All of the composers here combine elements of ancient Azerbaijani tradition with Western forms, colourful orchestration and vivid musical storytelling. This is epitomized in Vasif Adigezalov’s symphonically proportioned Fourth Piano Concerto, while Fikret Amirov adds a touch of Arabian exoticism into his Concerto. The bubbling energy of Tofig Guliyev’s ‘Gaytagi’ dance adds a splash of jazz, and Farhad Badalbeyli’s works depict The Sea in an expansive and atmospheric score, followed by the sad tale of the city of Shusha expressed in a vocalise.
…it is a crazy quilt, but it is a lot of fun. In addition to [the] very tasty…main courses, Naxos gives us not one, not two, but three desserts.
A really first-class orchestra helps to put these scores across, and conductor Dmitry Yablonsky…is a sympathetic and energetic leader. The pianists, both of them native Azerbaijanis, are very much up to their respective tasks, playing with sparkle and with an obvious affinity for the folk idioms. In Shusha , soprano Joan Rodgers is most soulful. Excellent engineering is another point in this disc’s favor.
This might not be the most important CD I’ve reviewed in 2011, but it is one of the most enjoyable, even adorable. As such, it is highly recommended! --2012 Fanfare, 2012
A really first-class orchestra helps to put these scores across, and conductor Dmitry Yablonsky…is a sympathetic and energetic leader. The pianists, both of them native Azerbaijanis, are very much up to their respective tasks, playing with sparkle and with an obvious affinity for the folk idioms. In Shusha , soprano Joan Rodgers is most soulful. Excellent engineering is another point in this disc’s favor.
This might not be the most important CD I’ve reviewed in 2011, but it is one of the most enjoyable, even adorable. As such, it is highly recommended! --2012 Fanfare, 2012
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