Giselher Klebe (violin music)

Eckhard Fischer (vln) Christian Köhn (piano)

Sonata No.1 for Solo Violin op.8. Sonata No.1 for Violin and Piano op.14. Sonata No.2 for Solo Violin op.20. Sonata No.2 for Violin and Piano op.66. Capriccio for Solo Violin op.128 'Vor dem Gewitter'. Fantasia Incisiana for Violin and Piano op.137.

Marco Polo CD 8 225304 [78 mins]

Marco Polo has supported this prolific and distinguished German composer (b.1925) and this is released for his 80th birthday. There are also CDs of his piano and orchestral music in their catalogue.

Klebe studied with Blacher and was encouraged by Henze. He is a serialist who believes in 'the unifying function of melody'. This is a generous selection of music, alternating solo and duo played eloquently and well recorded. The final and longest work (Fantasia Incisiana, 2001) was a tribute to his violinist wife and to friends who helped him get over her death. The solo sonatas might be useful for violinist students exploring new repertoire?

Georges Taconet: Fourteen Songs / Violin Sonata in D minor
Anges (Angels) • Au bord de l’eau (By the water) • Chanson (Song) • Chanson aux eternels murmures (Song to Eternal Murmuring) • Elegie • En regardant passer la vie (While watching life go by) • Goute, me dit le soir de juin (Taste, the June evening tells me) • Hier on parlait de choses et d’autres (Yesterday we spoke of one thing and another) • L’Attente mystique I (Mystical Expectation I) • L’Attente mystique II (Mystical Expectation II) • Les Sources (Springs) • Quand au matin je vois (When in the morning I see) • Rondel • Soir (Evening) • Violin Sonata in D minor
Carlos Cebro, piano / Fanny Clamagirand, violin / Virginie Martineau, piano / Dominique Mea, soprano
Marco Polo: CD 8 225300

A disappointing CD of attractive, if not strikingly original, music by a French composer whose name is new to me. The songs and their performances tend to be "same-y" and the poems chosen of limited interest. I enjoyed better the violin sonata, which is worth hearing.

One for collectors who want 'everything'.