Boris Lyatoshynsky was a Ukranian who spent a large part of his career working in Soviet Russia. It’s an important distinction. Soviet composers had to write music that followed political guidelines. In the case of Lyatoshynsky’s 1951 Third Symphony, it meant rewriting the finale. The programmatic symphony was a reaction to the horrors of the […]
Orchestral music
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Johann Simon Mayr piano concertos on par with Haydn’s
The German composer Johann Simon Mayr dominated the music scene in northern Italy in the early 1800s. He was the maestro di cappella at the Cathedral of Bergamo and wrote a prodigious amount of music: over 70 operas, 18 masses, and 57 symphonies. Today, he’s best known (if at all) as Gaetano Donizetti’s teacher. This […]
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Mieczyslaw Weinberg Chamber Symphonies – phenomenal
This release is special in two ways. First, it marks the centenary of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s birth in 1919. Second, it’s the debut recording of the East-West Chamber Orchestra. The combination is magic — we get phenomenal performances of some phenomenal music. The East-West Chamber Orchestra has been the in-house ensemble for the Yuri Bashmet International […]
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Solistes Européens deliver with Farrenc Symphony No. 1
Back in September 2018 I reviewed the debut release by the Solistes Européens, Luxembourg with conductor Christoph König. It was a release of Louise Farrenc’s second and third symphonies. I said, “The Solistes Européens has a fine ensemble blend. König leads them in fiery, committed performances. I would love to hear them perform Farrenc’s first symphony.” […]
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Albert Nepomuceno symphony launches new Brazilian music series
This release launches a new series from Naxos — the Music of Brazil. Working with three Brazilian orchestras, Naxos will record about 100 works by native composers. It should be a phenomenal and revelatory cycle. That’s my impression after hearing this first release of music by Alberto Nepomuceno (1864-1920). It’s a logical place to start. […]
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Karl Weigl Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6 — Before and After
Austrian composer Karl Weigl was certainly steeped in the Viennese Post-Romantic style. He studied privately with Alexander Zemlinsky, and later with Robert Fuchs. Weigl fled the Nazis in 1938, emigrating to the United States. Like many of exiled Viennese composers (such as Korngold), Weigl never quite moved past the boundaries set by Mahler. The two […]
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Fritz Volbach Symphony lands between Brahms and Wagner
Fritz Volbach was a German composer and organist. Most of his important works were composed at the beginning of the 20th Century. Like many composers of the late Romantic era, he was pulled between the influences of Brahms and Wagner. Judging by the sound of these works, Volbach drew inspiration from both. The release opens […]
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Daniel Auber Overtures — great music, disappointing sound
This release is the first volume of a Daniel-François-Esprit Auber recording series. When finished, it will include all of Auber’s overtures. And that includes 31 opéras-comiques, seven opéras, three drames lyriques and seven other stage works. Auber is mostly known for Fra Diavolo. The comic opera was an international hit when it premiered and is still performed today. But with over 40 […]
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Share the joy of classical music: WTJU Classical Marathon airs Dec 9 – 15
Share the joy of WTJU Classical – December 9 – 15 We need your help to raise $40,000 and keep WTJU going strong! Diverse and wide-ranging as they are, the wonderful classical music pieces you enjoy on WTJU have common themes that echo through each performance. Themes that celebrate excellence and creativity… evoke the deepest emotions… and […]