Entering the Café Zimmermann in Leipzig in the 1730s, it was not uncommon to be able to attend concerts organized by the famous Johann Sebastian Bach surrounded by his sons and friends. On the menu: coffee, liqueurs and pastries, sonatas and concerti! During the summer, escaping the heat, amateurs and virtuosos gathered in the gardens of the Porte de Grimma to enjoy the mildness of the evening. By offering new transcriptions for two harpsichords of concertos by Bach and Vivaldi, Loris Barrucand and Clément Geoffroy invite us to renew our view of this music which is by turns scholarly and flamboyant. Under the lime trees of Leipzig, a cup of coffee in hand, the great Bach awaits you!
The discovery of Rebel’s (1666-1747) Dance Symphonies, a genre mixing dance and pantomime in which the narration is delivered by the dancer alone, was a defining moment in the passion of harpsichordist duo Loris Barrucand and Clément Geoffroy. Rebel, the author of a single Lyric Tragedy, Ulysse (1703), and Elémens (1737) a suite of symphonies famed for its initial Chaos, was first and foremost a composer of symphonies that were made to be danced. Among them is Les Caractères de la Danse (1715), an uninterrupted succession of fourteen dances that enjoyed a dazzling success. Remaining faithful to his time, Rebel intended for them to be played “like a piece on the harpsichord”. So why not two? The mastery of four virtuoso hands brings the two historic harpsichords of the Château de Versailles alive, playing them as a duet for the first time.
These young musicians from Egypt, Turkey, Portugal and Italy bridge the distance between the shores and sonic worlds of a rapidly changing region. Their first album, recorded in Paris, blends both timbres and backgrounds in a unique artistic collaboration with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, supported by Abu Dhabi Festival. The composition process is a compromise between the written score — the notes on the stave — with an exclusively oral tradition, in which the theme is developed only by those taking part, first by listening to it and then by repeating it. Their music is influenced by the folk music of each country and by much improvisation and jazz, and uses melodies from the European classical tradition blended with rhythms and instruments of the Middle East.
Borodin’s First Symphony isn’t especially interesting, but his Second is a masterpiece, tightly constructed, brilliantly orchestrated, and tunefully delightful. It’s really the only work of its period to rank with the symphonies of Tchaikovsky (along with, possibly, Balakirev’s First), and Tjeknavorian’s performance of it, indeed of all three works, is outstanding. He doesn’t fuss with or manipulate tempos or textures, preferring instead to keep the music moving energetically and allowing the musicians of the National Philharmonic to inject as much color and vitality as possible. The scherzo flashes by like lightning, the slow movement is aptly seductive, and the finale dazzles. As I suggested, the other two works are less obviously successful, but the performances are no less adept. Produced by Charles Gerhardt, we can expect fine sonics, and that’s just what RCA delivers. In this music, you won’t find better.
The contemporary Armenian symphonic music is almost entirely monopolized by Aram Khachaturian. This CD brings forward a number of hitherto unknown composers. I was particularly delighted to see among them Gregory Yeghiazarian, an exceptionally talented composer and a brilliant orchestrator. My only regret is that the CD does contain any pieces by Avet Terterian, probably the only contemporary Armenian composer who does not belong to Khachaturian's 'school'. By Arman Akopian
Despite no doubt dedicated performances, this recording of Khachaturian's Piano Concerto, Sonatina, and Toccata are distinctly disappointing. Part of the responsibility for this is pianist Alberto Portugheis, who plays with plenty of panache but not enough power and nowhere near enough precision. Part of the responsibility is conductor Loris Tjeknavorian, who leads the London Symphony Orchestra in a tepid accompaniment to the Piano Concerto with especially grave ensemble and intonation problems in the slow movement. Part of the responsibility is AVS, which gives Portugheis, Tjeknavorian, and the LSO distant and dismal recorded sound. But most of the responsibility is the incontrovertible fact that William Kapell recorded the Khachaturian Piano Concerto at the height of his powers and, after that awesome achievement, any merely dedicated performance cannot help but sound distinctly disappointing.
This really could have been a collectors item! Music from the Caucasus, performed by an Armenian Orchestra, led by a renowned ethnic-Armenian conductor from Iran. Who better to present these folk-inspired works from this ancient crossroads? Loris Tjeknavorian may not be a household name, but he has built a very successful worldwide career over several decades in both the USSR/Russia and the West…. ByMatteoD