Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Concerto for harpsichord & strings in D-minor (BWV 1052)
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Concerto for organ, strings & basso continuo in G major (Wotquenne 34)
Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
Concerto for pianoforte, strings and b.c. (1770)
Pieter-Jan Belder
harpsichord, organ & pianoforte
Musica Amphion
Rèmy Baudet, leader
Conducted by Pieter-Jan Belder
CD/Stereo
Digipack with booklet
Dutch press
BACH - three keyboard concertos - Quintone, voorjaar 2007 Persbeoordelingen
Luister
CD van de maand mei, beoordeling 10
`Zeldzaam mooi. Het jonge Nederlandse label Quintone schiet in de roos. Het ensemble Musica Amphion onder aanvoering van toetsenist Pieter-Jan Belder zet hier zo`n beetje een nieuwe standaard, met een kleine bezetting (vijf violen, twee altviolen, cello en violine) en een bijzonder gelukkig samengaan van subliem ensemblegeluid, superieur klavecimbelspel en een stralende registratie: het is of je als luisteraar midden tussen de musici zit.`
NRC Handelsblad
5 sterren
`Alles klinkt zó vitaal en spannend, alsof de hele vaak zo suf lijkende eeuw opmarcheerde naar de Sturm und Drang. Luister naar Bachs Concert voor klavecimbel en strijkers BWV 1052 met die donkere drive, een prima basis voor het klavecimbelgepingel dat zó dicht wordt dat de strijkers zich maar eens koest houden. De aansprekendste barok-cd die ik in lange tijd hoorde.`
Volkskrant
FEEST VER VAN HET ALTAAR
(4 sterren)
`Pieter-Jan Belder, klavecinist in Van Veldhovens Hohe Messe, maakt ver van het altaar een
feest van Bachs klavecimbelconcert in d-klein. Het ensemble Musiva Amphion doet vrolijk
mee. Het draait uit op een familiereünie: C.P.E. en J.C. Bach zijn van de partij met
concerten, gespeeld op orgel en fortepiano.`
R. de Beer
De Telegraaf
MUSICA AMPHION
`Perfectie en frisheid gaan hand in hand.`
Thiemo Wind
Leids Dagblad
`Drie sprankelend gespeelde voorbeelden van een grote barokke vader en zijn eigenzinnige `klassieke` zonen.`
Hans Visser
HP/De Tijd
Bachjes
`… er wordt sprankelend en overtuigend gespeeld en het is
heel aardig om die concerten van de Bachjes weer eens naast elkaar te horen.`
Oswin Schneeweisz
135 years of CZECH COMPOSERS
CD 1
Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884)
From my homeland
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Four romantic pieces op.75
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Sonatine in G-major op.100
Zdenĕk Fibich (1850-1900)
Poem
Ottokar Nováček (1866-1900)
Perpetuum mobile
CD2
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)
Sonata
Erwin Schulhoff (1894-1942)
Sonata for violin solo
Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959)
Five madrigal stanzas
Josef Suk (1874-1935)
Four pieces op.17
Yvonne Smeulers
violin
Sander Sittig
piano
CD/Stereo
Digipack with booklet
BOSMANS & BRIDGE
Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
Sonata for cello and piano (1913-1917)
1. Allegro ben moderato
2. Adagio ma non troppo
3. Molto allegro e agitato, Allegro moderato
4. Elégie (1904)
5. Serenade (1903)
6. Meditation (1912)
Henriëtte Bosmans (1895-1952)
Sonata for cello and piano (1919)
7. Allegro Maestoso
8. Allegretto
9. Adagio
10. Allegro molto e con fuoco
11. Nuit Calme (1926)
Mayke Rademakers
cello
Matthijs Verschoor
piano
CD/Stereo
Digipack with booklet
J.S.Bach Johannes Passion (version 1725)
release date Feb 11 2008
2 CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet 32 p
Musicians:
Orchestra: Concerto d`Amsterdam
Choir: La Furia
Sopran - Machteld Baumans
Alt - Maarten Engeltjes
Tenor - Marcel Beekman
Bass - Mattijs van de Woerd
Jesus - Frans Fiselier
Evangelist - Nico van der Meel
Beethoven's Beethoven
Beethoven's Quintet for Piano and Winds in Es, op. 16 and his Symphony nr. 2 in D, op. 36, rewritten by Beethoven for pianoquartet and pianotrio respectively.
Van Swieten Society:
Igor Rukhadze & Franc Polman - violin
Bernadette Verhagen - viola
Job ter Haar - cello
Bart van Oort - fortepiano
Fortepiano after Walter by Chris Maene (2000)
CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet
Alkan & Chopin
Job ter Haar and Vaughan Schlepp play the great sonatas for piano and cello of the two friends.
Musicians:
Job ter Haar - cello
Vaughan Schlepp - Erard grand piano
CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet
Clementi
Piano duets on Broadwood 1798
Musicians:
Galina Draganova and Vasily Ilisavsky
Fortepiano John Broadwood & Son (London 1798)
CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet 12p
The piano duets of Muzio Clementi (1752 - 1832) opus 3, opus 6 and opus 14.
Purcell - solo songs
Maarten Koningsberger - bariton,
Fred Jacobs - theorbo
Perfect Purcell on a superlative release chock-full of treasures.
Musicians:
Bariton: Maarten Koningsberger
Theorbo: Fred Jacobs
CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet 32 p
GRAMOPHONE (Editor's Choice) REVIEW:
'Perfect Purcell on a superlative release chock-full of treasures'
BACH - Alto Cantatas
Maarten Engeltjes
A fascinating recording of the three Cantatas for altus, with counter tenor Maarten Engeltjes, Concerto d`Amsterdam and Vincent van Laar on the beautiful Bach orgel of the Grote Kerk in Dordrecht (Holland).
Musicians:
Maarten Engeltjes - counter tenor
Concerto d`Amsterdam conducted by Klaas Stok
Vincent van Laar - orgel
CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet 28 p
DAAN MANNEKE
La Mélodie passagère
- a beautiful anthology -
Musicians:
Van Dingstee Quartet, Mariet Kaasschieter, Henriette Feitfh), Karin van der Poel, Harry van Berne, Kees Jan de Koning, Bas Ramselaar, Marijn Simons, Studium Chorale, Hans Leenders, Klaas Hoek
Digipack / stereo / Booklet 28 p
on Daan Manneke's La mélodie passagère
Puisque tout passe, faisons
la mélodie passagère;
celle qui nous désaltère,
aura de nous raison.
Chantons a qui nous quitte
avec amour et art;
soyons plus vite
que le rapide départ.
This poem by Rainer Maria Rilke is a very suitable metaphor not only for Daan Manneke's violin solo La mélodie passagère, but also for almost his whole oeuvre. His music is always 'passing' or, in Daan's own terms, it follows a 'trajectory'. As a listener one has to jump on his train and let oneself be taken into different times and dimensions.
The multi-dimensional aspects in Daan's music emerge in many ways. For instance, there might be beautiful harmonies hanging in the air which suddenly get disturbed by a percussive layer. This seems to destroy the beautiful harmonies, but in the end two layers turn out to be two independent worlds which do not appear to be influencing each other. Thus Daan gives the listener the idea of being in two or more spaces at the same time.
Talking about time, at simultaneous moments there is music which would clearly reflect on renaissance, but with harmonies or rhythms that could only exist in a post-Stravinsky or even post-Boulez era. In this way the matter of time is transformed in timeless matter. Daan works with multi-dimensionality also in his treatment of aesthetics. He can find interest and beauty in something obviously unaesthetical and maybe even ugly or out of place, and turns these "anti"-elements into "art"-qualities.
CARL MARIA von WEBER
Van Swieten Society
Carl Maria von Weber(1786-1826) was one of the most significant figures in the German early Romantic movement, famous for his operas and symphonies. His chamber music is less well-known, but the three fine examples of this genre recorded here illustrate his genius for instrumental writing, melodic gift and flair for showmanship and entertainment.
Musicians:
Marion Moonen - flut, Frank van den Brink - clarinet, Igor Rukhadze and Franc Polman - violin, Bernadette Verhagen - viola, Job ter Haar - cello, Bart van Oort - piano
CD/Stereo
Digipack with booklet 24p
TON DE LEEUW
Complete Piano Solo Works
piano: René Eckhardt
In close co-operation with Muziekcentrum Nederland (MCN) Quintone releases the complete piano oeuvre of the important Dutch composer Ton de Leeuw on a 2CD. After a research of three years MCN presented the score of all the piano works in a new edition during a festival on January 9 2010. Several works did not appear in printed form before or were ever played in public. Quintone made the recordings of all these beautiful and important examples of 20th century piano music and presents them to you today. The CD's contain a total of 18 first recordings!
2CD / Digipack / stereo / Booklet 24 p
Simons conducts Simons
Simons Ensemble
Philipp Stümke, clarinet
Ron Colbers, vibraphone (& vocal)
Karina Sabac, piano
Felix Giglberger, violin (& viola)
Sandra Borchers, contrabass
Marijn Simons, conductor
The Legend of Kwahkaazuh
for ensemble, opus 58a
composed in 2009, arranged for ensemble in 2009
Five
for ensemble, opus 48a (concert version)
composed in 2008/2009, arranged for ensemble in 2009
Bas Continues
for ensemble, opus 40b
composed in 2007, arranged for ensemble in 2009
This recording was made during the debut concert (and dress rehearsal) of the Simons Ensemble on the 13th March 2010 at the Theater aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht, The Netherlands.
ALEXANDER DROZDOV
Schumann - Rachmaninov
"Alexander Drozdov speaks to the hearts of the audience". That review from a leading Dutch newspaper sums up this artist in one sentence. Russian-born Alexander Drozdov is building a promising career and winning audiences in Russia and Europe, both as a recitalist and as a soloist with orchestra. "Aristocratic", "inspiring", "touching", "poetic" and of course "Russian soul" - these are some of the lasting impressions which his performances leave on his listeners.
ROBERT SCHUMANN - Fantasie in C major opus 17
SERGEI RACHMANINOV - Etudes-Tableaux opus 39
CD / digipack / stereo / booklet 8 p
BRUCKNER - ROTT
Two great String Quartets of the Master and his Student, Anton Bruckner and Hans Rott, perfectly played by the Israel String Quartet.
Yigal Tuneh - first violin
Avital Steiner - second violin
Amit Landau - viola
Zvi Maschkowski - cello
ANTON BRUCKNER
String Quartet in C minor
HANS ROTT
String Quartet in C minor
CD / digipack / stereo / booklet 16 p
SCHUBERT and the FLUTE
Marieke Schneemann - flute
Bart van Oort - fortepiano
Francine van der Heijden - soprano
With his Variations on "Trockne Blumen" (D 802), Schubert provided flutists with one of the most technically brilliant and musically rewarding pieces in the repertoire, one that is almost universally regarded as the most significant work written for the instrument in the nineteenth century. Similarly, his one work for solo clarinet, Der Hirt auf dem Felsen,(D 965) with soprano and piano, is a work that expertly mines the clarinet's capabilities. (Schubert's Octet, D 803, is also a wonderful vehicle for the clarinet.) The flute builder Theobald Böhm (1794 - 1881), who is unanimously hailed as the inventor of the modern flute, was obviously attracted to Schubert's music, turning to him for inspiration for two of his own compositions, the Fantasy on a Theme of Schubert, Op. 21, and his Arrangement of Six Schubert Lieder for Flute and Piano. Thus, it is clear that this pivotal figure in the history of the flute felt a kinship with Schubert. Similarly, flutist Marieke Schneeman felt moved to make an arrangement of Schubert's Sonatina for violin and piano in D major (D 384), and to step into the clarinet's territory and play Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, a decision that in Schubert's day would not have raised as many eyebrows as it might today.
CD / digipack / stereo / booklet 16 p
JAN VRIEND
Jets d'Orgue
Jets d'Orgue is a musical celebration of the acoustic and technological riches of large organs in large spaces. The music propels itself as the raw power of nature. Thousands of pipes spray their sounds through the vast space of a cathedral in a continuous eruption of colours and patterns, densities and velocities, variations and combinations. Getting immersed by the dizzying floods of sounds is like entering totally new, undreamt-of worlds.
Jan Hage - Organ
CD / digipack / stereo / booklet 8 p
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Lieder
Opus 32, 72, 86, 106
Maarten Koningsberger - baritone
Kelvin Grout - piano
Brahms certainly made an important contribution to the lieder repertoire, composing some
200 for solo voice and piano alone. They reflect virtually his entire emotional spectrum:
from jolly folksongs to the most melancholic, high romantic songs.
Because of the intense and timeless interpretation of Koningsberger and Grout the eternal
big themes of love, impotence, beauty and death come surprisingly close.
"Koningsberger's innate musicality and subtle intelligence are evident in every phrase" Gramophone on Maarten Koningsberger's Purcell CD, 7-2009.
CD / digipack / stereo / booklet 24 p
Schubert at home
early romantic chamber music
Van Swieten Society
Francine van der Heijden - soprano
Marion Moonen - flute
Frank van de Brink - clarinet
Izhar Elias - guitar
Igor Ruhadze - violin
Bernadette Verhagen - viola
Job ter Haar - cello
Maria Vahervuo - bass
Bart van Oort - fortepiano
Guitar Quartet in G major, D.96 (1814)
Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, D. 965 (1828)
Piano Quartet in A major "Trout Quintet", Op.posth.119, D 667 (1819)
Q11001 CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet
Mendelssohn - the young genius
early romantic chamber music
Van Swieten Society
The Van Swieten Society:
Frank van den Brink - clarinet
Franc Polman - violin
Igor Ruhadze - violin
Bernadette Verhagen - viola
Jaring Walta - viola
Job ter Haar - cello
Bart van Oort - fortepiano
Sextet for Piano and Strings in D Major, op. 110 (1824)
Clarinet Sonata in Eb Major (1824)
Piano Trio in C minor (1821)
Q09004 CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet
Schubert - Winterreise
Maarten Koningsberger - bariton
Roger Braun - piano
"Schuberts Winterreise als intiem drama - Koningsberger/Braun een weldadig koppel (...) Schubertliederen zingen is een kunst die maar weinig zangers verstaan, bij Koningsberger heb je het veilige gevoel alles van Schubert precies op zijn plaats komt. Hij heeft er de ideale stem voor - een mooie, stevige soepele bariton - en hij neemt de melodie van elk lied als richtsnoer voor zijn interpretatie. Op de stroom van een mooi legato en een smetteloos Duits legt hij de accenten die bij deze vroegromantiek passen. (...) Pianist Roger Braun blijkt Koningsbergers evenknie (...) een poetisch musicus die met de zanger mee-ademt (...) een weldadig koppel" - Haarlems Dagblad
Q11003 CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet
Rokus de Groot
ShivaShakti
play of god and goddess
Dhruba Ghosh - improvisation, sarangi Ernest Rombout - English horn
In Hinduism, Shiva and Shakti represent the balance between male and female, between meditation and energy. Shiva and Shakti go by various names and forms in India, such as Shankara and Durga, or Bhairav and Bhairavi. The performance on this CD is inspired by various sources on Shiva and Shakti. Interesting cross-cultural project of traditional Hindu music making and Western contemporary composition techniques. Of special interest to Hindu communities all over the globe and people who like both modern classics and world music.
Q11002 CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet 8 p
Zachow
Christmas Cantatas
Accademia Amsterdam
Capella Frisiae
Constanza Backes - soprano
Ludger Remy - director
1. Meine Seele: erhebt den Herren
2. Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe
3. Preiset mit mir den Herren
4. Lobe de Herrn, meine Seele
Wilhelm Friedrich Zachow (1663-1712) is one of those composers who never became known to the great public because of the attention for Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. Onno Verschoor (Accademia Amsterdam) and Ludger Remy explore the musial archives and come with extremely interesting examples of his Church Music, that form a perfect link between Buxtehude and Bach. The project will lead to many first recordings. The Quintone recording 'Christmas Cantatas' is the first one.
Q10001 CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet 32p
Rachmaninoff & Shostakovich
The Sonatas
Mayke Rademakers - cello
Matthijs Verschoor - piano
Apart from their similarities, the cello sonatas of Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich are stylistically opposed. Where Rachmaninoff was strongly embedded in the romantic tradition of the 19th century, Shostakovich expressed himself in a modernistic, neo-classical style, with edgy dissonants and contrasts. Nevertheless, Rachmaninoff 's full blooded romantic sonata couples exquisitely with the more graphic and sometimes cynical musical language of Shostakovich.
The sonatas for cello & piano by Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich belong to the most important works of the 20th century written for this instrumental combination. Regarding virtuosity and lyricism, both sonatas demand the utmost of both the cellist and the pianist. Each work is made up of four movements with respectively similar tempo indications. The slow movements appear to reveal themselves as the soul of the works.
The cello-piano duo Mayke Rademakers and Matthijs Verschoor form a very inspiring musical couple. Their previous recordings with works by Bosmans and Bridge were highly acclaimed by the international press: They perform with unstinting dedication, passionate and urgently expressive..
(Gramophone, Andrew Achenbach)
Q12002 CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet
Mahler
Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Maarten Koningsberger - baritone
Ed Spanjaard - piano
Des Knaben Wunderhorn is an extensive collection of Romantic poetry, published by Achim von Arnim (1781-1831) and Clemens Brentano (1778-1842). The idea came to them while taking a boat trip along the Rhine, during which the wine flowed freely and spirits were high.
Gustav Mahler was immediately attracted to Des Knaben Wunderhorn, so it is not surprising that he used so many of the poems in his Lieder: between 1887 and 1902 he composed twenty-four songs based on texts from the anthology. The composer himself uses the term "Humoresken". However, and that is the crux of the matter, none of these songs is truly carefree and humourous. Moreover, when humour threatens, there is always a snag. This is even the case in Rheinlegendchen with its seemingly lighthearted Ländler-like charm, also to be found for instance in Verlorne Müh. Essentially the story is about a person longing to find true love. Reading between the lines, one can only conclude that the projected events of Rheinlegendchen will forever remain a dream.
Like Mahler's other works, Des Knaben Wunderhorn is mainly concerned with the tension between the ideal and reality, more specifically the human striving towards the unattainable, against overwhelming odds; trying to find the sense in the struggle, but seldom succeeding. The anti-hero is fighting powers against which one can not, or rarely, prevail.
Maarten Koningsberger is one of the leading baritones in The Netherlands. His diversity of styles is reflected in his song recitals, with pianists as Graham Johnson and Rudolf Jansen or with lutenist Fred Jacobs. His concert tours include Europe, South Africa, the Far East, China, Israel, USA and Canada, always highly acclaimed by the press. Among the many mayor concerthalls where he performed are: The Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall London, Philharmonie München, Carnegie Hall New York, Theater an der Wien, Staatsoper Berlin, Salle Pleyel Paris, Romanian Atheneum Bucharest, Amsterdam Operahouse, Esplanade Singapore and many more.
Ed Spanjaard was music director of the Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Maastricht (untill end of the season 2012) as well as the Nieuw Ensemble (Amsterdam), which specializes in contemporary music. Additionally he is a regular guest conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the orchestras of the Dutch Radio and the Netherlands Chamber Choir.
Q12001 CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet 28p
Léos Janáček
Helena Basilova - piano
In the Mists
Sonata
On an Overgrown Path
Léos Janáček composed numerous works for piano throughout his career, but they are mostly minor - dances, folksong arrangements, album leaves, occasional pieces. The three shining exceptions, brought together on this CD and all composed in the period 1900-1912, constitute his chief claim to significance and originality as a composer for the keyboard.
Helena Basilova, recently praised by the New York Times for her Shostakovich interpretation, is a young, Moscow born, promising artist, working and living in Amsterdam at this moment. For her Janáček performances she received many outstanding reviews.
Q12003 CD / digipack / stereo / Booklet 8p
