For the Record, Op. 305: James Ehnes; Violist Atar Arad; ARC Ensemble; Yo-Yo Ma
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 James Ehnes.
Sibelius: Works for Violin and Orchestra
James Ehnes, violin
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra; Edward Gardner, conducting
Sibelius - who entertained the prospect of a career as a professional violinist - wrote just one violin concerto. But the instrument continued to play an important role in his composing, and his numerous other works for violin and orchestra deserve attention. In this album, Canadian violinist James Ehnes presents not just the concerto, but also Sibelius's Humoresques, Op. 87 and 89, Serenades Op. 69 and his three-movement Suite Op. 117. "This project was very, very special for me," Ehnes said on his Facebook page. "To be able to record this amazing music with such great friends and frequent collaborators was truly a dream come true. Sessions were canceled three times during COVID, but we finally got it done!" BELOW: Four Humoresques, Op. 89: III. Commodo
Partita Party
Atar Arad, viola
Inspired by J.S. Bach's Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin, acclaimed Israeli violist and IU Jacobs School pedagogue Atar Arad had a little "Partita Party." Arad asked four of his friends and former students to join him in completing an all-new Partita in the same form as Bach's: Duncan Steele composed the Allemanda; Yuval Gotlibovich the Corrente; Melia Watras the Sarabanda; and Rose Wollman the Giga. The Partita concludes with Arad's own Ciaccona, which he wrote for the 2021 Hindemith International Viola Competition. The work was premiered and recorded by the composers in October 2023 at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Ind. BELOW: Atar Arad performs his Ciaccona for solo viola - the piece that inspired the "Partita Party.":
Chamber Works by Frederick Block
ARC Ensemble
Canada's ARC Ensemble (Artists of The Royal Conservatory) presents the eighth in its "Music in Exile" series with a new album of chamber pieces by the Jewish-Viennese composer Frederick Block. It is the first commercial recording of the composer’s works, hidden gems that richly deserve inclusion in the mainstream classical repertoire. This continues their mission to recover masterpieces that have been suppressed or marginalized due to war, repression and antisemitism.BELOW: Frederick Block: Piano Quintet, Op. 19: II. Andante moderato
Merci
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Kathryn Stott, piano
Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott began recording together in 1985, and their collaborations includes Soul of the Tango and Obrigado Brazil, each of which won a Grammy Award for "Best Classical Crossover Album." This album is inspired by the French composer Gabriel Fauré, following "the arcs of his inspiration and influence, from the creations of his teacher Camille Saint-Saëns and his friend and supporter Pauline Viardot to works by his student Nadia Boulanger and her sister, Lili." Surrounding the album release, Ma and Stott will perform a recital tour in Europe (click here for their schedule.) BELOW: Sicilienne, Op. 78 by Gabriel Fauré:
Viola Concertos by York Bowen and William Walton
Diyang Mei, viola
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Brett Dean, conducting
Both William Walton and Edwin York Bowen had the renowned violist Lionel Tertis in mind when they composed the concertos on this album. Violist Diyang Mei, first principal violist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, has been steadily advancing his international career since his first place win at the ARD International Music Competition in 2018. Conductor Brett Dean is also a violist and a composer. BELOW: York Bowen's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra Op. 25: I. Allegro assai.
If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "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.
You might also like:
- For the Record, Op. 304: Ray Chen's 'Player 1'; London Chamber Ensemble Quartet
- For the Record, Op. 303: Harlem Quartet; Darshan Trio; Yuuko Shiokawa
- For the Record, Op. 301: Antje Weithaas; violist Amihai Grosz; Arun Ramamurthy Trio
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Replies
Richard, It's quite lush, and yet the viola really comes out, in a wonderful way.
I love Arad's tone! What's his viola?
Paul, Arad's bio states: "Atar Arad plays on a viola by Niccolo Amati (the 'Arad') and uses a set of PI strings, made by Thomastik."
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October 24, 2024 at 10:34 PM · The York Bowen concerto is a firework! I don't think I've given this composer a second thought since meeting something he'd written for beginners, with a title like A Windy Day or Happy Fiesta, this somewhere like 1964. Perhaps there's more to be discovered?