The Doric String Quartet
Doric String Quartet
Alex Redington violin
Jonathan Stone violin
Simon Tandree viola
The Doric String Quartet, formed in 1998 at Pro Corda, the Suffolk-based National School for Young Chamber Music Players, made four appearances at Wigmore Hall over 2008/09 season, including the final concert of the season.
This recital, recorded on 15 January is the quartet’s first commercial CD. It comprises three of his quartets, providing glimpses into three different periods of the composer’s life and juxtaposing one of his most famous works in the genre, Op. 76 No. 1, with two lesser-known earlier examples, Op. 9 No. 4 and Op. 50 No. 2.
In 2008 the members of the Doric String Quartet gained a special mention for their Haydn when they competed in the Premio Paolo Borciani Competition in Reggio Emilia; overall, they were awarded second place, having the previous month emerged victorious at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition.
The Strad magazine, reporting from Italy, spoke of the quartet’s “great wisdom and … creativity of sound.” Having described the Doric’s interpretation of Haydn's op.76 No.1 as “magical”, the reviewer judged the quartet’s performances as ”the most inventive, engaging, moving and beautiful” of the competition.
REVIEWS
"The Doric’s performances, without exaggeration but with just the right degree of elucidation, revealed the music’s extraordinary originality and the way that Haydn can explore the potential of his thematic material so thoroughly yet so artlessly.
Unequivocally, these were performances of terrific panache and perception, seeming to get right under the skin of Haydn’s creative genius." Rating: ***** The Daily Telegraph - review of recorded concert.
Alasdair Beatson, piano
Schumann - Abegg Variations Op. 1
Grieg - Four Pieces Op. 1
Brahms - Sonata in C Major Op. 1
Berg - Sonata Op. 1
Alasdair's debut CD is released as part of SOMM Recording's highly successful "New Horizons" series, and features the first opus of each composer. Samples below... For further details, please visit SOMM Recordings.
In a neat play on numbers, the Scots pianist Alasdair Beatson plays exclusively Opus 1s on a debut recording that illustrates why so much critical attention is being paid to his emerging career...
More reviews here
Tom Norris
Jigsaw Players Tom Norris has many talents. He is not only a fabulous classical violinist, he is also a great song writer, singer, piano player. The Edge of the World is his first album.
James Barralet
With a rare gift of communication through his instrument, cellist James Barralet is an open-minded musician as much at home with Bach and Shostakovich folk music, and has enthralled audiences at most of hte major UK venues, throughout Europe and globally.
His programme for his debut CD is typically bold and includes Kodaly's sonata, a towering work and one of the pinnacles of the solo cello repertoire and Britten's Suite for Solo Cello no.3, premiered by Rostropovich in 1974. This recording includes the world premiere performance of the original 1971 version of the first movement, by kind permission of the Britten-Pears Foundation and Faber & Faber.
Also on the CD is another world premiere recording, of Edwin Roxburgh's Partita for Solo Cello, commissioned by Ross Pople and championed by James
Morgan Szymanski
"Guitarist Szymanski charms the audience at sell-out show" Bermuda Review
"THIS was an exhilarating evening of mainly Latin-American sounds.
Morgan Szymanski, a fine Mexican classical guitarist, and percussionists Oliver Cox and Owen Gunnell were first brought together by chance." Lakeside Arts Centre February 2009
‘Machaca’ is an international ensemble formed by Morgan Szymanski in 2006. Their first recording, ‘Mano a Mano’ was launched at the Purcell Room in London’s South Bank on Thursday the 26th of April during La Linea ‘07, London’s famous Latin American Music Festival.
A musical feast of works by Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Lauro, Machado, Iannarelli, Cardoso and the world premiere of a new work by Stephen McNeff especially written for us! Performed by the UK’s finest crop of young musicians plus special guests Galo Cerón on guitar + cuatro and virtuoso Adam Walker on flute.
