The horrors of the First World War were not lost on the artists who survived it. Works written immediately after to commemorate the event were generally quiet, contemplative pieces. The music focussed on the senseless loss of life and eschewed any hints of military glory. Jonathan Leshnoff continues that tradition with his Third Symphony. Written for […]
Reference Recordings
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Manfred Honeck and Pittsburgh Symphony’s sterling Bruckner 9
It is rare when the quality of the performance, the clarity of the recording, and the insightfulness of the liner notes all come together in one outstanding release. Manfred Honeck’s recording of a live performance of Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony in February 2018 with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall, released on the Reference […]
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Stephen Paulus: Far in the Heavens
The choral works on this release were all composed or revised within the last four years of Stephen Paulus’ life. Their originality, quality, and expressiveness show just how great a loss the classical music world suffered with Paulus’ early death. “Prayers and Remembrance” is the largest work on the album, written to commemorate 9/11. According […]
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Nadia Shpachenko – Woman at the New Piano
Pianist Nadia Shpachenko commissioned four composers to write music for her. But they weren’t just any four composers, and it wasn’t just for any reason. To usher in the new era (according to the Mayan calendar), Shpachenko asked four close friends to write works that would represent a new look at piano literature. Although the […]