#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalHoliday 2024 Week 3

December is a time of traditions. And #ClassicsaDay posing the #ClassicalHoliday challenge is one of them. In December, post classical performances in your social media feeds. The performances should be works written for a December event (sacred or secular) or composed in December. 

For my part, I'll be posting works from the Middle Ages up to the present. We really don't have to put up with novelty Christmas tunes.

12/16/24 Michael Praetorius: Christmas Mass

Michael Praetorius was Kapellmeister for the Elector of Saxony in the 1610s. It is there that he most likely mounted this mass, which would have been performed on Christmas Day.

 

12/17/24 Max Reger: Weihnachstraum (Christmas Dream) Aus der Jugendzeit, Op. 17, No. 9

Reger published his collection of piano pieces "From my Youth" in 1902. One of the movements was a fantasy on "Silent Night."

 

12/18/24 John Rutter: Angels' Carol

Rutter wrote the text as well as the music for this carol. It was originally composed for a choral competition in the 1980s. It has since become one of his most-performed works.

 

12/19/24 Anon 11th C. Magnificat

The Liber Usualis is a book of commonly used Gregorian chant. It was complied in the 11th Century, and is organized by days of the church year. The Magnificat is traditionally sung during Advent.

 

12/20/24 Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Noel sure lest Instruments H. 534 No. 5 A la venue de Noel

Charpentier published two collections of popular French carols. The first "Carols for Instruments" volume came out in 1690. The second followed in 1693.

 

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalHoliday 2024 Week 2

December is a time of traditions. And #ClassicsaDay posing the #ClassicalHoliday challenge is one of them. In December, post classical performances in your social media feeds. The performances should be works written for a December event (sacred or secular) or composed in December. 

 For my part, I'll be posting works from the Middle Ages up to the present. We really don't have to put up with novelty Christmas tunes.

 

Giuseppe Torelli: Christmas Concerto in G minor, Op. 8 No. 6

Torelli was renowned as a violinist and a violist. In 1709 he published a collection of concerto grossi specifically for use during Christmastide worship.

 

Three Latvian Carols

Ziemassvētki is a Latvian 3-day winter festival. It includes Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and December 26--Second Christmas. Eastern Orthodox followers celebrate Ziemassvētki January 6-8. 

 

Ignacio de Jerusalem: Cherubes y Pastores

De Jerusalem was a major composer in New Spain (Mexico). He emigrated from Spain in 1742 and within a few years was chapel master of the Catedral de Mexico. This institution set the standards for sacred music in New World.

 

Libby Larsen: Jesus Rest Your Head

Larsen fell in love with this Appalachian tune after hearing a Library of Congress field recording. Her arrangement was composed for a publication, "World Carols of Choirs."

 

Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine

Monteverdi published this work in 1610 in Venice. It was dedicated to Pope Paul V Borghese and was written for a large choir and orchestra.

 

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalHoliday 2024 Week 1

December is a time of traditions. And #ClassicsaDay posing the #ClassicalHoliday challenge is one of them. In December, post classical performances in your social media feeds. The performances should be works written for a December event (sacred or secular) or composed in December.

For my part, I'll be posting works from the Middle Ages up to the present. We really don't have to put up with novelty Christmas tunes.

12/02/24 Anon.: Hymn to St. Nicolas

Nicholas of Myra, canonized in 1446, died on Dec. 6, 3456. St. Nicholas' feast day was established on December 6 for that reason.

 

12/03/24 William Byrd: This Day Christ Was Born

Byrd was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I -- although he converted to Catholicism. He produced seasonal sacred music for the Protestant court (and also secretly for Catholics).   

12/04/24 Georg Gebel (the younger): Weihnachtsoratorium

Gebel was active in the early 1700s and worked mainly in Eastern Germany. This is one of his two Christmas Cantaats, written in the 1740s.

 

12/05/24 Healy Willan: Here we are in Bethlehem

Organist and composer Willan emigrated to Canada in 1913. He composed over 800 works and is best known for his choral and organ compositions.

 

12/06/24 Thomas Luis de Victoria: Ave Maria

Victoria was considered one of the greatest sacred music composers of the late Renaissance. His music was well-known both in Spain and Italy (especially in the Papal City).

 

John Rutter: Brass at Christmas

I wouldn't say that John Rutter owns Christmas, but it can seem that way. Rutter has a rare compositional talent. He writes substantial music. It's rewarding for both serious listeners and casual audiences. 

And it's also rewarding to sing. Professional choirs can perform it with little rehearsal. And amateur choirs -- with practice -- can also sing Rutter's music.

And Rutter has written and arranged a lot of music for Christmas. So this is the time of year you're most likely to hear him in concert.

Many of the carols on this release will be familiar to Rutter enthusiasts. And they benefit from these performances with the Black Dyke Band. Classical Christmas music and brass are a natural fit. Luc Vertomemen's arrangements take full advantage of the ensemble. 

The Black Dyke Band is one of the foremost brass ensembles in the world. And this release shows them at their best. Rutter carols have solid, singable melodies. These arrangements also sing. Even if you don't know these works, the music has a charm that can pull you in.

The Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus joins the ensemble for some selections. It's a great combination. The chorus has a smooth, blended sound that's ideal for Rutter's music. And the vocal tracks add variety and interest to the program.

If you've collected Rutter's recordings on Collegium, this album will augment them nicely. If not, this is an appealing stand-alone release. And certainly, one that adds to the holiday mood. At least in my house, that is. 

John Rutter: Brass at Christmas
arranged by Luc Vertommen
Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs, conductor
Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus; Darius Battiwalla, director
Naxos 8.574564

Americascapes 2 Highlights Outlier Masterworks

 

I really liked volume one of this series. The performances were top-notch (which helps). But what I enjoyed was the imaginative programming. 

Most collections of American music just re-present the same thing. It's Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and John Philip Sousa (or perhaps John Williams). Robert Trevino interprets "American" as a larger, more inclusive term. 

This release features works by major figures within the classical world. But ones hardly recognized by the general public. George Walker was a black American composer who created music with a unique sound. His 1959 "Address for Orchestra" was his first symphonic work. And it's a corker. 

George Crumb was another outlier. He created his own form of music, one with a logical internal structure. He then notated it, creating graphic works of great beauty. These sonic sculptures sound like nobody else. 

"A Haunted Landscape" was written for the New York Philharmonic in 1984. Twenty percussionists augment the orchestra. It's pure Crumb, but not what most orchestra audiences would expect. 

Silvestre Revueltas was one of the most innovative composers in 1930s Mexico. Revueltas anticipated many of the postwar trends in music. He combined folk music with modernism. His music influenced an entire generation of Latino composers. Yet he's hardly known here in the States. 

"La Coronela Ballet" was his final work before his death at age 41. The work is a dizzying melange of styles. Tempos shift in split seconds. Volume also changes abruptly, almost as if we're listening to a remixed tape. But we're not. 

Robert Trevino leads the Basque National Orchestra in some impressive performances. For the orchestral musician, Crumb's music can seem counter-intuitive. And Crumb's notation requires study and attention to read properly. The orchestra performs with authority, letting the music expand outwards into soft-focus soundscapes. 

Revuelta's ballet also has some serious ensemble challenges. The sudden changes need an orchestra that can play together with laser-like precision. And they do. Heartily recommended.

American Opus: Americascapes 2
George Walker, George Crumb, Silvestre Revueltas
Basque National Orchestra; Robert Trevino, conductor
Ondine ODE 1445-2

   

#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:

Auber Overtures, Volume 7 - More Than Just Openers

I like Naxos' willingness to explore new repertoire. One of the things I like about the Naxos label is their willingness to explore new repertoire. And even go down a rabbit hole or two. 

It's what I'd do if I ran a label (although with my business sense, I'd run in straight into the ground. Case in point: the Auber Overtures series. 

Dario Salvi is the creative force behind these recordings. According to his bio, he has a "passion for the rediscovery and performance of long-forgotten masterpieces and the curation of world premieres."

 He's recorded more than Auber for the label. All his albums maintain a high standard of performance. And all benefit from innovative programming.

Auber wrote over fifty operas. If Salvi just recorded the overtures (as the title suggests), the series would span several volumes. But he goes deeper into the composer's catalog. Each volume supplements the overtures with instrumental music from the operas. 

Some present other compositions by Auber. This release includes ballets and marches from the featured operas. 

The album leads with the overture to Le cheval de bronze. Auber completed the work in 1835. For performances at the Paris Opera in 1857 he added a ballet. That music is included as well. 

Also included is an arrangement of the overture by Englebert Humperdink. Comparing the two versions of the overture provides insight into both composers' styles. Humperdink gives Auber's French music a heavier German orchestration. It doesn't ruin the music. But it does change the character of it (and not in a bad way). 

The Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava is in fine form here. Under Salvi's direction, they play with a light-hearted elegance fitting the fairy operas. And they can also deliver some dramatic thundering when necessary. 

Including additional music from the operas has slowed Salvi's traversal of the overtures. But these recordings are about the journey, not the destination. These ballets and incidental music show Auber's genius. His orchestrations set the stage and tell the story -- in music, not words. Another fine addition to this edition. 

Daniel-François-Esprit Auber: Overtures, Volume 7
Le Cheval de bronze; Le Lac des fées; Marco Spada; Jenny Bell; Das eherne Pferd
Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava; Dario Salvi, conductor
Naxos 8.574597

Maria Rosa Coccia - Sacred Music from 18th Century Rome

Maria Rosa Coccia was a composer and harpsichordist acive in the late 1700s. Her career is almost a case study in the "separate but equal" concept. Coccia showed talent at an early age. 

By 13 she had written six harpsichord sonatas. She'd also composed an oratorio "Danielli." The work was performed in the Oratory S. Fipllo Neri -- an event women were barred from attending. 

Her talent couldn't be denied, though. Anyone practicing music in Rome at the time had to enter the Accademia di Santa Cecilia. They also had to pass an exam to be a Maestro di Capella. 

Coccia did both at age sixteen. But because of her gender, she was never allowed to direct a choir. 

Fortunately, that didn't prevent her from composing music for choirs. This release features five sacred works by Coccia and two of her instrumental works. The program includes works by her contemporaries: Stane Pesci, Giovanni Battista Casali, and Sebastiano Bolis. 

Coccia writes in the clean, elegant style of the middle Classical period. If you enjoy the choral works of Haydn and Mozart, you'll find a lot to like in Coccia's music. Her clarity of line ensures the text is always readily understandable. Yet her interplay between voices shows real imagination. And she has solid contrapuntal skills. 

The Cardiff University Chamber Choir has a warm, transparent sound. Their acapella singing is assured, and their phrasing is fluid. It gives the music a supple energy I quite enjoyed. Based on the quality of Coccia's work here, I would love to hear her oratorio and large-scale cantatas. But this is a great start. 

Maria Rosa Coccia: Sacred Music from Eighteenth-Century Rome
Cardiff University Chamber Choir; Peter Leech, director
Robert Court, chamber organ
Toccata Classics TOCC 0359

#ClassicsaDay #Divertimento Week 4

 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 fourth week of the #ClassicsaDay challenge, #Divertimento.

10/21/24 Johann Georg Albrechtsberger: Divertimento in F major for violin, cello, and contrabass

In his day, he was a big name. Today, he's best remembered (if at all) as one of Ludwig van Beethoven's early composition teachers. Albrechtsberger was a cellist and colleague of Franz Joseph Haydn. His catalog includes two divertimenti for violin, cello, and double bass.  

10/22/24 Franz Schubert: Divertissement sur des motifs originaux français, D823 for piano four hands

Schubert wrote the first movement in 1826, and the remaining movements the next year. It wasn't published until 1888, long after Schubert's death.

 

10/23/24 Bertold Hummel: Divertimento for 4 Violins

Hummel was director of the Studio for New Music in Wurzburg for 25 years. He wrote several major works: 3 symphonies, an oratorio and some ballets. And several divertimenti. 

 

10/24/24 Ellen Taffe Zwilich: Divertimento for clarinet, flute, violin, and cello

Zwilich composed this work in 1983. it is her only composition in the genre.

 

10/25/24 Leonard Bernstein: Divertimento for Orchestra

Bernstein wrote his Divertimento in 1980. The work was composed for the centenary celebration of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

 

Rediscovering Maria Herz's Piano Music

It wasn't that long ago that I reviewed a Capriccio release of Maria Herz's orchestral music. A recording of all world premiere recordings. And now here's an album of all her numbered piano works -- all world premiere recordings. 

Maria Herz was a virtuoso pianist and composer active in the between-war years. When the Nazis rose to power, her Jewish heritage put an end to her career in Germany. She left the country in 1935 with her children, never to return. 

Herz would eventually rebuild her career as a performer and teacher. But she stopped composing when she left Germany. Herz only wrote around 30 works. Who knows? In time they may all be recorded. 

Pianist Aude St-Pierre makes her recording debut, and it's a great one. Herz was a pianist. Her keyboard music is idiomatic and exploits the possibilities of the instrument. St-Pierre plays with confidence and empathy. These are performances I want to revisit again and again. 

All three works show Herz's creativity. Her Op. 1 is a set of variations on Chopin's Prelude Op. 28, No. 20. This is a core repertoire work. So much so that it simply is. To recast and rework the motives takes real imagination. And Herz delivers. Each variation takes this prelude in a new direction. And there are eleven of them. 

Her second published work, 12 (Valses) Ländler for piano also delivers. These are twelve very short pieces, but each one has its own character. Both these works come from the 1910s when Herz was just starting her career. 

She hit her compositional stride in the early 1930s. Her Piano Sonata in F minor foreshadows her mature efforts. Written in 1922, this is a complex piece in structure and harmony. Herz flirts with the chromaticism of atonality without stepping over the edge. The sonata is a work that's both modern and accessible.

I applaud St. Pierre for her bold programming choices. Most artists stick to the basics for their debuts. This is well-crafted music that indeed deserves rediscovering

Rediscovering Maria Herz
Aude St-Pierre, piano
Genuin Classics GEN 24863

Bruckner From the Archives, Volume 5 -- Another Noteworthy Release

The penultimate volume in this series continues to surprise and illuminate. All recordings come from the archives of the Bruckner Society of America. Audio 

Restorian Engineer Lani Spahr once again works his magic. These recordings sound about as good as they can. And they sound authentic. They have been restored, not remastered. 

All three recordings are world recording premieres. And they're all live recordings, which makes these performances even more remarkable. The Sixth Symphony is performed by the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Christoph von Dohnányi. 

Dohnányi was of a new generation approaching Bruckner. His interpretation strips away the gooeyness of Late Romantic conductors. The performance was a 1961 radio aircheck. The orchestra may not be quite world-class, but they play with energy and authority. 

Hans Müller-Kray conducts the South German Radio Symphony Orchestra in a radio aircheck from 1955. Müller-Kray's approach is also post-Romantic, but not as severe as Dohnányi's. There are times when he seems to luxuriate in the sound (and why not?).    

The "Te Deum" performance comes from a 1962 aircheck for a Vienna Festival broadcast. The concert marked the 160th anniversary of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. This organization had been promoting music in Vienna since 1812. 

Herbert von Karajan leads the Vienna Philharmonic and assembled singers in a weighty performance worthy of the occasion. The soloists sing with operatic intensity. The Vienna Singverein delivers powerful choruses. This is pure Karajan, giving us the message from On High. 

Another solid addition to this series. 

Anton Bruckner: From the Archives, Volume 5
Symphony No. 6 in A major; Symphony No. 7 in E major
Te Deum
South German Radio Symphony Orchestra; Hans Muller-Kray, conductor
Wilma Lipp, Elisabeth Höngen, Nicolai Gedda, Walter Kreppel,
Vienna Singverein; Vienna Philharmonic; Herbert von Karajan, conductor
SOMM Recordings ARIADNE 5033-2

#ClassicsaDay #Divertimento Week 3

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 third week of the #ClassicsaDay challenge, #Divertimento.

10/14/24 Johann Baptist Vanhal: Divertimento in G major

Czech composer and multi-instrumentalist Vanhal found fame and fortune in 1790s Vienna. Mozart and Haydn highly regarded his music, and Vanhal often performed with them.

 

10/15/24 Friedrich Gernsheim: Divertimento for Flute and Strings in E Major, Op. 53

Gernsheim was an older contemporary of Johannes Brahms. Some critics compared his style to a mixture of Brahms and Bruckner.

 

10/16/24 Paul Juon: Divertimento Op.51

Swiss composer Paul Juon studied with Arensky and Taneyev. He composed his divertimento in 1913 after he had relocated to Berlin.

 

10/17/24 Elizabeth Maconchy: Divertimento for Cello and Piano

Maconchy is considered one of the most important British composers of the 20th Century. She composed her divertimento in 1954.

 

10/18/24 Grażyna Bacewicz: Divertimento for Strings

Bacewicz was a violinist as well as a composer. She composed her divertimento in 1965. 

 

Richard Flury Chamber Music, Vol. 2 - String Quartets of Quality

Toccata Classics has made a major investment in the music of Richard Flury. So far they've released three volumes of orchestral music, three operas, and now a second volume of strings quartets. I hope it's paying off for the label. Because it certainly is for the listener. 

Flury was a Swiss composer operating in relative obscurity throughout his career. His main source of income was as a violinist and a conductor. As this release (and the others) show, he was also a skillful and imaginative composer. 

This release features his second and third string quartets. Both received their world recording premieres with this album. Flury remained a musical conservative throughout his life. These two quartets are tonal, and both use a standard four-movement form. And both reward the listener time and again. 

Flury wrote his second quartet in 1929. The first movement is carried along by a flowing sixteen-note pattern. Sumptuous melodies float over it. The second movement features rich harmonies and a plaintive melody shared by the four instruments. 

The good-natured scherzo is followed by an intensely serious finale. Flury lists the quartet as being in E minor/major. That key ambiguity makes harmonic context essential in understanding the work.  

The String Quartet No. 3 in C major was completed in 1938. Flury's compositional skill shows development. The melodies are more expansive. There's a greater use of chromaticism. This heightens the music's intensity. Flury played the violin and viola professionally. His experience informs his quartet writing. 

The music sounds idiomatic to the string instruments and to the quartet as an ensemble. The Colla Parte Quartet performs these works with empathy. And also with great skill. The melodies sing, and the emotional content is always clear. And the musicians sound like they truly enjoy playing these works. 

Highly recommended -- along with volume one. I anticipate the remaining volumes will be of the same high quality.

Richard Flury: Chamber Music, Volume Two
String Quartets Nos. 2 and 3
Colla Parte Quartet
Toccata Classics

The Estonian Cello Presents Unknown Masterworks

I love how one thing can lead to another -- especially if it's not in a straight line. Pianist Sten Lassman recently completed what had to be a labor of love. Over 15 years he recorded the complete piano works of Heino Eller. 

Eller was a major force in Estonian music. He founded the Tartu School of Composition. Eller's students included Eduard Tubin and Arvo Part. Lassman wanted to bring more of Eller's works to the public. 

This album is the result. It includes eight works for cello and piano by Eller. It also includes compositions by Eller's students: Eduard Oja and Eduard Tubin. 

It also includes works of students of Artur Kapp's Tallinn school. Kapp and and Eller had different ideas what direction Estonian classical music should take. 

The Tallinn school is represented by Herman Kand and Villem Reimann. Both approaches have merit. And in the end, it's the listener who's the winner. All but four of the thirteen compositions are world recording premiers.

And what a gift to the world. Pianist Sten Lassman and cellist Valle-Rasmus Roots are both Estonian. They both understand the underlying aesthetics of this music. And that understanding illuminates their performances. These are beautifully realized interpretations of exceptionally fine music. Music that rewards repeated listening. 

I'm glad Lassmann wasn't done with Estonian music after his Eller cycle. A great collection of music you don't have to be Estonian to appreciate and enjoy. 

The Estonian Cello
Valle-Rasmus Roots, cello; Sten Lassmann, piano
Toccata Next TONC 0033

#ClassicsaDay #Divertimento Week 2

 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 second week of the #ClassicsaDay challenge, #Divertimento.

10/07/24 Michael Haydn: Divertimento in D major for Horn, Viola, and Contrabass

Michael was Franz Joseph's younger brother and an accomplished composer in his own right. He wrote over 20 divertimenti for various instruments.

 

10/08/24 Niccolo Paganini: Divertimenti Carnevaleschi, Op. 4: Perigordino No. 1

Paganini's divertimenti for string trio are among his earliest published works. These date from 1804.

 

10/09/24 Edward Burlingame Hill: Divertimento for Piano and Orchestra

As a composition teacher at Harvard, Hill was a major influence. His students include Leonard Bernstein, Walter Piston, Virgil Thomson, Roger Sessions, and Elliott Carter.

 

10/10/24 Anna Bon: Divertimento in D minor, Op. 3, No. 3

Bon was a harpsichordist working at Esterhazy, where Franz Joseph Haydn was music master. She published three collections of music in the late 1700s. Shortly after, she vanished from the historical record.

 

10/11/24 Franz Liszt: Divertimento sur une cavatine de Pacini

Liszt used the melody "I tuoi frequenti palpiti" from Pacini's opera "Niobe" for this work. There's no question this piece is performed far more often than the original opera.

 

Albert Dietrich - for Brahms Fans

Albert Dietrich was one of those talents overshadowed by the company they keep. Dietrich studied composition with Robert Schumann, and the two remained close friends. When Johannes Brahms entered the Schumanns' circle, Dietrich was there. 

And the two also became close friends. Dietrich's "Recollections of Brahms" (1898) remains an important reference work for Brahms scholars. 

As a composer, Dietrich wasn't quite in the same league as Schumann and Brahms. But he was pretty close. In 1924 a piano trio was unearthed and initially attributed to Brahms. Modern scholarship now leans towards Dietrich. So, yeah. Pretty close.

This release is a great introduction to Dietrich. His Symphony in D minor from 1869 has a Brahmsian character to it. Dietrich is a more precise composer, though. He works out his themes in a deliberate manner, illuminating the structure of the movements. 

It was one of the most popular symphonies of the early 1870s, and it's easy to hear why. It's a well-crafted work written in the then-new style of Schumann and company.  

The 1874 Violin Concerto in D minor was composed for Joseph Joachim. Joachim was a virtuoso violinist/composer -- and part of Brahms' circle. The work was premiered by Johann Lauterbach. It's not clear if Joachim ever performed it. 

Too bad. It's a delicious work full of rich, Romantic harmonies and heart-on-your-sleeve melodies. Violist Klaidi Sahatci delivers a warmly expressive performance. It gives us every ounce of emotion Dietrich wrote into the score. I'm surprised more violinists don't have this in their repertoire. It's just a pleasure to listen to (especially if you like Brahms). 

The Solistes Europeens Luxembourg deliver some fine performances. Conductor Christoph Konig's interpretations are spot on. Brahms' style informs these performances. But it doesn't overwhelm them. Dietrich was in tune with Brahms' aesthetic. But he had his own ideas of where they should go. And those differences make this an engaging (and fun) listen.    

Albert Dietrich
Overture in C major, Op. 35
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 30
Symphony in D minor, Op. 20
Klaidi Sahatci, violin; Slistes Europeens, Luxembourg; Christoph Konig, conductor
Naxos 8.574507