Description

Franz Liszt was one of the most important figures in the history of nineteenth-century music. As a virtuoso, he revolutionized piano technique, introducing many ideas that vastly extended the instrument’s tonal potential. Not least in order to escape the gossip in the French capital, Liszt and his companion spent several years in Switzerland and Italy. Starting from Geneva, where he taught and performed, Liszt undertook several tours of Switzerland. He recorded his impressions in twelve piano pieces and published them as Album d’un voyageurin 1835. Then, basing himself in Rome, he travelled through Italy from 1837 to 1839 and again turned his impressions into compositions. Some twenty years later, long after his separation from the countess, Liszt published Années de Pèlerinage(years of pilgrimage), a thoroughly revised and expanded form of his musical diaries.

Born in 1978 in Vienna, the pianist and conductor Florian Krumpöck is designated General Music Director designate and Principal Conductor of the North German Philharmonic Orchestra and the municipal theatre in Rostock. He gave a highly acclaimed solo debut at the Vienna Musikverein in 2008, playing two complete cycles of 32 piano sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven for the first time.

The German piano manufacturer Blüthner has provided him with his own concert grand for life, and the instrument accompanies him on tours and to recordings.

To date, Florian Krumpöck has released six CDs featuring solo performances of works by Mozart, Schubert, Liszt and Weber.

Description

WORLD PREMIER RECORDING OF ALL BEETHOVEN’S CELLO SONATAS ON DOUBLE BASS (Volume 1)

In 1799 Beethoven himself played the piano part in his Sonata in G minor, Opus 5, no. 2 with the greatest double bass player of the day, Domenico Dragonetti. This fact made a strong impression on me even as a boy, and I dreamed that one day I too might play a Beethoven sonata on the double bass.
Beethoven’s work decisively shaped my musical development and career. I was sixteen years old when I first played a Beethoven symphony, his Seventh, in an orchestra. His music moved me profoundly, and I began to fall utterly and passionately in love with it.

Because of their high level of musical sophistication and the technical difficulties they pose, Beethoven’s works present a formidable challenge to any interpreter. For me, with my innate tendency to perfectionism, there was no question of a superficial approach to the sonatas. Accordingly, even after my first success playing Beethoven’s Sonata in A major, Opus 69 on the double bass in the year 2000, I immersed myself deeply in the details of style and technique and in perfecting my approach, until I arrived at the present outcome. Only at this point, after more than ten years, did I feel that I was sufficiently mature to take on this great project and realize my dream. I was now ready to perform all of Beethoven’s cello sonatas on the double bass.

I hope many people will experience my interpretation of these sublime works as a personal and enriching gift that enables them to feel this music even more profoundly than before.

Description

This recording presents Schubert’s famous Arpeggione Sonata, together with several other works by Central European composers. The theme “Central Europe” thus threads right through. Why did I select this programme? Aside from my love for the works of Franz Schubert, I am particularly attracted by the music of central and eastern Europe.
Dvorák, Janácek, Martinu and Bartók composed a whole series of works for cello and piano. Fascinated by their tonal language, which was greatly influenced by the folk songs of their respective countries, I have long cherished the idea of recording these works.
The relationship of Schubert’s music to the works of these composers from the neighbouring countries is interesting in many respects. Apart from Prague and Budapest, Schubert’s city of Vienna is both geographically and culturally one of the important cultural centres of central Europe and Schubert’s work undoubtedly influenced the other composers. The programmatic transition from Schubert to Dvorák and then Janácek is of special interest, above all as far as the poetic statement of their works is concerned. Dvorák and Martinu represent Bohemia, Janácek Moravia and Bartók Hungary.This present recording therefore takes the listener on a journey through eastern Central Europe, from Vienna via Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia to Transylvania.For me personally it also represents a review of the many years of musical collaboration with my wife Olimpia Tolan, for which I am immensely grateful.Adam Mital

Description

Bach displays a notable awareness of a career success and public acclaim in these, his most important and best loved works for keyboard. Whilst playing down the less popular contrapuntal and melodically orientated elements of the “gallant” style, Back seems to favour a more instrumentally-oriented style of virtuosic writing. It was, after all, Bach’s prerogative to defend and to build on his high reputation as one of Germany’s preeminent keyboard players. The exact date of composition of these works is not known. In light of the works’ salient characteristics, it seems likely that they were collated and prepared for publication in the late 1970s, even though some of the works may have been composed at an earlier date. This coincides with Bach’s taking over of the “Collegium Musicum” in Leipzig in 1729, after which Bach turned increasingly towards instrumental composition.

Miku Nishimoto-Neubert was born in Tokyo, Japan , learned piano from an early age and began her formal studies at the University for Music and Art in Tokyo.

She has received several prizes at international piano competitions, among them 1st prize at the “Concurso Internacional de Musica Cidade do Porto“ in Portugal in 1997 and a finalists` prize at the “Clara Haskil Competition“ in Vevey. She won in 1998 the 3rd prize (no first prize was awarded) at the “Johann Sebasian Bach Competition“ in Leipzig. Miku Nishimoto-Neubert is committed both to solo work with appearances in Germany, Austria, Portugal, Canada and Japan as well as to collaboration with singers and instrumentalists. She appears regularly in Song Recitals with well-known singers, most recently with Nadja Michael, whom she accompanied for her scenic Song Recitals during the “2010 Wiener Festwochen”. Since 2002 she has held a position as piano accompanist at the College of Music.

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.