Over to Austria by way of Spain this week for a concert given on May 21, 2011 by French Piano sensation Cedric Tiberghien in a recital of music by Beethoven, Schumann, Ravel and Debussy.

Tiberghiend has been getting great reviews over his U.S. debut with the National Symphony (of Washington D.C.) and is slated for a busy tour schedule of the U.S. this year.

But in the meantime, here is the recital from last year as recorded by ORF in Austria and relayed to Radio Nacional Espana. The concert is broken up into two parts - Part One has the Beethoven and Schumann and Part Two has the Ravel and Debussy.

Here are the notes:

17.00►Gran Auditorio
Concierto celebrado en la Sala Markus Sittikus de
Hohenems el 21 de mayo de 2011. Grabación de la ORF,
Austria. Schubertiadas 2011.

BEETHOVEN: Sonata para piano nº 14 en Do sostenido menor, Op. 27 / 2.

SCHUMANN: Kreisleriana, Op. 16.

RAVEL: Gaspard de la nuit.

DEBUSSY: Masques. D‟un
chaier d‟esquisses. L‟isle joyeuse.
Cedric Tiberghien (p.).

We're looking at almost perfect Anti-Road Rage music today. I think it's safe to operate heavy machinery while listening to this one.

Enjoy no matter what.

Over to Madrid this week for a soothing blast of Chamber music as performed by Ruben Reinas, violin, - Javier Albares, cello and Cameron Roberts, piano. It was recorded and broadcast live a couple weeks ago (Feb. 4th) by Radio Nacional Espana and their excellent Radio Clasica outlet.

Featured are works by Montsalvatge, Debussy and Villa-Lobos and the concert is broken up over two players with the Montsalvatge and Debussy on the top player and the Villa-Lobos taking up the bottom player.

Here's the rundown:

Los conciertos de Radio Clásica

Música de Cámara de la Orquesta y Coro de RTVE.

Transmisión directa desde el Teatro Monumental de Madrid.

MONTSALVATGE: Trío para violón, violonchelo y piano.

DEBUSSY: Trío para violín, violonchelo y piano en Sol mayor.

VILLA LOBOS: Trío para violín, violonchelo y piano nº 3.

Ruben Reina (vl.), Javier Albarés (vc.), Cameron Roberts (p.).

I realized we haven't had any chamber music on the Mid-Week concert in a while - of all things, talk about perfect Anti-Road Rage music. I promise we'll do more in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, enjoy and put down the baseball bat.

Over to Spain this week for a concert performed by Orquesta Sinfonica de Navarra conducted by Francois-Xavier Roth and featuring Ysaye Quartet Violist Miguel da Silva joining the orchestra in the Viola Concerto of Bartok. Finishing up the concert (which goes a little over an hour) is the Schumann Symphony Number 3 (Rhenish). The concert was recorded by Radio Espana on January 14, 2010.

What starts the concert is a particular favorite of mine which, up until recently has been hardly ever performed. The German Dances of Schubert arranged by Anton von Webern is one of the really charming and thoroughly enjoyable pieces that seem to have been given short-shrift in the concert hall in the past. It's been getting performed more in recent months which is a good sign and a relief.

I confess to not being all that familiar with this orchestra and, like many of these smaller regional bands, completely blown away by them. Although they are not new (they got started in 1879), they are a wonderful discovery and further evidence music and its performance is alive and well. Francois Xavier Roth may not be all that familiar in the U.S. but he is making a name for himself in Europe for very good reason.

Here's the rundown for you note takers:

20.00►Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra

Concierto celebrado en el Auditorio Baluarte de

Pamplona el 14 de enero de 2010.

SCHUBERT (arr. WEBERN): Danzas alemanas,D.820.
BARTOK: Concierto para viola y orquesta, SZ. 120.
SCHUMANN: Sinfonía nº 3 en Mi bemol mayor, Op. 97 “Renana”. Miguel da Silva (vla.), Orq.Sinf. de Navarra. Dir.: F. X. Roth.

Since the concert is a little over an hour, it's all on one player. Announcements are in Spanish.

A good concert to go with Anti-Road Rage Wednesday. Turn it up and relax.