Piano Duet Music of Marie Jaëll and Jane Savage - Rarest of the Rare

Consider the body of piano literature. Piano duet music makes up a small percentage of that literature. And piano duet music by female composers an even smaller percentage of that.

This release presents piano duets by two female composers who deserve greater exposure. Marie Jaëll's music makes up the bulk of the album. 

Jaëll was an important French pianist and pedagogue, as well as a composer. Her talent was great. Franz Liszt said she had "the brains of a philosopher and the fingers of an artist." 

Most of her compositions were for piano. Her Opus 8 Waltzes for piano four-hands was one of her more popular works. These twelve little waltzes evoke elegance and refinement. 

"Voix du printemps" is a set of six vignettes evoking different aspects of spring. To my ears, they show a trace of Brahms (who Jaëll knew personally).

British composer Jane Savage is represented by "A Favorite Duet." Savage was active in the late 1790s-early 1800s. Her duet is very much in the classical style, as spritely as Mozart with a bit of Thomas Arne thrown in. 

The Duo Korusa, Sujung Cho and Jacob Clark give these works spirited readings. Their performance of the "Voix du printemps" I found especially beautiful.

Not so beautiful, though, is the recorded piano sound. There's a little too much resonance for my taste. And there's no ambiance. This gives the instrument a somewhat dull and slightly unnatural sound. 

Is it horrible? No. But it's not the best-recorded piano I've heard. But this repertoire is so rare, I'm willing to get past the sound. And so should you.

Piano Duet Music of Marie Jaëll and Jane Savage
Duo Korusa
Centaur CRC 4006

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 1

The Classics a Day team decided to turn a holiday -- Cinco de Mayo -- into a month-long celebration. Mexico has a rich classical music tradition. It dates back to the early 1600s when Spanish -- and very soon native-born -- composers began writing music for church services. And today Mexico has a thriving classical music community. Even if we're not aware of it here in the States.

Mexico has four centuries of classical music to choose from. Here are my selections for the first week of #ClassicalMexico.  

05/01/23 Juan de Lienas (c. 1640): Lamentatio

De Lienas was a cacique (native of noble birth). His surviving sacred music is written in the high Renaissance style and was sung in the convent attached to the cathedral in Mexico City.

05/02/23 Francisco López Capillas (c. 1615 – 1673): Missa "Aufer a Nobis"

Capillas was born in Mexico City. He became the choirmaster of the Mexico City Cathedral in 1654 and is one of the most important native-born composers of Mexico.

05/03/23 Juan García de Zéspedes (c. 1619–1678): Hermoso amor que forxas

Zéspedes was born in Mexico and sang in the Puebla Cathedral choir under the direction of Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla. He eventually took over the position in 1664. Zéspedes wrote both sacred and secular compositions.

05/04/23 Manuel de Zumaya (1678–1755): Missa a 8 de tercer tono

Zumaya was born in Mexico and became chapelmaster at the Mexico City Cathedral in 1715. He was a priest, and his music blended high Renaissance and early Baroque sacred styles. Zumaya was the first native-born composer in the Americas to compose an opera.

05/05/23 José María Bustamante (1777–1861): El estopín

Bustamente was the chapel master at the Metropolitan Cathedral. He also taught at the first music conservatory in Latin America, founded in 1824. Bustamante was also a member of the Mexican independence movement, and wrote a heroic melodrama "Méjico libre."

Joaquin Turina: Complete Piano Trios

This release features all four of Joaquin Turina's piano trios. It includes his first Trio, written when Turina was 20 (but never published). The release also has his two numbered trios, plus Circulo. 

This is a top-notch group of musicians. David and Aldo Mata have a familial connection that makes them a great duo. Pianist Patricia Arauzo rounds out the trio beautifully. I was impressed at how well all three instruments blended throughout the recording. 

And all three musicians share Turina's Spanish heritage. They understand the underpinnings of his music. And their playing conveys that understanding. These are exceptional performances. 

And it's an instructive program. There's a big difference between Turina's 1904 trio and his 1936 Circulo. In the latter, Turna's an experience composer in full command of his material. The music is tightly focused. The expressions are big, but not extravagant. 

Turina's output is often neglected compared to that of other 20th Century composers. This release shows just how unjust that neglect is.  

Joaquin Turina: Complete Piano Trios
David Mata, violin; Aldo Mata, cello; Patricia Arauzo, piano
IBS BS192022

Fresh Sound for Vivaldi Bassoon Concertos

Antonio Vivaldi wrote 39 basson concertos. So undertaking a complete traversal of them is no mean feat. Mauro Monguzzi is off to a good start with this volume. He plays with a rich, full sound. And his bassoon can nimbly dance up and down the instrument's range when needed. 

His ensemble features members of the Teatro all Scala supplemented by harpsichord. The ensemble blend is (to my ears) a little unusual. Basso continuo usually consists of two instruments -- the cello and the harpsichord. 

Here it's three: cello, harpsichord, and double bass. That last instrument gives the ensemble sound a robust bass line. And it's a fuller sound than I expect from a Baroque ensemble.

The harpsichord is somewhat buried in the mix. The result makes these pieces sound like works for bassoon and string sextet. It's not a bad sound at all. And one that can make for a refreshing alternative to most early music ensemble readings.

Monguzzi is a first-rate musician. I quickly got past the unusual sound of the ensemble and focused on his playing. And that made this release an enjoyable listen. I'm up for volume two now! 

 Antonio Vivaldi: Complete Basson Concertos, Vol. 1
Mauro Monguzzi, basson
Members of the Teatro alla Scala; Giovanni Brollo, harpsichord
Bongiovanni GB 5639-2

Two Masterworks by Margaret Bonds

 

This release presents two major choral works by Black composer Margaret Bonds. And they couldn't come at a more opportune moment. Bonds composed "Credo" in 1967. The orchestral version premiered in 1972, just weeks after her death. "Simon Bore the Cross" was composed a year earlier. Bonds never heard it performed. 

Both works are monumental in scope, and powerful in their delivery.  Malcolm J. Merriweather and the Dessoff Choirs and Orchestra deliver committed, heartfelt performances. Janinah Burnett, soprano, and Dashon Burton, bass-baritone are at the top of their games. Burnett exhibits great skill (and musicality) with the wide leaps Bonds demands. 

"Credo" is a setting of a poem by W.E.B. Du Bois. It's not a simple statement of religious faith. Dubois' 1904 text is an unequivocal belief in the inevitability of racial justice.

"I believe in Liberty for all men... the right to breathe and the right to vote, the freedom to choose their friends, enjoy the sunshine and ride on the railroads, uncursed by color." The imagery may be a little dated. But when one of the most infamous quotes of recent memory is "I can't breathe," well, we're still not there.

Bonds' cantata "Simon Bore the Cross" was a collaboration with Langston Hughes. In the Bible, Jesus became too weak to carry his cross to his execution site. Roman soldiers grabbed a North African, Simon of Cyrene to carry it for him. Hughes saw it as a metaphor for African-Americans' complicated relationship with Christianity. 

Bonds used the spiritual "He never said a grumblin' word" as the foundation for the music. It's effective and poignant. The references in both text and music make this a work of deep spirituality. And a complex spirituality at that. 

Recordings like this show how original Bonds was as a composer. And how important she should be in the tapestry of American classical music. 

Highly recommended.  

Margaret Bonds: Credo; Simon Bore the Cross
Janinah Burnett, soprano; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
The Dessoff Choirs and Orchestra; Malcolm J. Merriweather, conductor
Avie