The Classics a Day team unanimously decided to make #BlackLivesMatter the theme for July. Classical music isn’t immune to systemic racism. It’s an art form that, like painting, sculpture, literature, or poetry, is a powerful form of expression for many voices. But some voices are heard more often than others. If you’d like to learn […]
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George Antheil Serenades have international appeal
CPO has released a lot of George Antheil: all six symphonies; both piano concertos; and an opera. This release features his two serenades. Also included are two additional works; the ballet suite “Dreams,” and Antheil’s orchestrated piano piece, “The Golden Bird.” The first serenade premiered in 1948, the second in 1950. If you only know Antheil through […]
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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Symphonies 2 and 7 have hidden depths
This release presents two Mieczyslaw Weinberg string symphonies. The Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio, under the direction of Anna Duczmal-Mroz, turns in a set of fine performances. These works, separated by a span of 18 years, are similar only in the choice of ensemble. Weinberg in 1946 was just beginning to blossom under Soviet […]
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Breuninger plays Kreutzer; one violinist/composer to another
Rodolphe Kreutzer was renowned both as a violinist and a composer. As the former, he was famous for his technical skills and his musicality in executing them. As the latter, he was known for his 19 concertos and 40 operas. Laurent Albrecht Breuninger is renowned as both a violinist and a composer. As the former, […]
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New Blues & Soul News – 6/30/2020
New Blues & Soul News – 6/30/2020 New Blues: The California Honeydrops – The California Honeydrops (EP): “Crossing genres from roots and blues to R&B and soul, The California Honeydrops’ sound is tied together by their instrumentation, vocal harmonies and New Orleans style. The Honeydrops’ more unusual instruments include a home-made gutbucket bass, jug, and […]
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New Jazz Adds – 6/30/2020
New Jazz Adds – 6/30/2020 DK Anderson – Songbook (Self-produced): “Songbook, Anderson’s 3rd album, is a collection of well loved songs inviting the listener into a groove matrix that is continuous. Imagine yourself at a party after hours but the energy is high. This album features the velvety, vivacious vocal stylings of Diane Anderson. Drummer […]
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Krisztián Kováts solves “The Mystery of the Natural Trumpet”
The limitations of the natural trumpet come down to physics. A metal tube vibrates at certain frequencies, and those frequencies have fixed mathematical relationships. When the tube (or trumpet) vibrates at a frequency in its harmonic series of overtones, a note sounds. The notes of the harmonic series are far apart at the bottom but […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalBubble Week 4
Last month, the Classics a Day team came up with a theme to reflect the reality of social distancing. The challenge was to share solo works for unusual instruments — the kind of instruments best played in social isolation. For June, the team is again going with the times. Social bubbles are small groups of […]
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The pioneering wind music of Johann Wilhelm Hertel
Johann Wilhelm Hertel was a German composer, violinist, and harpsichordist of some renown in the late 18th Century. Today, not so much. So it’s not surprising that every work in this new release is receiving its world recording premiere. What might be surprising is why they weren’t better-known before. Hertel, like many of his contemporaries, […]