Rodolphe Kreutzer was renowned both as a violinist and a composer. As the former, he was famous for his technical skills and his musicality in executing them. As the latter, he was known for his 19 concertos and 40 operas. Laurent Albrecht Breuninger is renowned as both a violinist and a composer. As the former, […]
Concerto
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Krisztián Kováts solves “The Mystery of the Natural Trumpet”
The limitations of the natural trumpet come down to physics. A metal tube vibrates at certain frequencies, and those frequencies have fixed mathematical relationships. When the tube (or trumpet) vibrates at a frequency in its harmonic series of overtones, a note sounds. The notes of the harmonic series are far apart at the bottom but […]
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Spirited performances of Giuseppe Tartini Violin Concertos and Sonatas
Violinist Laura Marzadori knows Italian music. Her previous releases feature works by Ottorino Respighi, Ernnano Wolf-Ferrari, and Leone Sinigaglia. This album focuses on Giuseppe Tartini, one of the most important figures in the development of violin technique. The four works Marzadori perform are all demanding. What makes this program refreshingly different is that they’re unusual […]
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Trio of Mikolaj Gorecki works present balanced portrait
The three works in this release each present a different facet of Mikolaj Gorecki’s style. There are similarities: two are for orchestra; two feature a clarinet, horn, and piano trio. But each has its own character. Gorecki’s orchestral work Zan Tontemiquico was inspired by the pre-Columbian poem of Tochihuitzin. It begins “We only come to […]
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Calin Huma Symphony-Concerto a true original
Sometimes being an amateur — rather than a professional — has its advantages. I’m referring to the original meaning of ” amateur” — one who loves the subject. If you’re an amateur composer, you’re free from the constraints of professional composers. You don’t have to compose a certain way to gain commissions, or recognition, or […]
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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Sonatas for Cello and Piano
The more of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s music I hear, the more complex he becomes. This release features his two sonatas for cello and piano. Each provides a snapshot of his evolving style. Sonata No. 1, Op. 21 was completed in 1945. The war was ending, and Stalin’s regime was just warming up. The sonata’s a jaunty, […]
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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Flute Concertos betray emotion
2019 marked the centenary of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s birth. There was a sudden outpouring of Weinberg releases. Some may be due to the centenary, but I like to think enough people have rediscovered his music to finally hit critical mass. Weinberg was often characterized as a poor man’s Shostakovich. The two were close friends and colleagues, […]
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Michael Rische plays C.P.E. Bach – No apologies necessary
In the liner notes for this release, pianist Michael Rische writes, “The musician of our time has in his mind, consciously or not, the musical thinking of Debussy and Ravel, of Schoenberg and Stravinsky, and of Messiaen and Ligeti – a large radius of musical experience that reaches into the present day and suddenly reverberates […]
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Emil Mlynarski Violin Concertos deserve wider audience
In Poland, Emil Mlynarski (1870-1935) is a major musical figure. He was the founding conductor of the Warsaw Symphony in 1901. He was also a virtuoso violinist who studied with Leopold Auer. And he studied composition with Nicolai Rimsky-Korsokov. Mlynarksi’s noted for incorporating Polish traditional music into his works. This release features his two violin […]