Chandos’ third installment in their George Antheil series features works from a variety of sources. It includes his Symphony No. 1 and several shorter works. To my ears, Antheil’s first symphony, “Zingareska,” is the least successful of his six. John Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic give it their best. Their performance is first-rate. The underlying […]
BBC Philharmonic
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British Tone Poems, Vol. 2 delivers on quality
This volume of British Tone Poems features outstanding works by lesser-known composers and lesser-known works by outstanding composers. Either way, it’s a win-win for the listener, especially with these performances. Rumon Gamba and the BBC Philharmonic deliver beautiful and insightful performances of a mixed bag of music. This round features two world-premiere recordings. And the program […]
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Light entertainment from new Eric Coates release
Eric Coates was the master of light classical music. His compositions were consistently tuneful, appealing, light-hearted and immediately appealing. All without being banal or trite. Now that’s artistry! This release launches a multi-disc recording cycle of Coates’ orchestral music. John Wilson spent several years editing Coates’ orchestral music. These new performing editions are the basis […]
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George Antheil Symphonies Channel Copland
Before I received a copy of this release, I only knew George Antheil through one work: the Ballet Mechanique. But Antheil was about more than scoring sirens and airplane propellors. Antheil’s Symphony No. 3 paints a series of evocative tableaux; Latino California, Creole New Orleans, Promontory Point, Baltimore. In this 1940s work, Antheil uses the […]
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Chandos Release of Arriaga – Mozart with a smile
If you’re not familiar with Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, this release is an excellent introduction. Arriaga was dubbed the “Spanish Mozart,” and with good reason. Like Mozart, he had a natural facility for the piano, and for composition. And like Mozart, he died young. Arriaga wrote his opera “Los esclavos felices” when he was fourteen. […]