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Sunday, February 23, 2020

Various Composers - Masterworks for Flute and Piano Vol. 2 (Sharon Bezaly; Ronald Brautigam)


Information

  • (01) Francis Poulenc - Sonata
  • (04) Frank Martin - Ballade
  • (05) Carl Reinecke - Sonata 'Undine', Op. 167
  • (09) Bohuslav Martinů - Sonata
  • (12) Olivier Messiaen - Le merle noir

Sharon Bezaly, flute
Ronald Brautigam, piano

Date: 2010
Label: BIS Records
https://bis.se/performers/bezaly-sharon/masterworks-for-flute-and-piano-ii

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Review

This is the second volume of this series, the pithy and ecstatic review of the first by Peter J. Rabinowitz (where he quotes from other equally impressed Fanfaristas ) appearing in 29: 6. There is really nothing much more to say about Bezaly’s playing; she is, if not the greatest, then one of the most outstanding exponents of her instrument today, and Bis was lucky enough to latch onto her some 20 albums ago and continues to make these wonderful Super Audio recordings.

On this disc we are a little more mainstreamed in approach, with several of the selections quite familiar, at least to flute lovers. Poulenc’s sonata leads the pack, one of his best from around 1957, simply effervescent and joyous from start to finish, the aural equivalent of dancing on clouds. I had to hunt down Wolfgang Schulz’s recording with James Levine from a mandatory 1989 issue of Poulenc’s chamber music (DG) to find a worthy comparison. The Reinecke, also a standard, was written in the composer’s 40s (1882) under the influence of Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s story about a mermaid who marries a young knight and acquires a human soul only to have her heart broken because of his infidelities; should have stayed in the water, I guess. But the story line is only ancillary, the sonata a wonderful example of romantic structure that characterizes a verbal outline without becoming slavish to it. My favorite to this point—now supplanted—is Jeffrey Khaner’s reading on Avie, a recording that should not be missed if for no other reason than its attractive romantic program.

The Martin? might be called a “sub-standard” not because of quality but because more flutists haven’t seemed to pick up on it yet. Like almost all of this composer’s work, it contains wonders aplenty and umpteen ear-opening examples of structural genius, aside from Martin?’s own deliciously unparagoned way with melody. Marc-André Hamelin (piano) and Alain Marion (flute) offer a somewhat different view on Analekta, perhaps more enervating and lively, but I doubt Bezaly will have you searching for alternatives. Two pieces here were written for competitions; Frank Martin’s inventive Ballade was written as a compulsory piece for Geneva in 1939 while Olivier Messiaen’s Le Merle noir (The Blackbird) was for the Paris Conservatory in 1951, the prototype of a series of pieces that explored the very intentional grounding of birdsong into the very fabric of an instrument. The Martin can be found in its orchestral guise (done a few years later by the composer) on a wonderful recording by Celia Chambers on an all-Martin album of his ballades (Chandos, conducted by Bambert).

So in short, this is terrific stuff, bedrock material for any serious collection and absolutely foundational for anybody claiming to have a good series of flute albums.

-- Steven E. Ritter, FANFARE

More reviews:
http://www.classical-music.com/review/bezaly-brautigam-masterworks-flute-and-piano
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/Oct10/Bezaly_Brautigam_BISSACD1729.htm
https://www.audaud.com/masterworks-for-flute-and-piano-ii-poulenc-sonata-for-flute-and-piano-frank-martin-ballade-carl-reineke-sonata-undine-martin-sonata-for-flute-and-pia/

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Sharon Bezaly (born 1972) is a flutist. Bezaly was born in Israel, but lives presently in Sweden. She has been an international star since 1997, when she began her solo flute career. She made her solo debut at 13 with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic, and has appeared with leading symphony and chamber orchestras in Japan, China, Israel, Central and Western Europe, England, North and South America, Australia and Scandinavia. Her flute was made by Muramatsu Flutes out of 24-karat gold. Bezaly has released 24 award-winning CDs with the Swedish record company BIS.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Bezaly
http://sharonbezaly.se/

***

Ronald Brautigam (born 1954) is a Dutch concert pianist, best known for his performances of Beethoven's piano works on the fortepiano. Born in Amsterdam, Brautigam studied with Jan Wijn and left to study in London and in the United States. A student of the legendary Rudolf Serkin, he performs regularly with leading orchestras and conductors. Besides his performances on modern instruments, Brautigam has established himself as a leading exponent of the fortepiano. His discography of over 60 recordings so far includes the complete works of Mozart and Haydn on fortepiano.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Brautigam
http://www.ronaldbrautigam.com/

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5 comments:

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  2. Hola, y gracias por el magnífico blog. Tendría las sonatas mozartianas para piano con C. Esenbach? Muchas gracias!!!! Si fuese posible! Un saludo!

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  3. excellent versions. great interpreters. thank you very much !

    ReplyDelete
  4. Flute with piano, a wonderful combination, many thank for this gem!

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