Carl Reinecke studied with Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, and Franz Liszt. And those influences can be heard in various works. For his piano concertos, it’s Liszt. For his symphonies, it’s more Mendelssohn/Schumann. At least, that’s what I heard in this first installment of Reinecke’s orchestral works from CPO. It includes two of Reinecke’s symphonies, plus […]
Classical
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New England Trios make a solid program
Joel Pitchon, Marie-Volcuy Pelletier, and Y-Mei Wei had a very specific program in mind for this recording. In the liner notes, they state that they wanted piano trios that “spoke with an American, and even more narrowly, a New England voice.” In the end their focus was even tighter. The four piano trios on this […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalChristmas Week 4
For the past four years, the #ClassicsaDay team has adopted Classical Christmas as its theme for December. And why not? We have a rich body of music related to the season dating back to the Middle Ages. A good deal of it is religious, but not all — many works are simply inspired by the […]
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Christian Friedrich Ruppe cantatas have broad appeal
Handel wrote “Messiah” to benefit the London Foundlings Hospital and it’s now a holiday standard. Christian Friedrich Ruppe wrote his cantatas to benefit an orphan’s home in Leiden. After their initial performances, they remained unheard for 250 years. Ruppe wrote the Christmas and Easter cantatas on this release for the Holy Spirit of Poor Orphans […]
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Auber Overtures 3 — keeps gets better
Maestro Dario Salvi leads a different ensemble for this installment of Auber opera overtures. The Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra has a full, yet light sound that sometimes seems to sparkle. And that’s a sound well-suited to Auber’s music. And especially these overtures. Auber set the standard for French opera. His music is elegant, refined, and sparkling. […]
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Robert Furstenthal Chamber Music Volume 3 maintains quality
This latest installment of Furstenthal’s music features four instrumental sonatas and a string quartet. Like the preceding volumes, the music here is of very fine quality, and timeless. Furstenthal’s promising musical career was derailed when Austria was invaded in 1838. The young composer fled to the United States — and never wrote another note. Not […]
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Seasonal Serenity from Brian Galante and Stephen Paulus
This release features two world premiere recordings: Brian Galante’s “So Hallow’d the Time,” and Stephen Paulus’ “Christmas Dances.” They couldn’t be in better hands. Robert Taylor’s ensemble, the Taylor Festival Choir sings with a clean, translucent sound that resonates with the deep spirituality of these works. “So Hallow’d the Time” is a quiet contemplation on […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalChristmas Week 5
For the past four years, the #ClassicsaDay team has adopted Classical Christmas as its theme for December. And why not? We have a rich body of music related to the season dating back to the Middle Ages. A good deal of it is religious, but not all — many works are simply inspired by the […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalChristmas Week 3
For the past four years, the #ClassicsaDay team has adopted Classical Christmas as its theme for December. And why not? We have a rich body of music related to the season dating back to the Middle Ages. A good deal of it is religious, but not all — many works are simply inspired by the […]