Recent Recordings of Classical Music on Mandolin?

[Paul Kotapish]

I'm hoping to put together a brief survey of some recent recordings of classical music on the mandolin for an online publication that caters to classical music enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area.

One of our writers recently covered the San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins and I thought it would be a fun to run follow-up piece with some recommended listening.

I'd love your input on anything new since the Favorite Recordings of Classical Mandolin thread from 2012.

I have the Thile solo Bach, of course, and some much older stuff, but I'm interested in anything you can recommend that's new or recent or at least still in print or available for download.

Any input would be gratefully received.

Thanks!

[Martin Ohrt]

Paul, that seems like a nice idea!
I'd highly recommend "J.S. Bach" by Lichtenberg & Marshall
http://caterinalichtenberg.com/discography/js-bach/

Of course, every Album with Caterina is great stuff for the Classical mandolinist
So is the work of Gertrud Weyhofen aka Gertrud Tröster.

[margora]

Paul, I sent you a private message about your request.

[Beanzy]

The mandolin& harp duo album Tapestry by Duo Mandala is a great one for modern compositions.

Carlo Aonzo's Paganini album is lovely for a different sound

[Paul Kotapish]

I appreciate the input, all. Thanks.

Do any of you know if the Melonious Quartet is still active? They did a nice recording of Satie stuff a few years back, but I haven't heard much about them lately.

[3step]

Duo Acquavella - Gimo Samling 18th century sonatas and triosonatas for mandolin. This cd has been a constant for months with me. The compositions are from various composers, with a focus on 3 in particular, who's pieces were collected into the so called Gimo Samling book. A great overview of repertoire from the time for the mandolin, which well deserved to be recorded, and now it has .

[barbaram]

I like a lot of the mandolins composition written for the Sydney Mandolins, Artistic Director: Adrian Hooper.

You can see them at:
www.sydneymandolins.com
then click Compositions.

Some of the solo works are outstanding.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Few more recent releases appropriate for consideration:

Avi Avital - Vivaldi
New Music from Duo Acquavella with Bach Collegium San Diego
Mike Marshall & Caterina Lichtenberg - JS Bach
Mike Marshall and the Turtle Island Quartet
Joe Brent and Alon Sariel - An Englishman in New York
Chris Thile - Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1
Julien Martineau - Calace's Preludes For Solo Mandolin

[margora]

Over the past 7 years I have published approximately 50 CD reviews in the “Mandolin Journal”, the quarterly publication of the Classical Mandolin Society of America. I have been the Reviews Editor for the past four years. The Journal is archived (members only) at the CMSA website, www.classicalmandolinsociety.org.

I only review CDs that I personally like, after repeated listening. The criteria are performance quality, production quality, and innovative choice of repertoire and/or approach. All of the CDs I have reviewed I am happy to recommend to a general (classical) audience. A representative selection (in alphabetical order of performer) would be:

Duo Acquavella (with members of the Bach Collegium San Diego), “Gimo-Samling: 18th Century Sonatas and Trio-sonatas for Mandolin,” www.centaurrecords.com

Annika Hinsche, “Carlo Domeniconi: Selected Works VII 12 Preludes for Solo Mandolin,” www.pool-musik.com or www.trekel.de

Julien Martineau, “Raffaele Calace: Preludes for Solo Mandolin,” http://www.museclassique.fr/MUSE_classique/MUSE.html

Katsia Prakopchyk, “Mandolino contemporaneo”, www.trekel.de

Duo ReCuerda, “Gioielli del barocco,” www.primton.de or www.trekel.de

Chris Thile, “Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1,” http://www.nonesuch.com/albums/bach-...partitas-vol-i

Steffen Trekel and Michael Tröster, “Dedications,” Thorofon CTH2613, www.trekel.de

Anne Wolf, “A Gleam in Winter: Japanese Music for Mandolin,” www.trekel.de

[John Goodin]

Let me say that Dr. Margo's reviews in the Mandolin Journal are outstandingly good. I suspect that no one in North America has a more comprehensive grasp of current classical mandolin activity around the world. I think that it's worth the $35 CMSA membership fee just to have access to his reviews in the MJ.

(Full disclosure, I wrote a number of reviews in the MJ before I was able to help persuade Bob to take on this role.)

Of the CDs mentioned above I would choose the Duo ReCuerda and the Duo Acquavella baroque recordings as my favorites. The sound of the Duo ReCuerda CD is spectacular.

A recent favorite recording of mine that may or may not be "classical" to some ears is "Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow", released in 2015 by the quartet Spiro. Their music is more about ensemble sound than solo virtuosity but the mandolin (played by Alex Vann) is a constant in their music and fundamental to what they are doing. If Steve Reich's work is "classical" then so are they. They've been together since the early 1990s so there is lots of earlier music as well.

[Nick Royal]

There are lots of classical cds of mandolin now. Let me list two I am enjoying by Avi Avital:
Avi Avital - Vivaldi
&
Between Worlds - A wonderful cd with Avital playing with a variety of musicians; and interesting pieces.

[John Uhrig]

As a member of the CMSA and a cover to cover reader of the Mandolin Journal, I seem to always read Robert's reviews first. They are insightful and well written. I have made many of my recording purchases because of his reviews.

[Paul Kotapish]

Thanks again for all of the wonderful suggestions.

[Scot63]

This recording of Charles Avison's work has a link on mandolin cafe: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/co...fter-Scarlatti