The German composer Johann Simon Mayr dominated the music scene in northern Italy in the early 1800s. He was the maestro di cappella at the Cathedral of Bergamo and wrote a prodigious amount of music: over 70 operas, 18 masses, and 57 symphonies. Today, he’s best known (if at all) as Gaetano Donizetti’s teacher. This […]
Concerto
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Leila Schayegh delivers lively performances of LeClair violin concertos
I think I’m seeing a pattern here. This second volume of Jean-Marie LeClair violin concertos features four selections: two each from his Opus 7 (1739) and Opus 10 (1743). And just as they did in volume one, the concertos share the same numbers. In this case, nos. 1 and 3. Violinist Leila Schayegh and La […]
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Raphael Wallfisch continues concerto cycle with Ben-Haim, Korngold, and Bloch
This installment of Raphael Wallfisch’s innovative series features three very different composers. “Cello Concertos by Jewish Composers in Exile” is in its fourth volume. All three composers were Jewish, and all were forced from their homes. But not every work on this album is a concerto (sort of). The outlier is Ernest Bloch, represented by […]
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Jana Semerádová in fine form with Richter and Stamitz
I think the title of this release is just a little misleading. “Franz Xaver Richter, Johann Stamitz: Flute Concertos & Trios” suggests (to me) an album of two composers in equal measure. Not so. This release has one flute concerto by Stamitz. The other five selections are all Richter. It’s still a program of six […]
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Johann Molter Concerto Recording Mark Special Occasion
The Musicaphon label marks the 300th anniversary of Karlsruhe with a special collection. Johann Melchior Molter was the city’s best-known composer, active in the first half of the 18th Century. He’s credited as one of the first composers to write for the clarinet, developed around 1700. This release features some of Molter’s writings for the […]
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Anne-Marie McDermott launches Mozart series
Anne-Marie McDermott’s new Mozart series starts off with two showcase concertos. The Piano Concerto in C major, K. 415 was one of three Mozart wrote in 1783 to spotlight his talent as a composer and performer. The Piano Concerto in B-flat major, K. 238 was featured in Mozart’s 1777 European tour with his sister Nannerl. […]
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Michel Yost Clarinet Concertos approach Mozart
Michèl Yost was not only one of the greatest clarinetists of the late 1700s. He was also one of the cofounders of the French school of clarinet playing. Like other virtuosos of his age, Yost wrote concertos to perform in concert. This release presents three of his fourteen concertos. Stylistically, the concertos resemble Mozart’s. They […]
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Share the joy of classical music: WTJU Classical Marathon airs Dec 9 – 15
Share the joy of WTJU Classical – December 9 – 15 We need your help to raise $40,000 and keep WTJU going strong! Diverse and wide-ranging as they are, the wonderful classical music pieces you enjoy on WTJU have common themes that echo through each performance. Themes that celebrate excellence and creativity… evoke the deepest emotions… and […]
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Hermann Graedener Violin Concertos make the grade
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 […]