Capriccio continues their reissue of Pancho Vladigerov recordings with his collected string concertos. Though these recordings were originally done in the 1970s, they all sound quite good in this release. The sound, though a little soft, still has plenty of detail. And that’s especially important for this volume. Pancho Vladigerov defined Bulgarian classical music. His […]
Capriccio
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Benno Ammann – Missa Defensor Pacis blends new and old
Swiss composer and conductor Benno Amman embraced the full range of 20th Century composition — from neo-classical to experimental. That eclecticism is, I think, what makes the Missa Defensor Pacis so successful. It’s a work that could only be written in the 20th Century, and yet it seamlessly incorporates traditions of the past. Ammann was commissioned to […]
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Pancho Vladigerov Reissue Series Leads With Piano Concertos
In his native Bulgaria, composer and pianist Pancho Vladigerov is considered a national treasure. A treasure, perhaps, that was a little too closely guarded until now. For some reason, it’s always been difficult to access Vladigerov’s music outside of his Bulgaria. Thanks to Capriccio, the world will finally discover what it’s been missing. This release […]
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Mona and Rica Bard jumpstart Bruch double piano concerto
This release features two live recordings from a Max Bruch Jubilee Concert. The recorded sound and the performances are first-rate. The Staatskapelle Halle directed by Ariane Matiakh has a warm sound that’s still richly detailed. The audience is so well-behaved that this could pass for a studio recording. For many, Buch is a one-hit-wonder. His […]
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Hans Rott Symphony get fresh interpretation
Capriccio continues their series of Hans Rott recordings with his masterwork — Symphony No. 1. This massive work, running about 54 minutes, is this young genius at his best. Rott was just 22 when he completed his first symphony — and had just two years to live. The work shows the influence of his organ […]
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Han Rott Orchestral Works Vol. 1 – Potential realized
When Hans Rott died at age 25, the musical world, in general, didn’t notice. But his colleagues were devastated. They included Anton Bruckner (Rott’s organ teacher), and fellow classmates Gustav Mahler and Hugo Wolf. Mahler wrote, ” What music has lost in him cannot be estimated. Such is the height to which his genius soars […]
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Karl Weigl Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6 — Before and After
Austrian composer Karl Weigl was certainly steeped in the Viennese Post-Romantic style. He studied privately with Alexander Zemlinsky, and later with Robert Fuchs. Weigl fled the Nazis in 1938, emigrating to the United States. Like many of exiled Viennese composers (such as Korngold), Weigl never quite moved past the boundaries set by Mahler. The two […]
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Josef Labor Piano Quintets late-Romantic gems
Josef Labor wasn’t one to be hampered by disability — although it could inspire him. Labor lost his sight in childhood but went on to become a respected organist, pianist, teacher, and composer. He was also the first composer-pianist Paul Wittgenstein commissioned to write a left-hand concerto. (Wittgenstein lost his right arm in WWI.) Labor […]
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Karl Weigl Symphony No. 1 just shy of Mahler
As I listened to Symphony No. 1 by Karl Weigl, two descriptions came to mind — post-romantic, pre-Mahler. That last impression isn’t historically accurate. Weigl’s symphony premiered in 1908; Mahler’s Eighth Symphony was completed the year before. And yet stylistically, that was my impression. Karl Weigl, like Gustav Mahler, was a pupil of Robert Fuchs. […]