In the 19th Century Russia, one composer towered over the rest. It wasn’t Tchaikovsky, any member of the Might Five. It was Anton Rubinstein. Rubinstein was prolific, and one of the first to assimilate Western musical tradition into Russian composition. Rubinstein was a piano virtuoso (among other talents), and his five piano concertos were the […]
Concerto
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Sergei Zhukov Concertos Suited to Soloists
Ukranian composer Sergei Zhukov wrote a series of three concertos, each dedicated to a different sister of The Bekova Trio. This release features the Piano Concerto written for Eleonora Bekova and the Violin Concerto, written for Elvira Bekova. Omitted is the Cello Concerto, composed for Alfia Bekova. Zhukov’s stated intent was to create concertos that […]
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Tatjana Ruhland performs Müller Flute Concertos beautifully
Today, August Eberhard Müller is mostly forgotten. Yet at the turn of the 19th Century, he was one of the most important musical figures in Germany. As cantor of Thomaskirche, Leipzig, he performed cantatas by its most famous cantor, J. S. Bach. He was first chair flute of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as a […]
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Charlottesville Symphony Thrill with Bartok and Mendelssohn
Bela Bartok’s Violin Concerto No. 2 is a challenging work for both soloist and ensemble. Audiences were treated to a fine performance by violinist Joseph Lin, maestro Benjamin Rous, and the Charlottesville Symphony March 23 and 24th, 2019. Lin possessed all the technical ability necessary for this difficult piece. He played with a clean, pure […]
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Friedrich Benda Viola Concertos Delightful Discoveries
Friedrich Benda came from a distinguished musical family and was a noted violinist and violist. So it’s not surprising that his viola concertos are well-crafted examples of Classical Period form. In general form, these works reminded me of Haydn’s string concertos. They have a similar air of elegance about them. Bernard Labadie is renowned for […]
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Alessandro Rolla Viola Concertos Not Fully Served
Alessandro Rolla, a contemporary of Mozart, was perhaps the greatest violist of his age. And he was a pretty good violinist, too. After all — he taught Paganini. As was the practice of the time, Rolla the composer wrote concertos for Rolla the virtuoso to take on tour. This release includes two of those viola […]
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Fresh Batch of Papandopulo Concertos Most Welcome
Every work I’ve heard by Boris Papandopulo is an absolute gem. And, apparently, just as rare. The liner notes have this rather cryptic sentence: “Owing to the still limited access to his musical estate, a comprehensive, meaningful, and synoptic assessment of Papandopulo’s oeuvre remains impossible.” Boris Papandopulo, a legend in his native Croatia, wrote prolifically […]
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Rune Most Delivers Engaging Performances of Mozart Flute Music
A quick check on Arkivmusic.com revealed over 80 releases of Mozart’s flute concertos in print. So why should anyone pay attention to this release? Simple — the quality of the performances. Rune Most offer fresh insights into these well-known works. Most plays a modern wooden flute. Its smooth, mellow sound is close to what Mozart […]
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Tor Aulin Violin Concertos – Swedish Masterworks
Tor Aulin was best known as a violinist. He toured for 20 years with his own string quartet, and later served as concertmaster of the Swedish Royal Opera Orchestra. During his touring years, Aulin composed his three violin concertos. Aulin often performed with his fellow countryman, Wilhelm Stenhammar. Like his colleague, Aulin wrote in a […]