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, […]
Romantic period
-
-
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 […]
-
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 […]
-
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, […]
-
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 […]
-
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 […]
-
Weber Piano and Orchestral Music in Good Hands
In a way, I suppose, this release was the next logical step. Pianist Ronald Brautigam and the Kölner Akademie have already recorded the complete piano concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn. Presenting those of Carl Maria von Weber helps fill out that timeline. Von Weber was a younger contemporary of Ludwig van Beethoven, and his music […]
-
Michal Bergson Piano Concerto revived
Michal Bergson’s piano concerto receives its world recording premiere — thanks to a chance discovery. Polish composer and pianist Michal Bergson (1820-1898) spent most of his life abroad, retiring to England. The manuscript for this 1868 concerto was recently discovered in a London antiquarian bookstore. Little is known of the circumstances surrounding the composition, save […]
-
Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis Orchestral Works in Fresh Performances
Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis was a star that burned brightly, yet briefly. This Lithuanian composed almost 400 works, painted over 300 pictures and died at the age of 35. Ciurlionis is considered one of the pioneers of abstract art and possibly had synesthesia. He’s certainly a pioneer of Lithuanian music. This recording features Ciurlionis’ complete surviving […]