Talivaldis Kenins Symphonic Cycle Finishes Strong

This release concludes Ondine's traversal of Talivaldi Kenins symphonies. It features his second, third, and seventh symphonies.

Latvian organist and composer Kenins studied with Oliver Messiaen in the 1940s. When the Soviets overran Latvia, Kenins knew he couldn't return. He emigrated to Canada, where he remained the rest of his life. 

Toronto has a vibrant Latvian community, and soon Kenins felt at home. The community gave him the cultural base he needed for inspiration. 

And the wider cultural landscape soon bore the imprint of this talent. Kenins is credited with introducing many European concepts to Canadian composers. In the process it steered them away from British styles.

Kenin's own style was influenced by his time with Messiaen, as well as the heritage of Latvian music. But he also drew from Canadian sources. His Symphony No. 2 "Sinfonia concertante" has a neo-classical form. And it uses a lullaby of the Mi'kmaq First Nations people. It's an interesting blend that works surprisingly well.

The Symphony No. 7 also has neo-classical leanings. Kenins wrote the work in the form of a passacaglia. In essence, a passacaglia is a set of continual variations over a repeating bassline. Kenin obscures that bassline, but its outline is often hinted at throughout the work.     

Kenins wrote his third symphony in 1970. It was a commission from the Canadian Latvian Song Festival. The Festival is one of the events that reinforces Latvian cultural identity. Kenins delivers a masterwork of counterpoint and polyphony. And he does so with an underpinning of Latvian musical culture. There's not another work like it. 

Andris Poga and the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra understand Kenin's music.  -- both what it is and the culture it springs from. This has been an exceptional cycle of recordings. If you're familiar with the previous volumes, then I don't need to say anymore. If Kenins is unknown to you, give this release a listen. There are revelations to be found.  

Tālivaldis Ķeniņš: Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, & 7
Latvian National Symphony Orchestra; Andris Poga, conductor
Ondine 

  

#ClassicsaDay #NorthAmClassics Week 1

 Both countries in North America celebrate their independence in July. For Canada, it's July 1, 1867. And for the United States, it's July 4, 1776. To mark this event, the Classics a Day team challenge is to post video performances of music by both Canadian and American composers.

Finding examples by American composers was easy. But finding performances by Canadian composers proved a little more difficult. And that's a shame. Because the music I found was terrific.

Here are my posts for the first week of #NorthAmClassics.

Jocelyn Morlock: Golden

Canadian composer Jocelyn Morlock died in March of this year at age 53. She left behind an impressive catalog of compositions. "Golden" was written in 2001 for soprano and baroque strings.

Carl Ruggles: Portals for String Orchestra

American composer Carl Ruggles' biggest hit was "Suntreader." "Portals" was written the year before in 1925, and shoes the direction Ruggles was moving towards.

Murray Adaskin: String Quintet with Double Bass

The bulk of Adaskin's music was written after his retirement. This Canadian composer was head of the University of Saskatchewan's Music Department until 1966. He wrote this work in 1995

Amy Beach: Piano Quintet, Op. 67

Beach wrote this work in 1907. When this American composer and pianist married in 1885, her husband forced her to give up concertizing, which gave her more time to write.

Ernest Gagnon: Le carnaval de Québec

Canadian composer and organist Ernest Gagnon is best remembered for his ethnomusicology. His "Chansons populaires du Canada" was published in 1865, and preserved many Canadian folk songs.

Edward German's Music Merrie as Ever

This release is another reissue of Marco Polo's "British Light Music" series. Edward German was one of the earlier British light classical composers. 

Arthur Sullivan considered Edward German his musical heir. And Edward Elgar admired his music. Those two statements should give you a fair idea of German's style. 

With one exception, the works on this release predate the First World War. And that's significant. There was a huge cultural shift after the war, and the Merrie Old England of German's music was swept away. 

And merrie it is. German's style embraces the folk traditions of England. The shapes of the melodies  sound distinctively English -- even when not quoting folk songs. Like Gilbert and Sullivan, it's upbeat and good-natured. This is music for entertainment, and of exceptional quality. 

German is an effective orchestrator. His shifting and rearranging of instrumental combinations keep the listener actively engaged. Even as his melodies charm and beguile.

The sun may have set on the British Empire, but it's spirited joie de vivre lives on in German's music.

Edward German: Merrie England Suite
British Light Music, Vol. 10
Nell Gwyn; Gipsy Suite; Romeo and Juliet
Slovak Radio Symphony orchestra; Adrian Leaper, conductor
Naxos 8.555171

Georg Goltermann's Music Receive Sympathetic Performances

If you're a cellist, you're probably familiar with Georg Goltermann -- at least to some extent. Goltermann was a virtuoso cellist and composer active in the mid-1800s. 

His fourth cello concerto has a relatively easy solo part. For that reason, it's known as the "student's concerto." And it's often performed in student recitals. Some of his shorter works for cello and piano are also used as teaching pieces for the instrument.

According to Wikipedia, Goltermann's concertos aren't performed by professional orchestras.  The entry states the "lack the musicality of true concertos." and even the "student concerto" "is not considered inspired." Ouch.

Fortunately, I auditioned this recording before reading that entry. I found Goltermann's Cello Concerto No. 1 to be a heartfelt and engaging work. The melodies are well-crafted, and the composition shows real talent. 

Goltermann uses the cello effectively. No matter how technically difficult the music is, it all seems to lay well on the instrument. 

And Goltermann knew how to use the cello to best advantage. I think there's plenty of musicality in this concerto. Especially as  Jamal Aliyev  played it. This is real heart-on-your-sleeve Romanticism and Allyev doesn't hold back. His performances kept me genuinely interested in what was going to happen next.

Goltermann's 1802 Symphony in A minor reminded me of Weber with a hint of Beethoven. Goltermann was also a professional conductor. I believe this experience informed his creation of the symphony. 

It's definitely of the Romantic Era. The symphony has plenty of extreme dynamics and exciting climaxes. But to me it also sounds like a carefully-constructed work. Goltermann lays out his themes and develops them in a controlled, logical fashion.

I don't think Howard Griffiths read the Wikipedia entry, either. He and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra seem invested in these works. Griffiths brings out the orchestra's skill, making this music comes alive. 

There are some moments of real beauty in these works. And you don't have to search very hard to find them.

Georg Goltermann: Cello Concerto No. 1; Symphony in A minor
Romance in A
Jamal Aliyev, cello
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; Howard Griffiths, conductor
Capriccio C5469

Derek B. Scott: Orchestral Music Volume Two Entertains

This is the second volume of Derek B. Scott's music from Toccata Classics. Volume one provided a good introduction to Scott with a collection of short works. Volume two presents some of his extended compositions. And, I think, it's a stronger release.

Scott is an established authority on British music hall, operetta, and musical theater. As a composer, he uses that knowledge to create appealing, well-crafted compositions. 

His first symphony begins with a user-friendly theme that borrows early Brit-pop modality. But there's nothing trite about it. Scott explores his ideas in interesting and deceptively complex ways. 

Symphony No. 2 was composed in 1997, two years after the first. This work shows Scott's development as a symphonist. The themes are still clearly defined and easy to follow. But the overall composition seems to owe less to popular music forms. 

To be clear, neither symphony goes for Mahler's All-Encompassing Pronouncements on Life's Meaning. But they weren't meant to. Like Scott's genre of study, his music is designed to entertain. But also to enlighten. 

Accessibility doesn't have to mean hackwork. Scott has carefully constructed these pieces and shown great imagination in doing so. They're accessible, yet lead the listener in unexpected directions. 

I thoroughly enjoyed them, and found they rewarded repeated listening. 

The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra direct by Paul Mann deliver some fine performances. This music isn't deathly serious. Mann and the orchestra get it, and their interpretation help us get it, too.  

Derek B. Scott: Orchestral Music, Volume Two
Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 23; Symphony No. 2 in G minor, Op. 26
The Silver Sword: Tone Poem, Op. 39
Liepāja Symphony Orchestra; Paul Mann, conductor
Toccata Classics TOCC 0646