In 2019 the Classics a Day team has been making its way through the seasons. We’ve had Classical Winter (January), Classical Spring (April), and Classical Summer (August). For October, we complete the cycle with Classical Autumn. I tried to steer clear of the really obvious choices (like Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”). In the process, I managed […]
Classical music
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Telemann Inauguration Cantatas interesting sidelights
This release features three cantatas, Georg Philipp Telemann. All were written to mark special occasions. Two were in Hamburg, where Telemann served from 1721 to 1767. One was for the neighboring town of Altona, which didn’t have a resident composer. Altona’s 1744 cantata Geschlagene Pauken, auf was inauguration music for a new school. The music is somewhat […]
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Postwar masterpieces from Havergal Brian
Havergal Brian’s reputation these days rests on his first symphony — a record-breaker in size and scope. Thanks to recordings like this one, a more balanced picture of this British composer emerges. The New Russia State Symphony Orchestra directed by Alexander Walker may be far from London, but they manage to capture the inherent Englishness […]
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Karl Weigl Symphony No. 1 just shy of Mahler
As I listened to Symphony No. 1 by Karl Weigl, two descriptions came to mind — post-romantic, pre-Mahler. That last impression isn’t historically accurate. Weigl’s symphony premiered in 1908; Mahler’s Eighth Symphony was completed the year before. And yet stylistically, that was my impression. Karl Weigl, like Gustav Mahler, was a pupil of Robert Fuchs. […]
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Telemann Moral Cantatas uplift — at least musically
This release combines selections from two self-published works by Georg Philipp Telemann. VI moralische Cantaten and 12 Fantaisies pour la basse de violle sold by subscription in 1735. Alternating between the two collections makes an appealing program. The Six Moral Cantatas are just that — music with a message. And whether the subject is luck, parsimony, time, or hope, the message […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalAutumn Week 2
In 2019 the Classics a Day team has been making its way through the seasons. We’ve had Classical Winter (January), Classical Spring (April), and Classical Summer (August). For October, we complete the cycle with Classical Autumn. I tried to steer clear of the really obvious choices (like Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”). In the process, I managed to discover […]
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British Tone Poems, Vol. 2 delivers on quality
This volume of British Tone Poems features outstanding works by lesser-known composers and lesser-known works by outstanding composers. Either way, it’s a win-win for the listener, especially with these performances. Rumon Gamba and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales deliver beautiful and insightful performances of a mixed bag of music. This round features two world-premiere […]
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Victoria Bond chamber music full of revelations
Not a lot of Victoria Bond’s music has been recorded. To the best of my knowledge, this Naxos release marks the sixth her music’s appeared on. And only the third album exclusively devoted to her music. Bond has an active career as a conductor, but her catalog of works is also quite impressive. It includes […]
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Dmitri Tymoczko – Rube Goldberg Variations
There are two qualities I admire in Dmitri Tymoczko — his sense of humor, and his craftsmanship. Tymoczko’s titles are often humorous – like the title track on this release. But his humor also extends into the music. Several of his works have a light-hearted quality to them. These works sound like they were fun […]