Chamber Music of Bohuslav Martinu
Violin Sonata No. 3, H. 303
I. Poco Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Scherzo
IV. Lento-Moderato-Allegro
Viola Sonata, H. 355
I. Poco andante
II. Allegro non troppo
Duo No. 1, H. 313, "Three Madrigals"
I. Poco allegro
II. Poco andante
III. Allegro
www.bluegriffin.com
Miroslav Hristov, violin
Yuri Gandelsman, viola
Vladimir Valjarevic, piano
"These three musicians show a clear affinity for the composer. It would be naïve to ascribe this to the fact that they are also emigrants to the USA (where they hold various eminent teaching positions, as well as concertizing), but nevertheless they have what all chamber musicians aspire to achieve: something we might define by that quaint, old-fashioned word, "togetherness". That is, not merely accuracy of ensemble and agreement on tempo, but unanimity of vision, and a basic but crucial understanding of what the music means. This is particularly important in Martinů, a composer who has often been accused of writing too much and simply churning out more of the same.
Without over-pointing or underlining, Hristov and Valjarevic produce a performance of the Violin Sonata that lacks little in individual character. Their build to the dramatic center of the slow movement is well judged, without having to resort
to inverted commas ("this is dramatic, OK?"), and in the playful opening of the Scherzo the pianist does not feel a need to be manically playful. Both musicians expertly capture the exploratory atmosphere of the Lento section of the fourth movement. The overall result is a coherent, flowing and above all natural-sounding performance. The same may be said of Gandelsman and Valjarevic in the Viola Sonata; again, their warm rapport is obvious. In Fanfare 39:2 I reviewed a recording of this sonata on the BIS label by violist Maxim Rysanov and pianist Katya Apekisheva: Rysanov has possibly the most beautiful tone of any contemporary violist I know, and his playing was elegantly projected. (The disc ended up on my Want List for 2015.) Rysanov's assets are considerable––including the coupling: a superb version for the Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra––but the intimacy and naturalness of Gandelsman and Valjarevic are assets too and not to be dismissed. It is the difference between a public concert and a heartfelt chamber performance (also reflected in the differing recording acoustics). The Duo, the shortest work here and something of a divertimento, is played with joyful élan. Hristov and Gandelsman relish the technical challenges and imaginative textures without drawing undue attention to their own virtuosity. Martinů comes out of it very well.
In sum, this is a highly satisfying program, featuring performances of the highest caliber from three excellent musicians with all the right priorities."
-Phillip Scott, Fanfare
"The chamber music of Bohuslav Martinu is a continual source of joy, nowhere more so than in these tender, affectionate performances. Hristov, Gandelsman and Valjarevic give splendidly focused performances of these three works. In short, Blue Griffin has produced a fabulous disc, one absolutely worthy of investigation."
-Colin Clarke, Fanfare
"The four-movement, 27-minute Third Violin Sonata (1944) comes first. Pianist Vladimir Valjarevic opens with a flourish of notes up and down the keyboard before violinist Miroslav Hristov joins with a melancholy theme. These players clearly understand the importance of rhythmic precision in Martinů’s music because they make a superb team. The adagio movement leaves room for reflection while the ensuing Scherzo sizzles with characteristic Martinů jaunty
energy. The Finale begins somberly with slow piano arpeggios over which the violin adds a sorrowful lament. This theme is explored for several minutes and then the music begins to heat up. By mid-movement, we’re back to high-energy Martinů who closes out the piece strongly. I have one other performance of this sonata in my collection (a Centaur CD with all of the violin sonatas) and I think this newcomer edges that one in performance and sound.
The two-movement viola sonata (15:28) was written while Martinů was on the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music in 1955. For this performance, pianist Valjarevic is joined by violist Yuri Gandelsman who also plays this music idiomatically."
-Mark Novak, Fanfare
Violin Sonata No. 3, H. 303
I. Poco Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Scherzo
IV. Lento-Moderato-Allegro
Viola Sonata, H. 355
I. Poco andante
II. Allegro non troppo
Duo No. 1, H. 313, "Three Madrigals"
I. Poco allegro
II. Poco andante
III. Allegro
www.bluegriffin.com
Miroslav Hristov, violin
Yuri Gandelsman, viola
Vladimir Valjarevic, piano
"These three musicians show a clear affinity for the composer. It would be naïve to ascribe this to the fact that they are also emigrants to the USA (where they hold various eminent teaching positions, as well as concertizing), but nevertheless they have what all chamber musicians aspire to achieve: something we might define by that quaint, old-fashioned word, "togetherness". That is, not merely accuracy of ensemble and agreement on tempo, but unanimity of vision, and a basic but crucial understanding of what the music means. This is particularly important in Martinů, a composer who has often been accused of writing too much and simply churning out more of the same.
Without over-pointing or underlining, Hristov and Valjarevic produce a performance of the Violin Sonata that lacks little in individual character. Their build to the dramatic center of the slow movement is well judged, without having to resort
to inverted commas ("this is dramatic, OK?"), and in the playful opening of the Scherzo the pianist does not feel a need to be manically playful. Both musicians expertly capture the exploratory atmosphere of the Lento section of the fourth movement. The overall result is a coherent, flowing and above all natural-sounding performance. The same may be said of Gandelsman and Valjarevic in the Viola Sonata; again, their warm rapport is obvious. In Fanfare 39:2 I reviewed a recording of this sonata on the BIS label by violist Maxim Rysanov and pianist Katya Apekisheva: Rysanov has possibly the most beautiful tone of any contemporary violist I know, and his playing was elegantly projected. (The disc ended up on my Want List for 2015.) Rysanov's assets are considerable––including the coupling: a superb version for the Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra––but the intimacy and naturalness of Gandelsman and Valjarevic are assets too and not to be dismissed. It is the difference between a public concert and a heartfelt chamber performance (also reflected in the differing recording acoustics). The Duo, the shortest work here and something of a divertimento, is played with joyful élan. Hristov and Gandelsman relish the technical challenges and imaginative textures without drawing undue attention to their own virtuosity. Martinů comes out of it very well.
In sum, this is a highly satisfying program, featuring performances of the highest caliber from three excellent musicians with all the right priorities."
-Phillip Scott, Fanfare
"The chamber music of Bohuslav Martinu is a continual source of joy, nowhere more so than in these tender, affectionate performances. Hristov, Gandelsman and Valjarevic give splendidly focused performances of these three works. In short, Blue Griffin has produced a fabulous disc, one absolutely worthy of investigation."
-Colin Clarke, Fanfare
"The four-movement, 27-minute Third Violin Sonata (1944) comes first. Pianist Vladimir Valjarevic opens with a flourish of notes up and down the keyboard before violinist Miroslav Hristov joins with a melancholy theme. These players clearly understand the importance of rhythmic precision in Martinů’s music because they make a superb team. The adagio movement leaves room for reflection while the ensuing Scherzo sizzles with characteristic Martinů jaunty
energy. The Finale begins somberly with slow piano arpeggios over which the violin adds a sorrowful lament. This theme is explored for several minutes and then the music begins to heat up. By mid-movement, we’re back to high-energy Martinů who closes out the piece strongly. I have one other performance of this sonata in my collection (a Centaur CD with all of the violin sonatas) and I think this newcomer edges that one in performance and sound.
The two-movement viola sonata (15:28) was written while Martinů was on the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music in 1955. For this performance, pianist Valjarevic is joined by violist Yuri Gandelsman who also plays this music idiomatically."
-Mark Novak, Fanfare
Italy's "Generation of 1880" and their Disciples
L. Dallapiccola......................Tartiniana Seconda
O. Respighi...........................Sonata in B minor
G. Ghedini.............................Bizzaria
N. Rota..................................Improvissio in D minor
I. Pizzetti................................Tre Canti
G. Malipiero...........................Il canto della Lontananza,
Il canto nell' Infinto
Kaleidos Duo
Miroslav Hristov, violin
Vladimir Valjarevic, piano
www.romeorecords.com
"...Respighi's later B minor Sonata also turns up in a fine recital by the Kaleidos Duo (violinist Miroslav Hristov and pianist Vladimir Valjarevic) that usefully collects a number of pieces together under the title 'Italy's "Generation of 1880" and Their Disciples', a reference to the group of Italian composers whose determinedly tonal outlook bucked contemporary trends (Romeo Records 7304). This gifted duo's urgently spontaneous reading, deeply felt and affectionately phrased, is the emotional nerve centre of a programme that also includes Dallapiccola's neo-Baroque Tartiniana seconda (an arresting 1956 rethink of Tartini's A minor Sonata), Ghedini's dreamily archaic Bizzaria and Rota's Improvviso, a lively take on Prokofiev (the booklet note is correct in asserting it is nominally based in C as opposed to the listings' D minor). Rounding things off in style are Pizzetti's strikingly inventive Tre canti and two haunting cantos by Malipiero."
-Julian Haylock, The Strad
"The Kaleidos Duo’s recital of music, by Italian composers who hadn’t fully embraced what now again seem like the experimental techniques of the Second Viennese School, begins with Luigi Dallapiccola’s Tartiniana Seconda. It is a four-movement work (“Pastorale,” Tempo di Bourree, Presto, and “Variazioni”), based in part, according to the booklet notes, on Giuseppe Tartini’s Sonata in A Minor, and quoting from it—but Dallapiccola also quotes almost an entire movement from Tartini’s Solo Sonata No. 25 in D Minor. In fact, in the first movement, many of Tartini’s characteristic figures appear in the violin, though the piano plays a more active part. Violinist Miroslav Hristov sharply defines the violin part and pianist Vladimir Valjarević plays with sympathy and discretion the piano part, rising to especial prominence (almost as fully in partnership with the violin as in Szymanowski’s piano accompaniments to three of Paganini’s caprices) in the last movement, which ranges far and wide, both harmonically and melodically. Ottorino Respighi himself played the violin and wrote several concertos for the instrument, as well as two sonatas. Jascha Heifetz used to play the later sonata, and it seems to be creeping into the repertoire. Hristov and Valjarević play its soaring first movement with Romantic ardor, Hristov varying his vibrato to produce a most affecting sense of nostalgia. That sense continues into the slow movement, Hristov seeming almost to stretch his tone in the upper registers to reach the climaxes. Valjarević begins the passacaglia commandingly, and Hristov joins him in the same spirit through the first declamatory movements; they return to that manner at the end to bring the recital to a powerful conclusion. With performances like this one (a dynamo compared to the version by Lea and Esther Birringer on Gema 8553432, and the arguably weightier than the estimable one by Tasmin Waley-Cohen and Huw Watkins on Signum 376, all three of which performances I’ve recently reviewed), the sonata may make even further inroads among listeners as well as among violinists. Hristov captures the haunting atmosphere of Georgio Ghedini’s evocative miniature Bizzaria before setting out on Nino Rota’s more extroverted and virtuosic Improvisso, which resembles now a heavy-handed, double-stopped tarantella and now one of the composer’s haunting movie scores. According to the notes, Ildebrando Pizzetti wrote the three songs included on the program for cello and piano, revising them for violin and piano in the same year. Less straightforward than, though as loamy as, Respighi’s pieces, or even Ghedini’s, they sing vocally in the duo’s readings (as in the opening of the second), though they remain instrumental in idiom. Despite his razor-sharp technique, Hristov doesn’t focus principally on the music’s pyrotechnical aspects, but has also cultivated a melodic style adapted to intimate expression. The third song, “Appassionato,” grows more agitated; and the duo returns to the more strenuous manner they adopted in the first. The program comes to a close with two pieces that composer Gian Francesco Malipiero designated canti. Hristov plays the first in the manner he brought to the slow movement of Respighi’s Sonata; he and Valjarević begin the second with the quietly suggestive mystery they explored in Ghedini’s piece. In all, it’s a deeply affecting recital, very highly recommended for its sharply etched readings of Dallapiccola’s Tartiniana, its warmly surging one of Respighi’s Sonata (perhaps especially for that), and its sympathetic way with the shorter pieces, as well as for its clean and vivid recorded sound."
-Robert Maxham, Fanfare
"This is an excellent disc that will introduce you not only to some interesting Italian chamber music of the 20th century, but also to the excellent Kaleidos Duo."
-Lynn René Bayley, Fanfare
Music from the Balkans
G. Enescu..............Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 3, Op. 25
C. Zadeja...............Sonata for Violin and Piano
A. Vrebalov.............Eastern Chapel Meditations for Violin, Piano, and Pre-Recorded Sounds
N. Skalkottas..........Petite Suite No. 2 for Violin and Piano
P. Vladigerov...........Song from Bulgarian Suite
Miroslav Hristov, violin
Vladimir Valjarevic, piano
www.centaurrecords.com
"...Bulgarian violinist Miroslav Hristov plays the gracefully propulsive phrases of Enescu’s gypsy music with deep understanding of its style and place in the musical lexicon. Here, the piano sounds like an Eastern European cimbalom when played by Bosnian-American artist Vladimir Valjarevic. There are some very famous recordings of this sonata, including one with Dinu Lipatti accompanying the composer and another of Yehudi Menuhin accompanied by his sister Hephzibah, that are most easily found on YouTube. Naxos Classical Archives has a recording from 1956 with Rafael Druian and John Simms that takes the sonata at a faster pace than Hristov and Valjarevic, but I think slightly more leisurely tempi and modern sound make the Centaur disc considerably more attractive. There is a rather lean-toned rendition that violinist Leonidas Kavakos and pianist Peter Nagy recorded for ECM in 2003 and it is the real competition for Hristov and Valjarevic, whose meatier playing I prefer. The finale on this CD is Pantcho Vladigerov’s “Song,” a lovely melody from his “Bulgarian Suite.” After this diverse program, that song is the perfect ending to a fascinating disc. Recorded in 2010 in Bulgaria, the clear warm sound on this Centaur CD gives the listener the feeling of being in a small concert hall.”
-Maria Nockin, Fanfare
“...Violinist Miroslav Hristov needn’t take a back seat to any of the above. Bulgarian by birth, he’s the real deal; all of the music on this disc is in his blood. He’s on the violin faculty of the University of Tennessee’s School of Music, but the CD was recorded in 2010 in Sofia’s Bulgaria Chamber Hall, which provides a bright, vibrant acoustic setting for Hristov’s finely honed, richly hued tone and Vladimir Valjarevic’s resonant piano. Bosnian-American Valjarevic is on the piano faculty at Mannes College. Together, the Hristov/Valjarevic duo seeks to promote the rich cultural heritage of their native Balkan region, and I have to say that with this album they go long way toward achieving their mission. This is an immensely enjoyable and rewarding release, and one that comes with the highest recommendation.”
-Jerry Dubins, Fanfare
G. Fauré.............Improvisation in C sharp minor
L. Aubert............Moderato
G. Fauré..............Impromptu No. 2 in F minor
P. Ladmirault.......Allegro moderato/Espressivo e poco rubato
G. Fauré..............Fugue in A minor
G. Enesco............Molto moderato e cantabile
G. Fauré..............Mazurka in B flat major, Op. 32
F. Schmitt.............Rapide
G. Fauré...............Trois Romances sans paroles, Op. 17
M. Ravel..............Berceuse (with Svetla Kaltcheva, violin)
G. Fauré...............Two Preludes, Op. 103
R. Ducasse...........D'une extreme lenteur (with Ivo Nanev, piano)
G. Fauré...............Valse-Caprice No. 1 in A major, Op. 30
C. Koechlin...........Andante, calme e tres expressif
Vladimir Valjarevic, piano
www.arkivmusic.com
"...Unlikely as it may seem, however, both the Roussel and Faure homages were available on a 1988 CD, performed by Margaret Fingerhut and friends (Chandos CHAN 8578, Fanfare 12:3, p. 343), together with the granddaddy of such enterprises, numbers commissioned for a 1909 issue of the Revue dedicated to Haydn, sporting contributions by Debussy, Dukas, Hahn, d'Indy, Ravel, and Widor. Here, the homages are interspersed with several seldom heard Faure works, a context demonstrating rather disarmingly both the lessons of the master and his pupils' individuality. Fingerhut's album is no longer available, stateside, at least, but well worth tracking down. Where Fingerhut was straightforward, Valjarevic is atmospheric, Fingerhut's incisive touch showing up detail where Valjarevic's caressing legato envelops it in sensuousness. I've been sarcastic about pianists who play Faure as Valjarevic does, finding a dryer touch and rhythmic steadiness more revealing, but his silk-on-velvet seductiveness cancels all objections. Here are piquant sidelights on Ravel and Enescu, while a small but fetching taste of Ladmirault or Aubert may prompt a lifelong follow-up. Sound is warm and spacious, but detailed and immediate. Informed liner notes by the redoubtable Eric Salzman, with blurbs on each piece, confect a final elegance.
Enthusiastically recommended."
- Adrian Corleonis, Fanfare
"Valjarevic plays with a beautiful lyricism and a wide variety of tones and colorings, perceptively applied with care. The hearty ending of Faure's Valse-Caprice is followed by the ringing bell-like theme of Koechlin's fugue. Faure's piano music is well-represented here, ranging from early works such as the Romances sans paroles that are clearly modeled on works by Chopin and Mendelssohn, to a couple of his later Preludes, Op. 103, where the characteristics that distinguish his songs are heard. It is a treat to hear the all-too-often-neglected piano music of Faure, wonderfully performed and combined with intriguing tidbits from other composers, which otherwise might never have been heard."
-Patsy Morita, All Music Guide
L. Aubert............Moderato
G. Fauré..............Impromptu No. 2 in F minor
P. Ladmirault.......Allegro moderato/Espressivo e poco rubato
G. Fauré..............Fugue in A minor
G. Enesco............Molto moderato e cantabile
G. Fauré..............Mazurka in B flat major, Op. 32
F. Schmitt.............Rapide
G. Fauré...............Trois Romances sans paroles, Op. 17
M. Ravel..............Berceuse (with Svetla Kaltcheva, violin)
G. Fauré...............Two Preludes, Op. 103
R. Ducasse...........D'une extreme lenteur (with Ivo Nanev, piano)
G. Fauré...............Valse-Caprice No. 1 in A major, Op. 30
C. Koechlin...........Andante, calme e tres expressif
Vladimir Valjarevic, piano
www.arkivmusic.com
"...Unlikely as it may seem, however, both the Roussel and Faure homages were available on a 1988 CD, performed by Margaret Fingerhut and friends (Chandos CHAN 8578, Fanfare 12:3, p. 343), together with the granddaddy of such enterprises, numbers commissioned for a 1909 issue of the Revue dedicated to Haydn, sporting contributions by Debussy, Dukas, Hahn, d'Indy, Ravel, and Widor. Here, the homages are interspersed with several seldom heard Faure works, a context demonstrating rather disarmingly both the lessons of the master and his pupils' individuality. Fingerhut's album is no longer available, stateside, at least, but well worth tracking down. Where Fingerhut was straightforward, Valjarevic is atmospheric, Fingerhut's incisive touch showing up detail where Valjarevic's caressing legato envelops it in sensuousness. I've been sarcastic about pianists who play Faure as Valjarevic does, finding a dryer touch and rhythmic steadiness more revealing, but his silk-on-velvet seductiveness cancels all objections. Here are piquant sidelights on Ravel and Enescu, while a small but fetching taste of Ladmirault or Aubert may prompt a lifelong follow-up. Sound is warm and spacious, but detailed and immediate. Informed liner notes by the redoubtable Eric Salzman, with blurbs on each piece, confect a final elegance.
Enthusiastically recommended."
- Adrian Corleonis, Fanfare
"Valjarevic plays with a beautiful lyricism and a wide variety of tones and colorings, perceptively applied with care. The hearty ending of Faure's Valse-Caprice is followed by the ringing bell-like theme of Koechlin's fugue. Faure's piano music is well-represented here, ranging from early works such as the Romances sans paroles that are clearly modeled on works by Chopin and Mendelssohn, to a couple of his later Preludes, Op. 103, where the characteristics that distinguish his songs are heard. It is a treat to hear the all-too-often-neglected piano music of Faure, wonderfully performed and combined with intriguing tidbits from other composers, which otherwise might never have been heard."
-Patsy Morita, All Music Guide
J. Brahms.................Sonatensatz, Op. Posth.
R. Schumann............Marchenbilder, Op. 113
R. Schumann............Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70
J. Brahms.................Sonata in F minor, Op. 120 No. 1
Jeanne Mallow, viola
Vladimir Valjarevic, piano
www.gostrings.com
"I believe that I can justly say her CD is my recording of the year. Her tone quality, technique and sensitivity are superb . . . Vladimir Valjarevic is her excellent associate artist on the piano and also a fellow teacher on the Mannes College of Music faculty in New York City. I can't wait to hear further recitals by these two wonderful artists."
-David O. Brown, Journal of the American Viola Society