Barber / Ensemble Esperanza - Western Moods - SUPER-AUDIO CD [Super Audio CD (SACD)]

Harald Herresthal - Nystedt Hovland Baden & Nordheim [COMPACT DISCS] date 03/25/2014

Boris Bloch's stupendous keyboard art and his incredibly strong personality are the basis for the widely praised depth of expression, the richness of color, the astonishing stylistic authenticity and the incomparable 'singing' of his piano playing. All this is reflected in the carefully composed programs of his recitals. Bloch's latest album for ARS PRODUKTION commemorates the 190th anniversary of Schubert's death. Born in Odessa, the pianist and conductor Boris Bloch has long been regarded as one of the most important interpreters of classical and romantic piano music. After studying at Moscow's Tchaikovsky Conservatory under the world-renowned pianist and pedagogue Dmitri Bashkirov he soon built up a large and ever expanding repertoire extending from Scarlatti and Bach, the Viennese Classicists, Chopin and Liszt and covering the German and Russian Romantics to the most important composers of the 20th century. Bloch's detailed knowledge of the piano literature of the last three centuries, his familiarity with the entire history of music and it's protagonists along with his stupendous pianism and above all things his strong artistic personality form the basis for the much vaunted depth of expression, the abundance of color, the amazing stylistic originality and the incomparable Inchsinging toneInch of his playing, manifesting themselves equally in the careful composition of his recitals.

On their second album of this series, Ensemble Esperanza is looking south. Just as on their debut album, Nordic Suites, Ensemble Esperanza has selected dance-like pieces, this time from the highly variegated musical landscapes of Southern Europe. Although only one of the works is in the form of a traditional dance suite, all four move with a swaying motion. The works on this recording date from the first two-thirds of the twentieth century. All four are highly individualistic in character and share a quest for essence and for the sublime, with a formal clarity and lucidity inspired by the great model of Classical Antiquity, which first gave rise to this vast cultural landscape. The warmth of the underlying sentiment allows the pieces to align with their own luminous ideal of Mediterranean beauty. Ensemble Esperanza was founded in 2015 as part of the integral musical education programme of the International Academy of Music in Lichtenstein. With the exception of the concert master, the ensemble is made up of grantees of the International Academy of Music who are coming together for their musical projects from all over the world.