Spellbound (Flute Concertos by Sofia Gubaidulina, Mari Takano & Sally Beamish) Sharon Bezaly, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra & Mario Venzago

• Sofia Gubaidulina (b. 1931): The Deceitful Face of Hope and Despair
• 1 Gubaidulina: The Deceitful Face of Hope and Despair 26:42
• Mari Takano (b. 1960): Concerto for Flute and String Orchestra:
• 2 Takano: Concerto for Flute and String Orchestra: I. Chicago 05:57
• 3 Takano: Concerto for Flute and String Orchestra: II. The Only Flower in the World 06:34
• 4 Takano: Concerto for Flute and String Orchestra: III. Walking 08:50
• Sally Beamish (b. 1956): Flute Concerto "Callisto":
• 5 Beamish: Flute Concerto "Callisto": I. Callisto and Diana. Allegretto – Allegro 08:40
• 6 Beamish: Flute Concerto "Callisto": II. Callisto and Juno. Adagio 09:10
• 7 Beamish: Flute Concerto "Callisto": III. Callisto and Arcas. Andante – Allegro 07:50
• Total Runtime 01:13:43

Info for Spellbound (Flute Concertos by Sofia Gubaidulina, Mari Takano & Sally Beamish)

Sharon Bezaly has been recognized not only for her superb gifts as a musician, but also for her commitment to her instrument and its repertoire. She has inspired numerous composers to compose directly for her, and makes it a priority to perform these works all over the world, as well as recording them. To date no less than 15 flute concertos have been dedicated to her, and on Spellbound three of these are gathered. The disc is a companion piece to the 2005 disc Nordic Spell, on which concertos by three Scandinavian composers (Kalevi Aho, Christian Lindberg and Haukur Tómasson) were brought together. That disc received a number of prestigious distinctions, including a Midem Classical Award and an Editor's Choice in Gramophone. Bezaly’s performances earned her top marks in various international magazines, for instance in Fanfare, whose reviewer wrote: ‘It is plain to hear why the composers were so inspired by her artistry, and also why BIS is making a significant commitment of recording her: this is the most technically assured, breathtakingly brilliant flute-playing around.’ On Spellbound, Sharon Bezaly interprets works by three women composers: Sofia Gubaidulina, Sally Beamish and Mari Takano. All three concertos were dedicated to Sharon Bezaly, with the composers participating at the recordings and in the booklet. The result is a triptych of three highly personal pieces joined together by the spellbinding artistry of Sharon Bezaly.

‘There are composers who construct their works very consciously; I am one of those who “cultivate” them. And for this reason everything I have assimilated forms as it were the roots of a tree, and the work its branches and leaves. One can indeed describe them as being new, but they are leaves nonetheless, and seen in this way they are always traditional and old.’ (Sofia Gubaidulina)

"This album is a powerful tribute to Sharon Bezaly's remarkable gifts (all three works are dedicated to her): and BIS shows commendable enterprise in issuing such a wide-ranging selection of contemporary works, in excellent recordings of persuasive performances. It deserves every success." (Gramophone)

Sharon Bezaly, flute
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (track 1)
Mario Venzago, conductor
Swedish Chamber Orchestra (tracks 2-4)
Anne Manson, conductor
Royal Scottish National Orchestra (tracks 5-7)
Martyn Brabbins, conductor

Sharon Bezaly
Described by The Times (UK) as ‘God’s gift to the flute’, Sharon Bezaly is first on the non-alphabetical list in 2019 in BBC Music Magazine’s feature ‘Six of the best’, listing the top flautists of recent years. A first prize graduate of the Paris Conservatoire, pupil of Alain Marion and Raymond Guiot and solo flute with Camerata Salzburg under Sándor Vegh, she is one of the very rare full time flute soloists, making her début with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Zubin Mehta at the age of 14.

An alumna of BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists Scheme, Sharon Bezaly has been artist in residence with the Residentie Orkest The Hague and won prestigious prizes at Cannes Classical Awards and Echo Klassik. Her playing has inspired many renowned composers to enrich the flute literature with more than 20 concertos. She performs these worldwide, alongside the standard repertoire, collaborating with top orchestras and conductors in high profile settings such as the BBC Proms, Sydney Opera House, Vienna Musikverein, Suntory Hall and Carnegie Hall. Sharon Bezaly’s numerous albums on BIS have won her the highest accolades and distinctions from the world’s top magazines, with her versions of Mozart’s Gmajor concerto and Poulenc’s Sonata (with Ronald Brautigam) being named the best recordings by BBC Music Magazine (in 2020 and 2019, respectively). Her perfect control of circular breathing (taught by Aurèle Nicolet) enables her to reach new peaks of musical interpretation, as testified by the comparison to David Oistrakh and Vladimir Horowitz made in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. In 2018 she was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

Booklet for Spellbound (Flute Concertos by Sofia Gubaidulina, Mari Takano & Sally Beamish)