Maestro Jean-Luc Tingaud is renowned as an opera conductor. But he also knows his way around the French orchestral repertoire. His recordings of Poulenc, D’Indy, Dukas, and Bizet garnered critical acclaim. And his latest release of Cesar Franck orchestral works runs true to form. Perhaps it was the dramatic nature of this music that interested […]
Naxos
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Bechara El-Khoury Piano Sonatas Effectively Blend Traditions
Increasingly, composers seem to be going their own way. These pioneers blend different music traditions and styles together. When it’s done well, a truly unique composer’s voice emerges. And that (in my opinion) is what happens with this collection of Bechara El-Khoury piano works. El-Khoury is best known for his orchestral works. In those, he […]
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The Stylish Pastiches of Muzio Clementi
This is an interesting collection of music by Muzio Clementi. In includes three sets of variations, a canon, and a set of style pastiches. The program opens with Five Variations on a Minuet by Mr. Collick. This six-minute charmer increases the complexity with each variation, but not excessively so. These variations could well be (and […]
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A Fine Collection of Opéra-Comique Overtures
Michael Halász and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra deliver an attractive selection of French Opéra-Comique overtures. The genre evolved over time, from light, frothy entertainment to more serious and realistic subjects. But the overture was always a curtain-raiser. And that’s just what we get. Maestro Halász keeps things moving. Orchestral contrasts are suitably dramatic, […]
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Henri Vieuxtemps Works for Violin and Orchestra Demand Virtuosity
Henri Vieuxtemps was one of the greatest violin virtuosos of his age, considered by some to be Paganini’s successor. Not surprisingly, most of his compositions were for the violin (including seven concertos). This release features some of Vieuxtemps’ shorter works for violin and orchestra. But shorter doesn’t necessarily mean easier. As violinist Reto Kuppel remarked, […]
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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Flute Concertos betray emotion
2019 marked the centenary of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s birth. There was a sudden outpouring of Weinberg releases. Some may be due to the centenary, but I like to think enough people have rediscovered his music to finally hit critical mass. Weinberg was often characterized as a poor man’s Shostakovich. The two were close friends and colleagues, […]
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Nothing mechanical about Eugene Zador’s Sinfonia Technica
Eugene Zador has a remarkable CV on IMDB.com — ninety-two credits for film scores and orchestrations. And all uncredited. Zador emigrated from Hungary in 1939, and like his compatriot, Miklós Rózsa ended up in Hollywood. In fact, Zador orchestrated most of Rózsa’s best-loved scores. But his work at MGM was his day job. He saved […]
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Kerry Turner Complete Works for Horn appealing and engaging
Kerry Turner and his wife Kristina Mascher-Turner are both members of the American Horn Quartet. Kerry Turner is also a talented composer whose best work, in my opinion, is for the horn. This release collects a variety of Turner’s chamber works for the horn — solo horn, horn duets, and horn with piano. Turner writes […]
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The Career-spanning Clarinet Music of Mieczyslaw Weinberg
This release features three works that span the composer’s career. Mieczyslaw Weinberg wrote his Sonata for Clarinet and Piano as a student work. His Chamber Symphony No. 4 was his last completed composition. The Clarinet Concerto is a mature work, written in 1970. Taken in order, the three works trace the development of the composer. […]