Magic Flute

Antony Kalugin is a prolific musician and composer from Ukraine. His bands Karfagen, Sunchild and Hoggwash plus his solo albums has gained him many fans.

The promised British flute concertos are in somewhat short supply on this Chandos release, with only The Magic Flute Dances of contemporary composer Jonathan Dove and the Flute Concerto, Op. 36, of Lennox Berkeley starting life as such a thing. The Poulenc work included is not, of course, British at all, but was arranged by Berkeley for flute and orchestra from a sonata for flute and piano, and the William Alwyn work, although titled Concerto, was originally for the unusual ensemble of flute and eight wind instruments.

If you enjoy opera, you will surely appreciate the new twist given here to the loveliest arias and most famous overtures, as arranged by the members of "The Magic Flute Quartet." True to its vocation, the group presents the most beautiful works from the classical repertoire in a manner accessible to all.

Operatic, early-Romantic fantasias for solo flute by one of the great names of Italian opera. Laura Trapani’s previous album for Brilliant Classics brought wider renown for the sparkling flute-writing of Beethoven’s pupil Ferdinand Ries (96132). Now the Ferrara-based flautist turns her attention south to another overlooked figure of the early 19th century, Saverio Mercadante.

Magic Mozart features French singers, excellent Mozart interpreters: Sandrine Piau, Jodie Devos, Lea Desandre, Loïc Félix, Florian Sempey, Stanislas de Barbeyrac. Clever & popular Mozart program, including hit tracks from Magic Flute, Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Entführhrung aus dem Serail. Special packaging: lenticular cover with flip effect, showing Mozart emerging from behind wafts of misty clouds, depending on which angle you are looking at the cover image from. A sort of ‘enchanted Mozart Cabaret’

Magic Mozart features French singers, excellent Mozart interpreters: Sandrine Piau, Jodie Devos, Lea Desandre, Loïc Félix, Florian Sempey, Stanislas de Barbeyrac. Clever & popular Mozart program, including hit tracks from Magic Flute, Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Entführhrung aus dem Serail. Special packaging: lenticular cover with flip effect, showing Mozart emerging from behind wafts of misty clouds, depending on which angle you are looking at the cover image from. A sort of ‘enchanted Mozart Cabaret’

A case of deja entendu here, since I reviewed these performances when they originally came out. I enjoyed them then and still do, for both artists offer wit, affection and agility. One can at times think the sheer force and passion of Martha Argerich's personality a bit too obvious, not least in the C major Sonata, where Maisky characteristically sounds smoother and more persuasive.

A is for “Amadeus,” and a recording which marks a return to the source for Quatuor Zaïde, who dedicate their fourth collection to the genius Austrian composer. Z is for Zaïde, a “Singspiel” by Mozart in the style of The Magic Flute, which historical transcription for string quartet is a world premiere! Paired with the Quartet in G Major, No.14 K. 387, this miniature version of one of the most famous operas repeatedly casts each instrument of the quartet in a multitude of lyric roles, celebrating the eternal dialogue between singing and playing.