Jacob van Eyck (around 1590 – 1657) is one of the most important musicians of the 17th century in the Netherlands. After making a name for himself as a carillonneur with his improvements to several carillons in the Netherlands, he was put in charge of the bells of all parish churches and the town hall in Utrecht in 1628 and was given the title "Director of the Bell Works". His recorder playing, which he showed in public parks and in the Utrecht churchyard, has come down to us in several prints. The "FLUYTEN LUST-HOF" (printed 1649/1654) is to this day the most extensive collection in European music history with works for a recorder solo. In addition to some free forms, this is a collection of variations on song and dance melodies that were well known at the time, which owe their special status to van Eyck's virtuoso art of improvisation. The "FLUYTEN LUST-HOF" includes almost 150 works.
Dvorák’s Violin Concerto has been undergoing a renaissance of sorts on disc, one that it entirely deserves. Its critics (starting with Joachim and Brahms) dismissed it for not adopting the usual sonata-form first movement structure, instead welding the truncated opening to the gorgeous slow movement. But really, how many violin concertos are there where you can really say that the best, most characterful and highly developed movement is the finale? And what could possibly be bad about that? Clearly Fischer and Suwanai understand where the music’s going: the performance gathers steam as it proceeds, and really cuts loose in that marvelous last movement. Suwani displays a characteristically polished technique and fine intonational ear (lending a lovely purity of utterance to the slow movement), but she’s not afraid to indulge in some “down and dirty” gypsy fiddling in the finale, or in the two Sarasate items that open the program.
This Bartered Bride ’s acting and singing is generally of a high level. Lucia Popp was caught at a perfect time for this role. She’d gradually been developing her voice into a larger, more dramatic instrument, and here displays a lyric’s warmth with the power of a spinto. She clearly enjoys the challenge of the only serious aria in the entire work (in act III; performed in German as “Wie fremd und tot”), providing many fine interpretative points and a great deal of tonal variety. The audience goes wild, as well they might.
Don’t be fooled by those well-known portraits of Saint-Saëns the bearded éminence grise—the two symphonies recorded here are the work of the young Camille, spreading his compositional wings and displaying a technical fluency far beyond his teenage years. In between, a certain musical menagerie roars, clucks, brays and squawks for attention.
These musical sketches dedicated to the American Southwest. A journey to magic powerspots deep in the Havasu Canyon, to ghost towns along the Turquoise Trail where time stands still. This spiritual journey merges with Frank's excellent instrumental abilities to compose a tender and moody piece of music with a very dense and gripping atmosphere. Sparingly used synthesizers add colour, the occasionally used percussion offers a gentle rhythmical hold and enhanced is the overall feeling of "well-being" by some brilliantly playing studio musicians on sax and live-percussion, adding a touch of sparkle where it is needed.
Robert Schumann wrote some of the greatest works ever written for piano, four hands. Martha Fischer and Bill Lutes turn in beautiful performances of this great music.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous Lieder (art song) performers of the post-war period, best known as a singer of Franz Schubert's Lieder, particularly "Winterreise" of which his recordings with accompanist Gerald Moore and Jörg Demus are still critically acclaimed half a century after their release.
This 2006 production from the Zurich Opera is a traditional one by Nicolas Joël in veteran Ezio Frigerio's wonderfully evocative, highly coloured sets. Then Adám Fischer in the pit leads a remarkably strong yet subtle account of the score, which – when played and sung like this – is once more revealed as one of Verdi's greatest masterpieces. Four of the principals easily surpass their DVD rivals. Stemme offers a deeply considered, expressive and superbly sung Aida, one for whom the work's vocal perils do not seem to exist. Add to that acting that goes to the heart of the matter, and one is left breathless in admiration after so many sopranos not truly fitted to the part. Licitra has done nothing better than his Radames here. At last fulfilling his potential, he sings the role with an open-hearted sincerity and a heroic voice up to the part's exigent demands.