Edvard Grieg - Violin Sonatas (Augustin Dumay; Maria João Pires)

Information

Composer: Edvard Grieg

1. Violin Sonata in F major, Op. 8: 1. Allegro con brio
2. Violin Sonata in F major, Op. 8: 2. Allegretto quasi Andantino - Più vivo - Tempo I
3. Violin Sonata in F major, Op. 8: 3. Allegro molto vivace
4. Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 13: 1. Lento doloroso - Poco allegro - Allegro vivace
5. Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 13: 2. Allegretto tranquillo
6. Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 13: 3. Allegro animato
7. Violin Sonata in C minor, Op. 45: 1. Allegro molto ed appassionato
8. Violin Sonata in C minor, Op. 45: 2. Allegretto espressivo alla Romanza
9. Violin Sonata in C minor, Op. 45: 3. Allegro animato

Augustin Dumay, violin
Maria João Pires, piano

Date: 1993
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4375252

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Review

PERFORMANCE: ***** / SOUND: *****

It is good to see Grieg doing so well out of his anniversary year, with all manner of rarities coming to the fore. While the three violin sonatas are certainly not in the ‘rare works’ category, having them on one CD gives the listener an admirable opportunity to survey the development of Grieg’s style, from the Romantic profligacy and energetic invention of the first, through the more consciously national second sonata, to the surprising intensity of the last. Every one of these nine movements has something to offer, but for sheer exhilaration try the finale of the F major Sonata. Dumay and Pires make a splendid duo, rising magnificently to the virtuoso challenges of the fast movements and responding well to the abundant lyricism in the slower passages. Apart from a slightly faint-hearted start to the finale of the C minor Sonata, these performances are near-ideal for their idiomatic grasp. The instrumental balance is realistic and the piano tone well captured. The only problem is a tendency on the part, I assume, of Dumay, to sniff impressively before certain entries.

-- Jan Smaczny, BBC Music Magazine

More reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Grieg-Violin-Sonatas-Edvard/dp/B000001GIA

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Edvard Grieg (15 June 1843, Bergen – 4 September 1907, Bergen) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use and development of Norwegian folk music in his own compositions put the music of Norway in the international spectrum. He is the most celebrated person from the city of Bergen, with numerous statues depicting his image, and many cultural entities named after him
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Grieg

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Augustin Dumay (born 17 January 1949) is a French violinist and conductor from Paris. His international career took off when Dumay was invited as a soloist to appear with Yo-Yo Ma in Paris by Herbert von Karajan. He subsequently performed regularly with the world’s finest orchestras, conductors and chamber musicians. Over the last ten years, Dumay has also become very active as a conductor, both on stage and on disc. His discography - some 40 recordings - is available on the Warner, Deutsche Grammophon and Onyx Classics labels.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustin_Dumay

http://augustindumay.com/

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Maria João Pires (born in Lisbon, Portugal, 23 July 1944) is a Portuguese pianist. Her first recital was at the age of five, and at the age of seven she was already playing Mozart piano concertos publicly. International fame came in 1970, when she won the Beethoven Bicentennial Competition in Brussels. Subsequently she performed with major orchestras in Europe, America, Canada, Israel and Japan. Pires performs as a solo artist and in chamber music. Gramophone selected her recordings of the Chopin nocturnes as the best version available.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Jo%C3%A3o_Pires

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