Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1508-1519) is known for many things. He established the Hapsburg Dynasty in Spain, wrested the Empire from Papal control — and was a great patron of the arts. This release samples some of the music heard in Maximilian’s court. Most of the works are chansons and lieder, leavened by some […]
Classical
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalSchool Week 1
Traditionally, September is the back-to-school month. The Classics a Day team decided to mark the occasion. Classical School is the theme for September 2019. To participate, just post a piece of classical music that’s somehow related to education with the appropriate hashtags. What would count? Any classical work about school, or using themes from schools; […]
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Iván Eröd String Quartets – Finely Crafted
I’m always wary of liner notes that read like manifestos. Iván Eröd was a Hungarian composer who was inspired by Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly. His music incorporated some of their concepts while remaining primarily tonal. The booklet is full of things like, “[Eröd] broke with the dogmas of the then-prevalent avant-garde and also refused […]
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Walter Braunfels Fantastical Apparitions a Sonic Thrill Ride
The seventh release in Capriccio’s Walter Braunfels series features two important compositions — his massive set of Berlioz variations, and his final orchestral work. The “Phantastische Erscheinungen eines Themas von Hector Berlioz” (Fantastical Apparitions Of a Theme by Hector Berlioz) took three years to complete. Clocking in at just over 50 minutes, “Apparitions” is as […]
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Marcy Rosen gives thoughtful performances of Grieg and Strauss
If you’re of a certain age, you may have fond memories of the Musical Heritage Society. The MHS was a record club that offered great music in strictly generic packaging. Originally the MHS licensed music from Erato and other classical labels. Eventually under their own label MusicMasters, they made their own recordings — like this […]
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Fred Jacobs bring Kapsperger theorbo music to light
To some, this might seem like a hyper-specialized release. It’s a collection of early 17th Century music by Giovanni Kasprerger (who?) virtuoso of the theorbo (what?). And it’s not just theorbo music, but music specifically written for the Papal Court. But the end result — the music and the performance — should appeal to all. […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalSummer Week 5
It was a busy summer for the Classics a Day team. In June, we marked African-American Music Appreciation Month. In July we celebrated national holidays in the U.S. and Canada. So that just left August to have a summer theme. For my part, I chose to choose anything except Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.” In the process, […]
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Leila Schayegh delivers with LeClair Violin Concertos
This first volume of Jean-Marie LeClair violin concertos features four selections: two each from his Opus 7 (1739) and Opus 10 (1743). LeClair was one of the greatest violinists of his age. He regularly used extended techniques, such as double stops, bariolages, and harmonics. And yet in his concertos, these techniques were always used in […]
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Jozef Zeidler and Antoni Habel – Polish Classicists
Jozef Zeidler (1744-1806) and Antoni Habel (1760-1831) are major figures in the history of Polish classical music. And yet they’re almost ciphers. Almost nothing is known of Zeidler’s life or career. He wrote in the style of Mozart and Haydn, earning him the nickname “the Polish Mozart.” Zeidler’s Mass in D major does have a […]