Miniautres & Folklore - 23 pieces for cello and piano Gavriel Lipkind & Alexandra Lubchansky

• 1 Guitarre op. 45 Nr. 2 04:31
• 2 Scherzo-Tarantella op. 16 05:17
• 3 Tango 03:13
• 4 Hora Staccato 02:15
• 5 D. Gabrieli / Lipkind: Ricercare Nr. 5 01:54
• 6 Tscherepnin / Lipkind: Tartar Dance op. 84 Nr. 2 01:21
• 7 Walzer aus Music for Children op. 62 02:00
• 8 Arabic Melody 02:38
• 9 Lively aus 2Music for Violoncello 02:30
• 10 Romance 03:05
• 11 Oriental Dance 04:42
• 12 Chonguri 02:01
• 13 Lied ohne Worte Nr. 43 04:33
• 14 Elfentanz op. 39 02:31
• 15 Allegretto moderato 01:22
• 16 Lullaby 04:16
• 17 Étude Nr. 7 01:46
• 18 Le Petit Ane Blanc 02:37
• 19 Intermezzo & Danza Finale aus Suite Espagnole 07:06
• 20 Prayer aus 'From Jewish Life op. 1 05:02
• 21 Caprice Nr. 5 02:33
• 22 Ungarischer Tanz Nr. 1 03:50
• 23 Tambourin Chinois 05:45
• Total Runtime 01:16:48

Info for Miniautres & Folklore - 23 pieces for cello and piano

Folkloristic flavors and origins together with the picturesque-ness and compactness of the Miniature serve as a perfect framework for an exciting investigation of the very limits of cello playing; Each of the 23 pieces introduces an element that goes beyond the common notion of what is possible to do with the cello.

I am declining to list the 23 items that make up this disc for fear of headnote tedium. Suffice it to say that these miniatures range from Moszkowski to Tchaikovsky to Brahms to Tsintsadze to Gabrielli to Dinicu, focusing mainly on the Romantic era but not confined to it, and that most of the pieces are relatively unknown. We have all seen albums like this before, numerous times and for a multitude of different instruments. Lipkind’s verbosity in the notes goes to great philosophical depths in order to explain his choice of pieces, spinning needless extrapolations that often clutter the real intent of the collection. For example, right at the beginning of this superbly done hardbound booklet (and this album is also available in Super Audio) we read, “My hope is that listening to this selection of short pieces and to the playful dialogue between them will add a new spiritual dimension to a lost tradition of our instrumental grammar, a grammar which is still an essential part of the unwritten mythology of virtuoso and classic-improvisatory playing.” What? Lost tradition? Checked the catalog recently for these kinds of recordings? They are legion. Hyperbole tends to remind me that I am being pitched, something that happens constantly in everyday life, so I would rather my spiritual listening experience be devoid of that.

Having gotten that off my chest, I will now make the unbelievable pronouncement that this is far and away the most spectacular disc of its type that I have ever heard. Each piece was selected for its folk elements or origins, each is a consummate presentation of this cellist’s lyrical propensities and ultra-formidable technique, and taken as a whole it is beautifully constructed from a programmatic standpoint. Though you might think 77 minutes of cello and piano would tire you, not so; indeed, you might find yourself disappointed when the thing finally ends. Rarely does such time with such instruments pass so quickly.

Lipkind’s tonal qualities surpass just about any other cellist on the scene today, with remarkable control in all registers, wonderful intonation, and a rich, burly sound that takes your breath away. Not to be left out of the equation is pianist Alexandra Lubchansky, who bears at least half of the burden of this program, never merely accompanying but equally involved in music that often requires equal partnership. I am normally very shy or at least wary of these discs—so many are simple showoff monstrosities. Lipkind and Lubchansky have given us a true artist’s collection, one that is sure to get a lot of play time on any system in any serious collection. (FANFARE, Steven E. Ritter)

Gavriel Lipkind, Cello
Alexandra Lubchansky, Piano

Gavriel Lipkind, born in Tel Aviv in 1977, enjoyed an early stellar rise to international renown as a young cellist, before making the decision to question a predefined life and halt a predictable path. He decided to take a three-year period of retreat from stage life, during which he devoted himself to further studies and recording. An iconoclastic thinker, Mr. Lipkind’s work today stands for consistent thought and intrinsic musical inspiration without compromising quality — an almost unattainable goal in the life of performing soloists today. Being a genuine fanatic of musical detail and audio documentation, Mr. Lipkind has chosen a radical path of innovation in his profession.

Gavriel Lipkind plays a unique Italian cello labeled "Aloysius Michael Garani (Bologna, 1702)" estimated, however, to have been completed in the years 1670-1680. An enigma which has come to be known as "the Zihrhonheimer cello". The Zihrhonheimer Cello could become an inseparable part of Mr. Lipkind's music making thanks to the generous support of M. & D. P.

Booklet for Miniautres & Folklore - 23 pieces for cello and piano