Her repertoire ranges from baroque to the contemporary with
many composers writing works for her. In the concert hall and on record,
Michala Petri has worked with artists such as Heinz Holliger, James Galway,
Gidon Kremer, Pinchas Zukerman, Claudio Abbado, Christopher Hogwood or Keith
Jarrett; while ensembles such as the English Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of
St. Martin in the Fields, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Virtuosi,
the Berlin Baroque Soloists or Kremerata Baltica have been her partners on
stage or in the studio. Since 1992, Michala Petri has played with the guitarist
and lutenist Lars Hannibal and has performed with him all over the world.
Over the years Michala Petri has received many honours and
awards, including the German Echo
Disc Award, the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, the Wilhelm Hansen Music Prize and
the H.C. Lumbye Prize for her achievement in bringing classical music to a wide
audience. Michala Petri is Vice
President of the Danish Society for Fighting Cancer and a board member of UNICEF Denmark.
Michala Petri’s
latest recording for OUR Recordings www.ourrecordings.com features
Telemann’s Sonatas for Recorder and Basso continuo with Petri joined by
harpsichordist Anthony Newman www.anthonynewmanmusician.org
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| 8.226909 |
Of the six sonatas on this disc, the first four are from Der
Getreue Musik-Meaister (The Faithful Music Master), a musical
periodical (1728-29) jointly founded by Telemann featuring short compositions
and lessons in the rudiments of musical theory. These are hugely attractive
sonatas with some memorable tunes, especially as played by these two fine
artists. The Vivace of Sonata in F major from this
set is a gloriously lively piece with Michala Petri providing some lovely
mellow recorder sounds, nicely balanced with the harpsichord continuo of Anthony
Newman. Petri draws some lovely, fluent lines in the Largo with wonderfully
expressive harpsichord accompaniment before a lively dancing Allegro
with lovely sprung rhythms.
The Sonata in B flat major opens with a rather
stately Largo and some terrific chords from the harpsichord with some
lovely agile playing from Petri. The vibrant Allegro, where Telemann
gives us such a stream of invention, receives some brilliant staccato playing
from Petri before the Largo, full of affectingly melancholy sounds from
Petri’s recorder. The concluding Vivace is full of infectious playing
from these two artists.
The solemn Triste that opens the
Sonata in F minor is given a richly conceived performance, full of broad
harpsichord chords around which the recorder weaves its theme. The opening of
the Allegro has a steady pace but soon becomes vibrant with some really
fine playing from both artists. The Vivace is truly a performance of
virtuosity with Petri showing her incredible skills of fluency and agility.
This is terrific playing.
In the Sonata in C major there is a beautifully paced
Cantabile that has a particularly memorable tune and an Allegro that
receives more formidable playing from Petri and Newman, with these two players
seemingly knowing each other’s thoughts. There is incredible agility of playing
from Petri. The Grave brings more of Telemann’s broad sonorous
harpsichord chords as Petri weaves her recorder melody above. The Vivace
is full of invention, receiving a terrific performance.
After the four sonatas from Der Getreue Musik-Meaister come
two sonatas from Esserzicii Musici (Musician’s Exercises), a
misleading title as these pieces were apparently not intended as studies.
The first performed here is the Sonata in D minor with an Affettuoso
that has a beguiling theme. The Presto shoots ahead with these two
artists showing terrific ensemble and with more intricate playing from Petri in
this quite intoxicating movement. As Newman ‘strums’ chords on his harpsichord
in the third movement, Grave, Petri delivers a lovely flowing theme in
this short link to the Allegro, another complete delight with simply
stunning playing from Petri and Newman providing so much more than any mere
accompaniment.
Finally we have the Sonata in C major with an opening
movement marked Adagio that, nevertheless, has some spirited faster
sections where Telemann gives us another fine tune, beautifully played. The
lovely Larghetto has the recorder and harpsichord weaving the theme
between them before the lively Vivace, full of terrific playing right up
to the end.
These are terrific performances that receive a fine
recording within a nice acoustic as well as excellent booklet notes. This
release has a slightly shorter duration than most discs but given the quality
of the performances and its on-line price, it is thoroughly recommendable.
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