A monthly podcast dedicated to the best of independent classical musicians, composers, and labels from around the world. Each episode is typically 2 or 3 tracks, and includes a brief narrative. The music is always superb.
The year of 1913 was a monumentus shift in orchestral norms. In this podcast, we set the scene with typical songs heard in 1913. We then explore the works of Debussy and Stravinsky and try to envoke in you, the feelings of surprise and intrigue that the classical listeners at the time were feeling. Sit back and take a trip back in time with us.... The Spaniard That Blighted My LifeThe Early YearsAl JolsonPickwick Group UnlimitedStream on Spotify O Solo MioEnrico Caruso 1903 - 1918Enrico CarusoTV RecordsStream on SpotifyBuy on iTunes Sleeping Beauty Suite, Op. 66: Act I, ValseTchaikovsky: Swan Lake Suite, Sleeping Beauty Suite, Ouverture Solennelle 1812Philharmonia Orchestra | Herbert von Karajan AllegroStream on SpotifyBuy on iTunes JeuxDebussy: Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, La mer and JeuxLondon Symphony Orchestra | Valery GergievLSO Stream on Spotify Buy on iTunes Selections from Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, The Firebird Suite San Francisco Symphony | Michael Tilson ThomasSan Francisco Symphony Stream on Spotify Buy on iTunes
We're back!! We're thrilled to breathe the life back into Maestro Classical and begin with some of our favorite peices from the year so far. Below, you can find the tracks in this episode and links to more information on the artists themselves. We hope you enjoy! Der Freischutz: Act II, Finalie: "Der WolfsschluchtWeber: Der FreischutzLondon Symphony Chorus, Lars Woldt, Simon O'neill, Stephan Loges, Sir Colin DavisLSO LiveStream on SpotifyBuy on iTunesBuy on Amazon The sweet and merry month of MayAn Imortal LegacyWilliam Byrd, The Sixteen/Harry ChristophersCORO/ The SixteenStream on SpotifyBuy on Amazon Violin Concerto in E Major, BWV 1042: I. Allegro Bach: Violin Concertos Elmar Oliveira, Arco String Quartet, Arco Ensemble ONYXStream on Spotify Buy on iTunes Fleotan The Panufnik Legacies London Symphony Orchestra, Francois-Xavier Roth LSO Live Stream on Spotify Buy on iTunes Buy on Amazon
Happy new year listeners. Welcome to indie classical spotlight. Today’s episode we will be playing several sonata pieces from our classical collection. After 35 years of success the world over, including many award-winning recordings and newly commissioned works, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio continues to dazzle audiences and critics alike with their performances.The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Joseph Kalichstein, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson "Trio in B-flat Major, D. 898: I. Andante moderato" (mp3) from "Franz Schubert: The Piano Trios and Arpeggione Sonata" (Bridge Records, Inc.) More On This Album An Oregon native, Marcia Hadjimarkos received degrees in piano performance and French literature from the University of Iowa. She has been devoted to the fortepiano and clavichord since the 1980s, and studied with Jos van Immerseel at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in 1993-94.Marcia Hadjimarkos "16 Deutsche Tänze, D 783" (mp3) from "Franz Schubert: Sonata & Dances for Fortepiano" (Arabesque Recordings) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album From the beginning of the first movement in Sonata No. 1, you can hear a tender, restrained longing behind the notes, which in turn helps illuminate the passionate outbursts that erupt in the First and especially the Third Sonatas. Zina Schiff has the emotional equipment to convey her powerful reading of these works. Zina Schiff, Cameron Grant "Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78" (mp3) from "Brahms: Sonatas for Violin and Piano" (MSR Classics) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Robert Quinney is a sub-Organist of Westminster Abbey. In addition to his work at the Abbey, he has a busy freelance career as soloist, ensemble player, and writer on music. In 2002 Quinney was named Royal College of Organists Performer of the Year.Robert Quinney "Sonata I in E Flat Major BWV 525" (mp3) from "Bach: Trio Sonatas For Organ" (Coro) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album
Happy Holidays listeners! To observe the holiday season, we will be playing 6 holiday tracks from our classical collection. The London Fox Players "Deck The Halls" (mp3) from "Christmas - Woodwind" (Classic Fox Records) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumParthenia / A Consort of Viols "Pavans, Galliards, Almains and other short Aeirs" (mp3) from "As It Fell on a Holie Eve - Music for an Elizabethan Christmas" (MSR Classics) More On This AlbumStile Antico "Ave Maria" (mp3) from "Puer Natus Est - Tudor Music for Advent and Christmas" (harmonia mundi) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumThe Sixteen, Harry Christophers "Masters in this Hall" (mp3) from "A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection from The Sixteen, Vol. II" (Coro) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumElaine Funaro "A Baroque Christmas" (mp3) from "Harpsichord at the Holidays: Christmas Carols Past and Present" (Arabesque Recordings) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumJohanni van Oostrum, Metropole Orchestra, Dick Bakker, Ockert Vermeulen, Evert van Niekerk, Peter Forrester "Ding, dong! Merrily on high" (mp3) from "A Christmas Present" (Omnium) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Delivery Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album
This month we have a very exciting feature. We will be celebrating the 10th year of the recording label CORO which was established in 2001. Bringing together live concerts and recording plans has allowed The Sixteen to develop a glittering catalogue which now boasts over ninety releases, spanning six hundred years of sacred choral music from the earliest plainsong through to contemporary composers such as James MacMillan.The back-catalogue contains some of the most magnificent choral works ever written including Handel’s Messiah, Allegri’s Miserere, Fauré’s Requiem and Tallis’s Spem in Alium - all of which are best sellers. Added to this list are the entire Eton Choirbook, Bach’s Mass in B minor and Victoria’s Requeim of 1605 all of which have received critical acclaim worldwide. Many of the CDs on CORO are award-winners and many more have been nominated for awards. The accolades include a MIDEM Award, two Gramophone Awards, three Diapason d’Or and four Schallplattenkritiks as well as two Grammy® nominations.We will be celebrating with pieces from 5 of CORO's albums today. The Sixteen/Harry Christophers"Stabat Mater Dolorosa" from "Allegri - Miserere/Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli" (Coro) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at mTraksThe Sixteen / Harry Christophers"Libera Nos" from "Philip & Mary: A Marriage of England & Spain" (Coro) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at mTraksThe Sixteen/ Harry Christophers "Magnificat in D major (BWV 243)" from "Vivald: Gloria in D major / Bach: Magnificat in D major" (Coro) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at mTraksThe Sixteen, Harry Christophers"Messiah" from "Handel: Messiah" (Coro) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at mTraksHandel & Haydn Society, Harry Christophers, Elizabeth Watts, Phyllis Pancella, Andrew Kennedy, Eric Owens"Requiem, K. 626" (mp3) from "Mozart: Requiem" (The Sixteen Productions Ltd.) Buy at Amazon MP3
Bridge Records was founded in 1981 by the classical guitarist David Starobin, and his wife, the violinist, Becky Starobin. The company celebrates its 30th anniversary with a catalog of more than 400 CD and DVDs, as well as a music publishing arm and an artist management division. Both of the Starobin's children, Robert Starobin and Allegra Starobin, work for the company, as well as a staff of engineers, designers and allied personnel. Bridge now issues between 35 to 40 discs per year, across a broad spectrum of classical music, contemporary music and jazz. The Washington Post wrote that "Bridge is a company with a highly selectiveand consistently excellent catalog". It is this selectivity that has led to 25 Grammy nominations and numerous awards from the international critical press. New Orford String Quartet "String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887, Op. 161: I. Allegro molto moderato" (mp3) from "New Orford String Quartet performs Schubert and Beethoven" (Bridge Records, Inc.) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumThe New Orford Quartet is a brilliant all-star group from Canada. The quartet includes the concertmasters of the Montreal and Toronto Symphonies. This is the debut recording of the New Orford- a recording which has been receiving rave reviews in the critical press. Susanna Phillips, Myra Huang "Poemes Pour Mi: VII. Les Deux guerriers" (mp3) from "Susanna Phillips: Paysages" (Bridge Records, Inc.) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumSusanna Phillips is a spectacular young mezzo-soprano. Ms. Phillips is the winner of the Metropolitan Opera's 2010 Beverly Sills Award. Her solo debut recording on Bridge is called Paysages (Landscapes) and includes French songs by Messiaen, Debussy and Fauré. Here we listen to a track from Olivier Messiaen's magical song cycle Poemes pour Mi.The Budapest String Quartet "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3: IV. Presto" (mp3) from "Beethoven: The Early Quartets" (Bridge Records, Inc.) More On This AlbumOne of the special parts of the Bridge catalog is the company's historical recordings, many released by Bridge for the first time ever. These include 25 volumes of concerts played at the Library of Congress, between 1940 and the present day. Famous names on the Bridge series include George Szell, Leopold Stowkowski, Leontyne Price, Samuel Barber and the Budapest String Quartet. Here the Budapest String Quartet performs from a 1944 concert. Garrick Ohlsson "Sonata in B Minor, S. 178: IV. Allegro energico" (mp3) from "Garrick Ohlsson: Liszt Recital" (Bridge Records, Inc.) More On This AlbumBridge has a long history of recording many of today's leading soloists. Among pianists in the Bridge catalog you'll find names like Rudolf Serkin, Richard Goode, Peter Serkin and Garrick Ohlsson. Here we listen to Garrick Ohlsson's recent Liszt recording, which celebrates the 200th anniversary of Liszt's birth.BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew David "Concerto In Pieces - Purcell Variations: I. Theme and Variation I, Vivace Maestoso" (mp3) from "Concertos of Melinda Wagner and Poul Ruders" (Bridge Records, Inc.) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew David "Concerto In Pieces - Purcell Variations: II. Variation II, Vivace Scherzando" (mp3) from "Concertos of Melinda Wagner and Poul Ruders" (Bridge Records, Inc.) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumAmong the strengths of the Bridge catalog is a strong commitment to finding the leading composers of our own time, and recording large portions of their catalog. The Danish composer Poul Ruders has become known for his operas and orchestral music, much of which has been recorded on Bridge. Here we listen to his "Concerto in Pieces", played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis.Joseph Alessi, Susan Narucki, George Crumb, Paul Cesarczyk, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra "Star-Child: IV. Musica Apocalyptica" (mp3) from "George Crumb Edition, Vol. 3" (Bridge Records, Inc.) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumThe composer George Crumb celebrated his 80th birthday last year. Bridge has a particularly close relationship with Crumb, and is involved in recording the great American composer's complete output. Here we listen to the "Dies Irae" from Crumb's massive orchestral work, "Star-Child." This recording was a Grammy winner!Clara Rockmore, Nadia Reisenberg "Requiebros" (mp3) from "Clara Rockmore's Lost Theremin Album" (Bridge Records, Inc.) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumEclectic titles are also a part of the Bridge catalog, and what could be more eclectic than a recording of classical masterpieces on the Theremin! Here we listen to the superb performer Clara Rockmore with an eerily beautiful rendition of Requiebros by Gaspar Cassado, accompanied by pianist Nadia Reisenberg.
Today we will be showcasing some of Beethoven's symphonies, including two tracks from our very special featured release from Avie Records titled "Beethoven: Symphony Nos 6 and 8" performed by Manchester Camerata and Douglas Boyd.Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Peter Tiboris "Symphony No. 9, Op. 125 in D Minor -1895 Gustav Mahler Edition: III. Adagio molto e cantabile" (mp3) from "Beethoven's 9th Symphony: 1895 Gustav Mahler Orchestration" (Bridge Records, Inc.) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumMahler’s grand expansion of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony employs an extra 4 horns and an extra set of Timpani, revoicing many passages of the venerable masterpiece. Mahler adds occasional counter-melodies and thickens the scoring in order to create his own heightened dynamic scale. Of his own performances of this re-scoring, Mahler wrote: "Far from following any arbitrary purpose or course, but also without allowing himself to be led astray by tradition, (this conductor) was constantly and solely concerned with carrying out Beethoven’s wishes in their minutest detail, and ensuring that nothing the master intended should be sacrificed or drowned out amid the general confusion of sound."San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas "Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 and Piano Concerto No. 4" (San Francisco Symphony) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumThe San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas present Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto featuring pianist Emanuel Ax.Jan Willem de Vriend, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra "Symphony no. 7 op. 92 in A major: Allegro con brio" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Symphonies nos. 7&8 - Complete symphonies vol.3" (Challenge Classics) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumManchester Camerata, Douglas Boyd "Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 - "Pastoral"" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Symphony Nos. 6 & 8" (AVIE Records) More On This Album Manchester Camerata lodges the latest release in its acclaimed Beethoven Symphony cycle. Like the previous releases in this cycle these live recordings capture the spirit and freshness of these remarkable, genre-busting works, as well as the excitement, atmosphere and energy of the chamber orchestra under Music Director Douglas Boyd. Manchester Camerata has become one of the finest, most innovative chamber orchestras in the UK, and Douglas Boyd has proven to be an eminent Beethovenian. Conducting the composer’s Fidelio at the 2009 Garsington Opera Festival, The Times (London) noted “his grasp of Beethovenian idiom” and “pungent underlining of orchestral detail”, praising the musical performance as “sublime and exultant”. This is the penultimate release in the Douglas Boyd-Manchester Camerata Beethoven Symphony cycle. The Ninth “Choral” Symphony will be released in November 2011.
This month on Maestro Independent Classical Spotlight we have a selection of four Romantic Period pieces from our classical collection. Amber Yiu Hsuan Liao"Piano Sonata No.18 in E-flat major, Op.31, No.3" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.18; Granados: Goyescas; Schumann: Humoreske" (MSR Classics) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumThe three pieces in this recording were all written during difficult times in the lives of their composers. Beethoven composed the E-flat major sonata in the same year he wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament. Goyescas was created shortly after Granados learned about both the death of his close friend Issac Albéniz, and the Tragic Week, a bloody confrontation between the working class of Barcelona and the army. When Schumann composed Humoreske, he was an aspiring composer trying to win the approval of Clara’s father, and was staying in Vienna away from home and his beloved. It is touching to hear how the composers rose above the pain, anxiety and desperation in their lives with such grace. They transcended their suffering, and created these beautiful pieces that have enriched the lives of many others in future generations.Pianist Amber Yiu Hsuan Liao has given recitals and solo performances throughout United States and Taiwan. Recent engagements include recitals at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center and the Freeport Memorial Library, and the world premiere of Between Stream and Hills III for piano solo by Chih-Chen Wei. Ms. Liao has been invited to participate in several music festivals in Europe, including Courchevel Academie Musicale in France, Internationale Sommerakademie Mozarteum in Salzburg and New Millennium Piano Festival in Gijón, Spain. She has also been selected to perform in the master classes of distinguished artists such as Leon Fleisher, Dmitri Bashkirov, John Perry, Leslie Howard, Oxana Yablonskaya, Michel Béroff and Robert McDonald. As a chamber musician, Ms. Liao’s collaborations with vocalists and instrumentalists have led to performances in the CAMI Hall, Symphony Space and the Lenox Athenaeum, among others. She was the pianist in the Emerald Quintet, a group dedicated to both standard repertoire and the works of contemporary composers. Ms. Liao started her early music training in Taiwan. As a teenager, she was the prize winner of several regional and national composition competitions. She continued her studies in piano performance in the United States under the tutelage of Boris Slutsky and Arkady Aronov. A winner of the Rose Marie Milholland Award and the President’s Award, she received her Master of Music from the Peabody Institute and Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music. She currently maintains a private studio in New York City, and is on the faculty of Seton Hall University in New Jersey.Budapest String Quartet, Artur Balsam "Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25: I. Allegro" (mp3) from "Brahms and Schumann Recital" (Bridge Records, Inc.) More On This AlbumThe Budapest String Quartet was a string quartet in existence from 1917 to 1967. It originally consisted of three Hungarians and a Dutchman; at the end, the quartet consisted of four Russians. A number of recordings were made for HMV/Victor through 1938; from 1940 through 1967 it recorded for Columbia Records. Additionally, several of the Quartet's live performances were recorded, at the Library of Congress and other venues.More info on Budapest String Quartet.Artur Balsam (1906-1994) was a highly versatile pianist who was born in Poland and became established as an accompanist for Yehudi Menhuin on a 1932 tour of the United States. After being hounded out of Europe during the Nazi period, Balsam settled in New York and began both teaching and recording. Balsam was a very flexible artist who proved himself quite capable in piano repertoire ranging from the Baroque to ultra-modern works. Balsam was well-known locally in New York City, Rochester and Boston as a teacher, recitalist and chamber musician. He worked for dozens of East Coast based record labels, but the highest concentration of his recordings may be found in the Vox catalogue.More info on Artur Balsam.Lavina Meijer "Impromptu- Caprice, Op. 9" (mp3) from "Fantasies & Impromptus" (Channel Classics Records) More On This AlbumLavinia Meijer (1983) is recognized worldwide as one of the most promising rising stars of the moment. Born in Korea and adopted into a Dutch family, she is now based in the Netherlands. She studied under the guidance of Erika Waardenburg at the conservatories of Utrecht and Amsterdam, where she received her Bachelor and Masters degrees of Music with the highest distinction. Since then she has toured as a solo-harpist across Europe, America and Asia, showing the many possibilities of the harp as a solo-instrument.From a young age on, she has won several important music prizes, such as first prize at the Dutch Harp Competition in the Netherlands, first prize at the International Harp Competition in Brussels, a second prize at the International Harp Competition in Vienna and a third prize at both the International USA Harp Competition and the International Harp Competition in Israel. Special awards have been given to her, such as the MeesPierson award and the Vriendenkrans of the Royal Concertgebouw from Amsterdam and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust from London. In 2009 she received the Dutch Music Prize, which is the highest distinction for a Dutch classical musician.For full bio, please click here. Vassily Primakov "Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5" (mp3) from "Vassily Primakov: Rachmaninoff Recital" (Bridge Records, Inc.) More On This AlbumIn many ways Vassily Primakov is a reincarnation of the keyboard virtuoso from the early and mid-20th century: he possesses an enormous technique, a highly individual interpretive persona, and a keen sense for drama in the big moments of Romantic and post-Romantic works. To watch him at the piano in performance underscores this atavistic view: Primakov often plays trance-like, seemingly carried away by the music, with all manner of facial expressions and animated movements, while still conveying the sense he is in complete control, despite whatever technical challenges confront him. His growing number of fans will assert that he is fun to watch in his captivating mixture of eccentricity and sensitive virtuosity. Primakov possesses a broad repertory inclusive of Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Shostakovich. But he does not skirt the less meaty repertory, as his performances of Mozart concertos will attest; nor does he avoid the unusual: he plays the generally neglected and less pianistic Dvorák Piano Concerto. Primakov has recorded for Bridge Records and the Van Cliburn Foundation.Vassily Primakov was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1979. At 11 he became a student of Vera Gornostaeva at the Central Special Music School in Moscow. At 17 he enrolled at Juilliard, where he studied until 2005. His teachers there included keyboard icon Jerome Lowenthal. Primakov eventually made the U.S. his adopted homeland.For full bio, please click here.
Today's episode will be centered around Opera Works & Songs from our classical collection. We have 4 pieces for you today, and we will end with a piece from our featured release, "Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor." Nicolai Ghiaurov, Sesto Bruscantini, Alfredo Kraus, Gundula Janowitz, Sena Jurinac, Walter Monachesi, Dimitri Petkov, Olivera Miliakovic "Don Giovanni" (mp3) from "Mozart: Don Giovanni" (Opera d'Oro) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumSteven Kimbrough, Wolfgang Schmid, Andreas Kreisel "Kommt wieder aus der finst'ren Gruft" (mp3) from "Geistliche Lieder - Sacred Songs of Bach (from the 1736 Songbook of Georg Schemelli)" (Arabesque Recordings) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumInessa Galante, Vladimir Choclov, Janis Bulvas "A idise mame" (mp3) from "Goldins: Jewish Folk Songs - Rachmaninov: Romantic Songs" (Campion) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumValery Gergiev, Natalie Dessay, Sergei Skorokhodov, Ilya Bannik, Vladislav Sulimsky, Mariinsky Chorus, Mariinsky Orchestra from "Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor" (Mariinsky) More On This AlbumThe Mariinsky label’s opera recordings have garnered acclaim and awards from around the world, most recently for Valery Gergiev’s recording of Parsifal released in 2010. For the label’s fifth opera, Gergiev conducts Donizetti’s masterpiece with a magnificent cast led by Natalie Dessay. Donizetti’s tragic opera in three acts depicts a family feud set in the Lammermuir hills of Scotland. The opera was premiered on 26 September 1835 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, with the coloratura soprano Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani, and a revised version in French followed suit in 1839. Inspired by Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Bride of Lammermoor, the central character of Lucia Ashton (Dessay) is in love with Edgardo di Ravenswood, her brother Enrico’s sworn enemy. With his fortune waning, Lord Enrico plots to force Lucia to marry Lord Arturo Bucklaw, in order to guarantee his continued power. Torn between her family and true love, Lucia submits to her brother’s desires but in turn loses her mind. Lucia’s delicate disposition is tested and results in the famous ‘mad scene’ where Lucia kills her new bridegroom Arturo. Natalie Dessay is one of the world’s most sought-after sopranos and an admired interpreter of lyric heroines. She is particularly renowned for her interpretation of the role of Lucia, which she has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House and the Mariinsky Theatre. Future engagements include Verdi’s La Traviata with the LSO at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in July and at the Wiener Staatsoper in October. Piotr Beczala is rapidly establishing a reputation as one of today’s leading lyric tenors. He has recently sung Edgardo with the Metropolitan Opera in New York and on tour in Japan, and this summer will perform at the Bayerische Staatsoper and Salzburg Festival. Valery Gergiev recently won the Disc of the Year Award from BBC Music Magazine for his LSO Live recording of Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet. In July, Gergiev will conduct the Mariinsky Ballet at New York Metropolitan Opera and in August he conducts at the Edinburgh Festival and BBC Proms with the Mariinsky Orchestra before opening the LSO’s 2011-12 concert season. In October he embarks on a major tour of the USA and Canada with the Mariinsky Orchestra, including residencies at Carnegie Hall and Berkeley. Forthcoming releases include the final instalment in his Mahler cycle on LSO Live featuring Symphony No 9 and the Mariinsky label’s first DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs. Natalie Dessay appears courtesy of Virgin Classics.
Welcome to the Maestro Classical Podcast. This is episode number 26 and we are featuring music from Joseph Haydn, with performances by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Andreas Delfs. More information on this episode can be found at www.maestroclassical.com. Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan"Symphony No. 88" from "Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 104, 88, 101" (Philharmonia Baroque) More On This AlbumMilwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Andreas Delfs "Haydn: Symphony No. 96" (mp3) from "Haydn: Symphony No. 96" (MSO Classics) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham "Symphony No. 100 in G, 'Military'" from "Haydn: Symphonies No. 99 & 100" (Discover Classical Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumAustro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra"Symphony No. 6 In D Major Le Matin" from "Great Haydn Symphonies" (Nimbus Records) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra, Jane Glover"Haydn: Symphony #104 In D, H 1/104, "London" - 1. Adagio, Allegro" from "Haydn: Symphony No. 102, Symphony No. 104 "London"" (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album
Welcome to Indie Classical Spotlight, where we feature independent classical artists, labels and composers. We have 5 pieces for you today, focusing on String Quartets. We also have a very special feature on the Hagen Quartett’s new anniversary album, “Hagen Quartett 30”. Each is a recent release from our classical collection. For more information please visit www.maestroclassical.com. Potomac String Quartet "String quartet No. 6" (mp3) from "Quincy Porter - String Quartets" (Albany Records) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at mTraks More On This Album FIRST RECORDINGS OF THE COMPLETE WORKS FOR STRING QUARTET BY QUINCY PORTER. Like Charles Ives, Quincy Porter was a die-hard Connecticut Yankee from a well-to-do family with strong ties to Yale University. In fact, both studied composition under Horatio Parker at Yale. And both of them were staunchly patriotic and nationalistic, although Ives was the more radical composer. Porter, as part of his "day job," served as an educator and administrator at many of the nation's most prominent schools: Cleveland Institute, Vassar College, New England Conservatory and, finally, Yale where he taught for two decades. It has been claimed that the String Quartets of Porter are "some of the most substantial contributions to that literature made by an American" in no less an authoritative source than the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Yet, until now, most of them have never been available commercially. The current recorded performances by the Potomac Quartet - a collection of all nine numbered Quartets as well as several shorter pieces - will offer most listeners their first opportunity to explore and access this inexplicably neglected body of work. This immensely important release is the follow-up to the Potomac Quartet's acclaimed cycle of the David Diamond String Quartets (TROY504, 540, 613 and 727) and is the perfect supplement to Albany's equally admired disc of Porter's orchestral music (TROY 574).Quatuor Antar "Quatuor en Ré Mineur, K421" (mp3) from "Mozart: Quatuor en Ré Mineur - Chostakovitch: Quatuor No. 8" (Integral Classic) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The musicians of the Quartet Antarès combine two cultures, two different worlds in a French-Italian formation. Their various knowledge (Italy for violins, France for the viola (alto) and the cello) and the personal experience which marks each personality are being expressed in this quartet, through a great sense of balance and a genuine complicity, " Four hearts in the only thought" (Piero Farulli, Italiano Quartet).Jerusalem Quartet "String Quartet no.17 in B flat major K.458 'The Hunt'" (mp3) from "Mozart: String Quartets" (Harmonia Mundi) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Jerusalem Quartet - Chamber ensemble After two widely acclaimed Hayden releases, the Jerusalem Quartet now logically turns to an exploration of Mozart and three distinct periods in his create life. Haydn is not totally absent from this recording, since the central quartet belongs to the glorious group of six which Mozart, now firmly established in Vienna, dedicated to his elder ins 1785. Twelve years earlier, the teenage composer was still amusing himself with the Sammartinian model in the third of his 'Milanese' Quartets". Click here to read more... Panocha Quartet "String Quartet No. 12 in F major American, Op. 96 (B.179), III. Molto vivace" (mp3) from "Dvořák: The Essential String Quartet" (Supraphon a.s.) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Every work of art is exposed to the inexorable test of time. In the case of the majority of composers, precious few works enjoy enduring popularity. Yet in this respect Dvořák is one of the glorious exceptions. When it comes to his 15 string quartets alone, more than one third of them are still an integral part of the repertoire of numerous contemporary ensembles. All the mature opuses - starting with the "Slavonic" Quartet in E flat major (written for the famous Florentine Quartet) through the most celebrated, the "American", to the final opuses 106 and 105, whose musical language reflects the composer's return home from overseas - have been repeatedly explored and performed. The Panocha Quartet, whose exceptional qualities have for over four decades been acclaimed by audiences in four continents, have devoted to Czech quartet creation and Dvořák in particular with great care. This selection from the complete Dvořák works features the most beautiful quartet opuses and is a must-have for all fans of this genre. The "American" quartet and other Dvořák gems - beautiful and seminal. Hagen Quartett "String Quartet in E Minor Op. 59 / 2 - "Rasumowsky"" (mp3) from "Hagen Quartett - 30" (Myrios Classics) More On This Album The anniversary album "Hagen Quartett 30" contains new recordings of works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Webern – three composers of central importance for the ensemble. The Hagen Quartet—unchallenged at the head of the international string quartet elite for 30 years – captivates its listeners again and again. Five years have passed since the end of the group’s exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and now the quartet presents its first recording with myrios classics. The anniversary album, produced in the historic Siemens Villa in Berlin, contains works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Webern – three composers of central importance for the ensemble.
Welcome to Maestro Independent Classical Spotlight. On this episode we will be playing some pieces to celebrate the arrival of Spring. For more information on this episode, please read below.Carles Cases "Fotos" (mp3) from "Cine Español - vol.1 (Recomposed 6)" (Temps Record) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumIt was during the nineties when Cases had more activity in the Panorama of Spanish Cinema. Many of those soundtracks were not edited in that moment, and now, using the same musicians as when he wrote them, he has made a reinterpretation of two movies: “Fotos” and “La Mujer de Mi Vida”.Emmanuel Rossfelder, Raphael Mata "Quintette G.448" (mp3) from "Danses pour Cordes - Works for Guitar & Cello" (Integral Classic) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumFROM TEACHER TO STUDENT - “My early artistic career was shaped by an extraordinary encounter with Alexandre Lagoya who was my teacher and the best mentor that I could ever have dreamt of having. Guidance is essential, both on an artistic and a spiritual level, at every age and at every stage of life. Although Raphaël Mata was only six when I discovered him; his talent and joie de vivre had already left a mark on me. So he was my obvious choice for ‘gifted student’. Tristan’s performances are brilliant and subtle. This is what persuaded me to link the warm sounds of his cello to those of my guitar. His artistic talent makes him a cellist of astounding maturity. What is remarkable when we listen to this CD is that it is difficult to distinguish between the teacher and the student. What it boils down to is artists who express their emotions through instruments, through this invisible and fascinating art that is music.” Emmanuel RossfelderJean-Pierre Ferey "Suite en La (1706)" (mp3) from "Rameau: Suites de Pièces" (SKARBO) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumSan Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas "Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 and Piano Concerto No. 4" (San Francisco Symphony) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumThe San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas present Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto featuring pianist Emanuel Ax.
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers from "Monteverdi: Selva morale e spirituale, Vol. 1" (Coro) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Without doubt, Monteverdi was the greatest of the early baroque European composers. He revolutionized the music of the theater and the church by his dramatic and imaginative use of voices and instruments and by his daring harmonies and rhythms. Next to his Vespers of 1610, the Selva morale e spiritual of 1641 is his most significant and virtuosic collection of sacred music. Over the next few years we intend to record the complete publication with a variety of forces. His much performed Beatus vir is a mere appetizer for this delightful yet thrilling music.BYU Men's Chorus "Goin' Home" (mp3) from "The Pilgrim's Journey Home" (Tantara Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumLift your spirits with a brand-new collection of inspirational folk hymns and songs. Although life may be difficult, the youthful and energetic voices of the BYU Combined Choirs and Orchestra will inspire and strengthen you on your own journey home.Florilegium & Arakaendar Bolivia Choir, Ashley Solomon "Fuera, Fuera! Haganles Lugar!" (mp3) from "Bolivian Baroque Vol. 3" (Channel Classics Records) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Welcome to our third volume of Bolivian Baroque music which was, unusually, recorded in three different venues, in two different countries almost 6250 miles apart. This time the majority of the CD was recorded in Holland (in both the Waalse Kerk in Amsterdam and the Doopsgezinde Kerk in Deventer) during Arakaendar Bolivia Choirís first tour of Europe with Florilegium in 2008. In addition we have included a number of solo organ pieces from the Bolivian archives which James Johnstone recorded on the restored anonymous 18th century Blockwerk organ in the Mission Church of Santa Ana de Velasco. This is the first European recording on this remarkable instrument, its raw sound recorded here for posterity. The music on this volume differs considerably from the other two Channel Classics recordings (CCS 22105 & CCS 24806) as it mainly showcases Arakaendar Bolivia, the choir I set up in 2005. They continue to thrive and have shown tremendous commitment and determination in preparing this challenging and varied programme. We were delighted to be nominated by BBC Music Magazine for the best choir recording of 2008 for our last CD recording, as well as receiving our 5th Editorís Choice from Gramophone magazine. I hope this new volume is received as warmly.The Choir of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, Duncan Ferguson "Leroy Kyrie" (mp3) from "John Taverner: Sacred Choral Music" (Delphian Records) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album John Taverner brought the English florid style to its culmination and final flowering; his music is quite unlike anything written by his continental contemporaries and, viewed retrospectively, represents not only the culmination of one period but also the beginning of something new. In his debut recording with the critically acclaimed Edinburgh choir, Duncan Ferguson presents this music with forces akin to those of the sixteenth century ñ a small group of children and a larger number of men. The singers respond with their characteristic freshness, and an emotional authenticity born of the daily round of liturgical performance.Johann Sabastian Bach: MotetsVocalconsort Berlin, Marcus Creed from "Johann Sebastian Bach: Motets" (Harmonia Mundi) More On This Album Album will be availble online around March 22, 2011 The Vocalconsort Berlin was founded in 2003 and made its debut the same year in Monteverdi's LíOrfeo under the direction of RenÈ Jacobs at the Innsbruck Festival. The ensemble specialises in early and high Baroque repertoire, but also interprets Romantic and contemporary music. The Vocalconsort¥s composition can range from quartet to polychoral formations, including also solo performances. It sings both in concert and in operatic and theatrical productions. Under the direction of Marcus Creed, RenÈ Jacobs, Jos van Immerseel and Ottavio Dantone, the ensemble has worked with the Akademie f¸r Alte Musik Berlin and the Accademia Bizantina. With the Akademie f¸r Alte Musik Berlin, it has participated since 2006 in the projects of Sasha Waltz & Guests at Radialsystem V, the new venue for interaction of the arts on the Spree. Marcus Creed, artistic director of the SWR Vokalensemble (South West German Radio Choir) since 2003, studied at Kingís College Cambridge, Christ Church Oxford, and at the Guildhall School of Music in London. From 1977 to 1998 he lived in Berlin, where he was chorusmaster at the Deutsche Oper, taught lied interpretation at the Hochschule der K¸nste, and worked as pianist and conductor with the Gruppe Neue Musik and the Scharoun Ensemble. From 1987 he was artistic director of the RIAS Kammerchor, being awarded many international prizes for his recordings. He has formed close working relationships with the Akademie f¸r Alte Musik Berlin, the Freiburger Barockorchester and Concerto Kˆln, and has appeared at festivals in Berlin, Vienna, Salzburg, Montreux, Edinburgh, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Donaueschingen, Strasbourg, and Gˆttingen. He was appointed Professor of Choral Conducting at the Hochschule f¸r Musik in Cologne in 1998. His recordings of works by Bruckner, Ives, Nono, and Kurt·g with the SWR Vokalensemble have received a number of awards from the critics.
We have a few pieces selected for our Valentines Special. Enjoy and feel the love!Valery Gergiev, London Symphony Orchestra from "Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet" (LSO Live) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album LSO Live celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2010. The label's first release of the year features Prokofiev's spectacular score for the ballet Romeo & Juliet conducted by Valery Gergiev. Romeo & Juliet can lay a strong claim to being the greatest ballet score as well as the finest musical realization of Shakespeare. It shows Prokofiev at the absolute peak of his powers - a composer of immense creativity with an astonishing ability to capture drama in his music. Gergiev is a tireless champion of Prokofiev's music. In 2004 he conducted a complete cycle of the composer's symphonies with the LSO. LSO Live recorded the performances which were released by Philips and collected a Gramophone Award. Shortly afterwards Gergiev became Principal Conductor of the LSO and spent much of 2008 and 2009 touring Prokofiev's symphonies with the orchestra in Europe, Japan and the USA. London Symphony OrchestraJill Crossland from "Jill Crossland plays Mozart and Beethoven" (Diversions) More On This Album This album was previously issued as Calico CCCR101 and now re-issed for worldwide distribution. Jill Crossland is a phenomenal pianist who specializes in the baroque and classical repertoire, Here she plays one very well known sonata, Beethoven's 'Tempest' op. 31/2, the lesser known but dramatic op. 110, and Mozart's 'hybrid' Sonata K533/494 in F. The original issue was well reviewed by the critics. ìA highly individual player, thoughtful yet compelling, she has the gift of spontaneity in the recording studio, to carry the personal insights of her interpretations, as at a live performance. She is very well recorded.î ñ Ivan March (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs) Jill CrosslandMoonwinds, Joan Enric Lluna "II Andante" (mp3) from "Mozart Serenatas" (Temps Record) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album MoonwindsThe Moscovia Chamber Orchestra, Eduard Grach "Serenade" (mp3) from "Tchaikovsky: Serenade, Sextet "Souvenir of Florence"" (Russian Music Society) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Russian Music Society presents one of the best Russian violinists, People's Artist of Russia, Eduard Grach and The Moscovia Chamber Orchestra perform Tchaikovsky: Serenade, Sextet "Souvenir of Florence" Executive Producer: Cristina Botnari The Moscovia Chamber OrchestraKara Kirkendoll Welch, Gabriel Sanchez "Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13" (mp3) from "Ballade - Works for Flute and Piano" (MSR Classics) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album MSR Classics
Happy New Year! We want to celebrate the New Year by congratulating our Rightsholder for their Grammy nominations. To view a full listing of Grammy nominee, click here. Below we have what albums received which Grammy nomination. Enjoy the episode! Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose, Rinde Eckert, Synergy Vocals, Catch Electric Guitar Quartet "Dreamhouse"from "Steven Mackey: Dreamhouse" (BMOP/sound) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Engineered Album, ClassicalBest Classical AlbumBest Orchestral PerformanceValery Gergiev, Sergei Aleksashkin, Mariinsky Orchestra, Mariinsky Chorus "The Enchanted Wanderer"from "Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer" (Mariinsky) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Contemporary Classical CompositionBest Opera RecordingEliesha Nelson, John McLaughlin Williams"Speed Etude"from "Porter: Complete Viola Works" (Dorian Recordings) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Engineered Album, ClassicalBest Chamber Music PerformanceBest Instrumental Soloist(s) with OrchestraArs Lyrica Houston "Marc Antonio e Cleopatra"from "Hasse: Marc Antonio e Cleopatra" (Dorian Recordings) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Opera RecordingSarah Schuster Ericsson "Sonata per Arpa, Op. 68"from "20th Century Harp Sonatas" (Dorian Recordings) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Instrumental Soloists Performance w/o OrchestraMarc Regnier, Marco Sartor"Suite Retratos for 2 Guitars"from "Gnattali: Solo & Chamber Works for Guitar" (Dorian Recordings) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance w/o OrchestraEkaterina Lekhina, Marie-Ange Todorovitch, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kent Nagano "Deuxième acte. Deuxième tableau : L'Amour de loin. Le Pèlerin : "Rien ne vous oblige à l'aimer""from "Kaija Saariaho: L'Amour de loin" (Harmonia Mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Opera RecordingJudith Gauthier, Marianne Beate Kielland, Adrian Thompson, Mattijs van de Woerd, Konstantin Wollf, Cappella Amsterdam, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Reuss, Judith Gauthier (soprano), Marianne Beate Kiell "Golgotha "from "Martin: Golgotha" (Harmonia Mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Choral PerformanceMaximilian Schmitt, Freiburger Barockorchester, René Jacobs "I. Teil. 10. Chor "Stimmt an die Saiten""from "Haydn: The Creation" (Harmonia Mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Choral PerformanceEstonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Paul Hillier "Three Folksongs"from "Baltic Runes" (harmonia mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Choral PerformanceIsabelle Faust, Alexander Melnikov"Sonata for piano & violin no.5" from "Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for piano & violin" (Harmonia Mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Chamber Music PerformanceThe Silk Road Ensemble "Ritmos Anchinos"from "Off the Map" (World Village) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Classical Crossover Album Track 3: Étude No 03 in B minor 'after Paganini-Liszt' from "Hamelin: Etudes" Artist: Marc-André Hamelin Best Instrumental Solo Performance Track 9: Haec dies from "Ceremony & Devotion: Music for the Tudors" Artists: The Sixteen, Harry Christophers Best Small Ensemble PerformanceMichael Stern, Kansas City Symphony"Peter Grimes: Four Sea Interludes & Passacaglia" from "Britten's Orchestra" (Reference Recordings) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumBest Surround Sound
In this episode we wanted to celebrate the upcoming holidays with a few of our favorite pieces. We have also included a special sneak peak to Agustin Hadelich's new album, "Echoes of Paris"! We hope you enjoy the music. Everyone have a wonderful holiday and a fantastic New Year! Harry Christophers, The Sixteen "In Dulci Jubilo" from "A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection, Vol. II" (The Sixteen Productions Ltd.) There is such an abundance of festive music available to us that sometimes one wishes Christmas did not come but once a year! The Sixteen’s first volume of traditional Christmas carols contains some of our most favorite pieces but there is so much more wonderful festive music that deserves to be better known. So we decided to make a second volume. On this disc you will discover familiar seasonal favorites such as ‘Unto us a boy is born’ and ‘It came upon the midnight clear’ but we have also included some less well-known gems like ‘Cherry Tree Carol’ and ‘Gloucestershire Wassail’.Woody Phillips "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" (mp3) from "A Toolbox Christmas" (Gourd Music) Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at eMusic More On This AlbumA Toolbox Christmas - Liner Notes: A Toolbox Christmas marks Woody Phillips' breathtaking debut into a world of repertoire and instrumentation only dreamed of by composers who have gone before him. True, Beethoven gave us the 'Hammer (klavier) Sonata' -- but Phillips has dared to explore the full range of the workbench's symphonic palette. Never before have your ears experienced the the exquisite marimba-like 2x4's in Jingle Bells ; the majestic table saw duet in Joy to the World ; the sensitive counterpoint provided by the power planer in I Saw Three Ships ; the filigreed ornamentation of the clanking pipes in We Wish You a Merry Christmas ; the uniquely persuasive percussion of the pneumatic nailer in Patapan ; the panoply of hand and power tools in The Twelve Days of Christmas -- listen and you'll know you're in a new and extraordinary realm of holiday music. Tchaikowsky's beloved Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy may never sound the same to you again once you've experienced Phillips' ensemble of antique hand drill, mandolin, anvil, t-square, level and pipes. Will an eye remain dry as Auld Lang Syne, ethereal and poignant on the musical saw, shimmers over the drone of the shop vac? Phillips' ear is impeccable, perfectly attuned to nuances of tone and subtle differences of timbre among the various power tools, always employing the right tool for each job. Never, however, does Phillips disdain the traditional instruments of the concert hall. Though purists may balk at the sound of actual musical instruments on A Toolbox Christmas , when Phillips senses the need for a cello, mandolin, oboe or flute, in it goes, without regard for mere commercial considerations. His generous, all-encompassing love of beautiful sounds permits no petty divisions in his artistic kingdom. Above all, Phillips' true genius in A Toolbox Christmas has been to include the entire ambiance of the workshop on this recording. He has drawn not only on the incomparable sonorities of the tools themselves, but adds sounds every home-improver will recognize with delight: a tape measure retracting; duct tape tearing; the little ball bearing rolling as the spray paint can is shaken. He has created choirs of bottles and chiming sacks of 10d nails. Perhaps most inspired of all is his brilliant use of the perfectly-timed pop-top. The resulting magic awaits you in A Toolbox Christmas .Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra "Messiah" from "Handel: Messiah" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at eMusic More On This Album Handel's masterpiece uses short texts from the Bible to tell the story of Christ's birth, death and resurrection. Imbued with a deep humanity and written with the imagination of a composer at the peak of powers, Messiah is intimate yet dramatic and includes some of Handel's best-loved music.Hallé, Carl Davis"The Nutcracker" from "Hallé Christmas Classics" (Halle Concerts Society) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumA wealth of Christmas favourites, under the direction of BAFTA award-winning conductor and composer, Carl Davis.'Claire Rutter... thrilling confidence and elan... a true prima donna... [with] spine tingling top notes...' Sunday Times Augustin Hadelich, Robert Kulek"Poulenc: Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 119" from "Echoes of Paris" (AVIE Records) More On This Album Augustin Hadelich, Robert Kulek"Stravinsky: Suite After Themes, Fragments and Pieces by Giambattista Pergolesi" from "Echoes of Paris" (AVIE Records) More On This AlbumI chose the four works on this recording because I think they fit together really well. After having played many combinations of them in recitals, I started wondering about the connection between these pieces - why are they so compatible? Almost immediately, Paris came to mind. All of these composers lived in Paris during the early part of the 20th century, when that city was a magnet for creative artists: painters like Matisse, Dali, Chagall, and Picasso, the writers Proust, Joyce, and Hemingway, and composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Satie, Poulenc, Copland, and many others. Stravinsky and Prokofiev were also among the many expatriate musicians who flocked to Paris at that time. They drew inspiration from the city’s electric atmosphere and cultural ferment, and then went off in their own amazing, revolutionary directions. I think that these French and Russian pieces form such a good program because there are echoes of Paris in these four works that help tie them together: puppet-like dances in both Debussy and Stravinsky; percussive, as well as militaristic and march-like sections in Stravinsky's Suite and the sonatas of Poulenc and Prokofiev; jazz references in Debussy and Prokofiev; and hints of Spanish flavor in both Debussy and Poulenc, so popular among French composers at that time. The key signatures also help to unify the program - g minor, G Major, D Major, and d minor. Claude Debussy sought to develop a style that was free of German compositional influences. Drawing inspiration from Spanish, jazz, and gypsy music, the violin sonata of 1917 (his last work) certainly bears the imprint of that philosophy. Avoiding the conventional sonata form, the structure of the piece is quite fractured and rhapsodic - the result is unique and fascinating. I love the sonata for all of its sudden twists and delicate turns. The second movement makes me think of puppets engaged in a dance. In 1920, two years after Debussy's death, Igor Stravinsky wrote his ballet Pulcinella, a humorous neo-classical work, that premiered in Paris the same year with sets and costumes designed by Pablo Picasso. In this work, he used music from an obscure 18th-century commedia dell'arte opera, assumed to have been written by Pergolesi, but probably written by other, lesser-known composers. By altering this material in various ways, Stravinsky created something completely new. He called the composition of Pulcinella an "epiphany through which my late work became possible" - for the first time, borrowed style became a compositional element. Most often, violinists play Samuel Dushkin’s 1932 transcription of Pulcinella, modeled after the transcription for cello and piano. Because many of the quirky dissonances are removed, it turns out to be a rather toned-down version of the work. On this recording, I am playing the earlier 1925 transcription that was made in collaboration with the violinist Paul Kochanski; it is much closer to Stravinsky’s original orchestral work. It is more difficult for both the violinist and the pianist, but well worth the effort! Sometimes I think the awkwardness of the writing is intentional, to make the piece seem slightly askew, making both the player and the listener a little bit uncomfortable. I am again reminded of puppets, but larger and clumsier than Debussy's. I also love how Stravinsky composes apparent mistakes into the piece. Having fled Russia after the revolution in 1917, Sergei Prokofiev spent many years living in Paris before returning to his homeland in 1935. Very much admired by Stravinsky and other composers who lived in Paris at the time, his first symphony (1917) is considered to be one of the first neo-classical works, even pre-dating Stravinsky's Pulcinella. His second violin sonata is, however, a late work. Originally written in 1942 for flute and piano, it was transcribed for violin at the request of David Oistrakh. It is a large, powerful work that is, in turn, sweet, happy, sad, passionate, even violent and militaristic. The march in the last movement, however, makes me think more of tin soldiers than real ones! In the sonata by Francis Poulenc, the soldiers are very real. Composed in 1942-1943, it is Poulenc’s homage to the great Spanish poet, Federico Garcia Lorca, who was executed in 1936 by the fascist government in Spain. The percussive opening of the sonata owes something to Stravinsky and Prokofiev, who were among his formative influences. Throughout the first movement, militaristic passages are juxtaposed with more lyrical, salon-like themes; perhaps these represent the socialist and fascist forces at war in Spain when Lorca was killed. Showing the impressionist influence of Debussy, the beautiful second movement was inspired by one of Lorca's poems: It has been speculated that the two triple-forte notes in the piano towards the end of the last movement ("Presto tragico") are the gunshots of the firing squad. Following exclamations of pain, a few sweet memories briefly return in the sorrowful coda. Poulenc himself was actually quite unhappy with the sonata, which was written for the French violinist Ginette Neveu, and after many revisions concluded that it was an "utter failure". I think he was being a little too hard on himself, and history has not agreed with him. It is one of my favorite sonatas, and I perform it often. Likewise, audiences are extremely enthusiastic and deeply moved by it. Coincidentally, I played a recital in Paris in April 2010 at the Louvre, also with Robert Kulek. We couldn't resist taking some photos while we were there. I hope you enjoy this recording! Augustin Hadelich
New World Records We will be featuring New World Records in today's episode. New World started in 1975; they were given a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation with a mandate to produce a 100-disc anthology of American music. New world continues to preserve neglected music of the past and support the creative future of American music with over 400 recordings, representing up to 700 American composers. Rick Benjamin from "Black Manhattan: Theater and Dance Music of James Reese Europe, Will Marion Cook, and Members of the Legendary Clef Club" (New World Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Theater and Dance Music of James Reese Europe, Will Marion Cook, and Member of the Legendary Clef Club The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra Rick Benjamin, director The Clef Club of New York City, Inc. was a fraternal and professional organization for the advancement of African-American musicians and entertainers; all of the composers on this recording were members or closely affiliated with the Club. The "Clef Club" was founded toward the end of 1909 in New York by James Reese Europe and his associates. Their mission to highlight the value, dignity, and professionalism of African-American performers was a great success and did much to change racial attitudes at all levels of white society. It quickly became a "who's who" of early twentieth-century black music and show business. With its reputation for reliability, gentility, and quality performances, the Clef Club soon gained the favor of the loftiest of New York's white society; it became the very height of fashion to announce that one had secured a genuine "Clef Club Orchestra" for an upcoming social event. The composers featured on this revelatory recording represent the cream of Black Bohemia's musical life-the movers and shakers who paved the way for the music of the better remembered "Harlem Renaissance" of the 1920s. And while their names are obscure today, all once enjoyed national reputations in white America as well, feeding its burgeoning interest in black music, theater, and dance. Taken altogether, the talent, persistence, cooperation, and courage of these pioneers is an amazing American story that deserves to be better known. The recording features nineteen works by ten composers and is accompanied by a 40-page booklet. In addition to those by Europe and Cook, highlights include works by Will Vodery, an acknowledged influence on Ellington, and the first instrumental rag ever published, Sambo: A Characteristic Two Step March (1896), by Will Tyers. Tom Varner from "Tom Varner: Window Up Above" (New World Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The Window Up Above: American Songs 1770-1998 Tom Varner, French horn; Pete McCann, guitar; George Schuller, drums; Lindsey Horner, bass; Mark Feldman, violin; Dave Ballou, trumpet; Steve Alcott, bass; Thirsty Dave Hansen, vocals "I wanted to do something different for this record. Instead of playing my own compositions, I wanted to simply explore a variety of songs that have an inner resonance, whether from family, religion, nation, or culture. " - Tom Varner What Tom Varner has attempted on The Window Up Above is nothing less than a survey of the whole American song book, a millenium review of the last three centuries-and he succeeds brilliantly. Every song he has chosen has that American "thing," and his approach to every song is patently jazz, even where he chooses to play the melody "straight" to let its qualities shine through. Highlights abound: The witty, off-center de- and reconstruction of the Revolutionary and Civil War smash hits "Stone Grinds All," "When Jesus Wept," "Kingdom Come, " and "Battle Cry of Freedom" will forever change the way you hear them; his understated, heartfelt renditions of "Lorena," "All Quiet on the Potomac," and "There is a Balm in Gilead" would make a stone weep; to say nothing of his splendid reimaginings of standards like "Over the Rainbow" and "When the Saints Go Marching In." Even Bruce Springsteen gets the treatment, his "With Every Wish" joining George Jonesís "The Window Up Above," Hank Williams's "Ramblin' Man,"(check out Mark Feldman's and Varner's hair-raising solos and closing duet) and Tammy Wynette's "Till I Get it Right" from the country canon. In Varnerís unique arrangements, every song on this collection emerges freshly minted. Once heard, not soon forgotten. Music Amici, Charles Yasskyfrom "Ben Johnston: Ponder Nothing"(New World Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Ponder Nothing, Septet, Three Chinese Lyrics, Gambit, Five Fragments, Trio Music Amici Ben Johnston's (b 1926) music shows the confluence of several traditions of music-making that have flourished within the United States. In the 1950s his output was characterized by the neoclassicism of his teacher Darius Milhaud. In the 1960s he explored serial techniques and, at the end of the decade, indeterminacy. From 1960 onward the overriding technical preoccupation of his music has been its use of just intonation, the tuning system of the music of ancient cultures as well as that of many living traditions worldwide. The six works represented on this disc span Johnston's journey through atonality, neoclassicism, serial technique, and finally, his pioneering use of just intonation. Septet (1956-58) for woodwind quintet with cello and contrabass, marks the height of Johnston's early neoclassic period. Debts to Stravinsky recurring structural figures, ostinatos that repeat pitches in unpredictable rhythms-are obvious. The more direct influence of Johnston's first important teacher, Darius Milhaud, is apparent in the bitonal textures. In his 1955 Three Chinese Lyrics, scored for soprano and two violins, Johnston has set three poems by the Chinese T'ang dynasty poet Li Po (701-762) in translations by Ezra Pound (his early mentor Harry Partch already had set seventeen of the poems; Johnston set the remaining three). Commissioned by choreographer Merce Cunningham, Gambit (1959) is scored for twelve instruments and consists of six movements, three of which-Interlude 1, Prelude 2, and Interlude 2-use twelve-tone rows. Gambit, a mixed-genre work, precipitated the crucial decision of Johnston's career, his switch to extended "just intonation." For most composers, just intonation implies tonality, but Johnston is unique for his works that fuse pure tuning with the twelve-tone system including Five Fragments (1960). Fragments 1, 2, 3, and 5 modulate systematically from one twelve-tone row to another and, here and in general, Johnston's early just intonation counterpoint moves carefully among consonant intervals. A much later work, Trio for clarinet, violin, and cello (1982), is a gem of Johnston's mature style, rhythmically engaging and harmonically subtle. Phrases return, sometimes with altered continuations, or transposed to different pitch levels, or using an undertone scale rather than an overtone scale. As a result, and typical of Johnston's late work, the Trio's lithe counterpoint falls sweetly on the ear; the complexity is below the surface. Ponder Nothing (1989), is a set of solo clarinet variations on the traditional French hymn "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence." If the hymn gives voice to Johnston's Catholicism, the title, taken from the hymn's third line-"Ponder nothing earthly minded"-refers to his interest in the no-mind meditation of Zen. Malcolm Goldsteinfrom "Malcolm Goldstein: a sounding of sources"(New World Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Malcolm Goldstein, solo violin; Radu Malfatti, trombone; Philippe Micol, bass clarinet; Philippe Racine, flute; Beat Schneider, violoncello As a composer/violinist/improviser Malcolm Goldstein (b. 1936) has been active in the presentation of new music and dance since the early 1960s in New York City as a co-founder with James Tenney and Philip Corner of the Tone Roads Ensemble and as a participant in the Judson Dance Theater, the New York Festival of the Avant-Garde, and the Experimental Intermedia Foundation. His "Soundings" improvisations have received international acclaim for having "reinvented violin playing," extending the range of tonal/sound-texture possibilities of the instrument and revealing new dimensions of expressivity. Since the mid-1960s he has integrated structured improvisation aspects into his compositions, exploring the rich sound-textures of new performance techniques within a variety of instrumental and vocal frameworks. Goldstein has been labeled an "improviser" and a "composer-violinist" (or merely a violinist). What this CD once and for all shows is that he is indeed those things, but encompassing them all is the fact that, profoundly, he is a composer. As he points out, "At the core of Baroque music was the integration of composition and improvisation," and Goldstein brings the perspective and focus of a seasoned performer to this undertaking. In this way his music represents a further evolution of that compositional-improvisational dialogue begun in the early 1950s in the aleatoric, "chance" pieces of composers like John Cage, Earle Brown, Christian Wolff and Morton Feldman.
London Symphony Orchestra Today's episode will be a special feature on the London Symphony Orchestra, also known as LSO. LSO is widely regarded to be one of the world's leading orchestras, with over 100 years of performing experience. LSO has performed all across the world and even recorded soundtracks for films, such as Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. In 2000, LSO launched their own classical label, LSO Live. Since then LSO Live has become one of the world's most talked about classical labels. Today we will be celebrating LSO Live's 10 year anniversary by playing samples from some of their best recordings and featuring a track from their newest release titled Verdi: Otello. Enjoy! video platform video management video solutions video player Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra "Enigma Variations" from "Elgar: Enigma Variations" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album During his time as Principal Conductor of the LSO, Sir Colin Davis gained a reputation as the leading interpreter of Elgar’s music and recorded the composer’s symphonies and Dream of Gerontius for LSO Live. Elgar himself was one of the LSO’s first Principal Conductors and the orchestra premiered many of his works, including the Introduction & Allegro for Strings. June 2007 sees the 150th anniversary of Elgar’s birth. The Enigma Variations was Elgar’s breakthrough work and remains one of his most popular. Although it is often thought of as whimsical and the epitome of “Englishness”, in reality it is a thrilling and ravishingly beautiful masterpiece. Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra "Messiah" from "Handel: Messiah" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at eMusic More On This Album Handel’s masterpiece uses short texts from the Bible to tell the story of Christ's birth, death and resurrection. Imbued with a deep humanity and written with the imagination of a composer at the peak of powers, Messiah is intimate yet dramatic and includes some of Handel's best-loved music.Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra "Má vlast" from "Smetana: Má vlast" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Inspired by the mythology and pastoral beauty of his Czech homeland, Smetana’s six tone poems that form Ma vlást (My Fatherland) is one of the best examples of Nationalism in music. The stirring second movement depicts the river Vltava as it flows through the countryside and into Prague. Struck with deafness in 1874, Smetana would never hear a performance of what would become his most popular work. Concert Reviews ‘Colin Davis's performance of Smetana’s Má Vlast with the London Symphony Orchestra was an irresistible pageant of Czech patriotic fervor, a depiction of ancient battles and pastoral idylls, as well as a revelation of the work’s symphonic integrity ’The Guardian (UK), 12 May 2005 ‘the LSO’s unforced brilliance constantly shining forth … The players rose to the occasion with the virtuosity and commitment that are their hallmark. Under Davis’s direction, Smetana’s depiction of natural phenomena and rustic scenes sprang to life’ Evening Standard (UK), 11 May 2005 ‘Yet the Smetana itself holds no terrors, least of all for Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra. In the first poem, how proudly Vysehrad, the guardian rock of Prague, stood out fortissimo on the skyline! And few musical rivers have accelerated with the natural grace of Davis’s Vltava, or begun its course with such lightly charming trickling flutes’ The Times (UK), 12 May 2005 Valery Gergiev, London Symphony Orchestra, Elena Mosuc, Zlata Bulycheva, London Symphony Chorus "Symphony No. 2" from "Mahler: Symphony No. 2" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album ‘Faced with the London Symphony Orchestra's concentrated glare and attack, I considered cowering under my seat ’The Times (UK) ‘an account of searing intensity ... The pure, visceral thrill of the final bars,greeted with an enthusiastic ovation from the packed audience,crowned a very fine performance of this great work’ MusicalCriticsm.com (UK)Bernard Haitink, Twyla Robinson, Karen Cargill, John Mac Master, London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus "Symphony No. 9 "Choral"" from "Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Benchmark Beethoven Cycle - BBC Music Magazine (UK) Classical Recordings of the Year - New York Times (US) CDs of the Year - Svenska Dagbladet (Sweden) ‘a towering achievement’ The Times (UK) CDs of the Year ‘Few music lovers saw this one coming ... Haitink has rarely sounded more suitably agitated. Even the problematic Triple Concerto has rare drama and purpose; this recording may be the best ever’ Philadelphia Enquirer (US) ‘simply masterful Beethoven … Capped by a magisterial account of the Ninth Symphony, this is the Beethoven set for our time. Even if you already have umpteen other recordings of these works, you really owe it to yourself to hear this new set’ Chicago Tribune (US) Beethoven redefined what a symphony could be, giving his works a dramatic narrative and emotional intensity that sent blood flowing through the veins of music and set the tone for Romanticism in music. Many of the symphonies have their own journeys; from darkness to light in the Fifth symphony, from death to rebirth in the Eroica, or from a bleak void to a glorious vision of love and tolerance in the Choral Symphony. London Symphony Orchestra "The Planets, Op. 32: IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" from "Holst: The Planets" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Gustav Holst's The Planets was born of his fascination with astrology. His portrayal of the planets of the solar system, from the serene, romantic venus to the warlike Mars and the magisterial Jupiter, has become an absolute classic and contains some of the most well-known music of the 20th centruy. London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Sir Colin Davis, Gerald Finley, Allan Clayton, Ben Johnson, Matthew Rose "Otello" from "Verdi: Otello" (LSO Live) More On This Album The release of Sir Colin Davis’s eagerly anticipated recording of Verdi’s Otello marks the 10th anniversary of the LSO Live label. Opera has always formed a major part of the label’s output and among Sir Colin’s greatest triumphs was his Grammy Award-winning recording of Verdi’s final opera, Falstaff. One of the world’s most exciting young tenors joins Sir Colin to sing the title role on the new recording. New Zealander Simon O’Neill stepped in at short notice to the concerts, making his debut in the role (although he had studied it with Domingo), delivering what was universally acclaimed as a sensational performance. The villainous Jago is sung by Gerald Finley and Otello’s wife Desdemona by Anne Schwanewilms. Verdi had retired from opera following the premiere of Aida in 1871 but was eventually persuaded by his publisher to work with the librettist Arrigo Boito. As with Falstaff, Verdi’s final opera on which they would subsequently collaborate, they turned to Shakespeare for inspiration. Otello, which was premiered in 1887, marked a significant evolutionary development in Italian opera and is widely regarded as one of the great operatic masterpieces. Simon O’Neill joins Sir Colin and the LSO again for performances of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass in October before singing Siegmund in Die Walküre in a production at La Scala conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Gerald Finley performs in Guillaume Tell in Rome in October and Pelléas et Mélisande at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in December. ‘This was an electrifying account of a masterpiece, conducted with an explosive energy that belies Sir Colin’s eighty years and pushed the LSO to the top of its game. Simon O’Neill made a tremendous debut in the title-role, giving notice that he is the best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade … Gerald Finley was an arrestingly crisp and snakily plausible Iago … Verdi’s great music drama shone in all its power and glory’ Daily Telegraph (UK) concert review ‘a performance of Verdi’s opera that had finesse, fervour and glorious lyricism … Such is Davis’s rapport with the LSO and its rapant Chorus that he can unleash greater musical power with an elegant flick of the baton than most conductors muster with flailing arms. Gerald Finley was a superb Iago: insiduously sinister, yet sustaining a wonderfully suave line. And the New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill gave an immense performance … he will make the Moor his own’ The Times (UK) concert review ‘a thrilling performance from beginning to end … an evening to treasure; not just for Davis’s contribution, but for an impressive debut from the young New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill. O’Neill mastered Otello’s many moods with a striking musicality and an eveness of tone throughout the range. He will go far, and promises to be the outstanding Wagner Heldentenor we have been longing far … the men, led by Gerald Finley’s totally convincing and committed Iago, were splendid’ Mail on Sunday (UK) concert review
harmonia mundi France harmonia mundi was born in 1958 in Paris. In 1986 the group moved to Arles France, where they are still headquartered today. This group has always been known for their support for independent artist and classical music. Additionally they have been growing recognition for various sections within the publishing business.Olga Kern "Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 58" (mp3) from "Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3" (harmonia mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Frederic Chopin's Piano Sonatas No.2 ("Funeral March") and No.3 are the product of the composer's maturity and boundless invention. Here they receive incandescent performances by the 2001 Cliburn Competition gold medalist Olga Kern. Olga KernJavier Perianes, Javier Perianes (piano) "Sonata no.1 in C minor" (mp3) from "Blasco de Nebra: Piano Sonatas" (harmonia mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Javier Perianes invites us to discover the keyboard works of a composer who, like himself, was a native of Andalucia : the heir to Scarlatti in many respects, Blasco do Nebra magisterially combined his own natural heritage with the forms imported by the Hispano-Neapolitan composer. The sonata and pastorales presented on this disc shed light on the multiple facets of his creative genus, alas cut short all too soon: he died at the age of just thirty-four. Javier PerianesPaul Lewis, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jirà Belohlávek "Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op.58" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos" (harmonia mundi) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album His complete set of the Beethoven sonatas enjoyed extraordinary acclaim in the UK, culminating in the prestigious 'Recording of the Year' award from Gramaphon magazine for the fourth volume in 2008. Encouraged by what has now become a worldwide success, Paul Lewis has chosen to turn his attention to the five piano concertos with these distinguished partners. Recorded between July 2009 and March 2010, these interpretations paint a portrait of Beethoven full of light and shade. Paul Lewis
More about Nocturnes Leon Bosch, Sung-Suk Kang "Nocturne" (mp3) from "Virtuoso Double Bass" (Meridian Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The working relationship between Sung-Suk Kang and the distinguished double bass player Leon Bosch goes back to 1982, when both were students at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK. Sung-Suk accompanied Leon during lessons and at scholarship auditions. 'At the end of our courses of study,' Leon remembers, 'the RNCM principal, Sir John Manduell, invited us to play two pieces together in one of the so-called principal's concerts. These were showcase events in which his ‘prize students’ were afforded a platform to perform in front of an audience of many distinguished invited guests, as well as the public. Sung-Suk and I performed two pieces by the great double bass player Bottesini, the Capriccio di Bravura and Fantasy Sonnambula. 'I'll remember that 1984 concert forever, for Sung-Suk’s magical playing throughout. There was one extended piano tutti in Sonnambula which was particular memorable for its unique delicacy and scintillating effervescence.' Sung-Suk picks up the story. 'After we left the RNCM, Leon and I lost contact with each other for twenty years. Then in the autumn of 2006, all of a sudden I received an SMS message from Leon on my mobile.....out of the blue. I called him back and discovered that at short notice he wanted me to play for him on a CD of pieces by Bottesini. After exchanging a few emails, I agreed.’ So what had inspired Leon to make the move? 'After Sung-Suk and I parted company back in 1984 I always thought of her whenever I played Sonnambula. I often wondered what had happened to her. I have a tape recording of that principal's concert and played it often over the years to reassure myself that it was indeed real and not just a grossly exaggerated and romanticised memory! 'Then when I was scheduled to record my first Bottesini disc, my pianist had to withdraw. After much thought, I resolved to try and find Sung-Suk, since she was the only person I felt I'd really be happy to work with. I put her name into Google and found her referred to on the website of the conductor, Nayden Todorov. With that lead, I traced her to Vienna.’ 'We began to rehearse as soon as I arrived in London!' Sung-Suk recalls. 'There wasn`t enough time to work on each piece in detail.... and we only had one and a half days to record all the repertoire for the CD. 'Playing with Leon wasn`t easy at first - he has a unique way of phrasing and his rubato is never predictable. And of course my ears had to concentrate so much on picking up the thick, deep lower register of the double bass sound. But during the recording sessions everything clicked and became completely natural. 'We tried to create a new atmosphere for each piece and then find the inspiration for a special interpretation at the end of the process. This was always different from what we'd prepared....music-making with Leon is always spontaneous! I love the full sound he makes, all the different colours he creates to express varied emotions in depth.’ As for Nocturne, it allows the piano to anticipate the main theme in the opening section but then gives it no share of the melodic line so expressively introduced and sustained by the double bass. It is, however, the piano which towards the end initiates the change from minor to major harmonies, just before double-bass harmonics magically project the melody into the soprano register. If Bottesini expected to be remembered by future generations he no doubt felt that it would be through his operas and sacred music. In fact, while they are forgotten, his posthumous reputation derives from an instrumental artistry which, though it died with him, survives in the hands of those few bassists who can do his compositions full justice. Nikolai Lugansky "Nocturne, Op. 55 No. 1" (mp3) from "Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3, Fantasie-impromptu, Prélude, Nocturne, et al." (Onyx Classics) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Nikolai Lugansky's first recording for ONYX. The Daily Telegraph commenting on Lugansky, said 'He can thrill in taxing pianism through his iron will and fingers of steel, but there is an assuaging velvet quality to his tone, a natural feel for lyrical line' Gramophone praised his 'pianism of immense skill, fluency and innate musical quality' Nikolai Lugansky was born in Moscow in 1972. He studied at Moscow Central Music School (under Tatiana Kestner) and then at the Moscow Conservatory, where he was a pupil of Tatiana Nikolayeva, who described him as ‘the next one’ in a line of great Russian pianists. Following Nikolayeva’s untimely death in 1993, Lugansky continued his studies under Sergei Dorensky. A laureate of the International Bach Competition in Leipzig, the Rachmaninov Competition in Moscow and the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Lugansky has a repertoire of over 50 concertos with orchestra as well as a wide range of solo and chamber works. He has worked with many distinguished orchestras and conductors including Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Valery Gergiev, Neeme Järvi, Raymond Leppard, Yoel Levi, Mikhail Pletnev, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Vladimir Spivakov, Evgeny Svetlanov, Yuri Temirkanov, Kurt Masur, Riccardo Chailly and others. His chamber music partners have included Vadim Repin, Alexander Kniazev, Joshua Bell, Yuri Bashmet, Mischa Maisky, Leonidas Kavakos and Anna Netrebko among others. Lugansky has recorded 23 CDs. His solo recordings on Warner Classics — Chopin Études, Rachmaninov Préludes and Moments musicaux and Chopin Préludes — were each awarded a Diapason d’Or. His PentaTone Classics SACD of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto no.1, with the Russian National Orchestra under Kent Nagano, was cited as ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone. His Prokofiev CD was one of the ‘CDs of the Year’ (2004) featured in The Daily Telegraph. Lugansky’s recordings of the complete piano concertos of Rachmaninov, with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo, received Choc du Monde de la Musique, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik and the 2005 ECHO Klassik Award. His last recording (Chopin’s and Rachmaninov’s cello sonatas) with the cellist Alexander Kniazev won the 2007 ECHO Klassik Award. As well as performing and recording, Lugansky teaches at the Moscow Conservatory as an assistant of Prof. Sergei Dorensky. Anthony Goldstone "Nocturne in D-Flat Major, Op. 8" (mp3) from "Russian Piano Music, Vol. 4: Sergei Lyapunov" (Divine Art) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Now almost forgotten in the West, Lyapunov was one of the truly great composers of the Romantic era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His Sonata is a phenomenal work and his mastery of pianistic composition is also finely demonstrated by the other works on this album masterfully interpreted by Anthony Goldstone. Anyone who loves Chopin or Liszt should get to know this music. Fuzjko Hemming "Nocturne No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor" (mp3) from "Fuzjko Hemming - Collector's Edition" (Fuzjko Label) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Having wowed much of the Eastern Hemisphere for years, classical pianist Fuzjko Hemming is preparing for her introduction to the United States. Having been born into humble circumstances, child of a Japanese mother and Swedish father, she has felt rootless, too Asian in appearance for Sweden, and in Japan constricted by the society's stratified and class-oriented way of life. Then, as she was starting to gain traction as a professional musician, her promising career was cut short. - Fuzjko lost all hearing in her left ear after battling a serious cold. At 16, she already lost her hearing in her right ear due to illness. Completely deaf for 2 years, she eventually had 40% of her hearing restored in her left ear. After living in poverty in Europe for many years before returning to Japan and gaining acclaim for her music - critics hailed her as being "born to play Chopin and Liszt " In 1999, Japan's NHK Television aired a documentary of her life and she released her debut album, La Campanella, which sold more than two million copies, a rare accomplishment for any classical artist She also has won an unprecedented four Classical Album of the Year Awards at the Japan Gold Disc Awards, another extraordinary achievement for any artist, let alone a classical artist She remains the only four-time Gold Disc Award winner. Since that time she has recorded numerous successful albums - invigorating collections of classical interpretations, five of which are being released for the first time in the U.S. on her label Domo Records: Echoes of Eternity, La Campanella, Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1, Nocturnes of Melancholy, Live at Carnegie Hall. On the new album, Fuzjko, the artist performs largely romantic repertoire ranging from Beethoven's "The Tempest" sonata to works by Chopin, Liszt, Scarlatti and Debussy. In each piece, whether performing Chopin's Nocturnes or Liszt's bravura pieces "La Campanella" and "Grand Etudes D'Apres Paganini No. 6", Fuzjko infuses poetry to these timeless compositions, and always in her own eminently attractive style. The warmth of Fuzjko's sound can also be heard in Scarlatti's Sonata K.162 and Debussy's "Claire De Lune". Although much of the repertoire is familiar, Fuzjko also dips into lesser known works like Liszt's transcription of Schumann's "Fruhlinghsnacht", and Chopin's "Trois Nouvelles Etudes No.3, and always played with her celebrated musicality much in evidence. The celebrated virtuoso blends the classicality of her influences such as Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin with the sophisticated approach of her mentors (Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan) to create an emotional delivery of exquisite craftsmanship. She's been known to bring some fans to tears with her moving immersion in her music. With her strikingly unorthodox playing style and intricate ethnic roots, it's evident that Fuzjko's true home is at the piano, where she reveals herself as a true artist of the world. Carly Comando "Bear" (mp3) from "One Take" (Deep Elm) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Chilling. Stirring. Powerful. Contemplative. These are some of the words most frequently used to describe the achingly beautiful piano instrumentals of Carly Comando. Her debut album "One Take" features ten delicately woven songs (including her single "Everday") that are the direct emotional output of her innermost thoughts. "The album means the world to me. It's complete, in-the-moment sincerity translated into moody solo piano music. I used an improv technique, recording in just one take, so I could capture the essence of pure emotion" says Carly. From the rises and falls to the shrinks and swells, these songs will leave an indellible impression on your mind. It's music that stays with you forever. "One Take" was recorded in Carly's home studio in Brooklyn, NY. Mastered by Phil Douglas (Latterman, Small Arms Dealer, Iron Chic). The album includes the "Everyday" which was originally released in December 2006. Deep Elm Records is simultaneously releasing an EP titled "Cordelia" featuring four additional piano instrumentals. Carly also plays keyboards / sings in the band Slingshot Dakota and composes custom works upon request. And yes, that was the name given to her at birth. "This is music that changes lives, opens minds, broadens horizons. Carly is an amazing pianist." - ANA "Beautiful and soothing, she will evoke emotion and ease any scattered mind. A talented composer." - SweetieJo "Emotional and inspiring, it grabs your soul and moves you. Highly recommended." - The Rez
Maestro Classical Podcast 015: Composers in 2010 pt. 2 featuring Max Richter, Rachel Grimes and Quartet San Francisco Max Richter "infra 4" (mp3) from "Infra" (Fat Cat Records) More On This AlbumOriginally conceived as a Royal Ballet-commissioned collaboration between composer Max Richter, choreographer Wayne McGregor and artist Julian Opie, Max Richter's gorgeous score to 'infra' is deservedly given life of its own in this album-length release from FatCat's instrumental/orchestral imprint 130701 Records. The initial setting for 'infra' was as a ballet - written in autumn 2008 and premiered in November of the same year at The Royal Opera House in London – although here Richter’s score is given the full scope of a standalone new album. Expanded and extended from the original piece, 'infra' comprises music written for piano, electronics and string quintet, including the full performance score as well as material that has subsequently developed from the construction of the album – more a continued reference to the ballet than as a "studio album" in the strictest sense. The composition resonates with Max's characteristic musical voice – majestic, involved textures; fluent and sweeping melodies; an enigmatic and inherently intellectual understanding of harmonic complexities that compels and mesmerizes. Richter's work on the ballet came initially from McGregor's invitation, a request for 25 minutes of music for his piece, inspired by T.S. Elliot's 'The Wasteland' and named after the Latin term for 'below'. This eventually became more collaborative as the project developed – Wayne would ask for Max to extend or alter certain passages of music in accordance with his own amendments to his choreography and concept, whilst logging the whole process for a BBC documentary (broadcast, along with the ballet in full, on BBC2 in November 2008). The dance performance was backed with digital images created by Julian Opie – observational scenes of street life, haunting and curiously balletic despite being of the everyday – and Max's score is an appropriately close reference to the traveling theme: "I started thinking about making a piece on the theme of journeys. Like a road movie. Or a traveler's notebook. Or like the second unit in a film - when the scene has been played, and the image cuts away to the landscape going by. This started me thinking about Schubert's devastating and haunting "Winterreise" (Winter Journey), so I used some melodic material from Schubert as a found object in parts of my new piece." Rachel Grimes"Every Morning" from "Books of Leaves for Solo Piano" (Violinjazz Recordings) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album BBC Pioneering Neo-Classicist reveals her solo debut by Spencer Grady, October 13, 2009: "We owe Rachel Grimes big." "..with Music for Egon Schiele …found the conviction and confidence to match her voice.." "Her most wondrous gift was always her ability to paint the most evocative pictures in purest ivory and her lightness of touch allows majestic statements such as the Corner Room and Long Before Us to ring out, echoing with sensuousness and sentiment before drawing the listener back in." New York Times – Live Review by Allan Kozinn, October 14, 2009: "..offered glimpses of an alternate universe in which expansive, unified projects are everything." "..overall serenity.." "..her evident fascination with French music: Ravel and Debussy hover nearby (in the watery imagery and modal harmonies of "Bloodroot" for example)" Quartet San Francisco "Crowdambo" (mp3) from "Látigo" (Violinjazz Recordings) Buy at Napster Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Description of "Crawdambo" from Quartet San Francisco violinist, Jeremy Cohen: "I wrote this piece as an homage to my teacher and mentor, Anne Crowden, who passed away in 2004. Anne instilled in me a dedication to musical expression that truly became the basis of my violin-playing. She communicated to me how important it is that the joy of music-making be evident in my playing at every moment. In this little musical “thank you” to Anne I found myself cooking up a musical soup of favorite sounds, techniques, and rock and classical-infused ideas held together by a mambo rhythm."
Today’s episode will be our first ever, solo focus feature on the San Francisco Symphony aka SFS. SFS has a long history of presenting world premieres and receiving various awards. They recently received 3 Grammy awards for an album we will play today for Best Classical Album, Best Engineered Classical Album, and Best Choral Performance. www.sfsymphony.org SFS The Black and White Ball SFS Season Schedule and Tickets San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas "Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major "Eroica", Op. 55" from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"" (San Francisco Symphony) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This AlbumAlbum Notes This album is the companion concert recording for Keeping Score, the San Francisco Symphony's multi-media project on PBS, national public radio, web sites and education. For more information visit www.keepingscore.org. San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas "Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36" from "Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4" (San Francisco Symphony) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Album Notes This album is the companion concert recording for Keeping Score, the San Francisco Symphony's multi-media project on PBS, national public radio, web sites and education. For more information visit www.keepingscore.org. Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus "Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major" (mp3) from "Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major - Adagio from Symphony No. 10" (San Francisco Symphony) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus "Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major" (mp3) from "Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major - Adagio from Symphony No. 10" (San Francisco Symphony) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus "Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major" (mp3) from "Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major - Adagio from Symphony No. 10" (San Francisco Symphony) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus "Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major" (mp3) from "Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major - Adagio from Symphony No. 10" (San Francisco Symphony) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Album Notes Mahler's Eighth Symphony is his largest-scale work and among music's most epic statements. Scored for huge orchestra, chorus, two children's choirs, and eight vocal soloists, Mahler 8 is sometimes called the Symphony of a Thousands — which is just a slight exaggeration. Fusing an ancient hymn of praise with Goethe's ecstatic story of Faust's redemption, Mahler 8 is an overwhelming musical experience. Description The San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas present Mahler's Adagio from Symphony No. 10 and Symphony No. 8 featuring soloists Laura Claycomb, Anthony Dean Griffey, Katarina Karnéus, Quinn Kelsey, James Morris, Yvonne Naef, Elza van den Heever & Erin Wall, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, the San Francisco Girls Chorus and the Pacific Boychoir. Conductor: Michael Tilson Thomas Orchestra: San Francisco Symphony Soloist: Erin Wall, Elza van den Heever, Katarina Karnéus, Yvonne Naef, Anthony Dean Griffey, Quinn Kelsey, James Morris Chorus: San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Pacific Boychoir, San Francisco Girls Chorus
Florent Ghys "Soli" (mp3) from "Baroque Tardif: Soli" (Cantaloupe Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Napster More On This Album Album Notes: Cantaloupe Music continues its series of EPs. These are available via digital music services and in a limited edition physical pressing available to members of our subscription-only Cantaloupe Club. After receiving a traditional French diploma in music, Florent Ghys researched experimental and minimalist music--leading him to Bang on a Can's Summer Festival at MASS MoCA in 2007. Returned to his hometown in Bordeaux and missing the community he found around the summer festival, Ghys asked himself, "What would I write if I had to write for an ensemble in which I am the only player?" Ghys says of his process: "The reasons for this schizophrenic question are multiple. Returning to Bordeaux from Paris, I had the feeling of being musically isolated - of being out of tune with my new environment - and I couldn't stop writing. I was also interested in the idea of breaking the boundary between the composer and the musician. and the feeling I had of sitting in the audience while my music was being played onstage wasn't, to be honest, all that satisfying. "I didn't intend to compose a solo for myself playing the upright bass, nor did I intend to compose a piece for me and a fleet of clones, but I did intend to create a 'multiple-me' ensemble. "I know multi-track recording will never replace live recording, but multi-tracking was an interesting starting point to see if it would change my compositional process while writing strictly for me - after all, the instrumentation for the EP was linked only to the instruments I can actually play. I could have an upright bass, a bass, a guitar, an electric guitar, a voice. I could also use a pianino (a small 6 octaves piano) and hit some dishes in my kitchen." Baroque Tardif: Soli is the first in a series of three EPs from Florent Ghys. Olivier Manchon "Come Back" (mp3) "Memoires (feat. Gregoire Maret)" (mp3) from "Orchestre de Chambre Miniature - Volume 1" (ObliqSound) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumAlbum Notes: Olivier Manchon > violin Hiroko Taguchi > viola Christopher Hoffman > cello Alan Hampton > double bass John Ellis > tenor saxophone (tks 1, 4, 7), bass clarinet (tk 3) Hideaki Aomori > clarinet (tk 5, 8), bass clarinet (tk 6) Gregoire Maret > harmonica (tk 2) Produced by Olivier Manchon. Description: Orchestre de Chambre Miniature - Volume 1 is the personal project of French violinist and composer Olivier Manchon, better known for his collaborations with indie acts My Brightest Diamond and Sufjan Stevens, and as co-leader of orchestral pop group Clare and the Reasons. With this mini chamber orchestra, Manchon showcases his skills as a gifted composer and arranger, creating a cinematic narrative of jazz and classical music performed on strings and woodwinds. The album also features John Ellis (Charlie Hunter, John Patitucci, Sting) on clarinet and saxophone and Gregoire Maret (Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller) on harmonica. www.obliqsound.com
Quartet San Francisco "Take Five" (mp3) from "QSF Plays Brubeck" (Violinjazz Recordings) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the release of Time Out, QSF pays tribute to the mastery of Brubeck with the first-ever all Brubeck string quartet CD! Grammy nominees for their last two releases (2006 and 2007)and International Tango competition winners (New York , 2004), Quartet San Francisco expresses itself in its agility and standout virtuosic playing. Quartet San Francisco is Jeremy Cohen and Alisa Rose , violinists, Keith Lawrence, violist, and Michelle Djokic, cellist. As crossover specialists they excel in multiple styles ó from jazz to tango, pop to funk, blues to bluegrass, gypsy swing to big band and beyond . Nominee, 52nd Annual GRAMMY© Awards Best Classical Crossover Album Best Engineered Album, Classical NPR Weekend Edition, Sunday January 31, 2010 The Philadelphia Orchestra, Stewart Goodyear, David Bilger, Christoph Eschenbach "Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 35" (mp3) from "Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1&2" (The Philadelphia Orchestra) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Album Notes Composer: Shostakovich Piano Concerto Nos. 1 and 2 Composed in 1933 and 1957 Christoph Eschenbach: Conductor Steward Goodyear: Piano Recorded live October 13, 2006, Verizon Hall, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts It is not unusual for performers to play in challenging situations, however few situations are more challenging than the one captured on this recording. In a testament to his skill and artistry, Stewart Goodyear stepped in to play when the featured soloist for this concert canceled on the morning of the first rehearsal. Not only did Goodyear literally hop on a train to make it in time for an afternoon rehearsal, he stepped into the very challenging programmed repertoire without blinking. Two Shostakovitch Concertos on one program? No problem - and they are played with such passion and excitement that it was rightfully lauded in the press as one of the best concerts in recent memory. PRODUCTION CREDITS Producer: Charles Gagnon Balance Engineer: Charles Gagnon Recording Engineer: Charles Gagnon Editor: Charles Gagnon Christoph Eschenbach Bio Photo: Jessica Griffin Stewart Goodyear Bio Photo: Andrew Garn The Philadelphia Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach "Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral"" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 9" (The Philadelphia Orchestra) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 (ìChoralî) Composed from 1822-24: Ludwig van Beethoven Recorded live May 20, 2006, Verizon Hall, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts This is part of Christoph Eschenbach's 2005-06 season Beethoven cycle with the Philadelphia Orchestra. It was originally aired on NPR's Performance Today in a Beethoven "marathon" of consecutive symphonies, and has received wide public and critical acclaim. Of the three in the recorded history of The Philadelphia Orchestra, only the Eschenbach and the Muti are currently available. Album Notes Christoph Eschenbach Conductor Marina Mescheriakova Soprano Jill Grove Mezzo-soprano Vinson Cole Tenor Alan Held Bass-baritone The Philadelphia Singers Chorale David Hayes Music Director
Polkastra from "Apolkalypse Now" (Ancalagon LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Polkastra An eclectic and international cast of characters including a Canadian folk fiddler, the Met's contrabassoonist, an Israeli accordionist and percussionist, a jack-of-all-trades bassist, a French Horn playing record store clerk and an internationally renowned violin soloist met in a New Jersey studio to record a polka album just for fun. An idea that began as a lark quickly grew into an eccentric, virtuosic and energetic exploration of the roots of polka: folk, country, classical and jazz. Polkastra is a unique world music project that celebrates both the joy of music and the power of dance to unite cultures. From the American Midwest and the North of Canada to the mountains of Bohemia and the deserts of Israel - Apolkalypse Now poses the important question "Would you like sauerkraut, poutine, goulash or hummus with that?" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Polkastra/85797268829 http://www.polkastra.com Ama Deus Ensemble, Valentin Radu from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 & Die Ruinen von Athen" (Lyrichord) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 “Choral” The last complete symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the Ninth Symphony is one of the best-known works of the Western repertoire, considered both an icon and a forefather of Romantic music, and one of Beethoven's greatest masterpieces. The composer struggled for more than ten years before completing the work, and turned to the mighty Missa Solemnis while he considered his final symphony. Using voices in an orchestral symphony had never been attempted before. Beethoven finally decided to incorporate part of the Ode an die Freude (“Ode to Joy”), a poem by Friedrich Schiller, with text sung by soloists and a chorus in the new symphony's last movement. It is, indeed, the first example of a major composer using the human voice on the same level with instruments in a symphony, creating a work of a grand scope that sets the tone for the Romantic symphonic form. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Smetana Quartetfrom "Beethoven: String Quartets Nos 11-16 incl. Grosse Fuge / Smetana Quartet" (Supraphon Music a.s.) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Album Notes Smetana Quartet Plays Late Beethoven (3 CDs) L. van Beethoven: String Quartets No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95, No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132, No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131, No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127, No. 13 in B-flat major, Op. 130, Grosse Fuge in B flat major, Op. 133, No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 The Smetana Quartet (1945-1989) played Beethoven's quartets 1490 times over the course of their career! The recordings which make up this complete collection are from the years 1961-70, and the performances were played from memory! The recordings glow with youthful energy and tireless searching. The Smetana Quartet has been called perhaps the best ensemble of the years 1960-80. London Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink from "Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 8" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 The work was begun in the summer of 1812, immediately after the completion of the Seventh Symphony. At the time Beethoven was 41 years old. As Antony Hopkins has noted, the cheerful mood of the work betrays nothing of the grossly unpleasant events that were taking place in Beethoven's life at the time, which involved his interference in his brother Johann's love life. The work took Beethoven only four months to complete, and was dedicated to the banker Count Moritz Fries, who, according to Karl Holz, paid Beethoven a regular subsidy for some years until his bankruptcy in 1825. The premiere took place on February 27, 1814, at a concert at which the mighty Seventh Symphony (which had been premiered two months earlier) was also played. Beethoven was growing increasingly deaf at the time, but nevertheless led the premiere. Reportedly, "the orchestra largely ignored his ungainly gestures and followed the principal violinist instead". Critics immediately noted that the Eighth did not reach the heights of its predecessor, launching a long tradition of complaining that the Eighth Symphony is not something different (more heroic, more emotive) from what it is. However, many listeners seem to be able to enjoy the symphony anyway, and it appears frequently today on concert programs as well as on recordings. When asked by his pupil Carl Czerny why the Eighth was less popular than the Seventh, Beethoven is said to have replied "because the Eighth is so much better." A critic wrote that "the applause it [the Eighth Symphony] received was not accompanied by that enthusiasm which distinguishes a work which gives universal delight; in short-as the Italians say-it did not create a furor." Beethoven was angered at this reception because he considered the Eighth "much better" than the Seventh. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._8_(Beethoven) http://www.lso.co.uk
George Zacharias "Nel cor pi√π non mi sento, Op. 38, MS 44" (mp3) from "Unaccompanied" (Divine Art) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody More On This AlbumArtist: George ZachariasIt takes a particular and extreme level of skill and dedication to perform virtuoso works for unaccompanied solo violin; suffice it to say these are qualities held by George Zacharias without doubt. This is a tour-de-force of musicianship and technique - and wonderful music too. Bartok's Sonata is presented in its original version and of the two awesome Paganini works, the 'God Save the King' Variations are very rarely heard. Dejan Laziƒ?, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Petrenko "Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18" (mp3) from "Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 - Moments Musicaux, Op. 16" (Channel Classics Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster More On This AlbumArtist: Dejan Lazic Pianist Dejan Lazic was born in Zagreb, Croatia, and grew up in Salzburg where he studied at the Mozarteum. He is quickly establishing a reputation worldwide as ìa brilliant pianist and a gifted musician full of ideas and able to project them persuasivelyî (Gramophone). The New York Times hailed his performance as ìfull of poetic, shapely phrasing and vivid dynamic effects that made this music sound fresh, spontaneous and impassionedî. As recitalist and soloist with orchestra, he has appeared at major venues in Berlin, Paris, London, Vienna, New York, Chicago, Tokyo, Buenos Aires and Sydney, and at the Edinburgh, Schleswig-Holstein, Verbier, Huntington and Menuhin/Gstaad Festivals. In the 2006/2007 season he gave his debut at the New York Lincoln Center and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw to great critical acclaim. Orchestral engagements included the Philharmonia Orchestra London with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Rotterdam and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras, Australian and Netherlands Chamber Orchestras, Danish Radio Sinfonietta and Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming engagements are with London Philharmonic Orchestra and Kirill Petrenko, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras and Basel Chamber Orchestra. He will be in season 2008/09 ìartist in residenceî at the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. He has a growing following in the Far East where he returns in spring 2008 for engagements with the Sapporo Symphony and for recitals in Tokyo and Beijing as well as for an engagement with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2009 a national Australian tour is planned with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. In the next season he will appear in recitals at the BBC Belfast, in Istanbul and Salzburg, Queen Elisabeth Hall London and at Vienna Musikverein to mention just a few. Alongside his solo career, Dejan Lazic is also a passionate chamber musician. He collaborates with artists such as Benjamin Schmid, Thomas Zehetmair, Gordan Nikolic and Richard Tognetti. Dejan records exclusively for Channel Classics. In autumn 2007 the first publication of the double portrait series with a Scarlatti/Bartok program is planned. The second CD will be released in 2008 with a Schumann/Brahms program as well as a recording of the Khachaturian Concerto and the Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and a CD with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rachmaninov Concerto No. 2. His last recording of Schubertís sonata D960 and his earlier one with Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 have earned rave reviews. His compositions include various chamber music and orchestral works. In 2007/08 he will premiere his ìKinderszenenî op. 15 for piano solo. Album Notes: You're going to compose your concerto. You will work with great ease. The concerto will be of excellent qualitySo spoke Dr. Nikolai Dahl, of one of the pioneers of psychiatry in Russia, and in this way he successfully restored Sergey Rachmaninov's concentration during a period of creative despair after the failure of his first Symphony. Later, Rachmaninov himself was to write: ìEven though it seems unbelievable, this therapy truly helped me. I was already starting to compose by summer!îAlthough they were separated by the crisis which interrupted his work, both the second Piano Concerto and the ìMoments Musicauxî date from the composer's early period, during which he was active primarily as a composer rather than a pianist. This explains the character of the second Piano Concerto, which partakes of both chamber music and symphony, despite the dazzling virtuosity of the solo piano part. Unlike many of Rachmaninov's other works, the concerto, dedicated in thanks to his doctor, was never revised after the first performance-another indication of the ease and freshness with which Rachmaninov went to work.The formal simplicity (e.g., in the first movement: main theme in the minor, second theme in the relative major, the development section laid out as a large-scale accelerando with gradually increasing dynamics, recapitulation with both themes, although given out with different instrumentation) is just as classically conceived as the choice of tonalities for the three movements (opening and closing movements in C minor, the slow central movement in E major, just as in Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto, except for the introductory modulations), and the balanced alternation between the freely improvisatory, martially strict, and dancelike, as well as between polyphonic and homophonic writing. However, all three movements are in 2/2 time, making the frequent shifts between 2/2 and 3/2 in the third movement all the more refreshing....http://www.channelclassics.com/ New Century Saxophone Quartet "The Art of Fugue" (mp3) from "Bach: The Art of Fugue" (Channel Classics Records) Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster More On This AlbumArtist: New Century Saxophone QuartetThe New Century Saxophone Quartet is a pioneering and versatile group winning new-found enthusiasm for its diverse repertory of innovative contemporary works and imaginative adaptations comprising an extraordinary range of musical styles. The only ensemble of its kind to win First Prize of the Concert Artists Guild Competition, the quartet is the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America, and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and in its home state from the North Carolina Arts Council. New Century has been heard in major concert venues and on radio and television throughout the Americas and Europe; in recordings for the Channel Classics label; and in unusual performance settings including two Command Performances for President Clinton at the White House, an appearance with the United States Navy Band, and a Chinese New Year broadcast seen by a television audience of over 300 million worldwide. Peter Schickeleís Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra is among the ensembleís numerous and widely-performed commissions and premieres, which also include works from Saturday Night Live bandleader Lenny Pickett, Bob Mintzer, Ben Johnston, David Ott, and Sherwood Shaffer. Album Notes:This project then is the culmination of over eight years studying, rehearsing, and performing Bach, and even in its "final" form on this disc represents a work in progress. As the quartet has discovered, one is never through learning Bach. Faced with the infinite possibilities of interpretation, one never plays it the same way twice. (Even in "extreme" interpretations, the music almost never suffers.) Also, one cannot spend this much time in the presence of the master without being fundamentally changed as a musician. The quartet has become keenly aware through this process that playing "The Art of Fugue" has changed everything ?ó the way they listen to each other, hear and experience an individual musical line and its relation to the surrounding parts, balance a chord or section of counterpoint, and even tune. The New Century Saxophone Quartet simply sounds different now, and they approach every piece, new and old, with a fresh perspective. It is their sincere desire to present the music of Bach in a way that is true to his intentions and the stylistic practices of the period, and yet with a vitality and freshness that can come from over 250 years of perspective. It is hoped you are as moved and inspired by the mastery of "The Art of Fugue" as they are.http://www.channelclassics.com/
Fabio Biondi "Les Quatre Saisons (L'Ete)" (mp3) from "Violon X" (Naive) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This AlbumFabio Biondi – violin: Born in Palermo, Fabio Biondi began his international career at the age of twelve, performing his first solo concert with the RAI symphony orchestra. Driven early on by an inexhaustible cultural curiosity, Fabio Biondi was introduced to pioneers of the new approach to baroque music, an opportunity that was to expand his musical vision and change the direction of his career. In 1990, Fabio Biondi founded Europa Galante, an ensemble which, in just a few years thanks to their worldwide concert schedule and extraordinary recording successes, became the most internationally renowned and awarded Italian ensemble of baroque music. Fabio Biondi and his ensemble have been invited to play at the most important world festivals and concert halls, from La Scala in Milan to the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Lincoln Center in New York and the Sydney Opera House. Lara St. John, The Simón BolÃvar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Eduardo Marturet (Ancalagon LLC) Lara St. John, The Sim√≥n Bol√≠var Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Eduardo Marturet from "Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - Piazzolla: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires" (Ancalagon LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This AlbumLara St. John – violin: http://www.larastjohn.com/index.phpCanadian-born violinist Lara St. John has been described as "something of a phenomenon" by The Strad and a “high-powered soloist” by the New York Times . She has performed as soloist with the orchestras of Cleveland, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Seattle, Brooklyn, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, the Boston Pops and many more in North America. In Europe, she has played with the NDR Symphony (Hanover), Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Bournemouth Symphony and the Amsterdam Symphony, among others. In Asia, solo appearances have included the Hong Kong Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, China Philharmonic in Beijing, Guangzhou Symphony and the Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra. Lara has also performed with the Queensland Orchestra in Australia.The Los Angeles Times has written, “St. John brings to the stage personal charisma, an unflagging musical imagination and genuine passion.” Recitals in major concert halls have included New York, Boston, San Francisco, Ravinia, Washington DC, Prague, Berlin, Toronto, Montreal and in the Forbidden City.To learn more about Lara check out her website! Sara Sant'Ambrogio "Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009" (mp3) from "Bach: Suites for Solo Cello, Vol. 1" (Sebastian Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This AlbumSara Sant'Ambrogio – cello:Grammy Award-winning cellist Sara Sant'Ambrogio first leapt to international attention when she won a medal at the Eighth International Tchaikovsky Violoncello Competition in Moscow, Russia. As a result of this prize, Carnegie Hall invited Sara to perform a recital that was televised nationally, as a part of a CBS News profile. The New York Times described her New York debut as “sheer pleasure”.Sara has appeared as soloist with many orchestras, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Beijing Philharmonic, and Moscow State Philharmonic. She has performed throughout the world at most of the major music festivals and centers such as Aspen, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Musikverein in Vienna, Marlboro, Great Mountain in Korea, and Orchard and Suntory Halls in Tokyo.As well as being featured in a broad range of international press, including Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Glamour, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and ABC, Fox, and CNN Networks, Sara has also been the subject of a feature length documentary entitled “Eroica!” which has had multiple airings on PBS. Always trying to expand the audience and push the boundaries for classical music, Sara has shot 4 music videos that have been aired internationally on Classic FM TV and has enjoyed collaborating with artists as diverse as the singer Rufus Wainwright-with whom she inaugurated a new concert series in New York City- to the rock group Vast- with whom she recorded. Sara collaborated with the New York City Ballet playing solo Bach at 7 sold-out shows at Lincoln Center and has had her playing featured on movie soundtracks including her own arrangement of Delibes' duet from Lakme on the soundtrack of the documentary “Jones Beach Boys.”Sara was invited to study with David Soyer at the Curtis Institute of Music at the age of 16 and after receiving her high school diploma from that venerable conservatory she then attended The Juilliard School as a scholarship student of Leonard Rose. While at Juilliard, Sara co-founded the Naumburg Award winning Eroica Trio with 2 childhood friends. One of the most successful chamber ensembles in America, the Trio tours worldwide extensively and has released 8 recordings for Angel/EMI Classics which have been nominated for multiple Grammy's. This is Sara's second recording for Sebastian Records.
Maestro 008: feat. Impressionistic Piano Works, Part 1 1. Anthony Goldstone "The Bumble Bee" (mp3) from "A Night at the Opera - Liszt, Gluck, Chopin, et al." (Divine Art) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster Buy at appliedSB / Groupietunes Buy at Puretracks Buy at mTraks More On This Album "Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, right after the magic Swan-Bird gives Prince Gvidon Saltanovich (the Tsar's son) instructions on how to change into an insect so that he can fly away to visit his father (who does not know that he is alive). Although in the opera the Swan-Bird sings during the first part of the "Flight", her vocal line is melodically uninvolved and easily omitted; this feature, combined with the fact that the number decisively closes the scene, made easy extraction as an orchestral concert piece possible. Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as "The Five." Noted particularly for a predilection for folk and fairy-tale subjects as well as his extraordinary skill in orchestration, his best known orchestral compositions—Capriccio espagnol, Russian Easter Festival Overture, and the symphonic suite Scheherazade—are considered staples of the classical music repertoire, along with suites and excerpts from some of his 15 operas. 2. Marzia Ragazzoni, Fabiana Ragazzoni "Dalle Sei Burlesken, Op. 58 per pianoforte a quattro mani" (mp3) from "Cuore Ragione Ironia" (Materiali Sonori) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Max Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and teacher. During a composing life of little more than 25 years, Reger produced an enormous output in all genres, nearly always in abstract forms, although few of his compositions are well known today. Many of his works are fugues or in variation form, including what is probably his best known orchestral work, the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart (based on the opening theme of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Sonata, K. 331). He also wrote a large amount of music for organ, including the Fantasy and Fugue on BACH (this piece, based on the BACH motif, is considered one of the most difficult and demanding in organ literature). He was particularly attracted to the fugal form his entire life, once remarking: "Other people write fugues - I live inside them". He composed music in virtually every genre—opera being a notable exception.
Maestro Classical podcast: episode 7, a holiday celebration feat. Tchaikovsky and J.S. Bach. 1. The London Symphony Orchestra "Nutcracker Ballet Suite: Waltz Of The Flowers" (mp3) from "Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite / 1812 Overture" (Everest Records) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. While not part of the nationalistic music group known as "The Five", Tchaikovsky wrote music which, in the opinion of Harold C. Schonberg, was distinctly Russian: plangent, introspective, with modally-inflected melody and harmony. Despite the compositional efforts of The Five, Tchaikovsky dominates 19th century Russian music as its greatest talent. While his formal conservatory training instilled in him Western-oriented attitudes and techniques, his essential nature, as he always insisted, remained Russian. This was true both in his use of actual folk song and his deep absorption in Russian life and ways of thought. His natural gifts, especially for melody (what he called the "lyrical idea"), give his music a permanent appeal. However, it was his hard-won though secure and professional technique, plus his ability to use it for the expression of his emotional life, which allowed him to realize his potential more fully than any of his major Russian contemporaries. The Nutcracker is one of Tchaikovsky's best known works. While it has been criticized as the least substantial of the composer's three ballets, it should be remembered that Tchaikovsky was restricted by a rigorous scenario supplied by Marius Petipa. This scenario provided no opportunity for the expression of human feelings beyond the most trivial and confined Tchaikovsky mostly within a world of tinsel, sweets and fantasy. Yet, at its best, the melodies are charming and pretty, and by this time Tchaikovsky's virtuosity at orchestration and counterpoint ensured an endless fascination in the surface attractiveness of the score. The Nutcracker, Op. 71, is a fairy tale-ballet in two acts, three scenes, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composed in 1891–92. Alexandre Dumas père's adaptation of the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann was set to music by Tchaikovsky (written by Marius Petipa and commissioned by the director of the Imperial Theatres Ivan Vsevolozhsky in 1891). In Western countries, this ballet has become perhaps the most popular ballet, performed primarily around Christmas time. The composer made a selection of eight of the more popular numbers from the ballet before the ballet's December 1892 premiere, forming The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, intended for concert performance. The suite was first performed, under the composer's direction, on 19 March 1892 at an assembly of the St. Petersburg branch of the Musical Society[1]. The suite became instantly popular; the complete ballet did not achieve its great popularity until around the mid-1960s. Among other things, the score of The Nutcracker is noted for its use of the celesta, an instrument that the composer had already employed in his much lesser known symphonic ballad The Voyevoda (premiered 1891).^ Although well-known in The Nutcracker as the featured solo instrument in the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from Act II, it is employed elsewhere in the same act. Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 2. The London Symphony Orchestra "Nutcracker Ballet Suite: Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" (mp3) from "Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite / 1812 Overture" (Everest Records) More On This Album 3. Boston Bach Ensemble "Chorus: Jauchzet, frohlocket" (mp3) from "J.S. Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium - Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248" (Musica Omnia) The greatest musical setting of the Christmas story, compiled by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1734. Based on the Gospel of St. Luke, the text describes the nativity of Jesus and is adorned by some of Bach's most colourful and beautiful music. In modern performance, the piece is generally either presented as a whole, or split into two equal sections. The total running time for the entire work is nearly three hours. Scored for an Evangelist, four vocal soloists, four part chorus and full baroque orchestra, including trumpets, timpani and horns, the Christmas Oratorio is among Bach's best-loved works. The Boston Bach Ensemble was founded in 1992 by Julian Wachner and Peter Watchorn, and performed principally at Boston University. It has performed cantatas, oratorios and masses by J. S. Bach, and features a choir of twenty young professional singers and a period instrument orchestra comprising some of the leading specialist musicians from the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. In 1998 the BBE recorded a celebrated live performance of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, which featured distinguished vocal soloists, including the celebrated Dutch baritone, Max van Egmond. Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 4. Boston Bach Ensemble "Recitative: Es begab sich aber" (mp3) from "J.S. Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium - Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248" (Musica Omnia) More On This Album 5. Boston Bach Ensemble "Recitative: Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam" (mp3) from "J.S. Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium - Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248" (Musica Omnia) More On This Album
Maestro Classical podcast - episode 006: Johann Sebastian Bach feat. Lara St. John & Trevor Pinnick Johann Sebastian Bach: (from Wikipedia.org) (31 March 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity. Although he introduced no new forms, he enriched the prevailing German style with a robust contrapuntal technique, an unrivalled control of harmonic and motivic organisation in composition for diverse musical forces, and the adaptation of rhythms and textures from abroad, particularly Italy and France. Lara St. John "Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo" (Ancalagon) ALBUM NOTES Sei Solo a Violino senza Basso accompagnato (Six Solos for Violin without accompanying Bass) Completed: Cöthen, 1720 According to the date he inscribed on the title page of the manuscript, Johann Sebastian Bach completed his Six Solos for Violin without accompanying Bass sometime in 1720. On 21 March of that year, he turned 35. Already a father of four, for the past two and a half years Bach had been harpsichordist and director of the elite chamber orchestra at the court of the Prince of Cöthen. Bach reportedly "dearly loved" his employer, the young Prince Leopold (1694-1728), who was not only a committed music-lover but himself a keen amateur performer, and even occasionally a composer, who, according to Bach, "loved and understood" the art. And, as one of Leopold's best-paid court functionaries, Bach was highly valued in return. In May of that year, when the prince set out for his annual summer "rest cure" in the Bohemian spa town of Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary), his harpsichordist Bach, went with him, along with five other leading members of the court band. Away from his home, young family, and usual court responsibilities for almost two months at a time, Bach evidently made good compositional use of such relatively carefree summers as that of 1720, as he did of his time at Cöthen. In the space of less than six years residence at the court (from December 1717 to May 1723), Bach rolled out a dazzling stream of masterpieces across a no less amazing range of instrumental genres. The six Brandenburg Concerti (BWV 1046-1051), the crème of his new orchestral compositions for the Cöthen band, were finished in fair copy on 24 March 1721. The first volume of the Well-Tempered Clavier (BWV 846-869) was probably largely completed during 1722. The parallel sets of 15 Inventions (BWV 772-786) and 15 Sinfonias (BWV 787-801) date, like the violin Solos, from the very middle of his Cöthen stay, flanked in the years on either side, respectively, by the six English Suites (BWV 806-811) and six French Suites (BWV 812-817). From Cöthen, too, came the only other set of instrumental pieces that challenges the violin Solos on the grounds of sheer oddity: the Six Suites for Solo Cello (BWV 1007-1012), likewise scored without accompanying Bass. 1. Lara St. John "Partita No. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 (Corrente/Double)" (mp3) from "Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo" (Ancalagon LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 2. Lara St. John "Partita No. 2 In D minor, BWV 1004 (Sarabanda)" (mp3) from "Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo" (Ancalagon LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 3. Lara St. John "Partita No. 3 In E Major, BWV 1006 (Preludio)" (mp3) from "Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo" (Ancalagon LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Trevor Pinnick "Bach: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg" ALBUM NOTES The Brandenburg Concertos While we know that Bach finished a sumptuous manuscript of six concertos (for 'plusieurs Instruments', as he titled it) in March 1721 for presentation to the Margrave of Brandenburg, it is not certain when Bach actually composed these works. Some might date from the weeks immediately preceding the dedication, but the existence of early versions of some pieces suggests that Bach may have compiled much of the set from a pool of existing works. His aims in revision and compilation seem to have been to present six entirely disparate solutions to the instrumental concerto genre, a genre which was by no means fixed and which could imply many instrumental combinations. This attitude of attempting an encyclopaedic survey of a musical genre and also of perfecting and refining the best of what he had already written became a major compositional concern for Bach over the last three decades of his life; the Brandenburg dedication may well mark the beginning of this process. 4. Trevor Pinnock "Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046 (IV. Menuetto-Trio I-Polacca-Trio II)" (mp3) from "Bach: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg" (AVIE Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 5. Trevor Pinnock "Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048 (I. [Allegro]" (mp3) from "Bach: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg" (AVIE Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 6. Trevor Pinnock "Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047 (I. [Allegro]" (mp3) from "Bach: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg" (AVIE Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album
Maestro Classical Podcast: episode 5 feat. Ludwig van Beethoven, movements from Symphonies No. 1, 5, & 9. Ludwig van Beethoven (16 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He was a crucial figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music, and remains one of the most respected and influential composers of all time. Born in Bonn, he moved to Vienna in his early twenties and settled there, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. Beethoven's hearing gradually deteriorated beginning in his twenties, yet he continued to compose, and to conduct and perform, even after he was completely deaf. This is Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Opus 21. It was written in 1799 - 1800 and was premiered April 2, 1800 in Vienna, and is dedicated to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, an early patron of the composer. Here, the 3rd movement is performed by the USSR State Symphony, conducted by Konstantin Ivanov. Konstantin Ivanov "Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 1, The Creatures of Prometheus Overture" (MUSIC ONLINE) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Napster More On This Album Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 was written in 1804 - 08. This symphony is one of the most popular and well-known compositions in all of European classical music, and is also one of the most often-played symphonies. First performed in Vienna's Theater an der Wien in 1808, the work achieved its prodigious reputation soon afterwards. The symphony, and the four-note opening motif in particular, are well known worldwide, with the motif appearing frequently in popular culture, from disco to rock and roll, to appearances in film and television. The Fifth stands with the Third Symphony and Ninth Symphony as the most revolutionary of Beethoven's compositions. Here, the first movement is performed by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andreas Delfs. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Andreas Delfs "Beethoven: Symphony No. 5" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 5" (MSO Classics) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" is the last complete symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, it is considered both an icon and a forefather of Romantic music, and one of Beethoven's greatest masterpieces. It incorporates part of the poem "Ode to Joy" by Friedrich Schiller, written in 1785, with text sung by soloists and a chorus in the last movement. It is the first example of a major composer using the human voice on the same level with instruments in a symphony, creating a work of a grand scope that set the tone for the Romantic symphonic form. Further testament to its prominence is that an original manuscript of this work sold in 2003 for $3.3 million USD at Sotheby's, London. Stephen Roe, the head of Sotheby's manuscripts department, described the symphony as "one of the highest achievements of man, ranking alongside Shakespeare's Hamlet and King Lear." Here, the final movement is performed by Ama Deus Ensemble, conducted by Valentin Radu. Ama Deus Ensemble, Valentin Radu "Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 - "Choral"" (mp3) from "Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 & Die Ruinen von Athen" (Lyrichord) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Napster Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album
Maestro Classical Podcast: Episode 4 feat. Mozart's "Requiem" and Shostakovich's "Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47". 1. Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra "Requiem" (mp3) from "Mozart: Requiem" (LSO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album 2. Chicago Symphony Orchestra "Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47" (mp3) from "CSO Resound / Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5" (CSO Resound) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon More On This Album
Austrian composers part 1: Anton Bruckner. 1. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Andreas Delfs "Bruckner: Symphony No. 4" (mp3) from "Bruckner: Symphony No. 4" (MSO Classics) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Amazon More On This Album 2. Carl Schuricht "Symphony No. 9 D minor" (mp3) from "Anton Bruckner: Symphony No.8 / No.9" (haenssler CLASSIC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon More On This Album
1. Sviatoslav Richter, Kirill Kondrashin, Camille Saint-Saëns, Moscow Youth Orchestra "Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 103" (mp3) from "Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 5" (MUSIC ONLINE) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon More On This Album 2. Jean-Pierre Ferey, Laurent Boukobza "Âmes d'enfant (Children's Souls)" (mp3) from "Ladmirault, Fauré, Cras, Ravel: Piano Works for Four Hands" (SKARBO) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Napster Buy at mTraks Download More On This Album
1. Elaine Comparone, Marsha Heller, Peter Seidenberg "Concert 1 - La Coulicam" (Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pieces de Clavicin en Concert) [Lyrichord Early Music Series] Elaine Comparone, Marsha Heller, Peter Seidenberg "Concert 1- La Coulicam" (mp3) from "Jean-Philippe Rameau 1683-1764: Pieces de Clavicin en Concert (1741)" (Lyrichord Early Music Series) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon Buy at GroupieTunes Buy at mTraks Download More On This Album 2. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons "La mer, trois esquisses symphoniques"[RCO Live] Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons "La mer, trois esquisses symphoniques" (mp3) from "Debussy: La mer, trois esquisses symphoniques - Dutilleux: L'Arbre des songes - Ravel: La valse, poème chorégraphique" (RCO Live) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
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