Les Musiciens du Louvre/Marc Minkowski: "Mondonville: Sonatas Op 3" (Archiv)
Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville (1711-1772) was an important composer and violinist in 18th-century Paris. His Op 3 sonatas (Pieces de Clavecin en Sonates avec Accompagnement de Violon) introduced the idea of the keyboard sonata with violin, as an alternative to the trio sonata. He later extended this idea to keyboard with voice and violin. The works on the new disc from Marc Minkowski's Musiciens du Louvre are adaptations for larger ensemble of the already innovative sonatas of Op 3. The delight in the textural interweavings of which Mondonville was so fond never flags in performances that marry drive and point with pleasurable suavity. Michael Dervan
Marc-Andre Hamelin plays The Composer-Pianists (Hyperion); Erno Dohnanyi: Piano Masters (Pearl)
The composer-pianists? Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt? Not at all. Canadian superman of the piano, MarcAndre Hamelin (who's visiting the West Cork Chamber Music Festival next week) runs from Alkan, Rachmaninov, Busoni and Scriabin, through Godowsky, Sorabji, Medtner and Feinberg to himself. Hamelin is one of the finest living exponents of the romantic view of the piano for the piano's sake, but with the bonus of a fully functioning musical conscience. The highlight of this collection of original works and arrangements are three of his own witty, referential Etudes, extending the tradition to our own times. For an even more authentic flavour of the personalised freedoms of the old days, turn to Erno Dohnanyi (1877-1960), at the height of his powers in his own Nursery Variations, Mozart's K453, plus arrangements. Michael Dervan
Claudio Monteverdi: "Madrigali Guerrieri Et Amorosi" (Teldec Das Alte Werk)
Men from Mars and women from Venus? Nonsense. In 1638 Monteverdi's eighth book of madrigals set out to prove "that Amor and Mars are the same noble sentiment in gentle hearts". On this CD four of the pieces, including Il Combattimento Di Tancredi E Clorinda, are given a spirited rendition by the Concerto Musicus Wien under the baton of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, with excellent soloists including soprano Ann Murray and tenor Philip Langridge. This pair are particularly impressive in the final lament, said to be a precursor of a similar piece in Monteverdi's lost opera L'Arianna, whose unearthly beauty is known to have moved revellers at a court wedding in Mantua to tears in 1608. Almost 400 years on, this music has, believe me, lost none of its punch. You can hear the clash of steel, smell the blood, feel the pain. Marvellous stuff. Arminta Wallace
