#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalChristmas Week 5

December is a time of traditions. And the Classics a Day feed is no different. We continue our tradition of making Classical Christmas our December theme. 

The challenge is to post music related to the season. So sacred works for Advent and Christmas, secular works about winter, or even just music written and/or premiered in December. 

Here are my posts for the fifth and final week in December.

12/26/22 Arnold Bax: Mater ora filium

Bax didn't write much choral music. But in the early 1900s, he did set this traditional text, that celebrates the journey of the Three Kings.

12/27/22 William Crotch: Lo! Star-led Chiefs

This choral piece is often sung in Anglican churches during Epiphany. It was originally part of William Crotch's oratorio "Palestine," published in 1818.

12/28/22 Peter Cornelius: Three Kings from Persian lands afar

In the mid-1800s, Cornelius was a renowned opera composer in his native Germany. In England, he was a one-hit-wonder. And that one hit was this tune from his Op. 8 Weihnachtslieder

12/29/22 Jacobus Clemens non Papa: Magi veniunt ab oriente

Most of Clemens' output was sacred music. This would have been sung at a Feast of the Epiphany service, marking the Magi visiting the Christ child.

12/30/22 Jacob Handl-Gallus: Omnes de Saba

The text is one of the graduals for Epiphany. Handl first published his setting in his 1586 collection Opus musicum.

Next month:

Guerra-Peixe Symphonic Suites Celebrate Brazil

Naxos' Music of Brazil series continues to yield musical gems. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is spearheading the project. 

Over 100 orchestral works by Brazilian composers will be released. And what a great way to enhance Brazil's stature in the world (OK, perhaps just in the world of classical music.)

This release features two symphonic suites by César Guerra-Peixe. Although he doesn't enjoy the international reputation of countryman Heitor Villa-Lobos, Guerra-Peixe is one of Brazil's most important and influential composers. 

Guerra-Peixe was a violinist, composer, and conductor. And he was also an enthusiastic ethnomusicologist. He was vitally interested in Brazil's folk traditions, particularly those of the northeast.

These symphonic suites present native dance music recast as orchestral works. Guerra-Peixe adds complexity and depth to these tunes while retaining their original character. 

The two suites were composed in 1955. Symphonic Suite No. 1 "Paulista" features dance music from the São Paulo region. No.2 "Permanbuana" showcases music from the Pernambuco region. 

The Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra knows this material well. Not only is Guerra-Peixe frequently performed by Brazilian orchestras. And the players know the folk traditions behind Guerra-Peixe's music. 

That additional knowledge gives these performances an added lift. These are dance suites that could have you dancing! 

César Guerra-Peixe: Symphonic Suites Nos. 1 and 2
Roda de Amigos
Raul Menezes, flute; Públio da Silva, oboe; Patrick Viglioni, clarinet; Felipe Arruda, bassoon
Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra; Neil Thomson, conductor
Naxos

Henriette Bosmans Early Chamber Music have appeal

The Solarek Piano Trio performs three early works by Henriëtte Bosmans. Included is her Sonata for Violin and Piano (1918), Arietta (1917), and the Piano Trio (1921). 

If you're familiar with Bosmans' mature style, these compositions may surprise you. They have a lush, romantic sound to them. This is a dramatic contrast to the stripped-down harmonies she started using in the 1930s. 

The Violin Sonata was written while Bosmans was studying with Jan Willem Kersbergen. It's full of youthful energy and enthusiasm. 

My one criticism is that the piano part seems overly showy. Not out of character for a young piano virtuoso/composer. But at times it threatens the balance between the two instruments. 

The Arietta is a very different piece. Though written within a year of the sonata, the Arietta is much more introspective. Plus, Bosmans reigns in the piano, letting the violin sing. Because of the range -- and the character -- of this music, the Arietta is often performed on the viola. Nice to hear the composer's original intent here.

The Piano Trio shows Bosmans' growth as a composer. The handling of her material is much more assured. The piano part is meaty, but never overpowers the other instruments. Also, this work seems more emotionally focused somehow. 

The players of the Solarek Trio turn in some fine performances. To my ears, the recordings -- especially the sonata -- seemed a little boomy. Consider it a nit, but one I had to mention.

Henriëtte Bosmans is a major figure in Dutch music. But she's little known outside the Netherlands. Here's hoping this release will encourage more folks to explore her catalog. It's worth the effort.

Henriëtte Bosmans: Early Chamber Music
Solarek Piano Trio
Toccata Classics TTOCC 0654

Jouni Somero premieres more Selim Palmgren gems

Selim Palmgren was a virtuoso pianist and a prolific composer -- particularly for his instrument. His catalog includes over 400 published works. 

Jouni Somero's goal is to record all Palmgren's solo piano works. This includes quite a few unpublished pieces. Not surprisingly, each volume of this series has several world premiere recordings. As does this volume.

The program on volume six is a cross-section of Palmgren's short piano works. It has his first published pieces from 1898 through his mid-career works of the 1940s. 

As with the other volumes, Palmgren demonstrates his mastery of the miniature. Many of these pieces are less than two minutes in length. And yet each is a fully-developed idea. 

For me, one of the real standouts was "Youth," published in 1908. This suite of six movements has a cohesive feel to it. And that's no mean feat. The suite includes a Debussy-like Impressionist movement, as well as several based on Finnish folk songs. But it all works together. 

Jouni Somero continues to impress me with his phenomenal technique. Palmgren was a great pianist -- and a good deal of his music was written for performers at his level. Somero is equal to the task. 

Plus, he gives the smaller, slighter pieces equal attention. Simple though some may be, Somero's playing adds a bit of emotional weight.

Selim Palmgren: Complete Piano Works 6
Jouni Somero, piano
Grand Piano

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalChristmas Week 4

December is a time of traditions. And the Classics a Day feed is no different. We continue our tradition of making Classical Christmas our December theme. 

The challenge is to post music related to the season. So sacred works for Advent and Christmas, secular works about winter, or even just music written and/or premiered in December. 

Here are my posts for the third week in December.

12/19/22 Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck: Hodie Christus natus est

Quite a few composers used this Gregorian chant as a starting point. For Sweelinck, it was an opportunity to explore the possibilities of polyphony.

12/20/22 Giovanni da Palestrina: Hodie Christus natus est

This setting comes from Palestrina's third volume of sacred motets. This collection was published in Venice in 1575.

12/21/22 Giovanni Gabrieli: Hodie Christus natus est

Gabrieli set this traditional Christmas liturgical text in 1615.

12/22/22 William Byrd: Hodie Christus natus est

Byrd's setting was published in Gradualia ac cantiones sacra, Liber 2, which came out in 1607. This volume featured 4-voice sacred music for Christmas and Epiphany.

12/23/22 Healey Willan: Hodie Christus natus est

Canadian organist and composer Willan wrote more than 800 works, most of them for voice. His setting of this text comes from 1935.