May is designated Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The Classics a Day team adopted that theme as well. For the month of May, the challenge is to post examples of classical music composed or performed by artists who share that heritage.
I limited myself to just posting Asian-American composers. And discovered a seemingly limitless number of composers to choose from -- both past and present.
Here are my picks for the final week of #ClassicsaDay #APAHM
Bruckner's string quartet was composed at the request of Joseph Hellmesberger. Hellmesberger was the director of the Vienna Conservatory and the first violinist for the influential Hellmseberger Quartett.
Hellmesberger had been impressed with Bruckner's student works. Such an invitation (with a premier by the Hellmesberg Quartett) was a major honor.
The quartet shows a composer in development. This four-movement work follows the model of Beethoven -- and early Beethoven at that. Parts of it reminded me strongly of Beethoven's Op. 18 quartets.
But this is Bruckner. The themes are developed thoroughly, and in a more through-composed manner than Beethoven. It's a work that hints at Bruckner's potential.
The string quintet was another commission by Hellmserger. By 1878 Bruckner was a seasoned composer. The quintet was written during a break between the creation of his fifth and sixth symphonies.
The quintet is all Bruckner. It's not a symphony for five strings -- but it is an expansive work. And one that's entirely Bruckner's creation.
The Altomonte Ensemble performs well. They seem to perform the string quartet in a late classical manner, underlining the work's debt to Beethoven.
The quintet is (rightly so) played in a late-Romantic style. In doing so, the ensemble emphasizes how closely the work fits with the symphonies it was written between.
For many, Bruckner = symphonies. But this release tweaks that equation. Bruckner > just symphonies.
Anton Bruckner: String Quintet; String Quartet
Altomonte Ensemble
Gramola
The Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective is just that -- a loose collection of performers under the direction of Tom Poster and Elena Urioste. This is their debut recording.
Samuel Barber's "Dover Beach" for medium voice and string quartet is probably the most-performed of the three works (and that's a relative term). The Collective's performance is atmospheric and engaging.
Amy Beach's 1907 Piano Quintet is a well-crafted work that deserves a wider audience. This isn't pretty music -- it's a composition of substance. And the Collective delivers on the quintet's emotional energy and drama.
The Florence Price quintet was one of the works recently discovered in her old home. It receives its world premiere recording with this release.
Price may have used Brahms as a model, but she has her own voice. The incorporation of Black musical traditions into the work is seamless. Florence Price's star continues to rise, and this recording should boost it even higher.
An exceptional program, performed by first-rate musicians. Now that's how you do a debut recording!
American Quintets
Amy Beach; Florence Price; Samuel Barber
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective
Chandos CHAN 20224
The songs come from various phases of Coleridge-Taylor's career. It includes some very British-sounding selections. Six Sorrow Songs, with text by Christina Rosetti, is one such example. Others range a little farther afield.
African Romances, with text by African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, has an unusual sound. Coleridge-Taylor became aware of African-American music while touring the states. This song reflects that growing interest, though still sounding mostly European. "Big Lady Moon," goes further, with some jazz-inflected melodic patterns.
These selections show that Coleridge-Taylor almost rivaled Schubert in his ability to set text artistically. There's plenty of emotional content for a singer to express. And Llewellyn does just that.
This project was a labor of love, and that's apparent in every track. Llewellyn sings with a wonderfully expressive and well-rounded tone. Her phrasings shape the texts and tell the stories.
There is still so much of Coleridge-Taylor's catalog to discover. Thanks to Elizabeth Llewellyn for this heartfelt recital.
Heart and Hereafter
Collected songs of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Elizabeth Llewellyn, soprano; Simon Lepper, piano
Orchid Classics ORC100164
The title for this release is a little deceptive. True, it's a collection of chamber music from Frederick the Great's court. But it's not all by Johann Gottlieb Graun.
Rather, it's a collection of music from Graun and his colleagues at court: Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, Franz Benda, and brother Carl Heinrich Graun. And that, I think, makes for a much more interesting program.
Collectively these composers were transitioning from the Baroque to the Classical era. The melodic lines, generally free of ornamentation look towards Haydn and Mozart. The use of basso continuo carries on the traditions of Bach and Handel.
It's an interesting sampling of chamber music, made more so by the performances. Sisters Augusta and Georgina McKay Lodge (violin and viola respectively) lead the ensemble. Both have extensive experience in early music.
Their playing, along with their fellow musicians, nicely captures that feeling of transition. The ensemble has a clear, clean sound foreshadowing the Classical Era. David Schulenberg (harpsichord) and Eva Lymenstull (cello) provide a solid basso continuo, with Schulenberg ornamenting and improvising in a late Baroque style -- as I imagine performers of the day might.
This is chamber music that captures a moment in time. A moment poised between two style periods. And it's a moment effectively realized by these fine musicians.
Johann Gottlieb Graun: Chamber Music from the Court of Frederick the Great
Augusta McKay Lodge, violin; Georgina McKay Lodge, viola; Eva Lymenstull, cello; David Schulenberg, harpsichord
Brilliant Classics 96289
