Opera Fantasies For Violin / Sohn, Loeb, Nuttall

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Opera Fantasies For Violin / Sohn, Loeb, Nuttall

Release Date: 10/30/2007
Label: Naxos Catalog #: 8570202 Spars Code: n/a
Composer: Igor Stravinsky, Jenö Hubay, Joseph Joachim Raff, Osvaldo Golijov, Kurt Weill,
Stephen Prutsman, Niccolò Paganini, Georges Bizet, Edouard Lalo

Performer: Livia Sohn, Benjamin Loeb, Geoff Nuttall

Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 6 Mins.

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Notes & Reviews	Back to Top

Judging from this wonderfully varied and well-programmed recital, the 19th century operatic fantasy for violin is as alive and well in the 21st century as it was in the 20th. It's true that many works in this genre exist mainly to show off one's virtuosity, yet violinist Livia Sohn clearly has brains to go with her dazzling fingers. Take Stefan Frenkel's Threepenny Opera transcription, for example. In addition to Sohn's effortless negotiation of the Useless Song's pizzicato arpeggios, upon each repetition she inflects Mack the Knife's simple repeating melody with subtle variations that never sound different for the sake of being different. She imparts heartfelt musicality and dignity to Raff's amusingly vapid Lohengrin transcription, and while she insouciantly tosses off Hubay's fluffy rewrite of Carmen's greatest hits, her phrasing always is informed by a vocal sensibility. The range of color and dynamic shading she brings to Stephen Prutsman's 15-minute Der Rosenkavalier fantasia makes the violin writing seem more varied in mood and texture than it often is. Interestingly, the haunting vocal line and gorgeous orchestration of Desde mi ventana from Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar turns somewhat static when transcribed for violin and piano (actually two violins: Geoff Nuttall enters about two-thirds of the way into the work), although it's worth hearing for Sohn's slow, sustained lower-register work. In addition to providing colorful and sharply characterized accompaniments, Benjamin Loeb proves an effective transcriber in his own right as he skillfully transforms Bizet's famous Pearl Fishers duet for violin and viola. Naxos' excellent engineering and booklet notes seal my recommendation with a solid "10/10". --Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com


Works on This Recording			Back to Top

1.	Mavra: Oh, my dearest one "Parasha's Song" by Igor Stravinsky
	Performer: Livia Sohn (Violin), Benjamin Loeb (Piano) Period: 20th Century Written: 1921-1922; France


2.	Fantasie brillante on Bizet's "Carmen" by Jenö Hubay
	Performer: Livia Sohn (Violin), Benjamin Loeb (Piano) Period: Romantic Written: 1879/1882; Paris, France	Length: 8 Minutes 14 Secs.


3.	Duo for Vln/Cel and Piano in A major, Op. 59 by Joseph Joachim Raff
	Performer: Livia Sohn (Violin), Benjamin Loeb (Piano) Period: Romantic Written: 1848; Hamburg, Germany	Length: 9 Minutes 12 Secs.


4.	Ainadamar: Desde mi ventana by Osvaldo Golijov
	Performer: Livia Sohn (Violin), Benjamin Loeb (Piano), Geoff Nuttall (Violin) Period: 20th Century Written: USA	Length: 7 Minutes 41 Secs.

	Notes: Composition written: USA (By 2003). Composition revised: By 2005.


5.	Die Dreigroschenoper: Die Moritat von Mackie Messer "Mack the knife" by Kurt Weill
	Performer: Livia Sohn (Violin), Benjamin Loeb (Piano) Period: 20th Century Written: 1928; Berlin, Germany	Length: 3 Minutes 1 Secs.


6.	Fantasy on Themes from R. Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier" by Stephen Prutsman
	Performer: Benjamin Loeb (Piano), Livia Sohn (Violin) Period: 20th Century	Length: 15 Minutes 56 Secs.

	Notes: This selection is presented in an excerpted form.


7.	Introduction and Variations on Rossini's "I Palpiti", Op. 13 by Niccolò Paganini
	Performer: Livia Sohn (Violin), Benjamin Loeb (Piano) Period: Romantic Written: 1819	Length: 11 Minutes 0 Secs.


8.	Les pêcheurs de perles: Au fond du temple saint by Georges Bizet
	Performer: Benjamin Loeb (Piano), Geoff Nuttall (Viola), Livia Sohn (Violin) Period: Romantic Written: 1863; France	Length: 5 Minutes 8 Secs.


9.	Le Roi d'Ys: Vainement, ma bien-aimée [Aubade] by Edouard Lalo
	Performer: Livia Sohn (Violin), Benjamin Loeb (Piano) Period: Romantic Written: 1875-1888; France	Length: 2 Minutes 49 Secs.


Sound Samples				Back to Top

Carmen, fantasie brillante, Op. 3, No. 3 Fantaisie brillante on Bizet's Carmen, Op. 3, No. 3
3 Duos on themes from Wagner's operas, Op. 63: No. 3. Lohengrin
Mavra: Russian Maiden's Song, "Parasha's Aria" (arr. S. Dushkin for violin and piano) Mavra: Russian Maiden's Song, "Parasha's Aria" (arr. S. Dushkin for violin and piano)
Ainadamar: Desde mi ventana (From My Window) (arr. for 2 violins and piano) Ainadamar: Desde mi ventana (From My Window) (arr. for 2 violins and piano)
7 Stucke nach der Dreigroschenoper (7 Pieces from the Threepenny Opera) (arr. for violin and piano) 7 Stucke nach der Dreigroschenoper: No. 1. Moritat vom Mackie Messer
Fantasy Extract on Themes from R. Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier
Introduction and Variations in A major on Di tanti palpiti from Rossini's Tancredi, Op. 13, MS 77, "I palpiti" Introduction and Variations on Di tanti palpiti from Rossini's Tancredi, Op. 13, MS 77, "I palpiti"
Les pecheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers), Act I: Au fond du temple saint (arr. for violin, viola) Les pecheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers), Act I: Au fond du temple saint (arr. for violin, viola and piano)
Le roi d'Ys, Act III: Vainement, ma bien-aimiee, "Aubade" (arr. J. Szigeti for violin) Le roi d'Ys, Act III: Vainement, ma bien-aimiee, "Aubade" (arr. J. Szigeti for violin)

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