2009 Archives

William Schuman
(1910-1992)

Symphony #6 (1948)
Prayer in a Time of War (1943)
New England Triptych (1956)

Seattle Symphony Orchestra/Gerard Schwarz
Naxos 8.559625 60:51

This CD is part of a series of the eight extant Schuman symphonies numbered 3-10, the earlier two having been withdrawn. Both the symphony and the Prayer in a Time of War show Schuman's usual traits, notably his frequent use of brass, and of unusual percussion writing. The New England Triptych, based on hymn tunes by William Billings, is probably the most familiar Schuman work, and receives a good performance here.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)

Piano Sonata in E Flat Major, WoO 47 #1
Piano Sonata in F Minor, WoO 47 #2
Piano Sonata in D Major, WoO 47 #3
Sonatina in G Major
Sonatina in F Major
Piano Sonata #15 "Pastoral", Op. 28

Jénö Jandó, piano
Naxos 8.550255 68:34

This CD contains some very early works of Beethoven. Naxos's numbering for the three WoO 47 works are piano sonatas #33-35, although this numbering is not always used in other work lists. The two sonatinas are possibly not by Beethoven, but the Op. 28 sonata certainly is.

The WoO 47 sonatas are collectively called the Kurfürstensonaten (Electoral Sonatas), and are tentatively thought to have been written in about 1783. Each runs about ten minutes and while Mozart and Haydn are his obvious models, there are indications of his later work. The performance of the Sonata #15 is also enjoyable, but the main reason for buying this CD is the rarely-recorded early works.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Lodewijk Mortelmans
(1868-1952)

Homeric Symphony (1898)
Morning Mood (1922)
Myth of Spring (1895)

Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra/Martyn Brabbins
Hyperion CDA67766 66:46

The Flemish composer Mortelmans was better known during his lifetime for his songs and piano music. The symphony, which runs about 43 minutes, is in the usual four movements and is inspired by The Iliad and The Odyssey. While Wagner's influence is clearly discernible in some of the orchestration, it is not excessive. The other two pieces are tone poems whose titles accurately tell the listener what to expect.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Edward Elgar
(1857-1934)

Three Movements for Piano Trio

Adela Maddison
(1866-1929)

Piano Quintet (1916)

Frank Bridge
(1979-1941)

Piano Quartet in C Minor (1902)

The Fibonacci Sequence
Dutton Epoch CDLX7220 79:26

All of these are first recordings. Two of the movements by Elgar – Rosemary and Empire March – will be familiar to those who know his smaller pieces. The realization by Paul Rooke was done to celebrate his 150^th anniversary in 2007. Adela Maddison, who spent some years living in France – where she knew a number of well-known composers, especially Gabriel Fauré – and later in Germany, was better known for her songs and opera. The piano quintet was written on her return to England and reflects the events of the time. The music of Frank Bridge, for many years known principally as Britten's teacher, has recently been recorded more frequently. His piano quartet, suppressed for many years, shows the influence of Brahms, Fauré and Ravel.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

John Antill
(1904-1986)

An Outback Overture (1953)
Corroboree (1946)

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/James Judd
Naxos 8.570241 49:06

A corroboree is a ritual ceremony with dance performed by Australian aborigines. Antill did much research into aboriginal music, resulting in the ballet on this CD. It remains his best-known work, and is more often heard without dance. It is scored for a large orchestra that includes such indigenous instruments as clapping sticks and a bull roarer, and in many respects is reminiscent of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. The overture is an evocation of the more remote parts of Australia.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

George Antheil
(1900-1959)

Symphony #4 "1942" (1942-43)
Decatur at Algiers (1943)
Symphony #5 "Joyous" (1947-48)

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra/Hugh Wolff
CPO 999706-2 63:03

American George Antheil is best known, or perhaps notorious, for his early Ballet mécanique, written before a radical change of style. This CD is part of a series containing all six symphonies and various short orchestral pieces.

The brief Decatur at Algiers is a hommage to the naval hero. The fourth symphony, very much a war symphony, is clearly influenced by Shostakovich, while the fifth owes a great deal to Prokofiev although its beautiful slow movement has an unmistakable dash of Copland.

Read the Classical Net Review

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Anton Bruckner
(1824-1896)

Lancer-Quadrille (c. 1850)
Steiermärker (c. 1850)
Quadrille for Piano Four Hands (c. 1854)
Three Little Pieces for Piano Four Hands
Klavierstück in E Flat Major (c. 1856)
Sonata Movement in G Minor (1862)
Silent Meditation on an Autumn Evening (1863)
Fantasie (1868)
Reminiscence (c.1868)

Wolfgang Brunner, Michael Schopper, pianos
CPO 999256 47:21

o put this music into context, all but the last two pieces were written before the F Minor (Study) Symphony, his first completed work in that form. It's interesting to hear the composer's early efforts. There is very little in the piano music to hint at what was to come. Much of it sounds like very early Schubert or one of the Viennese composers of lighter music such as Lanner. This CD makes an excellent source of music for fooling your friends!

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Alfredo Casella
(1883-1947)

Symphony #3, Op. 63 (1939-40)
Italia-Rhapsody for Large Orchestra, Op. 11 (1909)

WDR Symphony Orchestra, Köln/Alun Francis
CPO 777265 66:28

Casella's third symphony shows a number of influences, not least of them Mahler and Soviet composers of the time. Part of the last movement sounds remarkably like Piston's 6^th symphony, but was written about fifteen years earlier – at least it's a point of comparison. Italia is, as you might think, a much more lighthearted affair, and contains some of the expected themes.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev
(1856-1915)

String Trio in E Flat Major, Op. 31 (1910-11)
String Trio in B Minor (1913)
String Trio in D Major (1879-80)

Leopold String Trio
Hyperion CDA67573 67:29

Taneyev was initially a very conservative composer with little time for the efforts of other composers working in Russia at the time, thus the D Major trio sounds like Haydn. The other two, written in the later part of his career, show clear evidence of his having been more accepting of the work of his contemporaries. The Leopold String Trio is Isabelle Van Keulen (violin), Lawrence Power (viola), and Kate Gould (cello).

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Eduard Franck
(1817-1893)

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 57 (1860)
Symphony in B Flat Major, Op. 52 (1856)

Christiane Edinger, violin
Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra/Hans-Peter Frank
Audite 20.034 60:04

Eduard Franck was a German composer who was unrelated to the Belgian César Franck. The concerto has many similarities to Beethoven's, and the symphony has more than a trace of Mendelssohn and Schumann. Both works make an enjoyable change from some perhaps too familiar works of the period. The same artists perform the Violin Concerto, Op. 30, and the Symphony in A Major, Op. 47, on a Fermate CD (FER20025) which appears to have been deleted but which some web searching might find.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

Edward Elgar
(1857-1934)

Sonatina in G Major (1887, rev. 1930)
Dream Children, Op. 43 (1902)
Une Idylle, Op. 4 #1 (1884)
Carissima (1913)
May Song (1901)
Rosemary (1883)
Sérénade Mauresque, Op. 10 #2 (1899)
Enigma Variations, Op. 36 (1899)
The Sanguine Fan: Echo's Dance, Op. 81 #7 (1917)

Ashley Wass, piano
Naxos 8.570166 66:58

This CD mostly represents some of Elgar's lighter music, either written originally for the piano or arranged from orchestral or chamber works. Apart from the shorter pieces, it's useful to have a piano version of the Enigma Variations which highlights details the listener may not have noticed from the more familiar orchestral version. Ashley Wass has also recorded for Naxos quite a lot of music by such English composers as Alwyn, Bridge and Bax.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Geoffrey Bush
(1920-1998)

Overture "Yorick" (1949) ¹
Music for Orchestra (1967) ²
Symphony #1 (1954) ³
Symphony #2 "The Guildford" (1957) ⁴

¹ New Philharmonia Orchestra/Vernon Handley
² London Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley
³ London Symphony Orchestra/Nicholas Braithwaite
⁴ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth
Lyrita SRCD.252 79:07

This CD of works by the English composer Geoffrey Bush, not to be confused with Alan Bush or William Busch, contains his only two symphonies. There are strong similarities to the music of Walton in terms of rhythm, and there are also traces of Elgar and Arnold. Music for Orchestra has more austere orchestration. The disc demonstrates the excellent engineering that is typical of the label.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Erwin Schulhoff
(1894-1942)

String Quartet in G Major, Op. 25 (1918) ¹
Sonata for Solo Violin (1927) ²
Duo for Violin and Cello (1925) ³
String Sextet (1924) ⁴

^1,2,4 Conrad Muck, violin
^1,3,4 Gerhard Süssmuth, violin
^1,4 Friedemann Weigle, viola
^1,3,4 Hans-Jaokob Eschenburg, cello
⁴ Rainer Johannes Kimstedt, viola
⁴ Michael Sanderling, cello
Petersen Quartet
Capriccio 10539 76:45

The Czech composer Schulhoff's compositions show a variety of styles, sometimes within the one work. His early influences were Dvořák, Brahms and Schumann, evident in the string quartet. Later he turned to the influences of the Second Viennese School, to folk elements and jazz. He tried to emigrate to flee the developing World War II but was arrested, and succumbed to tuberculosis in a German concentration camp. His other music for string quartet has been recorded by the Petersen Quartet on another Capriccio CD.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Frederick Delius
(1862-1934)

Florida Suite (1887-89)
Over the Hills and Far Away (1895-7)
Idylle de Printemps (1889)
La Quadroöne (1889)
Scherzo (1890)
Final Scene from Koanga (1895-7) ¹

¹ Susannah Glanville, Susan Lees & Irene Evans, sopranos
¹ Sandra Francis, Sue Pearce & Shirley Thomas, mezzo-sopranos
English Northern Philarmonia/David Lloyd-Jones
Naxos 8.553535 79:05

The first two works on this CD are well enough known but these may well be the only recordings of most of the others. The Florida Suite was inspired by Delius' experience with an orange plantation. None of the latter works runs more than about ten minutes but all are worth hearing, especially on a budget-priced and well-filled CD.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Niels Gade
(1817-1890)

Symphony #1 in C Minor "Paa Sjølunds fagre sletter", Op. 5 (1844)
Symphony #8 in B Minor, Op. 47 (1869-71)

Stockholm Sinfonietta/Neeme Järvi
BIS CD-339 58:08

The Danish composer Gade's eight symphonies have quite a lot in common with those of Mendelssohn. Despite the fact that they were written over a period of 25 years, they are stylistically very similar. All have been recorded for BIS, and there are other versions on Da Capo and Chandos.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Richard Franck
(1858-1938)

Piano Trio in B Minor, Op. 20 (1893)
Piano Trio in E Flat Major, Op. 32 (1900)

Christoph Schickedanz, violin
Thomas Blees, cello
Bernhard Fograscher, piano
Audite 97.487 62:57

Franck is one of a German musical family which boasts several interesting composers, including his father, Eduard. Despite their late nineteenth-century dates, these trios are strongly influenced by Schumann.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Vítězslav Novák
(1870-1949)

Lady Godiva, Overture, Op. 41 (1907)
Toman and the Wood Nymph, Op. 40 (1906-7)
De Profundis, Op. 67 (1941)

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Libor Pešek
Chandos CHAN9821 66:22

Novák is one of the less well-known Czech composers and his reputation rests largely on symphonic poems, orchestral suites and a handful of chamber music. This CD offers an overture and two symphonic poems which are infrequently recorded. The music is powerful and dramatic, and will appeal to anyone who likes Richard Strauss' symphonic poems or Gustav Mahler's symphonies.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Lars-Erik Larsson
(1908-1986)

Late Autumn Leaves, Op. 20 (1940)
String Quartet #1, Op. 31 (1944)
String Quartet #2 "Quartetto alla serenata", Op. 44 (1955)
String Quartet #3, Op. 65 (1975)

The Stenhammar Quartet
Daphne 1035 72:11

As the dates show, the Swedish composer Larsson wrote infrequently for string quartet, but his final quartet – his last significant work – differs little in style from his earlier compositions in that form. Late Autumn Leaves, in six movements, is virtually a serenade. The three quartets are progressively shorter, the last just over ten minutes. The music has some similarities to Nielsen, but there are many traces of Larsson's own sound: somewhat angular writing in the faster movements contrasting with passages of great beauty.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan

Cornelis Dopper
(1870-1939)

Symphony #2 in B Minor (1903)
Päân I
Päân II

Residentie Orchestra, The Hague/Matthias Bamert
Chandos CHAN9884 65:08

The Dutch composer Dopper wrote seven symphonies, some of which lack recordings. This CD is part of a short series on Chandos devoted to Dutch composers, and includes symphonies by Hol and Vermoolen. The second symphony has strong similarities to Brahms and also to Stanford; its second movement has more than a touch of Irishness about it.

The two paeans, written during World War I, are variously heroic and serious. Dopper's third and sixth symphonies are on Chandos CHAN9923, and his seventh on NM Classics NM92060.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Johann Wilhelm Wilms
(1772-1847)

Symphony #1 in C Major, Op. 9 (1806)
Overture in D Major (1829)
Symphony #4 in C Minor, Op. 23 (1807)

North German Radio Philharmonic/Howard Griffiths
CPO 777209-2 65:13

Although born in Germany, Wilms settled in Amsterdam very early in his career and like Röntgen, became a significant part of Dutch musical life. The influences of Haydn and Beethoven are clear and the jaded collector falls gratefully on releases such as this, a source of interesting and highly enjoyable music given first-rate performances. Other Wilms symphonies have been recorded by Archiv (474508-2) and Challenge Classics (CC72147).

[ Available on Multichannel Hybrid SACD:
Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Ottorino Respighi
(1879-1936)

Ballet Suite "Belkis, Queen of Sheba", P. 177 (1934)
Metamorphoseon, P. 169 (1930)

Philharmonia Orchestra/Geoffrey Simon
Chandos CHAN8405 48:05

Some of the ballet suite sounds appropriate to a 1950s Biblical movie, while Metamorphoseon, a theme and variations, has a very similar mood to the composer's Church Windows. Both works are lushly orchestrated and appropriate for when you feel like something that's a bit over the top: certainly, the music will give your speakers a workout!

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Xaver Schnyder von Wartensee
(1786-1868)

Overture in C minor (1818)
Symphony #3 "Militärsinfonie" in B Flat Major (1850)

Württemberg Philharmonie Reutlingen/Christopher Fifield
Sterling CDS1073-2 53:22

This Swiss composer's third symphony has some affinity with Haydn's Military Symphony, some of the same sudden moves in unexpected directions used by Berwald, a little of Berlioz's style, and some unusual techniques. Christopher Fifield has made a number of recordings for Sterling, all of unfamiliar music, and makes a very persuasive case for Schnyder's music. To my knowledge, none of his other four symphonies has been recorded.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Carl Nielsen
(1865-1931)

String Quartet #3 in E Flat Major, Op. 14 (1899-1900)
String Quartet #4 "Piacevolezza" in F Major, Op. 44 (c. 1919)

Oslo String Quartet
Naxos 8.553907 57:01

There are four extant string quartets by Nielsen, the other two pre-dating those on this CD and also available on Naxos. Anyone familiar with his orchestral music or his more well-known Wind Quintet will recognize his distinctive way with harmony and rhythm, but for those yet to discover the wonderful music of this Danish composer, this is as good a place as any to start.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Philippe Gaubert
(1879-1941)

Symphony in F Major (1935-6)
Les chants de la mer (1929)
Concerto in F Major (1932)

Luxembourg Phiharmonic Orchestra/Marc Soustrot
Timpani 1C1135 70:16

Yet another minor French composer emerges from the orchestral mist. The symphony begins much like Magnard's 3^rd but generally other models emerge, the orchestration reminiscent of Dukas' symphony but especially Debussy. The Luxembourg orchestra acquits itself very well and presents unfamiliar music in the best light.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Charles Villiers Stanford
(1852-1924)

Cello Concerto in D minor (1879-80)
Piano Concerto #3 in E Flat Major, Op. 171 (1919)

Alexander Baillie, cello
Malcolm Binns, piano
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Nicholas Braithwaite
Lyrita SRCD321 65:23

The Irish composer Stanford had considerable influence on the course of music in England. These concertos are among his least-known works. The cello concerto is quite lush and rhapsodic while the piano concerto sounds more French, inviting comparison with the Saint-Saëns concertos. The first two piano concertos are available from Hyperion (CDA66820) and Chandos (CHAN8736).

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Felix Draeseke
(1835-1913)

Symphony #1 in G Major, Op. 12 (1873)
Symphony #4 "Symphonia Comica" in E minor, WoO 38 (1912)
Overture "Gudrun" (1884)

North German Radio Philharmonic/Jörg-Peter Weigle
CPO 999746-2 68:58

Strongly echoing the symphonies of Schumann, Draeseke's well-crafted symphonies provide more evidence that there is still plenty of excellent music awaiting discovery. CPO has recorded the other two symphonies (999719-2 & 999581-2), and there are competing versions on MD&G, which include a piano concerto (MDG3350929-2 & MDG3351041-2).

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Josef Myslivecek
(1737-1781)

Sinfonia in C Major, Op. 1 #3
Sinfonia in D Major, Op. 1 #6

Jan Adam Gallina
(1724-1773)

Sinfonia in E Flat Major

Jan Vent
(1745-1801)

Sinfonia in E Flat Major

Josef Bárta
(1744-1787)

Sinfonia in F Minor

Josef Fiala
(1748-1816)

Sinfonia in F Major

Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra/Vojtech Spurný
Alto ALC1014 72:00

Except for the Myslivecek sinfonias, the others are first recordings and for all I know, might be first recordings of any of those composers' music. This CD again illustrates, as if such were needed, the number of interesting Bohemian composers who were working in the eighteenth century. These are no pale imitations of Mannheim school compositions but have flair and originality in great measure, helped by strong and vibrant performances. This is Volume 4 in the series (Vol 1: ALC1001; Vol 2: ALC1002; Vol 3: ALC1003). Tracks from the earlier CDs are available as downloads from Amazon and possibly elsewhere.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

Thomas Dyke Acland Tellefsen
(1823-1874)

Cello Sonata, Op. 21 (21:50)
Piano Trio, Op. 31 (32:58)
Violin Sonata #1, Op. 19 (26:10)

Einar Steen-Nokleberg, piano
Atle Sponberg, violin
Øysten Birkeland, cello
Simax PSC1226 80:58

Tellefsen was a Norwegian pianist and composer who came from a musical family in Trondheim. He later studied with Friedrich Kalkbrenner, and then with Frédéric Chopin. This relationship was pivotal and Tellefsen was strongly influenced by Chopin's music, eventually writing his own mazurkas and nocturnes for piano.

Tellefsen concertized all across Europe and was regarded as one of the outstanding pianists of his time; he was especially admired for his interpretations of Chopin's music. He is primarily remembered today for his piano music, though he wrote several chamber pieces, including the major works performed marvelously here (this is also the longest single CD I have ever encountered). Two more important compositions are the piano concertos, also available on CD (Simax PSC1232).

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

Cyril Scott
(1879-1970)

Cello Concerto (1937)
Symphony #1 (1899)

Paul Watkins, cello
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Martyn Brabbins
Chandos CHAN10452 58:04

Some will have encountered Scott's piano music but only in recent years has much of his orchestral output been recorded. The lyrical and attractive cello concerto contrasts well with the effervescent first symphony, which sounds much like Stanford. Chandos has recorded the other three symphonies – the second in its reworking as Three Dances – his two concertos for piano, the violin concerto and some short orchestral works.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Franz Danzi
(1763-1826)

Three Wind Quintets, Op. 56 (1819-20)
Sextet in E Flat Major for 2 Horns, 2 Clarinets & 2 Bassoons

Michael Thompson Wind Quintet
Naxos 8.553076 73:20

Naxos has recorded several albums of Danzi's music for wind ensemble and it's also available on other labels. As you'd expect, there's a lot of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven in these unfailingly charming works.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Einar Englund
(1918-1999)

Symphony #4 "Nostalgic" for Strings & Percussion (1976)
Symphony #5 "Fennica" (1977)
The Great Wall of China (1949)

Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra/Eri Klas
Ondine ODE961-2 64:31

All of the Finnish composer Englund's seven symphonies have been recorded. The two presented here show distant traces of Sibelius but more noticeably of Shostakovich. The Great Wall of China is a less dramatic work and even offers some touches of Bernstein.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

York Bowen
(1884-1961)

13 Preludes from 24 Preludes, Op. 102 (1950)
Ballade #2, Op. 87 (1931)
Piano Sonata #5 in F minor, Op. 72 (1931)
Berceuse in D Major, Op. 83
Moto perpetuo from Op. 39
Toccata in A minor, Op. 155 (1957)

Stephen Hough, piano
Hyperion CDA66838 77:20

Recordings of Bowen's music have become more frequent and include the second symphony, at least two piano concertos, and concertos for horn, viola & violin. The piano music, while having some affinity with such English composers as Bax and Ireland, more often shows the influences of Scriabin and Rachmaninoff.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Louis Coerne
(1870-1922)

Excalibur, Op. 80 (1921)

Edward Burlingame Hill
(1872-1960)

Stevensoniana Suite #1, Op. 24 (1916-17)

Horatio Parker
(1863-1919)

A Northern Ballad, Op. 46 (1899)

John Alden Carpenter
(1876-1951)

Sea Drift (1933-42)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Karl Krueger
Bridge 9190 65:48

The four composers represented on this disc range from slightly known to obscure. As might be expected, the music shows the influences of various European composers of the late nineteenth century, and is none the worse for that. If these appeal, Bridge has released more from Krueger's recordings of music mainly by more familiar American composers such as MacDowell and Hadley.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Friedrich Gernsheim
(1839-1916)

Symphony #1 in G minor, Op. 32 (1875)
Symphony #2 in E Flat Major, Op. 46 (1882)
Symphony #3 "Mirjam"in C minor, Op. 54 (1887)
Symphony #4 in B Flat Major, Op. 62 (1895)

Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic Orchestra/Siegfried Köhler
Arte Nova 74321-63635-2 128:51

The main thing you need to know about Gernsheim's four well-crafted symphonies is that in terms of harmony and orchestration they owe quite a lot to Brahms. If they appeal, some of his equally well-crafted chamber music has also been recorded.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Sergey Taneyev
(1856-1915)

Symphony #1 in E Minor (1873-4)
Symphony #3 in D Minor (1884)

Russian State Symphony Orchestra/Valeri Polyansky
Chandos CHAN10390 63:48

Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev (not to be confused with his uncle, Aleksandr Sergeyevich, also a composer) has become much better known in recent years by recordings of his string quartets, his Suite de Concert for Violin and Orchestra, and even an incomplete piano concerto. These two works have some similarities to other Russian symphonies of the period, but gradually Taneyev's fingerprints become more distinct. Note that the work that was long known as his first symphony (in C Minor) is really #4, and is now generally identified that way.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Franz Krommer
(1759-1831)

String Quartet in F Major, Op. 19 #2 (1801)
String Quartet in D minor, Op. 74 #3 (c1808)
String Quartet in A minor, Op. 103 #3 (c1821)

Marcolini Quartet
Ami Music 8553142

The prolific and successful Czech composer Krommer (František Vincenc Kramár) is best known, if he is remembered at all, for his wind concertos and Harmoniemusik. But he wrote a great deal of chamber music for strings as well, including 26 string quintets and at least 73 published string quartets. Their composition spans nearly his entire mature output, from the three Op. 1 quartets of 1793 to the three quartets Op. 103 written about 1821. The early works owe a debt to Mozart and Haydn, but the later quartets reflect Krommer's embrace of romanticism. The Marcolini Quartet (Jörg Buschhaus & Franke Pöhl, violins; Stefan Schmidt, viola; and Martin Fritz, cello) play on period instruments.

A Second Opinion

The Czech composer Krommer spent some of his career in Hungary but most of it in Vienna, where his reputation in some respects was as high as those of Haydn and Beethoven. His many string quartets, written over a long period, show the influence of both composers, but there are in his writing individual qualities such as an unexpected key change or an unusual theme. The Marcolinis play period instruments and are extremely well recorded.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Gian Francesco Malipiero
(1882-1973)

Variazioni senza tema (1923)
Piano Concerto #1 (1934)
Piano Concerto #2 (1937)
Piano Concerto #3 (1948)
Piano Concerto #4 (1950)
Piano Concerto #5 (1958)
Piano Concerto #6 (1964)

Sandro Ivo Bartoli, piano
Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra/Michele Carulli
CPO 777287-2 2SACDs

Malipiero was an extremely prolific composer amd perhaps the most individual Italian voice of his generation. His music is at times similar to that of his contemporaries such as Casella and Pizzetti, but a certain ecstatic lyricism gives his music an unmistakable appeal. The piano concertos, relatively conservative in style and all but unknown, attain at times a shimmering, virtuosic quality.

[ Available on Multichannel Hybrid SACD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Fritz Brun
(1878-1959)

Symphony #5 in E Flat Major (1929)
Symphony #10 in B Flat Major (1953)

Moscow Symphony Orchestra/Adriano
Guild GMCD7320 68:30

The composer, conductor and pianist Fritz Brun is the most important Swiss symphonist of his generation. He studied with Mengelberg, and had a long, successful career in the concert hall. His fifth symphony is perhaps his most experimental in terms of tonality, while remaining melodic and approachable throughout. The tenth and final symphony is an even more traditional work. His sound world is very much that of Bruckner and Brahms.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Richard Strauss
(1864-1949)

Five Piano Pieces, Op. 3 (1880-81)
Piano Sonata in B Minor, Op. 5 (1880-81)
Moods and Fancies, Op. 9 (1882-4)

Stefan Veselka, piano
Naxos 8.557713 67:33

These early piano works of Strauss show the influence of composers such as Schumann, Mendelssohn and especially Liszt. If those composers appeal to you, then this CD will too.

[ Available on CD:
Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Erland von Koch
(1910-2009)

Nordic Capriccio, Op. 26 (1943)
Symphony #2, "Sinfonia Dalecarlica" (1945)
Viola Concerto, Op. 33 (1946-66)
Suite #1 from the Ballet "Cinderella", Op. 24 (1942)

Johanna Persson, viola
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra/B. Tommy Andersson
Phono Suecia PSCD710 72:41

Yet another neglected Swedish composer, Koch has much to offer. The breezy and energetic Nordic Capriccio and the symphony both have strong links with the music of Atterberg while the viola concerto, as viola concertos often are, is a reflective, somewhat rhapsodic piece. The ballet suite is light and airy. All in all, a very satisfying CD.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - France ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Ernst Pepping
(1901-1981)

Symphony #1 (1939)
Symphony #2 (1942)
Symphony #3 (1944)
Piano Concerto (1950)

Volker Banfield, piano
North West German Philharmonic Orchestra/Werner Andreas Albert
CPO 777041-2 133:34

Whose music does Pepping's sound like? Difficult to say – occasionally Reger appears, sometimes Richard Strauss, at other times Hindemith. If the music of any of these composers appeals to you, it's likely that Pepping will, too.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Adolphe Blanc
(1828-1885)

Septet for Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Violin, Viola, Cello & Double Bass, Op. 40
Trio for Clarinet, Piano & Cello, Op. 23
Quintet for Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Horn & Bassoon, Op. 37

Les Vents de Montréal
Atma ACD2-2224 73:20

Apart from his work as a composer, Blanc worked as a violinist in chamber groups and in orchestras in Paris. His compositions were almost exclusively chamber works. The delightful music on this CD makes one wonder at his long neglect; the opening theme of the trio, for example, is one that Schubert would not have disowned.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

Yngve Sköld
(1899-1992)

Symphony #2, Op. 36 (1937)
Violin Concerto, Op. 40 (1941)

Tobias Ringborg, violin
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Tuomas Olula
Phono Suecia PSCD719 65:38

The Swedish composer Sköld displays a variety of moods and influences in these two works. The symphony has echoes of Sibelius without sounding particularly like him, and such composers as Elgar and possibly Barber appear fleetingly. The concerto is indebted to those by Szymanowski, but the finale has an almost jokey quality. This label, devoted to Swedish composers, has some interesting music which has mostly been otherwise unrecorded.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - France - Japan

Ernesto Nazareth
(1863-1934)

Espalhafatoso, Brejeiro, Confidências, Escovado, Nenê, Ameno Resedá, Turbilhão De Beijos, Gaúcho, Plangente, Topázio Líquido, Ouro Sobre Azul, Sarambeque, Epônina, Escorregando, Tenebroso, Odeon & Apanhei-Te Cavaquinho

Iara Behs, piano
Naxos 8.557687 63:24

The Brazilian Nazareth was originally influenced by Chopin, wrote in the styles of the dances of his era, and in turn influenced a later generation of composers. The seventeen tracks have a variety of moods and more than once you'll find yourself half-expecting a tune you think you know but it turns out you don't. Those who respond to the music of Gottschalk will find much to enjoy.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Sándor Balassa
(b. 1935)

Journeys in Bihar County, Op. 93 (2005)
Civis Town of Debrecen, Op. 91 (2005)
Praise of Knightly Virtues, Op. 100 (2007)

MR Symphony Orchestra/Ádám Medveczky
Hungaroton HCD32585 74:14

Much of Balassa's orchestral output relates to districts or towns in Hungary, as in the first two items, or to Hungarian history, as in the last. The music has similarities to Kodály and Respighi. Those who might be worried by the late dates of composition will find nothing troublesome.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - France - Japan ]

Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)

Piano Quartet in C Major, WoO 36 #3
Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, WoO 36 #1
Piano Quartet in D Major, WoO 36 #2

New Zealand Piano Quartet
Naxos 8.570998 64:13

These three early works from 1785, written when Beethoven was only fourteen, are infrequently recorded. While the influences of Haydn and Mozart are apparent, there are plenty of indications of his later style. They are immediately enjoyable and deserve investigation.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Eduard Tubin
(1905-1982)

Symphony #2 "The Legendary" (1937)
Symphony #6 (1954)

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
BIS CD-304 63:21

The Estonian composer Tubin wrote ten symphonies and the torso of an eleventh. The completed symphonies have all been recorded for BIS by the Estonian conductor, Neeme Järvi, using a number of orchestras, together with two violin concertos, a double bass concerto, a balalaika concerto, a piano concertino, and several short orchestral works, including a suite from the ballet Kratt.

Arvo Volmer has also recorded the symphonies for Alba. The 2^nd and 6^th symphonies are representative of Tubin's orchestral style. The music is by turns dramatic and introspective, with something of the sense of menace found in, for example, Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. It also makes use of the piano.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Josef Suk
(1874-1935)

A Summer Tale, Op. 29 (1907-09)
Fantastic Scherzo, Op. 25 (1903)

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras
Decca 466443-2 65:35

Suk was deeply affected by the deaths of his teacher, Dvořák, and of his wife, Otilie, Dvorák's daughter, in successive years, resulting firstly in his Asrael Symphony, a much darker work than he had written previously.

A Summer Tale, in five movements, is part drama, part serenity, and is especially notable for the lightly-scored third movement which features two cors anglais to excellent effect. The Fantastic Scherzo features a main theme that will stay with you.

Read the full Classical Net Review.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Arthur Benjamin
(1893-1960)

Overture to an Italian Comedy (1936) ¹
Cotillon, Suite of English Dance Tunes (1938) ²
North American Square Dance Suite (1951) ³
Symphony (1945) ³

¹ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Myer Fredman
² London Symphony Orchestra/Nicholas Braithwaite
³ London Philharmonic Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth
Lyrita SRCD.314 76:50

Benjamin was an Australian composer who spent most of his life working in Britain, and knew well such composers as Bliss and Howells. He is best known for Jamaican Rumba, and although much of his work was light-hearted as in the first three items on this CD, the more serious side of his nature appears in his only symphony, which runs about 45 minutes. It was clearly influenced by World War II and is an essentially tragic work with some of the feeling of Bax and Walton.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Rudolph Simonsen
(1889-1947)

Overture in G Minor (1910)
Symphony #1 "Zion" (1920)
Symphony #2 "Hellas" (1921)

South Jutland Symphony Orchestra/Israel Yinon
CPO 777229-2 70:52

The Danish composer Simonsen wrote four symphonies, the other two celebrating Rome and Denmark. The two on this CD are powerful works with frequently exciting orchestration and passages of high drama. Both symphonies' slow movements have something of the atmosphere of the slow movement of Nielsen's 3^rd. The overture is one of several Simonsen wrote, and could easily be regarded as a symphonic poem.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakoff
(1844-1908)

Christmas Eve: Overture & Suite (1894-5)
Night on Mount Triglav (1899-1901)
The Tsar's Bride: Overture & Intermezzo (1898)
On the Tomb, Op. 61 (1904)
Greeting (1907)

Moscow Symphony Orchestra/Igor Golovschin
Naxos 8.553789 75:19

The first three items, which comprise most of this CD, are from Rimsky-Korsakov's operas. Night on Mount Triglav is an arrangement of Act III of Mlada. On the Tomb and Greeting are short occasional pieces. Everything shows his wonderful orchestration and talent for creating atmosphere. Mount Triglav is not quite as sinister a place as Mussorgsky's Bald Mountain, but has its moments.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Wilhelm Kempff
(1895-1991)

Rhapsodic Prelude, Op. 44 (1941)
Italian Suite, Op. 68 (1950)
Lyric Suite in E Major, Op. 17 #1 (early 1920s)
Six Little Piano Pieces (1933-1958)
Fantasia on the Opera "The Gozzi Family" (1932)

Rüdiger Steinfatt, piano
VMS 623 66:37

The great German pianist wrote a potentially interesting set of music including four operas and two symphonies. As Kempff is known mostly for his records of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin and Brahms, you might expect some elements of those composers in his own music. In a blindfold test, you might guess that the composer was French or Italian. The music offers charm, elegance and restrained drama, and is immediately accessible.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Leó Weiner
(1885-1960)

Toldi, Op. 43 (1952)

North Hungarian Symphony Orchestra/László Kovács
Hungaroton HCD32608 65:55

Although he left quite a large body of music, Weiner has been given far less attention from the record companies than Bartók and Kodály. Toldi is a vast symphonic poem in a number of scenes. Weiner wrote in a late Romantic style with some general similarities to Liszt and Kodály, and with unmistakable Hungarian elements.

Hungaroton has also recorded his Hungarian Folksong Suite, the ballet Csongor és Tünde, his two violin concertos (HCD32185), and the three string quartets (HCD31687). All are attractive music from a composer too long neglected.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Jean Françaix
(1912-1997)

Le roi nu (1935)
Les demoiselles de la nuit (1948)

Ulster Orchestra/Thierry Fischer
Hyperion CDA67489 62:49

These are two of several of Françaix's ballets recorded by Hyperion. Le roi nu is based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes, and the young women of the night are cats. Both works show the influence of Stravinsky, and with the wit and charm of such composers as Satie and Poulenc.

[ Available on CD:
Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Charles-Valentin Alkan
(1813-1888)

Concerto for Solo Piano, Op. 39 #8-10 (1857)
Troisième recueil de chants, Op. 65 (c. 1870)

Marc-André Hamelin, piano
Hyperion CDA67569 67:39

It's only in fairly recent times that Alkan has emerged from the obscurity in which he spent most of his life. This is due in no small part to the fact that a technique of a very high order is required to play his music. His Op. 39 consists of twelve studies in the minor keys. Four of them comprise his Symphony for Solo Piano, and three the Concerto. Marc-André Hamelin, who has made a career from playing technically difficult music, plays this concerto superbly.

The six little pieces in the collection of songs use Mendelssohn's Songs without Words as their model. I must emphasise that Alkan's music is not an exercise in empty technique: this is music with substantial rewards. Hamelin has also recorded for Hyperion, among other Alkan, the Symphony, and the Grande Sonate.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Alfredo Casella
(1883-1947)

Divertimento for Orchestra "Paganiniana", Op. 65 (1942)
Serenata for Chamber Orchestra, Op. 46bis (1927-30)
Suite Sinfonica "La Giara", Op. 41bis (1924)

Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana/Christian Benda
Naxos 8.553706 62:00

Casella's studies with a number of teachers in Italy and France provided varying influences on his compositions. Those on this CD are in many respects reminiscent of the Stravinsky of such works as Pulcinella and The Fairy's Kiss. Paganiniana uses themes of Paganini, but not the expected one, and elsewhere Casella makes use of Sicilian songs.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Joseph Jongen
(1873-1953)

Suite for Orchestra & Solo Viola, Op.48 (1915)

Jean Françaix
(1912-1997)

Rhapsodie for Viola & Small Orchestra (1946)

Tibor Serly
(1901-1978)

Concerto for Viola & Orchestra (1929)

Marcus Thompson, viola
Czech National Symphony Orchestra/Paul Freeman
Centaur CRC2788 57:25

Jongen's Suite in two movements is a very appealing work which displays a range of emotions. Françaix's short Rhapsodie contrasts the seriousness of Ravel with the lightheartedness of Poulenc. Serly, best known for his completion of Bartók's Viola Concerto, shows a more traditional approach. All three works add new interest to the repertoire for the viola.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Ferdinand Ries
(1784-1838)

Symphony #4 in F Major, Op. 110 (1818)
Symphony #6 in D Major, Op. 146 (1822)

Zürich Chamber Orchestra/Howard Griffiths
CPO 999836-2 64:34

Ries was born in Bonn and studied with Beethoven in Vienna, so it's not surprising that his teacher's influence is apparent in much of Ries' orchestration. These two symphonies are very easygoing pieces and are all but guaranteed to give pleasure. The other six symphonies have been recorded by the same forces, and the four CDs are also available as a boxed set (CPO 777216).

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Alexander Glazunov
(1865-1936)

Five Novelettes, Op. 15 (1886)
String Quintet in A Major, Op. 39 (1891-2)

Nathaniel Rosen, cello
Fine Arts Quartet
Naxos 8.570256 63:28

Glazunov has been quite well served on CD with his Violin Concerto and his symphonies being frequently recorded. He also wrote a lot of chamber music, of which the two examples on this disc are relatively rare. The novelette as a musical form was invented by Schumann and it seems the word can mean whatever you want it to mean. In Glazunov's case, the novelette is a miniature with considerable charm and without pretensions to be deep and meaningful. The quintet, his only work in this form, is a more serious affair including one of his trademark sparkling scherzos.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music for the Quintet: Edition Silvertrust ]

Donald Francis Tovey
(1875-1949)

Piano Trio in B minor, Op. 1
Piano Trio "Style Tragique" in C minor, Op. 8

London Piano Trio
Toccata Classics TOCC0068 65:06

These gorgeous Romantic piano trios are strongly influenced by Tovey's great love and deep understanding of the music of Johannes Brahms. They were both written in 1895, and the second trio, Op. 8 was originally for piano, clarinet and horn. This version for violin, cello and piano was published 1912.

Toccata Classics have produced two other recordings of the music of Tovey, and I look forward to more. The London Piano Trio (Robert Atchison, violin; Bzidar Vukotic, cello; Olga Dudnik, piano) play with warmth, energy and a rich, perfectly balanced sound.

Also available:
  Symphony in D Major, Op. 32, etc. (Toccata Classics TOCC0033)
  Cello Concerto, Op. 40, etc. (Toccata Classics TOCC0038)

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Zdeněk Fibich
(1850-1900)

Quartet for Violin, Viola, Cello & Piano in E minor, Op. 11 (1874)
Quintet for Piano, Clarinet, Horn, Violin & Cello in D Major, Op. 42 (1894)

Marián Lapšanský, piano
Ludmila Peterková, clarinet
Vladimira Klánská, horn
Jirí Panocha, violin
Jaroslav Kulhan, cello
Supraphon SU3487-2 63:31

Fibich is generally regarded as the greatest of the Czech composers of the nineteenth century after Smetana and Dvořák, and although he wrote in a number of genres, he's best remembered for his orchestral, piano and operatic music. The opening of the piano quartet makes it clear that you are listening to the work of a Czech, but Fibich was no imitator. Both these works are immediately attractive, not least because of the unusual combination of instruments in the quintet, in which Fibich uses especially the horn to good effect.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Leo Sowerby
(1895-1968)

Concert Overture, H251 (1941)
Passacaglia, Interlude & Fugue, H207 (1931/2)
All on a Summer's Day, H325 (1954)
Symphony #2 in B minor, H188 (1927/8) *

Czech National Symphony Orchestra/Paul Freeman
* Chicago Sinfonietta/Paul Freeman
Cedille CDR90000039 60:51

Better known as a composer of church and organ music, Sowerby left quite a lot of orchestral music, including five symphonies. His music is identified by the work list compiled by Huntington. The music presented here has some affinity with that of other American composers of the same era such as Howard Hanson, although with a slightly harder edge, so you will hear the odd phrase which will remind you of Hindemith and, at one point, Mahler's 5^th. The slow movement of the symphony would have made an excellent complement to one of John Ford's movies set in Monument Valley, and I mean that as a compliment. Cedille has recorded another CD of Sowerby's orchestral music, including The Prairie.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

William Alwyn
(1905-1985)

Symphony #1 (1949)
Symphony #4 (1959)

London Philharmonic Orchestra/William Alwyn
Lyrita SRCD.227 76:33

Alwyn had a very successful career as a composer for films which tended to overshadow his more serious work. He composed in a number of genres and has gradually been more thoroughly represented in recordings. There are several versions of his five symphonies, including the composer's own for Lyrita, a label with a high reputation for superb engineering. A listener new to Alwyn will hear an ability to write noble themes in the form of Elgar, some spiky rhythms like Walton's, and touches of Hindemith and Sibelius, but the more you listen to his music, the more you discern his individuality. There is a lot of other recorded Alwyn to explore-I particularly recommend his beautiful harp concerto, Lyra Angelica.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Ralph Vaughan Williams
(1872-1958)

Symphony #2 "A London Symphony"
(Original 1913 version)

George Butterworth
(1885-1916)

Idyll "The Banks of Green Willow" (1913)

London Symphony Orchestra/Richard Hickox
Chandos CHAN9902 67:39

As well as being a close friend, it was at Butterworth's suggestion that Vaughan Williams expand a symphonic poem into a symphony. Butterworth was one of the British composers who died in World War I and although he left only a small number of works, his influence was substantial.

Vaughan Williams revised this symphony considerably and those familiar with the final version will find that there are about twenty minutes of additional music in the original, although the first movement is all but unchanged. The overall effect is to make the symphony darker and edgier. Although some may prefer his final thoughts, it's very instructive to be able to hear the original. Hickox's cycle of the symphonies also includes the otherwise unrecorded Norfolk Rhapsody #2 (Chandos CHAN10001).

Read the full Classical Net review

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Also released on Hybrid Multichannel SACD CHSA5012: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Victor Bendix
(1851-1926)

Symphony #1 "Mountain Climbing" in C Major, Op. 16 (1882)
Symphony #2 "Sounds of Summer from South Russia" in D Major, Op. 20 (1888)
Symphony #3 in A minor, Op. 25, (1895)
Symphony #4 in D minor, Op. 30 (1906)

Omsk Philharmonic Orchestra/Evgenyi Shestakov
Danacord DACOCD436-437 133:27

The Danish composer Bendix's music is difficult to compare to that of others. It's extremely approachable music but its influences are elusive: you might hear a couple of bars that sound like Schumann, a phrase might remind you of Saint-Saëns, a tutti sounds vaguely like Bruckner, and maybe Schubert or Dvořák or Brahms will make a brief appearance, only to be replaced by someone else. All of this is not meant to suggest that Bendix is wildly derivative, but if Romantic orchestral music is among your passions, this will appeal. And no, I'd never heard of the Omsk Philharmonic nor its conductor either, but they acquit themselves very well. There is also a piano concerto by Bendix available ().

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

Hector Berlioz
(1803-1869)

Symphonie Fantastique (1830)
Transcription by Franz Liszt

Idil Biret, piano
Naxos 8.550725 55:54

Franz Liszt was a frequent transcriber and arranger of his own and other composers' music, and apart from Berlioz's best-known work, also did piano versions of several of the overtures and of Harold in Italy. Some see the recording of such arrangements as superfluous as there are any number of versions of the orchestral original available, but listening to a transcription can be useful in directing attention to a number of details that may be glossed over in an orchestral recording, and thus has considerable value. The Turkish pianist Idil Biret's Brahms series for Naxos is well-regarded, and her work on this CD is every bit as impressive.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic ]

Fritz Kreisler
(1875-1962)

String Quartet in A minor
Transcriptions & Arrangements for Quartet & Piano Trio

OK Mozart Chamber Music Ensemble
OK Mozart ISBN 692863136929

Fritz Kreisler, the legendary Austrian violinist, was also a great arranger. His virtuoso transcriptions, often still played as encores, are well known to lovers of violin music. And Kreisler's original works for violin in the styles of other composers were sophisticated enough to fool experts (he was also a phenomenal imitator). However his chamber music, much of it conceived as vehicles for him to perform with his cellist-brother Hugo, is less often played.

The highlight here is the substantial string quartet (28min) composed in 1919, just prior to the relaunch of Kreisler's solo career in the U.S. following World War I. One might expect this to be a virtuoso showpiece for the first violin, but that is not the case. Kreisler's quartet is a fully integrated and balanced work, with complex interplay between the parts. Though his violin technique was progressive, his compositional language is firmly rooted in the Viennese romantic tradition.

These are live recordings from the OK MOZART Festival in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 2001 and feature outstanding chamber music performances by talented musicians including Nai-Yuan Hu (violin), Ani Kavafian (violin), Paul Neubauer (viola), Ronald Thomas (cello), Anne-Marie McDermott (piano).

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan ]

[ Sheet music by Kreisler: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Lee Actor
(b. 1952)

Violin Concerto (2005)
Symphony #2 (2006)
Timpani Concerto (2005)

Pip Clarke, violin
Stuart Chafetz, timpani
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Kirk Trevor
Albany TROY1017 67:11

One of the advantages of the internet is the ability to be able to sample music before buying it: for many, perhaps, the recent dates of the works on this CD would be an immediate turn-off. Although timpani concertos are not for everyone – and this one is the shortest of the three pieces – the other two works have much to recommend them. The symphony has a variety of moods ranging from the bleak to the jovial as in Shostakovich's 9^th symphony. The violin concerto in many ways reminds me of Britten's. Actor is yet another American composer to watch.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

Vagn Holmboe
(1909-1996)

Symphony #8 "Sinfonia Boreale", Op. 56 (1951)
Symphony #9, Op. 95 (1969)

Aarhus Symphony Orchestra/Owain Arwel Hughes
BIS CD-618 65:25

The Danish composer Holmboe wrote thirteen numbered symphonies and Sinfonia in Memoriam, all of which have been recorded by BIS. The eighth is the best known of these. In the symphonies generally, there are the expected influence of Nielsen and a very dramatic atmosphere with more than a hint of menace. Those with a taste for such composers as Shostakovich will find Holmboe to their liking. He was a prolific composer and there are a number of other orchestral works and concertos to explore, not to mention twenty-one string quartets!

Read the Classical Net Review

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Karol Szymanowski
(1882-1937)

String Quartet #1 in C Major, Op. 37 (1917)
String Quartet #2, Op. 56 (1927)

Igor Stravinsky
(1882-1971)

Concertino (1920)
Three Pieces (1914)
Double Canon (1959)

Goldner String Quartet
Naxos 8.554315 54:27

The Polish composer Szymanowski's string quartets are difficult to place in context with others, possibly very late Romantic with more than a touch of Ravel and Debussy, and with quite a lot of the powerful atmosphere of his two violin concertos. There is some dissonance but not enough to bother those listeners who avoid it. The smaller Stravinsky pieces are more austere listening, but the main attraction here is the Szymanowski.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe ]

[ Sheet music by Szymanowski: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]