Elsa Grether, David Lively – Prokofiev: Masques & Sonatas for Violin and Piano (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:09:39 minutes | 1,24 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Fuga Libera
“Masques”, the title of this album, is a reference to Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet; it mirrors his visionary music, so full of wit, colour and drama, that expresses every possible human emotion. The thousand characters created by the music are both actors in and spectators of their own lives by turns. The Violin Sonata No. 1 is a truly epic work; it leads us from an anguish-laden grief permeated with a gust of wind from the grave to a nostalgic lyricism — the memory of a lost paradise? — that is then driven by tremendous rhythmic energy to the apocalyptic climax of the work: we experience an explosion, a dissolution of every hope, before a return to the frozen whiteness of the beginning and an ending in resignation. The Sonata No. 2, unrestrainedly lyrical and punctuated with humour, can be seen as a contrasting counterpart to the previous work. This album also includes the undervalued Sonata for solo violin and two miniatures in Prokofiev’s characteristic style: they are filled with alacrity, humour and biting wit — an extract of life ! – Fuga Libera
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Elsa Grether & David Lively – Ravel: Complete Works for Violin and Piano (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:08:41 minutes | 1,22 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Aparté
In 1928 Maurice Ravel described the violin and the piano as “essentially incompatible.” Yet, by then, he had already composed for those instruments two sonatas (one of which was published posthumously), Tzigane, and the Berceuse sur le nom de [Gabriel] Fauré – a miraculous output for a supposedly mismatched duo.
Written for the most part in the early Twentieth Century, these works reflect Ravel’s interests and influences, including Spain, jazz, blues and foxtrot, Hebrew songs… All of these pieces show Ravel’s modesty and poetry, and his marvellous ability to bring enchantment to our world.
Here, Elsa Grether and David Lively present Ravel’s complete works for violin and piano, including two world premiere recordings: Gustave Samazeuilh’s arrangement of the Adagio assai from the Piano Concerto, and a transcription by André Asselin of the mischievous Five o’Clock Foxtrot from L’Enfant et les Sortilèges.
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