DCD 059 - The DCD Holiday Special, Part 2

Part two of our holiday music special features selections from two recordings. "A Longwood Gardens Christmas" starts off episode #59 of the "DCD Classical 'Cast." Organist Michael Stairs performs two familiar selections, "O Christmas Tree," and an arrangement of "In dulci jubilo."

The centerpiece for the podcast is Janis Lusens' "Child of the Stars." This choral cantata borrows heavily from Lusens' Latvian musical heritage, as well as some traditional holiday melodies.

And remember -- you don't need an iPod to enjoy a podcast! You can download this program directly onto your computer, MP3 player or smart phone.

From the entire staff at DCD Records, we'd like to wish you a wonderful holiday season, and a safe and prosperous New Year.

- Ralph

This program we play:

O Christmas Tree
Chorale Improvisation on In dulci jubilo
Michael Stairs, organ
DTR

Janis Lusens - Child of the Stars (mvts. 2-4)
New York Latvian Concert Choir; Latvian National Symphony Orchestra; Andrejs Jansons, conductor
NYLCC

Paen on Divinum mysterium
Michael Stairs, organ
DTR

DCD 058 - The DCD Holiday Special, Part 1

Episode #58 of the DCD Classical 'Cast presents part 1 of our annual holiday music special. This program we feature music from four different labels, giving you something medieval, something modern, something traditional.... and something not.

You'll hear some familiar Christmas music played by Michael Stairs on the giant Longwood Gardens Aeolean organ. And you'll probably recognize the traditional melodies used in Peteris Aldins' "This Sacred Night."

Mary figures large in the Christmas story, and many early church services included sacred songs about the Virgin Mary in their Advent services (that's the part of the church calendar leading up to Christmas Day). We present a selection from the "Cantiguas de Santa Maria," a compilation commissioned by Alfonso X of Castille in the 1200's.

And to finish, we include some music from the Inner Voices's crossover release, "Christmas in My Dreams."

Happy Holidays!

- Ralph

This program we play:

Peteris Aldins: This Sacred Night
New York Latvian Concert Choir; Andrejs Jansons, conductor
NYLCC Records

Alfonso X: Rosas das rosas
Helena Ek, soprano
Musica Rediviva

I Saw three Ships; Silent Night
Michael Stairs, organ
DTR

Christmas in My Dreams, De King is Born Today
Inner Voices
Laurel Records

DCD 057 - Two from Laurel Records

In episode #57 of the "DCD Classical 'Cast" we play music from Ernest Bloch and Nikolai Lopatnikoff, two 20th Century composers who are under-represented on the concert stage. Laurel Records is proud to have these works in their catalog, and we're happy to bring them to a wider audience.

Ernest Bloch enjoyed a great deal of success during his lifetime, both as a composer and as an educator. He served as the first Musical Director of the Cleveland Institute of Music, and taught Roger Sessions and George Antheil, among others. While his music is well-represented in recordings, with the exception of a few works, his compositions aren't regularly performed in the concert hall.

Like Bloch, Nikolai Lopatnikoff emigrated to the United States. Originally from Estonia, he moved to Germany before fleeing the Nazis first to England, then to America. Lopatnikoff was a contemporary of Rachmaninoff, and shared some of his Russian romanticism in his music. And Lopatnikoff was an educator as well, serving on the faculty of the Carnegie-Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh for a number of years.

- Ralph
This program we play:

Ernest Bloch: Concerto Symphonique for piano and orchestra, Mvt. 2
Michah Yui, piano; London Symphony Orchestra; David Amos, conductor
Laurel Records

Nikolai Lopatnikoff: Five Kontrasts for solo piano, Op. 71
Nanette Kaplan Solomon, piano
Laurel Records

Ernest Bloch: Concerto Grosso No. 2, finale
London Symphony Orchestra; David Amos, conductor
Laurel Records

DCD 056 - Two From Con Brio

Con Brio Recordings recently sent us two new releases. This podcast episode, DCD Classical 'Cast #056, we sample selections from both of them.

Jocelyn Swigger is an accomplished pianist who makes her recording debut on Con Brio. Swigger covers a variety of musical styles on this release, from Bach and Mozart, to Chopin and beyond. My favorite track (which I share in this podcast) is a delightful work by American composer Morton Gould. Gould was equally at home in the popular and classical world. His "Boogie-Woogie Etude" dates from the 1940's and is just as much fun to listen to now as it was then.

The Icicle Creek Piano Trio hail from Washington state, and present two classics of the repertoire for their Con Brio debut recording. Maurice Ravel and Franz Schubert were seperated by about a century, but they shared one thing -- a talent for creating beautiful melodies. We play selections from both of the piano trio compositions found on this new CD.

And remember -- you don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast! Just click on the links and enjoy.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Frederic Chopin: Waltz in C sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2
Jocelyn Swigger, piano
Con Brio Records

Maurice Ravel – Piano Trio in A minor, Pantoum, (2nd movement)
Icicle Creek Piano Trio
Con Brio Records

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in F major, K. 332, mvt. 2
Jocelyn Swigger, piano
Con Brio Records

Morton Gould: Boogie-Woogie Sonata
Jocelyn Swigger, piano
Con Brio Records

Schubert Piano Trio in E flat, Op. 100 – finale
Icicle Creek Piano Trio
Con Brio Records

DCD 055 - Odds and Ends

This program, Episode 55 of the "DCD Classical 'Cast" we feature some works that haven't been showcased before.

It's been a while since we've played anything by Patricia McCarty, and after listening to her lovely viola arrangement of Schubert's "Arpeggione" sonata, I wonder why I waited so long. We also include some heavenly music by Vincenzo Albrici, an Italian composer of the Baroque period cursed with wanderlust. He served the Queen of Sweden, played in England, and even worked in Germany for a while.

Speaking of the baroque, you'll hear guitarist Tom Leisek's arrangements of Jean Mouton. And we also include a chamber music arrangement of a Schumann piano sonata, performed by the Volkaert-Walther String Trio.

Enjoy! And remember, you don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast!

- Ralph

This program we play:

Franz Schubert: "Arpeggione" Sonata, D. 821
Patricia McCarty, viola; Martin Amlin, piano
Ashmont Music

Vincenzo Albrici: Concerti Sacri
Capella Augustana, Matteo Messori, conductor
Musica Rediviva

Jean Mouton: Allemand and Chaconne
Tom Leisek, guitar
VGo Recordings

Robert Schumann: Trio (after the Sonata for Piano, Op. 188, No. 3)
Volkert-Walther String Trio
Con Brio Recordings

DCD 054 - An Orchestral Omnibus

This edition of the DCD Classical 'Cast we feature a selection of orchestral works -- perhaps as a way to balance out our two previous programs of solo violin music!

Arnold Rosner is an American composer who still (in our opinion) doesn't receive the amount of recognition his music deserves. This time we feature an excerpt from his opera "The Chronicle of Nine," a dramatization of the nine-day reign of Lady Jane Grey. As you'll hear, Rosner captures the spirit of the Tudor period while still using a modern orchestral language.

We also play Earnest Bloch's "Scherzo Fantastique" for piano and orchestra. It's a real showpiece for both soloist and ensemble. And we finish with Luciano Simoni, an Italian composer whose lyrical music relishes the sonic beauty an orchestra can create.

- Ralph

Arnold Rosner: Prelude to Act II of "The Chronicle of Nine"
Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; David Amos, conductor
Laurel Records

Ernest Bloch: Scherzo Fantastique for piano and orchestra
Michah Yui, piano; London Symphony Orchestra; David Amos, conductor
Laurel Records

Luciano Simoni - Symphony No. 4 (final movement)
Targu-Mures Philharmonic Orchestra; Romeo Rimbu, conductor
Inedita Records

DCD 053 - Violin Solo, Part 2

We continue our survey (which we started last episode) of the "Violin Solo" series of recordings from Troubadisc. All four volumes feature works by 20th Century composers, some well-known, others not. Violinist Renate Eggebrecht seems equally at home with them all.

In Episode #052 we sampled selections from volume 1 and volume 4. This program we fill in the gaps, playing music from volumes 2 and 3 (and a little something from the new release as well).

With the exception of the first volume, all of these releases are Super Audio Compact Discs (SACDs), which contain an even higher level of sonic detail than regular CDs. The format is well-suited to the intimate nature of the music.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Paul Hindemith: Movement and Fragment from an uncompleted violin sonata
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubadisc Records

Bela Bartok: Sonata for Solo Violin, mvt. 3
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubadisc Records

Anatol Vieru: Capriccio for solo violin
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubadisc Records

Aram Khachaturian: Sonata-Monologue for solo violin
Renate Eggebrecht violin
Troubadisc Records

Erwin Schulhoff: Sonata for solo violin
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubdisc Records

DCD 052 - Violin Solo, Part 1

Troubadisc has released the fourth volume in their series of solo violin recordings. Renate Eggebrecht presents another survey of 20th century masterworks for her instrument.

This podcast we sample selections from this new release, as well as look at some of the previous volumes in the series (we'll complete our survey in episdoe #53).

- Ralph

This program we play:

Ernest Bloch: Suite No. 2 for solo violin (mvts. 1 & 2)
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubadisc Records

Johanna Senfter - Sonata for solo violin (mvt. 2)
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubadisc Records

Igor Stravinsky - Elegie for solo violin
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubadisc Records

Arthur Honegger - Sonata for solo violin (mvts. 2 & 3)
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubadisc Records

Ernest Bloch - Suite No. 1 for solo violin (mvts. 3 & 4)
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubadisc Records

DCD 051 - Backwards in Time

This program we journey backwards through musical history. It's a short trip, but a fun one. We start in the romantic era with a Dvorak string quartet. Then we go back to the classical period for two short works by Beethoven -- including the rarely heard 1821 revised version of "Fur Elise." We end up in the high baroque, with a selection of Italian works for natural trumpet and organ.

We'll be making some changes to the DCD Classical Cast over the next few programs -- let us know what you like and what you don't. You can either email us at info@dcdrecords.com, or just leave your thoughts in the comments field of this blog.

Onward to show #100!

- Ralph

This program we play:

Dvorak: String Quartet in D minor, Op. 34 (mvt. 1)
Pro Arte quartet
University of Wisconsin at Madison School of Music

Beethoven: Fur Elise (1821 version)
"Letzter musickalischer Gedanke," WoO 62 (Hess 41)
Stephen Beck, piano
Monument Records

Viviani: Sonata Prima per Trombetta sola
Gabrieli: Intonazione Dodici Toni
Fantini: Sonata "Morone"
Fantini: Seconda Ricercata "Acciaioli"
Thomas A. Freas, clarion
Timothy M. Lewis, organ
Fanfare Consort

DCD 050 - Artist-Run Labels

Program #50 of the DCD Classical 'Cast features three artists who've created their own record labels. At one point artist-run labels were considered little more than vanity projects. But with the rise of the Internet, things have changed.

Many artists who, in the past, could have only achieved success signed to a major label, now have quite healthy careers performing and recording on their own.

The three we feature on this podcast -- Mark Gardner, Robert DeGaetano, and Gary Levinson -- make music on their own terms. And classical music's the better for it.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Mark Gardner: "Island" and "Midlife Crises"
Mark Gardner, piano

Bohuslav Martinu: Three Madrigals (Nos. 1 and 2)
Gary Levinson, violin; Cynthia Phelps, viola
Zeus Entertainment

Robert de Gaetano: "Magic Carpet Ride" and "Perspective"
Robert de Gaetano, piano
Crystonyx

DCD 049 - American Composers

This episode we sample works from three American composers. One is very famous, and the two others deserve to be.

We start with Samuel Barber (he's the famous one). The "Adagio" movement of his String Quartet Op. 11 is well-known throughout the world. We play the opening movement from this outstanding work, and hope listeners will eventually listen to the entire composition as Barber originally intended.

I confess that Arnold Rosner is one of my favorite contemporary composers. His blend of medieval and modern seems perfect for the time, creating a rich, melodic music that moves at a slow, stately pace. We feature his appropriately named "A Gentle Musike."

Enst Bacon was something of a character. This Chicago-born composer wrote over 250 artsongs, as well as many other compositions. He also led something of a rough-and-ready life, and his self-taught compositional style gave his music a distinctively American and individualistic voice. We play part of his violin sonata in the program.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Samuel Barber: String Quartet, Op. 11, mvt. 1
1807
DTR Records

Arnold Rosner: A Gentle Musicke, Op. 44
Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; David Amos, conductor
Laurel Records

Ernst Bacon: Sonata for Violin and Piano
James Greening-Valenzuelam violin; John Walker, piano
Con Brio Records

DCD 048 - Walter Ross Chamber Music

We're very proud of this edition of the "DCD Classical 'Cast." In this episode we showcase selections from our newest release, "Walter Ross: Brass Trios."

Ross is a composer living in Virginia (close to the world-wide DCD Records headquarters!) and I've known him personally for some time. A french horn player, Ross writes naturally and idiomatically for brass instruments. His chamber works for brass ensembles are among his most popular compositions.

This new recording was made under the direct supervision of the composer, using a hand-picked cadre of performers. The CD includes all four of Ross' brass trios, as well as his "Twelve Horn Trios."

I'm honored to make this recording available to the public.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Walter Ross: Brass Trio No. 1 (mvts. 1 & 2)
Paul Neebe, trumpet; Dwight Purvis, french horn; Haim Avitsur, trombone
DCD Records

Walter Ross: Brass Trio No. 4 (mvts. 3-5)
Paul Neebe, trumpet; Dwight Purvis, french horn; Haim Avitsur, trombone
DCD Records

Walter Ross: Panda Dances (mvts. 1-2)
The Albermarle Ensemble
VA Arts

Walter Ross: Twelve Horn Trios (nos. 10-12)
Dwight Purvis, Angela Wilmot, and Abigail Park, french horns
DCD Records

DCD 047 - Richard Muczysnki, Part 2

This episode of the DCD Classical 'Cast is part two of our Robert Muczynski special.

Laurel Records featured the noted American composer-pianist Robert Muczynski in a recital of his works. Over the course of two CDs, Muczynksi plays a range of works that cover some of his earliest compositions to one of his last for solo piano.

Part 2 showcases works from the latter part of Muczynski's career, ranging from 1970 through 1994. We include his compositions that have become standard requirements for some major piano competitions -- all played by the composer himself.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Robert Muczynski: Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 35 (first movement)
Robert Muczynski, piano
Laurel Records

Robert Muczynski: Time Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 43
Mitchel Lurie, clarinet; Robert Muczynski, piano
Laurel Records

Robert Muczynski: Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 14 (second movement)
Juilian Baker, flute; Robert Muczynski, piano
Laurel Records

Robert Muczynski: Masks, Op. 40
Robert Muczynski, piano
Laurel Records


Robert Muczynski: Desperate Measures, Op. 48
Robert Muczynski, piano
Laurel Records

DCD 046 - Robert Muczynski, Part 1

Laurel Records featured the noted American composer-pianist Robert Muczynski in a recital of his works. Over the course of two CDs, Muczynksi plays a range of works that cover some of his earliest compositions to one of his last for solo piano. These releases continue to be among the best-selling at DCDRecords.com, so we're going to feature selections from the Muczynski recital discs over the next two programs.

This episode of the "DCD Classical 'Cast" we present Part 1. This covers music from the earlier part of Muczynski's career. You'll hear one of his first piano compositions, written while he was still a student of Alexander Tcherepnin. We also play one of the works he composed for his debut concert at Carnegie Recital Hall, and more.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Robert Muczynski: Six Preludes, Op. 6
Robert Muczynski, piano
Laurel Records

Robert Muczynski: First Piano Sonata, Op. 9 (first movement)
Robert Muczynski, piano
Laurel Records

Robert Muczynski: Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 14 (second movement)
Juilian Baker, flute; Robert Muczynski, piano
Laurel Records

Robert Muczynski: A Summer Journal, Op. 19
Robert Muczynski, piano
Laurel Records

DCD 045 - Boston Guitar Fest

The Boston Guitar Fest is quite a prestigious event. A joint project of Northeastern University and the New England Conservatory, it's a week-long celebration of the guitar and guitar artistry. One of the high points of the Boston Guitar Fest is the juried performance competition.

One of the prizes for that competition is a recording with VGo Recordings. In 2006, there were two co-winners, but lasts year there was one standout performer -- Christina Pérez Madiedo.

This episode of the DCD Classical 'Cast we sample selections from Madiedo's prize recording, as well as revisit tracks from the previous year's co-winners, Steve Lin and Joseph Williams, II.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Antonio Lauro: Seis por Derecho
Cristina Pérez Madiedo, guitar
VGo Recordings

Agustin Barrios: Sueno en la Floresta
Cristina Pérez Madiedo, guitar
VGo Recording

Alessandro Scarlatti: Sonata K. 96 (arr.for guitar)
Joseph Williams, II, guitar
VGo Recordings

Manuel Llobet: Scherzo-vals
Steve Lin, guitar
VGo Recordings

Leo Brouwer: Guitar Sonata (final movement)
Cristina Pérez Madiedo, guitar
VGo Recordings

DCD 044 - Richard Arnell

Con Brio Records has released a new CD by the MusicaNova Orchestra, conducted by Warren Cohen. The performances -- and the repertoire -- were so compelling, I just had to give the release its own podcast episode.

The disc is the U.S. recording premier of two symphonies by British composer Richard Arnell. Arnell was a contemporary of Benjamin Britten, and shortly before the Second World War lived and worked in the United States. Stokowski, Ormandy and other prominent musicians championed his music, and with good reason.

Arnell's compositions use the post-romantic language of Roy Harris, Walter Piston, and late Ralph Vaughan Williams. This isn't pretty music, but it is lyrical and well-crafted.

This episode of the "DCD Classical 'Cast" we sample part of both symphonies from the recording. But the only way to truely appreciate Arnell's work is to hear the Fourth and Fifth Symphonies in their entirety -- which you can do, thanks to the MusicaNova Orchestra and Con Brio Recordings.

- Ralph

The program we play:

Arnell - Symphony No. 4, Movement 2
MusicaNova Orchestra, Warren Cohen, conductor
Con Brio Records

Arnell - Symphony No. 4, Movement 3
MusicaNova Orchestra, Warren Cohen, conductor
Con Brio Records


Arnell - Symphony No. 5, Movement 3
MusicaNova Orchestra, Warren Cohen, conductor
Con Brio Records

DCD 043 - A Collection of Choirs

This episode of the "DCD Classical 'Cast" we present a program of choral music. We start and finish with selections from the Seattle Pro Musica, a professional group active in the Pacific Northwest. Their holiday album, "Wiehnachten: A German Christmas" is a perennial best-seller for us. And, as you'll hear, their other releases, "Peace in Our Time" and "Alnight by the Rose" are of equal quality.

We also include a renaissance madrigal from Giaches de Wert, and John Biggs conducts his composition "Two Chorals on Poems by Oscar Wilde."

- Ralph

This program we play:

Herbert Howells: Requiem (first three movements)
Seattle Pro Musica; Karen P. Thomas, director
Seattle Pro Musica

John Biggs: Two Chorals on Poems by Oscar Wilde
The Consort Chorale; John Biggs, conductor
Consort Press

Giache de Wert: Transeunte Domino
Rutgers Collegium Musicum; Andrew Kirkman, conductor
DTR

Morton Lauridessen: Madrigali - Six "FireSongs" on Italian Renaissance Poems (final two movements)
Seattle Pro Musica; Karen P. Thomas, director
Seattle Pro Musica

DCD 042 - Saudade and César

This program we feature three tracks from Con Brio recording's latest release. "Saudade" is the debut album of Stephen Reck, an up-and-coming classical guitarist from Ireland. It's a compelling collection of guitar works, and includes some under-recorded selections that work quite well.

We fill out the program by revisiting the first recording from our own label, DCD Records. James Higdon performs on the Helmut Wolff et associes organ at the Bales Organ Recital Hall at Kansas University. It's been a while since I've listened to the disc, but it holds up very well (even if I was the producer).

Listen to the podcast and judge for yourself!

- Ralph

This program we play:

Dominico Scarlatti: Sonata in D major, K. 177
Stephen Reck, guitar
Con Brio Recordings

César Franck: Premier Choral en mi majeur
James Higdon, organ
DCD Records

Andrés Segovia: Estudio Sin Luz
Stephen Reck, guitar
Con Brio Records

William Lovelady: Donegal
Stephen Reck, guitar
Con Brio Records

DCD 041 - Solo Sounds from Musica Rediviva

This program we continue our showcase of new releases from the Swedish record label Musica Rediviva. In this podcast we have two solo artists: Ryosuke Sakamoto and Hans Faguis.

Sakamoto is a gifted young lutenist, and his debut recording "Travels with My Lute" give us a musical journey through both time and space. Sakamoto plays selections from various composers throughout Europe (space). These works range from the renaissance all the way up to the 20th Century (time).

We also feature selections from Faguis' Bach recital at the newly-restored Leufsta Bruk Church organ. This magnificent instrument was built by Johan Niclas Cahman, Sweden's foremost organ builder of the 1700's (and the subject of another Musica Rediviva release).

- Ralph

This program we play:

John Dowland: Fantasia
Ryosuke Sakamoto, lute
Musica Rediviva

Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 545
Hans Faguis, organ
Musica Rediviva

Sylvius Leopold Weiss: Passacaglia
Ryosuke Sakamoto, lute
Musica Rediviva

Johann Sebastian Bach: Fantasie in G major, BWV 572
Hans Faguis, organ
Musica Rediviva

Claude Debussy: La fille aux Cheveaux (arr. Sakamoto)
Ryosuke Sakamoto, lute
Musica Rediviva

DCD 040 - New Sounds from Musica Rediviva

Musica Rediviva just sent us a bunch of new releases -- so many that we're dividing them up between two episodes. For our 40th episode, we feature selections from "Sounds of Transparence" and "From Castle and Cottage."

At first blush you might think an album of contemporary music would have nothing in common with a collection of baroque works, but in this case you'd be wrong.

Both releases present new sounds and new sound combinations. The sound of marimba, organ and flute playing together is certainly unusual. But as the Tribukait/Petterson/Berg Trio ably demonstrates, it's an interesting and oftimes beautiful combination of instruments.

Torbjörn Näsbom and Andreas Edlund present another unusual combination of instruments in a different fashion. Their new release, "From Castle and Cottage" take a traditional Swedish folk instrument, the nyckelharpa, pair it with a small harpsichord and give a fresh sound to some music from the Baroque period.

New sounds indeed!

- Ralph


This program we play:

CPE Bach: Sonata in C major (originally for viola da gamba and basso continuo)
Torbjörn Näsbom, nyckelharpa; Andreas Edlund, cembalo
Musica Rediviva

Ole Lutzow-Holm: Rhyme and Pairs for marimba
Daniel Berg, marimba
Musica Rediviva

Marin Marais: La rêveuse (originally for viola da gamba and basso continuo)
Torbjörn Näsbom, nyckelharpa; Andreas Edlund, cembalo
Musica Rediviva

Staffan Storm: Tre canti del giardino in rovina for flute, marimba and organ
Tribukait/Petterson/Berg Trio
Musica Rediviva


Olof Jansson: Church March
Torbjörn Näsbom, nyckelharpa; Andreas Edlund, cembalo
Musica Rediviva

Henrik Strindberg: Modell 2 for flute, marimba and piano
Tribukait/Petterson/Berg Trio
Musica Rediviva

DCD 039 - Piano 4-Hands

This episode of the DCD Classical 'Cast we explore the repertoire for piano four-hands. Some composers wrote for the genre for practical reasons; others for artistic.

During his lifetime, most of Franz Schubert's music was performed by the composer in a salon setting (called "Schubertiads" by his friends). It was certainly easier to get someone to play alongside the composer for more complex pieces than to persuade a Viennese orchestra to give them a try.

Antonin Dvorak didn't have any problems getting his orchestral music performed. He, like many other 19th century composers, arranged his scores for piano four-hands so that the music could be performed in homes. More performances = more music sales = more income.

Vincent Persichetti and Wallingford Riegger composed for the combination for artistic reasons (and commissions). Persichetti's "Concertino" for piano four-hands is the most complex work on the podcast -- sometimes it seems like there are more than two pianists playing!

- Ralph


On this program we play:

Dvorak: Slavonic Dance Op. 72, No. 2
Howard and Frances Karp, piano four-hands
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music

Riegger: The Cry
Margret Elson & Elizabeth Swarthout, piano four-hands
Laurel Records

Schubert: Andantino Varie, D. 834, Op. 84, No. 1
Howard and Frances Karp, piano four-hands
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music

Persichetti: Concertino for Piano Four-Hands
Margret Elson & Elizabeth Swarthout, piano four-hands
Laurel Records

DCD 038 - A Clutch of Concerti

This podcast we look at how three different composers treated the concerti form. By the early 1800's the concerto became a pretty standard type of composition -- a solo instrument playing with an orchestra.

But the roles of those two forces, soloist and ensemble, change depending on the needs of the composer. For Mozart, who toured Europe playing his own concertos, the orchestra was the back up ensemble. As the quality of musicians varied from town to town, he was faced with the challange of writing the orchestral part in such a way that it was simple to play, yet interesting to listen to.

Rachmaninov also performed his own concerti. But unlike Mozart, he didn't have to worry about the quality of the players on stage with him. In his concertos the orchestra takes a larger and somewhat more equal role.

And finally, there's the question of blend. A concert grand piano can hold its own playing with an orchestra -- and its timbre is distinctive enough to come through even when everyone's playing. A solo violin, however, can get lost in the string sound of the orchestra. So how does a composer keep the solo violin front and center? For Ernest Bloch the answer was keeping the solo instrument in a different (and usually higher) register.

Three different takes on the concerto form from three different composers.

And if you're wondering about the title, yes it is a little silly. But what is the proper form for a group of concerti, anyway?

- Ralph


This program we play:

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 1 in F major, K. 337, first movement
Svlastislav Richter, piano; Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra; Rudolf Barshai conductor
Laurel Records

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 – the second movement
Robert DeGaetano, piano; the Slovak Radio Orchestra; Kirk Trevor conductor
Crystonyx

Bloch: The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, final movement
Mischa Lefkowitz, violin; the London Philharmonic Orchestra; Paul Freeman conductor
Laurel Records

DCD 037 - New Year, New Releases

We start off 2008 with a pair of new releases with episode #37 of the "DCD Classical 'Cast."

"Imagen" is classical guitarist Steve Lin's first full-length album, but not his debut recording. He was the co-winner of the Boston GuitarFest, and shared the subsequent prize -- a release on VGo Recordings -- with Joseph Williams II. We featured selections from that CD back in program #24.

Lin's new release showcases the composers and works that he enjoys playing the most -- and it shows.

Our other new release is from Troubadisc. This label has been producing quality chamber music recordings since 1991, and last year moved to SACD format-only releases. They start 2008 with their first choral recording, and Troubadisc's fine recording experience make this an SACD that's a real pleasure to listen to.

Titled "Orthodox Voices" after ensemble performing, the album is a recital of contemporary sacred music by Estonian composers. These a capella atmospheric compositions make for a rewarding listening experience. While our podcast is a 192kbps MP3, we can't really do justice to the full range of expression audible on this recording. But at least you'll be able to judge the quality of the compositions themselves.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Benito Canónigos : El Totuma
Steve Lin, guitar
VGo Recordings

Velja Tormis: At the Crossroads
Orthodox Singers; Valery Petrov, conductor
Troubadisc

Antonio Lauro: Vals Venezolano IV "Yacambu"
Steve Lin, guitar
VGo Recordings

Arvo Part: Ode IV
Orthodox Singers; Valery Petrov, conductor
Troubadisc

Agustín Barrios Mangoré: Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios
Steve Lin, guitar
VGo Recordings