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 […]
CPO
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Telemann Inauguration Cantatas interesting sidelights
This release features three cantatas, Georg Philipp Telemann. All were written to mark special occasions. Two were in Hamburg, where Telemann served from 1721 to 1767. One was for the neighboring town of Altona, which didn’t have a resident composer. Altona’s 1744 cantata Geschlagene Pauken, auf was inauguration music for a new school. The music is somewhat […]
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Oliver Triendl connects with Reizenstein Concerto
When it comes to piano concertos, Franz Reizenstein is best remembered for his “Concerto Populaire,” his contribution to the Hoffnung Festivals. The 1961 Piano Concerto No. 2 is more serious, but in both, I hear a desire to connect with the audience. Reizenstein premiered the work at the keyboard. There’s plenty for the pianist to […]
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François-Joseph Gossec Symphonies Immensely Entertaining
François-Joseph Gossec was a major musical figure in the late 1700s. His influence didn’t travel far outside of France. Within its boundaries, though, Gossec created a new aesthetic that inspired composers for decades. Gossec fully embraced the aesthetic of classicism and injected it with some forward-looking innovations. This collection of his Opus 4 symphonies has […]
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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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Graupner Passion Cantatas II Maintain High Standard
In 1741 Christoph Graupner produced ten Passion Cantatas — one for each Sunday of Lent. Volume 1 featured three of those cantatas; Volume 2 has three more, each uniquely shaped by the text Graupner sets. Das Leiden Jesu von seinen Freunden, GWV 1122/41 (Friend, why are you here) was for the Third Sunday of Lent. […]
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Friedrich Schneider Symphony No. 16 reincarnated
Funny how things work. Johann Sebastian Bach was organist at St. Thomaskirk, Leipzig. A prolific composer, his music is known throughout the world. Friedrich Schneider held the same post in 1812. A prolific composer, his music is virtually unknown. Schneider’s catalog includes four operas, 25 cantatas, seven piano concertos, and 23 symphonies. And yet just […]
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Leopold van der Pals First Symphony Post-romantic treasure
At the turn of the century, a man spent the summer in a small “composing shed” near his house writing his first symphony. It’s the story of Gustav Mahler, and also of Leopold van der Pals. Pals had completed studies with Rheinhold Gliere and was inspired to write big works. His first symphony was completed […]
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Johann Wilhelm Wilms Piano Quartets receive their due
Johann Wilhelm Wilms (1772-1847) only wrote two piano quartets (that we know of), and they conveniently fit on one CD. German-born Wilms was a major musical figure in the Netherlands As a contemporary of Beethoven, his fame remained more regional than international. A contemporary reviewer called Wilms a “practiced composer versed in compositional technique.” That’s […]