All That Music! Classical

Radio String Quartet Vienna - Celebrating the Mahavishnu Orchestra (2007)

2011-07-09T06:36:00.006+03:00

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Classical/Jazz

Release Date: 2007

Label: ACT Company

By John Kelman - All About Jazz

A string quartet paying tribute to the high energy, high velocity Mahavishnu Orchestra of the early 1970s? An oxymoronic concept perhaps, but Veinnese radio.string.quartet's Celebrating The Mahavishnu Orchestra not only honors the spirit of the group, but proves that Mahavishnu Orchestra founder/guitar icon John McLaughlin's writing can provide plenty of grist for unexpected and challenging interpretations.

Classical string quartets tackling a jazz repertoire is nothing new—Kronos Quartet, for example, has released two albums of music by Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk—but radio.string.quartet's take is considerably more successful than most. The quartet not only captures Mahavishnu Orchestra's dynamics, complexity and sometimes reckless fury, but its improvisational aspect as well. This is no polite string quartet; it's as much a take-no-prisoners ensemble as the group it references.

Relegated to historical relevance for too long, McLaughlin's music has only recently been recognized for its repertory potential. Drummer Gregg Bendian's The Mahavishnu Project has been expanding the music for five years, most recently on the outstanding Return to the Emerald Beyond (Cuneiform, 2007), while keyboardist/drummer Gary Husband's A Meeting of Spirits (Alternity, 2006) turns McLaughlin's music into more unfettered, often abstract, solo piano outings.

Celebrating The Mahavishnu Orchestra, while by no means literal, leans towards The Mahavishnu Project's more reverential approach. The album's fourteen tracks—culled largely from Inner Mounting Flame Columbia, 1971) and Birds of Fire (Columbia, 1972)—may be recognizable, but violinist Bernie Mallinger and Klemens Bittman take considerably liberty with arrangement, rhythm and improvisational opportunity.

Originally an all-acoustic rubato tone poem, a gentle pizzicato violin pulse rests underneath the resonant long tones of violin, viola and cello, giving "A Lotus on Irish Stream unexpected forward motion. The equally acoustic ambience of "Thousand Island Park loses its defined rhythm here, however, with cellist Asja Valcic's primary voice turning it inside out.

But it's the electric Mahavishnu Orchestra tracks that are the real revelation. Gone is the defining guitar arpeggio of The Inner Mounting Flame's first salvo, "Meeting of the Spirits, replaced instead by an atmospheric swarm of strings over the cello's two-note motif. When the quartet moves more fervently into the song's defining contrapuntal theme, the arpeggio is hinted at but never clearly articulated. There's no need for the drum intro to the 9/8 "Vital Transformation ; the aggressive attack of the strings provides all the power that's needed.

While there's stronger arrangement here than with the original more jam-centric Mahavishnu Orchestra; everyone gets ample opportunity to demonstrate their improvisational acumen. The ethereal middle section of "The Dance of Maya may have little to do with the earthier original, but the irregularly metered boogie that finally coalesces with an opposing theme remains intact.

Celebrating The Mahavishnu Orchestra is the perfect mix of respect and irreverence that music this bold deserves. The reference points are clear, but radio.string.quartet has taken McLaughlin's writing and the spirit of The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and turned them into a superb and deeply personal musical statement.

Track listing: Open Country Joy; A Lotus on Irish Stream; Vital Transformation; The Dance of Maya; Dawn; Dream; Thousand Island Park; Meeting of the Spirits; Celestial Terrestrial Commuters; Hope; Birds of Fire; You Know, You Know; Sanctuary; Resolution.

Rostal and Schaefer and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - The Beatles Concerto 1979

2011-03-20T10:05:00.004+02:00

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Classical, Pop

Release Date: 1979

Label: Parlophone / EMI

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - The Alternative Classical Chillout Album (2003)

2011-02-19T20:51:00.005+02:00

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: classic, chillout, instrumental

Release Date: 2003

Label: N2k

Recorded fresh in 2002, this album brings together 15 of The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's stunning classical interpretations of modern masterpieces. Songs which themselves have a classical leaning through either structure or sound, captured together on a record with the full orchestral reading. This is a truly thrilling album and the real alternative classical chill out album.

Hugues de Courson und Ahmed al Maghreby - Mozart in Egypt 1997

2011-01-09T09:37:00.001+02:00

Format: ape + cue + log

Year Of Release: 1997

Genre: classic, еthno, arabic

Label: Virgin Classics

The album features Mozart compositions interpolated by Egyptian instruments and singers as well as tracks of Mozart's music recorded in the traditional Western manner but with overlaid tracks of Egyptian percussion and instrumental music that matches the tempo, rhythms and key context of the Mozart original.

Mozart in Egypt, devised by Hughes de Courson, was at its release in 1997, considered in the musical spheres world-wide as a true musical phenomenon and acted as meteorite. Indeed the musical encounter which brought together Mozart and Egypt together was unexpected and explosive! The much awaited Mozart in Egypt 2 features more than 200 musicians & singers, bringing together peoples from Europe and the Middle-East.

There are problems, of course, in trying to marry Mozart and Egypt. Western music takes pride in the vertical arts of harmony and counterpoint. Arabic music is linear, one event following another. The result then is what the producers describe as a "crazy diagonal." And yet it works. Mozart sounds just fine on the oud [ancestor of the lute], and its way of decorating a melodic line is not at all dissimilar to the Western approach. Best of all is hearing the piano and oud together, when one player takes the melodic line, the other harmony.

1. Ikhtitaf fi Assaraya (Die Entfurung aus dem Serail)
Performer: Jim Cuomo (Clarinet), Ragab Sadek (Daf), Nabil Diab (Darabukka),
Ibrahim Shahin (), Mohammed Mostafa (Rebab), Mustafa Abd Al'-Aziz (),
Nasredine Dalil (Flute), Hassan el Meghannawaty (Voice)
Conductor: Milen Natchev
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Notes: On this selection Mustafa Abd Al'Aziz plays arghul; and Ibrahim Shahin plays kawal.
Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)

2. Double Quartet in F
Performer: Ibrahim Shahin (), Mohammed Mostafa (Rebab), Dimiter Stankov (Viola),
Ivan Peev (Violin), Elka Zacharieva (Cello), Mustafa Abd Al'-Aziz (),
Nabil Diab (Darabukka), Ragab Sadek (Daf), Jim Cuomo (Clarinet)
Notes: On this selection Mustafa Abd Al'Aziz plays arghul, and Ibrahim Shahin plays kawal.
Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)

3. Lamma bada yatathenna (Symphony no 40)
Performer: Mohammed Fouda (Ney), Ashraf Essam (Rik), Mostafa Abdel Naby (Violin),
Abdou Dagher (Violin), Prof. Maged Serour (Qanoun), Mamdouh El Gebaly (Oud),
Safwat Sourour (Darabukka), Rabah Dalil (Darabukka)
Conductor: Milen Natchev
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Language: Arabic
Notes: Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)
This work was written in collaboration with Nasredine Dalil.

4. Mahdiyat
Performer: Samira Donya (Voice), Alain Aubin (Voice)
Notes: Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)
This selection is sung in Egyptian and German.

5. Concerto for Oud & Piano no 23
Performer: Mario Angelov (Piano), Henri Agnel (Oud)
Conductor: Milen Natchev
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Notes: On this selection Mustafa Abd Al'Aziz plays arghul; and Ibrahim Shahin plays kawal.
Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)

6. Hamilu lhawa tahibou
Performer: Prof. Maged Serour (Qanoun), Mamdouh El Gebaly (Oud), Abdou Dagher (Violin),
Mostafa Abdel Naby (Violin), Mohammed Fouda (Ney), Safwat Sourour (Darabukka),
Nasredine Dalil (Voice), Ashraf Essam (Rik), Alain Aubin (Voice)
Conductor: Milen Natchev
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Notes: Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)
This selection is sung in Arabic and German.

7. Yaman hawa
Performer: Mamdouh El Gebaly (Oud), Abdou Dagher (Violin), Mostafa Abdel Naby (Violin),
Mohammed Fouda (Ney), Safwat Sourour (Darabukka), Rabah Dalil (Darabukka),
Ashraf Essam (Rik), Prof. Maged Serour (Qanoun)
Conductor: Milen Natchev
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Language: Arabic
Notes: Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)

8. Mawwall by Traditional
Performer: Ragab Sadek (Daf), Nabil Diab (Darabukka), Mohammed Mostafa (Rebab),
Mustafa Abd Al'-Aziz (), Reda Shiha (Voice), Ibrahim Shahin ()
Written: Egypt
Language: Egyptian
Notes: On this selection Mustafa Abd Al'Aziz plays arghul, and Ibrahim Shahin plays kawal.
Arrangers: Hughes De Courson; Nasredine Dalil.
Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)

9. Double Quartet in E Flat, K. 374
Performer: Mustafa Abd Al'-Aziz (), Mohammed Mostafa (Rebab), Nabil Diab (Darabukka),
Ibrahim Shahin (), Ragab Sadek (Daf), Jim Cuomo (Clarinet),
Ivan Peev (Violin), Elka Zacharieva (Cello), Dimiter Stankov (Viola)
Notes: On this selection Mustafa Abd Al'Aziz plays arghul, and Ibrahim Shahin plays kawal.
Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)

10. Ouzat al Kahira "L'Oca del Cairo"
Performer: Alain Aubin (Voice)
Conductor: Milen Natchev
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Language: Italian
Notes: Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)

11. Egyptian Symphony no 25 in G minor
Performer: Rabah Dalil (Darabukka), Mohammed Mostafa (Rebab), Mustafa Abd Al'-Aziz (),
Ragab Sadek (Daf), Rabah Dalil (Rik), Nabil Diab (Darabukka),
Ibrahim Shahin ()
Conductor: Milen Natchev
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Notes: On this selection Mustafa Abd Al'Aziz plays arghul, and Ibrahim Shahin plays kawal.
Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)

12. Dhikr/Requiem/Golgotha
Performer: Sheikh Mohamed Al Helbawy (Voice)
Conductor: Milen Natchev
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Notes: On this selection Mustafa Abd Al'Aziz plays arghul, and Ibrahim Shahin plays kawal.
Cairo, Egypt (1997); Bulgarian Radio Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria (1997)
This selection is sung in Arabic, Bulgarian, Coptic, Greek and Latin.

Credits:
Choir - Radio Sofia Sinfonic Orchestra
Orchestra - Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra , Radio Sofia Sinfonic Orchestra

Bobby McFerrin & Chick Corea - The Mozart Sessions (1996)

2010-06-06T13:43:00.003+03:00

Genre: Classical, Jazz
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 1996
Label: Sony

Review by William Ruhlmann (allmusic.com)

The informal title says a great deal about the contents of The Mozart Sessions, which could have been called Concerti for Piano and Orchestra, Nos. 23 and 20, since that is, for the most part, what it is. But of course the conductors, vocalist Bobby McFerrin and jazz keyboard player Chick Corea, are not your average classical musicians. Nor is there any doubt about the non-traditional
nature of the recording, when it starts with McFerrin's patented improvisational vocals followed
by Corea's piano inventions under the title "Prelude." So, for a start, purists should be warned away. On the other hand, the more adventurous may be slightly disappointed, since after they get the preliminaries out of the way, McFerrin and Corea, aided and abetted by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, turn in pleasant but unexceptional readings of the concerti, with Corea especially eschewing any attempt at dazzle in what are usually showcase pieces. The piano work is fluid and the orchestral accompaniment delicate, but the principals seem sufficiently concerned about getting anything wrong not to really take off. At the end, as Corea once again improvises in tandem with McFerrin's voice, one longs for more of their interaction, perhaps in a less restrictive context.

1. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 23 In A Major K 488-1-Prelude-Allegro
2. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 23 In A Major K 488-2-Adagio
3. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 23 In A Major K 488-3-Allegro Assai
4. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 2 In D Minor K 466-1-Prelude-Allegro
5. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 2 In D Minor K 466-2-Romance
6. Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 2 In D Minor K 466-3-Rondo (Allegro Assai)
7. Song For Amadeus-Improvisation On Sonata No 2 In F Major K 28-189E-2 Adagio

1. Concerto for Piano no 23 in A major, K 488 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Chick Corea (Piano)
Conductor: Bobby McFerrin
Orchestra/Ensemble: St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Written: 1786

Date of Recording: 1996
Length: 29 Minutes 36 Secs.

Notes: This selection begins with an improvisation entitled "Prelude" (Bobby McFerrin, vocals; Chick Corea, piano).

2. Concerto for Piano no 20 in D minor, K 466 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Chick Corea (Piano)
Conductor: Bobby McFerrin
Orchestra/Ensemble: St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Written: 1785

Date of Recording: 1996
Length: 34 Minutes 0 Secs.

Notes: This selection begins with an improvisation entitled "Prelude" (BobbyMcFerrin, vocals; Chick Corea, piano).

3. Song for Amadeus by Chick Corea
Performer: Bobby McFerrin (Voice), Chick Corea (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: USA

Date of Recording: 1996
Length: 2 Minutes 29 Secs.

Notes: This work is an improvisation on the Adagio (2nd) movement of W. A. Mozart's "Sonata for Piano no. 2 in F Major, K. 280 (189e)".

Patrick Rondat & Herve N'Kaoua - Patrick Rondat & Herve N'Kaoua 2008

2010-04-24T04:19:00.003+03:00

Genre: Classic, Neo-classical Metal
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 2008
Label: XIII Bis Records

01. Mozart : Les Noces de Figaro, K492 : Ouverture

02. Vivaldi : Concerto N°4 en Fa Mineur, Rv297 'L'Hiver' : Allegro Non Molto

03. Vivaldi : Concerto N°4 en Fa Mineur, Rv297 'L'Hiver' : Largo

04. Vivaldi : Concerto N°4 en Fa Mineur, Rv297 'L'Hiver' : Allegro

05. Beethoven : Sonate N°3 en Mi Bemol Majeur, Opus 12 N°3 : Allegro Con Spirito

06. Beethoven : Sonate N°4 en La Mineur, Opus 23 : Allegro Molto

07. Beethoven : Sonate N°1 en Re Majeur, Opus 12 N°1 : Allegro Con Brio

08. Beethoven : Sonate N°2 en La Majeur, Opus 12 N°2 : Andante Piu Tosto Allegretto

09. Beethoven : Sonate N°7 en Do Mineur, Opus 30 N°2 : Finale

10. Vivaldi : Concerto N°2 en Sol Mineur, Rv315 'L'Ete' : Presto

11. Kreisler : Prelude et Allegro dans le style de Pugnani

12. Faure : Sonate en La Majeur, Opus 13 : Allegro Vivo

When the metal and classical music together ... Known for having already released five albums and a live instrumental, Patrick Rondat is a guitarist of many talents. He has never hidden his passion for classical music. In making the acquaintance of musician Herve N'Kaoua this project to unite electric guitar and acoustic piano for performances of classical themes has finally taken shape. An accomplished pianist, first prize at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris, Herve N'Kaoua been developing for several years an international career as soloist and recitalist. It is with this partner has an impressive resume that Rondat has carefully selected the works that make up this disc. Drawn from the directories of Beethoven, Faure (sonatas), Kreisler (Prelude and Allegro), Vivaldi (Winter of the 4 seasons), Mozart (the opening of The Marriage of Figaro), these pieces originally written for piano and violin, have was recorded live and in duet. An exercise and a novel approach that shatter the boundaries that some had been put up between two musical worlds, a priori, if different.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Hits Of Phil Collins (1990)

2010-04-06T21:42:00.004+03:00

Genre: Classical, Easy Listening
Format: FLAC + cue + log
Released: 1990
Label: Edel

01. In the Air Tonight

02. A Groovy Kind of Love

03. Easy Lover

04. Do You Remember?

05. I Wish It Would Rain Down

06. Against All Odds

07. Another Day in Paradise

08. Two Hearts

09. One More Night

10. Take Me Home

Ten of Collins' soft-rock hits (including "In the Air Tonight," "One More Night," and the cover of "Groovy Kind of Love") are given a smooth, friendly easy-listening treatment on this disc; the only drawback are the oppressive synthesized drums, which give the entire recording a mechanical feel.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Terry Bozzio - Chamber Works 2005

2010-01-19T21:50:00.004+02:00

Genre:Classical/Symphonic/Instrumental/Rock
Format: Flac + cue + log
Released: 2005
Label: par

01. Temenos

02. Hypnotic

03. Untitled

04. Moguli

05. IBO

06. Opus 1 (Self Portrait With Scar)

Terry Bozzio's new Favored Nations CD, Chamber Works, recorded with Holland's classical Metropole Orkest, might seem unexpected to those only familiar with the drummer's greatest "hits." That's because Bozzio - one of the foremost rock and jazz/fusion drumming virtuosos over the past 30 years - has developed such a reputation by being a scene-stealing legend with guitar gods Frank Zappa and Jeff Beck, plus supergroups the Brecker Brothers, UK and chart topping Missing Persons.
On Chamber Works, Bozzio plays through five lengthy movements and a closing opus with every bit as much speed, flair and ambidexterity as he did with any of his preceding ensembles. The opening "Temenos" features his drum and cymbal accents in unison with serpentining lines by the strings and wind instruments.
Bozzio's unaccompanied intro to the 10-minute "Hypnotic" features flurries on his tom-toms - tuned to give him 2 1/3 octaves of a diatonic scale - and stacks of bell and china cymbals that the drummer actually plays melodies on.
"Untitled" more than lives up to its name. Another of Bozzio's classical-meets-tribal intros leads to Oriental-influenced interplay between the strings, horns, and flute. The drummer again blurs the divide between drum kit and percussion as he solos midway over an extended orchestral vamp, dizzyingly using meticulously-tuned drums and cymbals as only he can.
Those cymbals get another hummingbird-like workout on "Moguli." The tempo is a slow 7/8 time, with varying accents by the Metropole's percussion section that leave small holes for Bozzio to work his magic within. The strings and horns build through an epic eight minutes, conjuring up
Middle Eastern imagery.
On "IBO," Bozzio duets with himself during an extended intro, often answering his tom-tom flights with mind-boggling foot patterns on his bass drums. He then creates a tribal feel that
echoes legends from Gene Krupa to Elvin Jones, as the Metropole expertly accompanies melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically. The unpredictable result is akin to a John Williams movie theme re-arranged by Zappa.
Bozzio's "Opus One: Self Portrait With Scar" makes a profound closing statement. Echoes of Igor
Stravinsky, Zappa's Orchestral Favorites album, and even John Cage enter the fray as the
Metropole expertly blends classical traditions within Bozzio's forward-thinking transitions.
Orchestral bells, dramatic horns, and Bozzio's unorthodox drum set bring the 13-minute marathon, and Chamber Works, to a close.
Chamber Works is hardly the ever-searching Bozzio's first go-round with an unusual drum set -
or the first unusual musical situation, for that matter. His kit with UK circa 1979 was almost
exclusively made up of Remo roto-toms, drums that could be tuned by tightening or loosening the surrounding floating rims. In the early-to-mid 1980s with Missing Persons, Bozzio designed an electronic kit that resembled a black desk, with what looked like coat-hangers for cymbals.

Ravel-Debussy - Bolero-La Valse-Rapsodie Espagnole-Images-Much (2005) {SASD RCA 66374}

2009-12-20T08:41:00.003+02:00

Genre: Classical
Format: Flac + cue + log
Released: 2005
Label: BMG {SASD RCA 66374}

01. Bolero by Maurice Ravel
Conductor: Charles Munch
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1928; France
Venue: Live Symphony Hall, Boston

02. La valse by Maurice Ravel
Conductor: Charles Munch
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1920; France
Venue: Live Symphony Hall, Boston

03. Rapsodie espagnole by Maurice Ravel
Conductor: Charles Munch
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1907-1908; France
Venue: Live Symphony Hall, Boston

04.Images for Orchestra by Claude Debussy
Conductor: Charles Munch
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1905-1912; France

Review David Hurwitz (ClassicsToday.com)

These two and three-channel SACD reissues sound splendid, and Munch's performances are justly famous. He redid Bolйro and La valse in the early 1960s, performances that I marginally prefer thanks to their slightly greater brilliance, and the concluding Feria of the Rapsodie hasn't quite the glitter that others such as Abbado or Reiner on this same label have brought to it; but by any standard these are extremely fine interpretations--fiery and exciting as we have come to expect from Munch. The Debussy Images is even better, engagingly atmospheric and full of fine playing. Munch could ride a bit rough over Debussy's delicately judged textures (as in his La Mer), but not here. Iberia in particular has a visceral quality that few other performances match, while Rondes de printemps is truly joyous. If you somehow missed these performances over the past half-century or so, now's your chance to get caught up.

Bach - Violin Concertos & Double Concertos 1992 St.Petersburg Soloists - M.Gantvarg [SBM GoldAPC 101.021]

2009-10-27T07:11:00.006+02:00

Genre: Classical
Format: Flac + cue + log
Released: 1992
Label: DDD [SBM GoldAPC 101.021]

01. Violin & Orchestra in A minor - Allegro moderato

02. Violin & Orchestra in A minor - Andante

03. Violin & Orchestra in A minor - Allegro assai

04.Violin & Orchestra in E major - Allegro

05. Violin & Orchestra in E major - Adagio

06. Violin & Orchestra in E major - Allegro assai

07. Concerto for 2 violins & Orchestra in D minor - Vivace

08. Concerto for 2 violins & Orchestra in D minor - Largo ma non tanto

09. Concerto for 2 violins & Orchestra in D minor - Allegro

10. Concerto for Violin, Oboe and Orchestra i D minor - Allegro

11. Concerto for Violin, Oboe and Orchestra i D minor - Adagio

12. Concerto for Violin, Oboe and Orchestra i D minor - Allegro

Произведения Иогана Себастьяна Баха в исполнении Камерного ансамбля "Солисты Санкт Петербурга" под руководством Заслуженного артиста России Михаила Гантварга.

"Шедевр композиторского мастерства, шедевр исполнительского мастерства, шедевр записи и изготовления диска!!!" Нашел на просторах NetLaba этот диск и решил поделиться с любителями классики!
Михаил Гантварг - один из выдающихся музыкантов современности, продолжатель традиций знаменитой петербургской скрипичной школы. Его имя хорошо известно ценителям истинного, высокого классического искусства в нашей стране и за рубежом.
Выпускник Ленинградской Консерватории, Гантварг в 1972 году окончил аспирантуру и работал концертмейстером симфонического оркестра Ленинградской филармонии. С 1987 года Гантварг работает как солист-инструменталист и художественный руководитель Камерного ансамбля "Солисты Санкт-Петербурга".
В 1967 году Гантварг принимает участие в международном конкурсе имени Н.Паганини в Италии и завоевывает Золотую медаль на этом престижном соревнование. С этого момента начинается интенсивная гастрольная жизнь артиста. Он выступает в США, Германии, Италии, Венгрии, Чехословакии и других странах. Многоплановые и высокопрофессиональные программы Гантварга, виртуозность исполнения, неординарность трактовок различных музыкальных форм были высоко оценены зрителями, музыкальными критиками. В 1991 году музыканту было присвоено почетное звание "Заслуженный артист России".
В 1987 году Михаил Гантварг создает уникальный струнный коллектив - Камерный ансамбль "Солисты Санкт-Петербурга". Много сил отдает он отбору репертуара, тщательной проработке каждого произведения, сохранению принципов петербургской скрипичной школы. Каждая программа коллектива становится маленьким шедевром исполнительского искусства. Мировая классика XVII-XX вв. и произведения А.Шнитке, Д.Шостаковича, С.Прокофьева - таков диапазон широко известного теперь ансамбля. Маэстро смело идет на творческие эксперименты и поиски новых форм. Ярким выражением
этого стали исполненные совместно с хором "Россика" масштабные полотна Перголези, Баха, Моцарта, где Гантварг проявил себя и как талантливый дирижер.
Как солист, он выступает в крупнейших залах Санкт-Петербурга - в Большом и Малом залах филармонии, Академической Капелле, Смольном Соборе, Дворце Белосельских-Белозерских, в Залах Дворцов Петергофа, Пушкина, Павловска; в Москве - в Большом зале Консерватории. Он ыезжает на гастроли по городам Дальнего Востока, Золотого кольца, дает концерты в Казахстане, Азербайджане, на Украине, в Эстонии. С огромным успехом выступает в США, Испании, Германии, Франции, Италии, Югославии, Финляндии, Швеции, Люксембурге и др.
Им записано около 40 СD в сотрудничестве с российскими и зарубежными фирмами. В них собраны все скрипичные и фортепианные концерты Моцарта, инструментальные циклы Вивальди "Гармоническое вдохновение", "Причуды", "Времена года", концерты для скрипки с оркестром Шостаковича, Сибелиуса, Гайдна, Баха.
Гантварг принимает участие в международных фестивалях на Канарских островах, "Богензее" в Германии, в Днях России в Сан Диего (США), в Турку (Финляндия), Эребру (Швеция), Эйстерайх (Люксембург) и т.д. М.Гантварг был специально приглашен для участия в открытии современного большого концертного зала в Сарагосе (Испания); участвовал в открытии концертного зала Мюнхенской филармонии.