General
reviews
of
mozart and well beyond
[from:]
“The best new recordings from North America”
A
stunning new Mozart edition
links the old with the contemporary
“While a sensitive and sculpted
reading of Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto by soloist Michael
Sweeney is the highlight of this disc, its overall conception
and presentation raise it to another level.
“By
all rights, the principal bassoonist of the Toronto Symphony
Orchestra could have stopped after recording an excellent
interpretation of the Mozart concerto using a new performing
edition he authored. Sweeney went further, however, combining
it with three contemporary works by Canadian composers Marjan
Mozetich and Rodney Sharman, and American composer Michael
Welsh. In doing so, he crafted a manifesto of sorts about
the bassoon today, connecting its past to the present by
showcasing the vitality that exists in composition, scholarship
and performance. And rather than just allowing the contemporary
composers to flounder in the wake of Mozart’s genius,
his performances are as committed
and his liner notes address them as seriously as K191 (with
deft use of track numbers to point out salient aspects).
“With
the efficacious support of violinist and leader Mayumi Seiler,
The Seiler Strings and other invited musicians, Sweeney’s
lambent timbre is as much an
advocate for his new edition of the Mozart concerto as his
solid musicological work, bolstered by well-reasoned use
of contemporary sources. Sweeney glides through the piece
with stunning suppleness, but
his virtuosity is always self-effacing. While he has not
refashioned this work as a flashier vehicle for the basson
– his cadenzas, embellishments and lead-ins exceptionally
match the spirit of the concerto – his research into
textual authenticity does not drain energy and spontaneity
from his performance.
“None
of the other works, all commissioned by Sweeney, share the
economy and brilliance of the Mozart, but there is drama
in Mozetich’s variegated Concerto, repose
in Sharman’s quiet At Dusk and poignancy
in Welsh’s nostalgic Serenade. The latter
has marvellous harp passagework by Erica Goodman complementing
sensuous harmonies.”
Andrew Druckenbrod
-
The Gramophone -
June 2005
“As
a professional bassoonist I am much impressed by this fine
CD. The Mozart Concerto is undoubtedly the highlight of
this album. However the ‘Beyond’ stage is well
represented by three contemporary works by [two] Canadian
artists [and one American]. These works give Sweeney a chance
to shine, with his fine mastery, musicianship
and technique, on an instrument which is very difficult
to master.
“The
Mozart bassoon concerto was written in 1774 and is the major
work of the bassoon repertoire. The first movement –
Allegro – is in standard sonata form. Here Sweeney
displays his fine technique by adding embellishments. Would
Mozart have approved? I don’t know. However they work
very well here. … fine technique in the upper register
which is renowned for its difficulty… Sweeney’s
articulation is also superb in the very difficult tongued
passages. The cadenza is particularly well executed. Although
less technically demanding, the second movement –
Andante ma Adagio – offers a good example of fine
lyrical playing by Sweeney. This is a very enjoyable recording
by Sweeney and one of the best
I have heard for a long while.
“Marjan Mozetich is a contemporary Canadian composer
as [is] Rodney Sharman… Mozetich’s Concerto
for bassoon, string orchestra and marimba… is a virtuosic
romantic post-modern work which was composed [through] a
close collaboration between the composer and Sweeney. The
music is beautiful, exploring the lower register of the
bassoon… Mozetich was particularly inspired by the
bassoon concertos of Vivaldi and uses the marimba in place
of the harpsichord continuo. However there are supreme high
note passages and a touch of Minimalism towards the end.
This adds enjoyment to the whole piece which rightly deserves
to become a standard of the bassoon repertoire.
“Composed in a Modernist idiom, [Rodney Sharman’s]
‘At Dusk’ explores the atonal world of the bassoon
with its huge range and warm, dark, plaintive soul. …
beautifully played…
“The final work on the album is [American composer]
Michael Welsh’s ‘Serenade’. This piece
draws on various forms of the Serenade throughout the centuries.
Welsh again displays a great knowledge of the various tonal
possibilities of the bassoon. Captivating
and haunting throughout, displaying fine technique
and mastery, with exquisite tonal colours.
I can’t stop listening to this track which is enhanced
by some gorgeous harp playing by Erica Goodman.
“This CD is a must for all bassoon enthusiasts. Superb
playing throughout and a fine rendition of the Mozart
concerto. How wonderful to see the bassoon being used by
contemporary composers. Jazz on the bassoon does not work,
but fine examples of modern playing such as this certainly
do.”
Lynda
Baker
- www.musicweb-international.com -
December 2007
complete
review
“...
[The] bassoon is definitely an instrument to be taken seriously
in the hands of Michael Sweeney, principal bassoonist of
the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, whose new recording of the
Mozart Bassoon Concerto is not only handsomely
played but unique in employing a new edition devised
by Sweeney himself, correcting errors and reducing the number
of accompanying players to the chamber dimensions the composer
sometimes employed during his Salzburg years (he was only
18 when he composed the music). Sweeney’s scholarly
accompanying notes reflect the intelligence
and care that have obviously gone into this project,
with the playing of the Toronto-based Seiler Strings, led
by Mayumi Siler, adding to its distinction. To round out
the program, Sweeney joins the Seiler Strings in performances
of three works of recent years, two of them – Marjan
Mozetich’s Concerto for Bassoon with Strings and
Marimba (Graham Hargrove on the latter instrument)
and Michael Welsh’s Serenade commissioned
by him and the third, Rodney Sharman’s At Dusk,
a re-orchestration of a piece originally part of a larger
work for voices and orchestra. Highly
recommended ...”
William
Littler
- The Toronto Star -
June 2005
“Throughout
the CD, one cannot help but be enchanted by the sheer
lyrical expressiveness and effortless
technical skill of Sweeney’s playing. The Seiler
Strings Chamber Orchestra … is elegant, stylish and
intimately attuned to the soloist’s interpretive point
of view. The recorded sound is clear and detailed, with
a nicely balanced perspective for the listener to assimilate
each piece as a whole.”
Performance:
[5 stars]
Sound: [4 stars]
Robert
Jordan
-
Opus magazine -
Summer
2005
“This
is quite a package.
“In
this program Mr Sweeney is pointing out the bassoon’s
ability to transcend the musical line that composers have
assigned to it. The Mozetich exemplifies the kind of insistent
and pleading melody that seems to be larger than the bassoon
– the kind of role bassoonists want to play but are
seldom given the opportunity. And the changes in the Mozart
add ... to the bassoon’s ability to expand the power
of the music. This is indeed a recording that all music
lovers should buy.
“It
epitomizes the consummation of talent, inquiry, and development.”
David
Schwartz
- American Record Guide -
January/February 2005
“Canadian/American
bassoonist Michael Sweeney gives us in [mozart
and well beyond] what he considers to be
four ‘premiere’
performances of new and renewed works for bassoon and orchestra.
“I
like everything about this CD – from the musical selections,
which are four wonderful
‘new’ pieces of
music; to the excellent program
notes in French and English; to even the beautiful
design of the program book, featuring a reproduction
of the famous painting of bassoon virtuoso Felix Rheiner
painted in 1774, (the year Mozart supposedly composed the
Concerto) by painter Peter Jakob Horemans (1700-1776), followed
by a nice portrait of Michael Sweeney replicating Rheiner’s
famous pose with his bassoon and reed on the back cover
– a lovely touch.
“I
strongly recommend this wonderful CD to all of you.
Bravo to Michael, who has created
a true work of art in so many,
many ways!”
Ronald Klimko
- The Double Reed -
Quarterly Journal of the International Double Reed Society
Vol. 27, No. 3
«
... Michael Sweeney, premier basson de l’Orchestre
symphonique de Toronto depuis 1989, [qui] poursuit [également]
une carrière de soliste, [a lancé] un disque
de musique basson que je trouve extrêmement
intéressant.
«
Un programme magnifique : Mozart
et trois compositeurs contemporains qui célèbrent
les sonorités du basson. Bravo
à l’initiative de Michael Sweeney ! ... Et
toutes ces pièces sont un très bel hommage
à la sonorité du basson. C’est vraiment
un disque fait par quelqu’un qui adore le basson et
qui en joue magnifiquement aussi.
«
Et les cordes, je vous le signale,
sont excellentes, l’ensemble
à cordes c’est le Seiler Strings de Toronto
...
«
[Ce CD] a une très belle qualité
sonore, je trouve ... »
-
SRC : « Espace Musique » - (Sylvia
L'Écuyer, animatrice)
translation
“... all strong material,
nicely chosen, performed and recorded. All the pieces [from
mozart and well beyond]
illustrate the expressive capabilities
and qualities of the bassoon...”
- CBC: "Sound Advice"
- (Rick Phillips, host)
Order
mozart and well beyond
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