Pianist/composer Anton Eberl was a contemporary of Beethoven and a student of Mozart. Some of Eberl’s works were misattributed to Mozart, and that’s not surprising. As this new release shows, Eberl’s style is quite similar to Mozart’s. But not quite identical (a lot of the misattribution was done by unscrupulous publishers). The two sonatas for […]
Concerto
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Viktor Ullman – A Voice That Won’t Be Silenced
Cappricio’s first Viktor Ullman release featured two symphonies, with the Gürzenich-Orchester and James Conlon. This time the focus is on Ullman’s piano music, ably played by Moritz Ernst. Ullman himself was an outstanding pianist. His writing for the instrument is in many ways, his most personal form of expression. Ullman’s Piano Concerto, Op. 25 was […]
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Molter Concertos for Natural Trumpets and Horns Present Challenges
Not everyone’s a fan of original instrumental performances. I am — especially when they’re done well. This release features Jean- François Madeuf performing Molter concertos with a natural trumpet and natural horn. And the results gave me a new appreciation for this under-appreciated composer. And real appreciation for Madeuf’s technical prowess. Modern trumpets and f horns […]
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Pugnani Violin Concertos As They Were Meant To Be Played
This recording is more remarkable then it appears at first hearing. Gaetano Pugnani was one of the most brilliant violinists of his age. At age ten he joined the Royal Chapel of Turin — as first violinist. And his career just kept getting better. As a virtuoso, he performed with the leading orchestras of […]
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Christian Westerhoff Concertos – Great Music from the Hinterlands
Sometimes location matters. Based on the quality of his music, I think Christian Wilhelm Westerhoff (1763-1806) might have had a notable career in Vienna. Instead, he served at the court of Count Ludwig Wilhelm of Bentheim, one of the minor Hanoverian nobility. Because he remained in the hinterlands, his music remained relatively unknown. Until now. […]
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Amir Mahyar Tafreshipour – Persian Echoes
Amir Mahyar Tafreshipour isn’t the first composer to meld his cultural musical heritage into classical composition. And he does so as convincingly as Dvorak, Bartok, or De Falla (in his own style, of course). Tafreshipour said this of Persian Echoes, his harp concerto: “My intention was not to compose an exotic piece simply with the use […]
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Tatjana Ruhland Elevates Reinecke Compositions
Sometimes it isn’t the music so much as the performer. The music is by Carl Reinecke, whose legacy lives on more through his pupils than his music. During his academic career, he taught Edvard Grieg, Leoš Janácek, Isaac Albéniz, Felix Weingartner, and Max Bruch, to name but a few. Of all his 300+ compositions, he’s best […]
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Tischenko Eighth Symphony Transformation – in unexpected ways
In order to fully appreciate this release, you need to have another one cued up. Boris Tishchenko continually pushed the boundaries of Soviet music. His compositions, even when they stayed on the right side of the Soviet authorities, sounded like no one else’s. Listening to this release was my first encounter with Tishchenko’s 8th Symphony. […]
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Tishchenko Symphony No. 8 transforms Schubert
In order to fully appreciate this release, you need to have another one cued up. Boris Tishchenko continually pushed the boundaries of Soviet music. His compositions, even when they stayed on the right side of the Soviet authorities, sounded like no one else’s. Listening to this release was my first encounter with Tishchenko’s 8th Symphony. […]