Antonin Dvorak

In the May of 1973 Giulini's Berlin programme was built around Slav composers. It opened with the Prelude to Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina, followed by the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Korean violinist Kyung-Wha Chung, born in 1948, who was making her début with the Berlin Philharmonic. The concert ended with the Symphony No.7 by Dvor?ák. As Klaus Geitel put it in Die Welt on 12 May, the colours were not burnished until they resembled picture postcards: "Giulini's honesty and seriousness invests his interpretations with a symphonic gravity that totally rejects flirting with effects, tempting though they are. This imparted a calm serenity and lustrous beauty to the Prelude to Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina." In Dvor?ák's Seventh Symphony Giulini had once again displayed the energy that powerfully synthesised the form and created a firm foundation for the drive and inspiration of his interpretations. This was due to his artistic vehemence which, "rather than construing completeness from small components appears to strike out in the opposite direction. In the end the overall view of the work reveals the significance of the details." Even in the '70s Dvor?ák's Seventh was no standard item in our programmes, being overshadowed by the popular Ninth (From the New World ) and the familiar Eighth. Yet the work substantially extends the image of the Czech composer. As Gottfried Eberle put it in the Tagesspiegel on 12 May, it was not just his preoccupation with folklore or the example of Brahms; there were also obvious traces of Wagner's harmonies and Bruckner's symphonic style, particularly in the Scherzo and Finale. This resulted in a problem of form and structure for which Giulini had found a thrilling solution by letting the natural impetus of the music swing freely yet never allowing the symphonic texture to relax for a moment. Eberle's colleague Wolfgang Schimmel stated in Der Abend that the Berlin Philharmonic appeared to enjoy working with Giulini and that their playing was unrivalled. From the booklet note by Helge Grünewald

Just 15 years separate Dvorák’s piano trios and all four were written before his 50th birthday.The early trios reflect his rediscovery of Czech folk music after emerging from his self-confessed Wagnerian ‘mad period.’ The grand F minor trio reflects Dvorák’s deep search for harmony between his German and Slavic passions, while the Dumky trio displays a lively, free and beautiful understanding of the Czech spirit. For over 20 years, Guarneri Trio Prague has been a tireless proponent of the Slavic tradition.

This CD includes Dvorak’s Terzetto for 2 violins and viola, one of only 2 works using this combination of instruments. The other works are 20 Duets for 2 violins by Fuchs and Five pieces for 2 violins and piano by Shostakovich.

A popular coupling performed by the Vienna RSO conducted by Bertrand de Billy.

These historical recordings were considered lost after the war and are available for the first time complete and in real time (without any cut).

Victoria de los Ángeles’ son Alex has Down's Syndrome and she used to sing many of the songs on this disc to him. The CD is a collaboration between the Victoria de los Ángeles Foundation and the Catalan Down Syndrome Foundation. The project includes the voices and paintings of children with Down Syndrome.

2 CDs for 1

An ensemble of maestros offers four legendary interpretations from a golden age of chamber music playing.

Performances that display “richness, warmth and vitality” (American Record Guide).

Original “Westminster” couplings.

David Oistrakh remarked that chamber music “gives great joy not only to the listeners, but first of all to the performers themselves”. For 17 years after the Second World War, these three great soloists carried on a warm-hearted musical conversation and formed one of the finest chamber ensembles in the world.

Here are four of their legendary interpretations, praised by The American Record Guide at the time for their ”richness, warmth, and vitality” (Chopin and Ravel) and for their “well-integrated performances” (Dvoøák and Smetana). (Review quotes from The American Record Guide, 1957).

Albanian violinist Rudens Turku brings together works by Dvorák , Grieg, Rachmaninov, Piazolla and Sarasate, who each created unique musical homages to their respective homelands.

Albanian violinist Rudens Turku returns for his third recording for Avie, with ‘Homelands’. Rudens brings together composers who each created unique musical evocations of their native countries. All were world travellers who found through their compositions the means to produce striking homages to their respective lands, from iconic Sonatas by Dvorák and Grieg to Rachmaninov’s exquisite Vocalise to lesser known works by a young Astor Piazzolla and the Spanish virtuoso Pablo Sarasate.