#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

Balkan Piano Music Unified in Quality

The core of the classical repertoire is centered in Western Europe -- Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. But every European country has a strong classical music tradition. And often that tradition adapts the genre in fresh and interesting ways. 

This release samples piano music from the countries that make up the Balkans. And what a rich and varied sampling it is!

Volume one features composers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, and Slovenia. The music is as diverse as the language and customs of the regions.

Pancho Vladigerov is considered the father of Bulgarian classical music. His 1941 Improvisation No. 4, Op. 36 anticipates the sound of post-war Errol Garner. By contrast, Serbian Milan Mihajlović's "Three Preludes" have a sparse, atonal sound.  

Dusan Bavdek is from Slovenia. His "Awakening" shows minimalist influence with its repeated and shifting patterns. Kosovar Faret Rudi draws on folk traditions for his work "Les cloches Arberesh." And I could go on. Ten composers from ten different countries with ten different approaches to music. And each one is well-written.

Amir Xhakovig delivers each work on its own terms. His performances highlight the differences -- and the commonalities -- between these pieces. Each country is represented by a single composer. And we know each country has many, many more composers of equal talent to these. 

This is a series worth exploring. I was familiar with Vladigerov through his orchestral music on Capriccio. But the rest were unknown. I'm grateful for the introductions. This is fine music, indeed. 

The Balkan Piano, Volume One
Amir Xhaoviq, piano
Toccata Classics TOCN 0034

#ClassicsaDay #Divertimento Week 1

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. 

Seems straightforward enough. However 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 first week of the #ClassicsaDay challenge, #Divertimento.

10/01/24 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Divertimento No. 1 in E-flat major, K. 113

Mozart's first divertimento was composed during his second visit to Italy in 1771. It was created for a subscription concert.

 

10/02/24 Franz Schubert: Divertimento all'ungherese op.54 D818

This Divertimento by Schubert is atypical of the genre. It only has three movements, instead of five or more. The first is extremely long, and the melodies are more involved than most divertimenti. But it's Schubert, so who's complaining?

 

10/03/24 Vincent Persichetti: Divertimento for Band, Op. 42

This work was supposed to be for orchestral. But as Persichetti describes it, at some point during the writing, he realized the strings were never going to enter. And at that point, it became officially a work for band.

 

10/04/24 Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel: Divertimento in B-Dur

Princess Anna Amalia was a patron of the arts. And she was also an accomplished composer. Her residence, Wittum Palace, was described as the "court of the muses."

 

#ClassicsaDay #AltBaroque Week 4

The Classics a Day team offers a unique challenge for September. Participants are to share music from the Baroque Era on their social media posts. What makes this a challenge is to avoid the big names. So no Bach, Handel, or Vivaldi. (And no Pachelbel's Canon). 

 The Baroque Era ushered a sea change in musical styles from the Renaissance. Church modes gave way to major and minor keys (still in use today). Linear polyphony was replaced by a melody with chordal harmony. Viols were traded in for violins. New forms of music were developed: operas, oratorios, cantatas, and sonatas. 

 Many composers contributed to that development -- many more than the Big Three. Here are my posts for this #AltClassical challenge. For the fourth and final week, I picked some unusual composers.

09/23/24 Maria Teresa Agnesi Pinottini (1720-1795): Concerto per il cembalo

Little is known of Agnesi's life. While her music is well documented in historical records, much is now lost. Only fragments of her 6 operas and 5 concertos survive.

 

09/24/24 Ivan Lukačić (1587=1648): Quam pulchra es

Croatian composer and monk Ivan Lukacic studied in Rome before returning to Croatia. He was music master at the cathedral in Split and published several collections of motets in the 1620s.

 

09/25/24 Caterina Assandra (ca.1590 - after 1618) O Dulcis Amor Jesu (Op. 2, No. 11)

Assanda was a Benedictine nun. She was also an organist and published two collections of music in the early 1600s. Her Opus 1 is lost, but Opus 2 survives.

 

09/26/24 John Baston (fl. 1708–1739): Recorder Concerto No. 2

Baston was an English recorder virtuoso. His concertos, performed during play intermissions, were so popular he published them in 1729.

 

09/27/24 Julie Pinel (fl. 1710–1737): Printems

Pinel was a French harpsichordist. Few details of her life are known, save for her collection of songs, published in 1737, Nouveau receuil d'airs sérioux et à boire.

 

Next month:

Bruckner From the Archives, Vol. 4 Offers Stylistic Contrasts

The fourth volume of this extraordinary series presents Burckner's Fifth Symphony. It also includes two works for string quintet. Every recording receives its first release here. 

As with the previous volumes, the source recordings come from John F. Berky. Berky is the Executive Secretary for the Anton Bruckner Society of America. Over 12,000 Bruckner recordings are in their archives. The selections here aren't just rare recordings.  They're recordings that provide insight in the Bruckner and his interpreters. 

Christoph von Dohnanyi conducts the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra in a 1963 aircheck. Dohnanyi was only 34 years old, and already creating a sensation. He also was of the generation immediately after the Romantics. 

His approach to Bruckner is straightforward and business-like. His goal was to be a transparent conduit between the composer and the audience. It's an exciting performance. And it's one I think most current listeners would be comfortable with.  

The string quintet performances, on the other hand, are purely Romantic. The Vienna Konzerthouse Quartett (and violist Ferdinand Stangler), were members of the Vienna Philharmonic. These artists were the last generation to play under the Romantic Era conductors. 

This is old-school string technique -- overripe portmantos, full-bodied dynamics, and emotive phrasing.  All harkening back to the glories of Old Vienna. This was the performance style Bruckner most likely imagined for these works. And they are gorgeous.

Lani Spahr's superb restorations do much service to the music. He brings out the inherent qualities of these recordings. And he does so without unnaturally "enhancing the sound."

Another fine addition to this series.  

Anton Bruckner: From the Archives, Volume 4
Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; Christoph von Dohnanyi, conductor
String Quintet in F major; Intermezzo for String Quintet
Vienna Konzerthaous Quartet with Ferdinand Stangler, second viola
SOMM Recordings, Ariadne 5031-2
2 CD Set

#ClassicsaDay #AltBaroque Week 3

The Classics a Day team offers a unique challenge for September. Participants are to share music from the Baroque Era on their social media posts. What makes this a challenge is to avoid the big names. So no Bach, Handel, or Vivaldi. (And no Pachelbel's Canon). 

 The Baroque Era ushered a sea change in musical styles from the Renaissance. Church modes gave way to major and minor keys (still in use today). Linear polyphony was replaced by a melody with chordal harmony. Viols were traded in for violins. New forms of music were developed: operas, oratorios, cantatas, and sonatas. 

 Many composers contributed to that development -- many more than the Big Three. Here are my posts for this #AltClassical challenge. For the third week, I focused on composers of the Middle Baroque, running from about 1680 to 1705.

 

09/16/24 Giovanni Zamboni (later 17th century–after 1718): Sonata VII

Zamboni was a virtuoso of several instruments, including the guitar, lute, mandolin, and theorbo. He's credited with being one of the last composers to write for the lute in 1718.

 

09/17/24 Mrs. Philarmonica (fl. 1715): Sonata for 2 violins

"Mrs. Philharmonica" was an alias of an unknown 18th-century Englishwoman. She published a set of six divertimenti, or sonatas, for two violins and continuo.

 

09/18/25 Maria Margherita Grimani (b. before 1700; fl. 1713–1718): Sinfonia to "Pallade e Marte"

Grimani was the first female composer to have an opera performed in Vienna. She was also known for her oratorios.

 

09/19/24 Henry Madin (1698–1748): Te Deum

Madin entered King Louis VXV's service in 1736. At Versailles he became "Sous-maître de la Musique de la Chapelle du Roi."

 

09/20/24 Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (1690–1749): Concerto grosso a quattro Chori

Stölzel served the Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He wrote a vast amount of music, including an estimated 1,300 cantatas. Less than half survive intact.

 

Gubaidulina: Triple Concerto and Rejoice! Exceptional.

Some composers build on established traditions. They take standard forms and common musical expressions and create something new. Other composers create their own sonic world, seemingly from scratch. Sofia Gubaidulina is one of those. 

Her 2017 Triple Concerto was inspired by Beethoven's. But she takes that inspiration in unexpected and innovative directions. Beethoven's concerto was for violin, cello, and piano. Gubaidulina substitutes the bayan for the piano. 

The bayan is a button accordion. It's a characteristic instrument of Russian folk music. There's nothing folk-line in Gubaidulina's treatment, though. All three solo instruments use extended techniques to create otherwordly sounds. The soloists glide around each other and the orchestra. In the process their sound blends and fragments like a kaleidoscope's image. 

Gubaidulina has her own musical language, but it's one with a rigorous internal logic. Every time I listened to the concerto, that logic became a little clearer. It's an amazing aural journey. 

The NDR Radiophilharmonie plays with disciplined energy under the direction of Andrew Manze. This is a live recording. At the conclusion, the applause begins tentatively, as if not wishing to break the spell. (It soon picks up.)

Also included is Rejoice! Sonata for Violin and Cello. To me, this 1981 work is a sonic ice sculpture. It's transparent, yet substantial. Exceedingly delicate, yet emotionally powerful. And it's a work to test the talents of its players. 

Biaba Skride, violin, and Harriet Krijgh, cello rise to the challenge. Harmonics sound with crystal clarity. Glissandi, string plucks, and bent notes sound clean and unforced. It's a work that is both intellectual and emotional.  

Gubaidulina writes like no one else. If you're familiar with her style, know that these are some of her best compositions. If not, be ready for some real adventures in listening.

Sofia Gubaidulina
Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Bayan
Rejoice! Sonata for Violin and Cello
Biaba Skride, violin; Harriet Krijgh, cello; Elsbeth Moser, bayan
NDR Radiophilharmonie; Andrew Manze, conductor
Orfeo

Collegium Vocale Gent Perform Near-Perfect Gesualdo

Carlo Gesualdo was a tortured soul. Its physical manifestations included spousal abuse and even a double murder. And it's there in the music he wrote. 

Gesualdo was composing right at the end of the Renaissance. Within a decade there would be a stylistic sea change. 

The Baroque Era replaced church modes with major and minor keys. It simplified harmony and minimized polyphony. And many of the older forms, like madrigals, didn't survive.

In many ways, Gesualdo's music looks past the Baroque to the Romantic era -- and further. His extreme chromaticism sounds as fresh today as it did for 16th-century audiences. 

This collection features his fourth book of madrigals. This Opus 5 set is for five voices and was published in 1596. At this time Gesualdo had a choir of professional singers on staff. So these works were not written for amateurs. 

 Philippe Herreweghe conducts the Collegium Vocale Gent in some sensitive and expressive performances. The singers have full, rich chordal sound. And when they split off into individual lines, they maintain a crystalline clarity. Most remarkable, though, is the accuracy. 

Geusaldo uses chromatic motion to lean into emotional climaxes. These are hard to sing, but the Collegium Vocale Gent delivers. This is highly expressive music, and at times, a  little unsettling. 

If you're familiar with Gesualdo, you should find this release outstanding. If you're not, this is a great recording to start with.  

Carlo Gesualdo: Silenzio mia
Il quatro libro di madrigali, 1596
Collegium Vocale Gent; Philippe Herreweghe, director
PHI LPH043

#ClassicsaDay #AltBaroque Week 2

 The Classics a Day team offers a unique challenge for September. Participants are to share music from the Baroque Era on their social media posts. What makes this a challenge is to avoid the big names. So no Bach, Handel, or Vivaldi. (And no Pachelbel's Canon). 

The Baroque Era ushered a sea change in musical styles from the Renaissance. Church modes gave way to major and minor keys (still in use today). Linear polyphony was replaced by a melody with chordal harmony. Viols were traded in for violins. New forms of music were developed: operas, oratorios, cantatas, and sonatas. 

 Many composers contributed to that development -- many more than the Big Three. Here are my posts for this #AltClassical challenge. For the second week, I focused on composers of the Middle Baroque, running from about 1650 to 1700.

09/09/24 Mlle Bocquet (early 17th century–after 1660): Allemande in D minor

We're not sure of her first name. But this 1660s lutenist wrote ground-breaking music for her instrument. And was a celebrity in Paris.

 

09/10/24 Simon Ives (1600–1662): The Triumph of Peace

Ives was an organist and composer serving in the court of Charles I. He wrote several part-songs (or glees) that were printed in various collections of the day.

 

09/11/24 Elisabeth Sophie, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1613–1676): Dieses ist das Furstenhaous

Elisabeth Sophie was a talented musician who ensured her husband's court attracted talented musicians, like Heinrich Schutz. The 30 Years War forced her to relocate and rebuild her orchestra.

 

09/12/24 Giovanni Antonio Rigatti (c. 1613–1648): Dixit Dominus a 8

Rigatti was a choirmaster at Udine Cathedral. He published 11 volumes of vocal music, mostly sacred.

 

09/13/24 John IV of Portugal (1603–1656): Crux Fidelis

John IV was a great patron of the arts, and a composer himself. None of his music seems to have survived. Crux Fidelis is credited to him, but most scholars now agree it's a 19th-century forgery.