German composer Josef Schelb lost most of his manuscripts in a Berlin air raid during World War II. He made up for those losses after the war, creating 150 new works between 1949 and his death in 1977. This album features three of his post-war concertos. The Kammersymphonie Berlin seems the ideal ensemble for this […]
Toccata Classics
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Pál Hermann’s music revived, thanks to Toccata Classics
When I saw the title for this release, I thought I might want to review it. When I read the subtitle, I knew I had to review it. I’d never heard of Pál Hermann, and I’m always looking for new composers to discover. But “Complete Surviving Music?” What did that mean? What did it survive? […]
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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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Julian Carrillo Orchestral Works show originality
I sometimes wonder what would have happened had Harry Partch and Julian Carrillo had ever met. Both created their own musical languages — and instruments to play them. Both subdivided the octave into microtones, much smaller subdivisions than traditional sharps and flats. Would they have inspired each other? I like to think so. This release […]
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Friedrich Gernsheim Piano Music Volume 2 delivers
Jens Barnieck continues his survey of Friedrich Gernsheim’s piano music. This volume includes Gernsheim’s first piano sonata and several smaller works — all receive their world recording premieres with this release. Barnieck’s performances are just as satisfying as they were with volume one of this series. Gernsheim began composing around the time of Mendelssohn and […]
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Arnold Rosner Requiem — Timeless
Toccata Classics has done a real service to music with this recording. It’s one of Arnold Rosner’s most substantial works. And, unfortunately, one most likely to only be heard through recording rather than live performances. The Requiem is a massive work. It contemplates death through a variety of traditions: Zen Buddhism, the Jewish Kaddish, the […]
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Robert Furstenthal Chamber Music Volume 3 maintains quality
This latest installment of Furstenthal’s music features four instrumental sonatas and a string quartet. Like the preceding volumes, the music here is of very fine quality, and timeless. Furstenthal’s promising musical career was derailed when Austria was invaded in 1838. The young composer fled to the United States — and never wrote another note. Not […]
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Moritz Moszkowski series continues with sweet orchestral suites
This installment of Moritz Moszkowski orchestral music features two of his three orchestral suites. Ian Hobson and the Sinfonia Varsovia deliver sympathetic performances. The strings especially seem to exude the Romantic gooeyness of Moskowski’s style. The ensemble is well-recorded. The sound has a little bit of soft focus, but all the music details can be […]
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Steve Elcock Orchestral Music Vol. 2 maintains quality
To make an impact, always lead with your best material. In the case of a recording series, that can imply that the second (and subsequent) volumes are diminishing returns. Not so with the music of Steve Elcock. Elcock is something of an outsider artist. He’s a self-taught composer who wrote for his own satisfaction. His […]