This release features sonatas that span Dussek’s career. And since they’re played on fortepianos of the period, they also provide insight into the development of the piano. The Sonata in A-flat major, Op. 5 No. 3 and the Sonata in B-flat major, Op. 24 are relatively early works. Written in 1788 and 1793 respectively, Tuija […]
Chamber music
-
-
Arnold Mendelssohn Piano Works – Inspired by Brahms
Arnold Mendelssohn is just beginning to be rediscovered. Recordings such as this will help immensely. Mendelssohn was the great nephew of Felix and rose to prominence at the turn of the 20th Century. He was an accomplished organist and held several Protestant church positions. He was a colleague of Hugo Wolf and counted Paul Hindemith […]
-
Poul Ruders – Occam’s Razor
The cover of this release shows two old friends sharing a moment — composer Poul Ruders and guitarist David Starobin. Their 30+ year relationship has been extraordinarily fruitful. This release presents a few of Ruders’ works commissioned by Starobin. Occam’s Razor is a philosophical principle: the simplest explanation is usually the best. Just as Occam’s Razor […]
-
Emilie Mayer – A Composer Worth Knowing
If you’re not familiar with Emilie Luise Friderica Mayer, this release provides an excellent introduction. Mayer studied composition with Carl Loewe in the 1840s. Mayer was prolific, and her works were often performed in her lifetime. After her death, Mayer’s music fell into obscurity. A renewed interest in women composers of the past has brought […]
-
Wilhelm Kempff Chamber Music – Worth a Listen
Wilhelm Kempff is best remembered as a piano virtuoso. But he was also a composer. This release features two youthful chamber works. The Trio in G minor for violin, cello, and piano dates from 1911, when Kempff was studying composition with a former student of Brahms. The lineage is easy to hear. Kempff develops his […]
-
Kelly Peral Recital Earns Ovation
Oboist Kelly Peral performed to a small but enthusiastic audience Sunday afternoon, November 10, 2018. The recital was part of the University of Virginia Chamber Music Series, and it was a good one. Peral’s program ranged from the Baroque to the present. A 1728 sonata by Giovanni Boni represented the Baroque. The Sonata in G […]
-
Paul Lansky – Idle Fancies Keep Gwen Dease Busy
Paul Lansky has been creating an impressive catalog of percussion music since the 1990s. This release features three exceptional works for solo marimba, written for some exceptional performers. “Three Moves” (1998) is the earliest (and most difficult) of the three works. Written for Nancy Zeltsman, the music hops across the broad expanse of a five-octave […]
-
Baroque Wind Quartets – Come for the Telemann, stay for the Molter
This release brings together music by two Kapellmeisters of Johann Wilhelm of Saxe-Eisenach. Georg Philip Telemann held the post first in 1709 and was succeeded by Johann Melchior Molter. The works presented on this release provide an interesting contrast in style between the two. The release features three of Telemann’s 1752 “Paris” quartets. These are […]
-
F for Fake – Copyleft in 18th Century Music
I suspect the ubiquity of the term “fake news” inspired this compilation. But it does raise an interesting point. How much does authorship influence our assessment of a work? The Trio Glie Speziali present a variety of Baroque compositions that were attributed to others — some famous, and some not. Misattribution could be accidental. The […]