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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Zelenka: Sonatas
Ensemble Marsyas’ debut recording on Linn features three of the extraordinary trio sonatas by the Bohemian composer Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745) for violin, two oboes, bassoon and continuo on period instruments. These sonatas represent the most spectacularly challenging music ever written for wind instruments in terms of their utopian demands on the technique of the players, their musical integrity and their breathtaking scale. This repertoire saw the ensemble awarded both first prize and the audience prize at the 2007 Brugge International Competition. The Edinburgh based chamber group comprises the best of a new generation of musicians specialising in early music from across Europe. Ensemble Marsyas is Peter Whelan - bassoon, Josep Domènech Lafont - oboe, Molly Marsh - oboe, Thomas Dunford - theorbo, Philippe Grisvard - harpsichord/organ, Christine Sticher - violone. They are joined for this recording by Baroque violinist Monica Huggett who is a multiple Gramophone Award winner and Grammy nominee. The members of Ensemble Marsyas have been awarded accolades by both critics and the recording industry alike - the most recent including a 2010 Gramophone Award for a recording featuring Peter Whelan. “The lively Ensemble Marsyas are joined by violinist Monica Huggett in the third of the set, full of literally breathless counterpoint, while at the end is a beguiling single slow movement that leaves us up in the air, as if I had finished this review with a question mark.” The Observer, 2nd September 2012 “Zelenka constantly beguiles...Ensemble Marsyas play everything with real flair.” Sunday Times, 23rd September 2012 “it's the group's nuance that's transfixing. When textures become sparse, delivery intensifies; when the line expands, the tempo stretches; when counterpoint thickens, articulation is leavened. The players are audibly intelligent, at once humorous and illuminating. Non-interventionist engineering shows that less can be more when the artists are first-rate.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2012 ***** “There is highly capable playing, with expert tuning, smooth lines, and techniques apparently taxed only by the quickfire repeated notes in Sonata No. 6. The sound is also wonderfully clear and well balanced.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2012  BBC Music Magazine
Chamber Choice - November 2012 |
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| |  | The English Song Collection
The Times states, '...as an interpreter of English song, Gilchrist is often in a class by himself'; James’ hugely popular series of works by Finzi, Vaughan Williams, Gurney and Britten have proved this is the case. This special 3-disc collection brings together his finest recordings to date. This collection includes the premiere recording of Gurney’s masterpiece Ludlow & Teme using the composer’s revised and corrected version which the composer declared to be his favourite. It also includes the first modern recording of Leighton’s Earth, Sweet Earth since the original recording by Neil Mackie for whom the work was written. All of Gilchrist’s recordings with Linn have been highly acclaimed; ‘On Wenlock Edge’ was a Finalist in the ‘Solo Vocal Album of the Year’ category at the 2008 Gramophone Awards and ‘Oh Fair to See’ was named a ‘Benchmark Recording’ by BBC Music. James Gilchrist is a sought-after recitalist whose voice has been described as pure and sensitive with an even and beautiful tone. Pianist Anna Tilbrook (‘an eloquent partner’ Daily Telegraph) displays her substantial talents as an accompanist providing flawless support to long-term performing partner James. Also featured in this collection are Michael Cox (flute), Gareth Hulse (cor anglais) and The Fitzwilliam String Quartet. | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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I Set a5 in g – Fantazya; the Playnsong: a5; Aire a5 II Set a5 in a [Fantasy no1]; Fantazia a5 [no 2; [Aire] a5 III Set a5 in c - Fantazia a5; Aire a5 [no 1]; Paven a5; Aire a5 [no 2] V Set a5 in C - Fantzy a5; Paven a5; [Aire] a5 VI Set a6 in g - Paven a6; Fantazy a6; Aire a6 VIII Set a6 in F - Aire a6 [no 1]; Fantazy a6 [no 1]; Aire a6 [no 2]; Fantazy a6 [no 2] IX Set a6 in B flat; Aire a6; IInominy a6
Laurence Dreyfus (treble viol and director), Wendy Gillespie (treble viol), Jonathan Manson (tenor viol), Markku Luolajan-Mikkola (bass viol) with Emilia Benjamin (tenor viol) & Mikko Perkola (bass viol) Phantasm This latest recording honours the celebrated English Renaissance composer, William Lawes who is most remembered today for his sublime viol consort suites. The award-winning ensemble has been widely acclaimed for its previous recordings with Linn; its 2011 recording of William Byrd was named ‘Disc of the Month’ by BBC Music and its 2009 Linn debut of music by John Ward was described as ‘stunning’ by Gramophone. William Lawes was one of Charles I's most valued musicians praised for his elaborate and complex, rich and passionate, yet poised and dignified works. The quartet has been applauded across the globe for their moving performances, which embrace the magical works of Lawes. Phantasm is recognised as the most exciting viol consort active on the world scene today. Critics have called their performances and recordings: 'intoxicating', 'revelatory', 'electrifying', 'interpretations pervaded by a truly burning spirit'. The quartet’s international members (from Britain, Finland and the US) are based in Oxford and have toured extensively throughout Europe, North America, and East Asia. “Dreyfus’s commentaries on these 23 pieces are as detailed as they are passionate...These two beautifully performed sets of fantasies, airs and pavans ...[are] full of suave angularities and delicious dissonances, captivating for liveliness and melancholy alike.” Sunday Times, 24th June 2012 “this new recording wins the palm. The balance between viols and organ is far superior, and the group is more attuned to the emotional extremes under the music’s grave surface. Their performance of the Aire from the Set a6 in G is nearly twice as fast as [Hesperion XXI's], and is gripped by an astonishing, stinging intensity.” The Telegraph, 3rd August 2012 ***** “Phantasm and organist Daniel Hyde capture the mercurial nature of the music in these poised, erudite accounts, which include some unusual versions not previously available on CD. The players animate Lawes's stately dances with fleet rhythms, elucidate his dark counterpoint and create an aptly vaporous quality in his more haunting, ethereal pieces...Linn's surround-sound allows you to wallow in the midst of it all.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2012 ***** “The pieces for viol consort on this gorgeous Linn release are consistently astonishing. It’s not just Phantasm’s luxuriant sound – listening to a well-played viol ensemble is like bathing in warm chocolate – more that Lawes’s music is so endlessly entertaining...The package is rendered complete by erudite, exuberant sleeve notes by Phantasm’s director William [sic] Dreyfus, whose enthusiasm for Lawes’s music is intoxicating.” The Arts Desk, 22nd September 2012 “As on previous discs, Phantasm, under the direction of Laurence Dreyfus (tenor viol) with Daniel Hyde on the organ, give immaculate performances, not least in that elaborate Fantasia in C minor, described in the notes as the 'craggiest' movement buit in fact exhilarating in the elaboration of its counterpoint...First-rate Linn recording.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2013 BBC Music Magazine Chamber Choice - September 2012 |
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The three-time Grammy-nominated ensemble, widely regarded as ‘one of the world’s premier period instruments bands’ (Fanfare), will mark the beginning of its relationship with Linn with a recording of Haydn’s The Creation. Soloists Amanda Forsythe, Keith Jameson and Kevin Deas will join the ensemble and conductor Martin Pearlman for the performance of Haydn’s crowning achievement. The Creation remains one of the greatest works of choral repertoire and has been astonishing audiences since its premiere in 1798. The ensemble’s previous performances of The Creation have received rave reviews, with the Boston Globe stating: ‘Boston Baroque performed [Haydn’s Creation] with vibrant color and a fleet momentum…and made it a vivid, effervescent occasion.’ Founded in 1973 by Martin Pearlman, Boston Baroque is already familiar to an international audience with its critically acclaimed catalogue of recordings. Boston Baroque's recordings—of which Fanfare magazine wrote ‘each one is an incomparable gem’— are heard by millions on classical radio stations in North America and Europe. Boston Baroque's many career milestones include the American premiere of Rameau's Zoroastre; a Mozart opera series including Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte, and the American period-instrument premieres of Mozart's Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute; and a revelatory exploration of the Beethoven symphonies on period instruments. “Pearlman adopts near-ideal tempi for every number, and his choir and period band — medium forces for a work the composer conducted with up to 200 — are excellent. Two of his soloists, Amanda Forsythe and Kevin Jameson, sound more like cheeky servants than Archangels, but Kevin Deas’s resonant bass notes and liquid baritone ones are perfect for Raphael and Adam.” Sunday Times, 29th July 2012 “[a] clean account, nicely scaled and finely balanced...There's skilful work throughout from the three soloists...Pearlman displays a keen sense of the music's shape and encompasses its range of character without over-emphasis. The overall sound picture is perfectly arranged for definition as well as grandeur.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2012 **** “Weil's conception of the work has changed little since his Sony recording with Tafelmusik nearly 20 years ago: brisk, no-nonsense choral singing, topped by eager, bright-edged (if not always perfectly-tuned) boys of the Tolzer Knabenchor; excellent choral-orchestral balance...Where Weil, 2012 vintage, scores decisively over his earlier recording is in his soloists...Best is Kevin Deas...with as sonorous a lower register...as any Raphael on disc.” Gramophone Magazine, October 2012 “Forsythe has a most pleasing voice, bright, clear and readily communicative. She has the agility required...and there is a smile in her voice that is very winning...[Jameson] gets right inside the text, his singing most musical, with a particularly satisfying legato...In all, this is a delightful, charming and often moving performance on a smallish scale, one that you may find rather lacking in drama.” International Record Review, September 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | First Reconstructable Version (Cannons), 1720
The Dunedin Consort’s highly anticipated new recording of ‘Esther - First Reconstructable Version (Cannons), 1720’ is the third recording in its hugely successful Handel series. The Consort have set the bar high for this Handel performance with a Gramophone Award in 2007 for ‘Messiah’ and a BBC Radio 3 ‘Building a Library’ First Choice accolade for ‘Acis and Galatea’. For Esther, director John Butt has reunited his award-winning team of soloists (Susan Hamilton - Esther; Nicholas Mulroy - Mordecai; Matthew Brook - Haman; Thomas Hobbs - 1st Israelite) plus well-known guest soloists Robin Blaze – Priest, James Gilchrist – Habdonah / Assuerus and Electra Lochhead - Israelite Boy. The Dunedin Consort has established a reputation as the finest single-part period performance choir currently performing. In 2011 Gramophone named the Dunedin Consort the 11th Greatest Choir in recognition of its ‘triple focus upon artistic revitalisation of over-familiar great works, meticulous musicological enquiry and the audiophile integrity of Linn Records' production values.’ The multi-award-winning Dunedin Consort has won praise for the natural style of its soloists (‘an authoritative bass and a superb contralto’ The Guardian) and renown for the virtuosity of its singers. The Dunedin Consort has performed at music festivals in Scotland - including the Edinburgh International Festival and broadcasts frequently on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Scotland. “Butt's direction combines spontaneous freshness with a care for expressive phrasing and precise colouring. The 11-strong chorus - the solo cast plus reinforcement - is vital incisive, packing a fair punch even in the ceremonial final chorus.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2012 “the scholarship is only a means to an end, and is never allowed to get in the way of the wonderfully crafted music making. Textures are lean – 11 singers, including the soloists, 20 instrumentalists – but wonderfully precise, and the solo contributions, with soprano Susan Hamilton as Esther, are models of stylishness.” The Guardian, 17th May 2012 **** “Butt's consort of soloists do this great music proud, sounding larger than their number would suggest...I'll return to this recording for the winning drive, dramatic conception and expressive phrasing of Butt's direction, his crack Baroque orchestra and his exceptional male cast” International Record Review, June 2012 “Paradoxically, a two-voices-to-a-part chorus achieves more immediacy than a larger choir, coupled with a stylish and delightfully intimate band. Yet again, Butt demonstrates that less can be more.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2012 **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Following its successful full length opera, ‘Artaxerxes’, Classical Opera return with the first in an epic series of Mozart operas ‘Apollo et Hyacinthus’. Classical Opera has mounted two staged productions of Mozart's Apollo et Hyacinthus (1998 and 2006), with both receiving wide critical acclaim. This recording has been eagerly awaited since its 2007 debut CD, ‘The A-Z of Mozart Opera’ was released, described by David Vickers in Gramophone as ‘glorious...fresh, diverse, insightful and illuminating’. The company features a mix of seasoned and young performers including Klara Ek (Melia), Sophie Bevan (Hyacinthus), Lawrence Zazzo (Apollo), Christopher Ainslie (Zephyrus) and Andrew Kennedy (Oebalus). Classical Opera was founded in 1997 by conductor Ian Page. It specialises in the music of Mozart and his contemporaries, performing with its own period-instrument orchestra, and is considered one of Britain's most exciting and highly regarded young arts organisations. “With inspiriting conducting lissom and, where apt, punchy orchestral playing, and first-rate singing from company regulars, their performance of this thoroughly charming intermedio could hardly be bettered...the bright, extrovert Lawrence Zazzo contrasts well with the more contained, rounded tones of Christopher Ainslie...Klara Ek and Sophie Bevan bring to their arias a poise and panache” Gramophone Magazine, July 2012 “It's an astonishing piece for an 11 year-old, of course, though not in the same league as Mozart's mature works. The Classical Opera Company principals do very nicely by it. Tenor Andrew Kennedy, sopranos Sophie Bevan and Klara Ek and countertenor Lawrence Zazzo are all excellent, and Ian Page's band is neat and stylish.” BBC Music Magazine, July 2012 **** “Even by the standards of Mozart's astonishingly precocious childhood, this is an extraordinary achievement...Ian Page, setting out on an epic Mozart series for Linn, conducts a top cast, ...with the crisp and alert Classical Opera orchestra driven along by the fine harpsichordist Steven Devine.” The Observer, 10th June 2012 “This scintillating recording of the 1767 Latin opera reveals just how early Mozart's instinct for character was formed...The cast is beautifully contrasted...Andrew Kennedy sings Oebalus with authority and elegance.” The Independent, 28th July 2012 “the present cast have a full understanding of the potential dramatic power of the work. There are no weak links, with all making the most of the musical and dramatic opportunities provided...[a] splendid version of an unfairly neglected work.” MusicWeb International, July 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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The multi-award winning Scottish Chamber Orchestra marks its debut recording under the direction of Principal Conductor Robin Ticciati with the majestic Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz. Named one of the top ten young ‘conductors on the verge of greatness’ by Gramophone Magazine, Robin is the perfect conductor to bring out the deep colours and emotions of this composition while balancing the orchestra and keeping the pace to create an impressive and dynamic sound throughout. With this recording Robin aimed to offer audiences ‘a thought-provoking and new way of listening to the piece.’ Symphonie Fantastique continues to be one of the most popular early Romantic compositions with today’s audiences. Robin Ticciati took up the position of Principal Conductor with the SCO from the 2009/10 season and opened the 2011/12 season with a blistering Berlioz programme hailed by the critics as ‘compelling’. Since then his profile has continued to build; in 2011 he was voted one of 'Tomorrow's Icons' by Gramophone and was announced as the next music director of Glyndebourne, taking over from Vladimir Jurowski in 2014. ‘Symphonie Fantastique’ is the first in a series of Berlioz recordings undertaken by the SCO and Ticciati: a recording of Nuits d’été and the Death of Cleopatra are planned for 2012.) The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is internationally recognised as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. The Orchestra has a large international fan base following recent performances in Spain, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, the USA, Portugal and the Netherlands. “this Fantastique is remarkable for its fresh insights...The opening Rêveries — Passions is especially dreamlike, impressionistic almost...while the nightmarish sounds of the Witches’ Sabbath emerge in the most vivid colours thanks to the clarity of the string sound and the squealing high woodwinds...Fantastique!” Sunday Times, 1st April 2012 “Few previous recordings of the Symphonie Fantastique will have used such a modest string section, but the transparency and lightness of touch Ticciati achieves is a real bonus...The overture to the opera Beatrice and Benedict, full of wonderful string interplay and characterful woodwind, makes a charming fill-up.” The Guardian, 5th April 2012 **** “Berlioz’s scoring comes across with remarkable clarity, its textures translucent, its individual timbres well characterised, its mixes subtly variegated. The SCO also has the capability of full, rounded sonorities and explosive thrills when the occasion demands...Ticciati draws on these elements with both discretion and vitality, placing them within a thoughtfully chosen spectrum of colour and within an interpretation that is conceived cohesively” The Telegraph, 12th April 2012 ***** “Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique is delivered with a febrile, knife-edge energy. The sound is taut, lean; the tempos not sluggish, yet there’s time for nuance and colour. Only in the last movements, the March to the Scaffold and Witches’ Sabbath, is his approach too reticent and English. Highly impressive overall.” The Times, 14th April 2012 “We hear transparent textures, a sinewy sound, a fleetness of rhythm and melodic expression – reminding us that the orchestral apparatus Berlioz inherited was simpler than the one he bequeathed. Ticciati has assumed Colin Davis’s mantle in this music, giving it a natural pulse and dramatic shape.” Financial Times, 14th April 2012 *** “The clarity, coordination and spectrum of colour in the orchestra are spot-on for Berlioz. The ear can thus readily appreciate the individuality of Berlioz's scoring. This is altogether a performance that has been thought through as an organic entity, a broad, vivid tableau in which images are sharply focused.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2012 “the SCO remains one of the world's great chamber ensembles, with precision playing and clear, detailed articulation few can equal. Ticciati exploits this to create an almost cerebral, un-hallucinatory reading...What's lost in rich textures is regained in clarity and atmosphere...The orgiastic 'Witches Sabbath' feels a little delicate at first, but gathers febrile force in the finale.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2012 ***** “This is a very worthwhile addition to the vast discography of the Symphonie fantastique...Brass are crisp, bright but never overbearing, and the SCO woodwind are consistently impressive, both individually and collectively. The second reason to explore this disc is Robin Ticciati's conducting...it's unquestionably an impressive debut.” International Record Review, May 2012 “Ticciati’s version hits the spot. Horns snarl, bassoons strut, drums pound and the trombones are suitably leery. In a work usually played by over-upholstered big bands, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s leaner, crisper sound is a breath of fresh air...Highly impressive stuff, and the wonderful Julio de Diego painting on the sleeve adds to the fun.” The Arts Desk, 18th August 2012 “The sharp-focus clarity and litheness of this relatively small-scale account will come as a surprise to most listeners...but Ticciati's approach reaps great dividends.” bbc.co.uk, 21st September 2012 “For me Ticciati’s vision and the playing of his orchestra succeed on every front...Ticciati combines modern instruments with period style and brings out the best of both worlds. This is a version that will blow off the cobwebs for someone who knows the work already and wants to explore something different” MusicWeb International, June 2012 “Ticciati indicates that he will be as dynamic a Berliozian as his mentor, Colin Davis.” Sunday Times, 9th December 2012 | | | (also available to download from $10.50) | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Richard Tunnicliffe (cello) Experience, virtuosity and individuality are all required when tackling J.S. Bach’s popular cello suites; Richard Tunnicliffe brings a lifetime of insight to his debut solo recording. Richard has made a special study of Bach's cello suites and his performances of all six have been acclaimed in Europe and Australia as well as at numerous venues in Great Britain, including Wigmore Hall and the Purcell Room in London. Richard’s recording of the complete cello concerti by John Garth with the Avison Ensemble was chosen as ‘Critic’s Choice’ by Gramophone, ‘Concerto Recording of the Month’ by The Strad and twice as ‘CD of the Week’ by Classic FM. Richard Tunnicliffe’s broad experience and versatility mark him out amongst the best of today's impressive array of instrumentalists. Richard has enjoyed a long and varied career at the forefront of Britain’s thriving period instrument movement and is a member of the renowned viol consort Fretwork and principal cello with the Avison Ensemble. Richard has played with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Boston Symphony, Frankfurt Radio S.O., City of Birmingham S.O., English National Opera, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, The Gabrieli Consort and the Academy of Ancient Music. “clear-sighted, intelligently informed yet emotionally engaged performances. His virtuosity in the faster movements is easy, though not casual, his degree of interpretative intervention gauged beautifully so that grandeur does not become grandiosity and the momentous sarabandes are reflective, not self-indulgent.” Sunday Times, 25th March 2012 “Tunnicliffe never loses sight of these dialogues and you hear a different one each time you visit it. In fact, this is one of the beauties of the disc...the warmth of Tunnicliffe's tone and self-evident, painstaking thought behind every phrase can bring you closer to this beautiful music. In fact, this intellectual connection with the music is the strongest selling-point of Tunnicliffe's recording...He also brings to it the soaring joy it needs.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2012 “It is the thoughtfulness and absence of overbearing rhetorical posturing that makes Tunnicliffe's clear-sighted and unexaggerated approach seem totally convincing...[Suite No. 6] is a fitting culmination to a vivid, sometimes reflective but above all personally involving cycle in which the unfettered joy of musical rediscovery is given free rein...His music notes, by the way, are quite as fascinating and informative as the performances themselves.” International Record Review, June 2012 “a splendid performance from Richard Tunnicliffe that is certainly worthy of very close scrutiny indeed. Robust, rounded, resonant, rich and quietly perceptive, it captivates from the first bars...his unassuming yet undeniable insight into this great music...make[s] this a recording to get to know and enjoy alongside the established milestone CDs.” MusicWeb International, Asugust 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Mozart: Divertimento K334 & Oboe Quartet K370
Director and violinist Alexander Janiczek leads principal players from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in this beautifully intimate recording. Mozart’s writing allows each player to shine and demonstrates the depth of talent within the ensemble, illustrating why this orchestra has had such extensive success with its previous Mozart recordings. The works on this disc are full of well-known tunes which demonstrate Mozart’s trademark melodic beauty. Acclaimed oboist, Robin Williams, gives a dazzling performance of the composer’s great masterpiece. This is the fourteenth recording in the orchestra’s hugely successful partnership with Linn Records, a series that includes the award-winning Mozart Symphonies recordings with the late Sir Charles Mackerras. Alexander Janiczek is a highly sought after director, soloist, guest leader and chamber musician who in addition to his appointment at the SCO, is a guest director of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Camerata Salzburg. The Orchestra has a large UK fan base following recent performances in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Inverness and Aberdeen. The SCO has an impressive recording history including a Grammy-nominated set of Brahms Symphonies, winning the Orchestral category of the BBC Awards in 2009 and a 2011 ECHO Klassik Award for its Mozart recordings, in addition to much critical acclaim. “These musicians inflect the extremes as they do the nooks and crannies in between...Robin Williams adds his own voice, his tone plangent yet subtly faceted, his phrasing shaped to reflect the feeling he puts into his playing. The slow movement, also in D minor, is most emotive. You're unlikely to regret buying this exquisite disc.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2012 “One of the best features about this performance is the attention to the exchanges between instruments...Robin Williams plays [the oboe part] very much in this spirit, also favouring rather quick tempos and light phrasing...Janiczek and the Scottish players treat [the Quartet] lightly, as entertainment music even if of the highest quality...An enjoyable, well-considered recording.” International Record Review, January 2012 “Here Mozart's sparkling textures receive an affectionate spring clean that works wonders in clarifying his genius for musical interplay. Oboist Robin Williams leads a delightful performance of the Quartet that radiates charm during the buoyant outer movements. A fine coupling that captures Mozart's inestimable skill and irrepressible charm.” Classic FM Magazine, March 2012 **** “This highly enjoyable performance is directed from the first-violin chair by Alexander Janiczek, who spins a fine, lithe line, with minimal vibrato, articulating the phrasing with deft bowing. His lead is followed by his string colleagues, while the two horn players - on natural, valveless instruments - shift neatly between subdued background and fanfaring foreground.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2012 **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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This is the highly-anticipated second recording in the Avison Ensemble’s Baroque series, which includes the complete recording of Antonio Vivaldi’s virtuosic violin concertos by the outstanding period instrument orchestra. Directed by Pavlo Beznosiuk, Britain’s foremost Baroque violin virtuosi, the ensemble presents an insightful performance of the masterpiece that is brimming with energy. Vivaldi’s Concerti Opus 8 includes The Four Seasons which is, without a doubt, Vivaldi’s best-known work. Each of the twelve concertos is extremely demanding and Beznosiuk’s virtuosity permeates throughout each performance. The thematic elements within each innovative work results in a collection that is colourful, fresh and emotionally charged. Opus 8 is a true testament of Vivaldi’s ability for invention and variation. Formed in 1985, the Ensemble has attracted great critical acclaim. The Guardian commented: “I’d take the Avison Ensemble over Karajan…any day”. The Avison Ensemble comprises some of Europe's leading Baroque musicians, including artists from The Hague, Germany, France, Austria and London, with international soloists from all over the globe. Pavlo Beznosiuk, the UK's foremost baroque violin virtuoso, is in demand as a soloist and orchestral leader performing regularly with the Academy of Ancient Music and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. “Beznosiuk is soloist-director, all flinty trills and silky legato in The Four Seasons and pithy grace in the D and G minor Concertos. Alternating archlute and guitar and harpsichord and organ respectively, Paula Chateauneuf and Roger Hamilton pinpoint the constant play of light central to Vivaldi's music. Delicious.” The Independent on Sunday, 6th November 2011 “Beznosiuk and his crack ensemble have produced a modern set second to none. Playing is stylish, colourful and warm” Classical Music, 19th November 2011 **** “this is a Seasons which mostly keeps dramatic overstatement in check...this excellent UK-based ensemble show[s] why it is rapidly gaining respect as one of the finest period-instrument bands of our time, mercifully bereft of novelty factor or proselytizing zeal and offering up performances which are as entertaining, compelling and colourful as they are authoritative and polished...A very impressive addition to the discography of this fine group.” International Record Review, January 2012 “I've always admired the suavity and subtle imaginative colouring of the Avison Ensemble's performances...Here Vivaldi's grosser programmatic intentions are made the subject of speculation rather than plain realisation...Beznosiuk's playing is a marvel both here and throughout the remaining concertos...and at one with an ensemble which likewise responds to this music with a genuine freshness and intelligence.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2012 “this rendition is played on period instruments, which have often come to mean strong attack, primary colours and sharply articulated phrasing. Not here. The Avison Ensemble takes a gentler approach...Beznosiuk has plainly chosen an approach that suits his naturally mellifluous style. There's little of the rubato that has become such a feature of Baroque playing, and the continuo is often unobtrusive” BBC Music Magazine, October 2012 *** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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BBC Music Magazine Awards 2013
Gramophone Magazine