This release is the result of an international competition for consonant chamber music. The works are all set in a tonal framework, but there’s nothing trite or conventional about them. These are all compositions of substance. Andreas Foivos Apostolou’s “Metamorphoses for Piano Solo” starts off the program. This Grecian composer’s work uses polyrhythms and chord […]
Chamber music
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In Crescendo – Consonant Chamber Music for the 21st Century
This release is the result of an international competition for consonant chamber music. The works are all set in a tonal framework, but there’s nothing trite or conventional about them. These are all compositions of substance. Andreas Foivos Apostolou’s “Metamorphoses for Piano Solo” starts off the program. This Grecian composer’s work uses polyrhythms and chord […]
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Trio Vitruvi Joyfully Perform Schubert Trios
A long journey can seem shorter if it’s done with people you enjoy. Schubert’s Piano Trio in E-flat major, D.929 is such a journey. And it was one made all the better with the Trio Vitruvi. This release is the trio’s debut recording. And it’s a well-chosen one. The youthful Trio Vitruvi approach Schubert’s 50-minute […]
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Dotzauer Flute and Oboe Quartets Charm with Simplicity
Who was Friedrich Dotzauer (1783-1860) that we should be mindful of him? Cello students know him well — his 100+ exercises and caprices for solo cello are still in use. Dotzauer was a cellist, and he was also a prolific composer, with over 190 works. His catalog includes 9 cello concertos, 25 string quartets, and […]
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Garlands for Steven Stucky
Steven Stucky was both a successful composer and an influential teacher. His Second Concerto for Orchestra won the Pulitzer Prize. Stucky produced a large number of works and taught some of the most important composers of the next generation. It’s no surprise then, that this musical memorial to Stucky would feature an impressive lineup of […]
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Hans Gál Cello Music Unabashedly Beautiful
The first part of Hans Gál’s story isn’t unusual. Like many talented Jewish musicians in Austria and Germany, his career was derailed by the rise of Nazism. was one of many talented German and Austrian musicians. Gál fled to England, settling in Edinburgh and becoming a respected teacher. Gál wrote throughout his life in a […]
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Canadian Panorama showcases contemporary talent
Canadian Panorama marks Canada’s 150th Anniversary with an outstanding variety of native classical music. It’s the first commercial recording of the Winds of the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s a release of new music for wind ensemble. And it’s also a survey of living Canadian composers that are both diverse and inviting. Happily, Canadian Panorama succeeds […]
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Danielpour String Quartets Lyrical and Accessible
This release was something of a surprise. Naxos has released many recordings of Richard Danielpour’s music. So when I received a copy of this set of string quartets, I assumed that Naxos had also recorded and release the previous four. Not so. Not only are these world premiere recordings of Danielpour’s latest string quartets, but […]
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Gernsheim Complete Cello Sonatas – Three Views of a Life
Friedrich Gernsheim was an important composer, conductor, and concert pianist at the end of the 19th Century. He was a close friend of Brahms, and his style somewhat similar. Like Brahms, Gernsheim wrote in “pure” music that eschewed extramusical inspiration. This release features Gernshiem’s three cello sonatas, as well as two other works for cello […]