Józef Elsner was one of the most important composers in early 19th Century Poland. He wrote 38 operas, eight symphonies, over 70 masses, and oratorios, dozens of chamber works, and more. Yet he’s remembered for one thing: he was Fredrick Chopin’s piano teacher. This release helps remove Elsner from his famous pupil’s shadow. The Op. […]
CD Review
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Johann Wilhelm Wilms Piano Quartets receive their due
Johann Wilhelm Wilms (1772-1847) only wrote two piano quartets (that we know of), and they conveniently fit on one CD. German-born Wilms was a major musical figure in the Netherlands As a contemporary of Beethoven, his fame remained more regional than international. A contemporary reviewer called Wilms a “practiced composer versed in compositional technique.” That’s […]
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Kondonassis in Rapturous Performance of Higdon Harp Concerto
Yolanda Kondonassis does not play pretty harp music. Her performances are marked with intensity and energy — and her choice of repertoire continually pushes the limits. Jennifer Higdon wrote her a concerto that gives Kondonassis free reign to express herself — and she does. The four-movement Harp Concerto has Kondonassis do just about everything with […]
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Kalevi Aho Wind Quintets performed with love
This release tells a story — the story of a relationship between composer and performers. Finnish composer Kalevi Aho writes very challenging music. The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet (BPWQ) accepted that challenge and performed his Wind Quintet No. 1. In fact, they fell in love with the work, playing it more than 20 times in […]
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Carl Freidrich Abel Concertos Given New Life
In 2018 a collection of music by Carl Friederich Abel was discovered in Poland. In 1787 Count Maltzan purchased the manuscripts at Abel’s estate sale in London. He later returned to his native Poland, the collection soon forgotten. The Maltzan Collection has 29 works — 22 of them previously unknown. Six receive their recording world […]
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Gloria Coates – Piano Quintet and Symphony No. 10 well-matched
Gloria Coates has a unique compositional voice. It’s one I’ve admired since hearing her first symphony (Music on Open Strings). While not all of her 16 symphonies are as immediately accessible as that work, there are some common characteristics. Coates lets her material determine the form of the work. That material and the development of […]
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Vyacheslav Artyomov – The Way to Olympus
Tags: Anton Batagov, CD Review, Classical music, contemporary classical music, Divine Art, Dmitri Kitaenko, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestral music, Piotr Meschaninov, Tatiana Grindenko, Timur Mynbaev, USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Vyacheslav Artyomov, Yelena Adjemova, Yevgeny SmirnovVolume four of Divine Arts’ Vyacheslav Artyomov series features a wide range of works — everything from a full orchestra (“The Way to Olympus”), to a solo piano (“Preludes to Sonnets”). While the forces may vary, there’s a consistency throughout all these works. Artyomov’s deeply spiritual philosophy imbues every composition. The music alternates between suspended […]
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Canadian Amber Showcases Latvian Musical Heritage
This has to be one of the most tightly-focused album themes I’ve seen in some time. “Canadian Amber” presents three works by Latvian composers who emigrated to Canadian after World War II; Janis Kalnins, Talivaldis Kenins and Imant Raminsh. And this is but a representative sampling of this Latvian/Canadian arts scene. The three composers on […]
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Formosa Quartet sample Hungary and Taiwan (sort of)
I really like the selections on this album and the performances. The premise? Not so much. The liner notes state that the quartet wants to explore cultural and geographic diversity. “In this recording, we begin to focus on two of these regions [of the world] by bringing you music born of Hungarian and Taiwanese soil […]