Divine Art continues their reissue of Vyacheslav Artyomov recordings with “A Symphony of Elegies.” Artyomov’s 1977 “A Symphony of Elegies” was written during a trip to the mountains of Dilijan, Armenia. To me, the work forms a fascinating contrast to the mountain-inspired symphonies of American/Armenian composer Alan Hovhaness. Both composers eschew the standard notion of […]
contemporary classical music
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Karl Weigl 1934 Cello Concerto present to the world
Volume two of CPO’s “Cello Concertos by Exiled Jewish Composers” features music by Karl Weigl. Given Weigl’s prominence in Vienna, it’s surprising he’s so little-known today. Weigl was Mahler’s rehearsal pianist. He co-founded a concert series with Arnold Schoenberg and Bruno Walter. He studied with Robert Fuchs and taught Wolfgang Erich Korngold. And yet he […]
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Kurt Atterberg Double Concerto Deserves Better Sound
This release marks the world premiere recording of Kurt Atterberg’s Concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra. The Swedish composer once characterized the 1960 double concerto as the last piece of his music worth performing. Perhaps — only two other works were written later. the concerto is an interesting blend of old and new. Atterberg was […]
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Chamber Symphonies Great Intro to Mieczyslaw Weinberg
Mieczyslaw Weinberg’ music can be a difficult listen. He was fond of extreme registers and extreme harmonies — not the best combination for a Soviet-Era composer. For someone interested in exploring Weinberg’s work (and you really should), this a great disc to start with. The works on this album are all written in a more […]
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Vyacheslav Artyomov – Master of Percussion
Vyacheslav Artyomov has developed his own musical language. It isn’t so much about scales and chords as it is timbres and sound clouds. In other words, the perfect aesthetic for percussion ensembles. This release features two works commissioned by the Mark Pekarsky Percussion Ensemble, performed by that ensemble. The earliest work, Totem is a marvelous […]
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John Robertson “Vallarta Suite” a holiday for ears
It turns out there were two composers who worked full-time in insurance. Their day jobs freed them to write the music they wanted to. But the music that American Charles Ives and Canadian John Robertson produced was very different, indeed. Ives studied music and pushed against its academic restraints. Robertson is mostly self-taught and seems simply unconcerned […]
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Kondonassis in Rapturous Performance of Higdon Harp Concerto
Yolanda Kondonassis does not play pretty harp music. Her performances are marked with intensity and energy — and her choice of repertoire continually pushes the limits. Jennifer Higdon wrote her a concerto that gives Kondonassis free reign to express herself — and she does. The four-movement Harp Concerto has Kondonassis do just about everything with […]
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Kalevi Aho Wind Quintets performed with love
This release tells a story — the story of a relationship between composer and performers. Finnish composer Kalevi Aho writes very challenging music. The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet (BPWQ) accepted that challenge and performed his Wind Quintet No. 1. In fact, they fell in love with the work, playing it more than 20 times in […]
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Gloria Coates – Piano Quintet and Symphony No. 10 well-matched
Gloria Coates has a unique compositional voice. It’s one I’ve admired since hearing her first symphony (Music on Open Strings). While not all of her 16 symphonies are as immediately accessible as that work, there are some common characteristics. Coates lets her material determine the form of the work. That material and the development of […]