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 […]
CPO
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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 […]
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Raphel Wallfisch brings home exiled concertos
This release marks the beginning of a new series from CPO. Cello Concertos from Exile features works by Jewish composers forced to flee Nazi Germany. This first release includes works by Fanz Rezeinstein and Berthold Goldschmidt, who both found refuge in the UK. It’s a deeply personal project for cellist Raphael Wallfisch. As he explains […]
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Giovanni Ristori Missa in C major to be taken seriously
A commenter took me to task for my recent review of Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Missa Omnium Sanctorum. “The point of a mass setting is not to be “fun” and Zelenka would probably abhor that characterization of this work… Anyway, it was his friend [Giovanni Alberto] Ristori who was responsible for the “fun” masses in Dresden.” […]
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Johann Friedrich Fasch Sacred Works on par with Bach’s
This release features a thoughtful program of music by Johann Friedrich Fasch. Two major choral works are separated by an instrumental suite. The Mass in G major is fascinating. Fasch breaks the text down almost to its component phrases. He then seems to treat each phrase differently, moving seamlessly from choral contrapuntal passages to vocal […]