#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 5, 2024

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 fifth and final week of #ClassicalMexico.

05/27/24 Carlos Chávez (1899–1978): Chapultepec Obertura Repulicana

Chávez was a founder of the Mexican Symphony Orchestra. His use of native Mexican music in his works influenced the course of Mexican classical music -- and brought it to the world stage. 

 

05/28/24 Silvestre Revueltas (1899–1940): Sensemayá

Sensemayá is Revueltas' most popular composition. It was based on a poem describing an Afro-Cuban religious ritual and sacrifice. Revualtas originally wrote the work for a small orchestra in 1937. A year later he created a version for a standard symphony orchestra. 

 

05/29/24 Higinio Ruvalcaba (1905–1976): Cuarteto de Cuerdas No. 6 in D major

Ruvalcaba was a violinist and composer. He replaced the founder of the Léner String Quartet when he retired.

   

05/30/24 Blas Galindo (1910–1943): Sones de mariachi

Galindo studied with Carlos Chavez and Aaron Copland. He eventually became the director of the National Institute of Fine Arts and the music director of the Symphony of the Mexican Institute of Social Security.

 

05/31/24 Melesio Morales (1839–1908): La Farfalletta

Morales was born in Mexico City. He had a successful career as an opera composer in Florence and eventually returned to Mexico City. Morales is best known for his vocal music, which includes 10 operas and two cantatas.

 

Next month:

Living in Greg Caffrey's Environments

Irish composer Greg Caffrey is better known in the UK than in America. Perhaps this release will change that somewhat. It features four orchestral works by Caffrey, all written within the last 12 years. 

I'd call Caffrey's style "post-tonal." He uses dissonance effectively, and his melodies seem angular at times. Traditional chord progressions are absent. And yet there's still a sense of motion -- that the music has started at a point and will eventually return to that point.

Aingeal opens the album. It's the most recent composition (2021), and according to the composer, the most personal. The early death of a close friend inspired the work. Caffrey channels his loss and pain into something ethereal, disturbing, and ultimately comforting. 

Caffrey composed Environments I and Environments II in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Environments I is for solo piano and orchestra. It's not a concerto, where the soloist is showcased. Rather, it's a study in contrasts between a single instrument and an ensemble. Caffrey's unusual orchestrations blur the distinction between soloist and group. Daniel Browell's performance is both nuanced and engaging.

Environments II seems similar in intent. Here though, the forces are solo guitar, string orchestra, and percussion. The limited palette of the string orchestra throws the guitar into greater relief. Craig Ogdon has made several great recordings of contemporary guitar works. Add this performance to the list. 

 According to Caffrey, A Terrible Beauty was a long time coming. He conceived each of the three movements as a stand-alone work. Caffrey spent eight years composing the parts and then piecing them together. 

The title comes from a poem by WB Yeats. The music isn't an illustration of Yeats' poetry. Rather, it's an emotional reaction to it. Caffery's orchestration gives the ensemble an unusual blend.  It effectively communicates the unsettled nature of the poems. Yeats' poetry tells us something's not quite right -- Caffrey's music confirms it. 

These are powerful orchestral works. The Ulster Orchestra directed by Sinead Hays does a superb job. This music doesn't sound easy to play. And yet every note sounds authoritative and assured.

This might not be the music for your next dinner party. But if you're looking for music of substance that can communicate true emotion -- well, this might be for you.   

Greg Caffrey: Environments
Craig Ogden, guitar
Daniel Browell, piano
Ulster Orchestra; Sinead Hays
Divine Art

David Leisner Charms with New Album

Seldom has a classical album been more appropriately named. "Charms to Soothe" delivers on its promise. Guitarist David Leisner presents a program of favorite 19th-century guitar works. And without exception, they are a delight. The program mixes music by familiar composers and lesser-known virtuosi. 

Touring instrumental virtuosi of the 1800s were often composers. They primarily wrote music for themselves to play in concert. They also wrote instructional guides to further the artistry of their instruments. Fernando Sor and Mauro Giuliani were two such artists. And their music has remained in the guitar repertoire since it was introduced. 

Leisner presents a few composers whose reputations didn't survive. Johann Kaspar Mertz was a contemporary of Giuliani. He toured mostly in Eastern Europe and Russia. Merz' wife was a concert pianist, and he may have drawn inspiration from the music she played. Included here are two selections from Bardenklänge, Op. 13. One is titled "Lied Ohne Worte," which suggests at least a nod to Mendelssohn.

Giulio Regondi was a Swiss guitarist who spent most of his life in London. His Études for guitar are perhaps his best-known pieces. And while they do have their challenges, they're also enjoyable to listen to. Another London-based guitarist was Leonard Schulz. Most of his music has been lost, but his 12 Studies, Op. 40 survive. They're well-crafted and deceptively complex works. 

All the selections are favorites of Leisner. His talent could easily carry him through the challenges of these works. But there's more going on here. Leisner shows his affection for this music in his playing. The melodies do more than sing, they emote. These are intimate performances. And ones that both charm and engage (well, at least they did for me). 

Well-recorded, and superbly performed. If you'd like to spend time with a friend sharing some of his favorite music get this release. It does indeed have charms to soothe.

Charms to Soothe: 19th Century Music for Guitar
David Leisner, guitar
Azica Records ACD-71368

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

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 3

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 third week of #ClassicalMexico.

05/13/24 Alfonso de Elias (1902-1984): Sinfonia No. 3

Elias's style remained solidly Post-Romantic, even as the century progressed. He was also an important pianist and piano pedagogue.

 

05/14/24 Manuel de Sumaya (1678–1755): Missa a 8 de tercer tono

Sumaya was the most famous Mexican composer in the New Spain colony. He was the first to write an opera in North America, modeled after Italian grand opera.

 

05/15/24 Graciela Agudelo (1945–2018): Parajes de la Memoria: La Selva

Agudelo avoided folk elements in her music. She helped found the Mexican Society of New Music and started the contemporary music group Onix Ensamble.

 

05/16/24 Felipe Villanueva (1862–1893): Amar (Nocturno)

Villanueva was a gifted pianist and violinist, as well as a composer. Although he died at 31, he's still considered one of the major figures of Mexican music during the Romantic Era.

 

Avalon String Quartet Give Chicago Composers Some Love

This is the kind of release I like. The Avalon String Quartet present works seldom heard. And they're all works that deserve to be heard -- a lot. 

Florence Price had some remarkable achievements to her credit. In the 1930s her works were performed by major symphonies -- the first for a Black female composer. Her piano concerto attracted critical attention. But when she died in 1953, her passing was hardly noted. 

Many of her works remained unperformed and unheard. And most of it was considered lost until 2009. That's when renovations began on her former Chicago home. The workers discovered a large cache of Price's manuscripts. That collection revived Price's reputation.

Her String Quartet No. 2 was written in 1935. It was only published after its rediscovery in 2009. It's a beautifully crafted work. Price effortlessly blends a late-Romantic style with African-American traditional music.

Leo Sowerby was another Chicagoan whose oeuvre also awaits discovery. He composed over 500 works, many of them still in manuscript. His String Quartet in G minor is one such piece. It was written the same year as Price's second quartet. But it's a very different composition. 

Price focused on melody and harmony. Sowerby focused on linear development. It's how the four instruments interact that makes the music. 

The Avalon Quartet performs these works with sympathy and enthusiasm. Their message: this music is a joy to perform, and you should listen. I did, and I agree. 

Also included is Price's Five Folksongs in Counterpoint for String Quartet. This 1951 shows Price just as talented at polyphony as Sowerby. What interested me was the subject matter. Price didn't select five Negro spirituals. "Clementine" and "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes" are also present.

The Avalon Quartet makes a strong case for these works to be heard. And to be heard more often. Recommended.

Florence Beatrice Price; Leo Sowerby
Music for String Quartet
Avalon String Quartet
Naxos 8.559911

The Pre-Raphaelite Cello - British Gold

My first reaction when this release crossed my desk wasn't kind. I had nothing against the composers or the performers -- just the title. The Pre-Raphaelites were a group of British painters and poets who wanted authenticity. 

In the 1850s the mannered style of Raphael and Michelangelo defined academic art. As their name suggests, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were inspired by an earlier style. It was one of intense color and an almost hyperrealistic luminosity. (See the cover for this release.)

The Pre-Raphaelite movement petered out in the mid-1850s. So how, I wondered, could these early 20th-century composers be considered Pre-Raphaelite? According to the liner notes, it's because that's how they defined themselves. 

Percy Grainger coined the term. There were some characteristic harmonies that this loose group of British composers favored. To him, those harmonies were the sonic equivalent of the Pre-Raphaelites' use of color.

Given that, my objection to the title went away. And that knowledge also helped me hear the context of this music. Most of the works were written for British cello virtuoso Beatrice Harrison. Her playing helped define the style of the composers who wrote for her. 

This release presents a roster of composers whom Grainger considered Pre-Raphaelite. There is a similarity in style. Most have the late Romantic post-Brahms sound of Charles Villiers Stanford. But it's mixed with something new. Interest in British folk music was on the rise. Many of these works have modal harmonies and distinctively British melodic turns. 

Adrian Bradbury performs with a clear, warm tone. Many of these works want to sing, and Bradbury's instrument does so. Listen to his heart-melting performance of Roger Quilter's "L'Amour de moy."

Cyrll Scott's compositions border on Debussy-like Impressionism. I especially recommend "Ballade," a 12-minute journey of exploration. 

Every track is a well-crafted miniature. And yes, there is a commonality to these works. Highly recommended for the music, the performances and, yes, even the title.

The Pre-Raphaelite Cello
Adrian Bradbury, cello; Andrew West, piano
SOMM Recordings SOMMCD 0685

Welcome Purcell Reissues from William Christie

 

Well this is a nice present. In honor of William Christie's 90th birthday, Harmonia Mundi is reissuing some of his landmark recordings. This particular present is a two-disc set of Purcell. It's really a present for us all. 

Christie and Les Arts Florissants recorded Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" in 1989. "The Fairy Queen" recording followed three years later. Both the recorded sound and performances have aged well. 

Early music, like other aspects of classical music, is an evolving art form. Over time ideas about interpretations evolve. New recordings of this material can sound very different than Christie's. 

But William Christie's genius was in finding the balance between scholarship and musicality. These are well-researched, historically-informed performances. Les Arts Florissants effectively recreated the sound heard in Purcell's time. 

But they're also musical performances. Purcell's 1689 "Dido and Aeneas" is considered the first English opera. His work "The Fairy Queen" from 1692 is based on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." These are both dramatic works for the theater.

Christie knew he was telling stories with these works. Both performances effectively convey the dramas. If you know nothing about 17th-century music, you can still enjoy these stories. 

Everything is sung with such clean, clear articulation. You might not even need the libretto. These recordings are as rewarding to listen to today as they were when first released.

As I say, this set is a present to us all.  

Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas; The Fairy Queen
Les Arts Florissants; William Christie, conductor
Harmonia Mundi HAX 8904106.08
2 CD Set

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 2

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.

05/06/24 José Mariano Elízaga (1786–1842): Ultimas variaciones

Elizage is considered the most important Mexican composer of the early Romantic period. The bulk of his music was considered lost until a cache was discovered in 1994.

 

05/07/24 Cenobio Paniagua (1821-1882): String Quartet No. 1

Paniagua was a violinist as well as a composer. He was the second conductor of the Cathedral Orchestra in Mexico City. Paniagua wrote several operas as well as 70 masses. 

 

05/08/24 Aniceto Ortega (1825–1875): Vals Jarabe

Ortega was a physician, as well as a pianist and composer. He founded Mexico's first hospital for women and children in the 1840s. Ortega helped found the Sociedad Filarmónica Mexicana. And he wrote the first opera based on a native Mexican story --Guatimotzin.  

05/09/24 Felipe Villanueva (1862–1893): Amar (Nocturno)

Villanueva was a gifted pianist and violinist, as well as a composer. Although he died at 31, he's still considered one of the major figures of Mexican music during the Romantic Era.  

05/10/24 Salvador Contreras (1910–1982): Corridos para Coro y Oquestra

Contreras was a composer and violinist. He studied with both Silvestre Revueltas and Carlos Chavez. His own style evolved from neo-romantic to serial composition.

 

Valentin Silvestrov Series Continues with Masterwork

This is the second installment of Silvestrov's music. Like the first, it features Christopher Lyndon-Gee and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. Here's hoping for many more. Valentin Silvestrov has a unique compositional voice, and his music deserves exploration.

This release features his Symphony for Violin and Orchestra. Subtitled "Widmung" (Dedication), this 43-minute masterwork is Silvestrov at his best. It sounds not so much like a symphony, but like a symphony heard long ago and only partially remembered. 

Clouds of sound drift in and out of focus. Silvestrov's signature smearing of textures is present. This also gives the work a dream-like quality.

Violinist Janusz Wawrowski plays with a delicate sensitivity. His instrument seems to drift through the ensemble. His violin often floats above the orchestra as it slowly transitions from one idea to the next. 

The work is one of memory, a bittersweet look back, with a hopeful look to the future. As I said, classic Silvestrov.

The 1984 Postuludium for Piano and Orchestra is a stronger and more aggressive work. Clouds of sound are an important element in this piece as well. But here they have a hard, steely edge to them. Chords crash down, then gradually evaporate into mist. 

Silvestrov is not just an important Ukrainian composer. He's an important composer of our time. His music should connect with us all. It certainly does with me. Highly recommended. 

Valentin Silvestrov: Symphony for Violin and Orchestra
Postludium for Piano and Orchestra
Janusz Wawrowski, violin; Jurgis Karnavicius, piano
Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra; Christopher Lyndon-Gee, conductor
Naxos 8.574413

Ronald Woodley Presents a Varied Program for Clarinets

I applaud the thought that went into the program. The results were worth the effort. Ronald Woodley presents a recital of music. But this isn't just a recital of clarinet music. 

First, it's a recital of various reed instruments of the clarinet family. Second, the program focuses on works by contemporary British composers. 

Woodley's use of multiple instruments keeps listener engagement high. An hour of just clarinet music might be a challenge to sit through. But this group of instruments gives each work a distinctive sound. Which results in a varied program. 

Woodley's choice of composers is also spot on. Elisabeth Lutyens is a composer who's just now coming into her own -- forty years after her death. Here she's represented with two works: The Green Tide (for basset horn) and Five Little Pieces (for clarinet).

Three of the works were commissioned by Woodley. They are Angela Slater's Around the Darkening Sun, Christopher Fox's This Has Happened Before, and Liz Dilnot Johnson's The Space Between Heaven and Earth.

Woodley delivers some fine emotive performances. Reed instruments, like the voice, can use breaths to shape phrases. Woodley's playing has a lyric quality even when the music isn't necessarily tonal. 

A fine recital album.

Luminos: Contemporary Music for Clarinets
Ronald Woodley, clarinet, bassett horn, bass clarinet
Andrew West, piano
Metier 15631

Bruckner From the Archives Volume 2 Offers New Revelations

This is the second volume of Bruckner from the Archives. And the series continues to maintain the standards established by the first release. One goal is to issue all of Anton Bruckner's symphonies,  with other significant works. The second is to do so through archival recordings that haven't been heard in decades -- if at all. 

These older performances often lean towards the style of the late Romantic Era. The very time when Bruckner conceived and wrote these works. 

As with the previous volume, the source material comes from the archive of John F. Berky. He's the Executive Secretary of the Bruckner Society of America. And the recordings are remastered by Audio Restoration Engineer Lani Spahr.

Mass No. 2 is performed by the Berlin Philharmonic directed by Karl Forster. This 1956 Electrola recording has a warm, homogenous sound. It gives the Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral a luminous glow that seems well-suited to the music. 

Bruckner completed his Symphony in D minor in 1869. A run-through with the Vienna Philharmonic didn't go well. And so the symphony wasn't performed again during Bruckner's lifetime. It was never assigned a number and became known as "Die Nulbe," or Symphony No. Zero. 

The performance here is with the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Eduard van Beinum. It's a live Radio Netherlands aircheck from 1955. It receives its world premiere release here -- heard by the general public for the first time. 

Once again, the sound is a little soft on the details. But Beinum drives the orchestra in an energetic performance. It does great service to the music and makes one think that perhaps the Vienna Phil made a mistake in 1869.

Symphony No. 2 in C minor is performed by the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra. Ludwig Joachum conducts this live 1962 performance. The recording is a WDR aircheck. It's also a world premiere release.

The two volumes present a variety of ensembles -- from a variety of decades. And all unfamiliar performances. These multiple approaches make the listener reassess Bruckner's music. Even music they've heard hundreds of times over. 

Can't wait for volume three!

Bruckner from the Archives, Volume 2
Mass No. 2 in E minor: Choir of St Hedwing's Cathedral, Berlin; Berlin Philharmonic; Karl Forster, conductor
Symphony in D minor "Die Multe": Concertgebouw Orchestra of Ambersdam; Eduard van Beinum, conductor
Symphony No. 2 in C minor: Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra; Georg Ludwig Jochum, conductor
SOMM Reocrdings ARIADNE 5027-2
2 CD set

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 1 2024

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.

05/01/24 Juan de Lienas (c. 1640): Tristis est anima mea

Little is known about de Lienas. His music survives in two collections, along with some unflattering comments about his appearance and character.

 

05/02/24 Francisco López Capillas (c. 1615 – 1673): Tantum ergo Sacramentum

Cpillas was a native Mexican composer. He was choirmaster and principal organist at the Mexico City Cathedral. In that capacity, he produced a large body of religious choral music.

 

05/03/24 Juan García de Zéspedes (c. 1619–1678): y Que Me Abraso

De Zéspedes was a great composer, but a terrible employee. From 1664 through 1678 he was maestro of the Puebla Cathedral. And he was censured many times -- but never fired -- over the execution of his duties.

 

George Crumb: Final Volume

It is truly the end of an era. Forty-two years ago Bridge Records began a collaboration with George Crumb. The goal was to present his music to the world through a series of recordings. When Crumb died in 2022, the label had released twenty volumes in the series. 

All were done in consultation with the composer. Based on the recording dates, most of these works were recorded before Crumb's death. 

This volume presents works from the early, middle, and late stages of Crumb's career. It also includes both versions of Processional. Crumb wrote the work in 1983 for Gilbert Kalish. Kalish's performance opens the program. 

Crumb created two versions of Processional. Kalish performs the version for regular piano. Marcantonio Barone concludes the album with the second version. This one is for prepared piano, with different objects sitting on the strings. Hearing the two versions back-to-back is enlightening. Both have their merits, and I honestly can't say which I prefer. 

Kronos-Kryptos began as a percussion septet in 2005. A quintet version was premiered in 2018, but Crumb wasn't satisfied. In 2020 he revised the work yet again. The Curtis Institute of Music, Ensemble 20/21 delivers a stellar performance. This is the distilled essence of Crumb's style. Both notes and silence are equally important.

One of Crumb's earliest works is the Sonata for Solo Violoncello. Written in 1955, it is the most traditional-sounding work on the album. Crumb was ambivalent about the work, but let it remain in his catalog. There are clearly defined melodies, weaving through a highly-chromatic maze of accidentals. 

I'm not sure one could predict that this composer would later produce Black Angels and Macrocosmos. But it is a piece that deserves to be heard. 

Bridge Records has created something truly phenomenal with this series. We have a recorded document of one of the 20th Century's most unique composers. This is an invaluable reference for anyone seeking to understand Crumb's music. 

And that includes future performers looking for a starting point for their interpretations.

And here's something else to consider. This isn't the only such collaboration Bridge Records has undertaken. Other contemporary composers are being similarly well-served by this extraordinary label. 

George Crumb: Processional
Kronos-Kruyptos; Sonata for Solo Violoncello
Curtis Institue of Music, Ensemble 20/21
Gilbert Kalish; Timothy Eddy; Marcantony Barone
Complete Crumb Edition Vol. 21
Bridge Records