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!![Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Fazil Say]()
Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and pianist Fazil Say.Janacek - Brahms - BartokPatricia Kopatchinskaja, violinFazil Say, pianoLuzAmaro Dubois, violaTingting Yao, pianoDream Catcher - Augusta Read Thomas: Complete Works for Solo ViolinClarissa Bevilacqua, violin
Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and pianist Fazil Say.
Moldovan violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja says that Turkish pianist Fazil Say "is a volcano, with an indomitable strength and energy." Fazil says that PatKop's spontaneous playing exudes freedom: "At each concert, she creates a different character and tells a new story." The duo presents a program devoted to Bartóks Violin Sonata No. 1 ("a marvel from start to finish, one of his finest works," says PatKop); Brahms D minor Sonata ("I imagine a feather in flight at the opening of the sonata") and Janáceks Sonata, "an extreme work, wounded and heart-rending." BELOW: trailer for the album.
"Luz" means "light," and light is what violist Amaro Dubois claims we are missing the most in this world of today. Dubois aims to change this with his collection of works highlighting the beauty of Latin American music for viola and piano. Joined by pianist Tingting Yao, the violist brings to life several newly-commissioned works, a beautiful collaboration between eight composers from five different countries: Edmundo Villani-Cortes, Florence Price, Michael Tippett, Lawrence Brown, William Grant Still, Dimitri Cervo, Heitor Villa-lobos, José Elizondo, and Zequinha De Abreu. Above all, Dubois aims to share passion, love, and peace, three qualities that undoubtedly shine throughout Luz. BELOW: "Luz," by Edmundo Villani-Cortes: performed by Amaro Dubois and Tingting Yao:
"I met Augusta Reed Thomas by total surprise about five years ago in Chicago, where I was performing a recital that included her 'Capricious Toccata: Dandelion Sky.' It was the first time that I had had the opportunity to discuss a piece of music with the actual composer, and I became absolutely fascinated with the world of possibilities that such a dialogue can lead to," said violinist Clarissa Bevilacqua. "I instantly started to study other works of hers...The more I performed these pieces and became familiar with Augusta's compositional style, the more I felt myself wanting to create something tangible and long-lasting with these works. And thus the idea for this album was born. This album features Augusta's complete works for solo violin, as well as the world premier recording of her Violin Concerto No. 3 'Juggler in Paradise.'" BELOW: Trailer for the album:La JungleVanessa Marcoux, violin, composer
Here is some inventive stuff, a really enjoyable listen, from Canadian violinist and composer Vanessa Marcoux. Here is her description of the track below: "I wrote this piece in the thick of the pandemic, sitting in the sunshine on my tiny balcony. As the reality of confinement set in and the world got smaller and smaller, I was craving vast landscapes and the freedom to move whichever way I wanted. Seeing as this was no longer a possibility at least for the time being - the next best thing was to let my imagination run wild. 'Light' starts out with a simple tune, which then spirals out of control and plunges into a sea of 'orchestral matter,' if you will. Essentially, this is what happens when you look very closely at a simple object, so closely in fact that you eventually see a whole new universe emerge." BELOW: From the album, "Light Filtering Through Trees"If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "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:
- For the Record, Op. 222: Anne Battegay; Alexander Kerr; Muir String Quartet
- For the Record, Op. 221: Gustavo Dudamel's Beethoven Cycle; Anthony Marwood plays Steven Mackey; Sonic Apricit
- For the Record, Op. 220: Gwendolyn Masin; David Greenberg; Nick Revel; Robert McDuffie
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