History of the Salon – Morceaux caractéristiques, 1823–1913 (includes première recordings)

£12.00 + P&P

A fascinating and varied selection of 23 treasures, written for violin and piano spanning nearly a hundred years. Many were highly popular in the early days of acoustic recordings, but have now almost completely fallen out of fashion. Revisiting these brilliantly written pieces gives the listener a deeper understanding of popular musical styles and tastes in the 19th century.
A number of the pieces are première recordings.

In stock

‘A loving compilation’ (The Observer)
FHR80 Categories: ,

Description

History of the Salon – Morceaux caractéristiques, 1823–1913
Released: 10 July 2020

Vaughan Jones violin
Marcus Price piano 

Aleksander ZARZYCKI (1834–1895)
1. Mazurka No. 1 in G major, Op. 26 (Vivo)
<< Mazurka No. 1 in G major, Op. 26 released as a single (digital platforms only):  3 July 2020 [FHR80S] >>

Niccolò PAGANINI (1782–1840)
2. Cantabile e Valzer, Op. 19 (Cantabile quasi adagio)

Alfredo D’AMBROSIO (1871–1878)
3. Sérénade, Op. 4 (Allegro molto)

Moritz MOSZKOWSKI (1854–1925)
4. 5 Piano Pieces, Op. 18: No. 1, Mélodie in F major (Moderato) (arr. Friedrich Herman)

Benjamin GODARD (1849–1895)
5. Concerto romantique, Op. 35: III. Canzonetta (Allegro moderato) (arr. Benjamin Godard)

Joachim RAFF (1822–1882)
6. 6 morceaux, Op. 85: No. 3, Cavatina (Larghetto quasi Andantino)

Fantišek DRDLA (1868–1944)
7. Serenade No. 1 in A major (Allegretto)

Gaetano BRAGA (1829–1907)
8. La Serenata, ‘Angel’s Serenade’ (Andante con moto) (arr. Adolf Pollitzer)

François SCHUBERT (1808–1878)
12 Bagatelles, Op. 13 (première recording)
9. No. 3, Allegretto gracioso
10. No. 4, Allegretto agitato
11. No. 8, Le Désir (Andante agitato)
12. No. 9, L’Abeille (Allegretto agitato) [original version]
13. No. 12, Barcarola (Andante quasi Allegretto)

Giovanni SGAMBATI (1841–1914)
14. 2 Pezzi, Op. 24: No. 2, Serenata napoletana (Un poco sostenuto a piacere)

Alfredo D’AMBROSIO
15. Aria, Op. 22 (Lento)

Aleksander ZARZYCKI
16. Mazurka No. 2 in E major, Op. 39 (Animato)

Ferdinand LAUB (1832–1875)
17. 4 Morceaux, Op. 12: No. 1, Canzonetta in B minor (Sostenuto) (première recording)

Joachim RAFF
18. Méditation in A Major, Op. 75, No. 5, ‘Après le Coucher du Soleil’ (Andante) (arr. Friedrich Hermann) (première recording)

Benoit “Benno” HOLLANDER (1853–1942)
19. Mazurek in E major, Op. 25 (Allegro) (première recording)

Louis SPOHR (1784–1859)
20. 6 Salonstücke, Op. 135: No. 1, Barcarole in G major (Andantino)

Franz Von VECSEY (1893–1935)
21. Valse triste in C minor (Allegretto)

Moritz MOSKOWSKI
22. 2 Pièces, Op. 45: No. 2, Guitarre in G major (Allegro comodo) (arr. Pablo de Sarasate)

Enrique GRANADOS (1867–1916)
23. 12 Danzas españolas, Op. 37: No. 2, Oriental (Andante) (arr. Vaughan Jones)

Engineer and producer: John Croft (Chiaro Music Recording and Production)

24bit, 96kHz hi-resolution recording and mastering

Press Quotes

“a loving compilation… Some are world premiere recordings. Jones and Price cut an elegant musical dash, formidably nimble and adept at capturing the fizzing character of these miniatures. At 83 minutes long, this album will satisfy your salon needs, for lockdown and far beyond.” (The Observer/The Guardian)

“Jones has selected his repertoire wisely… Both Vaughan and Price play with, as I hope I’ve suggested, attention to stylistic niceties and an unwillingness to simply trot out unnuanced performances…. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen such a beautifully and thoughtfully designed booklet, housed in a smart digipack. FHR shows that you needn’t simply stand and deliver when it comes to this kind of thing… And you certainly don’t have to bathe in the lulling waters of nostalgia to enjoy this particular disc.” (MusicWeb International)

“…imaginative and varied programme… a gorgeous cantabile tone… Marcus Price’s sympathetic accompaniments are judged to perfection… high-quality booklet with Vaughan Jones’s outstanding notes… you certainly get your money’s worth…” (Gramophone)

“A pot-pourri of charming, mostly forgotten violin and piano miniatures that proved popular as salon entertainment during the 19th century. There is real depth and craft here, too” (**** BBC Music Magazine)

“Cest un recital avec beaucoup clelegance et de douceur d’antan qui nous berce.… Le label FHR a fait un Iles beau package, den que le cover attire de suite le regard” (Classique HD)

“Absolutely lovely” (Radio 3, In Tune)

“… when performed with such commitment and virtuosic flair, as is the case here, even the lightest of offerings is a delight to listen to… Jones’ tone is always sweet, but he avoids sugar overload with lightness of touch and effortless virtuosity when required… in isolation each piece is a delight in its own right, affectionately performed here by Jones and Price.” (Classical notes)