Description

For some years now, the world of music has been marvelling at the technical skill of pianists who are dubbed a “Wunderkind” in early life, and presented as such on the international stage. Today’s star pianists like Mikhail Pletnev, Boris Berezovsky, Nikolai Lugansky, Arkadi Volodos and Lang Lang were all acknowledged to have outstanding talent at the age of about 16 to 18.

Looking back at the precision and dedication of the young Nikolai (Kolya) Tokarev when he was performing concerts at 14 or 15, we can only rejoice and marvel at his virtuosity!

Even in his early teens, the young Kolya Tokarev would play recitals featuring Liszt’s Etudes d’exécution transcendante (all12 of them!), transcriptions of operas like Rigoletto, Tannhäuser and Reminiscenses de Don Juan, as well as the Grandes Etudes de Paganini, the concert study Waldesrauschen and the Mephisto Waltz No. 1

To expect a thirteen-year-old pianist to perform this repertoire in public would be utterly unrealistic without an absolutely fantastic, one could almost say unique technical and musical grounding. His grandfather was and his father still is an outstanding concert pianist, his grandmother was a violinist, and his mother is an exceptional cellist. Yet what would such talent have been worth had it not been for his attendance at one of the best piano schools in the world – in his native Russia.

The present recordings of the 13- and 14-year-old Nikolai Tokarev, made for his first concert tours to Japan in 1997/1998 and 2000, demonstrate his talent in a most impressive manner.

Description

As one who is devotedly and professionally committed to these ancient melodies over six decades, no words can express my overwhelming and emotional feelings listening to this vibrant and exceptionally talented young artist. Orsolya Korcsolan’s versatile artistry is unusual in quality, emotional warmth and in brilliant movement tempered with dignity. Certainly her skill and talent put her amongst the truly great young violinists of her generation.

This album will indeed be a unique addition to the collectors of classical music who appreciate genuine performing arts.

Cantor Moshe Stern

All but one of the composers represented on this disc were Jewish and all were born in Europe. Some remained there throughout their lives, often suffering the persecution of the Jews which was virtuallyendemic until it reached its ultimate depravity under the Nazis, while others fled, some to safer European countries but most across the Atlantic to the USA.

Vienna-based violinist Orsolya Korcsolan is one of the most versatile classical musicians of her generation. Discovered at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and supported throughout her early carrier by Sir George Solti, praised by TIME magazine journalist Jeremy Caplan, the Juilliard alumna won numerous awards in New York before settling in the heart of the European music world. He technical command and warm, compelling sound, combined with her spirit and elegant stage presence, have captured audiences around the word since her debut in New York`s Paul Hall.

Description

In 2011, Cello Duello will celebrate its 20 years on stage. Jens Peter Maintz and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt studied together in the class of Prof. David Geringas in Lübeck, Germany. Finding of necessity, for a marathon concert of a master class by a teacher, a closure piece, machined, the duo of Paganini Moses Fantasy – the birth of Cello Duello!

Cello Duello a highly entertaining and yet artistically demanding concert schedule presents original compositions from the Baroque and early classical works on various highly romantic Cello-virtuosos or mostly cello-playing composers such as David Popper and Jacques Offenbach, to commissioned works about by Jan Müller-Wieland. In addition, own arrangements are a central program content. The remaining three, for example, arrangements of Paganini’s Moses Fantasy and the famous Passacaglia by Handel-Halvorsen for two cellos from the Duello – pen.

2011 Cello Duello will go with two double concertos on tour – the Double Concerto and a Cello Duello Julius Klengel dedicated new cello concerto by Soren Nils Eichberg.

Description

Since 2003, Benjamin Engeli is besides his solo career a founding member of the famous Tecchler Trio, which is one of today’s leading chamber music ensembles. Being the 1st Prize winner at the International ARD Music Competition in Munich 2007, they have been performing in venues such as Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall London, Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow, Herkulessaal Munich, Konzerthaus Vienna or Tonhalle Zurich and have conducted numerous radio- and CD-recordings. Engeli is also one out of the 4 pianists of the Gershwin Piano Quartet. The new solo CD was recorded in October 2009 at the Rolston Recital Hall, The Banff Centre, in Canada. Engeli moved there for half a year to fully concentrate in the solitude of the forests on these recordings. These sonatas require a high degree of playful skill.

For example the Sonata op. 106:

“After only a few lines, we become aware that not only does this work distinguish itself from all the Master’s other creations by the wealth and grandeur of its invention, but it can be said to herald a new era in his piano compositions.“It was with these words that the Sonata Op 106 was introduced to the world; and indeed it is one of the weightiest and most complex of all works for the piano. Its title “Hammerklavier“ can hardly refer to the rather puny pianoforte Beethoven had at his disposal in the 1820`s, but is rather a testament to the works penetrating power. Th perfection of structure and profundity of expression have seldom if ever been matched. Beethoven himself declared it to be “the greatest work I have as yet written“ and, commenting on the difficulties added “I have given the pianists a sonata which will keep them more than busy, so that it will still be played in 50 years from now!“

Description

More than the monumental length of Schubert’s OPUS 100 has made the work not only a highlight in the history of music but also as the apogee of the piano trio genre. Getting to grips with this work may feel likeplanning an ascent of Mount Everest. But for a recently established ensemble to undertake this work for their first CD recording is like actually making the ascent of Everest itself. And we are also going without our oxygen supply, having taken the audacious decision to ignore the usual cuts the composer authorised and to play all the repeats in full, in an effort to savour Schubert’s proverbial “heavenly length” all the more. The recording of Schubert’s “small” piano sonata in A major op. 120 was made nearly ten years earlier, in June 2001. Like the E flat major trio, this work is not dependent on dialectically confined contrasts of mood or detailed motivic work. Its themes are not polar opposites but rather recurrences of the same idea. It is this kind of expressive ambiguity that makes Schubert a real romanticist and distinguishes him from the classically bipolar thinking of Beethoven.

Description

“I am recording this particular program because of my love to baroque music. When the possibility of the recording came, I just tried to find out my favourite pieces from the French and Italian Repertoire, and it came out on this really great combination. We record three Italian sonatas and three French pieces, trying to show the similarities and differences between both styles. In that time, musicians were already travelling around Europe searching for new style influences to enrich themselves and their art. All of the six pieces are perfect examples of the french and Italian style, with their particularities but also their common points.”
Ramón Ortega Quero

Ramón Ortega Quero received solid training from Miguel Quirós early on at the conservatory of his native city of Granada. Quero became a member of the Andalusian Youth Orchestra as a twelve-year-old. In 2003, the oboist cleared an important hurdle when conductor Daniel Barenboim accepted him as a member of the East-West Divan Orchestra. Since joining the orchestra, Ramón Ortega Quero has remained an enthusiastic member in rehearsal and at many concert appearances. Gregor Witt,Principal Oboe of Barenboim’s Berliner Staatskapelle, took the gifted young man under his wing and act as a mentor in his artistic development. One of Ramón Ortega Quero’s finest hours was winning First Prize at the ARD Music Competition held in Munich in September 2007. Members of the jury were thoroughly impressed by the inspiration and flawless play of the prize-winning soloist in both compulsory and optional pieces, including the Mozart and Richard Strauss concertos.Since Spring 2008, he has also been Principal Oboe of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under its Principal Conductor Mariss Jansons.

Description

The music of Alexander Rosenblatt combines classical forms and methods with jazzy vintage features (harmonies, rhythms, melodic lines). Anchored as it is in the classical tradition, his music cannot be considered a “jazzy stream”. Rosenblatt’s key message to performers of his music is: ”Please don’t pretend you are jazz PLAYERS!” Whatever the genre (sonata, fantasy, instrumental concerto etc) Rosenblatt’s music always reveals a highly romantic approach.

The two good friends Tokarev and Rosenblatt make music already for a very long time with one another. For the first time here Tokarev plays on this CD both Rosenblatt’s own compositions and its already several times highly praised arrangements. Rosenblatt is also an excellent pianist, as we can hear on the track “Concertino on Two Russian Themes for 4 hands“, which he plays together with Nikolai Tokarev.

In April 2007, Nikolai Tokarev released his first piano recital featuring works by Schubert, Chopin and Alexander Rosenblatt. He received the German Echo Classical 2008 award as Best Newcomer (piano). On his current CD Nikolai Tokarev plays the Piano Concerto in A minor by Grieg and the Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor by Chopin.

Tokarev about the track „Paganini’s Variations“: The pianist must have a distinct, precise feeling for rhythm when playing this work, even in the slow variation, for example, where a degree of free phrasing is allowed. I hope that everyone who listens to the work will derive similar pleasure to that of the performer playing it. I am absolutely sure that these Variations bear comparison with such famous compositions based on themes by Paganini such as those by Liszt, Brahms and Rakhmaninov.