(2024) Ravel - Schnittke - Prokofiev
Category(ies): Chamber Modern Orchestra Piano
Instrument(s): Cello Piano Violin
Main Composer: Various composers (see collections)
Ensemble: London Mozart Players
Conductor: Jonathan Bloxham
CD set: 1
Catalog N°:
CD 3097
Release: 31.05.2024
EAN/UPC: 7619931309729
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VAT included for Switzerland & UE
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This album is now on repressing. Pre-order it at a special price now.
CHF 18.50
This album is no longer available on CD.
This album has not been released yet.
Pre-order it at a special price now.
CHF 18.50
This album is no longer available on CD.
CHF 18.50
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RAVEL - SCHNITTKE - PROKOFIEV
THE THOUSAND AND ONE LIVES OF THE CELLO IN THE 20TH CENTURY
Alfred Schnittke made a name for himself internationally in 1977 with the world premiere of his Concerto grosso No. 1. [..]
In 1978, the Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 pursued this polystylistic approach but in a less heterogeneous manner. The various components are thus far more integrated into the course of the score, yet remain perfectly audible and identifiable. The piece opens with a meditative Largo, reminiscent of a sarabande, in which the piece’s central substrate is immediately heard: the major or minor third interval, a fundamental element of classical harmony on which chords are built and which conveys a sense of impalpable tonality. The Presto is an inexorable race. The thirds are still present, particularly in the piano’s hammered punctuations, but are submerged by the incessant quavers running through the whole movement. [..]
The Sonata for Violin and Cello is Maurice Ravel’s tribute to Claude Debussy. After the latter died in 1918, La Revue musicale decided to publish a memorial supplement in December 1920. Contributions were requested from some of the most famous composers of the time, including Béla Bartók, Paul Dukas, Igor Stravinsky, Erik Satie and Ravel, of course, who composed a Duo for Violin and Cello for the occasion. This became the first movement of the future Sonate, which was not completed until 1922 and was dedicated “To the memory of Claude Debussy”. [..]
Prokofiev’s Symphony-Concerto is one of the composer’s last productions, a synthesis of his art: the taste for motoric rhythms is dissolved in a variety of episodes and numerous ruptures, while melodies of exacerbated lyricism emerge from sometimes very dissonant harmonies.
The three works featured in this recording display more differences than similarities in style, cast, genre or origin. What unites them, however, is the extraordinary ability of their respective composers to exploit the full range of playing possibilities offered by the cello.
Yaël Hêche
www.communiquerlamusique.ch
(Translation: Michelle Bulloch – Musitext)
CONSTANTIN MACHEREL
Deeply committed to exploring the cello repertoire and its interpretation, Constantin Macherel’s program on this new CD focuses on the twentieth-century repertoire that is particularly close to his heart. From an early age, he was fascinated by Stravinsky’s musical universe. Through this prism, he discovered bewitching worlds, including those of Prokofiev, Ravel and Schnittke, as essential facets of this great and diverse musical era.
In 2019, his first CD with the London Mozart Players, Virtuoso Music for Cello, featuring works by Boccherini, Rossini, Franchomme and Servais, won five Diapason awards, international critical acclaim and was broadcast on France Musique, RAI Classica, RTS/SRF, New York Public Radio, Radio NDR, Finnish National Radio and Bayerische Rundfunk.
Constantin Macherel performs regularly as a soloist and in recital in Switzerland, Belgium, England, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Holland, Czech Republic, Romania and Lithuania. In the 2024 season, he will make his first solo tour of several Japanese cities. As a soloist, he works with the London Mozart Players, Geringas Chamber Orchestra, Sonoro Quartet, Léman Virtuosi, St-Petersburg Taurida State Orchestra, Aarau Sinfonie Orchester, Orchestre OQPL, Janacek Symphony Orchestra, Carlsbad Symphony Orchestra and others. Since 2019, he has performed regularly with violinist Anna Orlik, forming the Duo Violincello with whom he also founded the international ensemble Léman Virtuosi.
Constantin Macherel won 1st prize at the Schweizer Solisten Vorspiel for his performance of Schumann’s Cello Concerto with the Aargauer Sinfonie Orchester, 2nd prize at the Rahn Musikpreis für Streicher, and a special prize at the Klaipeda International Cello Competition. He has also been awarded the Leenaards Foundation grant for young artists, and is supported by the Swiss foundations Irène Denéréaz, Casino Barrière de Montreux, Concours Nicati-de Luze, Fritz Gerber Stiftung, Schenk Stiftung für junge Solisten.
Born in Lausanne into a family of musicians, Constantin Macherel began studying his instrument with his mother, and soon joined the classes of Marc Jaermann and Susan Rybicki-Varga at the Conservatoire de Musique de Lausanne. He went on to study with Masters Ivan Monighetti and Raphael Wallfisch, and completed a soloist’s Master’s degree with distinction. He perfected his skills in masterclasses with David Geringas, Karina Georgian, Giovanni Sollima, Natalia Gutman and France Springuel. Equally passionate about composition, he wrote his first pieces around the age of 14. He composes for a variety of instruments and formations, and has received several commissions.
Constantin Macherel plays a historic English cello by Joseph Hill I, circa 1765.
LONDON MOZART PLAYERS
Founded in 1949 by Harry Blech to delight audiences with the works of Mozart and Haydn, over the last 70-odd years the London Mozart Players (LMP) has developed an outstanding reputation for adventurous, ambitious programming from Baroque through to genre-crossing contemporary music. It continues to build on its long history of association with many of the world’s finest artists including Sir James Galway, Dame Felicity Lott, Jane Glover, Howard Shelley, Nicola Benedetti, John Suchet and Simon Callow. The orchestra enjoys an international reputation, touring throughout Europe and the Far East, most recently Dubai and Hong Kong, and records for Naxos, Chandos, Signum, Hyperion, Convivium Records and the German label CPO.
The London Mozart Players has been the resident orchestra at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls for thirty years, and in September 2019 enjoyed a gala concert to celebrate the Halls’ reopening. As Croydon’s resident orchestra, the ensemble has shown an invigorated and growing commitment to the borough’s cultural life. In 2016, the LMP relocated its office from Fairfield Halls to St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood, undertaking a programme of initiatives within the local community. The orchestra has brought classical music stars Nicola Benedetti, Michael Collins and Sheku Kanneh-Mason to Upper Norwood in world-class performances, and its annual St John’s season has included family concerts and collaborations with local community groups and schools. [..]
FREDERIC BAGER, piano
As a soloist and chamber musician, Frederic Bager has performed in venues such as the Great Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie, the Cologne Philharmonie, St John’s Smith Square in London, as well as the Salle Métropole and Salle Paderewski in Lausanne, and the Victoria Hall in Geneva. He regularly plays in festivals such as the Davos Festival, Puplinge Classique, Festival des Haudères, and has performed several times on the airwaves of Swiss radio RTS Espace 2. [..]
ANNA ORLIK, violin
Polish-born violinist based in Switzerland, Anna Orlik has performed as a soloist across Europe, South America and Africa, and collaborated with the artists of the international format: Maxim Vengerov Prokofiev's (Sonata for two violins during Gstaad Menuhin Festival), Cecilia Bartoli, Gary Hoffman, Wolfgang Marschner, Igor Frolow, as well as with the musicians of other genres: Noa, Germaine Jackson and Avishai Cohen Trio. [..]
JONATHAN BLOXHAM, conductor
Music Director Luzerner Theater
Chief Conductor Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (from 2024/25)
Conductor in Residence and Artistic Advisor London Mozart Players
Jonathan Bloxham began his tenure as Music Director of the Luzerner Theater this season, conducting La Bohème, Dido and Aeneas and I Montecchi e I Capuleti, after having debuted in 2022 with Bluebeard’s Castle. He made his Glyndebourne Festival debut in 2021 with Luisa Miller, also conducting Don Pasquale for Glyndebourne Touring Opera. [..]
[Read more and other biographies in the booklet]
REVIEWS
"Constantin Macherel et Anna Orlik livrent une lecture de belle tenue mais un peu monochrome - nous fait défaut le grain de folie qu'y mettaient Sol Gabetta et Patricia Kopatchinskaja (Alpha). La décantation intense et l'âpreté de la Sonate pour violoncelle et piano n° 1 (1978) de Schnittke, écrite après la mort de Chostakovitch, sont mieux venues. Dans la Symphonie concertante, les London Mozart Players n'ont pas l'ampleur indispensable pour restituer toute la variété et la fascinante richesse de l'orchestre de Prokofiev. Dès lors, malgré le lyrisme et la virtuosité de Macherel, son interprétation ne peut rivaliser avec la référence laissée par Rostropovich avec Sargent (Warner), ni avec les versions bénéficiant d'orchestres autrement fournis et puissants que nous laissent Wallfisch (avec Jarvi père, Chandos) ou Capuçon (avec Gergiev, Virgin)." - Jean-Claude Hulot, December 2024
"Das selbstverwaltete Orchester beeindruckt mit leuchtendem Klang und vor allem punktgenauer Durchsichtigkeit, die Prokofjews Symphonie-Konzert endlich einmal alle Schwere nimmt (trotz Tuba). Dafür sorgt auch Jonathan Bloxham, „Conductor in Residence and Artistic Advisor“ des britischen Klangkörpers sowie Musikdirektor des Luzerner Theaters und nicht zuletzt seit der neuen Saison 2024/25 Chefdirigent der Nordwestdeutschen Philharmonie in Herford." - Ingo Hoddick
ResMusica
"Le violoncelliste Constantin Macherel aime explorer les différentes facettes du répertoire de son instrument. Après un premier album consacré au répertoire virtuose et préromantique (Rossini, Franchomme, Servais), il s'intéresse dans son nouveau disque à celui du siècle passé. Sous-titré « Les mille et une vies du violoncelle au XXᵉ siècle », ce récital en compagnie de la violoniste Anna Orlik, du pianiste Frederic Bager et de l'ensemble des London Mozart Players, est assez hétérogène, tant dans son programme que dans son interprétation, où la musique de chambre côtoie la musique concertante, et où Ravel voisine avec les Russes Schnittke et Prokofiev." - Jean-Marc Petit, October 2024
(2024) Ravel - Schnittke - Prokofiev - CD 3097
THE THOUSAND AND ONE LIVES OF THE CELLO IN THE 20TH CENTURY
Alfred Schnittke made a name for himself internationally in 1977 with the world premiere of his Concerto grosso No. 1. [..]
In 1978, the Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 pursued this polystylistic approach but in a less heterogeneous manner. The various components are thus far more integrated into the course of the score, yet remain perfectly audible and identifiable. The piece opens with a meditative Largo, reminiscent of a sarabande, in which the piece’s central substrate is immediately heard: the major or minor third interval, a fundamental element of classical harmony on which chords are built and which conveys a sense of impalpable tonality. The Presto is an inexorable race. The thirds are still present, particularly in the piano’s hammered punctuations, but are submerged by the incessant quavers running through the whole movement. [..]
The Sonata for Violin and Cello is Maurice Ravel’s tribute to Claude Debussy. After the latter died in 1918, La Revue musicale decided to publish a memorial supplement in December 1920. Contributions were requested from some of the most famous composers of the time, including Béla Bartók, Paul Dukas, Igor Stravinsky, Erik Satie and Ravel, of course, who composed a Duo for Violin and Cello for the occasion. This became the first movement of the future Sonate, which was not completed until 1922 and was dedicated “To the memory of Claude Debussy”. [..]
Prokofiev’s Symphony-Concerto is one of the composer’s last productions, a synthesis of his art: the taste for motoric rhythms is dissolved in a variety of episodes and numerous ruptures, while melodies of exacerbated lyricism emerge from sometimes very dissonant harmonies.
The three works featured in this recording display more differences than similarities in style, cast, genre or origin. What unites them, however, is the extraordinary ability of their respective composers to exploit the full range of playing possibilities offered by the cello.
Yaël Hêche
www.communiquerlamusique.ch
(Translation: Michelle Bulloch – Musitext)
CONSTANTIN MACHEREL
Deeply committed to exploring the cello repertoire and its interpretation, Constantin Macherel’s program on this new CD focuses on the twentieth-century repertoire that is particularly close to his heart. From an early age, he was fascinated by Stravinsky’s musical universe. Through this prism, he discovered bewitching worlds, including those of Prokofiev, Ravel and Schnittke, as essential facets of this great and diverse musical era.
In 2019, his first CD with the London Mozart Players, Virtuoso Music for Cello, featuring works by Boccherini, Rossini, Franchomme and Servais, won five Diapason awards, international critical acclaim and was broadcast on France Musique, RAI Classica, RTS/SRF, New York Public Radio, Radio NDR, Finnish National Radio and Bayerische Rundfunk.
Constantin Macherel performs regularly as a soloist and in recital in Switzerland, Belgium, England, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Holland, Czech Republic, Romania and Lithuania. In the 2024 season, he will make his first solo tour of several Japanese cities. As a soloist, he works with the London Mozart Players, Geringas Chamber Orchestra, Sonoro Quartet, Léman Virtuosi, St-Petersburg Taurida State Orchestra, Aarau Sinfonie Orchester, Orchestre OQPL, Janacek Symphony Orchestra, Carlsbad Symphony Orchestra and others. Since 2019, he has performed regularly with violinist Anna Orlik, forming the Duo Violincello with whom he also founded the international ensemble Léman Virtuosi.
Constantin Macherel won 1st prize at the Schweizer Solisten Vorspiel for his performance of Schumann’s Cello Concerto with the Aargauer Sinfonie Orchester, 2nd prize at the Rahn Musikpreis für Streicher, and a special prize at the Klaipeda International Cello Competition. He has also been awarded the Leenaards Foundation grant for young artists, and is supported by the Swiss foundations Irène Denéréaz, Casino Barrière de Montreux, Concours Nicati-de Luze, Fritz Gerber Stiftung, Schenk Stiftung für junge Solisten.
Born in Lausanne into a family of musicians, Constantin Macherel began studying his instrument with his mother, and soon joined the classes of Marc Jaermann and Susan Rybicki-Varga at the Conservatoire de Musique de Lausanne. He went on to study with Masters Ivan Monighetti and Raphael Wallfisch, and completed a soloist’s Master’s degree with distinction. He perfected his skills in masterclasses with David Geringas, Karina Georgian, Giovanni Sollima, Natalia Gutman and France Springuel. Equally passionate about composition, he wrote his first pieces around the age of 14. He composes for a variety of instruments and formations, and has received several commissions.
Constantin Macherel plays a historic English cello by Joseph Hill I, circa 1765.
LONDON MOZART PLAYERS
Founded in 1949 by Harry Blech to delight audiences with the works of Mozart and Haydn, over the last 70-odd years the London Mozart Players (LMP) has developed an outstanding reputation for adventurous, ambitious programming from Baroque through to genre-crossing contemporary music. It continues to build on its long history of association with many of the world’s finest artists including Sir James Galway, Dame Felicity Lott, Jane Glover, Howard Shelley, Nicola Benedetti, John Suchet and Simon Callow. The orchestra enjoys an international reputation, touring throughout Europe and the Far East, most recently Dubai and Hong Kong, and records for Naxos, Chandos, Signum, Hyperion, Convivium Records and the German label CPO.
The London Mozart Players has been the resident orchestra at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls for thirty years, and in September 2019 enjoyed a gala concert to celebrate the Halls’ reopening. As Croydon’s resident orchestra, the ensemble has shown an invigorated and growing commitment to the borough’s cultural life. In 2016, the LMP relocated its office from Fairfield Halls to St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood, undertaking a programme of initiatives within the local community. The orchestra has brought classical music stars Nicola Benedetti, Michael Collins and Sheku Kanneh-Mason to Upper Norwood in world-class performances, and its annual St John’s season has included family concerts and collaborations with local community groups and schools. [..]
FREDERIC BAGER, piano
As a soloist and chamber musician, Frederic Bager has performed in venues such as the Great Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie, the Cologne Philharmonie, St John’s Smith Square in London, as well as the Salle Métropole and Salle Paderewski in Lausanne, and the Victoria Hall in Geneva. He regularly plays in festivals such as the Davos Festival, Puplinge Classique, Festival des Haudères, and has performed several times on the airwaves of Swiss radio RTS Espace 2. [..]
ANNA ORLIK, violin
Polish-born violinist based in Switzerland, Anna Orlik has performed as a soloist across Europe, South America and Africa, and collaborated with the artists of the international format: Maxim Vengerov Prokofiev's (Sonata for two violins during Gstaad Menuhin Festival), Cecilia Bartoli, Gary Hoffman, Wolfgang Marschner, Igor Frolow, as well as with the musicians of other genres: Noa, Germaine Jackson and Avishai Cohen Trio. [..]
JONATHAN BLOXHAM, conductor
Music Director Luzerner Theater
Chief Conductor Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (from 2024/25)
Conductor in Residence and Artistic Advisor London Mozart Players
Jonathan Bloxham began his tenure as Music Director of the Luzerner Theater this season, conducting La Bohème, Dido and Aeneas and I Montecchi e I Capuleti, after having debuted in 2022 with Bluebeard’s Castle. He made his Glyndebourne Festival debut in 2021 with Luisa Miller, also conducting Don Pasquale for Glyndebourne Touring Opera. [..]
[Read more and other biographies in the booklet]
REVIEWS
"Constantin Macherel et Anna Orlik livrent une lecture de belle tenue mais un peu monochrome - nous fait défaut le grain de folie qu'y mettaient Sol Gabetta et Patricia Kopatchinskaja (Alpha). La décantation intense et l'âpreté de la Sonate pour violoncelle et piano n° 1 (1978) de Schnittke, écrite après la mort de Chostakovitch, sont mieux venues. Dans la Symphonie concertante, les London Mozart Players n'ont pas l'ampleur indispensable pour restituer toute la variété et la fascinante richesse de l'orchestre de Prokofiev. Dès lors, malgré le lyrisme et la virtuosité de Macherel, son interprétation ne peut rivaliser avec la référence laissée par Rostropovich avec Sargent (Warner), ni avec les versions bénéficiant d'orchestres autrement fournis et puissants que nous laissent Wallfisch (avec Jarvi père, Chandos) ou Capuçon (avec Gergiev, Virgin)." - Jean-Claude Hulot, December 2024
"Das selbstverwaltete Orchester beeindruckt mit leuchtendem Klang und vor allem punktgenauer Durchsichtigkeit, die Prokofjews Symphonie-Konzert endlich einmal alle Schwere nimmt (trotz Tuba). Dafür sorgt auch Jonathan Bloxham, „Conductor in Residence and Artistic Advisor“ des britischen Klangkörpers sowie Musikdirektor des Luzerner Theaters und nicht zuletzt seit der neuen Saison 2024/25 Chefdirigent der Nordwestdeutschen Philharmonie in Herford." - Ingo Hoddick
ResMusica
"Le violoncelliste Constantin Macherel aime explorer les différentes facettes du répertoire de son instrument. Après un premier album consacré au répertoire virtuose et préromantique (Rossini, Franchomme, Servais), il s'intéresse dans son nouveau disque à celui du siècle passé. Sous-titré « Les mille et une vies du violoncelle au XXᵉ siècle », ce récital en compagnie de la violoniste Anna Orlik, du pianiste Frederic Bager et de l'ensemble des London Mozart Players, est assez hétérogène, tant dans son programme que dans son interprétation, où la musique de chambre côtoie la musique concertante, et où Ravel voisine avec les Russes Schnittke et Prokofiev." - Jean-Marc Petit, October 2024
Return to the album | Read the booklet | Composer(s): Various composers | Main Artist: Constantin Macherel
STUDIO MASTER (HIGH-RESOLUTION AUDIO)
Anna Orlik
Cello
Chamber
Constantin Macherel - cello
Frederic Bager
High-resolution audio - Studio master quality
In stock
Jonathan Bloxham
London Mozart Players
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Modern
New releases
Orchestra
Piano
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Sound engineer - Jean-Claude Gaberel
Various composers
Violin
Anna Orlik
Cello
Chamber
Constantin Macherel - cello
Frederic Bager
High-resolution audio - Studio master quality
In stock
Jonathan Bloxham
London Mozart Players
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Modern
New releases
Orchestra
Piano
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Sound engineer - Jean-Claude Gaberel
Various composers
Violin
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