Feb 2023 – Alto CD

Baroque Bohemia & Beyond: IX

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:48:34 +0000

[Stamic Flute Conc.] “Stamic’s music is eminently competent and likeable …Both soloist and her accompanists, Norway’s leading chamber ensemble, are known from previous well-received recordings. They play all this with ideal pose and balance” (Gramophone)
(Gramophone) [J. Stamic, F.X. Richter] “authentic instrument ensemble New Dutch Academy has an international reputation, formed of well-established early music specialists … string symphonies by the 18th Century ‘Mannheim school’ composers … Vibrant, energetic and wonderfully secure playing is supported by a sumptuous recording … no loss of detail in the fast music” (Gramophone)

Karel Stamic: Flute Concerto in D major [17:00]

[1] I Allegro 7:31 [2] II Adagio e cantabile 5:26 [3] III Presto non assai 4:02

Jan Vaclav Stamic: Sinfonia a Quattro in F [16:20]

[4] I Presto 4:06 [5] II Andante 8:03 [6] III Tempo di Minuetto 4:10

Franz Xaver Richter: Sinfonia a Quattro in C minor [10:55]

[7] I Allegro ma poco 4:37 [8] II Tempo giusto 4:10 [9] III Allegro 2:08

F.X.Richter: Sinfonia a Quattro in Bb [10:45]

[10] I Spiritoso 3:47 [11] II Andante 3:15 [12] III Presto 3:43

F.X. Richter: Sinfonia a Quattro in C [19:05]

[13] I (no tempo indication) 9:11 [14] II Andantino 4:11 [15] III Tempo di Minuetto 5:42

String Quartets: Brahms Nos.1-3; Dvořák No.12 ‘American’; Haydn Op.76/3 ‘Emperor’

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:48:34 +0000

“I’m struck afresh by the power, precision and sheer puissance of their music-making … The Brahms quartet recordings remain ‘outstanding’; affectionate but free of affection, considered yet vitally spontaneous” [Dvořák]: “strongly conceived, full of ardour … scherzo & finale show their brilliance of ensemble” (Penguin Guide 3*)

CD1 [61:00]

Johannes Brahms: String Quartet Op.51 No.1 in C minor [30:00]

1. Allegro 8:16 2. Romanze. Poco Adagio 6:49

3. Allegretto molto moderato e comodo – Un poco più animato 9:12

4. Allegro 5:41

Johannes Brahms: String Quartet Op.51 No.2 in A minor [30:50]

1. Allegro non troppo 9:24 2. Andante moderato 9:28

3. Quasi Minuetto, Moderato – Allegretto vivace 5:24

4. Finale. Allegro non assai 6:33

CD2 [78:00]

Johannes Brahms: String Quartet Op.67 in B flat major [32:02]

1. Vivace 7:39 2. Andante 7:22

3. Agitato (Allegretto non troppo) 7:36 4. Poco Allegretto con Variazioni 9:24

Antonín Dvořák: String Quartet Op.96 ‘American’ in F major [23:37]

5. Allegro ma non troppo 7:01 6. Lento 7:23

7. Molto Vivace 3:48 8. Finale. Vivace, ma non troppo 5:23

Joseph Haydn: String Quartet Op.76 No.3 in C ‘Emperor’ [21:58]

9. I: Allegro 6:33

10. II: Poco Adagio; Cantabile – Variations I to IV 7:27

11. III: Minuet: Allegro; Trio 4:14 12. IV: Finale: Presto 3:43

Dean Martin: Best Ever Collection !

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:48:34 +0000

“That luxurious voice, personal warmth, and humour (with Italian flourish…) come through so well in these 30 hit tracks”

1 How d’ya Like Your Eggs in the Morning (with Helen Ross) 2:46

2 Memories are Made of This 2:15

3 That’s Amore ! 3:06

4 Return to Me 2:23

5 Volare 2:58

6 You Belong to Me 3:02

7 Sway 2:42

8 Arrivederci Roma 2:40

9 Mambo Italiano 2:18

10 Napoli 2:07

11 Santa Lucia 2:50

12 The Man Who Plays the Mandolino 2:48

13 Innamorata (Sweetheart) 2:25

14 Dream a Little Dream of Me 3:13

15 Kiss 2:20

16 How Do You Speak to an Angel 1:56

17 La Vie en Rose 2:23

18 Under the Bridges of Paris 2:45

19 I Love Paris 2:59

20 Let Me Go, Lover 3:00

21 My Rifle, My Pony, and Me 2:43

22 There’s No Tomorrow (O Sole Mio) 2:46

23 Take Me in Your Arms (Torna a Sorriento) 2:37

24 You’re Breaking My Heart (Mattinata) 2:44

25 Things … Like a Walk in the Park 2:36

26 The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane 2:48

27 You’re Nobody ‘til Somebody Loves You 2:11

28 I Walk the Line 2:25

29 Baby it’s Cold Outside 2:16

30 Let it Snow, Let it Snow… 1:56

MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG Symphony No.2 & Chamber Symphony No.2

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:48:33 +0000

“The lyrical Second Symphony is haunted by a restless melancholy …yet the result is in no way depressing. Chamber Symphony No.2 is a relatively late work and although it is freely rhapsodic, the mood is more positive and often songful…the nostalgic feeling returns in the central movement, but the atmosphere darkens in the long drawn finale which reaches a passionately plangent climax before its quietly resigned coda with a single tympani stroke resolution….both played with great eloquence and warmly and naturally recorded .” (Penguin Guide 3 stars)

Symphony No.2, Op. 30 (1945-6)

for String orchestra (32:31)

[1] I. Allegro moderato 13:22

[2] II. Adagio 9:34

[3] III. Allegretto 9:35

Chamber Symphony No.2, Op. 147 (1987) for String

orchestra & timpani (24:09)

[4] I. Allegro molto 8:53

[5] II. Pesante 5:02

[6] III. Andante sostenuto 10:14

Beethoven Symphonies Nos.1 & 2

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:48:33 +0000

[Syms.1&2] “two performances of masterpieces: marvellous orchestral playing and a carefree feeling to the music-making … playing is highly detailed and relaxed. The lack of bombast and aggression in the louder passages is to be applauded … performances unbuttoned and refined … sound quality is vivid, forward and clear” (MusicWeb)
[5th MC3106] “Right at the opening, the listener notes the extremely rich, dynamically full-powered and yet transparent sound of the Westdeutsche Sinfonia, also rich in its tonal quality. Under the gripping direction of Dirk Joeres, the symphony becomes a first-rate sound experience” [7th] “Joeres is not influenced by any (other) styles. He conducts a classically shaped and full-blooded Seventh in which the focus is on the music, On the accompanying note, he fully explains the symphonies and his interpretive concept with a great deal of knowledge” (Pizzicato)

Symphony No.1 in C major, Op.21 [26:30]

[1] I. Allegro molto – Allegro con brio 9:21

[2] II. Andante cantabile con moto 7:44

[3] III. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace 3:44

[4] IV. Finale. Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace 5:39

Symphony No.2 in D major, Op.36 [34:35]

[5] I. Adagio – Allegro con brio 12:54

[6] II. Larghetto 11:33

[7] III. Scherzo. Allegro 3:45

[8] IV. Allegro molto 6:22

Mozart Violin Concertos Nos.4 & 5 PLUS Violin Sonata K454

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:48:12 +0000

[K.219] (his) innate musicality shone through … (he) should be heard if you don’t mind a much fuller tone in Mozart … distinguished by the beautiful phrasing of David Oistrakh, very sympathetically supported by the Dresden Orchestra and Konwitschny.” (Gramophone)
[K.218] “very romantic …a legendary violinist at his absolute peak, recorded in better sound than possible then in his own country and sympathetically supported” [K454] “a warmly cosseted account of Mozart’s great B flat Sonata, with Yampolsky providing trim pianistic support.” (Gramophone)

Violin Concerto No.4 in D, K218 [25:00]

[1] I. Allegro 9:20

[2] II. Andante cantabile 8:03

[3] III. Rondo: Andante grazioso 7:36

with Philadelphia Orchestra / Eugene Ormandy

Violin Sonata No.32 in Bb, K454 [21:27]

[4] I. Largo – Allegro 6:58

[5] II. Andante 7:48

[6] III. Allegretto 6:40

with Vladimir Yampolsky (piano)

Violin Concerto No.5 in A, K219 [29:46]

[7] I. Allegro aperto – Adagio – Allegro aperto 9:30

[8] II. Adagio 11:02

[9] III. Tempo di Menuetto – Allegro – Tempo di Menuetto 9:13

with Staatskapelle Dresden / Franz Konwitschny