Nancy Dalberg (1881-1949) is an important composer in Denmark, and her star is (finally) rising outside her native land. Dalberg studied with Carl Nielsen and wrote a large number of orchestral, chamber, and vocal works. She was the first Danish female composer to write a symphony, but she’s best remembered for her three string quartets. […]
Chamber music
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Danacord reissues Anton Rubinstein Cello Sonatas
The Anton Rubinstein cello sonatas were originally released by Danacord as a DMM LP. Direct metal mastering ensured a high level of sonic accuracy. When this recording was released in 1986, it was the last word in analog high fidelity. Also included with this reissue is Rubinstein’s Piano Trio No. 5. This is the first […]
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Eleanor Alberga string quartets show individuality
Jamaican-born composer Eleanor Alberga brings a fresh perspective to the string quartet genre. Alberga is also a concert pianist. At times when all four instruments play chords the ensemble seems to resemble a piano. But Alberga is also married to a violinist, and her writing for strings is idiomatic and practical. She also has a […]
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Sensitive performances by Laurence Dean and Andrew Lawrence-King
Musik der Empfindsamkeit was a very specific musical genre. Empfindsamer Stil (sensitive style) was primarily a style written in Germany during the late Baroque. Most 18th Century music (including that of J.S. Bach’s) was written according to the Doctrine of Affections. Each movement should only express one affection, or emotion. By contrast, the empfindsamer Stil strove to a more […]
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Peteris Vasks – Works for Piano Trio work for me
What I admire most about Peteris Vasks is his deep spirituality. It permeates all of his music, even his early avant-garde compositions. This release features three of his works for piano trio. All three are quintessentially Vasks. They radiate an aura of serenity, even during the fastest and loudest passages. The music seems far removed […]
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Walter Braunfels Piano Music presents a different face
Capriccio continues its survey of Walter Braunfels’ music. This installment features music for the piano — mostly piano four-hand music. Braunfels was a concert pianist, so these works lay well on the keyboards. And they also demand a lot from the players. Tatjana Blome and Holger Groschopp perform with distinction. Their interpretation of Braunfels Post-Romantic […]
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Dante Quartet finishes Stanford cycle with strong performances
This release completes the Dante Quartet’s traversal of Charles Villiers Stanford’s string quartets. Appropriately, it includes both his first and last quartet, the latter receiving its world recording premiere. Stanford’s music is sometimes characterized as “Brahms with an Irish accent.” That doesn’t seem to apply to the first two quartets. Stanford wrote the first quartet […]
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Carl Reinecke cello works trace composer’s development
This release features the four works for cello and piano of Carl Reinecke. The earliest was written when the composer was 31; the last when he was 73. Collectively they provide snapshots of Reinecke’s artistic development. Cellist Martin Rummel and pianist Roland Krüger garnered great reviews for their release of Joseph Merk’s cello works. This […]
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Friedrich Gernsheim string quartet cycle off to a solid start
The musical influences of Friedrich Gernshiem are easy to hear; Robert Schumann, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Johannes Brahms. The latter is perhaps the strongest. Gernsheim was a friend and colleague of the famous composer. Like Brahms, Gernsheim only wrote a handful of string quartets. The Diogenes Quartett launches a traversal of those five works with this […]