#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalHoliday Week 4 2024

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. Here are my selections for the fourth and final week of #ClassicalHoliday.

12/23/24 Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck: Nun freut euch, lieven Christen gmein

Sweelinck's music became the standard for sacred music throughout Europe. Although he never traveled far from Antwerp, his works appear in contemporary collections from England to Italy.

 

12/24/24 Randall Thomson: Alleluia

Thomson is best remembered for his choral works. "Alleluia" was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky for the inaugural opening of the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood.

 

12/25/24 Ralph Vaughan Williams: Hodie

This cantata was written in 1953 and dedicated to Herbert Howells. It was premiered at the Three Choirs Festival in September 1954.

 

12/26/24 Roxanna Panufnik: The Christmas Life

Panufnik is one of Britain's pre-eminent choral composers. She wrote this work in 2002.

 

12/27/24 Christoph Graupner: Frohlocke werte Chrsitenheig, GWV 1105/45 

Graupner was a contemporary and friend with Telemann and J.S. Bach. He composed over 1,400 church cantatas. This work is one of over 50 he composed for the Christmas season.

 

Next Month:

#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.

 

Richard Stohr Orchestral Music, Vol. Three focuses on 1942

 Richard Stohr was one of many composers whose career was derailed by the rise of the Nazis. Through the 1930s his music was regularly performed. 

And as a professor at the Vienna Academy of Music, he had an impressive list of students.  Among them were Herbert von Karajan, Rudolf Serkin, Erich Leinsdorf, and Samuel Barber.

After Anschluss, everything changed. Stohr, a Jew, lost his position and his music was banned from performance. Fortunately, he was able to emigrate to the United States in 1939. 

Though Stohr never returned to his native land, he brought the spirit of Viennese music with him. In 1942 he had a phenomenal burst of creativity, composing 20 works. This release features three of them. 

The centerpiece of the album is Stohr's Symphony No. 2 in D minor, Op. 81. It's Mahlerian in style, if not in scope. Stohr's symphony runs about 38 minutes. Yet his motivic development is similar to Mahler's. 

Stohr's use of form is concise and well-organized. The music is large and expansive, but it always has a sense of direction. Stohr's music was much admired by his students and his colleagues. And it's easy to hear why. 

Also included are two works that share an opus number, composed in 1942. Per Aspera ad Astra, Festival Overture for Concert Band is Op. 79a. Stohr's lineup of instruments doesn't follow that of a traditional American concert band. But each instrument is there for a reason. Stohr's music is celebratory and has an interesting translucent texture. 

Two Roads to Victory (Through Arms-Through Love), Musical Poem Op. 79b is also for a concert band. Stohr varies the instrumentation once again. This time he beefs up the percussion section and adds a solo violin. This work sounds more of its time. The music is militaristic and hopeful, capturing the spirit of 1942 America.    

Ian Hobson directs the Sinfonia Varsovia in some inspired performances. I especially enjoyed their performance of the Symphony No. 2. The ensemble makes it sound expansive and symphonic, yet also thoughtful and introspective. 

Stöhr wrote, "I am not a modern composer. I do not understand the modern direction, and after it has triumphed, the world will not understand me." I think he was wrong. Hobson understands Stohr very well. His recordings are helping us to understand him, too. 

Richard Stohr: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3
Sinfonia Varsovia; Ian Hobson, conductor
Toccata Classics TOCC 0743

York Bowen, William Walton Viola Concertos Fresh and Appealing

There are plenty of violin concertos -- composers in the 1700s started writing them as soon as the instrument was perfected. Viola concertos have been fewer and farther between. Which is not to imply they're of lower quality. The two concertos on this release prove that. 

York Bowen was a star on the rise in the early 1900s. He wrote in a predominantly Romantic style that fell out of favor after the First World War. His 1908 Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, though, shows Bowen at the top of his game. 

A critic at the premiere wrote that Bowen had "filled all his movements with melodies." And how. The viola has a natural rich, resonant tone. A tone ideal for spinning out long, sensual melodies. 

English violist Lionel Tetris commissioned Bowen's work. He also commissioned William Walton's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in A minor. Tetris took Bowen's work on tour. He rejected Walton's 1929 concerto for being too modern. The honor of premiering the work fell to violist (and composer) Paul Hindemith.

Wwlton's work certainly isn't rooted in the Romantic. But it's also not on beyond Webern. Rather, it's a tonal work that uses sophisticated harmonies and clearly defined motifs. 

Diyang Mei gives us a pair of excellent performances. In his day job, he's the principal violist of the Berlin Philharmonic. But he definitely has the personality to be a solo violist. Mei plays with warm expression and near-flawless technique. 

Sometimes the viola can sound a little undefined in its lower register. Not here. Mei plays with precision, ensuring every note is clearly heard. His phrasing illuminates, never muddies. 

Brett Dean conducts the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Dean's a composer and violist himself. He and Mei make quite a team, both in sync with these works and how best to realize them. 

York Bowen, William Walton
Viola Concertos
Diyang Mei, viola
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Orchester; Brett Dean, director
SWR Music SWR19158CD

Wranitzky Symphonies Anticipate Beethoven

 

The finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is often cited for its innovative use of Janissary music. Turkish instruments are heard during the march -- triangles, cymbals, drums. 

But this 1822 wasn't the first use of these instruments in an orchestra. Paul Wrantizky used them in his Symphony in D major "Con musica turca" in the 1790s.

That work is in this release, along with another symphony and music from two operas. Paul Wranitzky was a major figure in 1790s Vienna. He was respected and liked by his colleagues. 

Wranitzky performed (at least once) in a string quartet with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn. He composed around 60 string quartets. A few were misattributed to Haydn, giving an idea of their quality. 

Wranitzky was an innovative symphonist, too. He composed 44 of them. Both Haydn and Beethoven insisted that Wranitzky conduct the premiers of their latest works. So why is he all but forgotten today? One theory is his early death at age 56 in 1808. The dramatic change in music left his catalog sounding out-of-date. 

Fortunately, we have recordings. Naxos' ongoing Wranitzky cycle lets audiences evaluate his works anew. Is Wranitzky's "Turkish Symphony" as good as Beethoven's Ninth? Well, no. But the scope is different. Wranitzky was simply writing a characteristic work, not celebrating universal brotherhood. It is interesting to compare the two Turkish marches, though. To me, Beethoven builds on Wranitzky's orchestration, using the instruments differently. 

If you like late-period Haydn and Mozart, you should enjoy Wranitzky. He was a master of his craft, and that shows in every measure. The music from Wranitzky's operas shows his skill in that genre. These pieces are tuneful and engaging.

The Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice is directed by Marke Stilec. And the musicians play to their usual high standards. Wranitzky's music benefits from the ensemble's modest size. It has a clean, compact sound that suits Wranitzky's work.

I look forward to volume eight!

Paul Wranitzky: Orchestral Works 7
Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice: Marke Stilec, conductor
Naxos 8.574562

#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).

 

East German Flute Concertos -- Unknown in the West

This release presents three works by three East German composers. All lived and worked in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). This Soviet satellite state was founded in 1949 and lasted until 1990 when East and West Germany were reunited.

East Germany (as GDR was referred to in the West) was governed in a Stalinist Soviet style. Everything -- including music -- was tightly controlled, with Soviet Realism the aesthetic goal. 

But the GDR wasn't the USSR. And so what defined "music for the people" had a slightly different definition, as these works show. 

Gunter Kochan's Concertino for Flute and Orchestra dates from 1964. The Cold War was at its hottest. Yet Kochan's work isn't politically safe music-making. Rather, it's a cheeky little number with the attitude of early Prokofiev.

The Concerto for Flute and Orchestra by Sigfried Matthus is another surprise. Soviet composers lived in fear of being labeled "modernist." But that's exactly what this 1978 concerto is. 

It's aggressively dissonant. Notes grind against notes. An energetically aggressive percussion section drives home the climaxes, and the flute exhibits some extended techniques. Matthus' music might seem a little conservative compared to Western contemporaries. But in the Soviet world, this was dangerously daring stuff.

Guisbert Nathaer lived and worked in the GDR, but his concerto was composed long after its collapse. Flutist Claudia Stein commissioned the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in 2007. It has a fresh, modern sound. The concerto is a lively, good-humored work that showcases Stein's talents brilliantly. 

All three works receive their world recording premiers here. And all three are worth the effort. Stein delivers some committed performances. Her tone is pure and her articulation always spot-on. 

Highly recommended. And I'd be very interested to hear more works by these three composers.   

East German Flute Concertos
Kochan, Näther, Matthus
Claudia Stein, Flute
Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt' David Robert Coleman. director|
Naxos 8.57457

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