Discovering Wonderful Performances

It’s always a pleasure to discover wonderful performances. But it’s really wonderful to discover unfamiliar composers. Tabea Zimmermann (violin) and Kirill Gerstein (piano) come together in an exquisitely recorded, beautifully played set of Sonatas by Brahms, Vieuxtemps, and a wonderful surprise: Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979). Clarke was born in England, but lived mostly in the US. Her Sonata for Viola and Piano was written in 1919 and is the most often performed of her very few published works. I was totally charmed by its passion and melodies. The Brahms Sonata was originally written for clarinet and piano, but Brahms himself was just as happy with the viola replacing the clarinet. Well, I’ll let you read the liner notes for yourself, but mostly I want you to listen to the samples from this wonderful album.

The amazing young pianist, Dejan Lazic has recorded 3 “Liasons” albums for Channel Classics. I wish I could remember who it was, but someone once said to me that Dejan Lazic deconstructs his selections, and then reconstructs them in a display of clarity. We were talking of his Ravel at the time, but I think it applies to whatever he does. Each of these three contrasts two different composers. Volume I is Scarlatti and Bartok. Volume II is Schumann and Brahms. Volume III is C.P. E. Bach and Benjamin Britten. All three feature diverse selections making up intriguing programs. They are beautifully played and the recording quality is what you’d expect from Channel Classics. I’m glad to have discovered all three sets. The huge surprises are how well the works of the contrasting composers go together. As the notes say, the recordings reveal their most conspicuous differences and their common denominators. Everything I could write about one album applies equally well to the two others. Highly recommended!

After these chamber sized works, how about some really big music, from a big orchestra, conducted by by a man whose reputation is not just big, but legendary! And when you have Bernard Haitink conducting the LSO in Richard Strauss’s Eine Alpensinfoni, you’ve got something to make your heart swell! What could be bigger than the Alps? With growling basses, soaring horns, singing strings, and thundering tympani, the mountains have met their match! Of all of Strauss’s epic tone poems, I think only Don Juan is as thrilling. And with this DSD recording you will be watching the sun rise across the peaks yourself.

Cover Photo by Bill Dodd