This release features sonatas that span Dussek’s career. And since they’re played on fortepianos of the period, they also provide insight into the development of the piano. The Sonata in A-flat major, Op. 5 No. 3 and the Sonata in B-flat major, Op. 24 are relatively early works. Written in 1788 and 1793 respectively, Tuija […]
Brilliant Classics
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Pacoloni Ensemble performs Thysius Lute Book with rough authenticity
Dutch philosopher, theologian, and musician Adriaan Smout collected over 900 compositions from the late 1500s. This massive collection made its way to John Thysius, a book collector, for whom the collection is named. The collection is a virtual cross-section of European lute music. While most of the sources aren’t listed, modern scholars have traced works […]
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Wilhelm Kempff Chamber Music – Worth a Listen
Wilhelm Kempff is best remembered as a piano virtuoso. But he was also a composer. This release features two youthful chamber works. The Trio in G minor for violin, cello, and piano dates from 1911, when Kempff was studying composition with a former student of Brahms. The lineage is easy to hear. Kempff develops his […]
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Baroque Wind Quartets – Come for the Telemann, stay for the Molter
This release brings together music by two Kapellmeisters of Johann Wilhelm of Saxe-Eisenach. Georg Philip Telemann held the post first in 1709 and was succeeded by Johann Melchior Molter. The works presented on this release provide an interesting contrast in style between the two. The release features three of Telemann’s 1752 “Paris” quartets. These are […]
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Johannes de Lublin Tablature – A snapshot of 16th Century keyboard music
The 1540 “Tablature of Jan de Lubin” is one of the largest collections of 16th Century keyboard music. It’s possible that a good portion of it was written, transcribed, and/or arranged by Johann de Lublin. The bound collection includes many other pieces that added after the fact (and possibly after de Lublin’s death). Corina Marti […]
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Sandro Volta’s Unvarnished Take on Petrucci Tablatures for Lute
Ottavio Petrucci was not the first music publisher. But he was the first to figure out how to print complex polyphonic scores. This release collects from his Intavolatura di Liuto (lute tablatures) — a genre that blossomed thanks in part to Petrucci’s innovations. Lutenist Sandro Volta performs music by Francesco Spinacino, Joan Ambrosio Dalza, and […]
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Jan Ladislav Dussek Piano Sonatas Volume 2
Brilliant Classics is using eight pianists for their traversal of Dussek piano sonatas. It’s a, well, brilliant idea. It allows each pianist to dive deep into the works they’re going to record. Volume 2 of the series features pianist Piet Kuijken. His thoughtful liner notes show the amount of research he’s applied to these sonatas […]
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OperaEnsemble Excels with Louise Farrenc Wind Music
Louise Farrenc was one of the most prominent musicians in mid-19th Century Paris. She was a respected concert pianist and composer. She’s best remembered for her chamber music — and this release demonstrates why. The three works on this album were composed between 1852 and 1856. and they’re all finely crafted compositions. In general, Farrenc’s […]
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Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre Complete Harpsichord Works – Très Bon
Though barely known today, Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre was hailed as “the wonder of our century” in the 1690s. At age five De La Guerre sang for Louis XIV and remained at court until her marriage. She was a keyboard virtuoso, with impressive improvisational skills. Contemporaries judged her on par with Marci-Antoine Charmpenie, François […]