Théodore Dubois: A Romantic Voice Rediscovered

 

Théodore Dubois was a major force in French music at the turn of the 20th Century. He had won the Prix de Rome in 1864, establishing his reputation as a composer. He was organist at several major churches in Paris. And eventually Dubois became director of the Paris Conservatoire. 

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

Ronaldo Miranda’s Piano Works Shine in New Release

The latest entry in Naxos' Music of Brazil series is a real corker. And a real discovery (at least for me). It features works for piano and orchestra by Ronaldo Miranda. 

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

Claudio Santoro Piano Sonatas Trace Composer's Growth

 Is it safe to purchase a recording without auditioning it first? When it comes to Naxos' Brazilian music series, I'd say yes. Produced in collaboration with Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this series successfully showcases the best of Brazil's classical music to the world.

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

Gould Piano Trio Launches New Marschner Series

In his time, Heinrich August Marschner was one of Germany’s most celebrated opera composers. From the 1830s through 1852, his operas were box office gold. However, with the rise of Richard Wagner’s new aesthetic, Marschner’s works soon faded into obscurity.

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

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

Farrenc: Complete Piano Works Volume 3 - All World Premiere Recordings

Volume three of this exceptional series focuses on a single form: the rondo. Pianist Maria Stratigou collected nine rondeaux from Louise Farrenc. And they're all world premiere recordings. 

Louise Farrenc was a major figure in 19th Century Paris. But her fame as a composer and pianist soon faded after her death. It's only been revived in the early 21st Century. Stratigou's complete traversal of her piano works is both welcome and vital.

Farrenc was considered one of the greatest pianists of her age (of either gender). And she was a pedagogue. As an artist, shoe pushed technique to the limit. And as a teacher, she wrote works to help others learn those skills. 

This release is mixture of works for amateurs and professionals. Farrenc wrote all her rondos within a decade, from 1827 to 1838.

All share a similar early Romantic style. Farrenc's compositions are models of clarity and elegance. And imagination.

Her Trios Rondos Faciles, Op. 8 were written for students. They're simple pieces, but ones with substance. There's a hint of Mozartian charm about them. 

Arrangements of popular opera arias were a mainstay of the 1820s piano literature. Farrenc wrote six rondeau brillants on opera themes.  

These are more difficult works, and more complex. While the melodies remain clear, Farrenc takes them in some unexpected directions. 

Maria Stratigou's doctoral dissertation was "Performance Aspects of Louise Farrenc’s Piano Études." This is music she understands deeply. And as a pianist, Stratigou has the technique to make these works come alive. 

I've enjoyed every installment of this series. And with each release, my respect for this unjustly neglected composer grows. 

Louise Farrenc: Complete Piano Works 3
Rondeaux
Maria Stratigou, piano
Grand Piano

Juliana Koch Presents Ruth Gipps at Her Best

Chandos has already released two albums of Ruth Gipp's orchestral music. This release features some of her chamber works for oboe. Gipps was an accomplished oboist, pianist, and composer. So I would expect that this music would have some of her best work. And I think it does. 

Gipps fully exploits the potential of the oboe. There are few examples of extended technique here, but plenty of demanding passages. 

Gipps studied composition with Gordon Jacobs and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Throughout her career, her music remained resolutely tonal. Several works suggest an "Englishness" in their modal harmonies and melodic shapes. 

But Gipps used these elements sparingly, as a way to enhance her own musical expression. 

Juliana Koch performs with impressive facility. Her runs are immaculate. The intonation of the instrument is also spot on. This is an album of incredible beauty. 

For me, the title track was the real showpiece. "The Piper of Dreams" is for solo oboe. Gipps crafts a melody that implies its harmony.  This provides the listener a point of reference. And Koch's playing adds to the experience.

The trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Piano, Op. 10 was written in 1940, while Gipps was still studying composition. The influence of her teachers may be the strongest here. And yet there's no mistaking thing music for anyone else's. 

Gipps had a rare gift for composition and one that just is now being fully appreciated. If you like English music, this disc is for you. 

Ruth Gipps: Piper of Dreams
Juliana Koch, oboe, cor anglais
Michael Michale, piano; Julian Bliss, clarinet
Chandos CHAN 20290

John Turner: Highways and Byways - Rarities for Recorder

I have a slogan for my WTJU radio program. It's "exploring the highways and byways of the classical repertoire to help you discover your next favorite classical work." So of course I'm going to audition an album entitled "Highways and Byways!"

In this case, the repertoire is "Rarities for Recorder." And John Turner isn't kidding. This album of contemporary recorder music is full of surprises. Recorder music by Stravinsky? It's here.

Recorder music by percussionist William Bergsma? Got it. As well as works by big names such as Lennox Berkeley, Alexander Gretchaninov, and John McCabe. And it includes works by Christopher Ball, Peter Hope, and Dorothy Pilling, among others.

What really appeals to me is that all these works were written for the instrument.  No arrangements or transcriptions here. And it's an impressive lineup of the music.

John Turner is a true virtuoso. His career stretches back to the 1960s with David Munro and the Early Consort of London. He was also a member of Christopher Hogwood's Early Consort of Music. Turner has premiered over 600 works for his instrument. 

So consider this a mere sampling of what's available. And a demonstration of how beautiful and expressive the recorder can sound. 

The album delivers both in quality and quantity. And yes, Turner's helped me discover some new favorite classical works.   

Highways and Byways: Rarities for Recorder
John Turner, recorder
Stephen Bettaney, piano
Laura Robinson, recorder; Catherine Yates, Alex Mitchell, violas
Divine Art DDX 21245

Reissiger Complete Piano Trios Vol. 1 - Solid start

The Trio Anima Mundi are quite talented musicians. And quite ambitious. Carl Gottlieb Reissiger wrote 27 piano trios throughout his career. And they're not insubstantial works. 

Volume one features two early trios, each running around 30 minutes in length. So this is volume one of about 13 or so?

Reissiger was a pivotal figure in 19th Century Germany. As Kapellmeister to the Dresden Court, he made the city a major musical center. Reissiger reshaped the orchestra into a world-class ensemble. As director of the Dresden Opera, he programmed the best and the newest works. He was an early supporter of Wagner.

In his lifetime, Reissinger's music was extremely popular. He was in demand as a conductor, a composer, and a teacher. After his death, he virtually vanished from music history. 

His music was considered old-fashioned and unoriginal. Well, recordings like this let us judge for ourselves. 

This volume features Reissinger's first and fourth piano trios, from 1824 and 1829. Despite their lengths, these trios are well-written and well-organized pieces of music. 

The trios remind me of Mendelssohn. There's clarity and straightforward simplicity at work here. And I personally found it appealing, and not derivative at all. 

The Trio Anima Mundi delivers some sensitive readings. They keep the music light and transparent. Robert Schumann wrote "if one wants to learn to compose confidently and authentically in the trio style, take Reissiger’s latest trios as a model." I don't disagree. There's a lot to like here. On to volume 2!

Carl Gottlieb Reissiger: Complete Piano Trios, Volume One
Trio Anima Mundi
Toccata Classicsl TOCC0267

The Nordic String Quartet Excells with Gudmundsen-Holmgreen

This is the second volume of Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen from Dacapo. The Nordic String Quartet has set itself quite a task. Gudmundsen-Holmgreen wrote fourteen string quartets over 27 years. 

And during that same time, he went through four stylistic sea changes. Each change was in stark contrast to the one before. So in essence, the Nordic Quartet has to master four different playing styles. 

Three of the works on this release were commissioned and premiered by Kronos Quartet. String Quartet No. 7 was written in Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's New Simplicity style. Everything's pared down to its essentials -- and then some. 

Superficially, the work can sound minimalist, but it's not. Gudmundsen-Holmgreen uses minimal materials. But his use of them eschews the thrumming rhythms of Steve Reich or Philip Glass.

String Quartet No. 8 (1986) was also written for Kronos. Composed two years after No. 7, it shows Gudmundsen-Holmgreen moving towards a new style. In it, he tests the limits of the instruments and the ensemble. The quartet plays a ground bass pattern that morphs into increasingly complex forms.

Fast forward to 2006. Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's String Quartet No. 9 is for string quartet plus electronics. The composer concentrated on the sound of the natural world -- another change in style. This work also features a ground that serves as a foundation rather than a catalyst.

Gudmundsen-Holmgreen had a reputation for wry humor. And that's the basis of his String Quartet No. 10. It's based on Pachelbel's "Canon in D." Sort of. With a twist. If you're tired of that canon, listen to this work. It should bring a smile to your face. And if you do like it, well, listen to the work. You might gain an insight into that warhorse.

The Nordic String Quartet performs each work to near perfection. I'm looking forward to the next volume -- which may be the most challenging yet.

Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 2
Nordic String Quartet
Dacapo CD 8.226218

Miro Quartet Almost Makes It Home

Okay, I do have some quibbles with this release. But they're more issues with me than anything with the album.

This is Miró Quartet's second album with Pentatone. Their first release was Beethoven's complete string quartets. And while this release might not be as ambitious, the playing is just as uncompromising. 

I like most of the music choices, and how they're presented. And I like the way they're all performed. The Miró Quartet is a world-class ensemble. They're just as comfortable playing contemporary music as standard repertoire. 

The album is a contemplation of the concept of "home."  

Kevin Puts has worked with the quartet before. His work "Home" articulates the feelings of losing a home. Specifically, the experience of war refugees. The work is unsettled and restless. Refugees are constantly on the run, and the music captures the feeling of forced flight. It's a powerful composition, made more so by Miró's performance. 

Also included is Barber's String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11. The middle movement, "Adagio" has taken on a life of its own. But here in its original context, it sounds intimate and personal. 

Caroline Shaw's "Microfictions" grew from her experience during the COVID lockdown. Exploring Twitter, she discovered the Microfictions of T.R. Darling. Each of his daily posts was a piece of short fiction -- contained within the character limit of a tweet. Shaw uses some of these to create her own musical "Microfictions." Her six pieces are short and focused.

Yet like the poems they're attached to, the pieces are also oblique and mysterious. What's unsaid is almost more important than what's said.

George Walker's "Lyric for Strings," like Barber's "Adagio" began as a string quartet movement. He wrote it  it in tribute to his grandmother who was born enslaved. Miró only performs the string quartet version of the one movement. I wanted to hear the entire quartet. After all, that's the context Walker conceived the movement to be heard. 

I recognize I'm of a minority to consider hearing all the movements of a work important. So if you're like me, this is a minus. If you're not, then no harm done.  

I really objected to the album's finale, an arrangement of Harold Arlen's "Over the Rainbow.." Yes, it is skillfully arranged by William Ryden. But to me, it still doesn't quite rise to the level of the other works.  An album of insightful music-making ends with this corny cliched view of home. 

There's a lot to like here. I will be playing his album again many times -- just not the last track

Home: Miró Quartet
Music by Kevin Puts, George Walker, Caroline Shaw, Samuel Barber, and Harold Arlen
Pentatone PTC5187227

George Walker Complete Piano Works 1 -- About Time

George Walker didn't write much piano music. His entire oeuvre fits easily onto two compact discs. The relatively few works he composed stretch over 60 years. 

Though few and far between, they're compositions of exceptional quality. So I'm excited about Alexandre Dossin's latest project. He will be recording Walker's entire solo piano output (plus the piano concerto). 

Collectively, they'll show the range and imagination of the composer. 

This volume includes the first three of Walker's five piano sonatas. The first sonata, written in 1954 is the longest. It also incorporates African-American spirituals. 

His third sonata, written twenty years later, is very different. Here Walker explores the possibilities of a limited set of motifs. The music borders on atonality, with nary a spiritual to be heard. 

Walker was a composer who cconstantly evolved. The pieces on this volume demonstrate just how much he grew over the decades. 

Alexandre Dossin performs with both passion and authority. This is his project -- and he's invested in the results. Even when Walker's at his most intellectual Dossin's playing conveys real emotion. 

I am very much looking forward to the second volume.

George Walker: Complete Piano Works 1
Alexandre Dossin, piano
Naxos 8.559916

Avalon String Quartet Give Chicago Composers Some Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Pre-Raphaelite Cello - British Gold

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ronald Woodley Presents a Varied Program for Clarinets

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

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

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

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

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

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

A fine recital album.

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

Paul Lewis' Solid Schubert Program

This is a massive collection. Paul Lewis traverses the late piano sonatas of Franz Schubert. Each one is an epic odyssey. And each one is a challenge to the performer. 

Schubert's imagination ran unfettered in these works. The sonatas run between 30-40 minutes in length. There's an internal logic for each of these sonatas. But it's not as clear-cut as in, say, a Mozart sonata. Or even a Beethoven sonata. 

And that's where Paul Lewis shines. He seems to understand the underlying structure of these works. 

So we don't get a transition from one pretty section to another. Rather, there's a purpose to these performances. And there's a strong sense of direction. 

Lewis' technique has a wide range. He can play with fragile delicacy, delivering a simple melody with all its charm. And he can play cascading chords with power, intensifying the emotion of the passages.  

Also included are some of Schubert's other late piano works. The "Wanderer" Fantasie, D. 760 and Moments Musicaux, D. 780 are two examples. Lewis delivers superb readings of these works as well.  

I have to admit I wasn't completely taken by the piano's recorded sound at first. It seems a little dark to me. But I soon warmed to it. Lewis' playing completely won me over. 

Highly recommended.

Paul Lewis Plays Schubert
Harmonia Mundi HMX 2904091.96
6 CD Set

Quatuor Hanson Explore Schumann's Journey

Three string quartets and a piano quintet (piano plus string quartet). Your first impression is that one of these things doesn't belong. But it does. 

Robert Schumann wrote his three string quartets in a white heat of inspiration. Within a few weeks in the summer of 1842, he had composed the three quartets, about an hour and a half of music. And then he immediately started on his piano quintet, finishing it soon after. 

All four works share commonalities, and all four can be seen as a single exploration of the quartet genre. The Opus 41 quartets were presented to Clara Schumann for her birthday in September 1842. The quintet was written with Clara in mind for the piano part. 

Schumann is at the top of his form here. These are well-crafted chamber works. There's a good variety of textures. And there's also a great deal of back-and-forth between instruments. That characteristic makes for pleasant playing -- and listening. 

The Quatuor Hanson gives these quartets thoughtful and sensitive readings. Schumann was an emotional person -- perhaps too much so. The quartet pours emotion into their playing. 

They heighten the contrast between loud and soft passages, especially when they're abrupt. It gives the works a nervous energy that seems very Schumann, indeed.

Pianist Adam Laloum joins the quartet for the Opus 33 Piano Quintet in E-flat major. Laloum specializes in the German Romantic composers. His catalog includes two solid recordings of Franz Schubert's piano music. That Romantic sensitivity serves him well here.

Schumann wrote this work for his beloved Clara, and he knew her strengths. The quintet sparkles with virtuosity, especially in this performance. The gestures are big, but they were meant to be. 

I recommend listening to this album straight through. It's almost like experiencing one large work in four major sections. The quintet grows out of the quartets. It's a connection that's easy to hear, and one these performers were careful to make. Well done. 

Robert Schumann: String Quartets; Piano Quintet
Quatuor Hanson; Adam Laloum, piano
Harmonia Mundi HMM902778.27

David Starobin Plays Guitar Music By Guitar Virtuosi

I thought David Starobin released his farewell album a couple of years ago. But I'm not complaining. Starobin is a masterful performer. And his releases are always well-recorded. 

Most of the works on "Virtuosi" have been previously released -- but not all. Three selections by W.T. Matiegka. Matiegka was a friend of Franz Schubert, and their styles are very similar. If Schubert had written guitar music, this is probably what it would have sounded like. 

Also premiered her are Five Anecdotes by Andres Segovia. He's the only 20th Century composer on the album. The others all date from the early Romantic Era. But his music isn't out of place. These works explore the possibilities of the guitar while remaining tonal and tuneful.

Starobin plays with remarkable control. He plucks the strings with precision -- even the fasted runs sound clean and accurate. And his left hand technique is flawless. There's never even the hint of a finger slide. 

But most important is what Starobin does with these skills. He plays expressively, giving shape to the music. It doesn't matter how demanding the music is, one only hears the beauty of the sound. 

This is a collection of virtuoso guitar music written by virtuoso guitarists. And it's played by a virtuoso guitarist. 

Virtuosi: Guitar Music by Giuliani, Matiegka, L'Hoyer, Coste, Regondi, Sor, Segovia
David Starobin, guitar
Bridge Records 9600

Pál Hermann Complete Surviving Music Series Concludes with Delightful Oddities

Pál Hermann should have toured the world, receiving his due as one of the 20th Century's greatest cellists. Pál Hermann should have developed his compositional skills. And in time Pál Hermann should have graduated to large-form works. 

Pál Hermann should have left a rich legacy of recordings. Pál Hermann should have lived past age 42. 

But Pál Hermann was a Jew in 1930s Europe. His career was curtailed in Nazi-controlled countries. He moved to France, and then to the Free Zone in southern France after Germany invaded  Hermann was captured in 1944 and died en route to a Lithuanian extermination camp. 

Hermann's surviving music shows a composer of great imagination and promise. The first volume in the Toccata Classics series presented his Cello Concerto and other orchestral works. Volume Two focused on his chamber and instrumental music, mostly for stringed instruments. 

This final volume rounds up the odds and ends of Hermann's catalog. And in the process, round out the portrait of these talented musicians. 

Hermann was a cello virtuoso, but his musical interests were far-ranging. He loved early music. Hermann played with an early music ensemble while in school. His Suite for Three Recorders and his Saraband for Lute are charming homages to Renaissance music. 

The Divertissement for harpsichord is less so.  Hermann writes some decidedly modern music for the instrument. 

Also included is a variety of short piano pieces. There's even a work for piano four hands. And his small collection of songs is also present. 

Hermann did not survive the war, but his music did. It's take a while, but that music lives again in these Toccata Classics recordings. To my ears, they sound as fresh and inventive as the day they were penned. 

Recommended -- and not just this volume, but the entire series.

Pál Hermann: Complete Surviving Music, Volume Three
Chamber, Instrumental, and Vocal Music
Various Artists, including Mikko Pablo, cello; Matthieu Walendzik, baritone; Lena Zhukova, harpsichord; Nicolas Horvath and Dimitri Malignan, piano
Toccata Classics