Franco Fagioli / Il Pomo D'Oro / Zefira Valova VENI VIDI VINCI

                                                                VENI VIDI VINCI

Shunske Sato / Il Pomo D'Oro / Zefira Valova BACH Violin Concertos

It was never going to be a complete surprise to find these four concertos to be an exquisitely joyous and exciting listen, when on the ticket we have Concerto Köln’s concertmaster Shunske Sato and the always sparkling Il Pomo d’Oro. Still, the degree of exquisitely joyful listening has nevertheless completely bowled me over.

So much so, in fact, that it feels a little mundane to begin with talk of tempos. However, in the context of the many steeplechase interpretations of this repertoire out there, it is worth stating at the outset that this is not one of those. By contrast, all the speeds here just feel right: unhurried, but equally brimming with energy and flow.

What really makes this recording one to treasure, though, is the degree of uncontrived personality and artistry on display. Subtle rubato is a major factor in this: playful mini-tugs that catch and tease the ear without ever interfering with the momentum. Less subtle but equally spot-on touches then include the moment in the final Allegro assai of the E major Concerto (BWV1042) when, at 1'13", Sato suddenly digs deeper into his instrument, tipping over what was already lithely dancing energy into a full-on barn-dance stomp.

Another point I can’t shout loudly enough about is the exceptional blending. In fact sometimes you almost lose track of who is who, whether it’s Sato and the Il Pomo d’Oro violins tonally weaving in and out of each other in the Allegro assai of the A minor Concerto (BWV1041) or Sato and Valova’s duetting throughout the Double Concerto. Everyone is listening to and revelling in their musical colleagues, to the extent that hierarchies are deliciously blurred. Sticking with the Double, its central Largo is a stunner: clean, poised, measured, but also highly romantic.

Then there’s the glow to the overall sound, and its little timbral presents such as, in the Largo of the G minor Concerto (BWV1056R), the gentle luminosity of the pizzicato strings and the delicate harpsichord droplets supporting Sato’s song above. Have I sold it enough? I hope so. Because really, this is properly heavenly. (Charlotte Gardner / Gramophone)

VALENTIN HADJADJ Girl

Passionate about film and film music, I decided to integrate the music class of the National Conservatory of Music in Lyon to train me. During this course, I honed my feeling about image, developed a personal musical language and worked with different animation schools like « ESIA 3D » or « La Poudrière ».

I also was awarded of the « Third Character », of the « Meridian Workshop » and « Master Class of composition » in Aubagne, but also in the artistic residency DUO, organized by « La Maison du Film Court ».

During my career, I worked on several kind of movies, with different directors by addressing a wide variety of formats : shorts films – with directors like Lukas Dhont, Ann-Julie Vervaeke, Thomas Scohy-, animated films, commercial advertisements, corporate movies and documentary films. Always open to other artistic dimensions, I dove recently into the world of Artificial Landscapes, pluridisciplinary movie putting together dance, architecture, music and video, directed by Jeremy Tran and selected among others festivals to the « Biennale de la Danse » in Lyon. I have also been led to compose several film concerts for orders, for full orchestra or smaller ensembles such as the Debussy Quartet.

In 2012, I had the pleasure of receiving the « Award for Best Young European Composer » at the World Soundtrack Awards of the FilmFestival in Ghent (Belgium), a distinction that gave me opportunity to work on many international projects : Gérard Corbiau (The King is Dancing, Farinelli) entrusted me the music of his last project, and I co-compose currently with Thomas Lauderdale -Pink Martini‘s leader- the music of the second feature film of Bavo Defurne.

In 2015, I composed the music for the animated film « April and the Extraordinary World » directed by Franck Ekinci and Christian Desmares with among others the voice of Marion Cotillard, Jean Rochefort, Olivier Gourmet and Marc-André Grondin. The film received in June the Cristal for Best Feature Film of the Annecy Film Festival. (Valentin Hadjadj)

Marcin Świątkiewicz J.S. BACH Harpsichord Concertos 1 | 2 | 3

Musical works of genius are sometimes approached as museum exhibits, and the controversies concerning interpretative freedom can even be more fierce than Scheibe’s famous polemic with Bach’s advocate Birnbaum. Full of respect for the Composer’s artistic ideas as I am, I try to understand his music in the context of a time when improvisation was universally practised. The wealth, complexity and refinement of the notation make this task more difficult, but important clues are provided by the study of versions that usually differ in these very aspects, namely – texture and ornamentation. I made up my mind to look for my own embellishments, especially in those sections that are repeated da capo, but also in the brief cadenzas. My partners in this project adopted a similar stance. We believe that this approach is closer to the Composer’s own intention than a literal reading of the score. It provides for a fuller understanding of the music and for a greater freedom of expression. (Marcin Świątkiewicz)

Franco Fagioli HANDEL Arias

Countertenor Franco Fagioli’s latest album, Handel Arias, is set to be released January 12 via Deutsche Grammophon. Recorded with specialist period-instrument ensemble Il Pomo D’Oro, the album features Fagioli’s personal selection of twelve arias from Handel’s rich and colourful operatic world including excerpts from Serse, Rinaldo and Ariodante.

“When I was recording,” Fagioli says, “it was as if I was taking snapshots of moments I wanted to capture for ever. In choosing the arias, my only criterion was this: which pieces move me the most when I sing them?” The result is a very personal selection revealing Fagioli’s deep veneration for this great Baroque composer. “Handel’s operas are a must for any countertenor,” he observes. “His inimitable style captivated both singers and audiences. You could say he was the Broadway star of the Baroque.”

Alongside highlights such as “Ombra mai fu” from Serse or the bravura aria “Venti turbini” from Rinaldo, Fagioli has also chosen miniature gems such as the radiant, ethereal “Ch’io parta?” from Partenope, or “Dopo notte” from Ariodante. Regardless of the popularity of the arias, he has arrived at his own individual interpretations with the awareness of his strengths. Fagioli was determined that the recordings should convey the emotional development of the various roles even without the context of the complete opera, and he succeeds so well in this that we hear even the most famous arias with fresh ears.

Franco Fagioli has found the perfect partners for his foray into Handel’s sound worlds in the musicians of Italian Baroque ensemble Il pomo d’oro. Since it was formed in 2012, the orchestra has been exploring the subtleties of historical performance practice and in their recordings with Fagioli its players let all the nuances of the scores shine through, showing the extraordinary, weightless beauty of his voice, with its three-octave range, to full advantage from start to finish.

The Argentinian countertenor is a dynamic performer as his vocal virtuosity brings the characters he plays to life while he harnesses his tremendous ability to express emotion. He is in his element in Handel’s colourful Baroque operas and is able to deploy his monumental talent to the utmost.