Search - Cesar Franck, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel :: Franck - Sonata for violin and piano · Debussy - Sonatas · Ravel - Introduction and Allegro / Chung · Lupu · Ellis · Melos Ensemble
Franck - Sonata For Violin And Piano: I. Allegretto Ben Moderato
Franck - Sonata For Violin And Piano: II. Allegro
Franck - Sonata For Violin And Piano: III. Recitativo - Fantasia
Franck - Sonata For Violin And Piano: IV. Allegretto poco mosso
Debussy - Sonata For Violin And Piano: I. Allegro vivo
Debussy - Sonata For Violin And Piano: II. Intermede: fantasque et leger
Debussy - Sonata For Violin And Piano: III. Finale: Tres anime
Ravel - Introduction And Allegro
Debussy - Sonata For Flute, Viola and Harp: I. Pastorale
Debussy - Sonata For Flute, Viola and Harp: II. Interlude
Debussy - Sonata For Flute, Viola and Harp: III. Finale
Radu Lupu recorded batches of Mozart and Schubert violin sonatas with the great violinist Szymon Goldberg (regrettably unavailable at present, but watch for them). This seems to be his only other recording of violin sonata... more »s with someone else. Kyung Wha Chung is a powerful virtuoso who can play all the great showpieces, but she scales down her approach to express the muted beauty of the Debussy. Of course, she gives a powerful, extroverted reading to the Franck Sonata, which demands such an approach. Lupu collaborates all the way in both expressive worlds. The additional Debussy and Ravel, from a 1962 LP, are tasty bonuses. --Leslie Gerber« less
Radu Lupu recorded batches of Mozart and Schubert violin sonatas with the great violinist Szymon Goldberg (regrettably unavailable at present, but watch for them). This seems to be his only other recording of violin sonatas with someone else. Kyung Wha Chung is a powerful virtuoso who can play all the great showpieces, but she scales down her approach to express the muted beauty of the Debussy. Of course, she gives a powerful, extroverted reading to the Franck Sonata, which demands such an approach. Lupu collaborates all the way in both expressive worlds. The additional Debussy and Ravel, from a 1962 LP, are tasty bonuses. --Leslie Gerber
"This CD unites two sets of classic performances: The Franck and Debussy Violin Sonatas by Kyung Wha Chung and Radu Lupu, dating from 1977, and two 1962 recordings by the Melos Ensemble (Ravel's Introduction and Allegro and Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp). At the time of thisreview,it is listed Kyung Wha Chung as a performer on the latter Debussy Sonata, which is not the case, though the fault probably lies with the way the disc is labelled and documented (you have to read the fine print to see exactly who is performing what). But all four of these are classic performances, with excellent sound (though analogue recordings), and there is no better buy in the catalog than this disc for chamber music lovers!"
A nice collection well played
G. Metcalf | United States | 10/03/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This group of works of French Impressionism is enjoyable from begining to end and can be highly recommended. The sound quality given its vintage is excellent. I have competing versions of the Ravel and Debussy and this version more than holds its own. The Franck is one of those works any fan of western art music should not be without. I purchased this after reading about it in the NPR guide which also recommended it highly."
Fabulous!
NotMyRealName | USA | 08/19/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Possibly my favorite classical music CD. I have listened to this more times than I could count, and I still love it."
One of the choice albums for all collections
Passionate | Stoke on Trent, UK | 09/05/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I originally bought this fabulous CD to replace my vinyl version of the Ravel Introduction & Allegro (for harp, flute, clarinet, & string quartet). I was absolutely astonished at the phenomenal performance of the Franck and Debussy Sonatas by Kyung Wha Chung and Radu Lupu.
The Ravel is a seriously underrated miniature masterpiece. It is in fact a very sensual impressionist work, very cleverly written. The overwhelming impression is almost climactic in its passion and yet so perfectly beautiful... I don't understand why it isn't more widely known. This performance with Ossian Ellis and the Melos Ensemble is indeed exceptional, perhaps it doesn't sound so fair otherwise?
César Franck's sonata was dedicated to the Belgian vioinist virtuoso Ysaÿe, who bequeathed us a handful of wonderful old recordings from the early 1900s. The sonata is innovative in its recurring themes across the movements, and has an intimate quality never really captured by the recordings I have heard from Russian violinists. Kyung Wha Chung and Radu Lupu are sublimely gifted and underrated musicians, who capture the essence with astonishing beauty and some passion, playing in perfect partnership. Both are oustanding virtuosi who deny that epithet, preferring to be more modestly remembered for the musicianly qualities of their music making. Well, that's OK with me, but I just wish their refreshingly uncynical talents were more widely appreciated. They play the Debussy Sonata excellently. The Sonata for flute, viola, and harp is lovely.
This CD should be in all music collections, each piece is 5 gold stars and the disc is a bargain at three times the price.