Alexander Hanson - & There Was Music - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

New Budapest String Quartet - Complete String Quartets 6 [COMPACT DISCS] date 12/02/1993

At first glance Tchaikovsky does not seem easily to fit the InchChillInch bill. He is known for pieces such as the 1812 Overture, music which is impassioned and animated in distinctly Russian style, often fiery, even ballistic, and infused with darker moments inspired by the composer's personal turmoil. However he also wrote some of the most beautiful, fragile and ethereal ballet music that has ever been choreographed, as well as lyrical slow symphonic movements and haunting songs. His unique talent lay in his inspired and inventive use of melody, seen at it's best in works such as the Nutcracker with it's myriad infectious tunes. Many of Tchaikovsky's melodies are based on folksongs he collected, predominantly Russian and Ukrainian but also Polish, Italian, Spanish and French (this last seen in the Piano Concerto No. 1, in this collection).

From the budding blossoms of first love and the heat of passion, to when feelings subside and fade away, Inchthe seasons of loveInch are the overarching theme of this program of madrigali concertati by three notable members of the Venetian school Biagio Marini, Giovanni Rovetta and Giovanni Valentini. The madrigals on this recording exemplify the new musical aesthetic of affetti and the seasons of nature are mirrored by the stages of love experienced by the lyrical hero. The ever-changing vocal and instrumental forces of up to six singers and seven instrumentalists lend colorful variety to the recording as it progresses from primavera, estate, autunno and inverno through the seasons of love. As a prelude to the Inchseasons of loveInch, ensemble member and soprano Hana Blažíková sings Marini's doleful lament Le Lagrime d'Erminia. Since it's inaugural concert of continuo anthems by Purcell in 2013, under artistic director Fritz Krämer the professional ensemble Bernvocal has become a fixture in the Swiss early music scene and beyond thanks to it's performances of Renaissance and Baroque vocal repertoire.