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Siesta Astor PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992)
Histoire
du Tango: Bordel 1900 [4:08], Café 1930 [7:09], Night-club
1960 [6:22], Concert d’aujourd ‘hui [3:20] Joan Albert AMARGOS(b.1950)
Tango
Català [4:22] Mario CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO(1895-1968)
Sonatina Op.
205: Allegretto grazioso [4:04], Andantino grazioso e malinconico
[4:23], Scherzo-Rondo, Allegretto con spirito [4:47] Maurice RAVEL(1890-1937)
Pièce en forme de Habanera [2:42] Jacques IBERT(1890-1962)
Entr’acte
[3:02] Heitor VILLA-LOBOS(1887-1959)
Modinha
[1:51]; Distribução de Flores [3:21]; Bachianas
Brasileiras No. 5: Cantilena [4:47]
Michala
Petri (recorder); Lars Hannibal (guitar)
rec. 25-26 January, 4 May 2006, Torpen Kapel, Humlebaek,
Denmark. DACAPO
8.226900 [54:22]
The
combination of recorder and classical guitar is popular and
familiar to commercial recording. Another recent addition
to the catalogue is Song Without Words (ABC Classics
476 5249), featuring guitarist Karin Schaupp and recorder
player Genevieve Lacey.
Michala
Petri is one of today’s leading instrumentalists. The amazing
capabilities of the recorder in the hands of a virtuoso are
admirably demonstrated in Ms. Petri’s rendition of the Albert
Lorentz variations for solo recorder (Philips 6514199).
Lars
Hannibal is a musician well qualified to partner Ms. Petri
in this recording of duets. He studied guitar at the Royal
Academy of Music in Aarhus and lute with Toyohiko Satoh in
The Hague.
On
the review disc the highly complementary nature of the two
musicians is immediately evident. The guitar playing, essentially
accompaniment, is never dominant; neither is it unnecessarily
subdued or secondary. Mr. Hannibal manages the right balance
between attack and empathy for his partner.
It
was once suggested that to obtain the technically perfect
face, all one must do is create a collage of separate features
each individually considered to be perfect. The results of
such endeavours are invariably disappointing and fall short
of that anticipated.
On
this occasion the collage of outstanding individual musicianship,
fine duet playing and excellent programme music produces
less than that anticipated on several of the tracks; in the
Piazzolla I was unable to feel at ease with some of this
music played on the recorder.
This
same uneasiness emerges in the slow section of the Villa-
Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No 5 (13). Interestingly
arrangements for classical guitar and saxophone fare no better
in this particular piece of music.
With
no recollections of similar reactions to the Schaupp/Lacey
recording I again reviewed their disc. The programme is all
from late eighteenth and nineteenth century classical composers,
which may in part explain the ease with which the recording
garnered appeal.
This
may be a reaction paralleling that experienced when listening
to the saxophone playing classical music having enjoyed it
predominantly in a jazz context. When considering arrangements/transcriptions
of music and the instrument or combinations of instruments
on which it is to be played, personal preferences are invariably
a dominant factor.
It
is interesting to note that five different recorders are
used on this recording; the guitar played by Lars Hannibal
is a fine Ignacio Fleta made in 1961
My
overall impression of the review disc is one of outstanding
musicianship, great duo playing and a most enjoyable programme.
That
said, some may require a period of adjustment before full
appreciation of the recorder’s role in interpreting certain
of the programme items is realised; others may have no problem
with this combination.
Greater
editorial care would have avoided the incorrect listing for
tracks 9 and 10, which on both the CD and cover should be
reversed.
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