For the Record, Op. 144: Daniel Hope' Schnittke; Itzhak Perlman's Solo Bach; Jupiter & Jasper Quartets

February 5, 2021, 4:03 PM · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!

Violinist Daniel Hope. Photo by Thomas Entzeroth.

Schnittke – Works for Violin and Piano
Daniel Hope, violin
Alexey Botvinov, piano

British violinist Daniel Hope first fell in love with Schnittke’s music as a teenager, before getting to know the German-Soviet composer personally through a series of meetings and conversations in the early 1990s. Recorded with Ukrainian pianist Alexey Botvinov, a celebrated Schnittke interpreter, Hope’s program ranges from the composer’s immediately accessible Polka and Tango to his complex First Violin Sonata, the work that first ignited the Hope’s passion for his music. "The First Sonata is a work of extremes, and I think that was part of what fascinated me. Each movement is like an encapsulation of a musical ideal: the first is Schnittke’s own take on, and dislike of, serial music; the second revisits his obsession with folk music; the third brandishes a blatant quotation of Shostakovich’s Piano Trio; and the finale presents his amalgamation of the Latin American ‘La cucaracha’ theme with all of the previously gathered material. It’s exhilarating both to perform and to listen to." BELOW: Schnittke: Tango, arranged by Andriy Rakhmanin for violin and piano:

Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin
Itzhak Perlman, violin

This re-release of Itzhak Perlman's 1986-87 recordings of the complete Bach Sonatas and Partitas gives us a chance to listen to this legendary violinist's take on some of the most important and enduring works for violin. BELOW: Perlman plays Violin Partita No. 1 in B Minor, BWV 1002: I. Allemanda:

Mendelssohn, Visconti, Golijov
Jupiter Quartet
Jasper Quartet

This new release features the world premiere recording of Dan Visconti’s Eternal Breath (2011); Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat, Op. 20 (1825); and Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round (1996). Visconti’s Eternal Breath was commissioned by family of members of the Jasper and Jupiter Quartets, and targets the album’s underlying theme of friendship, family, and joy. The Jupiter and Jasper quartets celebrate decades of deep connections that go beyond simply enjoying playing music together.

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our Thursday "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.

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For the Record, Op. 144: Daniel Hope' Schnittke; Itzhak Perlman's Solo Bach; Jupiter & Jasper Quartets

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