The DCD Classical 'Cast is also available as an enhanced podcast. When played through iTunes, the DCD Enhanced Classical 'Cast displays the album art of the works as they play, and provide links to webpages where you can find out more information and purchase the selections.

Monday, June 05, 2006

DCD 007 - Music of Tribute, Part 2

This is the second installment of a two-part program. Labor Records has released a series of recordings entitled “Music of Tribute." Each disc mixes music by a particular composer with music written by others in homage, dedicated to, or just influenced by that composer. Four discs have been released so far -- Heitor Villa-Lobos, Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré and Dominico Scarlatti.

The third volume is centered around Gabriel Fauré. In 1920, Fauré resigned as director of the Conservatoire, where he had worked since 1905. The French publication Reveue Musicale invited several of his most prominent pupils to write works to a collection that would commemorate the event. Contributors included Florent Schmitt, Georges Enesco, and Fauré's most famous student, Maurice Ravel.

The most recent release in the series is all about Dominico Scarlatti. Unlike the previous three recordings, there's no tribute collection that the modern works presented are drawn from. Scarlatti's elegent piano sonatas have influenced and inspired many composers throughout the centuries -- this CD presents but a small sampling of them.

These two titles, along with the first two volumes, are available from DCD Records, either individually or at a special price for all four.


And as always, I'd love to hear from you about the program. What elements do you like? What should go? Send your bouquets and brickbats to info@dcdrecords.com.

- Ralph Graves


This program, we play the following:

Fauré: Prelude No. 1 in D flat major, Op. 103, Vladimir Valjarevic, piano
(Labor)

Ducasse: D'un extreme lenteur - Vladimir Valjarevic, Ivailo Nanev, pianos
(Labor)

Ravel: Berceuse for violin and piano - Svetla Kaitcherva, violin; Vladimir Valjarevic, piano
(Labor)

D. Scarlatti: Sonata in G major, L. 486 - Viktoria Lakissova, piano,
(Labor)
Godowsky: Concert-Allegro - Viktoria Lakissova, piano,
(Labor)