|
Delectable Pieces - The Volkert-Walther String Trio
Mark Volkert, violin, Geraldine Walthers, viola, Jan Volkert, cello
Selections:
- Robert Schumann: Trio (after the Sonata for Piano Op. 118, No. 3)
1. Lebhaft
2. Ausdrucksvoll
3. Schnell
4. Rasch, kräftig
- Peter Tchaikovsky: Three Pieces
5. Allegretto vivo e scherzando
6. Andante cantabile
7. Allegretto scherzando
- Edward MacDowell: Woodland Sketches Op. 51
8. To A Wild Rose
9. By Fireside
10. By A Meadow Brook
11. At An Old Trysting Place
12. From Uncle Remus
- 13. Fritz Kreisler: Rondino on a theme of Beethoven
- 14. Fritz Kreisler: Toy Soldiers March
- Victor Herbert: Four Selections for String Trio
15. Always Do As People Say You Should (“The Fortune Teller”)
16. Italian Street Song (“Naughty Marietta”)
17. Kiss Me Again (“Mille. Modiste”)
18. Czardas (“The Fortune Teller”)
This is the debut album of this string trio featuring Mark Volkert, assistant concertmaster of San Francisco Symphony, Geraldine Walther, principal viola of San Francisco, and Jan Volkert, principal cello of Marin Symphony. A charming collection of late 19th and 20th Century light classical music, the pieces are arranged by Mark Volkert. Mr. Volkert presents a feast for the ears - pay close attention to: #5 in which the melody is quickly tossed around the circle of instruments, #6 and #15 in which Ms. Walther's solo viola sings so sweetly, the casual listener would mistake it for violin, and listen to Uncle Remus - every family has one, and he is a "unique" individual. :-) Enjoy the music from an era of salons and soirées!
Classical CD Reviews
Delectable Pieces
Contra Costa Times - August 17, 2003
by Georgia Rowe
What: "Delectable Pieces"
Who: The Volkert-Walther String Trio
Label: Con Brio Recordings
Grade: A
The names Volkert and Walther should sound familiar to anyone who regularly attends the San Francisco Symphony. Violinist Mark Volkert has served as the orchestra's assistant concertmaster since 1980, and Geraldine Walther has been principal violist since 1976. They're joined here by Volkert's wife, cellist Jan Volkert, in an appealing set of chamber works by Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Fritz Kreisler, Edward MacDowell, and Victor Herbert, arranged for string trio by Mark Volkert.
The playing abounds with a spirit of unanimity and good humor, beginning with the opening trio by Schumann (based on the composer's Sonata for Piano, Op. 118, No. 3). The players make an elegant case for this music; the individual voices are distinct, and the blend they achieve is dynamic.
Just as impressive are the Tchaikovsky "Three Pieces," which are transcribed from the composer's String Quartet No. 3; "Bohemian Dance," Op. 39, No. 14; and "Humoresque," Op. 10, No. 2. MacDowell's "Woodland Sketches," Op. 51, Kreisler's Rondino on a theme of Beethoven and "Toy Soldiers March," and Herbert's "Four Selections for String Trio," offer their share of rewards as well.
Recorded at Hollcraft Studios for Con Brio Recordings, the disc is available at the San Francisco Symphony Store, at selected local outlets and on www.amazon.com. It's highly recommended for chamber music aficionados.
|
