Smile. Anne Akiko Meyers, violin; Akira Eguchi, piano. (KOCH International Classics 7762)

MULTIPLE PRIZE-WINNER ANNE AKIKO MYERS is a splendid violinist. Her technique is brilliant and effortless. Her tone is pure and sonorous on every string and in every register. Its only flaw is an unchangingly wide vibrato. This recording—featuring diverse works by Charles Chaplin, Arvo Pärt, Astor Piazzolla, Olivier Messiaen, Franz Schubert, Michio Miyagi, Rentaro Taki, and Harold Arlen—showcases her violinistic strengths and stylistic versatility in a varied but somewhat odd program. It contains only one structurally and musically substantial work, Schubert’s great C major Fantasy, and incongruously surrounds it with a musical travelogue of short, predominantly slow pieces from many Eastern and Western lands, including Oz.

The journey begins and ends in Hollywood, opening with an adaptation by Claus Ogerman of the title piece, Chaplin’s “Smile”—slow and lush with a typical soundtrack accompaniment—and closing with Arlen’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” replete with slides and fermatas. Pärt’s “Mirror in Mirror” is slow, discursive and repetitious, with a recurrent figure in the piano. Of two Piazzolla numbers one is slow, the other a vigorous tango. In its first American recording, Messiaen’s “Fantasie” features stratospheric violin writing, strong dynamic contrasts, runs, and arpeggios. Miyagi’s “Sea in Spring” is full of Asian harmonies and colorful sound effects. Taki’s “Moonlight over the Ruined Castle” goes from slow and mournful with very long sustained notes to fast and turbulent.

The Schubert Fantasy poses special problems for performers because it blends intimate chamber music with unabashed virtuosity. Meyers concentrates on the latter; ignoring Schubert’s flexible, poetic phrasing, magical harmonies, and mercurial mood changes, she turns it into a bravura piece. Pianist Akira Eguchi comes into his own here, playing his formidably difficult part with sensitivity and unobtrusive brilliance. Unfortunately, the recorded balance is against him: the piano sounds faint and distant, the bass is often totally inaudible.

This disc will appeal to lovers of fine fiddling more than to lovers of Schubert.

Joseph Haydn: Complete Piano Trios. Haydn Trio Eisenstadt: Harald Kosik, piano; Verena Stourzh, violin; Hannes Gradwohl, cello. (Phoenix Music and Media, Vienna)

The year 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), a composer who occupies a special place in music history. Affectionately nicknamed “Papa Haydn,” he was revered by his contemporaries, notably Mozart, but his influence on music and composition extended far beyond his own time. Haydn has been called the father of the classical symphony and string quartet, but he composed prolifically in every form and genre and was enormously innovative and versatile; the variety of his music never ceases to amaze.

The 39 piano trios recorded on this eight CD set are a substantial part of his voluminous chamber music. They were written at three different times: in the 1750s–60s in Vienna, in the 1780s at the Esterhazy estate in Eisenstadt, and in 1794–95 in London. In Haydn’s time, good pianists outnumbered good string players, so the piano predominates and the cello adds sonority by doubling the bass. In the earlier trios, the violin mainly supports and accompanies; later, it becomes increasingly independent and important. The familiar “London” trios have the greatest substance and emotional depth, but the less familiar ones also harbor priceless treasures.

The diversity of form, texture, character, and expression is extraordinary. These works are full of surprises, like deceptive cadences and recapitulations that are really second developments. The modulations are pure magic, sometimes gradual, sometimes sudden with a leap into a new, wildly remote key after a long pause.

The performances on this recording are splendid in every way: texturally clear, tonally pure and beautiful, constantly expressive. The phrasing is elegant; repeats are meticulously observed and discreetly embellished; the passagework sparkles; the melodies sing and soar. The pianist is not only a consummate virtuoso but a sensitive partner. He even has the rare ability to subdue his left hand to let the cello stand out. The recordings were made over several years, so the recorded balance varies considerably from disc to disc. Still, it generally favors the piano. The players bring out Haydn’s seriousness and humor, drama and serenity, grandeur and simplicity. Only the most famous movement, the “Gypsy Rondo,” is marred by exaggerated accents and tempo changes.

Haydn’s works seem to be beset by numerical problems. Hoboken’s catalogue lists the trios as Volume XV, but the individual trios are not always numbered chronologically. On this recording, the sequence seems entirely arbitrary; the program notes offer an analysis of each trio but not in the order of performance, which necessitates considerable hunting around in the booklet. One can imagine Haydn smiling at the contrast between this confusion and the pristine clarity of his music.

—E.E.

The Art of the Cello. Dmitry Kouzov, cello; Peter Laul, piano. (Marquis 774718 1395 2 8)

There are good reasons why certain pieces of music become favorites. Sometimes they are among the composers’ best works; other times they are so appealing and absorbing that, to adapt Shakespeare, “custom cannot stale their infinite variety.” The three major works recorded here—cello sonatas by Beethoven (Op. 5, No. 2) and Shostakovich; and Schumann’s Fantasiestücke—possess both of these qualities. The two performers count them among their favorites, and their love for the music speaks through every note. Their collaboration began 17 years ago with the Shostakovich Sonata while they were students at the conservatory of their native city, St. Petersburg; this is their second CD (the first featured sonatas by C.P.E. Bach). Both are most excellent. Kouzov’s tone is dark, warm and pure, and he can vary its color and intensity with bow and vibrato. Laul is a tonally and musically sensitive partner. Their virtuosity is unobtrusive, their playing very expressive, their phrasing elegant, their ensemble flawless. They have a striking ability to establish and change mood and atmosphere and to achieve transitions through subtle rhythmic flexibility and tonal nuance.

The Beethoven is by turn inward and lyrical, light and carefree. The Schumann is ardent, impetuous, very romantic, but not sentimental. The players follow Shostakovich through all his emotional peaks and valleys in a beautiful, moving performance.

The program’s novelties, both fiendishly difficult and admirably played, are Sean Hickey’s freely rhapsodic “Beara” for solo cello, depicting the rugged landscape of Beara Peninsula in the composer’s ancestral Ireland, and Rostropovich’s “Humoresque,” a wildly virtuosic marathon run-around. This is a splendid recording. Its only flaws are mechanical: excessive dynamic contrasts and a balance that favors the piano.

—E.E.

Blows ‘n’ Rhythm: The Hottest Bows in Rhythm ‘n’ Blues & Blues ‘n’ Rhythm, Rock ‘n’ Roll & Fiddle Curiosities, 1939-1959. (AB Fable 019/20; abar.net)

Professor Visits Harlem, or Swingin’ till the Girls Come Home, an Anthology of Swing Strings, 1930s-1950s. (AB Fable 018; abar.net)

Eddie South: Dark Angel Album Sets, 1940-1946. (AB Fable 021; abar.net)

As usual, British specialty-label chief Anthony Barnett, the Boswell of jazz violin, has come up with some amazing discoveries of jazz and blues violinists on rare recordings. Most of the tracks on these three albums of violin improvisation studies are either previously unreleased or have not been reissued before. Each disc is crammed with 28 full-length cuts. There’s no question about getting your money’s worth.

Blows ‘n’ Rhythm, a double-CD set, lays out the recorded history of the contributions of violinists to the development of swing blues to rhythm and blues, spanning 1939–1959. It’s a mind-blowing trip with such recognizable jazz fiddlers as Stuff Smith, Stephane Grappelli, Sugarcane Harris, Papa John Creach, and Claude Williams. But there are lots of rarities and pleasant surprises for any violinist looking for non-gut-bucket-style blues on the violin. Kudos to Barnett for finding this stuff. This collection is highly recommended.

No CD has surveyed the 1930s–’50s swing string ensembles until the groundbreaking Professor Visits Harlem. Most of the performers are not swing violinists and many probably are reading the arrangements. The majority of the groups are small, with two to four violins and occasional neat cello work. The results range from charming to clunky, but all should give the curious some hip, genteel ideas for string arranging.

The Eddie South set, subtitled “Best Years of My Life,” covers some of the 1940–1946 output of one of the pioneers of jazz violin. It finds South accompanied by society orchestras (with some vocals) or (happily) small swing ensembles. On the latter, South’s outstanding swing chops are evident. On other cuts, he sounds more like a cocktail-club strolling violinist. On these, his conservatory training comes to the forefront, with some light classical, tango, and Gypsy pieces mixed in with standards from the American songbook.

If you’re not familiar with this series, I urge you to visit the AB Fable website for a description of the many great jazz violin CDs now available, all made as a labor of love and printed in limited runs.

—STACY PHILLIPS

Schubert: Piano Trio in B♭ major, Op. 99, D. 898; Piano Trio in E♭ major, Op. 100, D. 929. Philip Setzer, violin; David Finckel, cello; Wu Han, piano. (Artist Led 10802-2)

Schubert’s productivity during his last pain-and-anguish-filled year is one of the most awesome miracles in musical history. At the peak of his technical skill, his creative energy unimpaired by his failing health, he composed some of his greatest masterpieces in an unceasing flow of inspiration. The two piano trios were written in 1827 in close succession, but they could hardly be more different. The first is carefree, serene, suffused by sparkling air and golden sunshine. The second, though full of vitality, is wistful, questioning, yearning. Its slow movement, a subdued funeral march, seems on the verge of tears, finding relief in a passionate outburst. Schubert was persuaded to make a substantial cut in the lengthy finale, but this eliminates such beautiful music that it is tempting to think he did it under duress. One must wonder why, as tradition has it, he felt the need to contemplate further studies of counterpoint: both trios contain masterful contrapuntal writing, and not only the famous canonic E♭ scherzo.

The trios present formidable challenges for performers: the piano texture is often heavy; the string writing is not idiomatic; the cello parts are almost unplayable. These three musicians, however, surmount all technical problems with effortless aplomb. The sound is pure, variable, and beautiful, the piano too loud only in the big chords. The playing is flowing but calm, rhythmically poised and flexible, sensitive to Schubert’s magical harmonies, modulations, and often elusive expressive subtleties. The unanimous ensemble bespeaks the players’ close musical and personal ties: Setzer and Finckel are members of the Emerson String Quartet, and pianist Han is Finckel’s wife. This is a superb recording.

—E.E.

Scandinavia. Gregory Maytan, violin; Nicole Lee, piano. Valparaiso University Recording.

In his first CD recording, violinist Gregory Maytan has chosen a trio of Scandinavian works to bring attention to the music of his homeland’s classical composers. In his youth, Maytan studied Scandinavian music in Sweden, but was disappointed to find, upon moving to the States, that much of this music was unknown. For this release, Maytan has picked three Scandinavian composers: Amanda Maier, Tor Aulin, and an early and mostly unknown piece by Edvard Grieg.

Amanda Maier (1853–1894) was the first woman to receive the degree of music director from the Stockholm Conservatory. She was considered a strong and reputable musician, and she and her husband were known to host many musical soirees at their home. Guests often included Brahms, Grieg, and Rubinstein. Purportedly, one evening they played through the Brahms C minor quartet with Brahms himself at the piano. According to the Maytan, Grieg was even known to be a fan of Maier, saying, “I have always been an admirer of her talent.” Ironically, one of the strongest performance on this recording is the Sonata in B minor for violin and piano, by Maier, which Maytan considers the least distinctively Swedish piece. But herein lies Maytan’s and Lee’s best work. Maytan first learned the Sonata in B minor when he was 14, and the passion he has for it is palpable in his performance. He and Lee balance the light and dark of the three movements with aplomb. The Allegro molto vivace in particular is executed with heart-racing excitement and verve.

The Grieg Sonata No. 1 in F major for violin and piano is beautifully tackled by Maytan and Lee. This piece, from the very early stages of Grieg’s nationalistic project, shows the composer just beginning to explore elements of Norwegian folk music. The second movement even has moments reminiscent of a Hardanger fiddle with its open string drones. This is new for Grieg, who up until the Sonata No. 1 was very caught up in German influences. Maytan taps into this newness and creates a wonderful aura about this piece, bringing it freshness and clarity.

—HEATHER K. SCOTT

Feminissimo! Women Playing Music by Women. Laura Kobayashi, violin; Susan Keith Gray, piano. (Albany 1081)

Violinist Laura Kobayashi of Washington, DC, and Susan Keith Gray, professor of music at the University of South Dakota and a pianist with the Rawlins Piano Trio, have released their second recording, a collection of nine romantic and contemporary works. It includes four premieres from composers Elisenda Fábregas, Emma Lou Diemer, Anna Priscilla Risher, and Signe Lund.

The Kobayashi/Gray Duo won the USIA Artistic Ambassador auditions in 1993 and began a musical journey touring South America and the West Indies. Since joining forces, the two have received notoriety for their interpretations of 19th-to 21st-century women composers. Kobayashi and Gray strive to discover new and unknown works by women composers and have presented their findings at the American String Teachers Association conventions, the International Festival of Women Composers, and other notable meetings.

The selection of music covers a lot of ground. Spanning several continents, the CD includes works from a wide mix of heritages: Spanish, French, Norwegian, American, Polish, and Czech. One of the American pieces showcased, “The Deserted Garden,” by Florence Beatrice Price (1887–1953), is worthy of special mention. Price was the first African-American woman composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra. Her piece is performed with considerable finesse as the musicians capture the melancholy beauty of Price’s work particularly well.

One of the four premiere recordings, Elisenda Fábregas’ Sonata No. 1 is also noteworthy. The complexity of this piece is a great catalyst for the duo. The collaboration, balance, and dynamic of the two musicians are a joy to hear—and a strong ending to this interesting collection of works.

—H.K.S.