A A Friend in London

Hausmusik’s performance of the Mendelssohn Octet comes with the advantage of a sensibly steady tempo for the famous scherzo, allowing for maximum transparency and lightness; and a dazzling finale in which for once the cello’s first scurrying fugal entry sounds crystal clear. The First String Quintet, and the Op. 13 Quartet – Mendelssohn’s homage to the late quartets of the recently deceased Beethoven – are also miraculous products of the composer’s teenage years. The Quintet is quite beautifully done here, but the Quartet, like the late Quintet, Op. 87, is rather lacking in tension and urgency. Woldemar Bargiel was Schumann’s brother-in-law. For all its obvious weaknesses, his Octet contains some attractive ideas, and Divertimenti’s performance makes a strong case for it. Divertimenti is impressive in the Mendelssohn, too – though its finale is not quite as exhilarating as Hausmusik’s; and in the last resort neither group can quite match the élan of the ASMF Chamber Ensemble.

What are the essentials of powerful musical expression? We believe a soulful black female voice and a virtuoso acoustic guitar. Provided they are of the caliber of Friend 'n Fellow. Depth, class and entertainment from an exceptional duo that plays so efficiently that they actually should be called a "band" with their incredible dynamics and emotionality. The names of these two experienced musicians are: Constanze Friend (vocals) studied modern voice in Weimar. .

"The chamber music on this album is unified with a focus on string scorings and a connection between me and the late Arnold Rosner, a friend and colleague whose works it has been a privilege to be involved in curating. From the deeply dark intensity of Rosner's 6th quartet to the luminous passion of my piano trio, I hope that the wide variety of emotional moods explored in this collection of pieces may provide for an enriching listening experience." (Carson Cooman) "Simply World Class" is the description made by the German press of the London Piano Trio. For the past 20 years the London Piano Trio have been touring, recording, and teaching across the globe to rave reviews. Upcoming tours include a 10 city tour of China in 2020 and a Far East Tour in 2021. At home they have been described as a "National Treasure". They were artists in residence at the Gibbs Music Festival from 2008 - 2014 and from 2014 - 2016 had a residency at St John's Smith Square in London, featuring a critically acclaimed 2015 Beethoven Cycle and are artists in residence at the Festival Jalesnes, Venantes, France.

Talk about forgotten composers! Marcos Portugal (1762-1830) composed some 50 operas, all of which have disappeared. This present one was premiered in 1797 in Venice but the version recorded is one that was reassembled for Lisbon in 1804. Shorn of what I can only assume were the quasi-endless recitatives that were in style at that time in farces, what we get is 69 minutes of delightful music that makes you want to hear more of this Portuguese composer. Rossini might've been pleased with the plot about two women, one a Countess and the other a peddler, who have their identities switched by a playful magician/pilgrim and who wind up better for it (and their husbands) when all is set right.

At the end of an overlong day laden with teaching and other duties, Edward Elgar lit a cigar, sat at his piano and began idling over the keys. To amuse his wife, the composer began to improvise a tune and played it several times, turning each reprise into a caricature of the way one of their friends might have played it or of their personal characteristics. "I believe that you are doing something which has never been done before," exclaimed Mrs. Elgar. Thus was born one of music's great works of original conception, and Elgar's greatest large-scale "hit": the Enigma Variations. The enigma is twofold: each of the 14 variations refers to a friend of Elgar's, who is depicted by the nature of the music, or by sonic imitation of laughs, vocal inflections, or quirks, or by more abstract allusions.