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Press Room
Artistic
Director, Lisa Bergman’s Top Five Picks from
the world of compact discs
“Evgeny Kissin – The
Legendary 1984 Moscow Concert”
RCA Victor Red Seal
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 11 in E minor
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 21 in F minor
(Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitri Kitaenko, conductor)
also contains
Mazurka No. 40 (Op. 63, No. 2)
Mazurka No. 49 (Op. 68, No. 4)
Waltz No. 14, Op. posth.
A remarkable
gift to the world of piano-buffs, this recording is astounding
not only by virtue of its artistry and compelling
interpretation – but all the more so because the soloist
( in THIS recording) is but 13 years old! The photo on the
cover alone will capture your heart! This young genius began
to play the piano at the age of 2 and made his debut with
orchestra at the age of 10. His career speaks for itself – and
save it for another day. Today, enjoy this both precious
and incredible feat for such a youthful soul.
Schubert Songs
Baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau with Gerald Moore at the
piano –
This
is slam dunk in my mind – it doesn’t matter
which of the many recordings this incredible team of three
has made – they’re ALL tops and I’m not
kidding – ALL of them! Schubert wrote approximately
600 lieder, the earliest when he was 13. The care, taste
and heartfelt simplicity are the touchstones of the performances
by Fischer-Dieskau and Moore. Fischer-Dieksau’s German
thoroughness, Moore’s English sophistication and Schubert’s
electric fusion of poetry and music are a must for every
library.
Brahms: Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano in E Flat major,
Op. 40
Naxos 8.550441
(also contains Duvernoy and Herzogenberg Horn Trios)
Jeno Kevehazi, Horn
Jenoe Jando, Piano
Ildiko Hegyi, Violin
Why this?
Because. The Brahms “Horn Trio” is
quite simply – IF I HAD TO CHOOSE ONLY ONE – my
favorite piece in the whole world. I can’t explain
it. I has everything – atmosphere, pulse, harmony,
melody and spirit all presented with economy and lyricism.
The piano the bones, the violin the skin and the horn the
blood – Gray’s Anatomy wouldn’t agree I’m
sure – no organs are needed! This particular group
of artists is wonderfully refreshing, but it’s hard
to find a bad recording of this incredible work.
“Portraits of Freedom” – Music
of Aaron Copland and Roy Harris
Delos Recording (DE 3140)
James Earl Jones, speaker
Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Seattle Symphony and Chorale
My unabashed
pride in this “local” production
is only part of my enthusiasm. With this recording, Copland’s
Lincoln Portrait with James Earl Jones narrator, one gains
much more than flag-waving endorphins. The combination of
our greatest president’s eloquence as revealed by this
charismatic artist of the spoken word in a musical landscape
born of an immigrant of central Europe and performed by an
orchestra filled with personal friends makes for me this
recording almost overwhelming in impact. I play it every
Memorial Day and Labor Day – in tears.
Victor
Borge: “Phonetically Speaking – and Don’t
Forget the Piano”:
Jasmine Recordings JASCD 120
There
is NO one like Victor Borge. He was born Børge
Rosenbaum in 1909 in Denmark, died Victor Borge of heart
failure in 2000 in Connecticut and will remain forever in
the hearts, minds and funny bones of the world. There are
many compilations available of his hilarity, but this particular
grouping has all of my favorites like “Inflationary
Language”, “Borge Family Background” and
his Mozart Opera adaptation. In a bad mood? Just throw this
in your disc player – will save you hundreds in prescriptions.
Laughter is, as Borge pointed out many times, the shortest
distance between people.
Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival Co-President, Herbert
Wimberger's favorites CD List
The pieces in
bold are on this summer’s program, the
list is not complete. I have taken the liberty of making
some suggestions. The best source for classical CD’s
is Arkivmusic, they have an excellent selection, good prices
and good service.
Mendelssohn
Piano Trio op 49, d minor (here is a suggestion,
it is paired with a Brahms trio)
Label: Classico Catalog #: 466 Spars Code: n/a
Composer: Felix
Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms
Performer: Natsuki
Fukasawa, Line
Fredens, Janne Fredens
Orchestra/Ensemble: Jalina Trio
Beethoven
String Quartet op 59/2, e minor a suggestion:
Label: Harmonia
Mundi Catalog #: 907423/24 Spars Code: n/a
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Orchestra/Ensemble: Tokyo
String Quartet Number of Discs: 2
Beethoven
Seven Variations of a theme from the Magic Flute (“Bei Männern…”) a suggestion which gives you a lot of other good stuff,
the Franck is also a
favorite:
Composer: Luigi Boccherini, Antonín Dvorák,
Franz Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms,
César Franck
Performer: Jacqueline Du Pré, Pinchas Zukerman, Daniel
Barenboim
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra/Ensemble: English Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Symphony
Orchestra
Haydn
String Quartet op 20/4 D major ( suggestion- the Lindsey
Quartet)
Brahms Piano Quintet op 34, f minor
Mozart String Quintet K 516, g minor (a suggestion, actually
three discs, but it also has the Clarinet Quintet, one of
my all-time favorites, to listen to on a snowed in Methow
evening):
Label: Calliope Catalog #: 3231/3 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Karel
Rehák, Bohuslav Zahradnik
Orchestra/Ensemble: Talich String Quartet
Bach,
J.S. Concerto for two violins (“double concerto”),
usually for orchestra, here
for two violins and string quartet
Shostakovich
Piano Trio #2 e minor (a wonderful and demanding
modern piece, I have heard the Finisterra Trio play it, in
fact, they won a silver medal in an international competition
with it.) A suggestion, but I will check with Kevin Krentz
which his favorite recording is, but these artists here are
superb:
Label: Deutsche
Grammophon Catalog #: 459326 Spars Code:
DDD
Composer: Dmitri
Shostakovich, Peter
Ilyich Tchaikovsky,
Peter Kiesewetter
Performer: Martha
Argerich, Mischa
Maisky, Gidon Kremer
Mahler,
Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer)
Label:Telarc Catalog #: 80499 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Gustav Mahler
Performer: Frederica Von Stade
Conductor: Yoel Levi
Orchestra/Ensemble: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
(Wow- that is a double whammy- the songs, and von Stade, who will be our guest-
we fervently hope- next year. On the disc is also has a superb recording of
Mahler’s 4th Symphony.
There is also a classic recording of the songs with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
and Furtwängler on EMI records. (and the texts imply a male voice)
Here
are some of our favorites not on this year’s
program, both my wife and I love them:
The Brahms Clarinet Quintet (already mentioned above), the
recording with David Shifrin is also superb, Gerard Schwarz
is conducting the Mostly Mozart Orchestra
Mozart
Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola: a suggestion
which also contains the Violin Concerto #5, another beauty
Label: Deutsche
Grammophon Catalog #: 000569102 Spars Code:
n/a
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Anne-Sophie
Mutter, Yuri Bashmet
Conductor: Anne-Sophie Mutter
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra
Haydn
String Quartet #76/4 (“Sunrise”) a suggestion
which contains two other great ones:
Label: Naxos Catalog #: 550129 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer: Gábor Fias, János Devich, Tamás Szabo, Attila
Falvay
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kodály
String Quartet
Schubert String Quintet op 114 Die Forelle (The Trout)
Label: Sony
Classical Catalog #: 92765 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Franz Schubert
Performer: Edgar
Meyer, Emanuel
Ax, Pamela
Frank, Rebecca
Young,
Yo-Yo
Ma, Barbara Bonney
(also contains another gem, the “Arpeggione” Sonata)
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