The three works in this release each present a different facet of Mikolaj Gorecki’s style. There are similarities: two are for orchestra; two feature a clarinet, horn, and piano trio. But each has its own character. Gorecki’s orchestral work Zan Tontemiquico was inspired by the pre-Columbian poem of Tochihuitzin. It begins “We only come to […]
CD Review
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Early Baroque gems from Varie Sonate of Giovanni Battista Vitali
For the average person, I think, the term “Italian Baroque” conjures up the music of Vivaldi. But the Italian Baroque really began around 1600, and it took a while for the music — and the instruments — to complete the transition from the Renaissance. What struck me most about this collection of sonatas by Giovanni […]
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A Fine Collection of Opéra-Comique Overtures
Michael Halász and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra deliver an attractive selection of French Opéra-Comique overtures. The genre evolved over time, from light, frothy entertainment to more serious and realistic subjects. But the overture was always a curtain-raiser. And that’s just what we get. Maestro Halász keeps things moving. Orchestral contrasts are suitably dramatic, […]
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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Sonatas for Cello and Piano
The more of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s music I hear, the more complex he becomes. This release features his two sonatas for cello and piano. Each provides a snapshot of his evolving style. Sonata No. 1, Op. 21 was completed in 1945. The war was ending, and Stalin’s regime was just warming up. The sonata’s a jaunty, […]
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Great performances of Ignacio Jerusalem marred by recording
The Chicago Arts Orchestra and Chorus specialize in exploring the music of New Spain. Their first release was “Al Combate: Rediscovered Galant Music from Eighteen-Century Mexico.” It featured works by Ignacio Jerusalem and Santiago Billoni. This release delves deeper into Jerusalem’s repertoire, presenting a mass, a symphony, and some shorter choral works. Ignacio Jerusalem emigrated […]
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Henri Vieuxtemps Works for Violin and Orchestra Demand Virtuosity
Henri Vieuxtemps was one of the greatest violin virtuosos of his age, considered by some to be Paganini’s successor. Not surprisingly, most of his compositions were for the violin (including seven concertos). This release features some of Vieuxtemps’ shorter works for violin and orchestra. But shorter doesn’t necessarily mean easier. As violinist Reto Kuppel remarked, […]
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Hans Gal – Music for Viola, Vol. 1 full of lyrical gems
Toccata Classics has released several volumes of Hans Gal’s music. And in the process, I think, helped audiences rediscover his remarkable music. Gal’s career in his native Austria was cut short with the arrival of the Nazis. Because of his Jewish ancestry, he was forced to flee and settled in England in 1940. Although well-respected […]
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Henry Cotter Nixon orchestral series finishes strong
Toccata Classics have completed their Henry Cotter Nixon series. And I see the logic of their release schedule. Nixon spent most of his career outside of Victorian London, and therefore in the margins of British music. He didn’t have the resources available to his cosmopolitan colleagues and composed accordingly. The first volume of his orchestral […]
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Domenico Gerasani’s Sensitive Performances of Cutting Lute Music
Little is known about the life of English lutenist Francis Cutting. He was a musician for the Howard family (Anne Boleyn’s peeps), and one of his ten children, Thomas, also became a respected lutenist. What is known is Cutting’s music. He wrote “Packington’s Pound,” which has been recorded countless times by early music ensembles. He’s […]