What I like best about Poul Ruders is that he’s his own man. Ruders picks and chooses from all the various contemporary compositional trends. He mixes and matches them, all in service of the idea he wants to express. And Ruders makes it all sound not only cohesive but logical — as if it simply […]
contemporary classical music
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Andrew Waggoner – Quantum Memoir explores connections
This release features three concertos by violinist and composer Andrew Waggoner. These are short works — the longest runs just 19 minutes. But they’re also densely packed. Waggoner writes in a post-tonal style that can be enjoyed by the casual (albeit adventurous) listener, and those who want music that reveals more with every playing. The […]
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Concurrences – music of Iceland refreshingly diverse
This release features all world premiere recordings by Icelandic composers. If there’s a common thread that gives this music an “Icelandic” quality, I didn’t hear it. What I did hear were four talented composers expressing themselves in four very different ways. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra directed by Daniel Bjarnason delivers exciting performances of some very […]
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Morton Feldman – For John Cage
“For John Cage” is one of the seven musical portraits Morton Feldman composed for friends. And it’s the third issued by Bridge Records. “For John Cage” doesn’t quote any of Cage’s music, but Feldman perfectly captures his aesthetic, I think. This 71-minute piece draws the listener in, and heightens their awareness of the ambient sounds […]
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“Buried Alive” unearths Roaring 20s classics
This release presents three works from the late 1920s. It was a time of reinvention. The First World War swept away the conventions of the Edwardian Age. Composers (and other artists) developed new forms of expression, that incorporated various elements of prewar aesthetics. Arthur Honegger, Othmar Schoeck, and Dmitri Mtropoulous were among them — each […]
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Sarah Connolly shines in Arthur Bliss cantatas
This outstanding release presents three relatively late works by Arthur Bliss. At the time, they were considered a little old-fashioned. Heard now, though, I think they show the originality of Bliss’ vision — and his skill at orchestral writing. Mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly shines in “The Enchantress” and “Mary of Magdala.” Her voice can sound warm, […]
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Joan Manén – a composer worth knowing
At one time, Joan Manén was as famous as his contemporary (and fellow Catalan) Pablo Casals. Manén rose to fame as a violin virtuoso and composer. During his career, he rubbed shoulders and performed with Antonin Dvorak, Max Bruch, and Richard Strauss. By the late 1930s, Manén’s attraction as a performer was in decline. Although […]
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Aquarelles — fine music-making with old friends
This is what chamber music should be about — a conversation among old friends. Bonita Boyd, Steven Doane, and Barry Snyder are all long-time current or former faculty of the Eastman School of Music. The individual performances are top-flight, as one might expect of such musicians. But they’re also fully integrated. All three performers are […]
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Raphael Wallfisch shows affinity for Weinberg Cello Concerto
At first blush, it may seem like a recording of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s music doesn’t belong in the Cello Concertos by Exiled Jewish Composers series. After all, wasn’t Weinberg a Soviet composer? He was, but he very much belongs in this series. Weinberg was born in Warsaw. His family moved to Russia, and after the Revolution, […]