Composer: Antonin Dvořák

  • Found in Dreams

    Found in Dreams

    Helen Habershon is both an accomplished performer and an inspired composer of music which often evokes nature, or human emotions and sensibilities this is music which is ‘easy listening’ and in the light music tradition, and is unpretentious, but never facile: it has deep meaning. Her first two CDs have been highly praised and were Album of the Month and Album of the Week on Classic FM (UK) respectively. Her most recent album, ‘Found in Winter’, released in 2019, has been aired by Classic FM ever since. Helen had an established performing career until a serious injury led her to turn to composing, but she is now once again able to perform. Here she teams up with the successful pianist and arranger John Lenehan, who has appeared on over 70 recordings including several solo albums for Sony.

    For Found in Dreams Helen Habershon and John Lenehan offer a wonderfully diverse collection of repertoire. This includes beautiful arrangements of some of their favourite pieces; a couple of short movements of outstanding clarinet repertoire by Brahms and Finzi and some delightful new compositions of their own. As well as his beautifully crafted arrangements John has also written two lovely pieces to add to Helen’s. The cover design is a dream image from Helen’s five year old grandson.

    Throughout history mankind has been intrigued by the idea of dreams and Helen is no exception. As she says: “It’s interesting that all happenings begin as an idea and in order to get an idea one has to be in a receptive place. When creating I find myself in a kind of timeless space, rather like a daydream. I love the freedom of dreams, anything can happen. There are no boundaries and we are free to explore with no limits. The theme of ‘dreams’ came quite naturally and many of the pieces in the album reflect this.”

  • Liszt to Milhaud – A Journey with Piano Four Hands

    Liszt to Milhaud – A Journey with Piano Four Hands

    The Divine Art label has long been associated with music for piano duo – whether at two pianos or one – through the sterling and brilliant work of Goldstone and Clemmow and more recently Piano-à-Deux. The label is delighted to welcome a new duo with this program which contains several very popular and well-loved miniatures and transcriptions, bookended by major works from Liszt and Milhaud. They need no introduction save to say that from the dances, to the jazz-inflected pieces, each work is a joy to hear.

    These are sparkling performances of well known pieces and form a light counterpoint to the artists’ new 3-piano album of contemporary works. The pianists met when both students at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. Zeynep Ucbarasan is from Turkey but moved to the USA for her postgraduate studies and now lives in California. Her previous recordings and concert appearances have drawn unalloyed praise. Sergio Gallo is a Steinway artist who specialises in music of the Romantic period. He has made several acclaimed recordings for Eroica and is currently recording for Naxos and Quartz. He has won many awards and currently is professor of Piano Performance at the Georgia State University in Atlanta.

  • The Piano at the Carnival

    The Piano at the Carnival

    Carnival is a concept of public merry making enjoyed in many countries and a natural inspiration for composers. In the second of his trilogy of piano music related to public entertainments Anthony Goldstone again excels in musicianship in a superb programme which includes the first recording of the entirety of Khachaturian’s Masquerade Suite in the piano version.

    Be sure also to check out Anthony Goldstone’s companion CDs The Piano at the Ballet, vol. 1 (DDA25073), The Piano at the Ballet, vol. 2DDA 25148 and A Night at the Opera (DDA25067).

  • Dvorak & Mendelssohn Symphonies

    Dvorak & Mendelssohn Symphonies

    DVOŘÁK: “New World” Symphony
    MENDELSSOHN: “Scottish” Symphony
    both in the composers’ own four-hand versions

    There are hundreds of works which have been arranged for piano duet, many quite mediocre. But there are some magnificent works, including those selected by Goldstone & Clemmow, Britain’s top duo. The two symphonies on this disc are such examples, both having been written by the composers as original versions and not as an afterthought. We believe that this is the first recording of the “Scottish” Symphony in this version.