#ClassicsaDay #Strings Week 4

There's a middle ground between large orchestras and chamber groups. That space is occupied by string orchestras. They have the full sound of an orchestra, but the uniform blend of a string quartet. The #ClassicsaDay challenge for this month is to post examples of string orchestra works. No brass, winds, or percussion allowed!

This type of ensemble originated in the early 1800s. For my posts, I've tried to alternate between Romantic and Modern Era composers. Here are my posts for the fourth and final week of #Strings.

11/25/24 Libby Croad: Suite for String Orchestra

Croad is a composer and violinist living in London. She completed her string orchestra work in 2018. It was premiered on a Classic FM broadcast with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra.

 

11/26/24 Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings Op. 11

This work began as the slow movement to Barber's string quartet. At Toscanini's request, he made a string orchestra arrangement of the Adagio, which the conductor premiered in 1938.

 

11/27/24 Grazyna Bacewicz: Concerto for String Orchestra

Bacewicz completed this work in 1948, and considered it her "ninth symphony." Witold Lutosławski wrote that it was the highlight of Bacewicz's no-nonsense period.

 

11/28/24 Gerald Finzi: Prelude for String Orchestra in F minor, Op. 25

Finzi composed this piece in 1920. It was the opening movement to a symphony that he never completed.

 

11/29/24 Libby Larsen: String Symphony

The Minnesota Orchestra commissioned Larsen's work in 1998. Larsen wrote that the work contemplates the role of strings in an orchestra and in culture.

 

Next Month:

Ukrainian Christmas a Joy in Any Language

Here is a Christmas album everyone can enjoy. Even if you don't like Christmas. And especially if you're tired of the same old holiday tunes. Ukrainian composer Bohdan Kryvopust has put together a wonderrful album of Christmas carols from his native land. 

The release features the artistry of Ukrainian violinist Solmiya Ivakhiv. She's supported by the Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, directed by Serhii Khorovets.

The liner notes spell out the intent. "Produced during a time of Russia’s ruthless war on Ukrainian soil, the melodies and music-making of these artists take on extra meaning. Ukrainians are a spivuchy nation – a singing people who will not be silenced. No matter what difficulty befalls them, they lift their voices in song, and their holiday carols always lift their spirits."

I was unfamiliar with most of these Ukrainian carols. But every track on this album is absolutely beautiful. The arranger, the soloist, the orchestra, and the conductor are indeed on a mission.  And that mission is to make the most joyous musical celebration possible. 

And they succeed. There's energy and urgency in these performances that's hard to describe. But what a listening experience! It is festive music, but there's more. 

These musicians communicate a sense of pride. Pride in their shared cultural traditions that stretch back centuries. 

Kyrvopust's "Fantasia" on the Bell Carol is a real showpiece. And Ivakhiv plays it with fire and verve. Even though I wasn't familiar with most of these carols, they all evoke the holiday spirit. 

Among the many classical holiday albums released this year, "Ukrainian Christmas" is a real standout. Heck, I'd even say it's one of the standouts of the past decade. 

Highly recommended.

Ukrainian Christmas
Arranged by Bohdan Kryvopust
Solomiya Ivakhiv, violin
Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra; Serhii Korovets, conductor
Naxos 8.574677

Seasons Greetings from Franz Liszt!

Franz Liszt wrote a lot of piano music. Naxos is committed to recording his complete solo piano oeuvre. Their most recent release is volume 63. And the series isn't over. 

In these 63 (and counting) volumes are many great works. And many more pretty good ones. And all are worthy of a listen or two.

After all, marginal piano music by Franz Liszt is still better than many composers' best. This release caught my attention because of the seasonal main work. 

In 1873 Liszt composed Weihnachstbaum. This suite of 12 movements was composed for both solo piano and piano four-hands. 

It's not a very demanding work technically. But it wasn't meant to be. Liszt wrote it for his granddaughter Daniela von Bülow. He first performed it for her on Christmas Day, 1881. The work quotes several Christmas carols.  Some of these are familiar to modern audiences.

Liszt isn't trying to dazzle audiences with this 22-minute suite. He's expressing some heartfelt emotion for his family, And it's absolutely charming. 

Wojciech Walczek has the chops to play Liszt's knuckle-busters. But he dials it back. We get a performance that's sensitive and warm. I'll be adding this to my classical holiday playlists. And you'll definitely be hearing it on my radio program. 

Seasons greetings from Franz Liszt!  

Franz Liszt: Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas Tree)
Complete Piano Music, volume 63
Wojciech Waleczek, piano
Naxos 8.574380

#ClassicsaDay #Strings Week 3

There's a middle ground between large orchestras and chamber groups. That space is occupied by string orchestras. They have the full sound of an orchestra, but the uniform blend of a string quartet. The #ClassicsaDay challenge for this month is to post examples of string orchestra works. No brass, winds, or percussion allowed!

This type of ensemble originated in the early 1800s. For my posts, I've tried to alternate between Romantic and Modern Era composers. Here are my posts for the third week of #Strings.

11/18/24 Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: 4 Novelletten for Strings, Op. 52

The work was possibly inspired by Schumann's Novelletten piano miniatures. Coleridge-Taylor wrote the work in 1903, and it was one of his favorite pieces to conduct throughout his career.

 

11/19/24 Edward Elgar: Introduction and Allegro for Strings, Op. 47

Elgar wrote this piece for an all-Elgar concert in 1905. It exists in both a string quartet and string orchestra version. Initially, the work received an indifferent response, but it has since become one of Elgar's most popular orchestral works.

 

11/20/24 Einojuhani Rautavaara: Divertimento for String Orchestra

Rautavaara composed this work while still a student. A classmate, Jorma Panula wanted some new music for the student orchestra. Rautavaara's work was tailored the strengths (and weaknesses) of the orchestra.

 

11/21/324 Grace Williams: Sea Sketches for String Orchestra

Williams wrote this work in 1944 and dedicated it to her parents. It is one of her most popular and most-performed compositions.

 

11/22/24 Arnold Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht Op. 4

Schoenberg wrote the first version of this work in just three weeks. It was originally written for string sextet in 1899. He revised the work for string orchestra. This version premiered in 1916.

 

Herbert Howells and Charles Wood - String Quartets by Pupil and Teacher

This release pairs two string quartets: one by the teacher, the other by the pupil. The teacher was Charles Wood. 

Wood was an Irish composer active in the last decades of the 19th Century and up to the First World War. Wood built his reputation on Anglican church music. His use of modes gave his music a distinctively "English" sound. 

He was part of the first class of the Royal College of Music. He studied with Charles Villiers Stanford and Carles Hubert Hastings Parry.  Both worked to create an English school of composition. 

As a composition professor, Woods' students included Ralph Vaughan Williams and Herbert Howells. Both composers would represent the height of that British school. 

Wood provides the link between the generations. And his music shows it. His sixth string quartet is performed here. This 1916 work has strong elements of both British and Irish folk music. It's a solid composition and one I was happy to discover. 

Howells had a fascination for the music of Tudor England -- and English folksong. His string quartet "In Gloucestershire" encapsulates those interests. The work had a perilous journey to recording. 

Howells wrote the work in 1916, and the score was almost immediately lost. He rewrote it in 1920. After a few performances, that manuscript also disappeared. In the 1980s a set of parts from the 1920 version were found. This recording was made from those parts.   

The London Chamber Ensemble Quartet is heavily invested in this music. Cellist Joseph Spooner worked on the reconstruction of the Howells quartet. First violinist Madeleine Mitchel made string quartet arrangements from Howell's "Three Pieces for Violin and Piano." . Those two selections are also included on this album. 

The quartet plays this music with sensitivity and deep understanding. The "Englishness" of these pieces comes through without sounding cloying or artificial. Wood and Howells were masters of their craft. And the inherent beauty of these works is what the quartet delivers. 

The liner notes suggest that a cycle of Charles Woods string quartets is underway. Based on this quartet, it's a cycle I'd love to hear. 

Herbert Howells & Charles Wood: Quartets
London Chamber Ensemble Quartet
Somm Recordings SOMMCD 0692

African Art Song - Uncommon Music Awaiting Discovery

I wondered what Rebeca Omordia would give us next. She had released two strong albums of African piano music. This release seems the next logical step. It collects works from African composers who are writing in a classical framework. 

The music is more tightly focused. Omordia's piano albums sampled works across the continent. This recital stays within Nigeria, with composers from the Yoruba and Igbo peoples. It also includes intermezzos for drums. For the Yoruba part of the program, the Yoruba talking drum is used. For the Igbo section, it's traditional Igbo percussion instruments. 

And there are some outliers. The album includes two arias by Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Geroges. This mixed-race composer and violin virtuoso was a contemporary of Mozart. Errollyn Wallen and Shirley J. Thompon are first-generation Britians from Jamaica.  

As with the solo piano albums, the music is fresh, engaging, and enlightening. The balance between African and Western classical traditions varies from composer to composer. And no matter where that balance is, the results are expressive, creating music. Music that communicates not just to Nigerians, but to everyone. 

Omo Bello is French-Nigerian and well-suited to sing this music. She has an impressive CV full of major opera roles. Her first recording was of Mahler's "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." 

But Bello also understands the musical traditions behind these works. And she speaks the language, giving the melodies the right inflection. Like these composers, she blends her classical training, creating something of great beauty. 

Rebeca Omordia and her colleagues have produced an album of music worth exploring. And music that encourages further exploration. Here's hoping there's a volume 2 in the works. 

African Art Song
Rebeca Omordia, piano; Omo Bello, soprano
Somm Recordings

#ClassicsaDay #Strings Week 2

  There's a middle ground between large orchestras and chamber groups. That space is occupied by string orchestras. They have the full sound of an orchestra, but the uniform blend of a string quartet. The #ClassicsaDay challenge for this month is to post examples of string orchestra works. No brass, winds, or percussion allowed!

This type of ensemble originated in the early 1800s. For my posts, I've tried to alternate between Romantic and Modern Era composers. Here are my posts for the second week of #Strings.

11/11/24 Benjamin Britten: Simple Symphony for string orchestra, Op. 4

Britten wrote this work when he was 20, and it's very much a youthful piece. He used themes from some of his childhood compositions, two per movement.

 

11/12/24 Christopher Wilson: Suite for String Orchestra

British composer Wilson wrote his suite in 1899. It was first performed in Cologne, and published by Schott. At the time British music was rarely heard on the continent.

 

11/13/24 Caroline Shaw: Entr'acte for string orchestra

Shaw was inspired to write this work after hearing Haydn's String Quartet Op. 77 No. 2. The work was originally for string quartet, but she later adapted it for string orchestra.

11/14/24 Felix Mendelssohn: String Symphony No. 13 ("Sinfoniesatz"), in C minor

Mendelssohn wrote 12 string symphonies. He only completed the first movement of his 13th before abandoning the genre. He was 14 at the time.

 

11/15/24 John Rutter: Suite for Strings

Rutter is best known for his choral works, though he does write in other genres. This suite for strings is based on four English folk songs.

 

Juozas Gruodis Piano Music

The classical music of Eastern Europe is still mostly unknown in the West. It's proven to be a treasure trove for adventurous labels like Toccata Classics. 

Over the past two years, they've released albums of music from Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Ukraine, and the Balkans as a region. This release features music by Juozas Gruodis, the father of Lithuanian music. 

Gruodis began his studies in Moscow. He transferred to the Leipzig Conservatory in 1920. When he returned to Lithuania, he synthesized both traditions. Gruodis' goal was nothing short of a "national concept of music." And he succeeded. Many Lithuanian composers trace their inspiration back to Gruodis. 

This release features two sonatas plus four other works for piano. Gruodis wrote the Piano Sonata No. 1 in C sharp minor in 1919. He was just finishing his studies in Moscow. The late-Romantic Russian style is prominent in this sonata but doesn't overwhelm it. I heard hints of Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, but I also heard something else. Some unusual melodic turns and harmonies that were perhaps Lithuanian. 

Gruodis' Piano Sonata No. 2 in F minor was written during his studies in Leipzig. There's more Lizt than Lyadov to the sound. And yet once again, melodies don't always follow Germanic models.

These sonatas require a great deal of technique. And Daumantas Kirilauskas is up to the task. He plays the cascades of thundering chords with authority. And he also plays with delicate tenderness when the music demands. I especially liked his performance of 1920 Variations in B minor. 

Gruodis intended the work to be an exercise in salon music. But he couldn't keep his imagination in check. By the third variation, the composition has flowered into a real showpiece. 

I would very much like to hear Gruodis' orchestral music. But for now, this album is here to enjoy. And to enjoy with repeated listening. Another exceptional release of music worth discovery from Toccata Classics.

Juozas Gruodis: Piano Music
Daumantas Kirilauskas, piano
Toccata Classics

Handel's Jephtha a Modern Triumph

 

Most people I know who say they "love Handel," really mean "I love Messiah."  And that translates to "I love the choruses of "Messiah." And if you drill down further, "I love the 'Hallejuliah Chorus' from Messiah." 

And that's frustrating to me. Because Handel wrote more than one oratorio, and all have thrilling choruses. And many of them have -- like "Messiah" -- incredibly beautiful arias. 

I always encourage those "Handel lovers" to explore further. Who wouldn't want to hear more of the music they love? I'll be adding this recording of "Jephtha" to my recommendation list. This live performance has an immediacy and energy about it I really like.

This was Handel's final oratorio, completed in 1751. As presented in the Bible, it's a problematic story. The Israelites ask Jephtha to lead them against the pagan Ammonites. If he succeeds, he'll become ruler of Israel. Jephtha asks for God's help. He promises to sacrifice whatever first greets him upon his return home. And not just sacrifice but make a burnt offering to God. 

The Ammonites are defeated with divine help. And Jephtha's daughter is the first to greet her victorious father. He's devastated, but his daughter persuades him to keep his word. 

He grants her two months to mourn in the hills with her friends. Then she returns, and the Bible vaguely says "he did to her as he had vowed." Yikes!

Over the centuries the story's been tweaked somewhat. Handel's libretto, written by Thomas Morell eliminates the fatal ending.  The daughter, now named Iphis, gets a back story. Hamor (sung by a countertenor) is in love with Iphis. When Iphis greets Jephtha, she invokes the vow. 

Iphis submits to be sacrificed. But at the last minute -- as in the story of Abraham and Issac -- an angel appears. Iphis is spared to dedicate her life to God, but she can never marry. Hamor is heartbroken, though glad Iphis lives.

This new version allows for a mostly happy ending sung by the principal characters. And it ensures a rousing choral finale, as only Handel can write them. 

Dame Jane Glover conducts from the harpsichord, as Handel would have. Under her direction, we get a performance that's both authentic and engaging. The choruses are clean and precise, letting us marvel at Handel's counterpoint. The soloists are first-rate. I particularly enjoyed countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen. His delivery was both warm and expressive. 

Lauren Snouffer, soprano, also delivers an exceptional performance. She sings with a rich, crystalline tone that conveys the full emotional weight of Iphis.

That's not to slight the other soloists. This is a solid performance through and through. The recording has a nice ambiance. The performances are close-mic'ed for clarity. But there's still enough space for smooth ensemble blends -- and to let the music breathe.

High recommended -- and not just to those who claim to "love Handel."    

George Frideric Handel: Jephtha
David Portillo, tenor; Lauren Snouffer, soprano; Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano; Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, countertenor; Neil Davies, bass-baritone; Katelyn Lee, soprano
Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra; Dame Jane Glover, conductor and harpsichord
Reference Recordings FR-755
2 CD Set

#ClassicsaDay #Strings Week 1

 There's a middle ground between large orchestras and chamber groups. That space is occupied by string orchestras. They have the full sound of an orchestra, but the uniform blend of a string quartet. The #ClassicsaDay challenge for this month is to post examples of string orchestra works. No brass, winds, or percussion allowed!

This type of ensemble originated in the early 1800s. For my posts, I've tried to alternate between Romantic and Modern Era composers. Here are my posts for the first week of #Strings.

11/03/24 Ethel Smyth: Suite in E major for String Orchestra, Op. 1a

Smyth made this arrangement from her String Quintet in E major, Op. 1. It was first published in 1884.

 

11/05/24 Jean Sibelius Six Impromptus for Strings Op. 5

These impromptus were early piano compositions. Sibelius extensively reworked them for the string orchestra and even added new material.

 

11/06/24 Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40

This is one of Grieg's most popular works. He wrote it in 1884 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Scandinavian playwright Ludvig Holberg's birth.

 

11/07/24 Alexander Glazunov: Theme and Variations for String Orchestra, Op. 97

This work exists in two versions, both equally popular. It's available as a string orchestra work and as a string quartet.

 

11/08/24 Antonin Dvorak: Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 22

Dvorak completed this work in 1875. It was premiered the following year in Prague. The Serenade almost immediately entered the repertoire and remains one of Dvorak's most-played works today.

 

Andre Campra: Messe de Requiem and the Masters of Notre-Dame

The cathedral at Notre Dame has always been an influential center of church music. This was especially true in the late 1600s.  The Pope elevated the Bishopric of Paris in 1622. 

The now metropolitan archbishopric ruled over the other French bishoprics. This made it the center of Catholic worship in France. In the 1640s, the Notre Dame archbishop developed new liturgies and new music with it. 

This release features the music masters of Notre Dame who set those new standards. The centerpiece of the album is the Messa de Requiem by Andre Campra. Campra wrote both religious and secular music, specifically opera. 

His Messa de Requiem was written in the 1720s. The choruses are lushly harmonized, and almost operatic. Yet there's a clarity to this music I found refreshing. 

Contemporary sacred music written at Versailles is grandiose. After all, it was written to the glory of the king as well as to the glory of God. Campra's Requiem is less florid and more focused. This is music written to inspire contemplation in the vast space of Notre Dame.

The style of the other composers follows the same aesthetic. Francois Cosset and Jean Veillot were Notre Dame choir masters. They were a generation before Campra. Their harmonies seem a little simpler, while the ensemble sounds thicker. But this is still music for worship (and not of the king). 

The Ensemble Correspondaces has a beautifully crafted ensemble sound. It's warm, yet detailed. The instrumental ensemble is mostly strings, with a few wind instruments and organ. They provide understated accompaniment to the choir.

My impression of French 17th-century sacred music came from the Versailles composers.  Hearing the music created in the spiritual -- rather than the political -- center of France was enlightening, indeed.  

Andre Campra: Messe de Requiem
and the Masters of Notre-Dame, Paris
Ensemble Correspondances: Sébastien Daucé
Harmonia Mundi

Žibuoklė Martinaitytė Choral Works Uniquely Beautiful

This release was my introduction to the music of Žibuoklė Martinaitytė. This Lithuanian composer has built a following among contemporary music audiences. Martinaitytė's music is all about atmosphere. And in these vocal works, it's expressing emotion beyond words.

The opening track "Aletheia" was composed in 2022 for the Latvian Radio Choir. The shock of the Russian invasion of Ukraine inspired the work. There's no text. We hear sighs, whispers, moans, and other disquieting -- but very human -- sounds. 

Imagine Gyorgy Ligeti's "Atmosphères" crossed with the thick textures of Eric Whitacre. It's a powerful work, and one of disturbing beauty. 

Chant des Voyelles (2018), or, Incantation of Vowels is just that. Here Martinaitytė subtly shifts long, held tones. Overtones move, changing the character of the sounds in unobvious ways. The music seems suspended in time. And yet it's continually evolving and moving forward. 

Martinaitytė writes that her work "Ululations" portrays "mourning women whose men... are at war fighting and dying." The ululations of the female voices provide the motivic structure of the work. And from those sounds the choir builds in quiet intensity. 

The Blue of Distance is the earliest work on the album, dating from 2010. But it's mature Martinaitytė. The wordless chorus creates a sensuous cloud of sound. One that continually swirls about itself, creating new combinations of tones and overtones. 

The Latvian Radio Choir commissioned one of the works on this release. And their performance of "Aletheia" is nothing less than authoritative. And their singing on the other pieces even more so. This is a capella music -- no instruments to lean on. And the music continually has tones a half-step apart. Their dissonances create sonic beats that are as much of the score as the written notes. 

It takes singers of extraordinary skill to sing this music. If I was told they all had perfect pitch, I wouldn't be surprised. For Martinaitytė's music to deliver its full effect, every note must be sung perfectly. And that's what we get on this release. Four perfectly-sung performances. And they create four soundscapes of exceptional beauty. 

Žibuoklė Martinaitytė: ALETHEIA
Choral Works
Latvian Radio Choir; Sigvards Klava, conductor
Ondine ODE 1447-2

#ClassicsaDay #Divertimento Week 5

  The Classics a Day team decided to lighten up a little. Webster's Dictionary defines a divertimento as "an instrumental chamber work in several movements usually light in character." 

For October, the challenge is to post videos of divertimentos written by classical composers. 

I quickly discovered that every composer had a different idea of what "light in character" meant. The only thing any of these selections have in common is the title: divertimento. Here are my selections for the fifth and final week of the #ClassicsaDay challenge, #Divertimento.

10/28/24 Akira Yuyama: Divertimento for Marimba and Alto Saxophone

Yuyama is one of the major Japanese composers of the 20th Century. Songs and solo piano works make up a large part of his catalog. But he has written in other genres, especially chamber music.

  

10/29/24 Josef Fiala: Divertimento for Keyed Trumpet

Fiala was a Czech composer and oboist. He was also a contemporary of Beethoven. Fiala wrote concertos for a wide variety of instruments, including the then newly invented keyed trumpet.

 

10/30/24 Malcolm Arnold: Divertimento for Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet

Today he’s best remembered for his score for “Bridge over the River Kwai.” But in his lifetime, Arnold was considered one of England’s greatest and most versatile composers.

 

10/31/24 Bela Bartok: Divertimento for Orchestra

Bartok composed his divertimento in 1939 for Paul Sacher and the Basler Kammerorchester. It was his final work before emigrating to the United States.

 

11/01/24 Andres Segovia: Divertimento

Segovia was one of the greatest guitarists in the world. He wrote a vast amount of music for his instrument. Yet within his catalog is just one divertimento -- this one for two guitars.

 

Next Month: