This is a rerelease of a 1989 recording. it’s the fourth in a series of reissues of Michael Gielen and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Gielen was an ardent champion of contemporary music. His attention to detail was legendary — and it’s an asset in this release. The featured work is Alexander Zemlinsky’s Lyric […]
Orchestral music
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East-West Chamber Orchestra completes Weinberg series in fine style
This release completes Naxos’ cycle of Mieczyslaw Weinberg Chamber Symphonies. The East-West Chamber ORchestra released Nos. 1 and 3 back in 2019. They conclude with Nos. 2 and 4. The level of musicianship in the East-West Chamber Orchestra is quite high. Its members are an international group of concertmasters and soloists. In my review of […]
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Le jour variable — Stamitz anticipates Beethoven
If you’re not familiar with Carl Stamitz, this release is a good place to start. Carl Stamitz was the son of Johann Stamitz. Johann was the leader of the Mannheim Palace orchestra, the incubator of the classical style. The Mannheim School inspired both Haydn and Mozart. These composers took the Mannheim innovations to the next […]
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Florence Price Symphony No. 3 blends traditions
Florence Price wrote this about her third symphony, “No attempt has been made to project Negro music solely in the purely traditional manner.” In other words, her symphony wasn’t a collection of spirituals. Rather, it was her own original musical vision. And one that blended European symphonic and African-American musical traditions. This 1940 work has […]
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Howard Griffiths presents Cipriani Potter
I find Cipriani Potter a fascinating figure. This composer, pianist, and educator was a major influence in British music. Perhaps more than most people know. He studied with Joseph Wölfl, a colleague of both Mozart and Beethoven. Potter visited Vienna in 1817. Beethoven declined to accept him as a student. But he did review and […]
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Franz Lachner well served by Evergreen Symphony Orchestra
The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is a 70-piece Taiwanese ensemble. They’ve recorded eight albums for the CPO label. Although “evergreen” is in their name, none of the music they record would earn that title. But that’s not due to the quality of the music, just the stature of the composers. Franz Lachner was a respected […]
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Paul Wranitzky Orchestral Works 3 – More than just Pre-Beethoven
This release features all world premiere recordings. That’s exciting, but perhaps not that unusual. Paul Wranitzky was a major figure in 18th Century Vienna. But his music has long since been overshadowed by his colleagues — Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Fortunately, there are recordings like this one. Wranitzky was a talented composer, and his music […]
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Eduardas Balsys – the Voice of Lithuania
Eduardas Balsys was a major musical figure in postwar Lithuania. He was one of the country’s foremost composers, Balsys was also an important educator. He was head of the composition department a the Conservatory of the Lithuanian SSR. As such, he shaped the next generation of Lithuanian composers. Balsys’ own style was shaped by politics. […]
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Paul Wranitzky Symphonies Anticipate Beethoven
Volume two of Naxos’ Wranitzky series features all world premiere recordings. Of course, that’s not so hard to do. As popular as Paul Wranitzky was in 1800s Vienna, he remains all but unknown today. And that’s also why a release of never-heard-before recordings is so exciting. Wranitzky moved to Vienna from Moravia in the 1770s […]