini’s splendid Concerto Italiano.”

Max Loppert

If you wish to read the full article, please refer to the April issue of Opera.