ELISABETH SCHUMANN - Icon : Silver Thread of Song (2011) 6xCD BOX-SET / MONO / APE (image+.cue), lossless

The German soprano Elisabeth Schumann was one of the finest lyric sopranos of the 20th Century. She made her professional debut in Hamburg in 1909 and died in 1952, having given her last public concert the previous year. In 1985 the eminent vocal expert Alan Blyth wrote of her: ‘No artist so endeared herself to her public as Elisabeth Schumann. The charm of her manner is legendary; so is the attraction of her slivery voice and outgiving style. Whether in her operatic portrayals, her Lieder or her operetta offerings, she captivated her audiences.’

CDs 1 and 2 contain an unrivalled collection of Schumann's famous recordings of songs by Franz Schubert, the centrepiece of which is Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (‘The Shepherd on the Rock’) with Reginald Kell as the distinguished clarinet soloist. Every one of these songs is illuminated by the singer's unique style of vocal clarity and brightness as well as rhythmic bouyancy and spontaniety.

CD 3 brings together a number of Elisabeth Schumann's recordings of songs by her namesake Robert Schumann, including the famous cycle for female voice: Frauenliebe und-leben. Also on this CD are a group of songs by Brahms including several from the delightful ‘49 Deutsche Volkslieder’

CD 4 begins with Schumann's elegant performances of several soprano pieces by Bach and Handel, which are followed by a variety of contrasting works by Mozart including the main arias for Susanna and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and both of Zerlina's solos from Don Giovanni. The Mozart programme continues with an engaging performance of the ‘Alleluja’ from Exsultate, jubilate, a small group of songs and then finally the Benedictus from Mozart’s final work, the moving Requiem in D minor.

CD 5 is a mixed Lieder recital starting with songs by Haydn and Beethoven, then a collection of Hugo Wolf and ending with a group of Richard Strauss compositions, all touched by Schumann's own personal vocal magic.
The final CD opens with three extracts from Der Rosenkavalier that amply demonstrate Elisabeth Schumann's radiant interpretation of Sophie that was acclaimed in theatres around the world. Then we hear Schumann gloriously floating the soprano line in the Quintet from Die Meistersinger, followed by a collection of charming English songs, all sung with impeccable pronunciation. The disc ends with some of the most entertaining performances of arias from Viennese operettas ever put on record that will guarantee to bring a smile of delight to even the most critical listener.

 

JOSEPH HAYDN : Piano Trios XV:14, 18, 21, 26 & 31 (Trio Wanderer) (2018) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Haydn's keyboard trios were written in response to commercial stimuli, and for the most part they work reasonably well on any keyboard instrument. These pieces, however, mostly written in London and all from the 1790s, are genuine piano trios, and they exploit the possibilities of the then-new piano with dynamic contrasts, emphasis on the composer's striking late-life harmonic boldness, and a tendency toward Hungarian rhythmic zip that works better on a piano than on a harpsichord. Sample the syncopations in the finale of the Piano Trio in A major, Hob. 15/18, for an idea. These trios still follow the amateur model of accompanied piano sonatas; the violin breaks off into dialogue, but the cello doubles the piano's left hand for the most part. The music contains both experimentation and passion, however; the piano parts were mostly connected with the British pianist Rebecca Schroeter, with whom the unhappily married Haydn was apparently romantically involved, and the slow movements, like those of the late sonatas for piano alone, go into uncharted harmonic realms. Haydn thought enough of the slow movement of the Piano Trio in F sharp major, Hob. 15/26 (F sharp major being an extremely unusual key in the first place), to adapt it for the slow movement of the Symphony No. 102 in B flat major, Hob. 1/102. Some may prefer period instruments in this music, and Harmonia Mundi -- although it usually gets fine results from Berlin's Teldex Studio -- offers an unsatisfying hollow sound. With these factors, however, the list of cautions ends. by James Manheim 

MARTHA ARGERICH - Martha Argerich Edition : Chamber Music (2011) 8xCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827):

Violin Sonata No.9 in A major, op.94 “Kreutzer

César Franck (1822-1890):

Violin Sonata in A major

Itzhak Perlman – violin, Martha Argerich – piano

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Piano Quartet in C major WoO36 No.3

Clarinet Trio in B flat major, op.11

Piano Trio in D major, op.70 No.1 “Ghost”

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849):

Intoduction and Polonaise brillante in C major, op.3

Renaud Capuçon – violin, Lida Chen – viola,
Gautier Capuçon – cello, Marek Denemark – clarinet,
Mark Drobinsky – cello, Mischa Maisky – cello, Martha Argerich – piano

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Violin Sonata No.1 in A minor, op.105

Violin Sonata No.2 in D minor, op.121

Fantasiestücke op.73 (version for flugelhorn and piano)

Märchenbilder, op.113

Géza Hosszu-Legocky – violin, Renaud Capuçon –
violin, Sergei Nakariakov – flugelhorn, Nobuko Imai – viola,
Martha Argerich – piano

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Piano Quintet in E flat major, op.44

Piano Quartet in E flat major, op.47

Andante and Variations in B flat major for two pianos, horn and two cellos, op.46

Dora Schwarzberg – violin, Renaud Capuçon – violin,
Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg – viola, Mark Drobinsky – cello,
Lida Chen – viola, Gautier Capuçon – cello, Alexandre Rabinovitch – piano ,
Marie Luise Neunecker – horn, Natalia Gutman – cello,
Mischa Maisky – cello, Martha Argerich – piano

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Piano Trio in G major, Hob.XV:25 “Gipsy Trio”

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847)

Piano Trio No.1 in D minor, op.49

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Fantasiestücke, op.88

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Cello Sonata

“La plus que lente” – valse

“Minstrels” – Prélude No.12

Renaud Capuçon – violin, Gautier Capuçon – cello,
Mischa Maisky – cello, Martha Argerich – piano

César Franck (1822-1890)

Cello Sonata in A (transcription of the Violin Sonata)

Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

Violin Sonata No.1 Sz75

Contrasts Sz111 for violin, clarinet and piano

Mischa Maisky – cello, Renaud Capuçon – violin,
Chantal Juillet – violin, Michael Collins – clarinet,
Martha Argerich – piano

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

Piano Quintet in G minor, op.57

Piano trio No.2 in E minor, op.67

Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)

Concertino for piano, two violins, viola, clarinet, horn and bassoon

Renaud Capuçon – violin, Allissa Margulis – violin, Lida Chen – viola,
Mischa Maisky – cello, Maxim Vengerov – violin, Gautier Capuçon – cello,
Lucy Hall – violin, Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg – viola,
Corrado Giuffredi – clarinet, Zora Slokar – horn,
Vincent Godel – bassoon, Martha Argerich – piano

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Piano Quintet in E flat major, op.44

Violin Sonata No.2 in D minor, op.121

Fantasiestücke, op.73

Dora Schwarzberg – violin, Lucy Hall – violin, Nobuko Imai – viola,
Mischa Maisky – cello, Natalia Gutman – cello, Martha Argerich – piano