For their ninth release of music by Walter Braunfels, Capriccio concentrates on some of his earlier music. Braunfels had the misfortune to fall between two stools. Before WWII, he was considered too modern (by the Nazis), and after the war, too conservative by everyone else. Listening to a century after the fact, I think his […]
Orchestral music
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Paul Wranitzky Orchestral Works worth a listen
Sure — Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven were the major figures in 1800s Vienna. But they were the only ones. Vienna was the center of the musical world, and talent came from all over. Like Paul Wranitzky from Moravia. He and his brother Anton found fame and fortune in Vienna. In the 1790s he contacted both […]
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New release celebrates individual voice of Elisabetta Brusa
This installment in Naxos’ series features two works by Elisabetta Brusa: her second symphony, and “Simply Largo.” These are the same performers that recorded her first symphony in Volume Three, and the quality remains high. The Ulster Orchestra has a full yet open ensemble sound. The soloists (if not great) are very good, and Daniele […]
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John Abraham Fisher Symphonies have plenty of hooks
John Abraham Fisher was all the rage in 18th Century London. He was a violin virtuoso with a streak of showmanship. By his thirties had a share in the Covent Garden Theatre, a hit oratorio making the rounds, and concertized frequently to great admiration (among the public, if not the critics). His six symphonies were […]
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Karl Goldmark Symphonic Poems 2 hit the mark
When I reviewed volume one of this series, I said I was looking forward to the next release. Well, here it is and I’m not disappointed. Karl Goldmark was the master of the short symphonic poem. And though the works in this release may not be his most famous, they’re of near-equal quality. The Bamberger […]
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Leo Weiner Divertimentos more than diverting
Hungarian composer and teacher Leo Weiner was a contemporary of Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly. Like his colleagues, he used elements of Hungarian folk music in his work. Where he differed was in his style. Weiner’s music is more conservative, and solidly in the Post-Romantic tradition. This volume includes an assortment of orchestral works by […]
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Pancho Vladigerov Orchestral Works Bulgarian Masterpieces
It’s hard to describe the role Pancho Vladigerov plays in Bulgarian classical music. Like Antonin Dvorak, Vladigerov took the music of his native land and brought it into the realm of classical music. Vladigerov’s works tend to superficially follow standard classical forms, but the cadences, rhythms, and harmonies are all formed from Bulgarian folk elements. […]
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Christopher Gunning Concertos deliver
This is the second Christopher Gunning release from Signum Classics. And like the first, it’s a collection of beautifully-crafted music with first-rate performances. Gunning composes of both film and the concert hall. The skills needed for the former benefit his work in the latter. Gunning’s Violin Concerto was inspired by a hiking trip in Wales. […]
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Airat Ichmouratov Symphony a tonal masterwork
Some of my classical music friends are convinced that the art form died in the 1920s — and Schoenberg killed it. Contemporary music is uniformly academic, difficult to perform, and even harder to listen to. Airat Ichmouratov is but one of several contemporary composers who refute those stereotypes time and again. Ichmouratov is a true […]