Finding Beauty in Ephemera

#ClassicsaDay #Boulanger Week 1

2025-07-04T12:05:00.001-04:00

This July, the Classics a Day team celebrates the remarkable legacy of Nadia Boulanger. The French composer taught approximately 600 pupils throughout her 69-year career. What makes Boulanger unique isn't the number of students she taught, but who they were.

Many of the leading 20th-century composers studied with Boulanger at some point. The challenge for this month is to post performances of works by Boulanger pupils. It's an impressive list.

Here are my posts for the first week of the #ClassicsaDay theme #Boulanger.

07/01/25 Douglas Allanbrook (1921-2003): Symphony No. 1

Allanbrook studied with Boulanger when she came to Brown University in the 1940s. Allanbrook was also an important harpsichordist.

07/02/25 Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969): Cello Concerto No. 1

When Bacewicz studied with Boulanger in 1932, she was known primarily as a violinist. An automobile accident soon put her career on a different course.

07/03/25 Elliott Carter (1908-2012): Piano Sonata

Carter studied with Boulanger in Paris in the 1930s. His ultra-modernist style inspired many contemporary composers.

07/04/25 Ingolf Dahl (1912-1970): Sinfonietta for Band

Dahl attended Boulanger master classes in the 1940s after emigrating to the U.S. He found success both in film and in the concert hall.

#ClassicsaDay #PrideMonth Week 4 2025

2025-06-27T12:05:00.001-04:00

The #ClassicsaDay team celebrates Pride Month this June. The wide spectrum of sexual identities is now common knowledge. But there have always been non-cis people. Some were able to live openly, others had to hide their orientation to live.

For the challenge, I included as many pre-20th-century composers as possible. Here are my posts for the fourth and final week of #PrideMonth.

06/23/25 Stanley Bate (1911-1959): Symphony No. 3

British composer Bate started his career strong, but by the 1940s, it had mostly run its course. He died at age 47, depressed by his apparent failure. Though his music his slowly returning to the repertoire.

06/24/25 Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960): Caribbean Pieces for 2 pianos

Australian composer Benjamin was as popular with audiences as he was unpopular with critics. Which seemed not to bother him a bit.

06/25/25 Richard Rodney Bennett (1936-2012): Symphony No. 3

Bennett was equally known for his film scores as his concert music. Although an avowed modernist, Bennett borrowed from many genres of music.

06/26/25 Lord Berners (1883-1950): Fantaisie espagnole for orchestra

Berners was a true Renaissance man. He was not only a talented composer but also an accomplished novelist and painter.

06/27/25 Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990): Overture to Candide

This 1956 operetta had a lackluster premiere. But over time, it has become one of Bernstein's best-known works.

Next Month:

#ClassicsaDay #PrideMonth Week 3, 2025

2025-06-20T06:30:00.001-04:00

For the challenge, I included as many pre-20th-century composers as possible. Here are my posts for the third week of #PrideWeek.

06/16/25 Siegfried Wagner (1869-1930): Gluck

Siegfried was the son of Richard Wagner. On a long sea voyage to Asia, he became intimate with composer Clement Harris. The tone poem Gluck was dedicated to Harris's memory.

06/17/25 Walter Arlen (1920-2023): Sonnet

Jewish composer Arlen fled the Nazis in 1939, settling in America. Although he composed throughout his life, most of his works were written after he retired in 1993. Arlen's works are mainly vocal and chamber music.

6/18/25 Ruth Anderson (1928-2019): SUM (State of the Union Message)

Anderson studied with Darius Milhaud and Nadia Boulanger. She was a pioneer in electronic music and also composed for traditional ensembles.

06/19/25 Samuel Barber (1910-1981): A Hand of Bridge

Barber was always interested in vocal music, as was his partner Gian Carlo Menotti. "A Hand of Bridge" depicts the inner thoughts of four bridge players as they play a round. Menoti wrote the libretto.

06/20/25 Jean Barraqué (1928-1973): Sequence for voice, percussion, and chamber ensemble

Barraqué was a fastidious composer who constantly revised his works. His catalog only contains about 30 completed pieces. He was known for his innovative use of serialism, which moved beyond the Schoenberg model.

#ClassicsaDay #PrideMonth Week 2, 2025

2025-06-13T12:05:00.001-04:00

For the challenge, I included as many pre-20th-century composers as possible. Here are my posts for the second week of #PrideWeek.

06/09/25 Clement Harris (1871-1897): Paradise Lost

Harris was in a relationship with Siegfried Wagner. They were also part of Oscar Wilde's circle. "Paradise Lost" was written during a 6-month cruise with Wagner.

06/10/25 Adela Maddison (1862-1929): Piano Quintet

Maddison was a British composer and concert producer. Although married, she had an affair with Gabriel Faure, and later in life entered a long-term relationship with Martha Mundt. Most of her works were unpublished, and the majority of them are now considered lost.

06/11/25 Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921): Danse Macabre

Saint-Saëns was married and had two children. But his interest in young men never waned. And that part of his life never hindered his career or fame as a composer and organist.

06/12/25 Ethel Smyth (1858-1944): The Song of Love

Smyth refused to let gender hinder her career. This work was written in 1888. Tchaikovsky encouraged her, as did Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann. The eight-movement cantata is based on the Song of Songs. It received its performance debut in 2023.

06/13/25 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Piano Concerto No. 2

Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto became a repertoire standard almost immediately after its premiere. So much so that it's overshadowed his two subsequent concertos.

#ClassicsaDay #PrideMonth Week 1, 2025

2025-06-06T12:05:00.002-04:00

For the challenge, I included as many pre-20th-century composers as possible. Here are my posts for the first week of #PrideWeek.

06/02/25 Dominique Phinot (c.1510-c.1556): Messe Quam Pulchra es

Phinot was a major composer of sacred music. Palestrina and De Lassus, who followed him, used his works as models. His music was published widely. In 1556, he was executed in Lyons for "homosexual practices."

06/03/25 Charles Coypeau d'Assoucy (1605-1677): Airs a quatre parties

Coypeau had a taste for low entertainment, such as puppet shows and organ grinders. He incorporated those common elements into his own music with witty satire. He was believed to be the lover of Cyrano de Bergerac, both of whom were members of an all-male "free spirits" club.

06/04/25 Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687): Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs

At one time, Lully was the most influential musician at Louis XIV's court. Although he was married with children, his homosexual encounters eventually cost him the patronage of the king.

06/05/25 Johann Rosenmüller (1619-1684):Entsetze dich, Natur

Rosenmüller was a German composer who spent a large amount of time in Italy. His career was derailed in 1655 when he was accused of molesting choirboys. Rosenmüller fled Italy, but on for a while. By 1658, he was at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.

06/06/25 Frederick the Great (1712-1786): Flute Concerto No. 4 in D minor

Frederick's preference for men was an open secret at court. As a musician, he was a talented performer and composer, and he employed some of Europe's best musicians.

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 4, 2025

2025-05-30T12:05:00.001-04:00

Our neighbor to the south has a long, rich history of classical music. A much longer history than ours, in fact. For May, the Classics a Day team encourages folks to post videos of Mexican classical music.

There's a lot to choose from. The first composers in New Spain were writing in the 1500s.

Here are my posts for the third week of #ClassicalMexico.

05/26/25 Carlos Chávez (1899–1978): Xochipilli

Chávez subtitled this work "An Imagined Aztec Music. The subject is the Aztec god Xochipilli-Macuilxóchitl. The ensemble mimics the sound of pre-Columbian instruments.

05/27/25 Silvestre Revueltas (1899–1940): 5 Canciones de Ninos & 2 Conciones Profanas para Voz y Piano

Reveultas first published this collection of songs in 1945 for voice and piano. In 1969, an arrangement for voice and orchestra was made available.

05/28/25 Eduardo Hernández Moncada (1899–1995): Sinfonia No. 1

Moncada was a member of the Nationalist Movement. As such, he was vitally interested in blending traditional Mexican musical forms with those of modern classical to create a true national style.

05/29/25 Alfonso de Elias (1902-1984): Intermezzo

de Elias was a virtuoso pianist. And while he wrote many piano works, he also produced other forms of music: symphonies, ballets, concertos, string quartets, and other chamber music.

05/30/25 Luis Sandi (1905–1996): Sinfonia No. 2

Sandi studied with Carlo Chavez (among others). He conducted Mexico's top orchestras and was a member of the International Music Council of UNESCO.

Next Month:

Elfrida Andree Gets New Audience

2025-05-28T12:05:00.001-04:00

This release presents two major works by Swedish composer Elfrida Andree. She's now little more than a footnote in musical history today. But in the late 1800s, she was a well-known organist and composer in Scandinavia.

Andree was a prodigious organist. But Swedish churches weren't hiring female organists in the 1850s. They were considered unseemly. Nevertheless, Andree persevered. By 1861, she was organist at the Gothenburg Cathedral, a post she would hold for 62 years.

Composing, performing, and mounting concerts grew Andree's reputation. She was the first Swedish woman to conduct an orchestra. And she was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy.

Andree's first symphony was completed in 1868 -- the first by a Nordic female composer. It premiered the following year to mostly favorable reviews.

Andree was never fully satisfied with the work, especially with the orchestration. I found it to be a well-crafted piece of music. The orchestra isn't asked to do anything unusual or awkward. And the music simply flows.

Less successful for me was the Frijet Suite. This composition started as an opera. There were problems with the librettist, problems with the dramatic structure, and problems with logistics. All hampered the creation of the work and limited its performances.

Adree eventually created an orchestral suite from the score. That's proved more successful. To my ears, the work is overly sentimental. The opening sequence sounds like mid-Victorian salon music.

Each section has its charm, but it's a very dated charm (in my opinion). I would very much like to hear Andree's second symphony, though.

Still, this release features two major works by a ground-breaking composer. And those works do merit an audience.

Elfrida Andree
Symphony No. 1; Fritiof-Svit
Norkoping Symphony Orchestra; Hermann Baumer, conductor
CPO 555 589-2

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 3, 2025

2025-05-23T12:05:00.001-04:00

There's a lot to choose from. The first composers in New Spain were writing in the 1500s.

Here are my posts for the third week of #ClassicalMexico.

05/19/25 Alfredo Carrasco (1875–1945): Romanza in palabras

Carrasco spent most of his professional career in Mexico City. Romanza in palabras is one of his most popular works.

05/20/25 Julián Carrillo Trujillo (1875–1965): Primera Suite para Orquesta, Op. 1

Carrillo would eventually develop his own musical system, Sonido 13. IN his early days, he composed music, like this suite, for a local orchestra.

05/21/25 José Rolón (1876–1945): Vals Capricho Op. 14 "Sobre las Oas"

Rolón studied with Nadia Boulanger in the early 20th Century. He would later found the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco.

05/22/25 Manuel María Ponce (1882–1948): Intermezzo

Ponce was a composer and music educator vitally interested in Mexican music. He wanted to preserve both the folk and classical traditions of his country. His own work shows indigenous music influence.

05/23/25 Arnulfo Miramontes (1882–1960): Sinfonia No. 1

Miramontes was a pianist, conductor, and composer who wrote in the Post-Romantic style. His first symphony was written in 1916. During the 1910s, he also composed a piano concerto, opera, requiem mass, and some important chamber music.

Unseasonable Cantatas Provide Pleasant Listening

2025-05-22T12:05:00.001-04:00

This seems like the wrong time to be releasing Christmas music, but, um, OK. Johann Philipp Käfer was one of the lesser-known German composers active in 17th-century Europe. He spent most of his career at the court of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach. Käfer composed operas and other occasional works for the Margraviate.

Unfortunately, he was soon overshadowed by his successor Johann Melchior Molter. And little of his music has survived.

Which makes this such an interesting album. Käfer was a gifted composer and melodist. The album includes three cantatas written for Christmas. And each is a well-polished miniature. Käfer apparently had modest forces to work with, but he made the most of them.

The ensembles have a clean, transparent sound. The counterpoint is engaging, yet easy to follow. And the trumpet lines are just gorgeous. This is the kind of music I'd like to hear at Christmastime in a church setting!

Also included are some other works by Käfer. Was Käfer a rival of Bach? No. But could he explore all the possibilities of the tunes he wrote? Oh, yes. And quite elegantly, too.

This is a well-recorded album of music that I'm glad I heard. Listen with open ears and you may be, too.

Christmas Cantatas and Instrumental Music by Johann Philipp Käfer
La Protezione dell Musica; Jeroen Finke, director
Arcantus arc 24056

Walton: Violin Concerto and "Troilus and Cressida" in SACD

2025-05-21T12:05:00.009-04:00

This release collects three of William Walton's most important compositions. And that's a good thing -- because Walton isn't as well-known as his music deserves.

The Sinfonia of London performs his biggest hit, "Portsmouth Point." This energetic 5-minute overture launched Walton's career. He gained an international reputation with his lively interpretation of an 18th-century print.

The Violin Concerto was one of Walton's most important commissions. He composed it for Jascha Heifetz. It took a while for the work to reach fruition and for Heifitz to eventually premiere it. Charles Lovell-Jones is the leader of the Sinfonia of London.

He performs the work with great sensitivity and expression. Walton's work borders on the post-Romantic without stepping over into sentimentality. Lovell-Jones plays in a straightforward manner that conveys the emotion behind the music.

Walton's grand opera "Troilius and Cressida" took seven years to compose. And there were many twists and turns along the way. As an opera, it's had a difficult run. In 1987, Walton's publisher hired Christopher Palmer to create a symphonic suite from the score. And that suite has enjoyed greater success.

The work is almost symphonic in scope. The key scenes are carefully delineated -- and quite effectively -- by orchestra alone.

This is not only an excellent recording. It's an excellent-sounding recording. If you have the opportunity, listen to it through an SACD player. The added details -- especially in "Portsmouth Point" enhance the listening experience.

William Walton: Suite from "Troilius and Cressida"
Violin Concerto, Portsmouth Point
Charles Lovell-Jones, violin;
Sinfonia of London; John Wilson, conductor
Chandos SACD CHSA 5360

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 2, 2025

2025-05-16T12:05:00.001-04:00

There's a lot to choose from. The first composers in New Spain were writing in the 1500s.

Here are my posts for the second week of #ClassicalMexico.

05/12/25 Macedonio Alcalá (1831–1869): Dios munca muere

Alcalá was a violinist and pianist. Most of his music was improvised and unfortunately, seldom transcribed. One of his most popular works was Dios munca muere, written in 1868.

05/13/25 Melesio Morales (1839–1908): Il Sospiro d'Amore

Morales was a native Mexican opera composer. He achieved success as such in Florence in 1866. He wrote 10 operas, 2 cantatas, and several other works.

05/14/25 Guadalupe Olmedo (1853–1889): String Quartet Op. 14

Olmedo was the first woman to graduate from the National Conservatory of Music in 1875. This string quartet was one of 15 works she submitted for her degree examination (which she easily passed).

05/15/25 Ricardo Castro (1864–1907): Piano Concerto in A minor, OP. 22

Castro was equally famous as a pianist and a composer. He wrote his only piano concerto in 1940.

05/16/25 Luis Sandi (1905–1996): La Hoja de Plata

Sandi was a conductor, teacher, and composer. Although a large part of his output was choral, Sandi also wrote some important works for orchestra.

Miklos Rozsa: Sinfonia Concertante

2025-05-15T12:05:00.007-04:00

Miklos Rozsa is one of the great film composers of Hollywood's Golden Age. He scored over 100 films.

Rozsa was nominated 17 times for an Oscar and won three times. But that was only half of what he called his "double life."

Rozsa left Nazi Germany in 1931, then moved to France and England, always one step ahead of the invaders. At that time, he was a renowned composer of classical music. When he came to the United States in 1940, he became a rising star in the film industry.

But Rozsa continues to compose "serious" music for the concert hall. This release features three works written while Rosza lived his double life. It also includes the 1929 Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 3, when he was known only as a classical composer.

This early work is very much a post-Romantic showpiece. Gestures are large and dramatic, with a Brahmsian influence. Cellist Harriet Krijgh really sells the work. Her playing is expressive and emotive, but never over the top.

Rozsa completed his Sinfonia concertante for violin, cello, and orchestra, Op. 29, in 1958. This is a much more complex work, with a relaxed tonal structure. Rozsa's use of violin and cello presents both instruments at their best. Their interchanges sometimes take unexpected turns.

Sometimes film composers (even those who started in the concert hall) can only write Hollywood-style works. Rozsa is different. He successfully pulled off his double life. He created concert works that don't sound like soundtrack cues stitched together.

Gregor Buhl directs the Deutsche Staatsphilharmoni Rheinland-Pfalz. Their playing is disciplined with a concentrated power that matches the soloists.

Sure, I love the scores to "El Cid" and "Ben Hur." But I also like these works -- for different reasons. Recommended.

Miklos Rozsa: Sinfonia Concertante for violin, cello and orchestra, Op. 29
Notturno ungherese, Op. 28; Rhapsody for cello and orchestra, Op. 3
Harriet Krijgh, cello; Nikita Boriso-Glebsky, violin
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz; Gregor Buhl, conductor
Capriccio C5535

Alan Hovhaness: Concerto No. 2, Works for Violin and Piano

2025-05-14T12:05:00.001-04:00

I admit I'm a big Hovhaness fan. And I know that's not necessarily a popular opinion. Detractors complain that the music of this amazingly prolific composer all sounds the same. My response? It's a sound I like.

And it's also a misperception. Hovhaness' unique style combined modal harmonies and Eastern scales with Western forms. And while his works are tonal, it's a very loose tonality. There's never a feeling that we're marching inevitably to a final cadence. We simply... arrive.

This album presents several works by Hovhaness. They're for violin, both with orchestra and just piano. Zina Schiff is an excellent interpreter. Hovhaness was proud of his Armenian heritage. In his 1951 Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Strings, those roots lie close to the surface. Schiff's playing makes the violin sound like a folk instrument -- perfect for the music.

Oror (Lullaby), Op. 1 is a different matter. This 1922 work has a strong Eastern European influence. But the violin here is strictly a classical instrument. Schiff is wonderfully expressive in this short work.

The Violin Sonata, Op. 11 from 1937 is a purely classical work. True, the free-spinning melodies could only come from Hovhaness. But the structure and interplay is in line with the violin sonatas of the Romantic composers.

The works on this album span 51 years, from 1921 to 1973. Listen carefully. You'll hear Hovhaness defining and refining his style over time. Highly recommended for those ready to move beyond "Mysterious Mountain."

Alan Hovhaness: Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Strings; Works for Violin and Piano
Zina Schiff, violin; Valerie Stark piano
Salzburg Chamber Soloists; Avlana Eisenberg, conductor
Naxos 8.559957

#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalMexico Week 1

2025-05-09T12:05:00.001-04:00

There's a lot to choose from. The first composers in New Spain were writing in the 1500s.

Here are my posts for the first week of #ClassicalMexico.

05/01/25 Manuel de Zumaya (1678–1755): Aunque al sueño

Zumaya was born in Mexico. He was organist at the Mexico City Cathedral, and his music combines late-Renaissance, Baroque, and native musical styles. He's considered Mexico's greatest composer of the Baroque era.

05/02/25 Juan Gutierrez de Padilla (ca. 1590-1664): En la noche más Buena

Padilla emigrated to Mexico when he was about 30. He soon became Maestro of the Puebla de Los Angeles Cathedral. His music blends late Renaissance style with indigenous music traditions.

05/05/25 Juan García de Zéspedes (c. 1619 – 1678): Convidando está la Noche

Zéspedes was a native of Mexico. He was a singer, viola da gamba player, and composer. His sacred works incorporate native music rhythms.

05/06/25 José María Bustamante (1777–1861): Habandera

Bustamante taught at the first conservatory in Latin America (founded in 1824). He was also active in the Mexican independence movement.

05/07/25 José Mariano Elízaga (1786–1842): Dúo de las Siete Palabras

Elizaga is considered the first great composer of independent Mexico. He founded one of the first music conservatories in America (1825) and established the first music printing press in Mexico.

05/08/25 Cenobio Paniagua (1821–1882): String Quartet No. 1

Paniagua was known primarily for his vocal works. He composed several operas, including the first Mexican opera seria. He was also a violinist and conductor.

05/09/25 Aniceto Ortega (1825–1875): Marcha Zaragoza

Ortega was a physician, composer, and pianist. He composed one of the earliest Mexican operas that used an indigenous story. The Marcha Zaragoza is his most popular work.

Album Marks Philippe Quint's Career Milestones

2025-05-08T12:05:00.001-04:00

Violinist Philippe Quint presents a program of four violin works. All four were written by women, and three were composed especially for Quint. Quint's personal relationship to these composers (and their works) informs his performance. And those performances are superb.

As Quint explains in the liner notes, the three commissioned works each mark an important milestone in his career.

Lero Auerbach composed her Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 56 in 2000-2003. This was a milestone for Auerbach, too. It was her first large symphonic work to be recorded. The concerto is a fascinating blend of styles. The violin provides continuity as the work moves from one section to the next.

The Violin Concerto of Errollyn Wallen is the newest work on the album. It was completed in 2024. It's also the first violin concerto by the composer (another milestone). Wallen's concerto is tonal and written with Quint in mind. Several themes are quotes from tunes Quint heard growing up.

Lara Kwint composed her Rhapsody for Violin and Piano in close collaboration with her son. The violin part is full of technical challenges. But this is not a showpiece. Rather, it's a true conversation between violin and piano. And one of exceptional beauty.

Adoration by Florence Price concludes the album. This short, sentimental tune is charming in its simplicity. And that's how Quint performs it. He lets the music speak for itself.

This is an album of extraordinary performances. The release is available in Dolby Atmos format. If possible, listen to it through an Atmos system. The concertos really come alive in the immersive soundfield.

Philippe Quint, violin: Milestones
Lero Auerbach, Errollyn Wallen, Lara Kwint, Florence Price
Scottish National Orchestra; Andrew Litton, conductor
Pentatone PTC5187408

Les Kapsber'girls -- Vox Feminae

2025-05-07T12:05:00.001-04:00

According to their website, Les Kapsber'girls look for "new ways of interpreting historical sources," while "exploring the pre-baroque and baroque repertoire."

And they succeed quite handily. Their previous two albums have garnered some prestigious awards, and no wonder.

This all-female ensemble is comprised of top-flight musicians. Les Kapsber'girls are quite comfortable performing in a variety of early music styles. And this release is no exception.

The ensemble derived its name from Hieronymus Kapsberger. He was a virtuoso string player and composer of the early 17th C. This release features several tracks from his published collections of lute and theorbo music.

The program consists mostly of music by women composers. And it's a collection of surprising variety. Barbara Strozzi is represented by several elegantly crafted Italian madrigals. There are some lively selections by Antonia Bembo, a contemporary of Strozzi.

Francesca Campana was the daughter of early opera composer Andrea Campra. Her arias show a real gift for vocal writing.

Alice Duport-Percier (soprano) and Axelle Verner (mezzo-soprano) sing with clear, rounded tones. And their vocal blend is seamless. They create a beautiful, almost unearthly sound I found quite appealing.

And the instrumentalists are equally talented. Pernelle Marzorati (triple harp), Garace Boizot (bass viol), and Albane Imbs (theorobo, torbino, and baroque guitar) play with clarity and energy.

These works are not presented as academic curiosities. This is a program filled with exciting and engaging performances. This is one of the best early music recordings I've heard in a while. Recommended.

Vox Feminae
Les Kapsber'girls
Alpha

#ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth Week 5

2025-05-02T12:05:00.001-04:00

April is Poetry Month. The Classics a Day challenge for April is to post examples of classical music inspired by poetry. The most obvious cases are poems set to music. But sometimes, inspiration runs deeper.

Here are my posts for the fifth and final week of #ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth.

04/28/25 Franz Liszt: A Symphony to Dante's Divine Comedy

This massive work is in two movements and depicts the first two parts of Dante's epic poem: Purgatory and Hell.

04/29/25 Franz Liszt: Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata

Liszt's sonata isn't based on Dante's poetry, but rather a Victor Hugo poem reacting to Dante's work “Après une lecture de Dante."

04/30/25 Giullaume de Machaut: Remede de Fortune

Machaut was a renowned poet and composer. "Remede de Fortune" combines poetry, song, and drama -- all created by Machaut.

Next Month:

Arnold Rosner's Music for Wind Band: Bold and Unfiltered

2025-05-01T12:05:00.001-04:00

This release was a real surprise for me. Long-time readers know I love Arnold Rosner's music. He combined Renaissance and Medieval harmonies and voice-leading. And he eschewed the major/minor structure of the Baroque (and later) periods. His use of tonality makes his music accessible to modern audiences. And yet there's a sense of timelessness to it.

What surprised me is that this release features works for symphonic wind band. Without strings, Rosner's music has an immediacy to it, bristling with raw power.

Rosner's masterful orchestrations are idiomatic to the ensemble. None of this business of just substituting clarinets for strings! That gives Rosner's wind band music a distinctive sound.

Any instrument (or combination of instruments) can have the melody. Any instrument (or group of instruments) can provide supporting harmony. These combinations shift throughout the work, providing fresh insights into the material.

All these works are world premiere recordings. I hope we'll start seeing them show up on concert programs. Every piece is a gem. Eclipse, Op. 100 is a tone poem depicting the celestial event. Rosner wrote it for a high school ensemble, creating an engaging work using simple materials.

Wind band arrangements of folk music are fairly common. Rosner's are uncommon. RAGA!, Op. 104 uses an Indian raga. But he doesn't just set the raga in a Western tonal framework. Rather, he closely follows the Indian traditional form. He uses a shifting combination of instruments to develop the material.

"Lovely Joan", Op. 88 is a setting of an English folksong. But Rosner does more than simply present the tune a few times. His work explores the underlying harmonies of the piece. Each part of the melody is examined in detail. The work ranges far and wide, held together by the source material.

Density512 is a first-rate ensemble, dedicated to contemporary music. They play with commitment, expression, and enthusiasm. Arnold Rosner was truly a unique composer with a voice all his own. And it's a voice that is accessible to modern audiences. If you'd not heard Rosner before, this is the album to start with. This is Rosner unfiltered.

Arnold Rosner: Music for Symphonic Wind Band
Density512; Jacob Aaron Schnitzer, Nicholas Perry Clark, conductors
Toccata Classics

The Last Rose: Mysterious Music on Silent Instruments Reborn

2025-04-30T12:05:00.001-04:00

This album has a truly remarkable origin. Early music specialists Mathilde Vialle and Thibaut Roussel received a unique opportunity. The Paris Museum of Music was loaning them two instruments from its collections. Instruments that had not been played for centuries.

Vialle received the basse de viole of John Pitts, London 1679. It's the only known surviving instrument from this luthier. Iit was restored to playing condition in the 20th Century. But this release will most likely be the only opportunity to most of us to hear it.

Roussel was entrusted with the archlute of Cristoph Koch, Venice, 1654. It was restored to playing condition in the 1990s.

What to perform? In the Bibliothèque nationale de France, they found a mysterious manuscript. It was a collection in two bound volumes -- one for the viol parts, the other for the bass. The first page was torn out, so there is no title, author, composer, or patron to attach to the work.

But inside were 200 pages of music, both familiar and obscure. This album is the result. As the artists wrote in the liner notes, "To hear the music that had been long forgotten but is now played on instruments that remained silent for centuries is to embark on a journey through time."

And it's a convincing journey. Vialle and Roussel are top-notch players. While their playing is stylistically correct, it's full of expression and emotion. Ronan Khalil plays the virginal, filling out the basso continuo. And tenor Zachary Wilder sings some of the selections.

This is a beautifully realized release. The instruments have an extraordinary sound, enhanced by the masterful recording. The clean, detailed sound showcases the rich voices of these instruments.

Even if you have a large collection of early music, you should add "The Last Rose" to your collection. And if you're starting your exploration of this genre, "The Last Rose" is a great choice as well.

The Last Rose: Songs, tunes, and dances from a mysterious manuscript
Mathilde Vialle, bass viol; Thibaut Roussel, archlute; Ronan Khalil, virginals; Zachery Wilder, tenor
Harmonia Mundi HMM 902505

#ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth Week 4, 2025

2025-04-25T12:05:00.004-04:00

Here are my posts for the fourth week of #ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth.

04/21/25 Benjamin Britten: The Holy Sonnets of John Donne

Britten set a selection of John Donne's sonnets after viewing the liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1947.

04/22/25 Peter Warlock: The Curlew (W.B. Yeats)

Warlock selected four poems by W.B. Yeats for this work. He completed it in 1922, and it was premiered that same year.

04/23/25 George Butterworth: Is my team ploughing? (Houseman)

Butterworth set six poems to music from A.E. Houseman's "Shropshire Lad." Butterworth completed the work in 1911. He would go on to set additional poems from the collection.

04/24/25 George Butterworth: A Shropshire Lad (Rhapsody for Orchestra)

Butterworth wrote two song cycles based on A.E. Houseman's "Shropshire Lad." His orchestral rhapsody served as an instrumental epilogue to the project. It premiered in 1913.

04/25/25 Ralph Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock Edge (Houseman)

Vaughan Williams set six poems from A.E. Houseman's "Shropshire Lad" to music. Originally, the songs were for voice and piano. In 1924, Vaughan Williams created a version for voice and orchestra.

Glass, Undistorted: Di Lallo’s Faithful Performances

2025-04-24T12:05:00.001-04:00

Giusto Di Lallo created this recording with some very specific objectives. The first was to mark the tenth anniversary of Philip Glass' Piano Etudes. The 20 etudes were first published -- and recorded -- in 2014.

Since that time, several pianists have recorded these works. When he studied the scores, Di Lallo realized that many performers took liberties with the music. Philip Glass recognized that players tend to make pieces their own through interpretation.

But as Di Lallo noted in the liner notes, "As I delved deeper into studying these pieces, I realized that, besides the tempos, pianists

often altered the dynamics and phrasing as well. As a composer myself this left me with a certain sense of frustration."

Di Lallo's goal was to be as faithful as possible to the printed music. So the tempos, dynamics, and phrasing are true to Glass' vision. Does it make a difference?

Oh yes.

These are not mechanical performances. Di Lallo brings all his musicianship to making these pieces come alive. It's just that he's aligned his own expressive nature with Glass' ideas.

Di Lallo wisely chose not to record all 20 etudes. By picking and choosing, he's created a compelling and engaging program. Plus he chose not to play the etudes in sequence. This creates some interesting contrasts between the pieces, and provides additional insights into Glass' music.

This is a fine collection. I'm looking forward to doing some A/B comparisons with other recordings of the etudes. I suspect there may be a few surprises.

Philip Glass: Selected Piano Etudes
10th Anniversary Special Edition
Giusto Di Lallo, piano
SOMM Recordings SOMMCD 0695

Daugherty Soars Again with Blue Electra

2025-04-23T12:05:00.002-04:00

Would it be too much to name Michael Daugherty America's composer? So much of his work is bound up in American culture and history. From the "Metropolis Symphony" (1991) through "Philadelphia Stories" (2001) to "Mount Rushmore" (2010), he's captured the essence of America

Daugherty has a unique symphonic style. It can be expansive without sounding like Copland. It can be lyrical without sounding like Barber. It can reference other musical genres without sounding stilted or pretentious.

This release adds three more masterpieces of Americana to Daugherty's catalog.

"Blue Electra" (2022) celebrates the life and mysterious fate of Amelia Earhart. Anne Akiko Meyers is the violin soloist. Her playing crackles with energy, especially in the second movement "Paris (1932)." Her phrasing on the final movement, "Last Flight (1937)" is exquisite. It brings the work to an emotional, heartbreaking conclusion.

"Last Dance at the Surf" (2021) commemorates Buddy Holly's final performance. He would die in a plane crash hours later. Daugherty captures the exuberance of the gig. And all without quoting music by Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, or the Big Bopper.

Rather, we're treated to an abstract version of the event, moving from uptempo numbers to slow songs and back again. And that abstraction makes the piece work. There's no danger of "Last Dance" ever sounding dated or contrived.

"To the New World" celebrates the Apollo 11 moon landing. Soprano Elissa Johnston provides a wordless obbligato. Does her voice, coupled with a soaring French horn, echo "Star Trek?" Perhaps. If so, it's a very oblique reference.

Daugherty uses the voice to create an otherworldly sound to the music. This is another stirring score that inspires and uplifts.

David Alan Miller directs the Albany Symphony. They're recorded in the legendary Troy Bank Building. When the ensemble needs to go big, it does. And when subtlety is required, the musicians deliver. These are world-class performances of first-class music.

Michael Daugherty: Blue Electra
Last Dance at the Surf; To the New World
Anne Akiko Meyers, violin; Elissa Johnston, soprano obbligato
Albany Symphony; David Alan Miller, conductor
Naxos 8.559955

#ClassicsaDay #Poetry Month Week 3, 2025

2025-04-18T12:05:00.018-04:00

Here are my posts for the third week of #ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth.

04/14/25 Ralph Vaughan Williams: Toward the Unknown Region (Walt Whitman)

This cantata was composed in 1906. It's one of RVW's first settings of Whitman's poetry. It wouldn't be his last.

04/15/25 Paul Hindemith: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd (Walt Whitman)

This work was commissioned in 1945 after the death of FDR. Its subtitle is "A Requiem for those we love (An American Requiem).

04/16/25 John Adams: The Wound-Dresser (Walt Whitman)

This 1989 work was written for baritone Sanford Sylvan, who made the first recording of it. The poem was based on Whitman's experiences as a hospital volunteer during the Civil War.

04/17/25 John Alden Carpenter: Sea Drift (Walt Whitman)

Carpenter's inspiration for this 1933 tone poem was Whitman's "Sea Drift." This was a section of sea-themed poems in "Leaves of Grass."

04/18/25 Frederick Delius: Sea Drift (Walt Whitman)

Delius used selected texts from "Sea Drift" for this work. It was composed in 1906 for baritone, chorus, and orchestra.

Three Polish Voices, One Bold Sound

2025-04-17T12:05:00.001-04:00

This album has a simple program. Yet it's one with complexity and depth. Thomas Sondergaard has collected three works by 20th-century Polish composers. The three composers have a shared musical heritage. Yet each chooses a different way to express it.

Graznia Bacewicz wrote her "Overture for Orchestra" in 1943. It's a bustling, energetic work. Without context, it can seem celebratory. But Bacewicz composed it during the Nazi occupation. The intent was defiance. And that's the attitude the Royal Scottish National Orchestra delivers.

Symphony No. 3 by Witold Lutosławski challenges differently. This 1983 work features limited aleatorism. That is, specified instruments play notated patterns for a set length of time. But the speed and frequency of the repetitions are up to the performers. Most of these sections have several groups of instruments playing different patterns. The way they interrelate changes with every performance.

The symphony is a difficult work to perform. The balance between control and freedom has to be just right. And it is here. I think the orchestra's performance here is the best on the album.

Karol Szymanowski's "Fantasy on King Roger" is the most traditional work on the album. The music was derived from his 1926 opera, "King Roger." The score is an exotic blend of Mediterranean music, Gregorian chant, and Polish classicism. Sondergaard leads the RSNO in a spirited and nuanced performance.

A fine album of music. And one that demonstrates just how diverse the music of a single country can be.

Bacewicz, Lutoslawski, Szmanowski

Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Thomas Sondergaard, conductor

Linn CKD 758

Liszt’s Legacy: Two Forgotten Concertos, Reborn

2025-04-16T12:05:00.001-04:00

The two piano concertos on this release have a few things in common:

1) They were both composed by students of Franz Liszt

2) Both composers were better known as pianists

3) Both works have languished in obscurity for almost a century

4) Both are extraordinary concertos that deserve an audience

Oliver Triendl has made a career recording overlooked and neglected repertoire. Virtually all the music he's recorded has been worthy of revival. And that's the case here, too.

Triendl has the chops to pull off these concertos -- and they're needed. Emil von Sauer was considered Franz Liszt's heir. His piano writing is dense and difficult. Conrad Ansorge also follows in Liszt's footsteps, but not as closely. His music relies on sensitive musicianship as well as technical brilliance.

Sauer's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor was the first of two concertos. He wrote it in 1895, and it's the height of Romantic expression. Crashing chords cascade up and down the keyboard. Thick piano textures are the norm, with an abundance of rapid runs.

But this concerto isn't solo piano with a side order of orchestra. It is a collaborative effort. The piano sometimes accompanies the orchestra (as well as the other way around). Sauer created a four-movement concerto, unusual for the day.

The work is filled with big, brawny melodies that have some staying power. Now I want to hear Sauer's second concerto!

Ansorge's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F major, Op. 28, is a late work from 1924. Ansorge finished it six years before his death. It may be the last work he completed.

It's a very different work from Sauer's concerto. Technical demands on the pianist remain high. But the focus isn't the technique, but what is expressed through it. This is a very lyrical concerto, and one with real beauty.

The Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchestrer Berlin perform under Roland Kluttig. The ensemble has a big, brawny sound that's well-suited to this music. If you're a fan of Rachmaninoff, Grieg, or Tchaikovsky concertos, give this a listen. You may just discover some new favorites.

Emil von Sauer, Conrad Ansorge: Piano Concertos
Oliver Triendl, piano
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchestrer Berlin; Roland Kluttig, conductor
Capriccio C5511