James Ehnes, violin & viola One of Canada's best, featured in this beautifully packaged CD+DVD collection!!!
This extraordinary project features performances on 12 of the greatest instruments ever made - by Antonio Stradivari, Pietro Guarneri (Peter of Mantua), Giuseppe Guarneri del Gese, Andrea Guarneri, Giuseppe Guadagnini, and Gasparo Bertolotti (Gasparo da Sale), all belonging to the unique Fulton Collection. The project was recorded in April 2007 at the Fulton Performing Arts Centre in Redmond, Washington. James Ehnes performs 21 musical selections all carefully chosen to showcase each individual instrument. Violins:
1 BAZZINI La Ronde des Lutins 4.54
2-7 FALLA Suite populaire espagnole 12.17
8 ELGAR La Capricieuse 4.13
9 SCOTT Lotus Land 5.00
10 DINICU Hora Staccato 1.59
11 RAVEL Pièce en forme de Habanera 3.06
12 WIENIAWSKI Étude-Caprice 1.32
13 SIBELIUS Mazurka 2.36
14 MOSZKOWSKI Guitarre 3.23
15 ELGAR Salut d'Amour 2.57
16 KREISLER Chanson Louis XIII and Pavane 4.38
17 TCHAIKOVSKY Melody op. 42 No. 3
18 FALLA Danse Espagnole 3.34 Violas:
19 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS “Greensleeves” 4.34
20 BENJAMIN Jamaican Rumba 1.48
21 DAVID La Nuit 4.32
Bonus comparison tracks
22-30 BRUCH Scottish Fantasy (exc - all 9 violins) 9.11
31-33 BERLIOZ Harold in Italy (exc - all 3 violas) 4.20
On the DVD, in addition to the complete performances, James considers the eternal question - Strads vs Guarneris, discusses the importance of the right Bow for each instrument, his relationship with the Fulton Collection and the preparation for the recording sessions. As well, David Fulton talks about his passion for collecting these rare instruments.
" **** (out of 4)
To say that this is one of the most amazing recordings of violin music ever made doesn't even begin to do justice to what James Ehnes has accomplished here. He tosses this collection of showpieces off so smoothly that it's easy to underestimate the feats of technique and control involved to make the music so polished. " (Toronto Star, 25 October 2008)
Juno Award Nominee 2009 - Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Performance
GRAMOPHONE DVD OF THE MONTH - March 2009
2008 Grammy and Gramophone Award Winner James Ehnes in a showcase recital for the instruments of the Fulton Collection. 12 of the world's greatest violins and violas by Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, Guadagnini, and more, some never before recorded. Recital programme includes some of the great virtuoso pieces. CD plus full-length performance DVD including special features A tribute to 12 of the world’s greatest stringed instruments and their makers. This recital programme on CD and separate DVD is selected by James Ehnes to highlight the unique quality of each violin and viola, and includes comparison tracks played on all the instruments. The DVD contains the full programme plus interviews with James Ehnes and David Fulton, the owner of this unique collection of instruments.
Wholenote Review
David Fulton has spent years assembling an astonishing collection of instruments by the great Cremonese makers, and Canadian violinist James Ehnes has selected nine violins - 6 Stradivari, 2 Guarneri 'del Gesu' and a Pietro Guarneri - and three violas for a dazzling recital programme designed to showcase the specific qualities of each instrument. Several, like the 1709 Stradivari 'La Pucelle', have never been recorded before, and one - the 1715 Stradivari 'Marsick' - has been Ehnes' concert instrument since 1999. Seven different bows from Fulton's equally superb collection of bows by Tourte and Peccatte were used in the recording, each hand-picked to complement the strengths of the particular instrument. In addition to a CD, the ONYX release includes a 100-minute DVD which features the entire 21-piece CD recital, with Ehnes describing the instrument and its qualities before each track, plus selection options and a 30-minute Extras chapter that includes the audio comparison tracks from the CD and extended commentary clips by Ehnes and Fulton. Ehnes hardly moves when he plays, but the close-up camerawork still manages to make it difficult to see exactly what he's doing at times, especially his deceptively effortless bowing. The filming of the instruments is beautiful, though, and Ehnes is in spectacular form, with the opening track, Bazzini's La Ronde des Lutins, worth the price of the set on its own. The violinist remarks in his outstanding booklet notes that "the difference in tone between instruments is often very subtle indeed", especially when it's the same player, of course, and it will take a professional ear to identify significant differences between the instruments. Still, a wonderful record of a remarkable project. Terry Robbins
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Price: $33.98