Moritz Moszkowski was one of the most successful concert pianists of the 1890s. His fame today rests mainly on a small selection of his piano works that test the virtuosity of the performer. But this Polish composer wrote so much more; chamber music, concertos, and orchestral music. With this release, Toccata Classics launches an ambitious […]
Orchestral music
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Trio of Mikolaj Gorecki works present balanced portrait
The three works in this release each present a different facet of Mikolaj Gorecki’s style. There are similarities: two are for orchestra; two feature a clarinet, horn, and piano trio. But each has its own character. Gorecki’s orchestral work Zan Tontemiquico was inspired by the pre-Columbian poem of Tochihuitzin. It begins “We only come to […]
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Calin Huma Symphony-Concerto a true original
Sometimes being an amateur — rather than a professional — has its advantages. I’m referring to the original meaning of ” amateur” — one who loves the subject. If you’re an amateur composer, you’re free from the constraints of professional composers. You don’t have to compose a certain way to gain commissions, or recognition, or […]
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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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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Sonatas for Cello and Piano
The more of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s music I hear, the more complex he becomes. This release features his two sonatas for cello and piano. Each provides a snapshot of his evolving style. Sonata No. 1, Op. 21 was completed in 1945. The war was ending, and Stalin’s regime was just warming up. The sonata’s a jaunty, […]
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Henry Cotter Nixon orchestral series finishes strong
Toccata Classics have completed their Henry Cotter Nixon series. And I see the logic of their release schedule. Nixon spent most of his career outside of Victorian London, and therefore in the margins of British music. He didn’t have the resources available to his cosmopolitan colleagues and composed accordingly. The first volume of his orchestral […]
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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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Sympathetic performance of Felix Woyrsch Third Symphony
This is the second release in CPO’s Felix Woyrsch symphonic cycle. Woyrsch, active in the early part of the 20th Century, was a Keeper of the Flame. Like his friend Johannes Brahms, Woyrsch wanted to work within established classical music forms. But like Brahms, Woyrsch didn’t perfectly preserve past forms. Rather, he stretched them in […]
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Energetic works from early and late Richard Strauss
This release features a selection of works written at the very beginning, and at the very end of Richard Strauss’ career. In a way, it’s not surprising at the consistency of style in these works. In those later years, Strauss became increasingly nostalgic for those earlier times. A good example is the Duett-Concertino for clarinet […]