Some recordings are truly important — and I think “Song and Structures” qualifies as one. Every work on this Harold Meltzer album is performed by the artists who premiered them. In some cases, such as the song cycles, Meltzer composed specifically for the voice of the singer. That singer, tenor Paul Appleby also provides the […]
Bridge Records
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Quattro Mani excel with Stefan Wolpe two-piano music
The personal nature of this music makes this volume of Stefan Wolpe one of the most important, I think. Stefan Wolpe met pianist Irma Schoenberg in 1927. Through 1942, when they separated, they had a professional and personal relationship. Schoenberg enabled Wolpe to flee Nazi Germany and rescue his music besides. She inspired the March […]
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Anne-Marie McDermott performs Mozart with exuberance and precision
Volume two of Anne-Marie McDermott’s Mozart series builds on the success of volume one. McDermott’s playing is as beautiful as ever. There’s apparent chemistry between her and the Odense Symphony Orchestra. Though each of the three concertos on this release has a different conductor, there’s a remarkable consistency in the interpretations. Piano Concerto No. 15 […]
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Anne-Marie McDermott launches Mozart series
Anne-Marie McDermott’s new Mozart series starts off with two showcase concertos. The Piano Concerto in C major, K. 415 was one of three Mozart wrote in 1783 to spotlight his talent as a composer and performer. The Piano Concerto in B-flat major, K. 238 was featured in Mozart’s 1777 European tour with his sister Nannerl. […]
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Victor Rosenbaum gives mature insights into Beethoven
Victor Rosenbaum performs an engaging program of Beethoven piano music for Bridge Records. This is his third release with the label, and it’s a great partnership. Bridge knows how to record the piano to capture its natural warmth. The recordings are clean, with just enough room ambiance to make the recording sound natural, as if […]
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Dmitri Tymoczko – Rube Goldberg Variations
There are two qualities I admire in Dmitri Tymoczko — his sense of humor, and his craftsmanship. Tymoczko’s titles are often humorous – like the title track on this release. But his humor also extends into the music. Several of his works have a light-hearted quality to them. These works sound like they were fun […]
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Marcy Rosen’s Mendelssohn album welcome reissue
Felix Mendelssohn didn’t write many pieces for cello and piano. Most of them were composed for his younger brother, an amateur cellist (and professional banker). Judging by the complexity of the two cello sonatas, Paul Mendelssohn must have been a very accomplished amateur. The Sonata No. 1 in B-flat, Op. 48 is a large, three-movement […]
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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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Harry Partch Sonata Dementia – More, Please
I’ve always loved the music of Harry Partch. These new recordings by Bridge Records do a tremendous service to the world of music. Hearing the Partch ensemble perform with copies of Partch’s original hand-made instruments. That’s important because it means these instruments can really be played, not handled like irreplaceable museum pieces. And the Partch […]