The two sisters of the violin-and-piano
Duo Gazzana
are the only Italian chamber group ever signed to the boutique label
ECM
, and they have already mastered a common formula employed by that label: a combination of Romantic repertory pieces with contemporary works, tending toward the sparse and abstract, with a group that can manage a clean, rather hypnotic sound. The results here, in a pair of recent works by the veteran
Tonu Korvits
, are excellent. The ominously named
Stalker Suite
is an homage to the 1979 Soviet science fiction film Stalker; it is unconnected to the film's original soundtrack, but the film's atmospherics suggest more than one musical realization. Sample the third movement, "Monologue," for violin solo. Equally compelling are the
four Notturni
of
Korvits
, crystalline little things that would be simple if one could ever pin them down.
is a bit less successful in the repertory works. The
Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 105
, of
Schumann
has sometimes been criticized, even by
himself; it shows the composer beginning to engage with the dense balance of motive and larger structure that would be explored by
Brahms
. It requires a close, intense performance that it doesn't quite get here, although everything is no less than competent. The sisters let their hair down a bit more in the
Grieg
Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45
, and its rollicking, tuneful finale, which really ought to be better known than it is, makes a rousing ending. Beautifully recorded at the Reitstadl Neumarkt and with booklet notes by
Paul Griffiths
that are just about worth the price of admission, this is an enjoyable
release. ~ James Manheim