François Lazarevitch TELEMANN 12 Fantasias for Solo Flute

‘The reserve collections of the Bibliothèque Royale of Brussels hold the sole printed copy of Telemann’s Twelve Fantaisies for solo flute. . . . These fantasias considerably enrich the slender corpus of Baroque works for flute without bass, alongside two other gems, the Partita of J. S. Bach and the Sonata in A minor of C. P. E. Bach. A cycle for solo flute of this kind, arranged by tonalities (the twelve that come most naturally to the instrument) and rising gradually from the key of A to that of G, is unique in the repertory. . . . These fantasias, each with its own mood, are miniatures consisting of a succession of three or four movements in the same key. All of them have in common the concision, the formal brevity and the rapid alternation of their movements. Telemann plays on effects of contrast and surprise by switching between opposing characters and tempi.

‘The open form of the fantasia offers the composer an ideal field of freedom and expression for his inexhaustible imagination. A fervent champion of the réunion des goûts (mixed style) embracing German, Italian, French and Polish tastes, Telemann covered all the genres, national styles and compositional idioms of his time.’ (François Lazarevitch)

Juliette Hurel / Hélène Couvert DEBUSSY - JOLIVET - MESSIAEN - DUTILLEUX - HERSANT - DUSAPIN - TANGUY - VARESE

This is a CD only a flutist could love: It is heavy on the solo repertoire and comprised entirely of “new” music. Juliette Hurel makes obvious choices such as pairing Syrinx and Densité 21.5 as disc openers, both of which she plays well, though the latter could use a little more vehemence, more force. She also closes the disc with three solo offerings, which is a lot of flute-alone for anyone (save for other flutists) to take in a single listening. Pascal Dusapin’s I Pesci is comprised of three short and sweet movements, and Hurel plays all of them beautifully if not a little to carefully–she seems determined to make every solo sound “pretty” rather than exploring the flute’s more dramatic expressive possibilities. Only when it comes to Phillipe Hersant’s Cinq Miniatures, each of whose five movements is intended to evoke a particular kind of non-Western flute style, does she allow her tone to vary.

The three accompanied works are worth a serious listen. Dutilleux’s 1943 Sonatine is delightfully spry and fiendishly difficult, challenges that Hurel and pianist Helene Couvert attack with frothy élan. Perhaps being spurred on a little by a musical cohort draws a less dark, more focused sound from Hurel. She and Couvert make short work of Jolivet’s furious Chant de Linos but fare not so well on Messiaen’s Merle Noir, where the tone of the two players seems mismatched, as if they are working at cross-purposes. The recording is intimate and focused, allowing the flute to sound beautiful but never shrill. (Classics Today)

Juliette Hurel / Hélène Couvert À L'AUBE DU ROMANTISME

Juliette Hurel's 2013 album on Naïve explores pieces for flute and piano by Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, evoking the period between Classicism and early Romanticism. Perhaps the subtlest work of the program is Beethoven's Flute Sonata in B flat major, WoO A4, written in 1790 and fashioned under the influence of Haydn. Its sunny disposition and light textures are periodically interrupted by unexpected key changes and sudden digressions into the minor, characteristics that anticipate Beethoven's later development and mark it as a transitional work. His Serenade for flute and piano, Op. 41, is an arrangement of the Serenade for flute, violin, and viola, Op. 25, and it has a similar, if sometimes deceptive, air of Classical simplicity, which is all the more apparent because of the brevity of the movements. Only Schubert's Variations on a Theme from Die schöne Müllerin is unequivocally Romantic, and its sudden changes of mood and key make it the most fascinating piece on the disc. Hurel and her accompanist Hélène Couvert play with grace and refinement, and their performances display expressive flexibility and technical control, particularly by balancing the poise and cheerfulness of the Beethoven pieces with the melancholy mood and volatility of Schubert's variations. Naïve's reproduction is clear and bright, with considerable presence. (Blair Sanderson)

Similia FANTASIA For Flute and Guitar

Named “world’s best flute and guitar duo” by Classical Guitar Magazine UK, Similia has recorded 4 CDs under the Analekta label (Cantabile, Nota del Sol, Fantasia, Dolce Vita). Winners of the coveted Félix Award for Best Instrumental Album of the Year awarded by ADISQ (Quebec Recording Industry Association) in 2004 for Nota del Sol, Similia was also nominated in 2006 ADISQ’s Félix Award for Best Classical Recording for their Fantasia CD. For 15 years, Similia has gained international recognition by providing nearly 500 concerts in 13 different countries including Japan, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Mexico, Guatemala, United States and Canada.

 They recently sold out the Palais Montcalm at their world premiere of the Concerto tradicionuevo by Patrick Roux under the direction of Yoav Talmi and accompanied by the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. Annie also interpreted the Concerto de Aranjuez (Adagio) by Joaquin Rodrigo and Nadia the orchestral version of the Brilliant Fantasy on Carmen by François Borne. Similia also payed with the Kamloops Symphony under the direction of Bruce Dunn.

Celebrated for their elegant and refined music-making, Similia has received many prizes and accolades.

With their alluring interpretations, the duo explores the flute and guitar repertoire with passion and impeccable musical flair, sometimes adding new and dazzling dimensions to standards with their own arrangements. And while they perform the classical repertoire with brio, the pair enjoys discovering new musical horizons. Whether playing Latin American music or works by contemporary composers, Similia thrives to charm music lovers with melodious musical selections and genuine passion.

Their artistic vision and mission is to give life to the evocative voice of the flute and guitar ensemble and to expand its musical repertoire. 

Andrea Oliva - Angela Hewitt BACH Flute Sonatas

Andrea Oliva has been described by Sir James Galway as “one of the best flautists of his generation”. So when Hyperion matched him with the label’s megastar Angela Hewitt for this recording of six of Bach’s solo flute sonatas, the results were bound to be special.

And special they are, from the flowing and elegant piano introduction to the E-flat BWV1031 that opens the disc, to the bubbling finale of the B Minor Sonata, the most popular work of the set. This is a recording that deserves high rotation – repeated visits will yield a trove of treasures from two performers whose styles meld together perfectly, whether it’s in the simple Siciliana from the E-Flat Sonata, surely one of the loveliest little tunes by Bach, or Oliva’s prodigious breath control and faultless fingering in the rapid-fire runs of the BWV1033 Allegro.

There is still doubt about the provenance of some of the seven flute sonatas attributed to Johann Sebastian. It’s now generally accepted that the G Minor BWV1020 – featured on this disc – was in fact written by his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, who certainly made copies of the works. (One that he attributes to his father, the C Minor also on this disc, survives in his own hand.) Other scholars believe that one of Bach the elder’s pupils may have contributed to the keyboard part of the C Minor piece. Bach’s life and works remain a rich source of speculation for academics: witness the recent theory that the Cello Suites may have been composed by Bach’s wife Anna Magdalena, not merely copied out by her. 

Whatever the case, do we really care? The music speaks for itself in all its glory. And these sonatas show the composer at his most engaging, always challenging the performer but at the same time delighting the listener. Hewitt fans – and they are legion – will be delighted at her return to Bach. Her monumental journey through his keyboard works has rightly been described as “one of the record glories of our age”.

It’s interesting to compare this recording with a recent re-release on the same label of English flautist Lisa Beznosiuk’s complete 2002 set, featuring harpsichord and cello accompaniment. That excellent recording has an air of authenticity, whereas the Oliva/Hewitt musical offering breathes freshness and exciting possibilities. It’s the difference between entering a museum and walking into an art gallery. 

(Limelight Magazine)