Turner,John / Holland,Benedict - Pantcheff Chamber Music Vol 1 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

In his 80s, Jean Françaix (1912-1997) supervised this 1996 Dutch album of four pieces for varied forces, writing the engaging booklet notes and performing with undimmed skill in the Divertimento which he wrote back in 1953 for the flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal. As he notes, the title is somewhat ironic for those who play it 'if it is InchdivertingInch to listen to, it is not at all so to play it and requires great virtuosity.' Le Colloque des deux Perruches (The Dialogue of Two Parakeets) is a modern classic of the repertoire for two flutes a six-movement dialogue opening with a fluttering, swooping Allegrissimo, followed by a melancholy little Larghetto. Smiles and laughter are never far away in Françaix's music and the mood brightens with a darting Scherzando. The fifth movement is another plaintive Larghetto, with the parakeets in earnest conversation. As a 22-year-old composer of already remarkable fluency, Françaix composed the String Trio for the Trio Pasquier, who went on to play it in over a thousand concerts an inimitably bustling, weightless piece in four movements enclosing a wistful Andante and rounding off with one of those Françaix tunes that turns round in the listener's head for days afterwards. The ten-minute Cantate de Méphisto sets a text by Paul Valéry according to the composer, 'This 'Méphisto' is terribly authentic, cunning, subversive and perverse.' The devil wheedles and beguiles in a lyric parlando, accompanied by a string ensemble, spiced by the irony and satire of his operas and comedies such as Le diable boiteux, his first work for the stage. Valéry's text is printed in the booklet. Françaix's music features in countless compilations here is an authoritatively performed opportunity to immerse yourself in his world for 'une heure exquise'. Album Tracks 1. Trio à cordes~I. Allegretto vivo 2. Trio à cordes~II. Scherzo 3. Trio à co

Album Tracks 1. Primavera, Op.55 2. Gioco, Op.155 3. Sonata Per Flauto Solo, Op.71 4. Ballata, Op.159 5. Quartetto, Op.90

This second disc of the Chamber Music of Richard Pantcheff features works which were either written in the period the composer was living in South Africa, or have connections with that period in some other way. Given that at the time the composer went to live in South Africa his reputation had been built largely upon his by then substantial number of choral and organ works, the South African period was one where, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, instrumental and chamber music came into much greater focus. This was as a result of many of South Africa's leading musicians commissioning new works from him, and there being ample opportunity at Chamber Music series and Music Festivals for these new works to be performed. Of particular note in this regard were the Rand Club Chamber Music Series, and Music at Northwards, both highly successful concert series in Johannesburg. Album Tracks 1. String Quartet 2. The Annunciation to Mary 3. Introduction and Allegro No.1 4. The Field Long-Slept in Pastoral Green I 5. The Field Long-Slept in Pastoral Green II 6. The Field Long-Slept in Pastoral Green III 7. Introduction and Allegro No. 2 8. Temples of Orpheus I 9. Temples of Orpheus II 10. Temples of Orpheus III 11. Temples of Orpheus IV 12. Temples of Orpheus V 13. Nocturnus IV 14. Introduction and Allegro No. 3