as featured artist
Vienna Mandolin Stories (PENTATONE)
This release explores the mandolin's (hi)story in Vienna beyond the familiar repertory of Beethoven sonatinas or Hummel's concerto. This music by Ernest Krähmer was lying dormant in the Bavarian State Library for nearly two centuries and can now be heard again. My Milanese six-string mandolin was restored especially for this project. The album also includes my setting of "Haydn's Mandolin Concerto", assembled from three different works by Josef Haydn, and another concert piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in my own arrangement for mandolin and orchestra. As a little bonus, the album ends with a virtuosic gallant concerto possibly from the feather of Giovanni Paisiello.
Die Kölner Akademie on period instruments
Conductor Michael Willens
Schubert (PENTATONE)
I always had a special affinity to the city of Vienna and its musical heritage. Some of the most famous pieces for the mandolin came from members of the 1st Viennese School, musical moments like Mozart’s Canzonetta from Don Giovanni or Beethoven's sonatinas for mandolin and piano. As an appetizer to my next concerto album Vienna Mandolin Stories, I present here an EP with a few selected works by Franz Schubert. In a counter-intuitive move, I decided not to go for the pianoforte or the guitar, which were often used as companions to the mandolin, but rather to partner the mandolin with the harp, which was a popular instrument both in salons and concert halls in Vienna of the 19th century. The blend of these two plucked instruments is fresh and crispy to my ears and I find that it serves itself marvellously to these very colourful tunes by Schubert.
Alon Sariel - mandolin
Anne-Sophie Bertrand - harp
Plucked Bach II (PENTATONE)
A natural continuation of my last album, featuring solo music by J. S. Bach that I’ve arranged for the mandolin. While the first volume concentrated on the cello suites, its sequel features works for the lute, organ and violin.
The iconoclast Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (BWV 565) for the organ receives an contemplative and intimate character on the mandolin. Excerpts of the Lute Suite (BWV 998) and the Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major (BWV 1006) are drawn in a whole new palette of colors. Bach's Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor (BWV 1003) shows how well the mandolin can deliver Bach's music and as a bonus track I’ve included Eugene Ysaÿe's dazzling “Obsession”.
Music videos: Toccata in D minor; Andante from 2nd Violin Sonata
Prelude in E major; Prelude in D major (guest: Francesca Benneti - theorbo)
A true pleasure and honor was it to record Beethoven's complete works for mandolin and fortepiano on historical instruments upon invitation by NAXOS for the New Beethoven Edition, made especially for Beethoven Year 2020.
Alon Sariel - mandolin (Gennaro Vinaccia, 1780)
Michael Tsalka - fortepiano (Johann Zahler, c. 1805)
This album is my personal tribute to the Bauhaus and came right on time for its centenary celebrations. Musically I've placed the White City of Tel Aviv, the largest Bauhaus Ensemble worldwide, next to Weimar, an important Bachstadt and the birth place of the Bauhaus movement in 1919. The German Jews who came to Palestine of the time brought their cultural heritage in their backpacks and founded Tel Aviv. That's where Bach & Bauhaus met first.
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Yehezkel Braun
Alon Sariel - mandolin, Michael Tsalka - piano
- Description & Videos
Paisiello in Vienna (Brilliant Classics)
The year 2016 marked 200 years for the death of one of the most popular composers of his time, Giovanni Paisiello (1740-1816). Just a couple of centuries ago, so many of his contemporaries were hunted by one of his greatest hits - the duet "Nel cor piu non mi sento".
This album presents works for mandolin/guitar by Hummel and Beethoven, decorated by original variations over Paisiello's aria by Wanhal, Giuliani, Bortolazzi and more.
Alon Sariel - mandolin (Pilade Mauri ~1850)
Izhar Elias - guitar (Carlo Guadagnini 1812)
Michael Tsalka - fortepiano (Joseph Böhm ~1830)
by Yehezkel Braun (1922-2014)
Yehezkel Braun is one of Israel's most beloved and appreciated composers of all times. He was a dear friend and in several occasions I had the privilege of playing for him, especially his sonata for mandolin and guitar, which has become an integral part of my Repertoire.
as soloist / artistic director with Concerto Foscari
The year 2017 was celebrated worldwide as a "Telemann year", marking 250 years to the master's passing. For this album, I adapted the Crème de la Crème out of almost every possible instrumental genre which Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) had a go at: a French Suite, an Italian Concerto, a Chamber Partita and some Solo Fantasies.
The album also includes selected works by C.P.E. Bach (Hamburger Sonata) & J.F. Fasch (Lute Concerto) among others. The cover and booklet pay tribute to Telmann's great love to flowers and gardens!
Concerto Foscari / Alon Sariel - mandolin, lute, baroque guitar and direction
- Description - Videos - Reviews - Bed Time Story
For "Rembrandt-Year" 2019, I decided to dive in to a field that has fascinated me for a long time, the Dutch Golden Age and the musical heritage of the Low Countries. After being awarded the prestigious Opus Klassik for our debut album Telemandolin, Concerto Foscari and I would now like to invite our listeners to a journey even earlier in time, to visit Rembrandt van Rijn and his era in all its colors and facets.
Concerto Foscari / Alon Sariel - lute and direction
- Description - Videos
"In Dialogo" is the title of the opening Sonata by Salamone Rossi, of who we celebrate the 450th anniversary in 2020. This recording features readings from a unique manuscript, a Religious Discussion which took place at the Hanover court in 1704. Dialogue is present on every level of this recording, between the Jewish and Christian traditions, between the two composers Salamone Rossi and Johann Rosenmüller, between music and recitation.
Concerto Foscari / Alon Sariel - lute & direction
- Description - Video
„Pour moy je croy que je seray un Amphibie, tantost en Allemagne, tantost en France…“
Concerto Foscari / Alon Sariel - lute, baroque guitar and direction
with PRISMA
My last recording as a member of this vibrant quartet is just like a pub tour in 17th century London. It contains original arrangements for many theater hits of the time, for example from Purcell’s Fairy Queen, next to dance music from the British isles, written down by John Playford and his likes.
"Il Transilvano" is the title of a collection of music, a gift made by the Venetian organist Girolamo Diruta to the Transylvanian prince Sigismund Báthory. PRISMA's second album celebrates the cultural exchange between Italy and Hungary in the 16th and 17th century, with both courtly and folk music, ballads and dances.
The debut album of PRISMA follows the four winds and the different characters which they bring in to the music: Zefiro the sweet wind of spring, Boreas the winter's cold, Notos the heat and tempest of summertime, and Euros the thunderstorms of autumn. PRISMA explores those traits of the four winds in Italian music of the 17th century with its virtuoso sonatas by Uccellini, Fontana or Turini, as well as the Renaissance standards like the Canario, Tarantella, or the Ciaccona from which the group has collected and put together the best variations by different composers, as well as their own versions.
as guest artist
Art of the Mandolin (Deutsche Grammophon)
This portrait of the mandolin curated masterfully by Avi Avital includes the beloved concerto for two mandolins in G major, RV 532.
With Avi Avital & the Venice Baroque Orchestra
Vivaldolino
The mandolin is very much recognized with Antonio Vivaldi and the reason for that are the wonderful concerti that he composed for the instrument.
On this album, I recorded his concerto for two mandolins in G Major, RV 532 with Yaki Reuven & Ensemble Barrocade
Israeli Music for Harpsichord
(Albany Records)
This album includes the world's first commercial recording of “Sonata a tre” by Paul Ben Haim, for mandolin, guitar and harpsichord. Recorded at the Jerusalem Music Center.
Alon Sariel - mandolin; Marina Minkin -harpsichord; Hanan Feinstein - guitar
- Excerpt from "Sonata a tre" by Paul Ben Haim
Sources
All the way from Inventions by Bach to Duets by Bartok. An album which we dedicated to our former mandolin teachers in Israel, who in a slightly bizarre way, none of them were actually mandolin players.
The album is featuring music which was composed with a touch of a pedagogical aspect, arranged here for two mandolins or for mandolin & mandola. With Yaki Reuven – mandolin
Georg Philipp Telemann -
»Die dicken Wolken scheiden sich«:
Festmusik im Auftrag der Stadt Altona 1760
(CPO)
With barockwerk hamburg / Ira Hochman
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach - Bürgercapitainsmusik 1780 (CPO)
With barockwerk hamburg / Ira Hochman
features in collections & compendiums
This double album includes the world's first recording of Gilad Hochman's "Nedudim" ("wanderings" in Hebrew) - a Fantasie Concertante for Solo Mandolin and String Orchestra
Including Beethoven's Sonatina for mandolin and piano in C minor.
Including Bortolazzi's Variations on a theme by Paisiello.
Includes the complete mandolin music by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Includes the Grande Sonata for mandolin and fortepiano by J. N. Hummel.