Ciurlionis Orchestral Works in Fresh Performances

Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis was a star that burned brightly, yet briefly. This Lithuanian composed almost 400 works, painted over 300 pictures and died at the age of 35.

Ciurlionis is considered one of the pioneers of abstract art and possibly had synesthesia. He's certainly a pioneer of Lithuanian music. This recording features Ciurlionis' complete surviving symphonic works (many exist only in piano sketches or short scores).  

The Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra directed by Modestas Pitrenas do their countryman proud. The orchestra has a lush, warm sound that suits Ciurlionis' music well. The works presented here --  to my ear -- share some qualities with Scriabin, Richard Strauss, and perhaps even Mahler (somewhat). 

"Miske" (In the Forest) is absolutely gorgeous. Ciurlionis slowly gathers his material together, as if we're seeing the forest through a mist. As the fog dissipates, shapes become clearer. Or in this case, motifs coalesce and the orchestra becomes more expansive. 

Ciurlionis' work "The Sea" has become a cultural touchstone in Lithuania. As with Bruckner's symphonies, others have tinkered with the score over the years to improve the orchestration and make cuts!

This release features Ciurlionis' original score, with all those, um, improvements stripped away. Like Bruckner, it turns out Ciurlionis didn't really need any help. 

Ciurlionis masterfully evokes the expansiveness and motion of the sea in a somewhat abstract fashion. And that's what makes the piece so effective. It's music that draws the listener in, to make of this creation what they will. 

Highly recommended.

Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis
The Sea; In the Forest; Kestutis Overture
Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra; Modestas Pitrenas conductor
Ondine ODE 1346-2

Benno Ammann - Missa Defensor Pacis blends new and old

Swiss composer and conductor Benno Amman embraced the full range of 20th Century composition -- from neo-classical to experimental. That eclecticism is, I think, what makes the Missa Defensor Pacis so successful. It's a work that could only be written in the 20th Century, and yet it seamlessly incorporates traditions of the past. 

Ammann was commissioned to compose a work for the canonization of Nicholas of Flue, the patron saint of Switzerland. This was for a service in St. Paul's Cathedral in Rome -- a ritual in a space with centuries of tradition. Ammann's mass uses techniques of the past. 

He used a cantus firmus as the basis for the work (a Medieval technique). His counterpoint follows Renaissance principles for voice-leading. But his harmonies are mid-20th Century in their complexity, and the harmonic motion is almost post-tonal. 

Ammann scored the work for an a capella choir of 6-12 voices, another nod to Vatican tradition. It's a work of singular beauty, an almost timeless expression of religious devotion.

The Basler Madrigalisten have a good ensemble sound. When necessary, the voices blend seamlessly. And when the polyphony thickens, they can cleanly articulate each line, ensuring clarity. There's not a lot of room ambiance in this recording, which is a good thing. Ammann's music is beautiful, but it's not simple.

My only complaint is that sometimes the sopranos sounded a little harsh, especially in exposed sections. To my ears, it sounded like an issue with the recording rather than the performance. And it didn't detract that much from the overall effect of the music. 

Just as Palestrina did with the Missa Papae Marcelli (according to legend), Ammann demonstrated that historical tradition and modernity can combine to create something beautiful.  

Benno Ammann: Missa Defensor Pacis
Basler Madrigalisten; Raphael Immoos, conductor
Capriccio C5415

#ClassicsaDay #BlackHistoryMonth Week 1

The Classics a Day team has celebrated Balck composers before. This time around, I tried to avoid duplication with previous posts. It was easy to do. There is a lot of classical music by persons of color, both in the past as well as the present. A lot. 

Here's what I found for the first week of #BlackHistoryMonth for #ClassicsaDay.

02/01/21 Harry T. Burleigh - Go Down Moses

This recording was made in 1919 by George W. Brooome Company -- the first Black record label. Burleigh is credited with introducing Black music to Antonin Dvorak.

02/02/21 Shawn Okpebholo - Kutimbua Kivumbi

Okpebholo wrote this work after a sabbatical in Kenya. The title means Stomp the Dust in Swahili.

02/03/21 Leslie Adams - Prayer

Adams is best known for his vocal compositions. "Prayer" is part of his 1961 song cycle "Nightsongs." The text is by Langston Hughes.

02/04/21 Thomas Kerr - Anguished American Easter

Kerr wrote over 100 works and was on the faculty of Howard University. Anguished American Easter was a reaction to MLK's assassination. Kerr originally improvised it during a Good Friday service in 1968.

02/05/21 Dorothy Rudd Moore - Dirge and Deliverance

Moore studied with both Thomas Kerr at Howard U. and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. She later co-founded the Society of Black Composers.

London Brass excel with Edward Gregson release

Edward Gregson is world-renowned for his brass compositions. This release features some of his best. In 2008 Gregson retired from the Royal Northern College of Music to compose full-time. I think it significant that most of the works here are post-retirement.

The Symphony in two movements, for example, was written in 2012, and revised in 2014 for symphonic brass. It's both expansive and compact. Expansive, as most works for brass ensemble aren't this ambitious. Compact, as the work has but two movements that develop their material with economic efficiency. 

Gregson uses an 11-tone row to create four themes. Each is distinctive, and yet all are interconnected. I found the work seemed to reveal something new with each hearing.

The other post-2008 works also show Gregson's compositional mastery. Even something as simple as his Fanfare for a New Era (2017) is far more than flourishes and arpeggios.  

The disc also includes some of Gregson's earlier work. The Quintet for Brass (1967) was a graduation piece that established Gregson's career (thanks to Philip Jones' support). Even at the start, Gregson uses brass instruments effectively and with originality. 

Gregson's Three Dance Episodes dates from 1974, and the Music of Angels from 1998 (revised in 2015). Both show Gregson's development as a composer. The music, to me, sounded more sophisticated somehow.    

The London Brass is a world-class ensemble, and this recording shows them at their best. The sound stage is spacious. The horns often sound powerful but never overpower. A world-class ensemble playing music written by a world-class composer for those instruments. Highly recommended (obviously). 

 Edward Gregson: Music of the Angels
London Brass; Rumon Gamba, conductor
Chandos 20127

Friedrich Gernsheim Piano Music Volume 2 delivers

Jens Barnieck continues his survey of Friedrich Gernsheim's piano music. This volume includes Gernsheim's first piano sonata and several smaller works -- all receive their world recording premieres with this release. 

Barnieck's performances are just as satisfying as they were with volume one of this series. Gernsheim began composing around the time of Mendelssohn and continued through the era of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. Barnieck adjusts his playing accordingly. 

The Piano Sonata No. 1 was composed in 1853 when Gernsheim was fourteen. Barnieck plays the work with a light touch, showing the influence of Mendelssohn on the young composer. The 1872 Fantasie, Op. 27 receives a different treatment. 

Gernsheim wrote the work for Hans von Bülow. This is bigger, brawnier music. Von Bülow was a champion of Brahms, and Gernsheim seems to move in that direction. Barneick's powerful expressiveness reinforces the similarities. 

Gernsheim composed for the piano throughout his career. The shorter works on this release attest to his abilities, which are considerable. While he was influenced by the major composers of German classical music, he didn't simply imitate them. 

There's plenty of original material here to satisfy the listener. Well, at least this listener. I'm looking forward to auditioning volume three.

Friedrich Gernsheim: Piano Music, Volume Two
Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor; Vier Klavierstucke; Capriccio in E minor; Gerschwind-Marsch; Romanze, Op. 15; Fantasie, Op. 27
Jens Barnieck, piano
Toccata Classics TOC 0594