Jean-Marie Leclair published twelve sonatas in his Opus 5 collection. This release presents sonatas 5 through 8 of the set. I reviewed the previous installment in this series, which included sonatas 1-3. In many ways, this release follows through with the standards set by that release. Violin Adrian Butterfield shows remarkable musicality and technique with […]
Chamber music
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Early George Enescu Chamber Works Satisfy
This release presents two chamber works by George Enescu. Both Tte Piano Quartet No. 1, and the Piano Trio come from early in his career. Piano Quartet No. 1 in D major is representative of Enescu’s music at the time. It has rich, post-Romantic harmonies. And the melodies share some characteristics with Romanian folk music. […]
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Chevalier de Saint-Georges Concertante Quartets Shine
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a busy guy. He was a champion swordsman, military commander, and athlete. He was also a violin virtuoso, conductor, and composer. And while his musical career was brief, Bologne composed an impressive body of music. This release presents six of Bologne’s eighteen published string quartets. His contemporary, Wolfgang Amadeus […]
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Ferdinand Ries Quartets Build on Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven only accepted two composition students: Ferdinand Ries, and Carl Czerny. Ries worked closely with Beethoven during his tenure. Ries served as personal assistant and music copyist. Both those roles — plus his lessons — gave him a thorough grounding as a composer. And a thorough grounding in Beethoven’s style. Ries soon established […]
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Xiaoya Liu Delivers with Carl Vine Sonatas
This release presents all four of Carl Vine’s piano sonatas. And they’re all world premiere recordings. I’ve enjoyed every album of Vine’s music I’ve heard. And I’m surprised there aren’t more than a dozen or so available. Vine’s had a long and distinguished career in Australia. He started as a pianist and composer for theater […]
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Adrian Butterfield excels with Leclair Violin Sonatas
Jean-Marie Leclair was one of the most pre-eminent violinists of his day. Each collection of sonatas he published advanced the art of violin playing. The third book from 1734 challenges the player’s dexterity. The fast movements are sometimes just a blur of notes. Leclair frequently uses double stops, and not always with the most convenient […]
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Maria Bach Chamber Music Worth Exploring
Who was Maria Bach? Not a descendant of Johann Sebastian Bach — at least by blood. She was an Austrian pianist, violinist, and composer. Bach was born in 1896 and died in 1978. She experienced success as a composer in 1920s Vienna. After the war, she married the painter Arturo Circelli. Bach transitioned from music […]
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Czerny Anleitung zum Fantasieren a unique recording
Anleitung zum Fantasieren is kind of an odd release. The music here is invaluable. As a listening experience, it can be problematic. But if you’re open to it, also a rewarding one. Carl Czerny’s Op. 200 is titled a Systematic Introduction to Improvisation on the Pianoforte. It’s a practical how-to manual. In it, Czerny lays […]
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Carl Frühling Chamber Music Brought to Light
I’m used to early music composers having sketchy bios with lists of lost compositions. Not so much 20th Century composers. But Carl Frühling is one. We do have Frühling’s dates — 1868-1937. We know that he was an extraordinary pianist and often performed chamber music. He won the Liszt Prize in 1889. He also met […]