Masterworks by Schumann and Mozart are paired with modern tributes by György Kurtág and Christof Weiss, for an exquisite and stimulating musical conversation.
Homage and Inspiration is available from Germany’s Coviello Classics label on February 7, 2020.
“A beauty of sound and striking expression that is rarely surpassed.” – Bremen Weser Kurier
Praised for ensemble playing that is “simply fabulous, perfectly balanced, [and] admirable in its rhythmic security and virtuosity” (Amberger Zeitung), the Iris Trio pairs works by Schumann and Mozart with modern tributes to these masterpieces by György Kurtág and Christof Weiss on Homage and Inspiration, their debut album, available on Germany’s Coviello Classics label on February 7, 2020. Comprised of three outstanding musicians – clarinetist Christine Carter, violist Molly Carr, and pianist Anna Petrova – who first came together in New York City during their years at the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, the Iris Trio has performed extensively across Germany, as well as in North America and elsewhere in Europe, consistently offering “a musical and lively performance, strong in technical nuance, and with an exquisite balance of sound” (Augsburger Allgemeine).
Robert Schumann was inspired to compose his spellbinding Märchenerzählungen (Fairy Tales), Op. 132, for clarinet, viola, and piano, by Mozart’s Kegelstatt Trio for the same unusual instrumentation. One of the composer’s final works, the four character pieces range from dreamy to impetuous. In turn, Schumann’s “Fairy Tales” inspired Hungarian composer György Kurtág (b. 1926) when he coached a student chamber ensemble working on the piece. The resulting work which evokes Schumann’s contrasting moods is Kurtág’s intensely expressive Hommage a R. Sch. op. 15d, completed in 1990.
Iris Trio is clarinetist Christine Carter, violistMolly Carr, and pianist Anna Petrova.
In a similar spirit, German composer Christof Weiss’ (b. 1986) Conversation Among Friends, commissioned by Mozartfest Würzburg and premiered by the Iris Trio, is a companion piece to Mozart’s Kegelstatt Trio. “Reflecting the friendly atmosphere and conciliatory spirit of Mozart’s trio into a modern musical language was a great challenge,” comments Weiss, “The different voices change and blend into each other over and over again, until the protagonists progressively abandon their individuality in favour of the collective, as the three melodic lines merge into one and travel together to a euphoric ending.” The Trio gave the world premiere of Conversation Among Friends at the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Residence Palace in Würzburg, Germany in 2014.
The Iris Trio made its debut in 2013 for a sold-out audience at the German Consulate in New York City and was immediately invited to appear at the prestigious Mozartfest in Würzburg, Germany. Each of the three Trio members (Canadian clarinetist,Christine Carter, violist Molly Carr, and pianistAnna Petrova) are active recitalists and educators. Collectively they hold faculty positions at the Juilliard School, University of Louisville, and Memorial University, and have performed around the world on many of the major concert stages from Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Sydney Opera House.
Combining works from the standard trio repertoire alongside commissions by contemporary artists is a concept that Iris Trio continues to explore. Their recent commissions include two new works for the clarinet, viola, and piano by Canadian jazz artist Florian Hoefner (with poetry by Griffin Poetry Prize-winner Don McKay), and the Brooklyn-based American composer, Randall Woolf. “The concept of paying homage, in addition to bringing together these two pairs of works, is also the inspiration that brought us together to create the Iris Trio,” commented the three musicians, “It is a concept that continues to inspire us, asking us to remember the past, while enlivening and refreshing the present.”
“New, creative music that transcends any stylistic boundaries.” – CBC
Available January 24 on Centrediscs
Eight years in the making, Canadian songstress Sarah Slean’s electrifying performances with composer Christos Hatzis and Symphony Nova Scotia are now available for the first time on one album from Centrediscs. This ground-breaking collaboration began in 2012 with the premiere of Hatzis’ Lamento, broadcast nationwide by CBC and praised as “marvellously colourful and dramatic” (Chronicle Herald, Halifax). Six years later, Symphony Nova Scotia and conductor Bernhard Gueller – then celebrating his final season as Music Director – jumped at the chance to work with Sarah Slean again. The new work, with texts by Slean and music by Hatzis was Ecstasy, a counterpoint to Lamento. Audience reviews called the project “magical” and “a match made in heaven.”
“Christos Hatzis is one of the most brilliant and prolific musical creators alive today,” comments Slean, “I deeply admire his creative curiosity and openness to different kinds of music, his seemingly endless well of ideas, and the passionate intelligence that informs his work.” The evocative songs combine a pop sensibility with a rich orchestral palette. As CBC Music said, in advance of the 2020 release, “If you’re looking for music that successfully crosses over between classical and popular styles, this is it.”
Hatzis’s three-song cycle Lamento isa musical meditation on the loss of loved ones, mental illness, and suicide. It is based on the well-known aria “When I Am Laid in Earth” from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Hatzis explains that, musically, it is an exploration of the “lamento bass,” a stepwise descending bass line used by composers of the Baroque era to express despondency. Slean herself wrote the texts for Hatzis’s Ecstasy, the dramatic musical antidote to Lamento. This cycle of three songs explores the more luminous regions of the human mind in both its intellectual and mystical expressions. Slean describes angels “in whose clear and shining blood teems the transparent heritage of light,” calling for an accompanying musical language which captures the blissful journey from darkness to light.
Sarah Slean performs with orchestras in London, Ottawa, and Quebec City this spring. For tour dates click here
Signed to Atlantic/Warner Records at the age of 19, Sarah Slean has since been nominated for three JUNO Awards and has released 11 albums in over 10 countries worldwide. Over her 25-year career, Sarah has toured internationally, published two volumes of poetry, starred in short films and a movie musical (spawning one of two Gemini Award nominations), composed chamber music commissions, held numerous exhibitions of her paintings, and shared the stage with 10 of the country’s professional orchestras. Classically trained from the age of five, she routinely collaborates with cutting-edge contemporary classical ensembles and has been invited to sing world premieres by Canada’s leading living composers.
Born in Greece, educated in the United States, a Canadian citizen since 1985, and a Professor at the University of Toronto since 1995, Christos Hatzis is one of Canada’s most important composers. Christos’ eclectic and powerful music captivates audiences internationally, and has been awarded several coveted Canadian and international awards, including two JUNO Awards. He has received commissions from some of the world’s best-known soloists and ensembles, such as violinist Hilary Hahn, percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, the Gryphon Trio, the New Orford and St. Lawrence quartets, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
Music Director Laureate of Symphony Nova Scotia (Music Director, 2002-2018) and Principal Guest Conductor of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernhard Gueller is acclaimed for the interpretations and excitement he brings to the podium. Bernhard has collaborated with many of Canada’s foremost musicians, such as James Ehnes, Jan Lisiecki, Janina Fialkowska, Anton Kuerti, Jon Kimura Parker, and Marc-André Hamelin, along with other international stars such as Joshua Bell, Metropolitan Opera singers such as Pretty Yende and Johan Botha, and the Vienna Boys Choir.
Symphony Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s most versatile and dynamic orchestras. Founded in 1983, the 37-member orchestra proudly performs music that reflects Nova Scotia’s diverse musical interests and history, combining classical masterworks, historically informed baroque, new compositions, and ground breaking collaborations featuring artists from Nova Scotia’s rich pop, indie, and Celtic music scene. With a home base in Halifax and performances across the province, Symphony Nova Scotia reaches more than 80,000 Nova Scotians of all ages each year with its diverse mix of concerts, free community programs, and educational outreach.
Piano quartet Ensemble Made In Canada’s acclaimed Mosaïque Project is a massive musical initiative inspired by the diversity and richness of Canada’s culture and geography. Since its premiere in July of 2018, the commissioned suite of new works by 14 Canadian composers has reached almost every corner of the country – from Iqaluit, Nunavut to British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast to Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, and beyond. Featuring thrilling new works from a diverse array of composers and genres – from classical, jazz, singer-songwriter, electronic, and First Nations traditions – the Mosaïque Project culminates in a special livestream event and album launch on Friday, January 24 at 7:30 pm.
Violinist Elissa Lee, pianist Angela Park, violist Sharon Wei, and cellist Rachel Mercer gained new perspectives throughout their travels, seeing first-hand the truly awesome nature and culture of the country, which had inspired the Mosaïque composers: “We never imagined the transformation we would experience, working so closely with local artists, teachers and music lovers across Canada. Now that this music is part of the fabric of our ensemble, we are so excited to share this recording and journey of discovery with you.”
On Friday, January 24 at 7:30 pm, the Mosaïque Project will be presented in an extraordinary cinematic concert experience fromFirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines, featuring multiple screens providing close-ups of the musicians and their instruments, footage from the tour across the country, as well as newly-created images inspired by the music. The concert will be live streamed on Ensemble Made In Canada’s website and Facebook page as well as via the streaming service Stingray Classica, reaching millions across Canada and 156 countries around the globe.
The Mosaïque album is available online and on all streaming platforms starting January 24.
Violinist Mark Fewer and Harpsichordist Hank Knox Are First Canadian Artists to Record Exquisite Sonatas, Unearthed from a Manchester, UK Library in 1973
“I’d be glad to hear these gentlemen play anything … they make me want to hear whatever else they want to do. The ensemble and intonation are perfect …” – American Record Guide
Leaf Music is proud to present a new recording of Vivaldi’s Manchester Sonatas featuring violinist Mark Fewer and harpsichordist Hank Knox. This is the first Canadian recording of the “Manchester” sonatas of Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), a masterful collection of 12 works brought to light only in 1973. A follow up to their acclaimed 2018 recording of the Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord by J.S. Bach, this new recording from Fewer and Knox is available as of January 17, 2020.
These remarkable sonatas changed a great many hands over the centuries. When Cardinal Ottoboni – a patron of Vivaldi’s – died in 1740, a large number of manuscripts from his private collection were purchased by English classical scholar Edward Holdsworth. These manuscripts were then passed on to Charles Jennens, librettist of Handel’s Messiah. The scores came into the possession of several more collectors before coming to auction at Sotheby’s in London in 1918 and were acquired by renowned musicologist Newman Flower. When Flower died in 1964, his musical holdings were purchased by the Manchester Public Library, attracting the international attention of scholars and the media alike; Flower’s reputation as an eminent Handel scholar implied that important revelations concerning the musical giant were forthcoming. However, a nearly exclusive focus on Handel resulted in the neglect of some of the other manuscripts, including these sonatas by Vivaldi which, despite being housed in Manchester’s Henry Watson Music Library from 1965 onward, were only discovered by British musicologist Michael Talbot in 1973.
The 12 “Manchester” sonatas, heard on the new album as arranged and recorded by Fewer and Knox in January 2019 at Eglise St. Augustin in Mirabel, Quebec, represent a high point of Vivaldi’s chamber music. The violin part offers complex compound melodies while the bass focuses primarily on its harmonic role, with both instruments free to improvise on the written score. Gramophone calls the sonatas “music of great beauty and vitality which will delight most if not all lovers of the late baroque.”
Known for his exceptional versatility, violinist Mark Fewer has been described as “intrepid” (The Globe and Mail) and “profound” (The WholeNote). His musical diet includes performances from the early baroque to the avant-garde, performing worldwide in famous halls such as Wigmore, Carnegie, and Pleyel, to smaller venues such as Le Poisson Rouge (NY), Bartok House (Budapest), and The Forum (Taipei). As a soloist, he has performed with the symphonies of Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Quebec, San Francisco and Melbourne, as well as with groups such as the Fodens-Richardson Brass Band (UK), the Zapp Quartet (Amsterdam), and as a featured guest with Stevie Wonder and his band. He was a founding member of the Duke Piano Trio, has been a member of the Smithsonian Chamber Players for over 15 years, and was violinist with the St. Lawrence String Quartet at Stanford University. Artistic Director of the SweetWater Music Festival for 16 years, Fewer was appointed Artistic Director of Stratford Summer Music in 2019. A Juno and Prix Opus winner, he is currently Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Toronto.
Hailed internationally for his “colorful, kinetic performances,” Hank Knox performs on harpsichord in concert halls, churches, museums, galleries and homes around the globe. A founding member of Montreal’s Arion Baroque Orchestra, with whom he has toured North and South America, Europe, and Japan, Knox also regularly performs and tours with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy and l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, among other groups, ensembles and orchestras. He has released a number of acclaimed recordings on rare antique instruments as well as copies of historical instruments. He teaches in the Early Music program at McGill University where he conducts the McGill Baroque Orchestra and has also directed a great number of baroque operas.
Marimba and cello form a vibrant and compelling – if unconventional – duo in the hands of Stick&Bow, comprised of Canadian marimba player Krystina Marcoux and Argentinian cellist Juan Sebastian Delgado. Resonance, the debut recording from the Montreal-based award-winning musicians, explores a wide palette of repertoire and styles, transcending tradition with new arrangements of music from Bach to Boccherini, and from Nina Simone to Radiohead. Performing Baroque or tango, rock or gypsy-jazz, Stick&Bow brings unique passion, wit, and technical mastery to eclectic and powerful arrangements of some of the most celebrated music in history, presenting the infinite potential of their combined instruments in refreshing and unexpected ways. Resonance was released on the Canadian label Leaf Music on November 1st, 2019.
The new album – with its bilingual liner notes, in true montréalais style – opens with a captivating mélange of works by J.S. Bach, with a transcription of the Adagio from the Sonata for viola da gamba in D Major swinging into the Prelude in D Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier. Also taking inspiration from Bach is American singer-songwriter Nina Simone, who adopts the composer’s contrapuntal style for the 1928 tune Love Me or Leave Me, here in an irresistible new arrangement. The album features not one but two fandangos, with Boccherini’s take on the traditional Spanish folk dance from his Quintet No. 4, and Paco de Lucia’s Entre Arrayanes, in one of Stick&Bow’s most technically challenging and creative arrangements, capturing the colour and essence of flamenco guitars.
A range of characters and moods emerge in three settings for marimba and cello of Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, while the gypsy-jazz style of Stéphane Grappelli explodes in Tzigane, with idiomatic embellishments and virtuosic cadence-like runs. The revolutionary Argentine composer and virtuoso bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla is represented with his lyrical and nostalgic Invierno porteño, winter in Buenos Aires.
More illuminating performances from the classical repertoire include two movements from Schumann’s Fünf Stücke im Volkstonand the second movement of Shostakovitch’s cello sonata. The complex harmonies and instrumental textures of Radiohead’s Paranoid Android is a surprisingly convincing element of the album, with marimba and cello exploring a range of timbres, including electric guitar sounds.
Also dedicated to working closely with contemporary composers on daring yet accessible works, Stick&Bowincludes two new works on Resonance: Jason Noble’s (b. 1980) Folk Suite, a set of miniatures inspired by the rich folk traditions of his home province of Newfoundland and Labrador; and Parisian composer and bandoneon player Louise Jallu’s (b. 1994) À Gennevilliers, injected with fresh, jazzy harmonies and a freely improvised rhythmic section.
First-prize winner at the Latin-American cello competition (2008), Juan Sebastian Delgado holds a Doctoral degree in cello performance from McGill University and Krystina Marcoux, first-prize winner of the OSM competition (2012), holds her PhD from the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Lyon. Their music has brought them to share magical moments from Banff to Colombia, passing by Armenia, Italy, the USA, Ecuador, France and two extensive Canadian tours in 2019 & 2020 as “Emerging Artists” of Jeunesses Musicales du Canada.
Marimba et violoncelle forment un duo dynamique et fascinant entre les mains des deux musiciens de Stick&Bow, groupe composé de la percussionniste canadienne Krystina Marcoux et du violoncelliste argentin Juan Sebastian Delgado. Le disque Resonance, premier album de ces musiciens primés basés à Montréal, explore toute une palette de styles musicaux, tout en transcendant la tradition avec de nouveaux arrangements de morceaux allant de Bach à Boccherini et de Nina Simone à Radiohead. Qu’il joue de la musique baroque ou un tango, du rock ou du jazz-manouche, le duo Stick&Bow le fait toujours avec passion, finesse et maîtrise technique, en proposant des arrangements éclectiques et surprenants de certaines œuvres musicales les plus célébrées de l’histoire de la musique. La combinaison de ces deux instruments offre un potentiel infini de découvertes et d’interprétations musicales, sous un angle original et inattendu. L’album Resonance sortira chez Leaf Music le 1er novembre 2019.
Dans un style montréalais bien authentique, ce nouvel album présente un livret bilingue audacieux. C’est une combinaison captivante d’œuvres de J.S. Bach qui ouvre le bal : une transcription de l’adagio de la sonate en ré majeur pour viole de gambe, suivie d’une interprétation swing du prélude en ré majeur du Clavier bien tempéré. Nina Simone, chanteuse sensuelle et pianiste hors-pair, entre ici en résonance avec Bach dans un arrangement irrésistible où Stick&Bow revisite le morceau « Love Me or Leave Me » dans lequel Simone insère ingénieusement une invention de Bach au centre de la pièce. L’album comprend non pas un, mais deux fandangos : une adaptation de cette danse espagnole traditionnelle dans le quintette no 4 de Boccherini et le morceau « Entre Arrayanes » de Paco de Lucia, un arrangement qui figure parmi les plus originaux et exigeants pour arriver à bien saisir l’essence même de la guitare flamenco.
La combinaison de marimba et violoncelle fait émerger des humeurs et des couleurs surprenantes dans les danses folkloriques roumaines de Bartók, alors que le jazz-manouche de Stéphane Grappelli, s’enflamme avec des ornementations qui sont propres à ce morceau « tzigane ». Le compositeur révolutionnaire argentin Astor Piazzolla est ici présenté dans un arrangement empreint de lyrisme, nostalgie, mais aussi de force rythmique dans « Invierno porteño » évoquant l’hiver à Buenos Aires.
L’album renferme encore d’autres interprétations lumineuses de morceaux du répertoire classique, dont deux mouvements des Fünf Stücke im Volkston de Schumann et le deuxième mouvement de la sonate pour violoncelle de Shostakovitch. Les harmonies complexes et les textures instrumentales de « Paranoid Android » de Radiohead constituent un aspect étonnamment convaincant de l’album, avec le marimba et le violoncelle qui explorent tout un éventail de timbres, jusqu’au son de la guitare électrique.
Stick&Bow cherche aussi à travailler en étroite collaboration avec des compositeurs vivants, sur des œuvres audacieuses et accessibles. L’album Resonance contient deux créations : « Folk Suite » de Jason Noble (né en 1980), un ensemble de miniatures inspirées par les riches traditions folkloriques de sa province natale, Terre-Neuve ; « À Gennevilliers », de la compositrice et bandonéoniste parisienne Louise Jallu (née en 1994), traversée par des harmonies jazz rafraîchissantes et une section rythmique improvisée. Les deux œuvres entrent respectivement en résonance avec Schumann et Piazzolla, démontrant ainsi la surprenante évolution des genres.
Juan Sebastian Delgado, gagnant du premier prix au concours latino-américain de violoncelle (2008), détient un doctorat de l’Université McGill. Krystina Marcoux, gagnante du premier prix au concours de l’OSM (2012), détient un PhD du Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Lyon. La musique a conduit ces deux artistes à partager des moments inoubliables dans toutes sortes de lieux, de Banff à la Colombie, en passant par l’Arménie, l’Italie, les États-Unis, l’Équateur, la France, et lors de leurs deux tournées au Canada en 2019 et en 2020 en tant qu’« artistes émergents » des Jeunesses musicales du Canada.
This project is funded in part by FACTOR, the government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters. Ce projet est financé en partie par FACTOR, le gouvernement du Canada et les radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Nous remercions le Conseil des Arts du Canada de son soutien.
The Montreal Holocaust Museum, in collaboration with the Orchestre Métropolitain, present The Violins of Hope, a concert under the direction of the internationally-renowned Dutch conductor Vincent De Kort. Following select performances in Europe and the United States, the Violins of Hope will be played for the first time in Canada by musicians of the Orchestre Métropolitain at Maison symphonique de Montréal,Place des Artson Saturday, November 2nd at 7:30 pm.
The ViolinsofHope are a collection of more than 70 string instruments restored by Israelimaster luthier Amnon Weinstein and his son Avshalom Weinstein. These violins were owned by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust and have survived pogroms, concentration camps, and the passage of time. They now represent stories ofinjustice, suffering, resilience and survival. Eight of these precious violins will travel to Montreal for the concert on November 2nd.
“My mission is to get hold of any violin that has been rescued from the Holocaust, to repair it and to make it into a concert violin. I want these violins to be played, to have their voices heard and have their say, because these violins have a very particular sound: voices, weeping, laughter and prayers escape,” stated Amnon Weinstein.
The November 2nd concert will be both a tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and to the 75th anniversary of theLiberation of the Netherlandsby theCanadian Armed Forces. Between October 2 and November 8, 1944, the First Canadian Army fought the Nazi forces installed on the banks of the Scheldt River, thereby liberating the port of Antwerp and saving the lives of thousands of Dutch citizens. Access to this port was essential for supplying the Allies and facilitating their advance to defeat Adolf Hitler’s forces and liberate Europe.
The Violins of Hope offer a unique and moving program including works by J.S. Bach, Mendelssohn, Mahler, Jocelyn Morlock, as well as the premiere of Children’s War Diaries by Canadian composer Jaap Nico Hamburger. The new chamber symphony by Hamburger, this year’s Mécénat Musica Composer in Residence, was inspired by a compilation of diaries of teenagers murdered during the war, as well as a visit to the Children’s Memorial at Yad Vashem. Cantorial music in honour of Holocaust victims will be performed by soprano Sharon Azrieli and tenor Gideon Zelermyer.
The Montreal Holocaust Museum educates people of all ages and backgrounds about the Holocaust, while sensitising the public to the universal perils of antisemitism, racism, hate and indifference. Through its Museum, its commemorative programs and educational initiatives, the Montreal Holocaust Museum promotes respect for diversity and the sanctity of human life.
Premier concert des Violons de l’Espoir au Canada
Le Musée de l’Holocauste Montréal, en collaboration avec l’Orchestre Métropolitain, présente Les Violons de l’Espoir, un concert sous la direction du grand maestro néerlandais Vincent de Kort. Après l’Europe et les États-Unis, Les Violons de l’Espoir seront présentés pour la première fois au Canada grâce aux musiciens de l’Orchestre Métropolitain à la Maison symphonique de Montréal, Place des Arts, le samedi 2 novembre à 19h30.
Les Violons de l’Espoir sont une collection de plus de 70 instruments à cordes restaurés par le maître luthier israélien Amnon Weinstein et son fils Avshalom. Ces violons qui appartenaient à des musiciens juifs avant et durant l’Holocauste ont résisté aux pogroms, aux camps de concentration et à l’usure du temps pour raconter des histoires d’injustice, de souffrance, de résilience et de survie. Huit de ces violons précieux se rendront à Montréal pour le concert du 2 novembre.
« … Je veux que ces violons soient joués, qu’ils fassent entendre ce qu’ils ont à dire. Car de ces violons sort un son très particulier, s’échappent des voix, des pleurs, des rires et des prières, » dit Amnon Weinstein.
Ce concert est offert en hommage aux victimes del’Holocauste et à l’occasion du 75e anniversaire de la libération des Pays-Bas par les Forces armées canadiennes. Entre le 2 octobre et le 8 novembre 1944, la 1er Armée canadienne combattit les forces nazies installées sur les berges de la rivière Escaut et libéra par le fait même le port d’Anvers. L’accès à ce port était essentiel pour le ravitaillement des Alliés et pour faciliter leur avancée en vue de défaire les forces d’Adolf Hitler et de libérer l’Europe.
Cet événement offre un programme unique et émouvant comprenant des œuvres de J.S. Bach, Mendelssohn, Mahler, Jocelyn Morlock, ainsi que la première de Journaux de guerre d’enfants du compositeur canadien, Jaap Nico Hamburger. La nouvelle symphonie de chambre de Hamburger, compositeur en résidence Mécénat Musica de cette année, s’inspire d’une compilation de journaux intimes d’adolescents assassinés pendant la guerre, ainsi que d’une visite au Mémorial des enfants de Yad Vashem. La soprano, Sharon Azrieli et le ténor, Gideon Zelermyer offriront des chants cantoriaux en l’honneur des victimes de la guerre.
Le Musée de l’Holocauste Montréal informe et sensibilise les publics sur l’Holocauste, ainsi que sur l’antisémitisme, le racisme, la haine et les dangers de l’indifférence. Par son exposition permanente, ses programmes commémoratifs et ses initiatives éducatives, le Musée fait la promotion de notre responsabilité collective à l’égard du respect de la diversité et du caractère sacré de toute vie humaine.
“A spectacular soloist” (Montreal Gazette) … who “knows no limits” (Der Spiegel)
Recognized among the finest trumpet virtuosos of his generation, Paul Merkelo releases The Enlightened Trumpet, his first recording for Sony Classical. Hailed as “a spectacular soloist … a most impressive master of his instrument” (Montreal Gazette) who “knows no limits” (Der Spiegel) and with “unusual lyrical gifts” (Gramophone), Merkelo has been Principal trumpet with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal since 1995, and has appeared as soloist with prestigious orchestras around the globe, from Melbourne to Shanghai. In The Enlightened Trumpet, Merkelo is joined by the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and its founder and conductor Marios Papadopoulos for four spectacular concertos by Haydn, Leopold Mozart, Telemann, and Hummel.
All of the music on this new recording was written during The Age of Enlightenment, roughly 1688 – 1815, during which time the musical soundscape metamorphosed from the elegant formality of Vivaldi to the torrid turbulence of Beethoven. The trumpet passed through its own enlightened development, as changing musical styles and mechanical invention combined to ease the transition from its limited natural state to a pioneering form of the chromatic instrument we know today. Merkelo plays three different instruments on this recording: a piccolo trumpet for concertos by L. Mozart and Telemann; a custom-made E-major trumpet for the Hummel concerto; and an E-flat trumpet for Haydn.
Georg Philipp Telemann’s magnificent Concerto in D major for Trumpet and Strings represents the zenith of baroque trumpet writing, with displays of florid virtuosity. Some forty years later, Leopold Mozart – father of the more famous composer – wrote his Concerto in D major for Trumpet, 2 Horns and Strings. The charm and elegance of this work is both a nostalgic backward glance to the fast-fading glories of the baroque era, and a forward-looking embrace of the new classical age. Another thirty years later, the emergence of a chromatic trumpet was harnessed by Franz Joseph Haydn to produce his timeless masterpiece, the Concerto in Eb Major for Trumpet and Orchestra. This jewel of a concerto met the new classical demand for overt emotion without abandoning the trumpet’s heroic heritage. Haydn’s work was consolidated in the early nineteenth century by Johann Nepomuk Hummel, whose Concerto in E major for Trumpet and Orchestra combines heroic panache, tender lyricism, and sheer unbridled virtuosity.
Merkelo first heard these recordings as performed by the great Russian virtuoso Timofei Dokshizer, who was originally from Ukraine, as was Merkelo’s family. “His playing was unique as it sounded very often like the human voice, with colour change and vibrato, he was innately expressive, “ comments Merkelo, who decided to record Dokshizer’s notoriously-difficult cadenza in the third movement of the Hummel concerto as an hommage. On recording these early works with Papadopoulosand the Oxford Philharmonic, Merkelo says, “I love the part of Baroque and Classical music that can actually swing rhythmically … It has a certain sensibility and feel in the phrasing that has to happen organically. These trumpet concertos are really fun and swinging!”
This fall, after a tour to South America with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Merkelo returns for engagements in Charlottetown, Chicago, Montreal, and Quebec City. On November 14th, he performs The Enlightened Trumpet with the Oxford Philharmonic and Papadopoulos at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford. 2020 brings a recital tour of Eastern Canada and concerts in Georgia and North Carolina, before returning to Carnegie Hall with the OSM on March 24/25. In April, Merkelo makes his London solo debut at Cadogan Hall with the English Chamber Orchestra under Adrien Perruchon. For full performances dates, please see: paulmerkelotrumpet.com/calendar
An additionalrelease on SONY Classical is planned for the fall of 2020, featuring trumpet concertos by Weinberg, Arutiunian, and a new arrangement of the Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 for Trumpet, Piano and String Orchestra, Op. 35, with the Russian National Orchestra under the baton of Hans Graf.
PAUL MERKELO made his New York debut in 1998 at Lincoln Center with the New World Symphony Orchestra and Michael Tilson Thomas. He has worked with conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Charles Dutoit, Lorin Maazel, Sir Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta and Valery Gergiev, and has been invited as guest principal trumpet for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. As a soloist, Merkelo has been featured with the English Chamber Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, and Venice Baroque Orchestra, among others. Merkelo’s most recent recording was the JUNO-nominated French Trumpet Concertos with OSM and Kent Nagano. His first solo recording, A Simple Song, was ranked #1 in Quebec’s classical recording chart in 2000, and, in 2004, Analekta released the highly praised Baroque Transcriptions, which was nominated by ADISQ for Best Classical Album of the Year. Originally from the Chicago area, Paul is on the faculty at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and McGill University in Montreal. He is the founder of the Paul Merkelo Scholarship, which helps young, gifted brass players with financial aid and career guidance. Paul Merkelo is a Yamaha artist.
The Exceptional Young Musicians of The National Youth Orchestra of Canada & The European Union Youth Orchestra Join Forces for The Frenergy Tour
SASCHA GOETZEL, conductor BLAKE POULIOT, violin
First-Ever Collaboration Between the Two Orchestras Made Possible by the European Union Delegation to Canada
[Français ci-dessous] The National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYO Canada) and the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) are joining forces for The Frenergy Tour, a landmark collaboration and celebration of music and friendship, featuring a combined total of 76 outstanding young musicians. Acclaimed Viennese conductor Sascha Goetzel leads the four-city tour, with music by Rossini, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Stravinsky, and Wagner, as well as Canadian composer John Estacio’s Frenergy for orchestra, connoting both friendship and frenetic energy! Fast-rising violinist and NYO Canada alumnus Blake Pouliot is featured as guest soloist. This ground-breaking tour, including concerts in Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, and Ottawa, is made possible by the European Union Delegation to Canada.
“The Frenergy Tour reflects the depth of EU-Canada’s friendship and our shared commitment to supporting youth and the arts community. It is wonderful to see young European and Canadian musicians come together, united by their shared love of music,” said European Union Ambassador Peteris Ustubs. “Intercultural exchanges, such as this concert tour, have the power to connect people and build bridges of mutual understanding and respect.”
Marshall Marcus, Secretary General of The European Union Youth Orchestra comments: “As a cultural ambassador for the European Union of more than 40 years, it is a great pleasure and a tremendous opportunity for the EUYO to be taking part in this EU-funded tour together with NYO Canada. Audiences in Canada will not only witness the highest possible calibre of performance, they will also experience one of the world’s most potent and important forces: the coming together of young people of different nations to work in harmony and dedication.”
Barbara Smith, President and CEO of the National Youth Orchestra Canada affirms: “As we confront a future filled with uncertainty and fragmentation, music offers bridges to understanding, co-operation, beauty, and transformation. Each partner organization – EU, EUYO, and NYO – has already demonstrated commitment to the highest standards and ideals. Now, our vision is to develop a truly global network of young creators embracing their role as change agents, leveraging their capacity as artists to touch hearts and minds.”
The close collaboration between the two orchestras was already instigated this past summer, as two violinists from NYO Canada – Teresa Wang and Cassandra Leshchyshyn – spent the summer on tour with the EUYO; and three European musicians – violinist Janela Nini from Austria, violinist Patricia Francia and cellist Gema Pérez Oliver-Cello of Spain— joined NYO Canada for its training institute, and then on tour in five Canadian cities and in Spain.
Conductor Sascha Goetzel is acclaimed by The Guardian as “the consummate showman… [with] fine sense of orchestral colors.” Artistic Director of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra since 2009, Goetzel leads the vibrant program in all four cities. Each concert opens with John Estacio’s vigorous Frenergy for orchestra, which has been performed widely since its 1998 premiere by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The JUNO-nominated violinist and NYO Canada alumnus (2012-13) Blake Pouliot, recent winner of the Canada Council for the Arts’ Virginia Parker Prize, is the soloist for Saint-Saëns’ beloved Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28 and in Ravel’s fiery Tzigane for Violin and Orchestra. The exhilarating programme also includes Wagner’s Overture to Tannhäuser (Paris Version), Rossini’s Overture to William Tell, and the Suite from The Firebird (1945 revision) by Stravinsky.
The National Youth Orchestra of Canada(NYO Canada), has enjoyed an iconic reputation as Canada’s orchestral finishing school, providing the most comprehensive and in-depth training program available to our country’s best young classical musicians. Each summer, 100 gifted musicians between the ages of 16 and 28 come together to attend an 8-week intensive training institute followed by a national and international tour. The orchestra is the subject of “That Higher Level,” a new feature-length documentary from the National Film Board of Canada.
The European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) is one of the world’s preeminent symphony orchestras. It has been a Cultural Ambassador for the EU for more than forty years and during that time has worked with many of the world’s greatest musicians. During 2019 the Orchestra performs across the EU, North America, the Middle East and South East Asia, working with young musicians from Canada, Cuba, China and Myanmar, as well as all (currently 28) EU Member States.
The Delegation of the European Union to Canadawas established in 1976 and is a fully-fledged diplomatic mission and, as such, the natural contact point in Canada between the EU and the Canadian authorities. It also has a strong public diplomacy mandate designed to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the European Union as well as EU-Canada relations.
L’Orchestre national des jeunes du Canada (NYO Canada) et l’Orchestre des jeunes de l’Union européenne (EUYO) s’allient dans le cadre de la tournéeFrenergy, une collaboration historique et une célébration de la musique et de l’amitié englobant 76 jeunes musiciennes et musiciens remarquables. Le brillant chef d’orchestre viennois Sascha Goetzel est à la tête de la tournée de quatre villes. Les orchestres rassemblés présenteront des pièces de Rossini, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Stravinski et Wagner, en plus du Frenergy pour orchestre du compositeur canadien John Estacio, une pièce qui évoque à la fois l’amitié et une énergie frénétique! Blake Pouliot,jeuneviolonistedont la réputation monte en flèche et ancien de NYO Canada, est en vedette à titre de soliste invité. Cette tournée révolutionnaire, englobant des concerts à Toronto, Kingston, Montréal et Ottawa, est rendue possible grâce au soutien de la Délégation de l’Union européenne auCanada.
« La tournée Frenergy évoque l’amitié profonde qui existe entre l’UE et le Canada et incarne bien notre engagement commun à appuyer les jeunes et la communauté artistique. Nous sommes émerveillés de voir se rassembler, sous l’ombrelle d’un amour partagé de la musique, de jeunes musiciens européens et canadiens, » déclare Peteris Ustubs, Ambassadeur de l’Union européenne au Canada. Les échanges interculturels, comme cette tournée de concerts, ont le pouvoir de relier les gens et bâtir des liens sur des fondations de compréhension et de respect mutuels. »
Marshall Marcus, secrétaire général de l’Orchestre des jeunes de l’Union européenne, ajoute : « C’est à titre d’ambassadeur culturel de l’Union européenne depuis plus de 40 ans et avec le plus grand plaisir que l’EUYO participe à cette tournée avec NYO Canada, une occasion remarquable financée par l’UE. Les publics canadiens auront l’occasion d’entendre des prestations du plus haut calibre et d’être témoins de l’une des forces les plus puissantes et importantes au monde : le rassemblement de jeunes de différentes nations, travaillant en harmonie et avec le plus pur des dévouements. »
Barbara Smith, Présidente-directrice généralede l’Orchestre national des jeunes du Canada, affirme : « Alors que nous affrontons tous le même avenir fragmenté et rempli d’incertitude, la musique bâtit des ponts qui nous mènent vers la compréhension, la collaboration, la beauté et la transformation. Chaque organisme partenaire – UE, EUYO et NYO – a déjà démontré son engagement à l’égard des normes et idéaux les plus exigeants. Notre vision consiste maintenant à forger un réseau réellement mondial de jeunes créateurs célébrant leur rôle d’agents du changement, tirant parti de leurs talents d’artistes pour toucher les cœurs et les esprits autour d’eux. »
L’étroite collaboration entre les deux orchestres avait déjà pris forme cet été : deux violonistes de NYO Canada – Teresa Wang et Cassandra Leshchyshyn – ont passé l’été en tournée avec l’EUYO. Dans la même veine, trois musiciennes européennes – la violoniste Janela Nini de l’Autriche, la violoniste Patricia Francia et la violoncelliste Gema Pérez Oliver de l’Espagne — se sont jointes à NYO Canada pour son institut estival de formation et ensuite pour sa tournée de cinq villes canadiennes et en Espagne.
Le chef d’orchestre Sascha Goetzel est acclamé par The Guardian : « un showman accompli… [avec un] sens raffiné des couleurs orchestrales. » Directeur artistique du Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra depuis 2009, le maestro Goetzel dirigera un programme dynamique dans les quatre villes. Chaque concert s’ouvrira sur la vigoureuse pièce Frenergy pour orchestre de John Estacio, qui a d’ailleurs été présentée à multiples reprises depuis sa création en 1998 par l’Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Blake Pouliot, violoniste en lice pour un prix JUNO et ancien de NYO Canada (2012-13), ainsi que récent gagnant du prix Virginia-Parker du Conseil des arts du Canada, sera soliste pour l’adorée Introduction et Rondo capriccioso en la mineur, opus 28 de Saint-Saëns et pour la fougueuse Tzigane pour violon et orchestre de Ravel. Ce programme exaltant inclut aussi l’Ouverture de Tannhäuser de Wagner (version de Paris), l’Ouverture de Guillaume Tell de Rossini, et la suite de L’Oiseau de feu(suite de 1945) de Stravinsky.
L’Orchestre national des jeunes du Canada (NYO Canada) jouit d’une réputation stellaire à titre d’école de préparation orchestrale au Canada et offre aux meilleurs jeunes musiciens classiques du pays le programme de formation le plus complet et le plus approfondi. Chaque été, 100 jeunes musiciennes et musiciens doués de
16 à 28 ans se rassemblent pour participer à un institut de formation intensive suivi d’une tournée nationale et internationale. L’orchestre est la vedette du long métrage « Le plus haut niveau », un nouveau documentaire de l’Office national du film du Canada.
L’Orchestre des jeunes de l’Union européenne (EUYO) est l’un des orchestres symphoniques prééminents à l’échelle mondiale. Il est ambassadeur culturel de l’UE depuis plus de 40 ans, et, pendant cette période, a accueilli parmi les plus grands musiciens et musiciennes du monde. En 2019, l’orchestre se produit partout au sein de l’UE, en Amérique du Nord, au Moyen-Orient et en Asie-Pacifique, travaillant auprès de jeunes musiciens du Canada, de Cuba, de la Chine et du Myanmar, ainsi que des États membres de l’UE (actuellement 28).
Établie en 1976, la Délégation de l’Union européenne au Canada est une mission diplomatique à part entière et donc le point de contact naturel au Canada entre l’UE et les autorités canadiennes. Elle dispose également d’un mandat de diplomatie publique visant à améliorer la connaissance et la compréhension de l’Union européenne ainsi que des relations UE-Canada.
[Français ci-dessous] Leaf Music is proud to present Origins, the debut album from Duo Kalysta, the acclaimed flute and harp duo comprised of Lara Deutsch and Emily Belvedere. Origins, featuring entrancing music – both familiar and new – by Canadian and French composers, will be released on September 6, 2019 and celebrated in album launch events in Toronto (September 9), Ottawa (September 22), and in Montreal (September 23).
Belvedere, praised for her “crystalline technique” (MusicWeb International) and Deutsch, who reveals “new worlds of colour and meaning in every single note” (CBC Music) met at McGill University in Montreal, where they performed Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp under the baton of Alexis Hauser. “Origins” refers to their return to Montreal to record the album and to their beginnings as a chamber ensemble. Given the album’s Canadian and French repertoire, the title also alludes to the musicians’ Canadian heritage, as well as the heritage of their instruments, which were greatly impacted by French musical traditions. Gaining attention nationwide as a young duo with an exceptional musical connection, Duo Kalysta’s recording projects include a series of music videos for Mécénat Musica Vidéoclips. Following a recent performance by Duo Kalysta in Montreal, Les ArtsZé commented that that the audience enjoyed “the technical breadth of the two virtuosos … revealing a great richness.”
Origins features Claude Debussy’s beloved Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, with its famous, dreamy flute solo, in an intimate arrangement by harpist Judy Loman. Jocelyn Morlock’s Vespertine (2005) utilizes extended techniques to conjure night-blossoming plants and nocturnally-active creatures. Violist Marina Thibeault joins the duo for R. Murray Schafer’s impressionistic Trio for Flute, Viola, and Harp (2011), in which the grounding nature of the viola, the willowy harmonies of the harp, and the fluid motion of the flute combine in an enthralling harmonic atmosphere. Finally, Duo Kalysta is joined by Thibeault, as well violinist Alexander Read and cellist Carmen Bruno, for André Jolivet’s Chant de Linos (1944), evoking Greek timbres in this visceral, spiritual work, dedicated to Linus, the musician son of Apollo.
Named one of 2015’s “Hot 30 Under 30 Canadian Classical Musicians” by CBC Music, flutist Lara Deutsch is a versatile soloist, orchestral, and chamber musician with a passion for connecting with audiences. Lara was a first prize winner of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal’s 2014 Manulife Competition, at which she was awarded a total of seven prizes, including the Stingray Music Audience Award. She was the Grand Prize Winner of both the National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition (2014) and the Canadian Music Competition (2010), as well as a laureate of the Concours Prix d’Europe (2016). Lara also offers Performance Psychology Workshops, sharing the skills in optimizing performance that she has learned from her work with renowned Olympic performance psychologist, Jean-François Ménard.
Recipient of the Hnatyshyn Foundation Classical Music Grant for Orchestral Instruments, harpist Emily Belvedere has been praised for her “ease in merging lyrical and dissonant sounds” (MusicWeb International). Emily’s many awards include third prize at the American Harp Society’s 18th National Competition in Salt Lake City, Utah. Emily won the 2013 McGill Classical Concerto Competition as well as the prize for best performance of a Canadian work in the 2013 OSM Standard Life Competition in Montreal. An avid chamber musician, Emily was also a prizewinner in the Glenn Gould School Chamber Music Competition at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
This project is funded in part by FACTOR, the government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Leaf Music est fier de présenter Origins, le tout premier album du Duo Kalysta, duo de flûte et de harpe encensé par la critique et composé de Lara Deutschet d’Emily Belvedere. L’albumOrigins, avec des œuvres musicales ravissantes — familières ou nouvelles — de compositeurs canadiens et français, sortira le 6 septembre 2019et cette sortie sera marquée par des lancements officiels à Toronto(le 9 septembre), à Ottawa(le 22 septembre) et à Montréal (le 23 septembre).
Emily Belvedere, louée pour sa « technique cristalline » (MusicWeb International), et Lara Deutsch, dont chaque note « révèle de nouveaux mondes de couleur et de sens » (CBC Music), se sont rencontrées à l’Université McGill de Montréal, où elles ont interprété le concerto pour flûte et harpe de Mozart sous la direction d’Alexis Hauser. Le terme « Origins » fait référence à leur retour à Montréal pour l’enregistrement de l’album et à leurs débuts en tant qu’ensemble de musique de chambre. Étant donné le répertoire français et canadien de l’album, ce titre fait également référence à l’héritage canadien des deux musiciennes, ainsi qu’à l’héritage de leurs instruments, qui a été profondément influencé par les traditions musicales françaises. Ayant éveillé l’attention partout dans le pays en tant que jeune duo d’interprètes animé d’une relation musicale exceptionnelle, le Duo Kalysta a enregistré plusieurs projets musicaux, dont une série de vidéos musicales pour Mécénat Musica Vidéoclips. Après un spectacle récent du Duo Kalysta à Montréal, la publication Les ArtsZédéclarait : « le public a pu mesurer l’amplitude technique des deux virtuoses, certains morceaux se révélant d’une grande richesse ».
L’album Originscomprend la bien-aimée composition Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune de Claude Debussy, avec son célèbre solo onirique de flûte, dans un arrangement intimiste de la harpiste Judy Loman. Le morceau Vespertine(2005) de Jocelyn Morlock utilise des techniques élaborées pour évoquer des plantes fleurissant la nuit et des créatures nocturnes. L’altiste Marina Thibeault se joint au duo pour le Trio pour flûte, alto et harpe (2011) impressionniste de R. Murray Schafer, dans lequel l’ancrage naturel de l’alto, les harmonies élancées de la harpe et le mouvement fluide de la flûte se combinent pour évoquer une atmosphère harmonique ensorcelante. Enfin, le Duo Kalysta est rejoint à nouveau par Marina Thibeault, ainsi que par le violoniste Alexander Read et la violoncelliste Carmen Bruno, pour le Chant de Linos(1944) d’André Jolivet, avec son évocation des timbres grecs, dans une œuvre viscérale et spirituelle consacrée à Linos, fils musicien d’Apollon.
Nommée au palmarès des 30 meilleurs musiciens classiques canadiens de moins de 30 ans de CBC Radio, la flûtiste Lara Deutschest une musicienne aux talents variés en solo, en musique de chambre et en musique d’orchestre. Elle se passionne pour la création d’un lien étroit avec l’auditoire. Elle a remporté le premier prix à l’édition 2014 du concours Manulife de l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, où elle a reçu au total sept récompenses, dont le Prix du public Stingray Music. Elle a remporté le grand prix à la fois au Concours de la Bourse de l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts(en 2014) et au Concours de musique du Canada (en 2010) et elle a été lauréate du Concours Prix d’Europe (en 2016). Lara offre aussi des ateliers de psychologie de l’interprétation, afin de faire profiter les autres des compétences en interprétation qu’elle a acquises lors de son travail auprès du renommé psychologue olympique Jean-François Ménard.
Quant à la harpiste Emily Belvedere, elle a obtenu la subvention de musique classique pour instruments d’orchestre de la Fondation Hnatyshyn et a été louée pour sa « facilité à combiner lyrisme et dissonance »
(MusicWeb International). Elle a remporté de nombreuses récompenses, notamment le troisième prix au 18e concours national de l’AHS (American Harp Society) à Salt Lake City, dans l’Utah. Elle a remporté le concours de concerto classique McGill de 2013, ainsi que le prix de la meilleure interprétation d’une œuvre canadienne au concours OSM Standard Life de 2013 à Montréal. Emily est une musicienne férue de musique de chambre et a également remporté un prix au concours de musique de chambre de l’école Glenn Gould du Conservatoire royal de musique de Toronto.
Ce projet est financé en partie par FACTOR, le gouvernement du Canada et les radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada. Nous remercions le Conseil des Arts du Canada de son soutien.
“Simply stunning … jaw-dropping agility, clarity and accuracy in the playing, allied with terrific dynamics and nuance, outstanding ensemble work …I doubt if you’ve heard these works sound like this before – it’s absolutely essential listening.” – The WholeNote (on Beethoven, Op. 18, Vol. 1)
[Français ci-dessous]
When British label CORO Connections released their first recording from Toronto’s Eybler Quartetlast spring, they may havebeen surprised to have a controversy on their hands. The Eybler’s versions of Beethoven’s Op. 18 quartets, nos. 1-3, on period instruments, took many aback due to their astonishing speed, particularly in the scherzofrom Quartet No. 1. Gramophonecalled it “straight-up hilarious … this set might infuriate you or it might delight you,” continuing, “ either way, I suspect, Beethoven would have been more than happy.” The Times of Londonbemoaned that “this brilliant Canadian quartet [left] me feeling my age … yet there is no denying the Eyblers’ verve and delicacy of touch.” Now, the new recording of the Beethoven Op. 18 Quartets, nos. 4-6fulfils the wish of Early Music America, who wrote last year: “With nearly 70 minutes of masterfully played Beethoven, this recording leaves you waiting for the Eybler to complete the Opus 18 cycle.” The new release is available in digital form from May 31, with the CD version for sale as of June 7.
The musical controversy arose from the Eybler’s choice to follow Beethoven’s original and supposedly “impossible” metronome markings – which have caused some to speculate on Beethoven’s sanity – to the letter. As an early music quartet, the Eyblers approached Beethoven’s Op. 18 as “new music,” working from different editions of the score while delving deeply into exhaustive critical notes on the works. Violist Patrick Jordan comments, “Looking back through the almost 200 years since Ludwig van Beethoven’s death, it is remarkably easy to repeat to ourselves the narrative of Beethoven’s transcendent seriousness, greatness and genius.” However, he continues, “we also discovered depths of humour, wit and irony in Beethoven that we had not found before, in particular his ready embrace of the commedia dell’arte.” Jordan’s unusually witty liner notes describe the almost operatic Quartet no. 4 in C Minor, with its “blisteringly fast coda”; the cheerful Quartet no. 5 in A Major, with its “lilting Ländler” leading to a “slightly tipsy” Trio; and the Quartet no. 6 in B-flat Major, which“displays the widest emotional range to be found in the set.”
The Eybler Quartetbrings a unique combination of talents and skills: years of collective experience as chamber musicians, technical prowess, experience in period instrument performance and an unquenchable passion for the repertoire. Violinist Julia Wedmanand violist Patrick G. Jordanare members of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra;Violinist Aisslinn Noskyis concertmaster of the Handel and Haydn Society and Principal Guest Conductor of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra; Julia and Aisslinn are also members of I FURIOSI Baroque Ensemble. Cellist Margaret Gay is much in demand as both a modern and period instrument player. The Eybler Quartet’s previous, critically-acclaimed albums includechamber music of Vanhal, Haydn, Mozart, Backofen, and of course, the quartet’s namesake, Joseph Leopold Edler von Eybler.
CORO Connections is an imprint of the award-winning CORO record label.All of the artists on CORO Connections have links toHarry Christophers, The Sixteen, or the Handel and Haydn Society. Eybler Quartet violinist Aisslinn Noskyis concertmaster of Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society.
Quand la maison britannique CORO Connections a fait paraître son premier enregistrement du Quatuor Eybler de Toronto, au printemps dernier, elle ne s’attendait pas à une controverse. Cette interprétation des quatuors de Beethoven, opus 18, nos 1 à 3, avec des instruments d’époque, en a surpris plus d’un par sa vitesse ahurissante – surtout en ce qui concerne le scherzodu premier quatuor. Gramophonel’a décrite comme « proprement hilarante; cette prestation pourrait soit vous ravir, soit vous enrager », ajoutant que « dans tous les cas, Beethoven lui-même serait aux anges. » Selon le Timesde Londres, « ce brillant quatuor canadien est difficile à suivre passé un certain âge. Cela dit, impossible de nier la verve et la délicatesse du Eybler ». Ce nouvel enregistrement des Quatuors de Beethoven, opus 18, nos 4 à 6, a quant à lui su combler les attentes de Early Music America, qui a écrit l’an dernier : « Avec près de 70 minutes d’un Beethoven interprété avec brio, l’enregistrement ne donne qu’une envie : que le Quatuor Eybler complète le cycle de l’opus 18. »La nouvelle parution sera disponible en format numérique dès le 31 mai, et l’album, en vente à partir du 7 juin.
S’il y a eu controverse, c’est que le Quatuor Eybler suit à la lettre la cadence originale choisie par Beethoven, réputée irréalisable – à tel point que certains l’ont cru fou. En tant que quatuor spécialiste de la musique ancienne, le Eybler envisage l’opus 18 de Beethoven comme une œuvre « nouvelle », comparant différentes versions des partitions tout en étudiant en profondeur les essais critiques à leur sujet. Selon l’altiste Patrick Jordan, « au fil des quelque 200 ans écoulés depuis la mort de Ludwig van Beethoven, on a dressé le portrait d’un homme éminemment sérieux, au génie grandiose. Toutefois, poursuit-il, nous avons également relevé chez lui des traits d’humour, de vivacité et d’ironie que nous ne lui connaissions pas, notamment une grande affection pour la commedia dell’arte. » Dans son humoristique texte de pochette, Patrick Jordan décrit la coda du quasi opératique Quatuor no 4 en do mineur, « rapide à en provoquer des ampoules », le Ländler cadencé du joyeux Quatuor no 5 en la majeur, prélude à un Trio « légèrement ivre », et le Quatuor no 6 en si bémol majeur, l’œuvre du cycle « offrant la plus riche gamme d’émotions ».
Le Quatuor Eyblerpropose un mélange unique de talents et d’habiletés, soit des années d’expérience en musique de chambre, de véritables prouesses techniques, une grande connaissance des instruments d’époque et une passion sans borne pour le répertoire. La violoniste Julia Wedmanet l’altiste Patrick G. Jordansont membres du Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; Aisslinn Noskyest premier violon de la Handel and Haydn Society et principale chef invitée de l’Orchestre symphonique de Niagara. Ajoutons que Mmes Wedman et Nosky sont également membres de l’ensemble baroque I FURIOSI. Enfin, la violoncelliste Margaret Gaymaîtrise aussi bien les instruments contemporains que les instruments d’époque. La discographie acclamée du Eybler Quartet comprend aussi des œuvres de chambre de Vanhal, Haydn, Mozart, Backofen et, bien entendu, Joseph Leopold Edler von Eybler, qui a donné son nom au quatuor.
CORO Connections est une branche de CORO, maison de disques primée. Tous les artistes représentés par CORO Connections sont liés à Harry Christophers, à The Sixteen ou à la Handel and Haydn Society. Aisslinn Nosky,violoniste du Eybler Quartet, est d’ailleurs premier violon de la Handel and Haydn Society, à Boston.
