The story behind Robert Furstenthal’s music is compelling. It might even be the stuff of movies. But in the end, the music has to stand (or fall) on its own merits. The first part of Furstenthal’s story isn’t new. He was a young Jewish composer forced to flee when the Nazis annexed Austria. He emigrated […]
Classical music
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Orfeo reissues Louis Spohr Clarinet Concerto recordings
Orfeo first released these recordings of Louis Spohr clarinet concertos in 1984. And they sound like it. The overall sound is somewhat dulled in the extreme registers (compared to contemporary recordings). It casts the orchestra and soloist in soft focus. Despite this, I would still recommend this reissue. Karl Leister is an exceptional clarinetist, and […]
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Ars Antiqua Austria energize Georg Muff
Georg Muffat studied with Lully in Paris early in his career. In 1680, he journeyed to Venice to study with Corelli. Influences from both composers can be heard in his 1682 collection Armonico Tributo. The structure of the proto-concerto grossi resembles those of Corelli’s Opus 4, written around the same time. And the dance movements […]
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#ClassicsaDay #BlackMusicMonth Week 1
Since 1979, June has been African-American Music Appreciation Month. The Classics a Day team decided to adopt it for the June 2019 theme as well. Popular music genres will no doubt be well-represented by others. We’ll be focusing on the composers, conductors, and performing artists of color who have contributed to classical music. For my […]
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Joseph Marx Orchestral Works a Welcome Reissue
I’m glad to have this recording back in print. ASV originally released their four-volume Joseph Marx set in 2003. This volume features three of his works written in older classical styles. In a way, they have a similar character to Resphigi’s “Ancient Airs and Dances.” That is, the music may be in an older style, […]
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Alexander Moyzes Symphonies 11 & 12 – fitting finales
This release completes Naxos’ reissue of Alexander Moyzes symphonies. Their sister label, Marco Polo, first released these recordings nineteen years ago. As I said in the reviews of the previous volumes, it’s good to have these works available again. Ladislav Slovak and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra share the same cultural background as Moyzes. And […]
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Brouwer and Bellinati Concertos: masterworks masterfully played
This release features world premiere recordings of two works by master guitarists played by two master guitarists. Music by Cuban guitarist Leo Brouwer has become mainstays of the repertoire. His 2003 Book of Signs uses Western classical music as a foundation. The first movement deconstructs the theme to Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C minor. The […]
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Johann Friedrich Fasch Sacred Works on par with Bach’s
This release features a thoughtful program of music by Johann Friedrich Fasch. Two major choral works are separated by an instrumental suite. The Mass in G major is fascinating. Fasch breaks the text down almost to its component phrases. He then seems to treat each phrase differently, moving seamlessly from choral contrapuntal passages to vocal […]
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#ClassicsaDay #SovietaDay Week 5
For the third year running, the Classics a Day team chose to honor May Day. For the month of May, Soviet musicians are the theme. Last year I posted music by Soviet prize-winners. This time, I’m simply walking my way through the alphabet (Latin, not Cyrillic). The music I discovered proved anything but ordinary. Here […]