Art of the Mandolin (CD review)

Music of Vivaldi, Beethoven, Bruce, Sollima, Scarlatti,
Ben-Haim, and Henze. Avi Avital, mandolin; Alon Sariel, mandolin; Sean Shibe,
guitar; Anneleen Lenaerts, harp; Ophira Zakai, theorbo; Patrick Sepec, cello;
Yizhar Karshon, harpsichord; Venice Baroque Orchestra. DG 00289 483 8534.

By John J. Puccio

Israeli mandolinist Avi Avital (b. 1978) made his debut
album some years ago on the Naxos label and has since followed it up with
several more albums for DG, including this one, called simply Art of the
Mandolin, and featuring music by Vivaldi, Beethoven, Bruce, Sollima,
Scarlatti, Ben-Haim, and Henze. Although Avital’s speciality may be music of
the Baroque period, the selections on the present album span everything from
the Baroque era to the present.

As I said of Avital in an earlier review, he “is
unquestionably a fine mandolin player, his tone sweet and fluid, his tempos
well judged, neither too breakneck fast nor too maddeningly slack, and his
natural affinity for the instrument always in evidence in his intonation and
flexibility.” Certainly, the same can be said about his playing this time around
as well.

The mandolin, if you’re not quite sure about it, is a
stringed musical instrument in the lute family, usually plucked with a small
piece of plastic, metal, or ivory. It commonly has four adjacent rows of
doubled metal strings tuned in unison (8 strings), although five (10 strings)
and six (12 strings) versions are also popular. Mandolins developed from the
lute family of instruments in Europe, and some their predecessors include the
gittern and mandola in Italy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
There are a number of regional variants but two of the most common ones are the
Neapolitan mandolin and the Lombardic mandolin, the Neapolitan style probably
most well known (and thank you, Wikipedia).

Anyway, the album begins with the Concerto for 2
Mandolins, Strings and Basso continuo in G major by Antonio Vivaldi
(1678-1741). Here, Avital is accompanied by Alan Sariel, mandolin, and the
Venice Baroque Orchestra. They take the outer Allegros with a graceful
panache, not too fast but quick enough to give them a lively spirit. These
sections also give the soloists a chance to show off their considerable skills,
and the final movement is particularly robust. The central Andante is
delicately handled, light as a feather, sweet as a flower in May. Quite lovely
all the way around, actually.

Next, we hear the Adagio ma non troppo in E flat major
for Mandolin and Harp by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). Avital is
accompanied by Anneleen Lenaerts on harp, and together they provide a
beautifully lyrical reading of Beethoven’s music. It is a love song, really,
and the pair do well by it.

After that is Death Is a Friend of Ours by British
composer David Bruce (b. 1970), with Avital, mandolin; Sean Shibe, guitar;
Anneleen Lenaerts, harp; Ophira Zakai, theorbo; and Yizhar Karshon,
harpsichord. Here we get a surprising throwback for a modern work, combining
the best of the nineteenth century with a distinctly contemporary sensibility.
It’s vibrant and rhythmic with a charming middle section. It’s all quite
festive, in fact, despite the rather gloomy titles the composer gave to the
movements: “Inside the Wave,” “The Death of Despair,” and “Death Is a Friend of
Ours.”

Things continue with the Prelude for Solo Mandolin
by Italian composer and cellist Giovanni Sollima (b. 1962), in which Avital
obviously takes it alone. It’s the most-recent composition on the program, yet
it references older styles and dances. It’s also probably the most fascinating
and imaginative piece on the agenda. Avital’s playing is a revelation.

Following that is the Sonata in D minor for Mandolin
and Basso continuo by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757). Here, Avital is
accompanied Ophira Zakai, theorbo; Patrick Sepec, cello; and Yizhar Karshon,
harpsichord. Scarlatti’s work is stately and dignified, The fact that the
composer may not have been written the piece specifically for the mandolin is
beside the point. Surviving manuscripts do not indicate what solo instrument
Scarlatti had in mind, but the music seems well suited to the mandolin, and
Avital appears to enjoy it.

Then there is the Sonata a tre for Mandolin, Guitar and
Harpsichord by Israeli composer Paul Ben-Haim (1897-1984), where Avital is
accompanied by Sean Shibe, guitar, and Yizhar Karshon, harpsichord. Here, the
music references Middle-Eastern sounds, and it makes a nice contrast with the
rest of the lineup.

The program concludes with the Carillon, Recitatif, and
Masque for Mandolin, Guitar and Harp by German composer Hans Werner Henze
(1926-2012). Avital is accompanied by Sean Shibe, guitar, and Anneleen
Lenaerts, harp. The three movements well describe the sounds therein, and
Avital and company do a good job delineating them. Avital says he likes to
think of the opening section as “a walk through an imaginary toyshop.” The
sounds are creative in themselves and creatively explored by the soloists,
whose three instruments blend into one.

Producer Andreas Neubronner and engineers Sebastian
Nattkemper and Rainer Maillard recorded the music at Stadttheater, Furth;
Teldex Studio, Berlin; and Meistersaal, Berlin. As we might expect from DG, the
sound is clear and rich, with a hint of hall resonance to complement the
realism of each track.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below:

Doug Wendt: Classical Guitar (CD review)

Doug Wendt, guitar. Wendt Recordings.



Classical guitarist, jazz guitarist, pop guitarist, bluegrass guitarist, folk guitarist, blues guitarist, teacher, and experienced chef to boot, Doug Wendt is pretty much an all-around performer. According to his bio, he earned a B.A. in Guitar Performance from California State University of the East Bay (CSUEB). Also an experienced chef, including over ten years as sous-chef at a top-class Italian Restaurant, Doug decided to make his part-time music activities into a full-time career about fifteen years ago.



As a classical guitarist, Doug has worked and performed extensively with Gordon Rowland of www.guitarwork.com. What's more, Doug has maintained a longtime collaboration with vocalist Tré Taylor including their current jazz quintet "Dangerous Martini." Earlier bands with Tré included "Soul Attraction," a 10-piece R&B soul band, and "Earl Slide Ride," featuring Motown and Blues.



Doug's wife, Deborah Kuhl, (singer, songwriter, and pianist), who regularly performs a repertoire of French music, borrows Doug on occasion and featured both Doug and Gordon Rowland on her CD "Carte Postale."



On the present disc, Wendt plays classical guitar, the program running high to his favorite composer, J.S. Bach. The selections include Bach's "Prelude" from the Cello Suite No. 1, "Gavotte," "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," "Little Prelude," "Double," and "Bouree." In addition, we get Alessandro Scarlatti's "Gavotte"; Domenico Scarlatti's "Sonata in A" and "Sonata in Em"; Antonio Lauro's "Preludio Venesolano," "Andreina," and "Natalia"; and two anonymous tunes, "Romance" and "Greensleeves."

Doug Wendt

Doug brings to all of this material the same warmth and affection I've heard from him live: low-key presentations that never call attention to the performer but always showcase the music. In other words, you'll find more flamboyant guitarists around, ones who revel in the dexterity of their finger work and virtuosity of their playing; but one can hardly find anyone more committed to bringing to life the spirit of the composers and their music than Doug Wendt.



Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting Wendt is another Angel or Pepe Romero, John Williams, Andres Segovia, Julian Bream, David Russell, Narciso Yepes, or the like. But he is good, and he projects an agreeable sweetness in his music. So, onward....



Among my favorites on the disc is Wendt's playing of Domenico Scarlatti's "Sonata in A," an item I've heard any number of times performed on solo harpsichord, piano, and guitar. Some musicians seem intent on attacking it full throttle, while others appear content with providing cozy, almost sentimental interpretations. Doug does neither; he comes at the score gently but firmly, caressing each note without unduly emphasizing each one. The result is a performance that sounds neither sensational nor lackluster but just right.



Wendt chooses fairly modest tempos throughout the program, so, again, he's not trying to impress the listener with wild flights of fancy or gushy, maudlin outbursts. The familiar "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Greensleeves," for example, come across charmingly and effortlessly, with the guitar producing a warm, rich sound that well complements the compositions. As my wife remarked, the chords are so simple, but they're soft and beautiful. Indeed, they are. It's a lovely album.



Thomas Martin and Jamie Bridges recorded the music in 2010. The sound appears fairly close but very well detailed and realistic. There's a modest amount of resonance involved, too, which helps to gives the guitar a lifelike sense of presence. Fortunately, the close miking is not so severe as to spread the instrument across the entire soundstage but keeps the guitar nicely focused between the speakers.



To learn more about Doug Wendt and his work, visit http://www.dougwendtguitar.com/.



JJP



To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click on the forward arrow:

Through the Years (CD review)

Dmitry Paperno, piano. Cedille Records CDR 90000 074.



Soviet-born (Ukraine), American émigré concert pianist Dmitry Paperno (b. 1929) turned seventy-five in the year of this recording's release, 2004, and he showed he still knew his stuff. Through the Years remains one of the most-satisfying piano recitals you can find.



Although Dmitry Paperno is probably still not a household name in America, his talent is evident in every note of this confident, relaxing, inspired album. The material he chose for inclusion on the disc is thankfully not quite of the tried-and-true warhorse variety but a mixture of popular with lesser-known, slightly melancholy pieces that fit the mood set by the small, lonely figure in the golden autumn pictured on the CD booklet cover.

Dmitry Paperno

Among the eighteen works in the collection include Bach's Sinfonia No 2, Scarlatti's Sonata in C minor, Schumann's Intermezzo in D minor, Liszt's Sonetto del Petrarca, Debussy's "Hommage a Rameau," Borodin's "In a Monastery," and so on. But my two favorites are Beethoven's lovely "Andante favori" and Albeniz's heartbreaking "Tango." Each of the works on the disc is a tiny gem, played and polished by an artist with a feeling for the music. Paperno provides all the nuance and sensitivity the pieces demand.



Cedille's recording characteristics always sound first rate, and this effort is no different. The piano tone is quite natural, Mr. Paperno's Steinway appearing well defined without being bright, forward, hard, or edgy. There is a nice bloom to the musical ambience as well, lending a most realistic if not always transparent quality to the sonics. In other words, the sound matches the mood of the music: easy, casual, cultivated, and perfectly charming.



JJP



To hear an excerpt from this album, click on the forward arrow:

James Brawn in Recital, Volume 2 (CD review)

"The Time Traveller and His Muse." James Brawn, piano. MSR Classics MS 1502 (2-disc set).



This is by my count British concert pianist James Brawn's sixth album for MSR Classics, and in that time he has become one of my favorite classical performers. His work never fails to impress and delight me, the present collection no exception.



As I said about Mr. Brawn the first time I heard him, "He's been winning awards since he was a child, teaching, and performing (mainly in New Zealand, Australia, and England) to great acclaim, and this new recording makes one understand his appeal. He is a consummate artist."



Mr. Brawn has subtitled the album "The Time Traveller and His Muse," which is also the title of many of his concert recitals. Certainly, with this collection he is a time traveller, indeed, as the selections on the program span some four centuries, from Domenico Scarlatti to George Gershwin. Brawn has arranged the tracks chronologically as follows.



Disc One:

  1. Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in E major, K.380

  2. Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in C major, K.159 La Caccia

  3. Johann Sebastian Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Bk I - Prelude in C major, BWV 846

  4. Johann Sebastian Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Bk I - Prelude in C minor, BWV 847

  5. Johann Sebastian Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Bk I - Prelude in D major, BWV 850

  6. Johann Sebastian Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Bk I - Prelude in E-flat minor, BWV 853

  7. Johann Sebastian Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Bk I - Prelude in E major, BWV 854

  8. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata No.11 in A major, K.331 Rondo alla Turca

  9. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Fantasia in D minor, K.397

10. Ludwig van Beethoven: Für Elise (Bagatelle in A minor)

11. Franz Schubert: Moment Musicale No. 3 in F minor, D.780

12. Franz Schubert: Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat major, D.899

13. Frederic Chopin: Prelude No. 4 in E minor, Op. 28

14. Frederic Chopin: Étude No. 12 in C minor, Op. 25 Ocean

15. Frederic Chopin: Étude No. 3 in E major, Op. 10 La Tristesse

16. Frederic Chopin: Étude No. 1 in A-flat major, Op. 25 Aeolian Harp

17. Frederic Chopin: Étude No. 5 in G-flat major, Op. 10 Black Key



Disc Two:

  1. Frederic Chopin: Prelude No. 15 in D-flat major, Op. 28 Raindrop

  2. Frederic Chopin: Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 45

  3. Franz Liszt: Consolation No. 3 in D-flat major, S.172

  4. Johannes Brahms: Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 39, No. 15

  5. Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118, No. 2

  6. Edvard Grieg: Arietta in E-flat major, Op. 12, No. 1

  7. Alexander Scriabin: Étude in C-sharp minor, Op. 2, No. 1

  8. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2

  9. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude in G-sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12

10. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude in B minor, Op. 32, No. 10

11. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude in D major, Op. 23, No. 4

12. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude in G major, Op. 32, No. 5

13. Sergei Prokofiev: Toccata in D minor, Op. 11

14. George Gershwin: I Got Rhythm



I continue to marvel that everything Brawn touches turns to magic. I have yet to hear him play anything I didn't like, that didn't sound just the way I imagine the composer intended yet with the added merit of Brawn's personal touch. Brawn never distorts the music and never uses it to call attention to himself and his virtuosic skills, yet he is also able to make all of it his own, reveling in every nuance of phrasing, contrast, tempo, and dynamics.



Of course, that doesn't mean listeners won't have their favorites among the selections. Mine are probably just favorite pieces of music that I took pleasure in hearing anew and so well played. For instance, while I am not the biggest fan of the Scarlattis, the father Allessandro or the son Domenico recorded here, I have to admit the two pieces he plays make a good, dashing opening for the album, with Brawn providing a healthy splash of élan.

James Brawn

Then we get five of Bach preludes, which Brawn calls "the Old Testament of keyboard repertoire." Never mind that Bach wrote them for harpsichord or clavichord because under Brawn's ever-watchful control they make beautiful pieces for the piano. The ones Brawn has chosen to play alternate between fast and slow, the juxtaposition quite flattering.



Of course, it's always fun to hear Mozart's "Rondo alla Turca," yet Brawn doesn't overplay it to show off his skills. It's just as exciting played with care for the music rather than care for the thrills alone. Brawn's sensitive handling of the Fantasia that follows is exquisite in its subtle detail.



The only piece we get from Beethoven is the little bagatelle "Fur Elise." Along with the opening movement of the "Moonlight Sonata" it may be the composer's most familiar piece of solo piano music. I doubt that anyone hasn't heard it and wouldn't recognize it, so it isn't easy to bring anything to it that pianists before Brawn haven't already done. Nevertheless, it comes off as perfectly as one could imagine, filled with nostalgic remembrances and an ever-sweet charm.



And speaking of charm, whose music was ever more charming than Schubert's? Brawn approaches it with refinement, wit, and grace.



Then disc one ends (and disc two begins) with what I found the highlights of the album: the music of Chopin: preludes and études. Brawn seems to have a natural affinity for Chopin, and the snippets he provides only whetted my appetite for more of the same. If you find the playing of Rubinstein a tad too cold or distant or Pollini a bit too quick or calculated and other noted pianists a touch too sentimental or matter-of-fact or romanticized or whatever, you might find Brawn exactly what you want. His Chopin is big when it needs to be big, extrovert when necessary, gentle, passionate, delicate, brilliant, you name it as the occasion requires. One listen to the Etude No. 3, Op. 10 or the Prelude No. 15, Op. 28, and you may find them as meltingly beautiful and as perfectly executed as I did.



And so it goes. The Liszt is heavenly; the Brahms has a genuine lilt and lyricism without appearing excessively sad or melancholy for its own sake; the Grieg and Scriabin are flowing and melodic.



Which brings us to Rachmaninoff, the great twentieth-century pianist-composer who never quite left the nineteenth century behind. Brawn shows us that despite Rachmaninoff's reputation, he incorporated any number of modern elements in his style, particularly in the five preludes presented here. In fact, they never sound overtly "Romantic," except, perhaps, in their sometimes melodramatic underpinnings. In any case, Brawn pulls them off as well as anybody, with little or no exaggeration.



The program ends with Prokofiev and Gershwin, both of them providing the kind of zingers the album needs to close strong. The Gershwin, incidentally, Brawn plays in a transcription he first heard played by Jon Kimura Parker, another of my favorite pianists.



Now, Mr. Brawn: How about an entire album of Chopin? The nocturnes would be wonderful.



Producer Jeremy Hayes and engineer Ben Connellan recorded Mr. Brawn at Potton Hall, Suffolk, United Kingdom in August and November 2014. The piano sound, as before, is clean, clear, rich, and resonant. The venue provides just enough ambient bloom to make the instrument come alive and appear lifelike. The natural warmth provides a realistic-sounding response, as though the listener were actually in the room with the piano, albeit at a moderate distance. Transient response, dynamics, and frequency balance are exemplary as well, nothing too hard, too soft, too bright, or too edgy. In other words, excellent sound.



JJP



To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click here: