DCD 010 - A new release -- and a new label

Our tenth podcast was to be a showcase for another new label we've picked up; the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Music. It still basically is. We just had to make room for a new release.

Musica Rediviva's latest effort is an interesting collection of music by Helena Ek. A specialist in the field of early music, Ek presents a survey of songs devoted to various aspects of the Virgin Mary. There are some obvious choices, like selections from the Cantiguas de Santa Maria, the famous collection of Alfonso X. But mixed in with that are some other medieval, renaissance and even baroque compositions give the recital added dimension. Ek even includes some traditional folk songs and a contemporary composition or two. It's a compelling listen, and I (for one) thoroughly enjoyed it. On the podcast I play two tracks to give you an idea of the flow and overall sound of Maria.

The rest of the program is devoted to the releases of the UW-Madison label (that's not an official abbreviation, but the full name is a mouthful). There's some contemporary music commissioned by the school, as well as some outstanding performances by the faculty.

By an interesting confluence, the two newest labels to the DCD family also share the same artists. The Pro Arte Quartet has been the resident artists at UW-Madison since about the First World War, and their current lineup has recorded several quartets on the school label. They also, about a decade ago, recorded for Laurel Records. Next time, then, we'll finish our look at UW-Madison and continue our profile of Laurel by playing tracks from the Pro Arte Quartet on both labels.

And please remember that all comments are welcome! Positive more than negative would be nice, but criticism is given equal weight with kudos in influencing the direction of these podcasts. E-mail me at mailto:info@dcdrecords.com?subject=Podcast.


- Ralph Graves
President, DCD Records



This program, we play the following:

Söderström: Jungfru Maria
Trad. 1500: St.Göran och draken
Helena Ek, soprano; Göran Måsson: pipes, frame drum, string drum, hurdy-gurdy
Musica Rediviva

Larsen: Concert Dances, Mvt. 1
UW-Madison Symphonic Wind Ensemble; David E. Becker, conductor
UW-Madison

Schubert: Irrlich
Paul Rowe, baritone; Martha Fischer, piano
UW-Madison

R. Strauss: “Improvisation” from the Violin Sonata, Op. 18
Parry Karp, cello; Howard Karp, piano
UW-Madison

DCD 009 - Laurel Records: the Barshai recordings

This program we introduce a not-so-new label: Laurel Records. Laurel was founded in 1974 by noted film and TV composer Herschel Burke Gilbert, and is run today by his son. I've been a fan of Laurel for some time, and it's very exciting personally to be working with this distinguished label.

The Russian conductor Rudolph Barshai is well-represented with five Laurel releases. Barshai’s career includes work with the giants of Russian music, such as Shostakovich and Rostropovich, and has many highlights too numerous to mention here (although not here).

We sample three of Barshai's recordings with Laurel, and are offering all five for a special price on our website. Enjoy some great, unabashedly romantic music-making with this edition of our podcast.

And don't be shy about speaking your mind! It would be great to have some discussion about the music featured in our podcasts. Whether you love the music or hate my mispronunciations, send your bouquets and brickbats to info@dcdrecords.com.

- Ralph Graves
President, DCD Records



This program, we play the following:

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 5 in D, K.175, Mvt. 1
Sviatoslav Richter, piano; Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra; Rudolph Barshai, conductor
Laurel Records

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98, Mvt. 2
Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra; Rudolf Barshai, conductor
Laurel Records

Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26, Mvt. 3
Mark Zeltzer, piano; Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra; Rudolf Barshai, conductor
Laurel Records

DCD 008 - New releases -- and a new label

Things have been hopping here at DCD recently, significantly impacting our podcast schedule (as if you haven't noticed). The good news is that we now have even more music to share -- and we intend to do just that. Look for a stepped up podcast schedule beginning with this show. Thanks for your patience and support.

This program we introduce a new label -- Champignon International, the home of the early music group, the Fanfare Consort. In addition to sampling selections from the Consort's two albums, we also give you a first taste of some new releases.

VGo Recordings has a new release featuring Grisha, a young guitar virtuoso from Russia. In addition to that, we also debut a cut from "Violin Solo, Volume 2," on Troubadisc. Renate Eggebrecht performs on the first SACD from this fine German label.

Circulation has continue to grow for our podcast, and we couldn't be happier. If you have a moment, drop us a line. I'd love to know where you're listening, and what you like (or don't). Send your bouquets and brickbats to info@dcdrecords.com

- Ralph Graves


This program, we play the following:

Girolamo Fantini: Sonata “Morone”
Thomas A Freas, clarino; Timothy M. Lewis, organ
Champignon International

Paco de Lucia: Taranta
Grisha, guitar
VGo Recordings

Giovanni Bonaventura Viviani: Sonata Prima per Trombetta sola
Thomas A Freas, clarino; Timothy M. Lewis, organ
Champignon International

Bela Bartok: Sonata for Solo Violin – Mvt. 2 Fuga: Risoluto, non troppo vivo
Renate Eggebrecht, violin
Troubadisc

Archangelo Corelli: Sonata in D major for clarion, two violins and basso continuo
Fanfare Consort
Champignon International