Father and son Kantorow in Saint-Saens

Having watched the semi-finals of the Queen Elisabeth violin competition in Brussels, I noticed that the conductor there was Jean-Jacques Kantorow. As he was a solo-violinist for many years, he was a perfect accompanist for all the candidates in that contest. Almost at the same time someone attended me to a new CD by his piano playing son Alexandre Kantorow, who performed three of the five piano concerto’s bij Saint-Saens. Very fine performances and the not so often recorded third receives the best and most convincing performance I have ever heard! I thought it would be a nice idea to combine Jean-Jacques Kantorow’s recording of violin works by Saint-Saens with the new recording of him and his son.

Track 01-03 Piano Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 29 (1869)

Track 04-06 Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61 (1880)

Track 07-08 Piano Concerto No.4 in C minor, Op. 44 (1875)

Track 09 Caprice d’après l’Étude en forme de Valse, Op.52 (for violin and orchestra, 1872)

Track 10 Caprice andalous, Op.122 (for violin and orchestra, 1904)

Track 11 Prélude from ‘Le déluge’, Op.45 (1875)

Track 12-14 Piano Concerto No.5 in F major, Op. 103, ‘L’Égyptien’ (1896)

Tapiola Sinfonietta

Alexandre Kantorow, piano (Tracks 01-03, 07-08 and12-14)

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin (Tracks 04-06, 09,10 and 11)

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, conductor (Tracks 01-03, 07-08 and 12-14)

Kees Bakels, conductor (Tracks 04-06, 09,10 and 11)

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/0Bjw0wmeA0ZiA1YAlr85xZ?si=Pr-D2kAPSsqNUSu7gMrasw (Spotify Webplayer link)

Do we need another Brahms cycle...?

“Oh, why do we need the X’st cycle of… (fill in)” is an often heard complain when people discuss a symphony or concerto cycle by a well known composer. In the days that CD boxes were 20 to 50 euro’s, I could understand that criticism, but with Spotify, a well played, well recorded cycle is often very much welcomed by me. Especially when as well played as this Brahms cycle by the WDR symphony orchestra under Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Symphony no’s 1 and 3 already caught my attention around Christmas 2017, when I found them on Spotify and a while ago I discovered that the complete cycle was online. Just listen for yourself. Fine music making, new details and musicians who really put their heart in this music. 

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Track 01-04 Symphony no 1 in C minor, Op. 68 (1855-1876)

Track 05-08 Symphony No. 2 In D Major Op. 73 (1877)

Track 09-12 Symphony no 3 in F major, Op. 90 (1883)

Track 13-16 Symphony No. 4 In E Minor Op. 98 (1885)

Track 17-26 Variationen über Ein Thema von Haydn Op. 56a (1873)

Track 27 Academic Festival Overture Op. 80 (1880)

Track 28 Tragic Overture, Op. 81 (1880)

WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln

Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0JMHX9AWOjfWmkVN7lUEqg?si=e656aead67a64098 (if you want the weblink for this playlist)

Jukka-Pekka Saraste