Two years ago I reviewed the Joseph Labor Piano Quintets released by Capriccio. I said, “Anyone who enjoys Fin de siècle late-Romanticism should find much to like here.” Some of those same artists return to present more of Labor’s chamber music. And my assessment still holds. Josef Labor was a blind organist, pianist, and composer, […]
Oliver Triendl
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Julius Rontgen Piano Concertos – originality in traditional forms
In the Netherlands, Julius Röntgen is a cultural hero. But for the rest of the world, not so much. If you’re not familiar with Röntgen, this release is a good starting point. Röntgen was a piano virtuoso, whose playing at age 14 impressed Franz Liszt. Röntgen was friends with Brahms. Although he lived until 1932, […]
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David Monrad Johansen – Norwegian treasure
As I continue to explore the highways and the byways of the classical repertoire, I find that every country has its national treasure. Sometimes, as with Antonin Dvorak, that treasure is shared with the world. Norway’s treasure, David Monrad Johanson hasn’t been — so far. Johansen is Norwegian, but his taste is cosmopolitan. Mixed in […]
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Josef Labor Piano Quintets late-Romantic gems
Josef Labor wasn’t one to be hampered by disability — although it could inspire him. Labor lost his sight in childhood but went on to become a respected organist, pianist, teacher, and composer. He was also the first composer-pianist Paul Wittgenstein commissioned to write a left-hand concerto. (Wittgenstein lost his right arm in WWI.) Labor […]
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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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Gernsheim Complete Cello Sonatas – Three Views of a Life
Friedrich Gernsheim was an important composer, conductor, and concert pianist at the end of the 19th Century. He was a close friend of Brahms, and his style somewhat similar. Like Brahms, Gernsheim wrote in “pure” music that eschewed extramusical inspiration. This release features Gernshiem’s three cello sonatas, as well as two other works for cello […]
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Harald Genzmer Concertos – Zestful, Artful, and Comprehensible
German composer Harald Genzmer had a philosophy. “Music should be zestful, artful and comprehensible. As practicable, it may win over the interpreter, and then the listener as graspable.” The three concertos in this release, spanning 60 years, show Grenzmer remained true to his ideal. In 1938 Genzmer had just completed his studies with Paul Hindemith. […]
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CPO Revives Brahms Contemporary, Anton Urspruch
Anton Urspruch (1850-1907) is hardly a household name — even among classical music aficionados. In the 1880s, though, he was a rising star. Urspruch studied composition with Joachim Raff and Ignaz Lachner. He was a star piano pupil of Franz Liszt. As a scholar, he’s credited with the revival of Gregorian Chant. Urspruch enjoyed an […]
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Robert Fuchs Works for Cello – Ready for Revival
Talent will out. But a little hustle helps. Gustav Mahler, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and Alexander Zemlinsky all worked to get their music before the public. Their teacher, Robert Fuchs did not. Fuchs preferred the life of quiet academia. Although he wrote music of exceptional quality, he was indifferent to its fate. The collected cello works […]