The Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931), first a pupil of his father, won a prize at the age of nine, studied with Wieniawski in Brussels and Vieuxtemps in Paris and played Beethoven's C minor Sonata with Clara Schumann on his first concert tour in Germany in 1878. In 1882, Anton Rubinstein took him on a tour to Russia and Norway. At his wedding feast with the singer Louise Bourdeau, he played the sonata by César Franck dedicated to him, then moved to Brussels as a professor, where he taught until 1898 (famous pupils: Gingold, Primrose, Persinger). During the First World War, he lived in London, later in the USA, before finally returning to Brussels, where he worked as a conductor, teacher and concert manager until his death.

Throughout his life, he used composing as a source of energy and a refuge. His most important legacy are the six solo sonatas op. 27, composed in 1923. This booklet sheds light on the works from 1882 to 1905, written at his various places of activity. It demonstrates his stupendous, spiritualized virtuosity. Of the eight printed works, the Légende norvégienne a worthwhile first publication. The foreword by Marie Cornaz (d/f/e) tells the exciting story of the pieces. In the detailed notes (d/e), the Japanese violinist Ray Iwazumi, who teaches at the Juilliard School and specializes in Ysaÿe's musicology, offers his help. Unusual: in the violin part, Ysaÿe's original fingerings and line markings are printed in black, Iwazumi's in gray.

Eugène Ysaÿe: Poème élégiaque op. 12 and other works for violin and piano, edited by Ray Iwazumi, HN 1201, € 42.00, G. Henle, Munich  

On her debut Struggle or play (2007), Five on Fire focused on easily digestible jazz with funk interjections. Six years later, however, the formation around Daniel Gubelmann reinvented itself and began collaborating with a string quartet. For the latest album Eternal movement this approach was developed further and a large string ensemble from the Musikkollegium Winterthur was used.

Gubelmann's aim was to combine jazz with classical music and improvisation, searching for powerful melodies and the greatest possible expressiveness. The musician and composer, who trained in Bern, Zurich and Buenos Aires and is known in particular for his lyrical saxophone playing, allows his jazz quartet to play on an equal footing with the string orchestra. The result is an almost symbiotic sound that ignores genre boundaries.

The title of the record, "Ewigkeit der Bewegung" (Eternity of Movement), suggests that the project does not stand for understatement, on the contrary. Accordingly, what is on offer is impressive and full of drama. Whereby the prelude, the delicate Preludio de Buenos Aireswhich is entirely the responsibility of the string orchestra, is surprisingly restrained at first. This is followed by El rio de las estrellaswhich is characterized by a sublime conversation between saxophone and piano and features melancholy timbres. With La flor del amor Gubelmann's flair for the tango finally makes itself felt - with great passion and sometimes furious rhythms.

According to Gubelmann, his eight compositions claim to be able to manage without pictures. Nevertheless Eternal movement a cinematic suite that references Astor Piazzolla, Stan Getz and John Coltrane, among others. The result is an album that is as daring as it is eloquent, that goes its own way and knows how to impress.

Five on Fire feat. Musikkollegium Winterthur: Eternal movement. Solo Musica SM407

As editor for New Music at Südfunk Stuttgart and founder and director of the Schola Cantorum Stuttgart, he was in productive exchange with his contemporaries Pierre Boulez, Mauricio Kagel, György Ligeti, Luigi Nono, Karlheinz Stockhausen and many others who founded New Music. With his Schola Cantorum, a 16-voice chamber vocal ensemble, Gottwald played a decisive role in shaping the a cappella choral culture at the highest technical level that is taken for granted today. His transcriptions of piano songs or instrumental pieces for polyphonic a cappella choir, which set the highest musical standards in a style inspired by Ligeti, are appreciated by choirs all over the world.

Clytus Gottwald has received several awards for his achievements, including the Baden-Württemberg Culture Prize in 2009, the European Church Music Prize in 2012 and the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2014. His importance for the development of contemporary choral music cannot be overestimated.

With Clytus Gottwald, the Carus publishing house one of its most important authors.

After numerous new editions as well as recordings of symphonies and chamber music from her pen have appeared in recent years, the composer Emilie Mayer (1812-1883) is probably no longer completely unknown. Of course, this should also be seen as a sign of the times: Although the musical estate was already accessible to the public in the 20th century at the best location (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin), interest remained rather low at the time. Today, of course, there is unnecessary exuberance in many a sensational headline such as "The female Beethoven" (NDR) - or in the subtitle of the newly published biography of Barbara Beuys: "Europe's greatest female composer". What constitutes this "greatness" is open to debate: Is it the size of her oeuvre? Or is it the focus of her work, which lies on such important genres as the string quartet and symphony? And how should these works be classified in relation to those of Louise Farrenc?

Questions that Barbara Beuys does not answer, but which are not her focus at all. In her "Search for Traces", she recounts Emilie Mayer's life and the performances of her works with numerous historical and cultural-historical embeddings. This overarching view is perhaps the strength of the account; as far as the actual dates and details are concerned, the author relies primarily on the extensive research undertaken by Almut Runge-Woll for her dissertation on this extraordinary Loewe pupil, which was published in 2003. Even if the target audience of the current biography may not lie solely in the realm of interested music lovers, it is nevertheless surprising that there is no rudimentary characterization of Emilie Mayer's compositional output, nor even a summary list of her works. On the other hand, there are redundancies ("Ehefessel", pp. 52 and 195), inaccuracies ("Streichquartett" instead of Streichquintett, p. 138) and sometimes overly casual formulations: "Trombones and string instruments - wasn't there something?" And so this portrait is more of a further installment in the series of cultural-historical biographies of the author, without any "musical" search for clues.

Barbara Beuys: Emilie Mayer, Europe's greatest composer. A search for traces, 220 p., € 22.00, Dittrich, Weilerswist-Metternich 2021, ISBN 978-3-947373-69-7

Viola von Scarpatetti's artistic streak began to emerge at an early age: She attended a circus school as a child and later studied at the European Film Actor School in Zurich. She has long since established herself with her work in front of the camera - thanks to her leading role in the comedy 20 rules for Sylvie (2014) -, the actress, who grew up in Fribourg and France, now wants to devote herself to another art form, the chanson.

The 34-year-old's debut album, Fais un pont, is all about her own experiences and emotions. It is also fitting that she created the slightly melancholy title song as a teenager - originally as a rap. Today, her music combines folk with Francophone chanson and pop. Consequently, only the concluding Hong Kong with English instead of French lyrics.

What makes the record stand out is its lightness. This also manifests itself in the restrained production, which is not aiming for perfection but for coherence. This succeeds and means that the cicadas chirping during the recordings in the south of France can also be heard on the release. While Laisser danser with seemingly thrown away guitar licks and a short whistled melody and indulges in memories, turns Momo's chanson about Michael Ende's novel character and uses soft accordion sounds and gentle wind passages.

Other tracks such as the elegiac Marin, the playful whirling Voyage dans le désert or the sparsely arranged Je te sens make it clear that Viola von Scarpatetti's material is designed to provide lasting moments of relaxation. She has succeeded in creating twelve sound gems that dispense with pomp and pageantry and instead captivate with charm and restrained elegance.

Viola von Scarpatetti: "Fais un pont" (self-distribution) www.violavonscarpatetti.com

It is called the "Sellière", was built by Antonio Stradivari in 1680 and was played by the legendary Wolfgang Schneiderhan, co-founder of the Festival Strings Lucerne, from 1934 until the end of the 1970s. The fine instrument then disappeared into the owners' bank safe until 2019. Since then, it has been on permanent loan to the Festival Strings and Daniel Dodds.

Dodds is now using this "gift from heaven" for a recording, recorded at the KKL Lucerne. Remarkably, the makers of the program did not opt for violin concertos, but chose Mozart's Haffner Serenadewhich is described in the CD booklet with a great deal of understatement as "almost forgotten". Just think of concerts with Ton Koopman or Thomas Zehetmair, to name but two.

Be that as it may, it is a wise choice, as this serenade not only showcases the violin in numerous solos, but also gives the Festival Strings ample opportunity to demonstrate their art. The result is more than worth listening to, even if the tempi sometimes take some getting used to.

The playing is almost always vibrato-less, gripping and fast. One cannot shake off the suspicion that the interpretations of the above-mentioned conductors served as a model to set themselves apart. Of course, Dodds can shine with virtuoso solos in his "Sellière", for example in the Rondo. However, the rather slow, melting movements are unfortunately somewhat "rushed"; a minuet is, after all, a shouting dance. However, Mozart's Serenade is also the Festival Strings' best entertainment music, which is a pleasure to listen to.

The world premiere recording of a work by Vincenzo Righini (1756-1812) at the end is somewhat ambivalent. The almost six-minute ballet music from Gerusalemme liberata is composed for bassoon, horn, violoncello and solo violin, resulting in idiosyncratic instrumental colors. In itself an exciting new discovery, but after the Haffner Serenade lost something.

Mozart: Haffner Serenade. Festival Strings Lucerne, Daniel Dodds, violin & direction, Sony Classical 0196587250621

The Guitar Book by Sigi Schwab stands out from the usual sheet music editions in many respects. 100 pages of sturdy paper in a large format of around 26 x 37 centimeters with spiral binding; each of the 30 pieces on exactly one double page and, just as user-friendly, the chord indications are printed in red, the fingerings and other technical information in green, alongside the neatly set notes. This results in an informative, differentiated, but nevertheless not overloaded score.

But why 100 pages for the 30 pieces? Because the now 72-year-old versatile studio musician, this jazz, classical and world guitarist, intersperses extensive commentary as well as pictures and stories from his life. Sigi Schwab celebrates himself in a likeable way by endeavoring to pass on his enthusiasm for polyphonic guitar playing. He advocates the greatest possible openness both stylistically and in terms of interpretation. His pieces and arrangements should be varied and improvised upon. He says: "I listen to the cajoling of a self-appointed taste police and think about it. As a creative artist, I have to go my own way."

The first part of the music book consists of arrangements of jazz standards such as Lullaby of Birdland or Take Five, with always extremely sonorous harmonic sequences. Every note is written out - if you can read music well, you have an advantage. If you are at home in jazz, you can also improvise over the chords. Nevertheless, it is recommended that you study the fingerings carefully in order to understand Schwab's intentions. The fingers often move in high registers on all strings. This also applies to the pop numbers in the second, middle section, which mainly contains songs by the Beatles and Michael Jackson.

Finally, Sigi Schwab presents us with pieces "from my own musical world": mostly original compositions, but also gospels and a Bach prelude. The self-written pieces are somewhere between jazz and world music, some with Indian and African influences. They are somewhat easier to play than the arrangements of the other titles. Sigi Schwab thus allows us to share in some of the stages of his decades-long career - with this generously designed edition of a selection of pieces that were important to him.

Sigi Schwab: Guitar Book, 30 Arrangements from Classical Music to Jazz, ED 23369, € 35.00, Schott, Mainz

The symphonic poem Tapiola op. 112 is the last major work that Sibelius was able to complete and publish. It was commissioned by the New York Symphony Society and premiered there in 1926. According to Finnish mythology, the Nordic forest is inhabited by gods and goddesses, over whom Tapio rules as king of the forest. His home, hidden deep in the forest, is called "Tapiola".

In his work, Sibelius unfolds his vision of the forest in incredibly suggestive ostinati and delicate sound magic. Anyone who has heard these orchestral colors can hardly imagine that a piano rendition can somehow keep up with them. All those long organ dots, the many string tremolos and the rich sounds of the winds ... How can this be transferred to a keyboard instrument? Peter Lönnqvist has set himself this courageous task and Tapiola arranged for piano four hands (or for two pianos). According to the publisher, this version, published by Breitkopf und Härtel in 2021, is based on an earlier copy of the score by Einar Englund (1916-1999), who was himself a prolific composer and wrote seven symphonies - just like Sibelius.

The result is astonishing: the transfer to the piano works much better than expected. Of course, much is left to the player and his imagination, as Lönnqvist writes in the preface: "Performers should find the balance between piano notation and orchestral sound by studying the orchestral score and listening to the work in its original form." This is particularly important to bear in mind at the end, where Sibelius Tapiola in the most delicate B major of the multi-divided string section. The tremolos suggested here in the piano will hardly be able to suggest this sound. Perhaps continuous calm arpeggios would be more appropriate, such as those suggested by Liszt at the end of his arrangement of "Isolde's Liebestod".

Apart from that, however, Lönnqvist's transcription is a successful version and is certainly an enrichment for all those who would like to get to know this fascinating orchestral work even better at the piano or perform it as part of a chamber music concert. And last but not least, it would also be a rewarding task for conducting classes ...

Jean Sibelius: Tapiola for orchestra, transcribed by Einar Englund, arranged for piano four hands by Peter Lönnqvist, EB 9390, € 32.90, Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden

The saxophone, patented in 1846 and invented by the Belgian Adolphe Sax, only began its triumphal march with the emergence of jazz in the US music metropolis of New Orleans. As early as 1929, the German music critic Alfred Baresel called it the "most important melody instrument of the genre". Two new publications prove that it has long been central in other areas too.

The trail first leads to Klapparat, who reformed in 2021 and are no longer a sextet but a quintet with four saxophones and drums. Their current album Orbit shows that the band, most of whom come from Bern, have not only changed their line-up, but have also realigned themselves: Klapparat have already managed to distinguish themselves with inventive improvisations and rumbling street jazz. Now, however, their work has reached a new level. Not least because it has proven to be a clever move to enrich their sound with a tubax - a bass saxophone. This makes for particularly low tones, ones that creak and growl. The result is tracks like Lydian sufferingsthat runs riot between the elegant and the intricate, or like Evening lightwhich gradually reveals itself to be a drama. Other highlights include the frankly swinging Part 3 and Fields - a finely layered number that knows how to impress with continuously varying atmospheric images. Songs like the ones mentioned above make it clear that Klapparat can work with Orbit has succeeded in creating a playful, dynamic and innovative work.

In comparison, the saxophone quartets written by Thomas K. J. Mejer present themselves as straightforward and downright brittle. His eleven pieces, performed by the four saxophonists Silke Strahl, Vera Wahl, Eva-Maria Karbacher and Manuela Villiger, are edgy and rely on sounds that are rhythmically complex and challenging. While Sulpician imagery I-IV flirts with interjections that prove to be light-footed, pleasurable and capricious, the subsequent Dark Snow Falls upon the Bagpipers on four identical alto saxophones. However, their interplay does not result in anything conformist, but rather a kaleidoscope of filigree sounds that stimulate the imagination and evoke various images. Sometimes they are reminiscent of clattering typewriters, sometimes of alphorns at dawn. The sounds on offer, which are on the borderline between new music and jazz, do not necessarily nestle in the ear, but they do provide in-depth insights into a jagged world of sound. If you take the time to listen to this music, you will inevitably come to the conclusion that it is worthwhile to explore it: Creativity is alive and well here.

Saxophone quartets by Thomas K. J. Mejer: Uneven Same. Manuela Villiger, Eva-Maria Karbacher, Vera Wahl, Silke Strahl, saxophones. Wide Ear Records WER065

Klapparat (Daniel Zumofen, Charlotte Lang, Ivo Prato, Matthias Wenger, saxophones; Philipp Leibundgut, drums): Orbit. www.klapparat.ch

Parents have to be, but they are not always the best advisors. There are helicopter fathers and mothers, there are doubters and worriers who sometimes deprive their children of their own experiences. This is what comes to mind when you listen to the wonderful CD Struwwelpeter - a (hairy) story listens. Four members of the Basel Chamber Orchestra have often played history and music in classrooms.

The children's book Struwwelpeter by the psychologist Heinrich Hoffmann was published in 1845. Hoffmann originally intended it as a Christmas present for his three-year-old son. But lo and behold, by the time the author died, the book had already sold 950,000 copies and become an evergreen. Who doesn't know them, the sometimes cruel Tales of the Soup Punch, from Hanns peek-in-the-air or from the Thumbsucker?

Eva Miribung (violin), Georg Dettweiler (violoncello), Konstantin Timokhine (horn) and Jan Wollmann (trumpet) not only tell stories. They also choose and play the music with great taste. Story of the evil Friederich excerpts from the sombre cello concerto by Dmitri Shostakovich. The story of the black boys accompanied by tongue-in-cheek reggae and ska rhythms. To the Fidgety Philipp the quartet intones chamber music arrangements of passages from Richard Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel's funny pranks.

Parents and their admonitions come off badly on the CD. Hanns looks up in the air, but the parents - no better - stubbornly look at their cell phones. At least that's what the children say, who also have their say. Their refreshing comments show that the parents don't need to worry about the potential cruelty of the stories. Perhaps they shouldn't put them on for a four-year-old to fall asleep to. But for all children from first to fourth grade, it's a great CD, especially musically educational. "Scary, but exciting," comments one girl The sad story of the lighter.

A quartet of the Basel Chamber Orchestra sings and plays Struwwelpeter, a (hairy) story. Solo Musica SM 355

Rubato is an elastic term. This time it is not a performance instruction, but the name of the boy who sets off as a stowaway on the Santa Helena - the ship that will set sail for Buenos Aires. As an accordion player who is Rubato, he can of course hardly imagine a more attractive place than the Argentinian capital, "where the dance of all dances is danced".

So the tango takes center stage. But there is not just a tango on the keyboard or a tango finale, but a colorful bouquet with waltz or Csárdás elements or with song additions by Franz Schubert. All this music is beautifully interwoven with the story told by Stella Hänsenberger and created by Zurich poet Rainer Frei. Rubato meets Sordina, the violinist of the wild ship's orchestra. After all the quarrels with Capitano Spavento, Rubato is finally allowed to play in the wild ship's orchestra - and it gets even better ...

Erlach-based Edition Simili presents a great children's CD with a beautifully cardboard and illustrated cover. The target age group of around four to seven years old will not usually be able to do much with the illustrated sheet music. But perhaps the parents can play a little bedtime encore?

Rubato and the wild ship's orchestra. Story by Rainer Frei; drawings by Juliette Du Pasquier; music by Marc Hänsenberger; Musique Simili. Audio book with or without CD. Edition Simili