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 […]
Concerto
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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 […]
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Michael Daugherty Dreamachine Hits on All Cylinders
In my opinion, Michael Daugherty’s style hits the sweet spot. His music has real substance, working on multiple layers that yield fresh insights with every hearing. He’s also fully integrated the musical vernacular of pop culture. And he writes in a mostly tonal and strongly rhythmic language. These strengths enable his music to connect with […]
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Hans Gál Cello Music Unabashedly Beautiful
The first part of Hans Gál’s story isn’t unusual. Like many talented Jewish musicians in Austria and Germany, his career was derailed by the rise of Nazism. was one of many talented German and Austrian musicians. Gál fled to England, settling in Edinburgh and becoming a respected teacher. Gál wrote throughout his life in a […]
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Max Bruch Music for Clarinet and Viola – Late Romantic Goodness
Like his friend and colleague Johannes Brahms, Max Bruch didn’t write for the clarinet until late in his career. For Bruch, it was something personal. His son was an accomplished clarinetist and premiered the works on this release. Although written in the early 1910s, these works are unapologetically Romantic in style. But there’s nothing nostalgic […]
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Hof-Capelle Carlsruhe’s Schmittbauer hommage an unusual mix
The Hof-Capelle Carlsruhe’s first collection of Karlsruhe court music featured works by Johann Molter, with some filler by his contemporaries. This volume brings one of those composers — Joseph Aloys Schmittbauer — to the fore. Schmittbauer was a well-respected composer and organist. One of his distinctions was copying Benjamin Franklin’s glass harmonica and then improving […]