April is Poetry Month. The Classics a Day challenge for April is to post examples of classical music inspired by poetry. The most obvious cases are poems set to music. But sometimes, inspiration runs deeper.
Here are my posts for the first week of #ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth.
Petrychenko is a world-class performer. Her phrasing is wonderfully emotive, and her technique is near-perfection.
Instead, she chose to celebrate the musical heritage of Ukraine, her home. And Petrychecko's ideally suited to do it. Her playing shows a deep understanding of Ukrainian classical aesthetic. It's an aesthetic that is different from other Eastern European countries (especially Russia).
This album presents two world premiere recordings. And what wonderful additions to the repertoire they are. Vasyl Barvinsky gained international fame as a pianist and composer. In 1948 he was arrested by the Soviet authorities and sent to a gulag for ten years. During that time, most of his manuscripts were destroyed.
After his release, Barvinsky tried to reconstruct as many works as possible. But time was against him. He died five years later. The Piano Concerto in F minor is a magnificent post-Romantic masterwork.
The gestures are broad, and the orchestration is sweeping. And yet this is a tightly focused work, running only 20 minutes. Barvinsky doesn't waste a note and uses the piano to telling effect.
Viktor Kosenko lived and worked primarily in Kyiv. He was interested in Ukrainian folk music, which did not sit well with the Soviets. As a result, he was forced to live in a state-provided apartment in abject poverty.
Nevertheless his compositions are among the most treasured of the Ukrainian repertoire. His 1928 Piano Concerto in C minor is a gorgeous work. It compares favorably to Rachmaninoff's concertos -- big themes, memorable melodies, and glittering piano artistry.
Petrychenko, the Lviv National Symphony, and Volodymyr Syvokhip serve their countrymen well. These are stirring performances, driven by real passion. I'll be revisiting this release many times.
Ukrainian Piano Concertos
Vasyl Barvinsky; Viktor Kosenko
Violina Petrychenko, piano
Lviv National Philharmonic orchestra; Voldymyr Syvokhip, conductor
Ars Production 260052
Notker Balbulus (c.840-912) as a monk working in the Abbey of St. Gall. He was a talented writer and composer. In the 880s, he compiled the Liber ymnorum, and contributed music to it. It's a massive work of liturgical and musicological scholarship.
Balbulus organized all the music according to the church calendar. Those using the book to prepare a service could easily find the appropriate music.
Balbulus also carefully notated the music, ensuring its preservation through the centuries. The modern musical staff had yet to be developed. Balbulus used numes -- graphic elements to indicate the rise and fall of the melody. For long and involved sequences, this was a welcome innovation. The choirmaster no longer had to rely on memory.
The Liber ymnorum is still in use, and Balbulus' compositions are still sung.
This album features selections from the Liber ymnum, sung by the Schola Antiqua of Chicago. Director Michael Alan Andeson makes some canny programming choices. These sequences are mostly devoice of a strong rhythmic pulse, or harmony.
Anderson varies his forces, providing contrast between the selections. A sequence sung by a single male voice is followed by one for women's choi, followed by one to two males, etc.
The recording venue is spot on. St. Josaphat Parish in Chicago provides an open ambience for the sound. There's some echo, but not enough to muddy the music. This was music designed for the church, and that open cathedral sound is part of its DNA.
The performances are excellent. This is serene, contemplative music designed to enhance worship -- or at least thoughts of the Divine. It succeeds.
Notker Balbulus: Liber ymnorum
Schola Antiqua of Chicago; Michael Alan Anderson, conductor
Naxos 8.579169
March is Women's History Month. And it's a great opportunity for Classics a Day to focus on the contributions of women to classical music.
Women composers are often unjustly overlooked by history. The problem is seldom the quality of their work -- just the worker's gender. The challenge in March is to post examples of music by women composers. There's a millennium of music to choose from. For me, the challenge was what to leave out. Here are my posts for the fourth and final week of #WomensHistoryMonth.
Thomas Metcalf is in his thirties and has an impressive body of work. "Pixelating the River" (2022) was commissioned and premiered by the Kreutzer Quartet. The structure is extremely complex. But the quartet's playing makes sense of it all. Metcalf has broken his music down into it's smallest components. The Kreutzer's phrasing shows how it all fits together.
Australian composer Sadie Harrison is another young artist with something to say. Many of her works address social injustice, as does the piece here. "10,000 Black Men Named George: The Multiple Burdens of Injustice" says it all in the title. Harrison uses African-American spirituals as the template for her work. The result is a moving and heartfelt lament that transcends race.
"On Blue" (2020) was another commission by the Kreutzer Quartet. Joel Jarventausta is concerned with texture. This work moves slowly, with the instruments gradually shifting in their interrelationships. The quartet does a masterful job of sustaining the intensity of the music..
Gloria Coates is probably the most familiar composer on the release. The Piano Quintet was her final completed work. Half of the quartet is tuned a quarter-tone higher. It gives the ensemble an eerie, otherworldly sound. From the ethereal sound clouds to the hammering tuttis, this is classic Coates. And it's an apt summation of her career.
Four contemporary composers with four totally unique approaches to composition. Another fine album by the Kreutzer Quartet.
Kreuzter Quartet: Something So Transporting Bright
Music by Thomas Metcalf, Sadie Harrison, Joel Jarventausta,Gloria Coates
Metier MEX 77132
According to Scott, "derision in academic circles for music that was often categorised as ‘derivative rubbish’ or ‘entertainment for the masses’" made him reticent to complete these works. He got over it, though. And I'm glad he did.
These suites were inspired by various popular dances. But they are neither derivative nor superficially entertaining. Rather, Scott explores the essence of these dances. He keeps the character of the dances while expanding and building upon their cores.
Dance Suite No. 1 "Old Time Dances" celebrates dances of the Edwardian Era. It includes the tango, waltz, polka, and two-step. Dance Suite No. 2 "The 1960s" features the boogaloo, watusi, and the twist. Both suites are a lot of fun. But they're also substantial works as well.
Either would be great for a pops concert or a regular series concert. The same is true for the Serenade, Op. 48. Scott channels the great light classical composers, such as Eric Coates and Trevor Duncan.
Once again, Scott uses the prototypes as a starting point. So, the Serenade achieves the intended effect without sounding like a pastiche. This is wholly original music that -- by design -- is tuneful and accessible.
Paul Mann directs the Liepaja Symphony Orchestra. These artists deliver spirited performances that add to the fun.
Scott's Dance Suites may be frowned on by academia, but they brought a smile to my face.
Derek B. Scott: Orchestral Works, Volume 4
Dance Suite Nos. 1 & 2; Serenade
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra; Paul Mann, conductor
Toccata Classics TOCC 0750
March is Women's History Month. And it's a great opportunity for Classics a Day to focus on the contributions of women to classical music.
Women composers are often unjustly overlooked by history. The problem is seldom the quality of their work -- just the worker's gender. The challenge in March is to post examples of music by women composers. There's a millennium of music to choose from. For me, the challenge was what to leave out. Here are my posts for the third week of #WomensHistoryMonth.
Dubois' ambition was to write opera. Most of them were either unperformed, or had very short runs. In the meantime, he amassed an impressive body of work in other genres.
This release features several chamber works by Dubois. They show a composer with a gift for melody and a talent for organizing his material.
The Piano Quintet in F major is a good example. Traditional piano quintets are comprised of a piano plus a string quartet. Dubois substitutes an oboe for one of the violins. This creates a wider timbre palette that Dubois exploits.
The album's other major composition is the 1909 String Quartet No. 1. Dubois writes idiomatically for the strings. The work flows effortlessly along as an animated conversation between four friends.
Contemporaries judged Dubois to be a skilled composer, if not an especially original one. That might be a little unfair. His musical language is that of the late Romantic period.
It doesn't upend harmonies like Debussy. But neither does it sound like an inferior imitation of someone else.
Dubois's crime seems to be just that he colored within the lines. But the colors he chose elevate his music above the ordinary.
The works on this release feature some unusual instrumental combinations. Unusual but effective combinations.
The assembled musicians deliver nuanced, committed performances. They help make the case that this music needs to be heard.
If you enjoy the music of French masters such as Massenet and Saint-Saens, give Dubois a listen. It's music worth exploring.
Théodore Dubois: Chamber Music
Lajos Lencsés, oboe; Carole Dubois, piano; Antal Váradi, organ; Renie Yamahata, harp; Quatuor Parisii; Budapest Strings
Toccata Classics No: TOCC0362
Alexandrov wrote in a variety of genres. But his most important works were his fourteen piano sonatas. They're also his most deeply personal works.
This three CD set includes all fourteen sonatas. And it gives three of them world recording premieres. Clarisse Teo plays with sensitivity and expression. Her interpretations explore the emotional depths of these works.
Alexandrov was a talented pianist. And these sonatas show the full range of his abilities. Teo ably brings out the complex inner voices of Alexandrov's music.
Like Scriabin, Alexandrov's music has a mystic quality to it. During the Stalin era, he downplayed that characteristic. But it was always present. And Teo draws it out of the scores.
Divine Art sequences the sonatas in chronological order. And that's a great way to listen to them (at least initially). It's easy to hear the development of Alexandrov's compositional skill. And at the same time hear the spiritual foundations that tie these works together.
Highly recommended.
Anatoly Alexandrov: Complete Piano Sonatas
Clarisse Teo, piano
Divine Art DDX 21375
3 CD Set
March is Women's History Month. And it's a great opportunity for Classics a Day to focus on the contributions of women to classical music.
Women composers are often unjustly overlooked by history. The problem is seldom the quality of their work -- just the worker's gender. The challenge in March is to post examples of music by women composers. There's a millennium of music to choose from. For me, the challenge was what to leave out. Here are my posts for the second week of #WomensHistoryMonth.
Though probably not well-known in America, Miranda has international stature. He's considered one of Brazil's most important living composers. And his music regularly appears in concerts and music festivals throughout Europe.
This album features three world recording premiers. Miranda's 1983 Piano Concerto is one of them. It's an intense, modernist work with echoes of Bartok. Miranda is a natural melodist. No matter how jagged the contours, melody always wins out.
This is an energetic work that pits piano against orchestra. And that dynamic back-and-forth is thrilling. Wonder why it took so long to get it recorded. This is a composition that should appeal to many orchestras -- and soloists.
The 1986 Concertino for Piano and Strings has a more modest scope. It's a more tonal composition. The motivic thrusts reminded me a little of Bernard Hermann. Like the concerto, this piece demands your attention -- and rewards it with a wealth of detail.
Also included are two pieces for orchestra. The Variacoes Temporais (Beethoven Revisitato) (2014) features a variety of Beethoven motifs, quickly deconstructed by Miranda. Hoizontes is a tone poem inspired by Columbus' voyage of discovery (the good parts).
Pianist Eduardo Monteiro brings a lot of attitude to his playing. And it's what Miranda's music requires. These aren't academic exercises. This is music to be enjoyed. And that's just what Monterio delivers.
Ronaldo Miranda: Piano Concerto
Concertino; Horizontes; Variacoes Temporais
Eduardo Monteiro, piano
Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra; Fabio Mechetti
Naxos 8.574591
Wonderful, exquisitely beautiful classical music is being written every day. All it needs in an audience. JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic have done their part.
They've put together a program of engaging, well-crafted works. These pieces are unabashedly tonal, and yet they could have only been composed now, in the 21st Century.
All four composers have a strong relationship with Falletta and the BPO. The musicians know these composers. They know what they're trying to say, and they deliver.
The BPO has recorded several Kenneth Fuchs albums. Their latest collaboration won them a Grammy. "Point of Tranquility" is a drifting cloud of swirling orchestral colors. As the piece progresses, these colors come together before dissipating into the air.
Russell Platt's Symphony in Three Movements is an homage. It's inspired by Expressionist artist Clyfford Still. This is a restless, energetic work. Spikey melodies compete with each other for attention. Yet in terms of modernism, Platt's language isn't that far removed from Shostakovich's.
BPO's first chair oboist Henry Ward gets the spotlight in a collaborative concerto. Randall Svane is a friend of Falletta. She thought his Sonata for Oboe and Piano would make a good concerto. "Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra" is the result of that commission.
Svane reworked the sonata taking advantage of the orchestra's expanded color palette. Modal harmonies add to the attractiveness of the work.
The Covid-19 lockdown inspired "The Winter that United Us.". Wang Jie's work is introspective. In places I heard hints of Sibelius, Shostakovich, Barber, and Saint-Saens. But the material, and how it's developed, is all Jie.
I hope the house was packed when the BPO performed these works. This is the direction classical music is going. It just needs audience support. Recommended.
Contemporary Landscapes
Kenneth Fuchs, Russell Platt, Randall Svane, Wang Jie
Henry Ward, oboe
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
BPO
March is Women's History Month. And it's a great opportunity for Classics a Day to focus on the contributions of women to classical music.
Women composers are often unjustly overlooked by history. The problem is seldom the quality of their work -- just the worker's gender. The challenge in March is to post examples of music by women composers. There's a millennium of music to choose from. For me, the challenge was what to leave out. Here are my posts for the first week of #WomensHistoryMonth.
The most familiar composers represented are Franz Berwald and Berhard Crusell (Preumayr's father-in-law). Familiar, that is, if you know Scandinavian classical music. Their works were frequently programmed throughout the region in the mid 1800s.
Édouard Du Puy is a little more obscure. He was born in Switzerland, but Du Pay worked in Copenhagen and Stockholm most of his life.
The fourth composer on the album is Eduard Brendler. He was born in Germany, and his family moved to Sweden when he was an infant. He died age 31. Brendler's catalog of works was small, but showed great promise.
All four pieces were written for the same performer. And that provides a certain consistency among them. They all share a Mendelssohn clarity of construction and melody.
Bassoonist Jaakko Luoma plays with a warm, honeyed tone. This makes slow movements especially delicious. And he can also play with agility when required. And his rapid scale work is always articulate and clear.
I'd recommend this album to just about anyone. If the only Scandinavian composer you know is Edvard Grieg - start here. If you don't think of the bassoon as a solo instrument -- start here. And if you just enjoy the early Romantic style of Mendelssohn and Schumann -- start here.
Dalia Dedinskaite (violin) and Gleb Pysniak (cello) are a powerhouse duo. And they know this music well. They're from Lithuania and intuitively understand the Baltic aesthetic.
On this release, they're joined by the Vilnius Municipal Choir JAUNA MUZIKA, directed by Vaclovas Augustinas. (Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania if you didn't know.)
One of the standout works on this album of masterpieces is "Ave Maria." it's set by Lithuanian composer Jurgis Juozapaitis. Soloists, choir, conductor, and composer are all in sync. It's a luminous work highlighted by string obbligottos.
Estonian composer Arvo Part is internationally known. Some consider him one of the founders of this ethereal, clouds-of-sound choral writing. But actually, British composer John Tavener came first. His interest in Eastern Orthodox hymnody laid the foundation. Both composers are represented in this release.
The album also includes music by Latvian Peteris Vasks and Norwegian Ola Gjeilo. They're among the most-performed and most-recorded choral composers today.
The choir has a warm, transparent sound. There's enough room ambiance to give the voices a soft focus, but not enough to muddy the sound. It's the perfect sound for these compositions. And Dedinskaite and Pysniak are at the top of their games.
The album concludes with a heart-rending version of "The High Pass: Melody." Myroslav Skyork's tune has become the symbol of Ukrainian resistance. This version for choir and strings is gorgeous, yet full of melancholy. Not to be missed.
Baltic Prayer
Dalia Dedinskaite, violin; Gleb Pysniak, cello
Vinius Municipal Choir JAUNA MUZIKA, Vaclovas Augustinas, conductor
Stradivarius STR 37322
February is Black History Month and a logical time to highlight contributions by people of color to classical music. Those contributions have been significant -- and not just in the past 50 years.
Colonna expertly mixes textures, ranging from solo voice to full unison. And the space is treated as an instrument. The reverberations are an integral part of the sound. Echoes harmonize with each other and with the performers.
The full, robust choruses are thrilling. They foreshadow those of Handel's oratorios. Michele Vannelli masterfully leads his musicians. These are terrific performances. The singers fill the space. And the instrumentalists provide the proper amount of support.
Colonna's counterpoint isn't as complex as Bach's. But it does point towards Handel's. It's clean and clear, even with the rich acoustic of the basilica.
Glorious music, beautifully performed. It's one of the best Baroque choral albums I've heard in a while.
Giovanni Paolo Colonna: Caro Ardore Scro Amore
Concerted Psalms for Two Choirs and Orchestra
Coro e Orchestra Della Capella Musicale di S. Petronio
Ensemble Vocale "Color Temporis;" Michele Vannelli, maestro di cappella
Dynamic CDS8044
Weigl’s Jewish background meant his career ended when the Nazis took over Austria. In 1938, he emigrated to the United States, where he taught at the Boston Conservatory and the Philadelphia Music Academy. Throughout it all, he never forgot his beloved Vienna.
His Symphony No. 3 in B major, written in 1931, is a mature work with a grand, Mahlerian sound. But there’s also a touch of Wagner here. Weigl’s use of motifs weaves the entire 46-minute symphony into a cohesive, organic whole.
Also included is the Symphonic Prelude to a Tragedy from 1933. The word "symphonic" is key here. Weigl creates a sonic world filled with high drama and foreboding. Some passages reminded me of Richard Strauss, though Weigl’s aim is different—he’s not telling a story, but instead communicating a mood.
The Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, conducted by Jurgen Bruns, delivers a performance that meets expectations. These artists recorded the other Weigl symphonies, and Bruns’ interpretation stays true to form. Weigl was deeply influenced by the late-Romantic language of Mahler and Bruckner, and that’s precisely what Bruns emphasizes.
The ensemble’s sound is rich and full, with strong solo performances that make Weigl’s orchestrations truly sparkle. This is another excellent addition to the series. With only two symphonies left to record, I hope we’ll also get to hear some of his shorter works.
Karl Weigl: Symphony No. 3
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz; Jurgen Bruns, conductor
Capriccio C5489
February is Black History Month and a logical time to highlight contributions by people of color to classical music. Those contributions have been significant -- and not just in the past 50 years.
This particular release is an outstanding example. It features the six piano sonatas of Claudio Santoro. And they're performed by his son, Alessandro Santoro.
Claudio Santoro was a major figure in Brazilian music and an internationally recognized composer. He studied with Nadia Boulanger, co-founded the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and created an extensive body of work.
His first sonata, Sonata 1942, is unnumbered and was written during his student years—though it is remarkably mature. In this piece, Santoro explores his interpretation of the 12-tone technique. While it isn't traditionally tonal, it maintains a strong sense of forward motion.
Three years later, he composed Piano Sonata No. 1, a more intricate work that applies tone rows in a more academic manner. However, it never feels like a dry intellectual exercise. Instead, it is an engaging and dynamic piece, full of surprises for the listener.
By the time he composed Piano Sonata No. 5 in 1988, Santoro had completed his stylistic evolution. The piece still features dissonances and thick textures. But here the complexity now stems from rich, yet distinctly tonal, harmonies.
Alessandro Santoro’s deep understanding of his father’s music is evident. These sonatas demand exceptional skill from the performer, and Alessandro delivers masterfully. His interpretations provide a clear and compelling insight into his father’s artistic vision.
Claudio Santoro: Complete Piano Sonatas
Alessandro Santoro, piano
Naxos 8.574486
Elsewhere, you can find my reviews of Naxos’ other Marschner recordings. Conductor Dario Salvi is now on his eighth volume of Marschner overtures and operatic music, highlighting the composer’s remarkable gift for melody.
This release reinforces that impression. While opera was Marschner’s forte—he composed 18—he also had a deep affection for the piano trio, writing seven in total. These works were highly esteemed by both Robert and Clara Schumann, and for good reason.
The Gould Piano Trio begins their survey of these pieces with a set of bookends, featuring Marschner’s first and last piano trios.
The Piano Trio No. 1 in A minor, Op. 29, published in 1823, showcases a young Marschner at the start of his career. It brims with great ideas and has a free-flowing quality reminiscent of Schubert.
The Piano Trio No. 7 in F major, Op. 167, published in 1855—over 30 years later—reveals a more mature composer. The themes are tightly organized, and though this trio is longer than the first, it somehow feels more concise. Marschner is in full command of his material, with not a note wasted.
The Gould Piano Trio performs with warmth and sensitivity. Marschner’s music is expressive yet slightly reserved, and the trio plays as if engaged in conversation, at times making the music feel spontaneous.
I look forward to hearing more from this side of Marschner’s work.
Heinrich August Marschner: Piano Trios, Vol. 1
No. 1, Op. 29 and No. 7, Op. 167
Gould Piano Trio
Naxos 8.574612
February is Black History Month and a logical time to highlight contributions by people of color to classical music. Those contributions have been significant -- and not just in the past 50 years.
InTactvs presents some delicate, yet intense performances. Their instruments, viella, cirla, oud, and recorders, have soft, warm sounds. But their performances deliver the rich emotional weight of the music.
There are songs of longing, of separation, reunion, and the simple joy of love. All are performed convincingly. So much so, that no translation is necessary.
Simone Gatto sings with clear, honeyed tones. She rarely uses vibrato, in keeping with authentic performance practices. Her singing evokes emotion. And she's especially adept at the unusual syncopations that frequent this music.
The music is mostly from anonymous composers. Francesco Landini has one selection, and music by Matteo da Perugia begins and ends the album. I didn't receive a booklet with my review copy. I'm not 100% sure. But it sounds like the three Ars Nova formes fixes are well represented -- rondeau, ballade, virelai. And there's a nice balance of sung pieces and instrumental works.
If early music is your thing, this is a fine album to add to your collection. But even if you're not, this music is both calming and engaging. It takes you to a time and place far away. And it's music that can easily be enjoyed with modern ears.
Ch'amor mi prese: Sacred and secular love in Medieval Italy
InVactvx; Simona Gatto, voice
Tactus TC 300005
Since 2007, the Tempesta di Mare Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra has made a point of including at least one Fasch work in their concerts. This release, like the previous three volumes, features live performances.
Fasch spent most of his career as Kapellmeister at the court of Zerbst, in Saxony-Anhalt. In 1983, the town of Zerbst/Anhalt established the International Fasch Festival. This recording showcases performances from the 2023 festival.
Stylistically, Fasch stands at the transition to the style galante. His orchestrations are rooted in the High Baroque traditions of Telemann and Bach, yet his melodies possess a lightness and fluidity that anticipate Haydn and Mozart.
Tempesta di Mare delivers superb performances—no surprise, given their nearly 20-year commitment to discovering and premiering Fasch’s works. The ensemble's seamless blend and energetic approach bring out the elegance and vitality of his music. In this recording, Fasch leans more toward the style galante than the Baroque.
This is an outstanding recording and a remarkable series. I highly recommend all four volumes to anyone interested in Baroque music or in tracing the roots of the Classical era. It’s all here.
Johann Friedrich Fasch: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4
Tempesta di Mare Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra
Chandos CHAN 0829
February is Black History Month, and a logical time to highlight contributions by people of color to classical music. Those contributions have been significant -- and not just in the past 50 years.
For January 2025 the Classics a Day team challenges you to look back a century. The "modern" era of music was well underway in 1925. Some of the works composed still shock audiences today.
The challenge is to post classical works that were created, premiered, or recorded for the first time in 1925. Here are my posts for the fifth and final week of #Classical1925.
The recordings came from the 1930s through the 1970s. They were great performances in their own right. But they also demonstrated how perceptions about Bruckner evolved.
Symphony No. 8 in C minor is performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, directed by Eugen Jochum. The recording is an aircheck of a live run-through from 1957. J
Jochum was the founding conductor of the orchestra and a Bruckner recording pioneer. He first recorded Bruckner in the 1930s. This performance has a lush, romantic sound. But it's one that crackles with energy and drama.
The Vienna Symphony Orchestra plays Symphony No. 9 in D minor. This was a live performance, broadcast in 1966. Wolfg Sawallisch conducts the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. It's electrifying. Sawallisch and the ensemble seem to push themselves to the limit.
They probably felt the weight of history. In 1903 the Vienna Symphony Orchestra premiered the work in the very same hall.
Also included is Psalm 150. Hilde Ceska is the soprano soloist. Henry Swoboda directs the Vienna Akademie Kammerchor and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. This was originally released on Westminster in 1950 -- its world recording premiere. Swoboda was another pre-war champion of Bruckner. His performances (like this one) tend to sound lean and tightly focused.
John F. Berky, president of the Bruckner Society of America, selected the recordings from their vast archives. Lani Spahr restored and remastered them, with a refreshingly light touch. He simply makes what's recorded sound its best. He refrains from reworking it into something it was never meant to be.
No matter how many Bruckner recordings you own, this series should be in your collection. There are some truly insightful performances here. And a few that made me hear these very familiar works in new ways.
Bruckner: From the Archives, Volume 6
Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9; Psalm 150
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Eugen Jochum, conductor
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor
Hilde Ceska, soprano; Vienna Akademie Kammerchor; Vienna Symphony Orchestra; Henry Swoboda, conductor
SOMM Recordings, Ariadne 5034
This is a wonderful collection of odds and ends. And with Charles Ives, odd is good!
The student takes a standard repertoire piano piece and arranges it for orchestra. Ives' orchestrations follow the constructions of the originals. But his mixture of instruments and even added music, preview his mature work.Ives was an early adapter of ragtime. It was considered vulgar by most classical composers. Ives doubled down on that prejudice. He based his Four Ragtime Dances on familiar hymn tunes. It's an Ivesian mixture of the sacred and profane.
The most ambitious work on the album is the Set of Incomplete Works and Fragments. These are fragments of pieces by Ives written throughout his life.
James Sinclair arranged and orchestrated them into something that works musically. And something that sounds true to the composer.
Two orchestras participate in this release. The Orchestra New England and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Navarra both give impressive performances. Ives is all about juxtaposition. It could be two or more keys played together. Or instrumental groups playing different tunes in different meters simultaneously. These place extraordinary demands on the performers. Both orchestras display a high degree of musicianship in handling these challenges.
This album is definitely one for the Ives completist. But it's also an entertaining listen for anyone wanting to hear something completely different.
Charles Ives: Orchestral Works
Four Ragtime Dances; Set of Incomplete Works and Fragments; Arrangements
Orchestra New England; Orquesta Sinfonica de Navarra; James Sinclair, conductor
Naxos
For January 2025 the Classics a Day team challenges you to look back a century. The "modern" era of music was well underway in 1925. Some of the works composed still shock audiences today.
The challenge is to post classical works that were created, premiered, or recorded for the first time in 1925. Here are my posts for the fourth week of #Classical1925.
