Dutch pianist Ralph van Raat has wowed critics since his first recording for Naxos, which featured music by John Adams. Gramophone named him “one to watch” in 2006, and Jed Distler recently reviewed his performance of Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated! for the same magazine, saying “van Raat’s seasoned new music credentials, virtuoso technique, and natural affinity for Rzewski’s multi-faceted writing are evident in nearly every section… van Raat’s steady, incisive and powerfully projected reading stands with the best.”

In this new recording, van Raat tackles music by another iconic figure: John Taverner. Perhaps best known for his large orchestral, vocal, and choral works, Tavener’s piano works highlight his stylistic and spiritual development on a more personal level. His writing for the piano transforms the instrument into a sonorous world of chiming bells, highly lyrical melodic phrases, and recurrently, thundering sound clouds.

Taverner’s first piano work, Palin (1977), although clearly influenced by modernism in its use of dissonant twelve-tone series and harmonies, readily foreshadows his search for spirituality beyond the sophisticated, technical manipulation of musical material. The use of a repeated C symbolizes the “ison,” a single note that acts as the axis between silence and sound. Another axis is found in the middle of the piece, formed by the lowest C on the piano, repeatedly played for about ten seconds. From that point, all the music is sounded backwards, making the second half of the composition a mirrored version of the first half, with an additional coda. This retrograde explains the titular reference to the palindrome.

After joining the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977, Tavener’s compositional style gradually transformed as he experienced the communicative power and sublimity of the church’s traditional sacred music. In addition to writing reflective music for ensembles and choirs, he composed piano music for private purposes. The loss of his cats inspired him to write Mandoodles (1982), which depicted short scenes from the life of his cat Mandu, as well as the bell-like In Memory of Two Cats (1986).

By the time Tavener composed for the piano again more than a decade later, he had also studied the symbolism and tone systems of Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and Byzantine music extensively. The birth of his second daughter inspired him to write the short piano solo piece Zodiacs (1997), a mystical piece that uses tones from the ancient Greek concept of the Harmony of the Spheres. Ypakoë (1997) is a much larger work whose Greek title means “to be obedient,” “to hear,” or “to respond.” Pratirúpa (2003), Sanskrit for “reflection,” is the composer’s largest solo piano work to date, in which, he says “a series of self-reflecting harmonies, melodies and rhythms attempt to reflect the most beautiful, the Divine Presence which resides in every human being”.

Pianist and musicologist Ralph van Raat studied piano with Ton Hartsuiker and Willem Brons at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and musicology at the University of Amsterdam. He concluded both studies with distinction in 2002 and 2003. As a part of the Advanced Programme of the Conservatory of Amsterdam, and with the support of a Prince Bernhard Fellowship, van Raat also studied with Claude Helffer (Paris), Liisa Pohjola (Helsinki), Ursula Oppens at Chicago’s Northwestern University, and Pierre-Laurent Aimard at the Musikhochschule in Cologne. van Raat has won a number of prizes, including the Second Prize and Donemus-Prize (for Contemporary Music) of the Princess Christina Competition (1995), the Stipend-Prize Darmstadt during the Darmstadt Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik (1998), First Prize of the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition (1999), the Philip Morris Arts Award (2003), the Elisabeth Everts Prize (2004), a Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship (2005), the VSCD Classical Music Prize (2005), and the Fortis MeesPierson Award from the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam (2006). He appears as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States, with many of his concerts broadcast on radio and TV. He has several recordings to his credit and regularly collaborates with composers, many of whom have dedicated their piano compositions to him. Ralph van Raat has been a Steinway Artist since 2003.

Alan Hovhaness was one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His extensive catalog includes 434 opuses, including 67 symphonies. Hovhaness, whose music is known for its neo-romantic style and rich melodies, believed that contemporary music was best served by “bringing back the music of the past, going all the way back to the original sources.”Fanfare for the New Atlantis is a symphonic celebration of the rebirth of the legendary island of Atlantis. The Guitar Concerto No. 2, Op. 394 was written in 1985 for the famous Spanish guitarist Narciso Yepes. The music is lively and dance-like, with rapidly changing rhythmic patterns.

Symphony No. 63 ‘Loon Lake’ is full of nostalgia for the New Hampshire countryside of Hovhaness’s youth. It was commissioned by the New Hampshire Music Festival in conjunction with the Loon Preservation Society, who specifically requested the inclusion of the loon cry. All three works are world premières.

This is the first of six volumes encompassing the complete songs (183 in total) of Charles Ives. With students and alumni from Yale’s various music programs, the recording includes: 1, 2, 3′ (1921); Abide with Me (1897); Aeschylus and Sophocles (1922); Afterglow (1919); Allegro (1899); The All-Enduring (1896); Amphion (1896); Ann Street (1921); At Parting (1899); At Sea (1921); At the River (1916); August (1920); Autumn (1907); Because of You (1898); Because Thou Art (1901); Berceuse (1903); The Cage (1906); The Camp Meeting (1912); Canon I (1893); Canon II (1894); Chanson de Florian (1898); Charlie Rutlage (1920); The Children’s Hour (1912); Christmas Carol, Edie’s (1925); A Christmas Carol (1894); The Circus Band (1894); The Collection (1920); Country Celestial (1897); and Cradle Song (1919).

Featured performers and ensembles on this recording are Lielle Berman, Jennifer Casey Cabot, Patrick Carfizzi, Michael Cavalieri, Robert Gardner, Ian Howell, Sara Jakubiak, Tamara Mumford, Mary Phillips, David Pittsinger, Matthew Plenk, Kenneth Tarver, Leah Wool, the Biava String Quartet, Frederick Teardo, Eric Trudel, Laura Garritson, J.J. Penna, and Douglas Dickson.

 

 

Tags: Alan Hovhaness, Charles Ives, David Pittsinger, Douglas Dickson, Eric Trudel, Fanfare for the New Atlantis, Frederick Teardo, Guitar Concerto No. 3, Ian Howell, J.J. Penna, Jennifer Casey Cabot, Kenneth Tarver, Laura Garritson, Leah Wool, Lielle Berman, Loon Lake, Mandoodles, Mary Phillips, Matthew Plenk, Michael Cavalieri, NaxosDirect, Palin, Patrick Carfizzi, Pratirupa, Ralph van Raat, Robert Gardner, Sara Jakubiak, Symphony No. 63, Tamara Mumford, Tavener, the Biava String Quartet, Ypakoe

On June 24th, Naxos will release a 2-disc recording of Rossini’s one-act semiseria opera L’inganno felice. Filmed in Germany at the Rossini in Wildbad Festival in the Königliches Kurtheater, the opera is judiciously cast, featuring performances by Kenneth Tarver (Bertrando), Corinna Mologni (Isabella), Lorenzo Regazzo (Tarabotto), Marco Vinco (Batone), and Simon Bailey (Ormondo), and the Czech Chamber Soloists conducted by Alberto Zedda.L’inganno felice, Rossini’s 4th opera, premiered to rave reviews in 1812 in Venice when the composer was only 20 years old. Sometimes classified as a farsa, the opera tells the story of a faithful wife wrongly accused of infidelity. She is subsequently disowned only to be taken back by her husband when she is found to be innocent. Although it is rarely performed today, L’inganno felice was the third most performed of Rossini’s operas during his lifetime. Giuseppe Foppa, Venice’s most well-known librettist and specialist in semiseria and farsa, partnered with Rossini for L’inganno felice. The pair went on to write two additional operas during Rossini’s early career (La scala di seta and Il Signor Bruschino).

Born in 1928 in Milan, Alberto Zedda has been called the foremost Rossini conductor of our time. He has led performances at La Scala, San Carlo, La Fenice, Teatro Massimo, Covent Garden, the Mariinsky, the Vienna State Opera as well as in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Prague, Warsaw, Tel Aviv, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Madrid. Maestro Zedda is a professor, musicologist, has served as director of Italian repertoire for the New York City Opera, and has been a member of the Editorial Committee of the Rossini Foundation since its establishment. At his early début with the NY Philharmonic, Zedda encountered some unplayable passages in the published edition of the Overture to Il barbiere di Siviglia. In the 1960s he revised the score from the autograph, thus marking the beginning of modern, physiologically exact Rossini scholarship and the new Rossini revival.

The Czech Chamber Soloists, Brno, a chamber ensemble of the Brno State Philharmonic, has enjoyed great artistic successes for over thirty years. The ensemble specializes Baroque repertoire, with emphasis on composers from the Vienna classical school and in the lesser known and often outstanding works of the Czech masters of the eighteenth centuries. The Czech Chamber Soloists have toured through Europe, Canada and the United States and their performances are well documented in recording and filmed as the opera orchestra for Rossini in Wildbad.
Also in June, Naxos presents for the first time on DVD, Wolf-Ferrari’s La vedova scaltra (The Cunning Widow). Conducted by Karl Martin and filmed in February 2007 at Teatro La Fenice, this performance marked the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of playwright and librettist Carlo Goldoni, whose play was adapted into a libretto for La vedova scaltra. The cast includes Anna-Lise Sollied (Rosauro), Maurizio Muraro (Milord Runebif), Emanuele D’Anguanno (Monsieur Le Bleau), Mark Milhofer (Il Conte di Bosco Nero) and Riccardo Zanellato (Don Alvaro di Castiglia).

Born of an Italian mother and German father, Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s life began and ended in Venice, but he spent most of his life in German speaking countries. His first opera, La Cenerentola, was a huge failure in Venice which prompted the humiliated young composer to flee to Munich. There he composed a string of melodious and eclectic operas from the adapted plays of the witty and wild farces of Renaissance playwright Carlo Goldoni, including Le donne curiose (1903), I quattro rusteghi 1906), Il campiello (1936) and La vedova scaltra (1931). La vedova scaltra is a true 18th century opera buffa in that it takes a humorous yet cynical look at the interplay in the many different types of human relationships. The opera follows the amusing antics of four suitors, English, French, Italian and Spanish, who long for the hand of the widow Rosaura. Rosaura disguises herself to meet each man to eventually choose the one that can truly prove his sincerity.

Conductor Karl Martin was born in Zurich and studied at the Geneva Conservatoire in Paris and with Hans Swarowksy at Vienna Musikhochschule. His repertoire ranges from the contemporary to Handel, Beethoven, Debussy, Wagner and Ravel, from the eighteenth century to the Second Viennese School. He has presented Brahms and Rachmaninoff on tour with the Tokyo NHK Symphony Orchestra, the music of Hindemith at the Paul Hindemith Festival in São Paulo, and more varied programs with major, Swiss, Italian, German, and Scandinavian Orchestras. He teaches at Showa University in Tokyo.

The history of the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro La Fenice is mostly associated with the theatre that it calls home. Teatro la Fenice held an important place in nineteenth century music with premieres of many operas, including Semiramide, I Capuleti e I Montecchi, Rigoletto and La traviata. In the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice was directed by leading conductors and composers such as Richard Strauss, Petro Mascagni, Leopold Stokowski, Lorenzo Perosi, Giuseppe Martucci, Antonio Guarnieri, and many others. The Chorus of the Teatro la Fenice is a permanent body of singers selected by international audition. Engaged in the operatic performances of the Teatro La Fenice and abroad, the chorus has a growing involvement with sacred, symphonic and chamber repertoire.

 

Tags: Alberto Zedda, Anna-Lise Sollied, Carlo Goldoni, Corinna Mologni, Czech Chamber Soloists, Emanuele D'Anguanno, Karl Martin, Kenneth Tarver, L'inganno felice, La vedova scaltra, Lorenzo Regazzo, Marco Vinco, Mark Milhofer, Maurizio Muraro, Naxos Direct, Riccardo Zanellato, Rossini, Rossini in Wildbad Festival, Simon Bailey, Teatro La Fenice, Wolf-Ferrari