This is what I like about Toccata Classics. They don’t just do a single release of a composer I’ve never heard of — they do a whole series. And their instincts are usually spot on. In this case, the composer is Hermann Graedener (1844-1929). In his early years, he was a colleague and friend of […]
Concerto
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The quiet beauty of Dora Bright and Ruth Gipps concertos
Somm has done a real service to classical music with this release. It features piano concertos by two women — composers who deserve wider audiences. Both compositions by Dora Bright and one of the two Ruth Gipps works are world premiere recordings. All four works are beautifully constructed and enthusiastically performed. Dora Bright was born […]
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Mexican composer Alexi Aranda delivers satisfying concertos
Alexis Aranda is a composer whose star is rising — and not just in his native Mexico. Aranda’s style incorporates native folk traditions into a post-tonal classical language. The blend is exciting, accessible, and yields music of real substance. This release features three concertos by Aranda; a concerto for flute, another for piano, and a […]
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Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer and the Recorder in the Low Countries
Baroque recorder albums are something of a crapshoot for me. Sometimes they sound harshly shrill. And sometimes they sound like this release. Erik Bosgraaf uses a variety of recorders, all of which have a warm, woody sound — even the soprano recorder. Equally exceptional is the recorded sound of the keyboard. on some tracks, Francesco […]
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John Robertson: Virtuosity a bit uneven
For me, Virtuosity was something of a mixed bag. There were many things I liked about the recording (the music), and a few things I didn’t (the playing). As a composer, John Robertson created his own path. He was mostly self-taught, and never tapped into the various trends in contemporary music. As the liner notes […]
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Rosemary Tuck delivers grand performance of Czerny concerto
This is the second Czerny recording by Rosemary Tuck, Richard Bonynge, and the ESO. That release featured the Grand Concerto in A minor. This one has Czerny’s Second Grand Concerto, and it’s equally grand. Czerny studied with Beethoven and premiered two of his piano concertos as soloist. Czerny’s Second Grand Concerto was started weeks after […]
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Oliver Triendl connects with Reizenstein Concerto
When it comes to piano concertos, Franz Reizenstein is best remembered for his “Concerto Populaire,” his contribution to the Hoffnung Festivals. The 1961 Piano Concerto No. 2 is more serious, but in both, I hear a desire to connect with the audience. Reizenstein premiered the work at the keyboard. There’s plenty for the pianist to […]
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Leila Schayegh delivers with LeClair Violin Concertos
This first volume of Jean-Marie LeClair violin concertos features four selections: two each from his Opus 7 (1739) and Opus 10 (1743). LeClair was one of the greatest violinists of his age. He regularly used extended techniques, such as double stops, bariolages, and harmonics. And yet in his concertos, these techniques were always used in […]
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Kurt Atterberg Double Concerto Deserves Better Sound
This release marks the world premiere recording of Kurt Atterberg’s Concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra. The Swedish composer once characterized the 1960 double concerto as the last piece of his music worth performing. Perhaps — only two other works were written later. the concerto is an interesting blend of old and new. Atterberg was […]