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 […]
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
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Willam Dawson and Ulysses Kay — two sides of Black classical music
This release features two African-American composers with two very different styles. William Levi Dawson was a respected composer, teacher, and musicologist. He’s best remembered for his work in collecting and arranging African-American spirituals. Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony celebrates that heritage. Dawson creates a flowing orchestral narrative using snippets from various spirituals (and not just well-known […]
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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, […]