There are several things I’ve come to expect from a Roxanna Panufnik choral composition. Music that realizes the full potential of the human voice. Music that’s beautifully crafted with innovative harmonies and voice leading. Music with a carefully chosen text and usually — taken in context with the music — has a profound message. “Love […]
contemporary classical music
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The ethereal beauty of Peteris Vasks Viola Concerto
Peteris Vasks is one of my favorite contemporary composers. He has a distinctive voice, and his works always deliver emotionally (to me, anyway). The two compositions on this release are no exception — though they are exceptional. The Concerto for Viola and String Orchestra was written in 2014 and premiered by its dedicatee, Maxim Rysanov. […]
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Energetic works from early and late Richard Strauss
This release features a selection of works written at the very beginning, and at the very end of Richard Strauss’ career. In a way, it’s not surprising at the consistency of style in these works. In those later years, Strauss became increasingly nostalgic for those earlier times. A good example is the Duett-Concertino for clarinet […]
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Explosive performance of Allan Pettersson Violin Concerto
You could consider Swedish composer Allan Pettersson a musician’s musician. His symphonies, though rarely performed in concert halls, are considered ground-breaking masterworks. Since 2009 maestro Christian Lindberg has been moving through Pettersson’s orchestral catalog. This release is but the latest in his string of outstanding Pettersson recordings. The official title of the major work on […]
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Torbjörn Iwan Lundquist: Suites for Orchestra – Fine Film Scores
Torbjörn Iwan Lundquist had a varied career: bandleader, conductor, classical composer — and film composer. A musical jack of all trades and master of all. The two works in this release are suites from two of Lundquist’s films. And the performances are conducted by the composer. As a film composer, Lundquist blended popular and classical […]
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Eleanor Alberga string quartets show individuality
Jamaican-born composer Eleanor Alberga brings a fresh perspective to the string quartet genre. Alberga is also a concert pianist. At times when all four instruments play chords the ensemble seems to resemble a piano. But Alberga is also married to a violinist, and her writing for strings is idiomatic and practical. She also has a […]
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Myroslav Skoryk Violin Concertos 1-4; great music from Ukraine
This is the start of a two-volume traversal of violin concertos by Myroslav Skoryk. Skoryk, a major figure in Ukrainian music wrote a total of nine concerti. He was a prominent composer both in the Soviet and post-Soviet eras. Skoryk uses Ukrainian folk elements in his music, but not in obvious ways. Skoryk wrote his first […]
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Peteris Vasks – Works for Piano Trio work for me
What I admire most about Peteris Vasks is his deep spirituality. It permeates all of his music, even his early avant-garde compositions. This release features three of his works for piano trio. All three are quintessentially Vasks. They radiate an aura of serenity, even during the fastest and loudest passages. The music seems far removed […]
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Walter Braunfels Piano Music presents a different face
Capriccio continues its survey of Walter Braunfels’ music. This installment features music for the piano — mostly piano four-hand music. Braunfels was a concert pianist, so these works lay well on the keyboards. And they also demand a lot from the players. Tatjana Blome and Holger Groschopp perform with distinction. Their interpretation of Braunfels Post-Romantic […]