Reviews | PORTFOLIO 2020

#14/2020 (FR)

27 December 2020 | Jean-Charles Hoffelé | ARTAMAG' - Focus - Le disque du jour | TERRE PROMISE « Sergio Fiorentino [...] Les accidents de la vie le forcèrent à ce retrait, mais on vint le chercher, sa légende n’était pas morte, Aldo Ciccolini lorsque je lui demandais sans impertinence un jour chez lui à Asnières qui était le plus grand pianiste italien vivant, me répondit du tac au tac : « Fiorentino ». [...] Un prodigieux concert Chopin à Newport en 1997 le montre d’une fantaisie et d’une élégance folle, ce piano-là est d’un autre temps, et c’est un éden. La joie le transfigure comme dans tout ce qu’il égrainera sur des scènes plus ou moins prestigieuses, et sur des pianos qui sont ce qu’ils sont mais ne résistent pas à qui les aime autant. Ecoutez comment il se débrouille de celui du Breakers de Newport, au clavier un peu lourd pour les Métamorphoses symphoniques que Leopold Godowsky fait subir à Johann Strauss ; l’année suivante, pour le récital Chopin, il sera mieux réglé). [...] Au long de ses concerts, Sergio Fiorentino égrène son répertoire de prédilection, la Deuxième Sonate de Scriabine, des Rachmaninov saturés de couleurs dont une Deuxième Sonate qu’il paysage dans le plus profond de son piano, la si bémol de Schubert au trille de rossignol (car les rossignols chantent dans le grave), des Valses de Brahms, choisies parce qu’aimées, et des raretés qui pour lui étaient monnaie courante, comme le Thème et Variations de Tchaïkovski, et même comme au débotté, le Quintette avec vents de Beethoven, ou le Quintette de Franck. [...] Mais ses Adieux et son Opus 110 de Beethoven, sa Fantaisie de Schumann, rappellent qu’il regardait l’essentiel du répertoire de son instrument en n’en sachant tout, et qu’il le jouait ainsi, avant, avec l’élégance d’un prince, jusqu’à promener ses doigts dans les fantaisies d’ivoire et d’ébène des Valses du Rosenkavalier qu’il s’était arrangées pour lui, en reprenant la transcription de Singer pour la pimenter de personnages. [...] Tout cela est ici, enclos dans cette boîte parfaite, patiemment ouvragée par Emilio Pessina, et je l’en remercie. »

#13/2020 (FR)

16 December 2020 | Yves Riesel | COUACS | L'AVENIR DU PASSÉ - Numéro 2 « Jean Ter-Merguerian, ce nom ne vous dira peut-être rien. L’itinéraire de vie de cet artiste exceptionnel a sans doute contribué à le gommer du paysage. Il est heureux que la dévotion du violoniste Amara Tir, son élève, et la curiosité du label (taïwanais ! ) Rhine Classics, permettent de remettre un peu l’église au milieu du village.
Ter-Merguerian, mort en 2015 à près de 80 ans était un violoniste français né en 1935 à Marseille, d’origine arménienne. Il a fait toutes études musicales initiales à Marseille avant de partir avec sa famille en 1947 en Arménie. En 1956 il est primé à Prague, puis au Concours Tchaikovski et devient l’élève de David Oistrakh à Moscou avec lequel il continuera de travailler jusqu’en 1963. Il remporte le Long-Thibaud en 1961, est lauréat en 1963 du Concours Reine Elisabeth. Dès lors il effectue de nombreuses tournées mondiales, mais décide en 1981 de revenir en France et dans sa ville natale, où il devient à son tour professeur au Conservatoire de Marseille, alors dirigé par Pierre Barbizet. Rostropovitch déclara un jour : “Ter Merguerian est la plus belle technique d’archet du monde, tous instruments à cordes confondus !”.
Il n’y avait pratiquement rien de disponible à ce jour au disque de Jean Ter-Merguerian : c’est dire à quel point ce coffret de 5 CD est le bienvenu. On y trouve (entre autres) un concerto de Brahms vraiment magnifique avec Boston et Arthur Fiedler ; un beau récital avec la pianiste Monique Oberdoerffer (Brahms, Bach, Mozart, Saint-Saëns), des sonates de Beethoven avec Pierre Barbizet et le Triple concerto avec Chiffoleau ; un mouvement du concerto de Beethoven lors du Long-Thibaud, avec le discours de Henryk Szeryng, Président du jury ; une interprétation superlative du concerto de Katchaturian captée en Arménie en 1964…
Vous découvrirez un violoniste du plus haut niveau, impressionnant, qui, c’est absolument évident, n’a pas eu la carrière qu’il aurait pu avoir. Attention : le coffret n’est pas disponible en musique numérique (lui non plus!). On peut l’acheter sur le site de l’éditeur.»

#12/2020 (UK)

13 December 2020 | Stephen Greenbank | MusicWeb International | Jean Ter-Merguerian: The Soul of the Violin « Once again, Rhine Classics have come to the rescue with an impressive cache of rare material in the form of live and radio recordings. [...] This superb collection, all the more treasured for the rarity value of Ter-Merguerian recordings, has been fondly remastered. Emilio Pessina's restorations have given them new currency. The booklet contains several photos of interest, which preserve the memory of this great, but largely forgotten, artist. This release will win a warm place in the affections of violin fanciers the world over.»

#11/2020 (UK)

4 December 2020 | Stephen Greenbank | MusicWeb International | Pietro Scarpini, Vol.4 - Bach «In The Well-Tempered Clavier, we find a piece to suit "every mood and every occasion". Scarpini’s are deeply thought out interpretations, and he digs deep into the fathomless riches on offer. He’s never self-conscious or contrived. Shunning waywardness and extremes, personal mannerisms have no place in these clean cut readings. The intellectual and technical challenges are firmly within his grasp. [...] The recording of The Art of Fugue has a warm, intimate aura about it. [...] Scarpini’s gifts lie in his ability to make every line speak. It’s not all seriousness either. There is serious formality, but he’s able to infuse humour and high spirits where warranted. The more complex contrapuntal thickets are rescued from congestion by his teasing away the inner contrapuntal lines to reveal the jewels that lie therein, at the same time attaining potent cumulative power. I love the balance he strikes between the voices, never allowing one to dominate. His exquisite touch and sensitive use of pedal, where appropriate, facilitates the achievement of some luminous sonorities. This is certainly a performance that plumbs the depths of this elusive masterpiece. [...] Restorations and remasterings are in 24bit 96kHz sound, and Emilio Pessina has done a sterling job. In the ’from Baroque to Contemporary’ box I reviewed, I recall being beguiled by the Scarpini’s Bach, in transcriptions by the pianist himself and Ferruccio Busoni, and commented on the freshness and vitality of the playing, remarking that they sounded ‘fresh off the press’. I’m now firmly convinced that Pietro Scarpini a Bach player to be reckoned with.»

#10/2020 (DE)

BEST OF 2020 | Neue Musikzeitung | December 2020 - January 2021 | nmz 12/20 - 1/21 (page 14) | Christoph Schlüren | « Und unbedingt muss das wagemutige Unternehmen des italienischen Tonmeisters und Violinpapsts Emilio Pessina genannt werden, der seine Anthologien bei Rhine Classics in Taiwan herausgibt. Da sind ganz neu umfassende Schatzkisten erschienen von Gabriella Lengyel, der letzten Schülerin Hubays, überwiegend mit ihrem Bruder, dem vorzüglichen Pianisten Atty Lengyel, von wunderbarem Schubert und Mendelssohn zu Entlegenem vor allem ungarischer Meister wie Harsányi, Veress oder Arma; fast nur Live-Aufnahmen von Jean Ter-Merguerian, in den Augen von Kollegen wie Rostropowitsch, Szeryng, Francescatti und Ferras einer der großartigsten Geiger überhaupt (einen schöneren, edleren Ton gibt es nicht!), ganz groß in Beethoven, Brahms und Khachaturian; späte Konzertmitschnitte (1996–98) des Meisterpianisten Sergio Fiorentino aus den USA, darunter auch hinreißend musizierte Kammermusik wie Francks Quintett oder Beethovens Quintett mit Bläsern; und vom legendären Pietro Scarpini zu Hause gemachte Aufnahmen des kompletten Wohltemperierten Klaviers und der Kunst der Fuge in kristalliner Klarheit (alles bei Rhine Classics, erstaunlich preiswert direkt von der Website zu beziehen). »

COURAGEOUS ENTERPRISES « Also worth mentioning is the daring venture of Italian sound engineer and "Violin-expert" Emilio Pessina, who publishes anthologies under the Rhine Classics label in Taiwan. There are quite new and complete treasures played by Gabriella Lengyel, Hubay's last pupil, mostly with her brother, the excellent pianist Atty Lengyel, in wonderful Schubert and Mendelssohn, and especially Hungarian masters like Harsanyi, Veress or Arma; almost exclusively live recordings by Jean Ter-Merguerian, who was, in the eyes of colleagues like Rostropovich, Szeryng, Francescatti and Ferras, one of the greatest violinists of all time (there is no finer, nobler sound !), superb in Beethoven, Brahms and Katchaturian; late American concerts recordings (1996-1998) by the Italian master pianist Sergio Fiorentino including lovely chamber music such as Franck's Quintet or Beethoven's Quintet for Piano and Winds; and recordings of the complete Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" and "The Art of Fugue" in crystal clear clarity made by the legendary Pietro Scarpini, made in his home studio (all available from Rhine Classics, and surprisingly inexpensive, directly from their website). »

#9/2020 (UK)

ROTY-2020 | 1 December 2020 | Stephen Greenbank | MusicWeb International | Recordings Of The Year 2020 (page 10) «Looking back over this awful year, where coronavirus has disrupted the lives of everyone, and many have sadly lost loved ones, reviewing has been one of the elements in my life to add some sanity and restore some balance. I've had the pleasure of savouring several interesting box sets, and these I've concentrated on for my Recordings of the Year. Franco Gulli (violin) reDiscovered - Rhine Classics RH-005. Rhine Classics are to be lauded for unearthing this wealth of live and studio recordings of the Italian violinist Franco Gulli, which span a period of forty years from 1957 to 1997. He's an artist definitely worthy of attention and this treasure trove will both delight and intrigue. Full Review»

#8/2020 (USA)

5☆☆☆☆☆ | 30 November 2020 | Gary Lemco | Audiophile Audition | Jean Ter-Merguerian: The Soul of the Violin « French-Armenian violin virtuoso Jean Ter-Merguerian (1935-2015) had been unknown to me prior to this Rhine Classics issue by the devoted producer Emilio Pessina, but those days are over! Testimony as to his innate musical mastery comes from such luminaries as Zino Francescatti, Henryk Szeryng – among the judges at 1961 Ninth Long-Thibaud Competition in 1961 – Christian Ferras, and Mstislav Rostropovich, who had asserted, “Merguerian possesses the most perfect bow technique in all the world, of all stringed instruments combined.” [...] For a compendium Ter-Merguerian’s sublime control of violin effects, few works suffice with such a grand scale as the Chaconne from Bach’s Partita in D Minor, which adds to the challenges an emphasis on articulation and stamina of contrapuntal line. [...] ...I want to extend my thanks for revealing an artist in Ter-Merguerian of awesome power and integrity, a rival to Kogan, Ferras, and his own, beloved Oistrakh...»

#7/2020 (USA)

4 October 2020 | Jed Distler | ClassicsToday.com | Big Boxes: A Major Violinist Rediscovered «The eminent violinist and pedagogue Franco Gulli (1926-2001) may be familiar to collectors mainly through his stellar contributions to I Musici’s Vivaldi Edition on the Philips label. Yet his virtuosity, musicianship, and repertoire covered ample territory. One could argue that professionals and string connoisseurs were more cognizant of Gulli’s artistry than the public at large; in this sense Gulli stood as an Italian counterpart to the American Oscar Shumsky. Emilio Pessina, the mastermind behind Rhine Editions and a longtime Gulli admirer, aims to put things right with an 11-disc anthology that showcases the violinist in a wide range of solo, chamber, and orchestral works. [...]» Artistic Quality: 9

#6/2020 (FR)

20 July 2020 | Maciej Chizynski | ResMusica | Ivry Gitlis, le chaman du violon «Rhine Classics publie des enregistrements inédits d'Ivry Gitlis, réalisés les quinze premières années de sa carrière internationale de soliste, mettant à notre disposition des extraits de neuf récitals qu’il donna entre 1949 et 1963, en studio comme en public, accompagné de Maurice Perrin, Odette Pigault, André Collard, Antonio Beltrami et Florencia Raitzin. Né à Haïfa de parents originaires de Kamenets-Podolski, une ville à la double histoire ukrainienne et polonaise, Ivry Gitlis a aujourd’hui quatre-vingt-dix-huit ans et c’est l’une des personnalités du violon les plus charismatiques de son temps, qui, comme un chaman, possède le pouvoir d’ensorceler son public. Formé auprès de Bronisław Huberman, Jacques Thibaud, Georges Enesco, Carl Flesch et d’autres, Gitlis interprète la musique à travers le prisme de sa propre individualité. [...] Ce double disque de Rhine Classics nous offre non seulement deux heures et demie de belles musiques, mais également un livret agrémenté de photos rares. Signalons que le label Profil Medien a récemment publié un autre coffret dévolu à cet artiste, d’intérêt secondaire car dans une édition beaucoup moins soignée et dont le contenu doublonne partiellement avec cette parution.»

#5/2020 (UK)

22 May 2020 | Stephen Greenbank | MusicWeb International | Aldo Ferraresi - The Gigli of the Violin « [...] As is par for the course with Rhine Classics, presentation is top-drawer, from the well-constructed card box to the individual sleeves which hold the discs. The booklet runs to thirty-one pages, and offers the purchaser a detailed discography of the contents with track listings and dates of performances. What further impressed me were the seven pages of photographs offering a telling panorama of the artist’s life and career. Audio restorer Emilio Pessina has worked a miracle with his source material (radio masters, 78rpms, 33rpms and reel-to-reel tapes). No connoisseur of the art of violin playing would want to be without this remarkable collection. It will certainly take pride of place on my shelves.»

#4/2020 (DE)

March-May 2020 | Christoph Schlüren | CRESCENDO (pg. 36) | BELCANTO ON THE VIOLIN «Emilio Pessina is working with the Taiwan-based Rhine Classics label to extend the protection period for sound recordings in the European Union. -- With massive lobbying, the market leaders in the field of sound recordings succeeded in extending the protection period for sound recordings from 50 to 70 years in 2011 with a decision by the European Parliament, which waved this new regulation into ruin and thus drove many smaller labels and willfully withheld recordings from the listener, that should have been public domain for a long time. What can you do to avoid this EU terror? Emilio Pessina from Veneto is one of the best connoisseurs of historical recordings worldwide, and he decided to leave the mastered or remastered recordings to the Taiwan-based Rhine Classics label, which now provides listeners worldwide with direct sales with the treasures that come from are not allowed to drive us away. And after a few years, the Rhine Classics catalog is one of the most attractive on the historic market. So I arranged some of these Taiwanese CD boxes. The mail takes one to two weeks, the prices including shipping are lower than they would be through a distribution in this country (www.rhineclassics.com). The look is appealing, the workmanship stable, the sound quality excellent, the booklet texts contain the essential information and sometimes more. And the musical discoveries are sensational, both in terms of repertoire and the class of performances.
Franco Gulli (1926-2001), the greatest Italian violin virtuoso of the 20th century, is present with an 11-CD box in concerts by Bach, Mozart, Viotti, Beethoven, Paganini, Chausson, Busoni, Bartók or Schoeck, setting both technically and musical standards, with incredibly clearly focused playing, every note is deliberately designed, all in the service of a far-reaching vocalism and a perfect taste. His concert recordings of two works by Giorgio Federico Ghedini (1892-1965), the unknown grand master of Italian modernism, stand out particularly well: the "Divertimento in D" (with Lovro von Matačić) and the "Contrappunti per tre archi e orchestra" (with Bruno Giuranna, viola, Giacinto Caramia, cello, and Sergiu Celibidache). This is music on a par with Bartók, Ravel, Schönberg, Hindemith and Shostakovich that the interested person must know, and it is played here unsurpassed. Of course, Gulli can also be heard with his wife Enrica Cavallo, in sonatas and other duos, and you can be touched without feeling any sentimentality.
I didn't know Aldo Ferraresi (1902-1978) from Ferrara. He was one of the world's best violinists, but refusing to be a professor at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia is typical. He loved his home too much, and no artist has ever thanked it. He plays on 18 CDs and others. the violin concertos by Khachaturian and Walton under the direction of the composers, and alongside other classics (a lot of Paganini), he can be heard with rarities from composers whose names are unlikely to be known here: Stjepan Šulek in D minor Concerto in succession Dvořák in nostalgic B minor Concert by Alfredo D'Ambrosio, a veristic "Sonata drammatica" with orchestra by Carlo Jachino, virtuoso concert pieces by Allegra and Mannino and above all the highly dramatic violin concerto by Mario Guarino (1900-1971) from 1948, plus sonatas by Guarino, Franco Alfano and Karl Höller. Ferraresi is a born violinist with an almost gypsy-like, quasi-improvvisando attitude, always with a warm, bright tone and natural bel canto.
The Hubay's student Wanda Luzzato (1919-2002) seems to lead us straight back to the tradition of the 19th century (on 8 CDs), and can even be heard in a rehearsal with Ghedini. The fulminant "violin solo sonata" by Vittorio Giannini and concerts by Ginastera, Jaques-Dalcroze and Carlos Veerhoff will be presented by the world famous Italian-American violin virtuoso Ruggiero Ricci. And Alfonso Mosesti (1924-2018) presents alongside Leone Sinigaglia the lost violin concerto by the Trieste master Antonio Illersberg (1882-1953).»

#3/2020 (UK)

19 February 2020 | Stephen Greenbank | MusicWeb International | Sergio Fiorentino, Rachmaninov complete solo piano works live «[...] Fiorentino was a formidable Bach interpreter, but his leanings were mainly towards the romantic period of Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, Scriabin and Rachmaninov. His technique was outstanding and memory prodigious, but he shunned showmanship and instead strived to penetrate to the heart of the piece he was playing. His interpretations are notable for their freedom of expression, a trait common to pianists of the late 19th century. [...] The sound quality is consistently good throughout. The accompanying documentation ticks all the right boxes in supplying context surrounding the project, and the photographs are an added source of interest. Rachmaninov fans certainly will not be disappointed having a cycle of the complete solo works, captured with the spontaneity and freshness the live recital affords.»

#2/2020 (UK)

17 January 2020 | Stephen Greenbank | MusicWeb International | Sergio Fiorentino, live in Taiwan «[...] Serenity and poise characterize the opening of Beethoven’s Op. 110. I am particularly struck by the immaculate voicing of chords at the beginning. One feels doubt and despair in the dark and brooding Adagio, and the following fugal section is deftly articulated. This is a performance in which I sense the probing depth of Schnabel and spiritual dimension of Kempff. [...] Fiorentino performs Rachmaninov’s 1931 revision of his Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat Major. This big-boned reading showcases the pianist’s supreme technical command. He achieves a wide dynamic range, from thunderous fortissimos to whispering pianissimos. In the second movement, there are some tender lyrical moments, radiantly expressed. The finale is intense and impassioned. [...] Three months later, on 22 August, Fiorentino sadly died. That gives added poignancy to this live concert. The beautiful audio restorations come courtesy of Emilio Pessina, with enthusiastic applause thankfully retained.»

#1/2020 (USA)

Jan./Feb.2020 | Ned Kellenberger | American Record Guide | Ivry Gitlis - early years «These discs include concert, studio, and radio performances. For anyone looking for an introduction to the famous violinist, they display the strengths and weaknesses that would attach to Gitlis for his entire career. At his best, he fascinates and amazes us with his eclectic and non-traditional interpretations. The narrowness and speed that he attains with his vibrato allow for remarkable intensity in the sound and serve as an homage to Ginette Neveu, who tragically died as Gitlis’s career was emerging. Christian Ferras also had such a vibrato and sound at his disposal, but it was wielded in less iconoclastic contexts. At his worst, Gitlis ignores basic imperatives about sound, playing with tightness here, scrapes there. He slaps the string percussively and tastelessly when there is no musical imperative. His spontaneity causes great unevenness: the piece sounds exactly as it should, and then it sounds exactly as it should not; it strikes gold, and then it strikes quicksand. Almost every performance is a rollercoaster, and this grows more and more tiresome and irksome the more one listens. The bad habits are especially noticeable in the German repertoire. Stay away from his Brahms and Bach. They activate tepid interest, but inconsistencies in sound ruin them. The sound is not round or rich, and it never oozes out the instrument, appearing by commandment and not by request. He almost always plays on the surface of the string and not with consistent weight, descending into a pile of cheap tricks that do not substitute for serious music-making. Both Brahms and Bach would appreciate his freedom of pacing but not the contempt that he sometimes shows toward tradition. Gitlis is interesting, but he is derailed by his deliberate ignorance of sound. The Chausson Poeme is a fabulous performance. It sounds sometimes as if Gitlis physically moves away from the microphone when the sound grows distant at certain climaxes, but one gets the impression that this setting of poetry is perfect for him. It does not demand the continuity, patience, or discipline of traditional forms employed by Beethoven and Brahms. I prefer Josef Hassid’s recording of the Achron for its emotional depth and closeness, but Gitlis’s rendition is effective as a dream even if it has a slight scent of superficiality. The Bartok appears twice, and the concert performance from 1963 on the second disc is better than the first one. I [1st mvmt] of Tartini shows Gitlis at his most charming and inventive. When he takes care of his sound, he is one of the greatest violinists of the 20th Century.»