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

#ClassicsaDay #NorthAmClassics Week 3, 2024

Two countries celebrate their independence in July -- and they just happen to be neighbors. On July 1, 1867, three separate British colonies were officially united. United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick became Canada. 

On July 4, 1776, thirteen separate British colonies were officially united, becoming the United States of America.

The #ClassicsaDay challenge for July is to post music by Canadian and American composers. Both countries have created their own forms of classical music, independent of Europe's. 

Here are my social media posts for the second week of #NorthAmClassics. As in past years, I alternate between Canadian and American composers. 

07/15/24 J. E. P. Aldous (1853–1934): Prelude and Fugue in D minor

Aldous emigrated from England to become the organist for Central Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, Ontario. Most of his compositions were short works for organ and choirs.

 

07/16/24 Lukas Foss: Baroque Variations for Orchestra (1967)

Foss was a classmate of Leonard Bernstein and later replaced Arnold Schoenberg on the faculty at UCLA in the 1950s. His music was admired by his contemporaries for its quality and accessibility.

 

07/17/24 Henri Miro (1879–1950): Please

Miro was a pioneering conductor for the CBC in the 1930s. At one time his orchestral compositions were part of almost every Canadian orchestra's repertoire.

 

07/18/24 C.L. Barnhouse (1865-1929): The Messagner March

Barnhouse was a self-taught cornet player from West Virginia. In 1888 he began publishing works for concert bands. Municipal bands were trending, and there was a ready market for quality (yet easy to play) band music.

 

07/19/24 W.H. Anderson (1882–1955): Give Ear to My Words, O Lord"

Bronchitus turned Anderson from singing to composing. Most of this Canadian's works were written for choral ensembles.

 

Mirage: Solid Piano Works by Stephen Dodgson

This release is the fourth collection of Stephen Dodgon's music on SOMM. So far the label has issued two volumes of songs and one of choral works. This album of piano music samples the full range of Dodgon's career. 

And most of the works are world-premiere recordings. I'm hoping there's at least one more volume of Dodgson's piano music planned. Because I found the music on this release quite appealing. 

One of the most interesting works is the 1953 Rondo in A-flat. It's available as a free bonus download for CD purchasers. But the Rondo is included on the digital and streaming versions of the album.

Its continually shifting meters give the Rondo a fluidity I really enjoyed. Osman Tack performs with a light dexterity that adds charm to an already appealing work. 

Dodgson wrote seven piano sonatas throughout his career. The last one, subtitled "The Loddon" is included in this program. The Basingstoke Concert Club commissioned the work in 2003.

The sonata is a well-crafted three-movement work. There's motivic development over the course of the sonata. Dodgson's manipulation of his material is both subtle and organic. 

Also included are four collections of short works. All show Dodgson's mastery of miniatures. And also his seemingly unbounded creative imagination. 

A welcome addition to this ongoing series. 

Mirage: The Piano Music of Stephen Dodgson
Osman Tack, piano
SOMM Recordings SOMMCD 0684

CPE Bach and Antonin Kraft Cello Concertos - Worth Exploring

This release has an interesting premise. Jean-Guihen Queyras presents two cello concertos that bookend the Classical Era. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach composed his Concerto in B flat major Wq 171 in 1751. 

The Baroque style, as embodied by his father, was waning. Elegance and directness were replacing ornamentation and complexity. Bach's concerto anticipates the aesthetic of Haydn and Mozart.

Antonin Kraft was a virtuoso cellist who played under Haydn for Count Esterhazy. In Vienna, he helped establish the traditions of string quartet playing. Haydn wrote his second cello concerto for Kraft. Beethoven wrote the cello part of his Triple Concerto for Kraft. 

Kraft wrote exclusively for the cello, and not many pieces at that. His concerto is his only large-scale composition. It premiered in 1804 and represents the end of the pure Classical style. Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony would soon change the landscape and begin the Romantic Era.

Jean-Guihen Queyras performs with a rare instrument, the cello Gioffredo Cappa (1696). The Ensemble Resonanz is a chamber orchestra. That makes it a perfect match for Queyras' instrument. The Classical Era was about elegance and balance. These musicians have both. 

The cello has a warm, honeyed tone that's ideal for the long, singing lines of Bach and Kraft. Queyras' playing is first-rate, of course. Kraft's concerto places heavy demands on the soloist. Queyras delivers and does so with exceptional musicality. 

When it comes to Classical Era cello concertos, many people only know Haydn's. If you're one of them, give this disc a listen. It provides context for those works. And these concertos provide their own audio delights. 

Beautifully recorded, and beautifully performed. CPE Bach and Antonin Kraft may not be well-known today. But in their time they were highly regarded by the masters. And you can easily hear why.   

Antonin Kraft, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Cello Concertos
Jean-Guihen Queyras: cello
Ensemble Resonanz; Riccardo Minasi conductor
Harmonia Mundi HMM 902392   

Early Vytautas Bacevicius Appealing

Naxos completes their cycle of Vytautas Bacevičius piano concertos -- after a nine-year hiatus. Volume one was released in 2015 and featured his last two concertos. 

In the 1940s, Bacevicius moved to atonality. The works featured in volume one have a very different character than the compositions here.

The first two piano concertos and Symphony No. 3 are all very much tonal works. Bacevicius was proud of his Lithuanian heritage. 

When his parents separated, he went with his father back to Lithuania and reverted to the Lithuanian version of the family name. His sister, Grazia Backewicz, remained in Poland with her mother and kept the Polish version of her surname.

Bacevicius wasn't able to remain in Lithuania long. He was on tour in South America when Russia invaded. He eventually made his way to the United States, never to return to his occupied homeland.

The 1929 Piano Concerto No. 1 is subtitled "Sur des thèmes lituaniens." It's a celebratory work, with Lithuanian themes serving as the building blocks. 

The Second Piano Concerto of 1933 also draws extensively on Lithuanian folk music. But here the original tunes are fully integrated into the work. So much so they almost disappear -- but still leave a trace of their character.

Bacevicius' Symphony No. 3 was written after he was granted sanctuary in America. It ends with a treatment of the "Star Spangled Banner." Bacevicius doesn't just quote the tune -- he works with it to fit into the rest of the symphony. And almost succeeds. 

The Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra is directed by Christopher Lyndon-Gee. These are strong, committed performances. Very little of Bacevicius' music was performed during his lifetime. The Second Piano Concerto and Third Symphony receive their world recording premiere. 

The ensemble has a fundamental understanding of what Bacevicius was about -- and it shows in their performances. Pianist Gabrielius Alekna is exceptional. Bacevicius was a world-class pianist. He demands a lot from the soloist and Alekna delivers time and again. 

I suspect many will find this volume more appealing and accessible than the previous one. I recommend both. But I'd start with this one.

Vytautas Bacevicius: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Piano Concerto No. 1 ‘Sur des thèmes lituaniens’
Piano Concerto No. 2; Symphony No. 3
Gabrielius Alekna, Piano
Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra; Christopher Lyndon-Gee
Naxos