The liner notes for this release carefully points out that Dussek “wrote extensively for the Middle Class.” In this case, 12 Progressive Lessons and Six Sonatinas, Op. 20 — both written for amateur musicians. And while they’re not masterworks, they’re certainly well-crafted. And I found myself enjoying them in different ways. The 12 Progressive Studies […]
Classical piano
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Jan Ladislav Dussek Sonatinas present challenges
The liner notes for this release carefully points out that Dussek “wrote extensively for the Middle Class.” In this case, 12 Progressive Lessons and Six Sonatinas, Op. 20 — both written for amateur musicians. And while they’re not masterworks, they’re certainly well-crafted. And I found myself enjoying them in different ways. The 12 Progressive Studies […]
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Aleck Karis brings fresh insights to Debussy
There are plenty of Debussy recordings made by artists past and present — so what makes this release different? Two things, I think; Aleck Karis’ musicality and Bridge Records’ skill at piano recordings. Right from the opening Etude, I was impressed. Pour Les “Cinq Doigts”: D’après Monsieur Czerny starts off with a simple scale but […]
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Elisaveta Blumina reveals the essence of Mieczyslaw Weinberg
This marks the seventh recording of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s music by Elisaveta Blumina. And, in my opinion, her performances remain just as true to Weinberg’s personality as they did in the first. The release features Weinberg’s Piano Quintet, one of his most successful — and authentic — works. Weinberg composed the work in 1944, while Soviet […]
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Pioneers: Piano Works by Female Composers
Hiroko Ishimoto presents an illuminating program of piano music spanning almost 300 years. And all of it by women. It’s a terrific recording, with exceptional performances. I heartily recommend it. Before digging into the details, let’s do a little thought experiment. What if this were a recording of similar music — by male composers? Well, […]
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The Stylish Pastiches of Muzio Clementi
This is an interesting collection of music by Muzio Clementi. In includes three sets of variations, a canon, and a set of style pastiches. The program opens with Five Variations on a Minuet by Mr. Collick. This six-minute charmer increases the complexity with each variation, but not excessively so. These variations could well be (and […]
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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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Soyeon Kate Lee plays Clementi with crystalline precision
Naxos has released a lot of Clementi piano sonatas, with a variety of performers. This latest release features Soyeon Kate Lee, who delivers some delightful performances. Clementi’s music pushed the limits of the then-developing fortepiano. But on a modern instrument, they can sound a little constrained and reserved. Lee has a feathery touch that makes […]
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Katarzyna Drogosz bring Franz Xaver Mozart out of father’s shadow
In his lifetime Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart was better known as a virtuoso pianist than a composer. And for good reason. As a performer, he was judged on the merits of his own talent. As a composer, he was always compared to his father, Wolfgang Amadeus. As a result, F.X. Mozart virtually ceased composing in […]