Five piano trio receive their world recording premiers with this release. In a sense, it’s not that big a deal. Carl Czerny wrote over 1,000 works, over 800 of them published. There are still many, many Czerny works awaiting their first recording. The trios presented here are certainly worthy of attention. The 1830 Deux Trios […]
Naxos
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Early Muzio Clementi keyboard sonatas have their appeal
This release is part of Naxos’ leisurely traversal through Muzio Clementi’s keyboard sonatas. This installment features sonatas from the early part of his career. The Op. 2 sonatas were published in 1779, the Op. 1784. This was the time when Antonio Salieri was still a major composer. Mozart was up to 15 piano concertos; Haydn […]
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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 […]
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Joseph Marx Orchestral Works a Welcome Reissue
I’m glad to have this recording back in print. ASV originally released their four-volume Joseph Marx set in 2003. This volume features three of his works written in older classical styles. In a way, they have a similar character to Resphigi’s “Ancient Airs and Dances.” That is, the music may be in an older style, […]
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Brouwer and Bellinati Concertos: masterworks masterfully played
This release features world premiere recordings of two works by master guitarists played by two master guitarists. Music by Cuban guitarist Leo Brouwer has become mainstays of the repertoire. His 2003 Book of Signs uses Western classical music as a foundation. The first movement deconstructs the theme to Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C minor. The […]
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Boffo performances of Wolf-Ferrari “Il segreto di Susanna”
Spoiler alert: “Il segreto di Susanna” è che fuma sigarette.* Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari perfectly captured the spirit of opera buffa with “The Secret of Susanna.” As the genre dictates, the cast consists of only three roles (one non-singing). The action is quick, farcical, the story concise. Wolf-Ferrari’s work follows the consequences of Suzanna hiding a secret […]
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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Symphony No. 13 – honest intensity
Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s 13th Symphony isn’t a pleasant work to listen to. But then, it’s not meant to be. Weinberg dedicated this 1979 work to the memory of his mother. She, along with Weinberg’s father and sister, perished in a Polish transit camp during WWII. Weinberg effectively translates his still-raw emotions into music. The symphony is […]
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Alexander Moyzes Symphonies Nos. 7 and 8 – Emotional Masterworks
This volume of Naxos’ Moyzes symphonic cycle includes two of his most emotional works. Moyzes was famous as a Slovak nationalist composer, blending folk music traditions seamlessly with classical forms. His Symphony No. 7 is no exception. This substantial work was dedicated to the memory of his young daughter. It’s as full of sorrow and […]
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Alexander Moyzes Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 – Popular reissues
This third volume of Alexander Moyzes symphonies features two of his most popular symphonies. Symphony No. 5 was dedicated to Moyzes father. Mikuláš Moyzes (1872–1944) was an early pioneer in creating a national style of classical composition. Alexander Moyzes demonstrates his mastery of this concept with this work. The symphony uses elements of his father’s […]