This release presents three chamber works by Louise Farrenc. Farrenc was renowned as a pianist as well as a composer. These selections show her skill at writing for violin. Daniele Orlando and Linda Di Carlo deliver wonderfully expressive performances. Farrenc had a rare melodic gift, and Orlando’s violin practically sings them. Farrenc was also a […]
Chamber music
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Raphael Terroni presents Howard Ferguson’s best
With Howard Ferguson, it was always about quality, not quantity. Ferguson was extremely self-critical. As a result, his music only emerged after much deliberation and revision. Over a span of thirty years, he wrote only nineteen works. And then he stopped because he felt he had nothing left to say. But when he spoke musically, […]
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Gregori and Stradella well-served by the Capriccio Barok Orchester
In this release, the Capriccio Baroke Orchestra combines two different, yet complementary composers. Giovanni Lorenzo Gregori is credited as the first to use the term “concerto grosso.” It appeared as the title to his opus 2, recorded here. His contemporary, Alessandro Stradella, was no less innovative. Stradella’s compositions were major influences in the Italian Baroque. […]
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Ensemble Mark Rothko deliver with Heitor Villa-Lobos chamber works
A colleague of mine absolutely loves Heitor Villa-Lobos. Whatever classical music subgenre you name, he’ll cite a Villa-Lobos composition for it. And then he’ll assert it’s one of the best. The thing is, he’s usually right. From symphonies to string quartets, Villa-Lobos has both quantity and quality. And that quality is present even in his […]
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French Music for the Bassoon — a varied and satisfying collection
If you get this release, be sure to read the liner notes. They explain the origin of the bassoon from the Rennaissance curtal. These two double-reed low-register instruments existed side-by-side for almost a century. Only in the 1700’s did the bassoon finally supplanted the curtal completely. And that’s the era featured in this recording. This […]
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Benjamin Carr Piano Music – American Through and Through
It’s easy to forget that American classical music didn’t begin in the mid-20th Century. Europeans brought their musical traditions with them to the new continent. After the American Revolution, some composers worked to develop a new style of music for their new nation. Benjamin Carr was one such pioneer. Carr was born in London and […]
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Upper Austrian David Trio Does Namesake Justice
First off, about the ensemble’s name. “OÖ. David-Trio” is an abbreviation for the Oberösterreichisch (Upper Austrian) David Trio. As their name implies, this trio specializes in the music of Johann Nepomuk David. They’re equally at home with the music of other 20th Century composers, such as Webern and Schoenberg. And they perform the classic string […]
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William Bland Piano Sonatas Anything But
From 1998 through 2014 William Bland quietly composed a massive body of work. It’s a cycle of piano sonatas, one of each major and minor key. The sonatas run about 20-30 minutes each, and each sonata has its own character. This release doubles the number of Bland’s sonatas to be recorded. Bridge Records previously released […]
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Peter Cigleris performs Ruth Gipps chamber works
This release features a well-balanced program of clarinet chamber works by Ruth Gipps. It includes a solo work, some pieces for clarinet and piano, a clarinet quintet, and a major work for clarinet, oboe, and string quartet. If you’re not familiar with Ruth Gipps, here’s a brief introduction. She was a child prodigy, composing and […]