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