When I present classical music on the radio, I never identify a composer by race or sex. I think it creates the impression that these are subsets of the main group of composers. There are composers, and there are women composers. Almost as good, but not quite. I don’t think that’s true, and (apparently), neither […]
Chamber music
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Josef Labor Piano Quintets late-Romantic gems
Josef Labor wasn’t one to be hampered by disability — although it could inspire him. Labor lost his sight in childhood but went on to become a respected organist, pianist, teacher, and composer. He was also the first composer-pianist Paul Wittgenstein commissioned to write a left-hand concerto. (Wittgenstein lost his right arm in WWI.) Labor […]
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Victoria Bond chamber music full of revelations
Not a lot of Victoria Bond’s music has been recorded. To the best of my knowledge, this Naxos release marks the sixth her music’s appeared on. And only the third album exclusively devoted to her music. Bond has an active career as a conductor, but her catalog of works is also quite impressive. It includes […]
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Dmitri Tymoczko – Rube Goldberg Variations
There are two qualities I admire in Dmitri Tymoczko — his sense of humor, and his craftsmanship. Tymoczko’s titles are often humorous – like the title track on this release. But his humor also extends into the music. Several of his works have a light-hearted quality to them. These works sound like they were fun […]
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Swan Hennessy String Quartets – for the love of Ireland
Swan Hennessy (1866-1929) was born in Illinois. But this Irish-American never forgot his roots. In fact, as a composer, he embraced them. Hennessy wrote in an Impressionist style heavily influenced by Irish and Breton folk music. Hennessy wrote six works for string quartet – four numbered quartets, plus two shorter works. The first quartet was […]
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Marcy Rosen’s Mendelssohn album welcome reissue
Felix Mendelssohn didn’t write many pieces for cello and piano. Most of them were composed for his younger brother, an amateur cellist (and professional banker). Judging by the complexity of the two cello sonatas, Paul Mendelssohn must have been a very accomplished amateur. The Sonata No. 1 in B-flat, Op. 48 is a large, three-movement […]
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Grace Williams chamber music get deserved attention
Six Grace Williams chamber works receive their world premiere recordings with this release. It still leaves the bulk of her catalog unrecorded — but it’s an improvement. Williams was one of the most important composers to come from Wales (with William Mathias). She studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gordon Jacobs. Their influence can be […]
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Star Wind – outstanding chamber music by Vyacheslav Artyomov
This reissue from Divine Arts brings together several short chamber works by Vyacheslav Artyomov. Each work has its own unique combination of instruments, and (in a way) its own aesthetic. The opening track, Star Wind, is a 1981 sextet featuring violin, cello, flute, French horn, piano, and glockenspiel. To me, it sounds like a very early […]
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Steve Elcock chamber music series celebrates an original talent
Toccata Classics has already released the first volume of Steve Elcock’s orchestral works. This collection of chamber music provides another facet to this composer’s intriguing music. As a composer, Elcock’s a recent discovery. For years he worked his day job, composing in his leisure time and filing his pieces away. Unaffected by the demands of […]