| Review by JJ July 1, 2008 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S/MC): / |
Without a doubt, here is one of the most beautiful tributes paid to Russian composer Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998) on the tenth anniversary of his death. His works “often seem like a progressive defrosting in which the listener seesaws between two worlds,” states Benoît Duteurtre in his remarkable work “Requiem for an avant-garde.” Schnittke evolved more and more towards a freer style which relied on many styles, from the neo-Baroque shimmer of the Concerti Grossi to the unadorned tension of the Trio. […] His many works can be considered a continuation of Shostakovich’s, even Berg’s, because of its mix of expressivity and tone research, done with genial ease.” This recording includes the “Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello”, dating from 1982, “Madrigal” from 1990, which is a work for cello alone in memory of Oleg Kagan, and the “Sonata for Piano N°1” from 1987. Discovered at the 2008 Midem, the young Janice Trio, made up of Helena Jirikovska on the violin, Market Novak on the cello and Marketa Janackova on the piano, offers delicacy, clarity and depth. Schnettke’s music has rarely been embossed with the seal of such authenticity. And its modernity becomes all the more ardent, based on nuanced tones in the extreme. The remarkably just-right emphasis on certain notes extends to just the right breath in phrasing, all of which flowers into admirable playing. This Super Audio CD, a pure DSD recording of astonishing presence, most notably in the piano sonata, will for many be an essential discovery.
Jean-Jacques Millo
Translation Lawrence Schulman
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