Glazunov: Spanish Serenade, Op. 20 No. 2 (Sérénade espagnole)

Along with his friend Caruso, Fritz Kreisler (1875–1962) was one of the superstars of the early gramophone era. He was “the master musician among the violinists of the day” (New York Times); he died 50 years ago (29 January 1962). As a composer, he is famous for his Viennese-style melodies, such as Liebesfreud and Liebesleid, for his notorious pieces “in the style of” various 18th-century masters (which he passed off as their original works, claiming to have rediscovered them in old manuscripts), and for his arrangements of well-known works by other composers.

We remember one of the world’s greatest violinists with an enticing 2CD set that includes a first time release on CD of a tribute LP from 1961, original Kreisler recordings, and an array of great modern violinists playing his works.

This CD features 19th century Russian works for cello & piano played by cellist Alexander Ivashkin & pianist Ingrid Wahlberg. Ivashkin is a Russian cellist with a huge international reputation, and Wahlberg is a NZ-born and based pianist who is much in demand by visiting international instrumentalists & singers.

Fedor Amosov is an exceptionally talented young Russian cellist who is fast becoming known worldwide. On his first recording for Bel Air, he performs a programme of Russian music accompanied by the Taiwanese pianist Jen-Ru Sun. Several short romantic pieces by Alexander Glazunov, including the wellknown Chant du Ménestrel (‘Minstrel’s Song’), Mélodie, Sérénade Espagnole, and Elegy in D flat major, preface a more substantial work, the Cello Sonata by contemporary composer Ivan Sokolov, dating from 2002.

Born in 1988 into a musical family in Moscow, Fedor Amosov started playing at the age of six, studying at Moscow Conservatory’s Central Music College. Amosov later studied with Natalia Gutman and has also taken lessons with world renowned cellists Mstislav Rostropovich, David Geringas, Natalia Shakhovskaya and Dmitri Yablonsky. He has performed regularly throughout Russia, Europe, Japan and elsewhere. He’s won first prizes in many international competitions, among them the WAMSO and Corpus Christi International Competitions in the US which led to several American concerts. He has appeared as a soloist with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia as well as symphony orchestras in Japan, Spain and the Czech Republic.

Yacov Slobodkin died in 2009 and was one of the most eminent musicians of the 20th century, belonging to the set of brilliant performers who had won international recognition for Russian performing art. On this CD, we hear his performances of the Dvořák Cello Concerto, Glazunov’s Serenade Espagnole and Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme.

This delightful release brings together many of Fritz Kreisler’s short pieces for violin and piano. The programme is drawn from original compositions, arrangements and stylistic parodies making up a CD of generally lesser known works. As well as enriching the repertoire Kreisler issues a challenge to violinists to play these pieces as effectively and as affectingly as he did.

The Russian master plays music for the cello including works by Beethoven, Glazunov, Davydov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rossini, Scriabin and Prokofiev. Yuri Semenov has compiled a programme that reaches across the centuries. As well as being one of the most sought after concert cellists in the world today Yuri Semenov also finds time to teach, conducting master classes around the world.