One of the most delightful aspects of running this blog is finding out about under-rated composers that would never enter my radar if not for a few individuals who champion their cause. In the past two years I’ve featured reviews of web sites that introduced such talented but over-looked 20th century composers like E. J. Moran and Alexander L. Lokshin. Another name to add to this list is Robert Linn, an American composer who taught at the University of Southern California and created a significant body of work that, in my opinion, stands up to the best in American contemporary music.

I find his works to be in the American tradition of Ives and Barber. It is usually tonal but not afraid at times to press the limit. Most will find this music to be on the conservative side for later 20th century music. Some of his music is witty and fun like the “Antipasto for Clarinet and Violin”and the Baroque pastishe “Interventions for Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello”. In fact , he seems to have a strong liking for Baroque and medieval music which influences many of these pieces. Full-bodied “serious” orchestral works also abound in his concertos and “Sinfonia for String Orchestra” . Fifteen CDs, which represent the totality of his output, are available for purchase at his web site but they are also available as free and legal mp3 downloads. The fifteen albums are sorted by types of compositions and titled as such:

Chamber Music, String Instruments

Chamber Music, Wind Instruments (3 CDs)

Chamber Music, Winds and Strings Together (3 CDs)

Music for Solo Piano / Film Score

Vocal Music (2 CDs)

Orchestral Music (3 CDs)

Symphonic Winds (2 CDs)

I am partial to the chamber music albums but that just reflects my bias for small intimate ensembles. It is good to see so much music available from an obscure but immensely talented composer and I appreciate the care and attention that his friends and relatives has taken to see that he is not forgotten.

The albums are available in VBR MP3 at less than 128kbps MP3. Of course, I would have preferred a higher bitrate but this is one of those times you should not let that deter you from this fascinating music. If you like the music, you can purchase the higher quality sound CDs individually or as a set.

Download

Les Soirées de Nazelles by Francis Poulenc is probably his best known work for piano. This is in spite of the fact that it was one of Poulenc’s least favorite compositions. I can’t imagine why he would say this because the eight “sketches” that make up this suite are all elegant and delightful. They are a good example of the ability of this 21st century composer who often straddled the fence between Impressionism and the more modern and dissonant 20th century classical styles. This performance is available from The Piano Society and is played by Tom Pascale is his usually efficient and entertaining style…in fact pretty darn fine for a banker!

Download

Sergeii Prokofiev’s charming Sonata for Piano and Flute Op. 94, No. 2 is given a stong performance by pianist Nauro Bertoli and Flautist Sonia Formenti on this live recording from the Conversatory of Milan. It’s a rather airy and light sonata of four movements of which only the third slows into a dreamy reverie. This is one of my favorite flute sonata, right there with the elegant but more somber Hindemith sonata.

The sonata is available as separate tracks in 320kbps MP3.

Download

French composer Francis Poulenc was at a relative’s home working on a piece of music. His four year old niece who was clearly not a fan of 20th century modern music placed her copy of Babar The Elephant on the piano and asked her uncle to play it. He improvised music on the spot to fit the classic children story which eventually became the groundwork for his composition based on the same book.

Pianist Daniel Goodman and Jack McCreless gives an entertaining performance of this combination of children tale and music. It is almost impossible to resist comparing this to the much more popular Peter and The Wolf by Prokofiev of which you can find a performance by Goodman and McCreless here. I find Babar to be a much more interesting composition if perhaps a little too challenging for most children for whom the story is directed. It is also tempting to discuss how the cute little elephant was actually justifying the excesses of French colonialism but I’ll try to avoid that sand trap. Composed in the 1940s, there are some charming musical themes in the pieces but is still quite modern and a bit dissonant. However McCreless’s narration keeps the story on track and sets the scene for each musical interlude. It’s an unusual but endearing work.

The work is available from the Piano Society in 128kbps MP3 format

Download

The twenty pieces that make up Robert Schumann’s Carnaval, Op. 9 stand together as one of the finest works in the repertoire of classical piano. Meant as character studies of the composer and his friends, they run the gamut of technique and mood. The complete work is performed by Joseph Kingma.

The work is available from the inexhaustible Piano Society in 192kbps MP3.

Download

Daniele Giorgi conducts the Orchestra Pistoiese Promusica in eight orchestral masterpieces that are freely available from the Musikethos web site. These live performances from 2005 and 2006 are all quite good but I chosen three that are, in my opinion, quite exceptional.

We start with Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony n. 4 in A Op.90also known as the “Italian” symphony. Mendelssohn attempted to portray his impression of Italy in this work and it remains the most popular of his symphonies.

Most people know Franz Joseph Haydn for his symphonies and string quartets so the Concerto for cello and orchestra in C major is something a little different from the great classical composer. The cellist is Umberto Clerici.

Finally, the Symphony n. 29 in A major K 201 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart certainly ranked as one of the composer’s finest. It start with a quiet but stately theme and ends in the fourth movement rather dramatically.

All works are available in 160kbps MP3. Make sure you check Musikethos for a cornucopia of other classical performers and works.

Download

Even with the passing of years since his death in 1951, Arnold Schoenberg continues to be one of the most controversial as well as most influential composer in the 20th century. He pioneered the use of atonal (a descriptive term he despised) composition affecting not only his peers like Stravinsky, Webern and Berg but also paving the way for avant-garde innovators such as Boulez, Cage, and Stockhausen. Indeed, it would be hard to imagine modern classical and post-modern music without Schoenberg.

Schoenberg’s music can be quite demanding to the listener. My favorite works are Pierrot Lunaire which is a 20th century masterpiece and almost cabaret in parts, and the emotional but very difficult opera, Moses and Aron. The beginning listener might do well to start with Piano Piece. Op.11 a very early work from 1909 that straddles Schoenberg’s late Romanticism with his move into the atonal. His very controversial 12-tone technique of composing was to come much later. Piano Piece is actually three compositions of a brooding nature with the last piece being the one that mostly plays with the atonal. This excellent performance is from The Piano Society and features the young pianist Hector Sanchez. The file format is 224kbps MP3.

Download

The Australian chamber group Topology plays post-modern music at crisp tempos and with a contemporary twist that should surprise those who think modern classical music is difficult and elitist. The five person ensemble displays impeccable musicianship in their mildly unusual array of strings, piano, and saxophone.The works on the excellent album, Perpetual Motion Machine are witty, fun and immensely listenable. The music is what is conventionally, if sometimes erroneously, called Minimalist and there is a good sampling of Australian, American and British composers. For me,the most delightful work is Michael Nyman’s four part “And Do They Do”, a lyrically soaring masterpiece that kept me enthralled throughout. Phillip Glass and John Adams are represented by two excerpts from their operas, Nixon in China and Einstein on The Beach respectively. The Adams aria is especially gorgeous. Saxophonist and Topology member John Babbage’s tangoish “Millennium Bug” is a gem. “McLibel 1″ and “McLibel 2″ by Australian composer Robert Davidson, who also is the bassist for Topology, is a rich socially conscious mixture of minimalist composition and spoken word. John Rodgers’ “Viv’s Bum Dance” and the most avant-garde sounding work on the album, “Variations in a Serious Black Dress” by Elena Kats-Chernin, rounds out this exceptional free and legal online album.

Perpetual Motion Machine is available from Jamendo in VBR MP3. If you enjoy the music, be sure to support the artists by buying their CDs and DVDs.

Download

The Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur has so many outstanding classical performances on their web site that I had to divide this post into two parts. You can find the first part here. Now we have seven more excellent MP3 versions of great classical works. There is quite a few more that I will not be getting to, so be sure to browse the orchestra’s download page. Here are the next seven…

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony no. 36 (”Linz”) conducted by Heinrich Schiff in 1999.

Mozart’s Symphony no. 41, also known as the “Jupiter” symphony, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst in 1989.

Jean-Phillippe Rameau’s Les Boreades Suite conducted by Nicholas Kraemer in 2002.

The “Little C Major” Symphony no. 6 by Franz Schubert conducted by Franz Welser-Möst in 1988.

Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony no. 8 conducted by Heinrich Schiff in 1997.

Robert Schumann’s Symphony no. 1 conducted by János Fürst in 1994.

George Phillipp Telemann ’s Tafelmusic conducted by Nicholas Kraemer in 2002.

All works are available in 128kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music, support the artists and buy their CDs.

Download
Mozart - Symphony no. 36 (”Linz”)
Mozart - Symphony no. 41 (”Jupiter)
Rameau - Les Boréades Suite
Schubert - Symphony no. 6
Schubert - Symphony no. 8 (”Unfinished”)
Schumann - Symphony no. 1
Telemann - Tafelmusik

The Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur is a Swiss symphony orchestra that has been in existence since 1875 and is still going strong. Its principal conductors has included Heinrich Schiff and, the current conductor, Jac van Steen. The web site’s download page has a dizzying amount of performances of complete works freely available to the classical music aficionado; so much that I have divided the bounty into two parts and I still haven’t featured all of the music. Here is part one. Part two will be posted tomorrow totaling 15 performances in all, but of course the impatient can go directing to the site’s download page and legally leech to their heart’s content.

Here are today’s featured classical works…

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 conducted by Heinrich Schiff in 1990.

George Bizet’s Carmen Suite conducted by Jac van Steen in 2004.

Johannes Brahms’s Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra also known as the double concerto conducted by Heinrich Schiff in 1997. Its principal performers are Hanna Weinmeister on violin and Bruno Weinmeister on cello.

Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra conducted by Jac van Steen in 2003 and featuring violinist Benjamin Schmid.

Antonin Dvorak’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra conducted by Heinrich Schiff in 1998 and featuring Christian Poltéra on cello.

Another Dvorak masterpiece, his Symphony no. 6 conducted by Jac van Steen in 2005.

Franz Liszt’s Concerto no 2 for Piano and Orchestra conducted by Jac van Steen and performed by pianist Dénes Várion.

Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 (”Scottish”) conducted by Jac van Steen in 2004.

All of the works are available in 128kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music, support the artists by buying their CDs.

Download
Beethoven - Symphony No. 4
Bizet - Carmen Suite
Brahms - Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra (”Double Concerto”)
Bruch - Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra
Dvorak - Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
Dvorak - Symphony no. 6
Liszt - Concerto No. 2 for piano and Orchestra
Mendelssohn - Symphony no. 3 (”Scottish”)

Violinist Lorenza Borrani and pianist Matteo Fossi play two great sonatas of the Romantic period. Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata no.10 op.96 for violin and piano is a fairly gentle work for the often tumultuous composer although it is not totally without its deep and sorrowful moments. It is certainly full of melodic beauty and rich harmonies. Robert Schumann’s Sonata in D minor n. 2 op. 121 for violin and piano is a tour de force that revels in its minor key tension. Both works are exemplary examples of the violin and piano sonata and the two musicians give them a fine performance.

The two sonatas are available from Musikethos in 160kbps MP3.

Download

You may think you do not know the Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16 by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, but I am sure you do know it. From the first descending row of notes to the famous theme of the first movement you will exclaim, “Of Course!”. In fact, there may not be a more famous opening theme in classical music although some Beethoven fans, Tchaikovsky lovers, ands even a few Rachmaninoff zealots may disagree with me.

And this is actually a pretty good performance of the concerto. Pianist Neil O’Doan is more than adequate for the role of soloist and The University of Washington Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Peter Erost, is quite impressive. The famous first movement is here in its complete glory but the lesser known parts of this three movement concerto are equally magnificent. You need to hear this masterpiece at least once in its entirety.

The work is available from The Piano Society in 256kbps MP3.

Download

Jaimina Johnston’s two albums on Jamendo, which I previously reviewed here, are the first two parts of a trilogy The third album of the trilogy has finally been released. Test of Time is just as much a wonder as So Many Songs and So Little Time. In fact, it is a more tightly arranged and intricate presentation. This is evident from the first track, “Viva Italia” which is a five minutes showpiece of her talents in acappello singing and choral arrangements. The second track, “Ni Una Solo Palabra” is also a delight. Her 90 years plus voice sounds stronger on this album but still manages to present an air youth and innocent. I am tempted to say ‘delicate as a flower’ which may sound trite but oh so accurate. Spanning classical music, folk, and popular, this album is a treat. I especially like her take on “The Way To San Jose” which comes along two songs after she deftly tackles ” Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder” from J. S. Bach’s Matthew’s Passion and before she goes funky on Jamiroquai’s “Feels Just Like it Should”. Just try to find any other vocalist that will take on those three songs in their lifetime, let alone on a single album!

The album is available in VBR MP3.

Download

The Brandenburg Concertos are probably the most successful unsuccessful attempt at composing “on spec” of all time. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote these concertos in 1721 and sent them to Christian Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg, in an attempt to secure a position as musician to the royal court. He was not hired and Ludwig’s response to the composition is unknown. Nonetheless The Brandenburg Concertos are one of the cornerstones of Baroque music and about the only reason we even remember the name of Christian Ludwig.

Czech Radio presents a performance of all six concertos. The ensemble is Musica Florea, directed by Marek Stryncl and was recorded in June of 2006. The work is played on original instruments of the Baroque era and is based on the original score. Here we have a recording close to what Bach envisioned and is just as good as any modern orchestral recording that I have heard. The first movement of the second concerto has always been a favorite of mine and the theme of the first movement of the third concerto will be familiar to any one who had watched a lot of BBC costume dramas. These are essential works for lovers of Classical music and an exceptional performance.

The concertos are available in formats of 192kbps MP3 or FLAC.

Download

Group 180 was an Hungarian modern classical chamber group. Two of their albums were released in 1980 and 1985 in vinyl LP and are not only out of print but, as far as I can tell, never released on CD. Again Ubuweb comes through by making these two albums available on-line. This is excellent modern music well worth the listen.

The first self-titled album has five works. The first three are clearly in the minimalist tradition. Tibor Szemzo’s “Water-Wonder” starts out with a single repeated note on a single instrument like a water drop. A flute enters and the piece slowly builds up momentum. What Steve Reich’s “Music for Pieces of Wood” lacks in tonality makes up in rhythm. Laszlo Melis’s “Etude for Three Mirrors” may be minimalist but the interplay between piano and woodwinds is quite intense. The last two works are by Fredric Rzewski and they are my favorite of the set. “Coming Together” and “Attica” not only shows the composer’s brilliancy in composition but represent his socio-political influences.

Group 180 II is from 1985 and exhibits the same good taste in modern compositional works. There are two pieces by Steven Reich, “Piano Phase” and “Octet”. Compositions by András Soós and Bela Farago make up the rest of the album. It should be note that, with the exception of Rzewski and Reich, the composers are all members of Group 180. It is again a well played set and one that fans of modern music will treasure.

Unfortunately the albums are available in only 80kbps MP3. There are also quite a few scratches and snaps from these vinyl recordings. Still, I find the sound quite acceptable and urge you check these out in light of their historical significance, their rarity, and the quality of performance.

Download

Classical pianist Denis Plutalov offers a truckload of MP3s on his website, much of it being live performances of complete works. The distinguished musician has a wide repertoire ranging from Bach to Shostakovich. While all are worthwhile, I was especially drawn to the compositions by 20th century Russian composers. Here are five performances that I found to be especially worthwhile.

Two piano sonatas may be a good place to start. Sonata no. 8 in B flat major by Sergei Prokofiev was premiered in 1944 and is the third of his ‘War Sonatas’. It is a sadly beautiful piece, in the first and second movement reflective and gentle and in the third, troubled and tortured. Rachmaninoff’s Sonata no. 1 in D minor op. 27 is the most conservative of these five featured works. It is typically romantic and lyrical.

Russian-Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian is best known for his use of Armenian folk music in his compositions. His Concerto for piano and orchestra, composed in 1936, shows that influence and also reveals the composer’s strong dramatic flair.

I leave the best for last. Putalov does a fine job on two of Dmitre Shostakovich’s masterpieces. The Concerto no. 1 for Piano and Orchestra op. 35 was written in 1933 and is more tonal than his later compositions. Written for piano, solo trumpet and strings, it is a powerful work full of fire and tension. I haven’t heard this piece for at least a decade and this particular performance really impressed me.

The final work is also by Shostakovich. It is the complete cycle of his Twenty-four Preludes and Fugues for Piano, Op. 87. Composed in 1950-51 as a homage to Bach’s Well-Tempered Klavier, the work follows the structure of the piece it honors but its modern tone could never be mistaken for a stately Baroque send-off. Brooding and haunting throughout, the work stands as one of the great 20th century masterpieces for solo piano.

All tracks are available in 128kbps MP3.

Download

Pianist Alessandro Amoretti and members of the Bremer Philharmoniker play a splendid version of Anton Dvorak’s “Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, op. 81, B. 155″. It was recorded October 14th,2007 in Bremen, Germany and is now available from The Piano Society. Dvorak’s synthesis of Classical and Romantic styles is an easy listen for even the novice classical music fan. The second piano quintet is one of his most popular works perhaps second only to his “New World” Symphony.

The work is available in 192kbps MP3.

Download

The Serenata Chamber Musicians are 17 artists from the Greater Boston area who play classical chamber music. A few of their concerts are available as online albums from Jamendo thanks to ARTSomerville, an organization devoted to nurturing and promoting the arts in their local community.

There are three albums available. Actually there are four but June 20, 2007 and July 20, 2007 have the same program and personnel. The performances are crisp and fresh. Their choice in material is good although a little conservative for my taste. Still, those classical music fans who disdain the modern will enjoy these concerts.

May 6 and 11, 2007 features clarinetist Kiera Thompson and Pianist Itamar Ronen on Robert Schumann’s “Fantasy-Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 73″. Flautist Orlando Cela joins Itamar Ronen on another Schumann work, “Three Romances for flute and piano, Op.94″ and Saint-Saens’ exquisite “Three Romances for flute and piano, Op.94″. Finally all three musicians join together in the “Trio Sonata in B flat Major” by Johann Sebastian Bach.

June 20, 2007 has two excellent duo performances. The “Sonata in F major” by Felix Mendelssohn is played by Monica Mitchell, violin, and Margaret Cheng Tuttle, piano. Haydn’s “Arianna a Naxos” is performed by mezzo-soprano Thea Lobo and pianist Timothy Blalock. There is also a trio playing selections from Max Bruch’s “Eight Pieces, op. 83″ featuring Melanie Maz on violin, Jessica Lipon on viola, and Timothy Blalock on piano.

Winter Solstice Concert 2007 features too many musicians and works to list separately. It is a seasonal festival mix of classical and new age music. Much of it appears to be original music. It is a very nice concert performance but I prefer the classicism of the first two albums.

The albums are available in VBR mp3.

Download
Winter Solstice Concert 2007
June 30, 2007
May 6 and 7, 2007

When it comes to picking classical works to feature, I am of the conviction that you can never get enough of the four Bs; Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, and Bartok. Of course, traditionally it is the three Bs but allow this Bartok fanatic to indulge in his little whim.

The Fantasias, Op.116 by Johannes Brahms consists of seven piano compositions. Written in 1892 at the later stage of his life, his pieces are quite complex and often intense. This performance is by Spanish pianist Hector Sanchez.

The work is available in 224kbps MP3.

Download

German composer Aribert Reimann’s Requiem is a odd but moving work. The orchestra in this work contains no violins. Violas, cellos and double-basses are prominent adding a dark dimension to this already brooding work. Requiems are usually liturgical and even when serious and foreboding, generally spiritually uplifting. This requiem is downright depressing. However that doesn’t distract from the fact that Reimann has written a powerful composition. Reimann is one of the few modern composers that writes almost exclusively for the large orchestra and is also known for his chorales and operas. Listen to the exquisite arrangement and the interactions between the solo vocalists as you listen to this long but involving work.

This particular performance of Reimann’s requiem was recorded in 1983 by the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin with solo vocals from Julia Varady, Helga Dernesch, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who sang the title role in Reimann’s opera Lear, his most famous work.

Download
FLAC files
MP3 files

Bulgarian classical pianist Tania Stavreva offers three piano works on her web site.

Samuel Barber’s Piano Sonata, Op. 26 was initially performed by Vladimir Horowitz and was hailed by the piano virtuoso as the first great American composition for piano. It is indeed a powerful work. It teeters between late romanticism and the more modern, and dissonant, 20th century styles. I grew up on recordings of Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Summer Music for Wind Quintet, so this sonata is a welcome addition to my knowledge of the exceptional music of Samuel Barber..

The Piano Sonata no. 3 of Alexander Scriabin was composed in 1897. The sonata is firmly in the late Romantic style of Brahms and Liszt but reveals that Scriabin is starting to create his own signature sound. Romantic, passionate and a little florid, this is a perfect piece for Stavreva’s own passionate manner of playing.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911 wraps up the three works. The ten minute composition is a bit brief for inclusion in this blog but if you can’t make an exception for Bach who can you make an exception for? Some might say Stavreva’s romanticist technique is a bit much for the Baroque structures of Bach but I think it gives the piece a different perspective.

All tracks are available in 128kbps MP3.

Download (click on “Audio”)

There seems to be a renewed interest in the music of Dmitre Shostakovich these days. The great Russian composer’s popularity has been up and down in the past years and now it is in another upswing. For those who have not yet experience the music of Shostakovich, this previously reviewed piano quintet is a good place to start.

Brasswork Agency is a DJ and sampling artist living and working in Los Angeles but raised in Chicago. He has taken short samples of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 as played by legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and turned them into his own remixed tribute of the composer. This album is also a salute to Rostropovich who passed away last year at the age of 80. Brasswork Agency’s work has four parts, each corresponding to the four movements of the concerto. The first track starts with a recognizable sample but soon turns into the sampler’s own creation, a sort of minimalist techno beat marvel. Whether or not you know the concerto, this is a very interesting example of the remixing arts. In my opinion, the fourth and final track holds the most interest. It is a calming track that tends to preserve most of the beauty of the fourth movement it is based on. Both classical music enthusiasts and electronic music fans should find something here to respect.

The album is available in 192kbps MP3 from the Auxprocess netlabel.

Download

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons is a collection of 12 piano works, each one representing a month of the year. Each piece attempts to convey the personality of the season. “January” subtitled “At The Fireplace” is a melancholy affair representing the solitude of Winter. On the other hand, February perks up into a light dance. “June” is a wistful work and is my favorite one of the lot. These are all classic compositions with the melodic mastery one comes to expect from the great 19th century Russian composer. The entire work is played by the prolific pianist Chris Breemer whose other recordings can also be found at The Piano Society.

The Seasons is available in 192kbps MP3.

Download

Born in 1952, Wolfgang Rihm is one of the more important post-war German composer and remains a popular avant garde figure in music. However his earlier music is most associated to the earlier Expressionist movement with strong influences by such giants as Schoenberg and Mahler.

Jacob Lenz is an early opera, his second, and is written for chamber orchestra, voices, and chorus. It is based on the life of 18th century author Jacob Lenz who was a contemporary of Goethe and a writer of the Sturm and Drang period. Lenz suffered a nervous breakdown in 1777 and this stage of his life is the focus of the opera. The sound of this work is at the least, tumultuous. It is a composition that is as disturbing as it is beautiful. The voice of Lenz is sung by baritone Richard Salter. More information and extensive liner notes in German and English are available from the download page for the FLAC files.

The work is available in FLAC and MP3 files. The MP3 files are in the bitrate of 192kbps. FLAC files have a superior sound but be aware that they are huge and your music software may not be able to play them.

Download
FLAC files
MP3 files

Here is a refreshing departure from the typical free online album. Famed British violinist Tasmin Little presents a collection of three classical solo violin works. What makes this offering different is that Ms. Little allows the listener to download the album as either as a 35 minute EP containing just the music or a hour long LP by adding her very entertaining commentaries. I recommend getting the whole shebang. The artist is delightfully effervescent in both her playing and comments. Listen to the Bach intro just to hear the hippo story. This would probably be a great recording to introduce children and teenagers to classical music and the violin specifically. Her comments remain entertaining and informative throughout.

As for the actual music, we get Bach’s “Partita No.3 in E major for Solo Violin”, Paul Patterson’s “Luslawice Variations op.50 for violin”, and the “Sonata No.3 in D minor” nicknamed the “Ballade” by Eugène Ysaÿe. The Bach partita is, of course, Bach. It is a grand work with 19 minutes of Baroque pleasure. As Ms Little states, the sonata for solo violin by the Belgian Romantic Era composer Eugène Ysaÿe “couldn’t be any stylistically different from the Bach” . It is a emotional roller coaster of a composition. Finally we move into the 20th century with British composer Paul Patterson. His “Luslawice Variations op.50 for violin” was composed in 1984 and is inspired by Polish folk music. It’s a virtual firework display of violin virtuosity and the highlight of this excellent album. Little’s spoken intro gives an outstanding description of the going-ons in this theme and variations composition. I love her definition of “rubato” which “just means we can play it the way we want to”. This is an essential download for classical music fans and people who just love great music.

The album is available in format of M4A or MP3 of 192 or 320kbps. If you like the music, support the artist by buying her CDs.

Download