Julia Krasko - Love's Joy & Sorrow - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Kreisler / Albeniz / Thueringer Salonquintett - Joys & Sorrows [COMPACT DISCS] date 10/18/2005

Young violinist Gabriela Balcerek, only just at the beginning of her career, confirms her great talent and natural musicality with her already second album recorded with the Sinfonia Viva orchestra.The repertoire of the album consists of stylistically diverse pieces, from Romanticism to the present; moreover, they represent the most famous violin and chamber miniatures. These are compositions by Polish and foreign composers, in which stylized folklore is intertwined with truly Romantic passion. Arranged by Tomasz Radziwonowicz for solo violin and string orchestra, they gained a new, fresh sound, in which the dense harmonic structure and parts of individual instruments approached as if they were solo instruments draw attention. Young violinist Gabriela Balcerek, only just at the beginning of her career, confirms her great talent and natural musicality with her already second album recorded with the ensemble. This is a cheerful album, at which the listener will smile more than once, following it's title. The joy of love, but also of youth and of celebrating music among artists who share energy and passion, can be heard in every sound.

The fruitful exchange between harp practice and composition - The harp is a unique instrument in many ways. With it's unmistakable sound and specific playing technique, the expertise of harpists is indispensable for composers, many of whom are not harpists themselves. In the best-case scenario, both sides win from this exchange - the composer is inspired by the possibilities of the instrument, and the composition reveals new facets of the instrument. For this recording, Julia Wacker has gathered a number of felicitous examples of such exchanges between performer and composer, as each of these 20th-century pieces presents the many facets and often surprising aspects of the harp.