David Jisse - Assis Sur Ma Valise - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Alongside his success directing the ensemble Ars Antiqua Austria, Gunar Letzbor has not let up on demonstrating his talents as a violinist. After the recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's Sonatas and Partitas the 12 Fantasias by Georg Philipp Telemann present him again completely Incha soloInch. Telemann's Fantasias for Solo Violin are reflections both of his full maturity as a composer and of being highly proficient violinist himself, with the exceptionally prolific and enormously busy composer publishing sets of fantasias for solo instruments - flute, viola da gamba as well as violin - without basso continuo in Hamburg in the 1730s. The 12 Fantasias recorded here are written for an unaccompanied instrument and manage to embrace both the long established style for polyphony in German violin music - with fugues and multi-part writing for the violin - and more modern trends - galanterien and Italian sonata and concerto influences. Gunar Letzbor plays a Sebastian Klotz violin from the eighteenth century.

This new showcases the romantic heart, keen mind, and original style of a composer walking Lungo il viale, towards the twentieth century. While his namesake and grandson is more remembered today for his impact on music (Nino Rota), the senior Giovanni Rinaldi was also a formidable composer. He composed exclusively for piano, and strayed from the normal writing styles for the instrument. He never wrote any sonatas, themes and variations, or large-scale concert works. Rather, he focused on short, strongly characterized compositions. He believed in music as a direct expression of emotion rather than a display of abstract principles. Here, his piano works are performed by pianist David Simonacci.

Here, pianist Joanne Chang performs a group of her favorite works. All are done from the perspective of Joanne as a New Yorker. Described for her captivating and poetic musical interpretations, Malaysian pianist, Joanne Chang has performed and taught internationally in Asia, North America, and Europe. Joanne has been featured on WQXR's Young Artist Showcase (New York), WFMT's Fiesta Latin America (Chicago), International Menuhin Music Academy (Switzerland), BFM's Front Row Podcast (Kuala Lumpur), Indiana University's Latin American Music Center (Bloomington), Sphinx Connect (Detroit), and the National Youth Orchestra of China (Beijing), among others. As a pedagogue, Joanne is faculty member at the Indiana University Young Pianists Academy and Camp Encore/Coda (Maine). She also held teaching positions at Indiana University and Florida State University. At IU, Joanne served as Associate Instructor in Piano and program assistant to the Secondary Piano and Accompanying Departments. Joanne is president/founder of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Collegiate Chapter at IU, established Fall 2019.