WFIU: Featured Classical Recordings

William Lawes, A Magnetic Figure

George Walker — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:00:03 +0000

There are some excruciatingly angst-like harmonies and there’s also some very playful stuff !

Chanticleer’s ‘Love Story’

George Walker — Sun, 06 May 2012 12:00:25 +0000

A new CD rooted firmly in the group's early music sounds with some romantic and even twenty-first century sounds.

John Ireland Solo Piano Music, Volume IV

George Walker — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:00:09 +0000

The Final CD in John Lenahan’s John Ireland Project features a concerto with a love story?

A Storytelling Trumpeter

George Walker — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 12:00:38 +0000

I'm the storyteller with the notes, but the listeners add their own words!

Paysages: Debussy, Messiaen & Fauré

George Walker — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:35:15 +0000

When it comes together, it's an awful lot of fun!

Horizons In Music – Choral Works By Ola Gjeilo

David Wood — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:30:03 +0000

The Norwegian composer talks about a new recording of his music by the Phoenix Chorale, "Northern Lights: Choral Works by Ola Gjeilo."

Duo Sonidos: A Pairing By Chance, A Mission By Design

George Walker — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:57 +0000

The group's mission is nothing short of building a standard and expansive repertoire for violin and guitar duos.

The Canadian Brass Takes Flight

George Walker — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:44:57 +0000

You can see the new gold plated instruments, but you have to imagine those Adidas sneakers.

‘Dowland In Dublin’: Celtic Flavor In An English Player

George Walker — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:18:02 +0000

Perhaps not semper dolans, but semper O'Dolan?

Bach Sonatas

George Walker — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 12:00:06 +0000

Violinist leaves 'sichord' out of harpsichord for recording session.

Felix Austria

George Walker — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:00:43 +0000

"Happy Austria" was part of the Latin motto of the marrying rather than martial Austrian Habsburgs

@bach: A Live And Lively Recording Of Johann Sebastian

George Walker — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:07:31 +0000

I never think it should be played the same way twice.

Modern American Bass

George Walker — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:00:33 +0000

Music for the instrument before and after "the explosion" of the 70s.

French Impressions: Saint-Saëns, Franck, Ravel

George Walker — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:10:16 +0000

I would say that Josh and I are interested in the beauty of the sounds that come from our respective instruments....Jeremy Denk

Shuffle.Play.Listen

George Walker — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:00:01 +0000

The title does invite 'shuffle' play, but the creators think they've dealt a well sorted hand.

Capricho Latino

George Walker — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:10:10 +0000

A tour of Latin-flavored music for solo violin that grew out of a cruise.

13 Ways Of Looking At The Goldberg

George Walker — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:00:06 +0000

"Making the world safe for classical music, one note at a time." Lara Downes goal!

A Geeky Musical Version Of ‘Bones’

George Walker — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:14:43 +0000

Also there were these catalogs of pieces by Weiss, so I had at least a sense of a taste preference.

Music With A Spanish, Portuguese, And English Accent

George Walker — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:00:24 +0000

"I wanted to appeal to the audience that still has affection for the music that Andres Segovia made so much a part of the repertoire."

Reflections On ‘Fanfare, Capriccio And Rhapsody’

George Walker — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:48:38 +0000

We didn’t get Doc Seversen, but we had a young man named Vincent DiMartino and he’s gone on to become the famous Vincent DiMartino of the trumpet world.

Bach’s Strange Beauty

George Walker — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:00:33 +0000

In some pieces I have to think about organ sounds and effects and of course with the orchestra I’m always reminded of the expressive qualities of bowing

Jubilant Sykes Sings Copland And Spirituals

George Walker — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:32:57 +0000

We recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and it sounded so great that it was inspiring.

Classical Music Highlights for April

David Wood — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:19:34 +0000

Welcome spring with a bouquet of fine classical recordings.

March 2010 Classical Music Highlights

David Wood — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:00:59 +0000

At WFIU, we're thawing out with some fine classical music in March.

Powerful Music Delivered in ‘Letters from Lincoln’

David Wood — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:00:03 +0000

For the Lincoln bicentennial, the Spokane Symphony commissioned American composer Michael Daugherty to write Letters from Lincoln for baritone and orchestra.

Perlman, Ax and Ma collaborate on Mendelssohn Trios

David Wood — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:24:15 +0000

With the Super Bowl recently passed, and the Olympics gearing up, I started trying to put together a sort of classical music “dream team.”

Classical Music Highlights for February

David Wood — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:00:49 +0000

Spreading a little love of classical music in the month of February.

Classical Music Highlights for January

David Wood — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Highlighting the featured recordings at the beginning of the year.

Classical Music Highlights for December

David Wood — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:00:14 +0000

We’ve got quite the lineup for December; from the German Baroque to imaginings of the composers of yesterday if they happened to have written today's songs.

Sarasate: Virtuoso Violin Works

David Wood — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:16 +0000

Playwright and music critic George Bernard Shaw wrote of Pablo de Sarasate that he “left criticism miles behind him,” and by all contemporary accounts the Spanish violin virtuoso was unique. In this week’s featured recording violinists Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony pay homage to the great Sarasate with a collection of his most outstanding works.

Vivaldi Bassoon Concertos – Volume 3

David Wood — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:54:39 +0000

Naxos has released 5 volumes in their complete Vivaldi bassoon series, and we’re listening to music from the third. Bassoonist Tamás Benkócs performs on all five recordings with the Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia, conducted by Béla Drahos.

Trendsetters: Music for Wind Band

David Wood — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:02 +0000

The versatility of the wind band has been widely recognized and utilized throughout the history of Western music. The beginning of the 20th century was no exception, and that’s why the Peabody Conservatory Wind Ensemble offers four of the century’s best known compositions in this style on their latest release Trendsetters: Music for Wind Band.

Sonatas for Viola da Gamba

David Wood — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:00:26 +0000

It has never been easy for cellist to adapt the Bach sonatas for viola da gamba to their instrument. Since Bach wrote no works for cello and accompaniment, these three sonatas are the closest they have! Cellist Audrey Cienniwa has attempted to bridge the performance gap by placing the sonatas on the the five stringed piccolo cello.

Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances

David Wood — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:46:51 +0000

At the age of 18, Johannes Brahms was asked to tour with renowned Hungarian violinist Eduard Hoffman. Brahms was drawn to the music which Hoffman played, a combination of gypsy music and traditional "classical music. So it came as little surprise when he created two volumes of Hungarian dances taking advantage of the four-hands technique.

Italian Trumpet Concertos

David Wood — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:02:34 +0000

The role of concerto soloist in the early 18th century was moving away from a violin-centered view to incorporate wind instruments. At this time, the trumpet was still seen as an instrument whose days had passed. But thanks to some ambitious composers, it resumed a place of prominence, even before the advent of the valved trumpet.

Rebel: Violin Sonatas

David Wood — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:00:03 +0000

We head into the WFIU vault for this week’s featured recording, all the way back to 1999, for three of the early music world’s most celebrated musicians on one CD! "Rebel: Violin Sonatas" may have been released ten years ago, but the quality of this recording stands the test of time.

American Choral Premieres

David Wood — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:00:33 +0000

The acclaimed William Ferris Chorale adds to their discography with a look at new music being written in America and some works that have been overlooked by recording ensembles. Premiere recordings from Hovhannes, Rochberg, and the ensemble’s founder, William Ferris, are among the many gems on this CD.

Twelve Celebrated Fantaisies and Aires Varies

David Wood — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:40:51 +0000

We’re back from vacation, but if you’ve been following the WFIU website, you’ll have noticed we didn’t stop featuring recordings. So this week, we’ll look back, however briefly, at the featured CDs for July.

Chopin: 21 Mazurkas

David Wood — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:33:27 +0000

Even a poor pianist like me has been exposed to the compositions of Frédèric Chopin. His music is almost synonymous with the instrument. Chopin is also exceedingly well-known for his use of ethic music types in classical composition, including the folk dance from his native county, Poland, the mazurka. .

Vivaldi and Piazzolla’s Four Seasons

David Wood — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:00:42 +0000

The last thing anyone needs is ANOTHER recording of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, right? Not necessarily. Violinist Lara St. John teams up with the hit of last year's BBC Proms, the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuala for a pairing you won't forget.

Dowland : The Queen’s Galliard – Lute Music, Vol. 4

David Wood — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:00:19 +0000

Lutenist Nigel North is at it again. This time it's for volume four of John Dowland's lute music, titled "The Queen's Galliard." This recording is completely devoted to Queen Elizabeth I's favorite courtly dance of French origin, the Galliard. Over 25 tracks you'll hear Dowland's many variations on this dance form.

Carole Terry Plays The Watjen Concert Organ

David Wood — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:00:47 +0000

This week's featured CD is the premiere recording on the Watjen Concert Organ. Organist Carole Terry tours the repertoire for this release on Loft Recordings.

Between Flute and Guitar

David Wood — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:16:18 +0000

The Noteworthy Duo perform music of Latin American on "Between Flute and Guitar."

Sol Gabetta: Cantabile and Shostakovich

David Wood — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:27:13 +0000

Sol Gabetta's fourth CD, "Cantabile", was released simultaneously with her third in September of 2008. So for this week, we'll take a listen to both of them.

Anne Akiko Meyers “Smile”

David Wood — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:00:10 +0000

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers was introduced the American public through two appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and the Emmy Awards at the age of 11. Her latest project is a journey that takes this 39 year-old artist across many borders of musical cultures.

An American Heritage of Spirituals

David Wood — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:15:14 +0000

This week we turn the clock back 13 years. In 1996, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir released the CD “An American Heritage of Spirituals” under conductor Albert McNeil.

Intimate Barrios

David Wood — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:50 +0000

On her most recent CD, Berta Rojas pays homage to Agustin Barrios in a compilation of works from his catalog; many of which she performs based on versions from Barrios’ recording and manuscript copies.

Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

David Wood — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:33:42 +0000

After reading Hans Bethge’s The Chinese Flute, Gustav Mahler was struck by the depiction of earthly beauty and chose to set verses to set in "Das Lied von der Erde", (The Songs of the Earth).

Biber: Balletti And Sonatas For Trumpets And Strings

David Wood — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:00:01 +0000

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704) was one of the most important composers of the during the late 17th century. His compositional output has kept many baroque musicians in gigs, so when René Clemencic and his Clemencic Consort were deciding on music for trumpet and violin, there wasn't too much guesswork as to what they'd be recording.

Leroy Anderson: Orchestral Music, Vol. 4

David Wood — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:47:19 +0000

Leroy Anderson is a name you don't normally hear outside of the Christmas season. He's probably best known for his holiday classics like "Sleigh Ride" and "Bugler's Holiday", but he was no one trick pony. Anderson composed well over 60 concert works, many of them programmatic in nature with themes ranging from The Typewriter to the songs of Scotland.