Page 101 - The Strad (February 2020)
P. 101
RECORDINGS
Amazing virtuosity but always Arno Babajanian’s Armenian- fugal nale and solo episodes of
at the service of the music avoured Trio is superbly played: in the RV415 are wonderfully exhilarating.
Andante, Gluzman’s tonal control high Tempos are largely well judged, even
Since 1926, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio on the E string is amazing. Schnittke’s if speed limits are challenged in
has been garnering ne recordings, Tango is a nice encore. Well balanced RV400’s minuet-modelled nale and
with a benchmark account by Gilels, recordings, with virtuosity placed at the the nal Allegros of RV407 and
Kogan and Rostropovich, although service of the music. RV420. e recording is full, bright
there are duds such as the cut Borodin TULLY POTTER and expertly balanced.
and Beaux Arts versions. is new ROBIN STOWELL
performance is among the best.
e ‘Great Artist’ being VIVALDI 32$'8ধ 6'8 -3£32$'££3
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commemorated, Nikolai Rubinstein, '££3 32$'8;39V -2 1!/38 VIVALDI ,'
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was a ne pianist and the piano T 1!/38 T 1-238 32!;! -2 1-238 ¤ U
anchors the work: Yevgeny Sudbin T 1!/38 T 1-238 -!$$32! -2 1!/38 (831
is a terri c player and his colleagues !2& *!; 1!/38 Leila Schayegh (violin)
are well matched. ey are straight Christophe Coin (cello) L’Onda Armonica Musica Fiorita/Daniela Dolci
into the tempo giusto for the Pezzo NAÏVE OP30574 GLOSSA GCD 924203
elegiaco, with a sense of urgency and Cello concertos played with real style Yet another
3<8 '!9329? Yes, but
tragedy, and avoid relaxing too much, and virtuosity as well as logical purpose this one has some real colour
so that 18 minutes speed by with
total involvement. Christophe Coin’s third concerto set Recorded in the reverberantly
e folksong theme of the for Naïve’s Vivaldi Edition oers six atmospheric acoustics of Binningen’s
Variations is beautifully voiced by works of contrasting character and Heilig Kreuz Church in Switzerland,
Sudbin, who also shines in the invention. He plays most on his and highlighted by the ravishing legato
‘musical box’ and Tempo di mazurka. melliuous c.1720 Alessandro cantabile of Leila Schayegh playing a
Vadim Gluzman and Johannes Moser Gagliano but uses a four-stringed 1675 Andrea Guarneri, complete with
lavish tonal re nements on the violoncello piccolo in RV415. e actual twittering birds in the rst
variations and all three have fun in sonic colours of an expansive movement of ‘Spring’ and ominous
the Fugue. ey eschew the optional continuo group, including even a drummed (?) suggestions of thunder in
cut in the nale-cum-variation, mandolin in the outer movements of the slow movement of ‘Summer’,
which spins along until the tragic RV400, complement the alert strings which in the nale assume explosive
denouement and funeral march, of L’Onda Armonica. force accompanied by ashes of
the piano having the last word. Coin plays these concertos with lightning (sheet metal?), this is a
style, virtuosity and commendable recording of Vivaldi’s perennial
freedom of expression and timing, favourite like no other. Onomatopoeic
exempli ed especially in the opening suggestion becomes very much the
Allegro of RV423. His solo order of the day, via a captivating
passagework is precise, agile and variety of pizzicato and arco eects
often lightly bowed, as in the Allegro that bring the pictorial elements of
of RV415, and he shapes Vivaldi’s the music startlingly to life.
sequences with musical logic and On paper, one might despair that
purpose. He demonstrates an this is yet another in the long line of
aecting awareness of these works’ historically informed Four Seasons
lyrical content, in fast movements in which ‘style’ – I use the word very
such as the Allegro of RV400 as well loosely in connection with certain
as in the heartfelt Aettuoso of recordings – wins over substance.
RV404 and the Adagio of RV420, Yet such is the beguiling sincerity of
the latter’s two lyrical solo episodes Schayegh’s playing and the ravishing
NIKOLAJ LUND 'đd8-+,; Moser, Gluzman and framed by the ritornello’s mordant sound she produces – you can almost
sense her holding musical hands with
dotted rhythms. e dance inuence
Sudbin in a Russian recital
the likes of Christian Ferras or
in RV400 is clearly conveyed and the
>>>W;,'9;8!&W$31 FEBRUARY 2020 THE STRAD 99
