Beethoven Polish Chamber

For over twenty-five years, Nigel Kennedy has been acknowledged as one of the world's leading violin virtuosos and is one of the most important violinists Britain has ever produced. His virtuosic technique, unique talent and mass appeal have brought fresh perspectives to both the classical and contemporary repertoire. He is the best selling classical violinist worldwide.This album combines his first-ever Mozart recording with a fresh perspective on the Beethoven violin concerto he first recorded in 1992.

Beethoven’s monumental contribution to Western classical music is celebrated here in this definitive collection marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Surveying the totality of his career and achievement, the Complete Edition spans orchestral, concerto, keyboard, chamber, music for the stage, choral and vocal works, encompassing his most familiar and iconic masterpieces, alongside rarities and recently reconstructed fragments and sketches in world premiere recordings. The roster of artists and ensembles includes some of Beethoven’s greatest contemporary exponents, in performances that have won critical acclaim worldwide.

In 2018, the musicians of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio, together with the founder of the ensemble, Agnieszka Duczmal, celebrated the golden 50th anniversary of its artistic activity. For many years, the ensemble has been a recognizable showcase promoting musical culture in Poland and across the world. The new album, including three orchestral transcripts performed by Agnieszka Duczmal and Jacek Kowalewski, prompts us to take a closer look at numerous achievements of this outstanding ensemble together with its artistic director. It is worth underlining that the Amadeus Orchestra owes its undisputed world position in the chamber ensemble rankings due to numerous recordings and public performances of this kind of arrangements.

Acte Préalable continues its exploration of little-known and, up to now, unheard Polish repertoire. Their rapidly-growing catalogue contains some of the better-known Poles - Chopin being an obvious example - as well as a smattering of releases of Bartók and Beethoven. However, with the apparent embarrassment of musical riches to be found in Poland, they have chosen to stick with a continuing string of world-premiere recordings of Polish composers both new and old. Here we have what might be the final instalment of Lessel’s chamber music. Much was considered lost, and his first string quartet only one complete movement has survived was a rather recent discovery.

The Swiss pianis and music teacher, Véronique Gobet, grew up in a family where Arts are very important: her parents sing, her father Jean-François Pellaton, is a painter. She studied at Gymnase cantonal de Neuchâtel, Switzerland. After her graduation, she majored in mainly piano along with studying orchestration and conducting at the Conservatoire de Musique de Neuchâtel (diploma with mention “very good and jury's congratulations”). Later she continued her education at the Hochschule der Musik-Akademie Basel, in the class of Rolf Mäser, where she got a concert diploma. She also benefited the teaching of the following pianist Miguel Anguel Estrella, Aberto Neuman, Elisabeth Sombart, Brian Ganz.