Saint-Saëns: Romance in D flat major, Op. 37

“I like nothing better than chamber music,” Saint-Saëns once wrote to a violinist friend and, indeed, he did much to promote the genre in Paris during the second half of the 19th century. Prominent among his works for violin and piano is the technically challenging 1885 Violin Sonata No. 1 which balances passion with clarity. The Triptyque of 1912 shows his mastery of melody, rhythm and metre, and elsewhere in this first volume one finds numerous examples of his instinct for charm and characterisation.

Camille Saint-Saëns was a child prodigy, who amazed both Berlioz and Liszt with his extraordinary talent for performance (as a virtuoso pianist) and composition. His Symphony No.1 in A was performed when he was just 15 years old, and was followed by a succession of beautifully crafted works in all genres – concertos (5 for piano, 3 for violin and 2 for cello) and a total of five symphonies, plus a large chamber and operatic output. All his works reveal a cast-iron grip of classical form and balance, while his orchestration displays clarity and colour. His approach to the concerto, whether for his own instrument or the violin or cello, was often innovative and always idiomatic.

The earliest of the Violin Concertos is the little known No.2 from 1858, influenced by Mendelssohn’s famous concerto for the same instrument, with a fully written out candenza that, beginning with the timpani, gradually brings the full orchestra back into play. The Violin Concerto No.1 was the next to follow, a short elegant work of just over 17 minutes, composed for the 15-year-old virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate. The Spanish violinist was also the dedicatee of the 3rd and most famous of the concertos - full of wonderful tunes, drama and passion, this is one of the great concertos of the violin repertoire.

This 2CD release contains the three concertos, as well as all of the composer’s other works for violin and orchestra. The famous Introduction and Rondo capriccioso and the mini concerto for violin, cello (with Ralph Kirschbaum) and orchestra La Muse et la Poete are featured, along with lesserknown works including the unfinished 4th Concerto’s opening movement Morceau de concert, which is comparable to the Symphony No.3 in the strength and brilliance of its melodies.

In a century mostly inspired by German romantic orchestral pieces, Saint-Saëns considered wind instruments as on the same level as violin and piano. He is the origin of the French Wind tradition and in the evening of his life, aged 85, came back to composing sonatas turning to wind instruments with enthusiasm.

A bright new talent in the classical world, the flautist Lisa Friend presents a new disc of romantic works, accompanied by piano, cello and violin. Lisa’s compositions and performances have drawn great praise from both professional musicians and concert-goers alike. Also featured on disc, performing with Lisa, is her father Rodney Friend, one of the most respected and celebrated English-born violinists of the last 45 years. Lisa Friend started playing the flute aged five. At 16 she studied in New York with flautist Renee Siebert of the New York Philharmonic. She was then awarded a flute Scholarship to study with Julius Baker in Connecticut. At 17 Lisa won a Scholarship to the Royal College of Music. Twice winner of the Martin Music Scholarship this enabled her to study at the Paris Conservatoire with Alain Marion and Ida Ribera. As soloist, Lisa has appeared with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic, Liverpool Philharmonic and toured throughout the UK, France, Germany, Japan, China and the USA. Other solo appearances include BBC ChildLine, a concert for Royal Family at Buckingham Palace as soloist with the late Yehudi Menuhin, the Britten theatre with the late Sir George Solti and for Steven Spielberg after writing and performing a track for his foundation SHOAH. Lisa has given live recitals for Classic FM and Radio 3. Live television has included Brandenburg 5th Concerto in Spain with her father.

“Great British Hope,” Kathryn Thomas presents a beautiful collection of flute music by Gabriel Faure and his contemporaries.

With the support of the composers Franck, Massenet, Fauré, Duparc and Saint-Saëns, the Société Nationale de Musique was set up in February 1871 to promote its distinctive symphonic and chamber music concerts. This disc presents a selection of music that featured in these concerts, many of which were premiered by France’s leading flautist at the time, Paul Taffanel. Thanks to Taffanel, a tradition of commissioning works especially for these concours began to emerge. At first the commissions were just for the flute competition but very soon, under Taffanel’s influence, new works began to be commissioned for all the wind and brass instruments.

The repertoire on this debut disc from Baldvinsson and Romero provide a marvellous vehicle to showcase their talent.

Odinn Baldvinsson began his formal music training at the junior department of Trinity College of Music. On completing his course, having been awarded the Hambourg award for improvisation, he went to London College of Music, where he graduated with Honours.

Odinn’s repertoire is wide and varied, ranging from Baroque to 20th. Century and contemporary, and includes most of the flute repertoire’s popular major works. He has attended several master classes with William Bennett and most recently studied with the international flautist Susan Milan. A winner of several competitions, Odinn has performed for music clubs, societies and festivals in England, Switzerland and France. He performed in a series of concerts at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2006. For a number of years Odinn has performed regularly London, including St. Martin’s in the Fields and St. James’s Piccadilly. As a soloist, he has played with the Brent Symphony Orchestra, and was principal flute with the Millennium Sinfonia. In 2007 he started a duo with the pianist Patricia Romero and they have given several concerts in and around London, including St. James’s Piccadilly and St. John’s in Harrow on the Hill. This is their first recording.

Patricia Romero studied at Trinity College of Music in London with Joseph Weingarten. While a student there she won several prizes, and graduated with Honours. She subsequently made her London debut at the Wigmore Hall in a recital which was well received by the critics. She has taken Master Classes with Angélica Morales, Bernard Flavigny, Jörg Demus and John Lill. Patricia came to international prominence as the winner of the Yamaha International Piano Competition in Mexico City. Since then she has pursued a busy career, performing an extensive repertoire. She has performed widely in the British Isles, and her foreign travels have taken her to many parts of Europe, and also Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, & the Middle East.

This is the fourth release in Jeffrey Khaner’s “Flute Music” series on AVIE, following American Flute Music (AV 0004), British Flute Music (AV 0016), and French Flute Music (AV 0027). His album of music by Brahms (the ‘clarinet’ sonatas) and music by both Clara and Robert Schumann was released in 2005 – AV2075. Jeff is one of today’s most distinguished orchestral musicians. He is also a commanding soloist. This new CD offers a feast of fascinating music. Widor’s Suite was composed for the famous French flautist Paul Taffanel. Benjamin Godard, like Widor was on the staff of the Paris Conservatoire and his untimely death robbed him of the opportunity to hear the first performance of his Suite. The German composer Carl Reinecke lived a long life and he was a prolific composer, especially of chamber music. Saint-Saëns’ Romance started life as a piece for flute and orchestra but later he created a version with piano accompaniment, again for the flautist Taffanel, with whom he toured. The Franck Sonata needs little introduction, and versions of the famous violin sonata, are heard regularly in the concert hall in arrangements for flute, viola and cello.

It is interesting to speculate as to why there are so many records with titles like The Romantic Flute. One answer is that, during the eighteenth century, the flute was in vogue. Even Frederick the great, emperor of Russia, was a flautist, which raised the status of the instrument greatly. Although it has had periods of dwindling popularity since, today the flute is very much in fashion again. Actually, however, the flute has not been mainly romantic, and the nineteenth century repertoire for solo flute is quite limited. Two longer compositions tend to figure on any record aiming to reflect the period: Franz Schubert's Trockene Blumen variations, the only work of his large ouvre to feature the flute as a solo instrument, and Carl Reinecke's Undine Sonata for flute and piano.