Paul Wee Recovers Henselt and Bronsart Concertos

If this album could have been recorded in the 1890s, it would have had a very different dynamic. Back then, this program would have paired one of the most famous concertos in the world with one of the most obscure. 

Fast forward to the 21st Century. Now this program pairs two piano concerts almost equal in obscurity. But now -- as then -- both are worth hearing. And both can deliver an emotionally satisfying listening experience. 

Adolf von Henselt was considered one of the greatest piano virtuosi of the early 1800s. Franz Lizst envied his technique. And his sojourn in Russia influenced generations of Russian pianists -- including Sergei Rachmaninov. 

Henselt's Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 16 was premiered by Clara Schumann in 1845, with Felix Mendelssohn conducting. As one modern critic noted, "It was the Rachmaninov Second of its day." 

All the major pianists performed the work, and often more than once. It's easy to hear why. Like Rachmaninov's concerto, it's a big work. The melodies are big, the piano passages are big, the emotions are big. And that makes it a real crowd-pleaser. 

It's also a well-constructed work. Henselt unfolds his themes in a logical (though exceptionally dramatic) fashion. 

Henselt withdrew from music in his thirties. And perhaps that's why this concert eventually fell out of the repertoire. 

By contrast, Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf's music never enjoyed much attention. Bronsart was one of Franz List's prime students. He even premiered Liszt's Second Piano Concerto (with the composer conducting). But Bronast transitioned from composing to conducting, and then theater management. His compositional output was small and under-valued by audiences. 

The piece shows Bronsart had the technical skill to write a challenging concerto. And he had the compositional skills to make it an engaging and compelling work. 

Paul Wee performs these concertos with abandon. His technique is formidable, and he employs every bit of it in this work. 

The Swedish Chamber Orchestra is directed by Michael Collins. The ensemble has an impressively big sound. These concertos were meant for flamboyant artists to thrill audiences with their artistry. 

Paul Yee, supported by the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, does just that. My recommendation: press play, and enjoy the ride. I did.

Adolph von Henselt; Hans von Bronsart: Piano Concertos
Paul Wee, piano
Swedish Chamber Orchestra; Michael Collins, conductor
BIS-2715 SACD

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 4

Mexico has a long classical music tradition, extending back to the late 1500s. Composers emigrated from Spain to supply the great Mexican cathedrals with music. Within a generation, native-born composers assumed those roles. 

The Classics a Day team realizes that Cinco de Mayo is more of an American than a Mexican holiday. But it is an opportunity to celebrate Mexican culture. And so, the challenge for May is to post examples of Mexican classical music on your social media platforms.

Right from the beginning the traditional music of the native population influenced the classical composers. As a result, Mexican classical music has become a natural expression of the national character.

Here are my selections for the first week of #ClassicalMexico.

05/20/24 Eduardo Hernández Moncada (1899–1995): Costeña

Moncada was active as a pianist, conductor, and composer. His goal was to blend traditional folk music with classical forms.

 

05/21/24 Gabriela Ortiz (1964): Kauyumari

Ortiz is the daughter of folk musicians. She holds several advanced music degrees and combines folk and rock traditions into her work.

 

05/22/24 José Mariano Elízaga (1786–1842): Dúo de las Siete Palabras

Elizaga was the foremost composer in Mexico in the early 1800s. He was also the Kapellmeister for Emporer Augstin I of Mexico.

 

05/23/24 José Antonio Gómez y Olguín (1805-1876): Te Deum para solistas, coro y orquesta

Gómez spent most of his professional life at the Mexican City Cathedral. He began as third organist and eventually became its music director.

 

05/24/24 Gustavo Campa (1863–1934): Three Miniatures for String Quartet

Campa was a major influence in Mexican Classical Music. He was among the first Mexican composers to embrace Debussy and the Impressionist style of composition.

 

Isabelle Faust Plays Benjamin Britten (Very Well)

Another title for this release could have been "Isabelle Faust Plays Britten." And she does so exceedingly well. The showpiece is, of course, the violin concerto. But the shorter chamber works are more than just filler. They demonstrate both the skill of the young Benjamin Britten and the artistry of Faust.

Britten composed three of the four works on this album for Spanish violinist Antonio Brosa. The Suite for Violin and Piano, Op. 6 was the first. Britten completed it in 1936. Britten accompanied Brosa at its premiere. 

The young composer had recently heard Alban Berg's Violin Concerto. Berg was the most lyrical of the early twelve-tone proponents. There's some of that aesthetic in this suite. Britten employs the wide leaps and half-step turns of the Schoenberg School. But always in service to the melody. 

Reveille was composed a year after the suite. Britten dedicated the piece to Brosa, who was not an early riser. The work depicts a violinist slowly rousing. As the work progresses, the violist gathers energy leading to a string-busting finale.

The Violin Concerto was written for -- and premiered by Brosa in 1940. This is the product of a mature Britten. His writing is effective and assured. And it's a real showpiece for the soloist. The recording comes from live performances on October 28-29, 2021. The audience is exceptionally quiet -- I had no audio clues that this was live. But the performances show it. Live performances have an energy that studio recordings generally lack.

Isabelle Faust is on top of this work. Her playing is almost perfect, and her performance sweeps the listener along. Especially impressive is her intonation. Harmonics and notes at the extreme end of the register don't phase her. They're as rock-solid as her broad strokes on the open G string. Faust holds her own with the orchestra. And she's also an excellent chamber player. 

In the Suite and Reveille there's chemistry between Faust and pianist Alexander Melnikov. The two musicians convey Reveille's gentle humor. Their performances, make it a fun little diversion. 

Also included is a world recording premiere of Two Pieces for Violin, Viola, and Piano. Britten wrote the piece when he was sixteen. It was 1929 and the influence of atonality is quite evident. Nevertheless, there's something here that rises the quality above that of juvenilia. Britten wasn't just imitating a style -- he was using it to say something. So while this isn't Britten's best composition, it's still one worth listening to. 

Benjamin Britten: Violin Concerto, Op. 15
Reveille; Suite for violin and piano, Op. 6
Two Pieces for violin, viola, and piano
Isabelle Faust, violin
Symphonieorchestra des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Jakub Hrusa, conductor
Boris Faust, viola; Alexander Meinikov, piano
Harmonia Mundi 902668

George Walker Complete Piano Works 1 -- About Time

George Walker didn't write much piano music. His entire oeuvre fits easily onto two compact discs. The relatively few works he composed stretch over 60 years. 

Though few and far between, they're compositions of exceptional quality. So I'm excited about Alexandre Dossin's latest project. He will be recording Walker's entire solo piano output (plus the piano concerto). 

Collectively, they'll show the range and imagination of the composer. 

This volume includes the first three of Walker's five piano sonatas. The first sonata, written in 1954 is the longest. It also incorporates African-American spirituals. 

His third sonata, written twenty years later, is very different. Here Walker explores the possibilities of a limited set of motifs. The music borders on atonality, with nary a spiritual to be heard. 

Walker was a composer who cconstantly evolved. The pieces on this volume demonstrate just how much he grew over the decades. 

Alexandre Dossin performs with both passion and authority. This is his project -- and he's invested in the results. Even when Walker's at his most intellectual Dossin's playing conveys real emotion. 

I am very much looking forward to the second volume.

George Walker: Complete Piano Works 1
Alexandre Dossin, piano
Naxos 8.559916

Peñalosa Ensemble Celebrate the Spanish Renaissance

The Peñalosa Ensemble celebrates its 25th anniversary with an album of Spanish Renaissance composers. One happens to be the ensemble's namesake, Francisco de Peñalosa. The other is Tomás Luis de Victoria. 

The Peñalosa Ensemble neatly divides the program into two halves. The first part presents the music of Peñalosa, the second Victoria's. Peñalosa was active in the late 1490s. He was the first Spanish composer to adopt the Netherlandish style of Josquin de Prez. 

Peñalosa composed before the age of printing. Through handwritten copies, his music spread throughout Spain (though not far beyond). Peñalosa had an affinity for counterpoint and was one of its most advanced proponents. 

Many of his works play with the melodies. Motifs are presented backward, upside down, and even "remixed" with other melodies. This release includes a sterling example of this:  the Missa O Magnum Mysterium. 

Tomás Luis de Victoria came two generations after Peñalosa. He represents the twilight of Rennaisance polyphony. Victoria was a contemporary of Palestrina, and nearly as influential. Unlike Peñalosa, Victoria benefitted from music printing. Victoria was well-known across Western Europe.

Victoria was inspired by Peñalosa (as were most Spanish composers). But his works look ahead to the thinner textures of the Baroque Era. In this release, the differences between Peñalosa and Victoria show in stark contrast.

Marian Music of Spain
Francisco de Peñalosa; Tomás Luis de Victoria
Peñalosa Ensemble
CPO 555 398-2