Herbert Howells is best known for his large scale choral works. But as this release demonstrates, his chamber music is equally beautiful and well-crafted. The Dante Quartet deliver sympathetic readings of Howell’s String Quartet No. 3 and Lady Audrey’s Suite. The Gould Trio, joined by pianist Benjamin Frith, performs the Piano Quartet in A minor […]
CD Review
-
-
Boris Lyatoshynsky Symphony gets spirited performance
Boris Lyatoshynsky was a Ukranian who spent a large part of his career working in Soviet Russia. It’s an important distinction. Soviet composers had to write music that followed political guidelines. In the case of Lyatoshynsky’s 1951 Third Symphony, it meant rewriting the finale. The programmatic symphony was a reaction to the horrors of the […]
-
Johann Simon Mayr piano concertos on par with Haydn’s
The German composer Johann Simon Mayr dominated the music scene in northern Italy in the early 1800s. He was the maestro di cappella at the Cathedral of Bergamo and wrote a prodigious amount of music: over 70 operas, 18 masses, and 57 symphonies. Today, he’s best known (if at all) as Gaetano Donizetti’s teacher. This […]
-
Mieczyslaw Weinberg Chamber Symphonies – phenomenal
This release is special in two ways. First, it marks the centenary of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s birth in 1919. Second, it’s the debut recording of the East-West Chamber Orchestra. The combination is magic — we get phenomenal performances of some phenomenal music. The East-West Chamber Orchestra has been the in-house ensemble for the Yuri Bashmet International […]
-
Reznicek Symphonic Suites Blend Old and New
Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek was primarily an opera composer. Two of the three suites in the release have their origins on the stage. Nevertheless, they show that Reznicek was quite comfortable writing for the concert hall. The Karneval Suite “in an older style” was extracted from Reznicek’s two-act opera Gondoliere des Dogen. The drama’s set in the […]
-
Solistes Européens deliver with Farrenc Symphony No. 1
Back in September 2018 I reviewed the debut release by the Solistes Européens, Luxembourg with conductor Christoph König. It was a release of Louise Farrenc’s second and third symphonies. I said, “The Solistes Européens has a fine ensemble blend. König leads them in fiery, committed performances. I would love to hear them perform Farrenc’s first symphony.” […]
-
Leila Schayegh delivers lively performances of LeClair violin concertos
I think I’m seeing a pattern here. This second volume of Jean-Marie LeClair violin concertos features four selections: two each from his Opus 7 (1739) and Opus 10 (1743). And just as they did in volume one, the concertos share the same numbers. In this case, nos. 1 and 3. Violinist Leila Schayegh and La […]
-
Carl Reinecke cello works trace composer’s development
This release features the four works for cello and piano of Carl Reinecke. The earliest was written when the composer was 31; the last when he was 73. Collectively they provide snapshots of Reinecke’s artistic development. Cellist Martin Rummel and pianist Roland Krüger garnered great reviews for their release of Joseph Merk’s cello works. This […]
-
Albert Nepomuceno symphony launches new Brazilian music series
This release launches a new series from Naxos — the Music of Brazil. Working with three Brazilian orchestras, Naxos will record about 100 works by native composers. It should be a phenomenal and revelatory cycle. That’s my impression after hearing this first release of music by Alberto Nepomuceno (1864-1920). It’s a logical place to start. […]