John Corigliano’s bracing fusion of Sibelian expressiveness and novel sounds and textures has been thrilling American audiences for decades. Now you can hear what all the fuss is about. The Second Symphony is a mesmerising work for string orchestra with influences of Bartók and Britten, among others, in a Penderecki-like soundscape. No less arresting is the suite from the film ‘The Red Violin’.
Classic FM
Like James MacMillan, Corigliano is an audacious bringer-together of seemingly irreconcileable styles. He can be as experimental as any moderninst, then seconds later address his audience with the open-hearted diectness of Mahler.
BBC Music Magazine
They play these premiere recordings with such verve that my feet havent stopped tapping!
Classic FM Magazine on CHAN 10181 (Klezmer)
…strongly played and well recorded… a most enjoyable disc…
BBC Music Magazine ‘Pick of the Month’ on CHAN 989
The performances by I Musici de Montréal and Yuli Turovsky are unfailingly stylish and perceptive… a collection that gives considerable pleasure.
Gramophone on CHAN 10094 (Dances from the Heart of
…strongly played and well recorded… a most enjoyable disc…
BBC Music Magazine ‘Pick of the Month’ on CHAN 989
Eleonora Turovsky, the leader of I Musici de Montréal, is superb, her left-hand dexterity making light of the fast passages, every note – even in the most strenuous passages placed in the outer reaches of the instrument – perfectly centred. It is coupled with the Second Symphony, Corigliano’s reworking of his String Quartet of 1996 and a powerful and compelling score for String Orchestra. The potent performance emphasises the wide dynamic range and the bold colours captured in this superb and realistic surround-sound recording.
The Strad
They play these premiere recordings with such verve that my feet havent stopped tapping!
Classic FM Magazine on CHAN 10181 (Klezmer)
Turovsky emphasises the music’s warmth – sometimes heat – and excitement rather than razorsharp precision. Not that this is a loose or underpowered performance but Turovsky seems to see the work as an emotional statement rather than a display of technique. All the whitle, the solo quartet that sometimes comes forward in the score can produce an eerie, white, viol-like sound.
Fanfare (USA)
Among the best cello discs of the year and certainly the most entertaining. Highly recommended.
BBC Music Magazine on CHAN 9973 (Nocturnal Dances)
The performances by I Musici de Montréal and Yuli Turovsky are unfailingly stylish and perceptive… a collection that gives considerable pleasure.
Gramophone on CHAN 10094 (Dances from the Heart of
Among the best cello discs of the year and certainly the most entertaining. Highly recommended.
BBC Music Magazine on CHAN 9973 (Nocturnal Dances)
In the violin solos, Eleonora Turovsky is a subtler, more varies and earthier advocate than Bell, and she is less closely recorded, too. To the strings, Corigliano add a little percussion, harp and some non-credited voices. A longer gap between the Symphony and Suite would have been welcome. Otherwise, this is a superb release.
International Record Review