Brahms / Schwabe / Rimmer - Cello Sonatas & Songs - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

This new features studio and live broadcast recordings, never previously issued and newly remastered from the original tapes, of Romantic and 20th-century Danish music. Highlights include an atmospheric tone-poem by Gade, ballet and concert scores based on fairy-tales of Hans Christian Andersen, an overture to celebrate the end of the Nazi occupation of Denmark and a colorful set of orchestral variations based on Danish radio ´s theme tune. The performances bear witness to the high technical standard of the DRSO ´s playing, nearly 70 years ago, as well as to the tireless advocacy of Launy Grøndahl for the music of his own country.

Peter Anders - Peter Anders Recital [COMPACT DISCS] date 08/11/2009

This is part of a two album project to include the clarinet sonatas and the first violin sonata, all played by Raphael Wallfisch and John York. The single Sonatensatz (Scherzo) was not published till after Brahms' death. The piece is originally for violin and piano and formed the third movement of a full-length four movement sonata by three different composers, Schumann, Dietrich his student, and the youthful Brahms. This is the only movement still regularly performed. It certainly makes a strong, effective recital piece. More than twenty years separate the two cello sonatas. While the first, in E minor is generally rather somber, often very low-lying on the cello and serious in it's Bachian working-out, the second, in F major is full of turbulent, confident, even heroic qualities. It presents both players at full throttle, strutting proudly through one noble melody after another, and then - in the radically remote and radiant key of F sharp major - has one of Brahms' most glorious slow movements and a dark scherzo which paraphrases the opening theme from his 3rd symphony's finale. These two sonatas for cello and piano have achieved a legendary position - wonderful and powerful expressions of 19th century romanticism.