Pianist/composer Anton Eberl was a contemporary of Beethoven and a student of Mozart. Some of Eberl’s works were misattributed to Mozart, and that’s not surprising. As this new release shows, Eberl’s style is quite similar to Mozart’s. But not quite identical (a lot of the misattribution was done by unscrupulous publishers). The two sonatas for […]
CD Review
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Capella de Ministrers’ Travels Down the Silk Road
Looking at the discography listed on the website of Valencian early music ensemble Capella de Ministrers is an impressive thing indeed. I count no less than 56 titles there, and the group has managed that number of releases in a mere matter of 41 years. The one that hooked me in its re-release 13 years […]
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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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Solistes Européens Debut with Farrenc
Louise Farrenc was a major figure of French music. She was both a pianist and composer and served on the faculty of the Paris Conservatory for over 30 years. During her lifetime, and for a while afterward, her chamber music was regularly performed. Not so her symphonies. Beyond their debuts, each had only one or […]
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George Lloyd Symphonies in Definitive Live Performances
This release presents two live performances of George Lloyd symphonies. What performances — and what symphonies! George Lloyd was a rising star before the Second World War but was largely ignored afterward. Conductor Edward Downes became a champion of Lloyd’s music. Symphony No. 6, written in 1956, is heard in its world-premiere broadcast from 1980. […]
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Rosa Das Rosas – Chominciamento di Gioia explore Christian symbolism
The subtitle for this release (in English) is “the symbol of the Rose in the Middle Ages.” The flower was a major part of Christian symbolism, and thus for Christian-inspired music. The thorns represented the sins of Man. The red petals of the rose symbolized the blood of Christ and the martyrs, shed in sacrifice. […]
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Heinrich Schütz: Becker-Spalter – Artistry on Every Page
In 1602 theologian Cornelius Becker wrote a German metrical psalter. Der Psalter Davids Gesangweis was published without melodies. The collection proved popular, and Becker set all 150 psalms for the 1628 edition. Psalmen Davids: Hiebevorn in Deutsche Reimen gebracht durch was reprinted in 1640 and revised and expanded in 1661. Several early Lutheran composers set Becker’s […]
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Franz Krommer Symphonies Inspired by Beethoven
This is the second volume of Krommer symphonies from Griffiths and the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana. The first volume covered Krommer’s first three symphonies. This release features three symphonies; only two of which were published. Franz Krommer was based in Vienna, a younger contemporary of Ludwig van Beethoven. Krommer’s 1819 Symphony No. 4 in C […]
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Alec Frank-Gemmill Shows Merit of Horn Concertos Before Mozart
Alec Frank-Gemmill is making a point with this recording. For many horn soloists, Mozart’s concertos are the earliest works in their repertoire. Frank-Gemmill contends that there was plenty of good material that predated them. Frank-Gemmill opens with a 1740 concerto by Christoph Förster. Although primarily an organist, Förster wrote about 50 concertos. He was also […]