Thursday, October 29, 2015

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich - String Quartets (2015)

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich (20 February 1803 - † 16th October 1836)
Performer : Beethoven Quartett
Label : Musique Suisse
Release : October 2015  -  BUY IT HERE

Another very little known composer with his three string quartets recorded! Friedrich Theodor Frohlich was Swiss composer. As the year indicated, his life is very short with tragic stories. These three string quartets most probably composed in the era of Beethoven. By the year 1830s, all Beethoven string quartets had been known, so it is interesting to listen what mr. Frohlich's string quartet sound like. His biography is not even written in English wikipedia and only available in Germany.

The CD descriptions as below from official website:

Many people in the German-speaking countries know a work by Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich without ever having heard his name – he’s the composer of the song “Wem Gott will rechte Gunst erweisen” to a text by Joseph von Eichendorff, which was a hit that was included in every song book until the early 20th century. This song’s popularity surely lies in Fröhlich’s singable but by no means simple melody. No other work by this Swiss composer has achieved any similar degree of popularity, and in fact most of his works have not even been published to this day. During his academic years, Fröhlich spent four years in Berlin, and his experiences in the highly lively music scene of the big city made this a formative time for him. He was given composition lessons by no less a figure than Carl Friedrich Zelter, the director of many years standing of the Sing-Akademie, the founder of the Berlin Liedertafel (literally “song table”, a German term for a choral society) and the teacher of Felix Mendelssohn. Also just like Mendelssohn, Fröhlich took piano lessons from Ludwig Berger, at the time the most famous piano teacher in Berlin. Berger, like Zelter, was an advocate of folk song and of choral singing. He founded the “Jüngere Liedertafel” (the “younger Liedtafel”), a male choral society so named to differentiate itself from Zelter’s choir. Fröhlich, too, sang in Berger’s choir. In 1830 Fröhlich returned to Switzerland in the hope that he might build up a career for himself there. His brother, Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich, procured a job for him at the Cantonal High School in Aarau, though this did not suffice to cover all his living costs. He also conducted amateur orchestras and the Singing Institute in Aarau, though Fröhlich felt constricted in his activities: “From seven on a morning to six, often even seven in the evening”, he said, he existed “under the yoke of a miserable career”. Nevertheless, Fröhlich succeeded in composing in his spare time. While working in Aarau in the 1830s he wrote a concert overture, chamber music, piano pieces and part-songs. The last of his four string quartets, in C minor, was also composed in these years. Despite his numerous commitments, Fröhlich still had financial difficulties. Besides problems in his private life he also seems to have suffered from depression and from a lack of recognition for his works. He was not able to withstand the pressure these worries exerted on him, and in October 1836, at the age of 33, he jumped into the River Aare and drowned.

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich - Streichquartette / String Quartets :
Buy it HERE - Amazon

01. String Quartet in G Minor I. Andante con variazioni 10:07
02. String Quartet in G Minor: II. Scherzo - molto animato 02:33
03. String Quartet in G Minor: III. Largo cantabile 08:09
04. String Quartet in G Minor IV. Finale: Allegro molto 05:33
05. String Quartet in E Major: I. Allegretto ma non troppo 03:43
06. String Quartet in E Major: II. Scherzo, molto animoso 05:42
07. String Quartet in E Major: III. Adagio, con molto espressione 06:41
08. String Quartet in E Major: IV. Finale: Allegro agitato 05:37
09. String Quartet in C Minor: I. Allegro agitato 06:03
10. String Quartet in C Minor: II. Andante 04:39
11. String Quartet in C Minor : III. Scherzo: Presto-Trio 05:51
12. String Quartet in C Minor: IV. Finale: Adagio-Allegro 06:54

Beethoven Quartett:
Matyas Bartha und Laurentius Bonitz, Violin / Violinen;
Vahagn Aristakesyan, Viola;
Carlos Conrad, Violoncello.


Thursday, October 22, 2015

Giuseppe Cambini 6 Flute Quartets - Quartetto Due Piu Due (2015)

Giuseppe Maria Cambini 
Six Flute Quartets
Performer Quartetto Due Piu Due
Release: September 2015

Giuseppe Maria Cambini, as I swim into the ocean of Classical Era Period string quartet, I found Cambini as one of the most mysterious composer in the genre. His life and death is rather obscured. The Wikipedia page listed as "Livorno, 13 February? 1746–Netherlands? 1810s? or Paris? 1825?". So, he probably death poorly that his death didn't even got recorded well. He composed over 700 works, with about 125 rumoured as string quartets and 100 as string quintets. His string quartet as recorded already in double CD by Quartetto Le Ricordanze.

In September 2014, Brilliant Classics finally put Cambini's works into recording room. Cambini's six flute quartets instead was selected. They are from Opus 24 set. All quartets in two movements but lasted quite long where the first movement all run over eight minutes. A good news for flute chamber music lover. A great sample music of Cambini in the genre. Here the CD notes:

Giuseppe Maria Cambini was probably active in Naples in the mid-1760s, but nothing certain is known of him until his move to Paris in the early 1770s, where his Op.1, a set of string quartets, was published shortly afterwards. Within the next 35 years upwards of 600 instrumental works had appeared under his name – enough to stretch even the famous Brilliant catalogue of ‘complete’ composer boxes… But Cambini’s wellcrafted melodies and good-humoured charm are well worthy of investigation, and from this set of quartets with flute, it is easy to see why his music was so popular: he was the galant Parisian composer par excellence. His life was even more anonymous than his music, and his death still more so; he may have died in Paris in 1825, or perhaps a decade earlier in the Netherlands.

The structure of these quartets is generally in no more than two movements, often both quick and in the same key. The themes are easy on the ear, with a natural, simple, unsurprising language and characterized by part-writing of unfailing sympathy. There is a strong stylistic elegance, touching inspiration and pre-Romantic feeling with hints of proto-Schubertian inspiration. In these historically informed performances, Stefano Parrino plays on a modern Yamaha copy of a Classical-model wooden flute. He is himself a graduate of the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied with Patrick Gallois.

Giuseppe Cambini was born in Naples, but settled early in his life in Paris, where he became a well known musician, teacher and composer of an astonishing quantity of works, mainly of instrumental chamber music.

His flute quartets are delightful works, light, sprightly, charming, full of good tunes and interesting instrumental flourishes. A true composer of the Galant Style, in Parisian spirit.

Played by a young and enthousiastic Italian ensemble DuePiùDue, playing original instruments, obviously enjoying these highly entertaining works.


Giuseppe Cambini 6 Flute Quartets - Quartetto DuePiuDue (2015)
BUY IT HERE-AMAZON

DISC 1
Flute Quartet No. 1 in D Major T.145      
      I. Allegro con spirit 8:36      
      II. Rondo. Allegretto 4:05  
 
Flute Quartet No. 2 in G Major   T.146    
      I. Allegro grazioso 5:53      
      II. Rondo. Allegretto 4:39

Flute Quartet No. 3 in A Minor   T.147  
      I. Allegro affettuoso 9:18      
      II. Presto 7:46      

DISC 2
Flute Quartet No. 4 in C Major T.148
      I. Allegro brillante 8:08      
      II. Tempo di minuetto: Grazioso 5:47  
   
Flute Quartet No. 5 in G Major T.149    
      I. Allegro espressivo 8:55      
      II. Andante. Arioso con variation 7:26      

Flute Quartet No. 6 in A Major T.150    
      I. Allegro con grazia e moderato 9:05      
      II. Presto 5:33  

Quartetto DuePieDue
Stefano Parrino - flute Yamaha 874W (wooden)
Francesco Parrino - violin Giuseppe & Antonio Gagliano , Naples circa 1790-1805
Claudio Andriani - viola Arnaldo Morano , Turin 1962
Alessandro Andriani - cello Franco Simeoni, Treviso 2002



Thursday, October 15, 2015

List of Student Flutes and Comparison

List of Student Flute and Comparison

 This is a list of most popular flutes that design to meet beginner in learning the instruments. I gathered this information when I want to buy a student flute.


Yamaha YFL-221
Price: USD 460      Buy it HERE
Country : Japan

Specifications :
Level
Standard
Key of
C
Body Style
Type-1
Body Material
Nickel Silver
Headjoint
CY cut; Nickel Silver
Key Material
Nickel Silver
Footjoint
C
Plating
Silver
Tone Holes
Drawn
Key System
Offset G
Key Types
Plateau
Key Mechanism
N/A
Spring Type
Stainless Steel
Screw Type
Straight; Headed Pivot
Bumper Type
Neoprene

This is look like the most popular student flute that available in almost every country and store. The headjoint can be replaced to meet intermediate level as being said. It doesn't have split E mechanis, but his "older" brother , YFL 211 have it.




Jupiter JFL-511S and JFL-507S
Price: USD 350+       Buy it HERE  
Country : Taiwan

Specifications:
Key in C
Reinforced Keys
Top Adjustment Screws
Ribbed Construction
ABS Molded Case
Silver-Plated
Offset G
Plateau

Jupiter flute is a very close competitor to Yamaha with lower price.

Azumi AZ2000 series
Price: USD 1400+   Buy it HERE
Country : Japan

Specifications:
Key in C
Open (French)
Altus-Bennett scale
wide-rib construction
sturdy key mechanism
gizmo key
Altus Z-cut headjoint in .958 Britannia silver
B foot
choice of in-line G or off-set G
Y tone arms

This looks like a slight upgrade to conservatory level flute, with open holes and other features. Azumi is child company of Altus, created by

Gemeinhardt 2SP Student Flute
Price: USD 470+    Buy it HERE
Country : USA

Specifications:
Key in C
J1
C Foot
Offset
Plateau


Pearl Flute PF500
Price: USD 490+    Buy it HERE
Country : Japan

Specifications:
Key in C
Silver Plated
Quantz
C Foot joint
Offset G (No Split E)
Plateau
Exclusive pinless mechanism


Trevor James TJ10X
Price: USD 350+   Buy it HERE
Country : Taiwan

Specifications:
    TJ10x Mk IV Series
    Silver-plated headjoint, body and mechanism
    Closed holes
    C footjoint
    Offset G key
    Split E mechanism


Armstrong Student Flute Model 102
Price: USD 720+   Buy it HERE
Country : USA

Specifications:
Silver plated headjoint and body
top-adjusting silver plated mechanism
closed hole Y-arm keys
offset G
C foot
molded plastic case.

Armstrong flutes is part of Conn-Selmer group.


There are still many other manufacturers but, from my research, they are producing intermediate flute. They are Muramatsu, Altus, Sankyo all the way to Brannen Brothers.