Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven, Hugo Wolf, Fritz Kreisler, Antonin Dvořák
Performer: Alisa Weilerstein, Gili Schwarzman, Guy Braunstein, Amihai Grosz, Susanna Yoko Henkel
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: PentaTone
Release: 2019
Size: 1 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23
01. I. Presto
02. II. Andante scherzoso, più allegretto
03. III. Allegro molto
Hugo Wolf: Serenade in G major (“Italian”)
04. Sehr lebhaft
Fritz Kreisler: Syncopation
05. Allegretto grazioso
Antonin Dvořák: “American” String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96
06. I. Allegro ma non troppo
07. II. Lento
08. III. Molto vivace
09. IV. Finale. Vivace ma non troppo
“Old Souls” presents masterworks of Beethoven, Dvořák, Wolf and Kreisler in new arrangements for flute and strings, played by a group of outstanding young musicians. Guy Braunstein’s arrangements display these well-known pieces in a fresh new light, while simultaneously expanding the flute repertoire and showcasing the exceptional possibilities of the instrument, here played by Gili Schwarzman.
Braunstein and Schwarzman are joined by violinist Susanna Yoko Henkel, violist Amihai Grosz and cellist Alisa Weilerstein. While the arrangement of Beethoven’s Violin Sonata Op. 23 entails a thorough recomposition of the original, the performances of Dvořák’s “American” String Quartet, Wolf’s Italian Serenade and Kreisler’s Syncopation stay closer to the source, with the flute taking up the role originally played by the first violin. The use of the flute creates novel sonic sensations through the way it blends with the strings, and at times gives the pieces a sparkle they did not have before.