This release presents three chamber works by Louise Farrenc. Farrenc was renowned as a pianist as well as a composer. These selections show her skill at writing for violin. Daniele Orlando and Linda Di Carlo deliver wonderfully expressive performances. Farrenc had a rare melodic gift, and Orlando’s violin practically sings them. Farrenc was also a […]
Romantic period
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Witold Maliszewski Symphonies — Treasures from Two Nations
I think Witold Maliszewski qualifies as a national musical treasure for not one, but two countries. He made enormous contributions to both Poland and Russia. Not just as a composer, but also as a teacher, conductor, and administrator. It’s a remarkable tale. As a youngster in Poland, Maliszewski studied with Russian composer Mikhail Ipplitov-Ivanov. He […]
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Charles Villiers Stanford Piano Quintet Pure Romantic Goodness
Charles Villiers Stanford and Charles Hubert Parry share the honor of leading the Second English Renaissance. That was the term given to the resurgence of British classical music in the late 19th Century. Or rather, the resurgence of that music beyond the confines of the British Isles. Stanford was an admirer of Brahms. That admiration […]
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Anton Arensky – Egyptian Nights suitably exotic
This recording of Anton Arensky’s ballet suite was originally released on Marco Polo in 1996. I’m glad to see it back in print. Arensky may not be a great composer (Rimsky-Korsakov didn’t think so), but he’s a very good one. And there’s a lot to like in this work. The ballet, which premiered in 1900, […]
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Władysław Żeleński Chamber Music – True Polish Treasures
Władysław Żeleński is one of those composers who are musical giants within their own country but are barely known outside it. In 1887 Żeleński founded the Conservatory of Music in Cracow. As its director, he helped shape the face of Polish classical music in the early 20th Century. As a composer, he was a craftsman […]
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Ian Hobson launches new Moritz Moszkowski series
And so Toccata Classics launches yet another series I’ll be following closely. Moritz Moszkowski was a household name at the turn of the 20th Century. Both as a pianist and a composer of piano music he was in demand. By 1910, ill-health had ended his concert career and he — and his music — was […]
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Josef Labor chamber works of exceptional beauty
Two years ago I reviewed the Joseph Labor Piano Quintets released by Capriccio. I said, “Anyone who enjoys Fin de siècle late-Romanticism should find much to like here.” Some of those same artists return to present more of Labor’s chamber music. And my assessment still holds. Josef Labor was a blind organist, pianist, and composer, […]
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Anton Rubinstein Quartets Build on Beethoven
Anton Rubinstein was considered one of the greatest pianists of his age. But what he really wanted was to be a high-regarded composer. This album features two of his Op. 47 string quartets, composed in 1855. Thanks to the legacy of Beethoven, the string quartet was considered the summit of chamber music, just as the […]
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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 […]