Pianist Joanna Sochacka is a woman on a mission. And that mission is for Grazyna Bacewicz’s compositions to receive the performances they deserve. Bacewicz is already recognized as one of Poland’s musical geniuses. She was both a virtuoso violinist and pianist. Her compositions won numerous awards and critical acclaim. And yet, sixty years after her […]
contemporary classical music
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Robert Simpson Symphonies 5 & 6 – worth a listen
I first became aware of Robert Simpson through The Symphony. This two-volume work, edited by Simpson, was a collection of essays about the great symphonists and their music. Simpson not only knew how to write about symphonies, he knew how to write them. This release features two of his eleven symphonies, both dating from the 1970s. […]
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Peteris Vasks – Music for Strings deeply spiritual
In recommending music, I often say that if you enjoy Arvo Part, you should listen to Pēteris Vasks. Both composers come from the Baltic States, and both infuse their music with deep spirituality. Vasks’ music, like that of Part’s, ignores the “isms” of the 20th Century. What matters is the emotion the composer’s articulating. And […]
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Rediscovered British Clarinet Concertos Deserve a Listen
This is a wonderful collection of music. And, I think, it makes a point. The classical repertoire is so rich that no matter how tightly focused the program, there are plenty of gems to chose from. In this case, the focus is clarinet concertos by British composers from the first half of the 20th Century […]
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Josef Schelb Orchestra Music Vol. 2 features concertos
German composer Josef Schelb lost most of his manuscripts in a Berlin air raid during World War II. He made up for those losses after the war, creating 150 new works between 1949 and his death in 1977. This album features three of his post-war concertos. The Kammersymphonie Berlin seems the ideal ensemble for this […]
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Louis Karchin – Five Compositions
The five compositions by Louis Karchin featured in this release include his chamber symphony, and four smaller chamber works. In the liner notes Karchin says, “While writing the Chamber Symphony, I realized why the genre is such an appealing one for composers working today. Contemporary music revels in the discovery of new sounds and instrumental […]
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Daniel Jones Symphonies 3 & 5 tied to BBC
The relationship between Welsh composer Daniel Jones and the BBC was a close one. In the third installment of Daniel Jones’s symphonic recordings, Lyrita presents two prime examples. Symphony No. 3 was completed in 1951 and premiered the following year in a BBC broadcast. David Jones conducted the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Jones’ fifth symphony […]
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Salvatore Di Vittorio release not up to par
To me, this release is something of a puzzle. We have a composer conducting the orchestra he founded in a program of his own works. I enjoyed Salvatore Di Vittorio and the Chamber Orchestra of New York before. Their Respighi release is a knockout. But not this. The compositions are fine. They’re well-constructed. Di Vittorio, […]
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Pál Hermann’s music revived, thanks to Toccata Classics
When I saw the title for this release, I thought I might want to review it. When I read the subtitle, I knew I had to review it. I’d never heard of Pál Hermann, and I’m always looking for new composers to discover. But “Complete Surviving Music?” What did that mean? What did it survive? […]