Search - Cafe Zimmermann............. :: Charles Avison: Concertos in Seven Parts from the Lessons of Domenico Scarlatti

First review of Cafe Zimmerman's Charles Avison CD

V. Spivey | Washington, D.C. | 03/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Absolutely one of the finest classical recordings I have ever heard. After over a year of trying to procure this CD---in both American and foreign markets (unavailability never explained), it was worth the wait. Avison's rendering of the Scarlatti compositions took the heavy-lifting from the original harpsichord and put it squarely in the muscular arms of Cafe Zimmerman's amazingly adept string performers. And it JUST SCREAMS! The eight-piece group brings orchestral power to the compositions, my wife and I have done little else for the past week put keep the CD playing constantly, through our meals, our reading, even our vacuuming. I have a hard time going to bed because it means actually turning off the stereo. Brilliant. Transcendant. Musical art at its best."

Very pleasant music from a little known composer

Philip S. Griffey | Bainbridge I. WA USA | 09/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have borrowed the general description, which I thought very well written and informative, from a review of a performance of the same music by Roy Goodman and his group Charles Avison: 12 Concerti Grossi.



"Here we have 12 Concerti Grossi by Charles Avison based on the keyboard sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti. Avison, 1709-1770, was a Newcastle based English composer, pupil of Geminiani, who, in his early years, lived in the shadow of the great Handel, as did all his contempories. Scarlatti, 1683-1757 was an Italian composer who moved to Spain in 1729 and spent his remaining years writing music for the Spanish court, in particular some 550 short keyboard sonatas for the ladies of the court. These sonatas were the epitomy of elegance and good taste, and were very popular when some became available in England. Avison took some 38 of them and adapted them for movements in his 12 Concerti Grossi, and composed the remaining 12, usualy slow movements, himself. When published in 1744 they were immediately popular, and until recently were his only remembered work. The elegance of the sonatas was not lost in transcription, indeed it was enhanced."



I prefer this performance for the vigor and forward momentum the group imparts. The Goodman performance is more relaxed and elegant, but lacks the panache of Cafe Zimmerman. The Goodman recording (2 discs) has the advantage of including all 12 concerti, whereas this disc has only concerti #'s 3, 5, 6, 9, 11 & 12.



The opening Largo of Concerto #5 is especially fine, and worth the price of the recording by itself.

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