By Laurie Niles: Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!![Janine Jansen]()
Violinist Janine Jansen. Photo by Hugo Bernand.12 StradivariJanine Jansen, violinSir Antonio Pappano, pianoNotes for the FutureYo-Yo Ma, celloA Romantic Recital: Brahms, Reger, SchumannNina Kotova, celloJose´ Feghali, piano
Violinist Janine Jansen. Photo by Hugo Bernand.
It's an extreme task - getting to know 12 Stradivari violins (notoriously finicky instruments) and recording with them, all during a period of just two weeks. But Dutch violinist Janine Jansen tackled it with gusto. The result is a new recording, called "12 Stradivari," as well as a documentary film, called "Falling for Stradivari," which captures her experience of discovering each instruments individual qualities and immense capabilities. The documentary, directed by Gerry Fox, is currently being shown in theaters in the U.K. J & A Beare's Steven Smith arranged for all the violins to be flown to London from their various owners across the globe for the recording session. All worth millions of dollars, some of the violins had not been played for many decades while others belonged to legendary virtuosi including Fritz Kreisler, Nathan Milstein, Ida Haendel, and Oscar Shumsky. "When Steven Smith approached me about this project, I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Jansen said. "It was my chance to experience the magic of these famous instruments and to explore the differences between them." BELOW: Trailer from "Falling for Stradivari":
Notes for the Future brings together extraordinary artists from five continents: across nine tracks, Ma joins Angélique Kidjo, Mashrou Leila, Tunde Olaniran, Jeremy Dutcher, Andrea Motis, ABAO, Lila Downs, and Marlon Williams to explore our fears and hopes, reminding us that the future is ours to shape, together. BELOW: From the album: Yo-Yo Ma plays Lamentations, "Black/Folk Song Suite": III. Calvary Ostinato Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson:
Russian-American cellist Nina Kotova is joined by Brazilian-born pianist Jose´ Feghali, a laureate of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The album features traditional Romantic works for cello by close friends Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann, and fellow German composer Max Reger, in a program that spans 65 years of musical history. BELOW: "Gigue" from Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 131c/2 by Max Reger:If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our Thursday "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.You might also like: