Savary Sareika - Piano & Violin Sonatas - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Edvard Grieg himself established a classification of his three sonatas for violin and piano the First is naïve and prolix, the Second nationalistic and the Third opens up new horizons. The First Sonata dates from 1865 and was written in Denmark; full of inspired freshness, it is characterized by melodic purity and is ever in song. The Second, composed two years later, corresponds to Grieg's return to Norway and his marriage; the composer expresses here a honeymoon there is love and of course dance, the central figure of Grieg's music. Another 20 years would pass before the Third Sonata was born after a difficult gestation; no doubt the most often played albeit the most demanding, the folklore is secondary to a more adventurous expressive research, to more elaborate harmonies and some uncommon displays of power. The Latvian violinist Vineta Sareika- first violin of the Artemis Quartet- and the French pianist Amandine Savary have been partners on the most prestigious concert platforms, both of them at the time founding members of the Trio Dali. From this friendship was born the desire to continue to make music together. Their respective capacities for listening, their musical complicity shine forth in this performance of a monument of chamber music.

Holiday . Originally released in 2007, Colin James & The Little Big Band Christmas features eleven-holiday classics. Certified gold, the album was recorded in Nashville at the legendary Sound Emporium studio. This is the same place T-Bone Burnett recorded O' Brother Where Art Thou. A decade later the album is standard listening for the holiday season. Six time Juno award winner, Colin James is known around the world for his rock, blues, and little big band sound. The guitar player was originally spotted by Stevie Ray Vaughn as a teenager and was one of the first artists, along with The Stray Cats' Brian Setzer, to bring the little big band craze to mainstream attention.

This disc draws together some lesser-known works by three of the twentieth century' greatest composers. Ravel' Violin Sonata in G major was his final chamber work, combining the influence of blues with an austere beauty.