DCD 013 Ethel Smythe's Chamber Music

Troubadisc has released a four-volume set surveying the chamber music of Dame Ethel Smythe (1858-1944). This remarkable English composer forged a musical career at the turn of the Twentieth Century despite crushing adversity. Facing an enormous amount of discrimination because of her sex, she managed to turn out an impressive body of music -- and have it published and performed, to boot.

Renate Eggebrecht, co-founder of Troubadisc Records, has long been a champion of women composers, so its not surprising that she would turn her attention to Smythe. The intimate nature of chamber music gives us a unique perspective on this sometimes larger-that-life figure. After all, we're talking about someone who was not only friends with luminaries such as Clara Schumann and Virginia Wolf, but was a driving force of the Women's Sufferage Movement at a time when such activity was met with active hostility and sometimes violence. And, as you'll hear in this podcast, she was a gifted composer with a talent for melody.

- Ralph Graves
President, DCD Records

This program we feature the following:

Smythe: String Quartet No. 1, Op, 1

Smythe: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A minor, Op. 5

Smythe: "Chrysilla" from Four Songs for Mezzosoprano and Chamber Orchestra

Smythe: "Before the Squall" from Three Moods of the Sea

DCD 012 – Nighttime in Virginia, or “Say Hello to My Little Friend”

Usually there’s a very slender window of time open for me to record the DCD Classical ‘Cast. As I was setting levels, I heard a cricket singing loud and clear in the corner of the studio. I wasn’t able to track him down, and given the choice of delaying the recording for a couple of weeks or plunging ahead and hoping the mic wouldn’t pick up the sound, I chose the latter. While I didn’t really hear it on the headphones, Jimminy came through loud and clear on the final recording. I apologize, and can only hope that with the change in weather, this will be a one-time problem.

This program features works that range from solo piano pieces to full orchestral movements. We also share a few selections from our top-selling recording for August, 2006. Which release is it? You’ll have to listen – it’s not listed in the show notes below.

- Ralph Graves
President, DCD Records

This program we feature the following:
Gottschalk: “Souvenire de la Havane”
Crystonyx

Bliss: String Quartet No. 1 in B flat major, Mvt. 4 Vivace
Troubadisc

Rosner: “Motet,” from Five Meditations, Op. 36
Laurel Records

Three selections from the DCD Top of the Charts for August, 2006

DCD 011 - The Pro Arte Quartet

By lucky happenstance, our two newly added labels, the UW-Madison School of Music and Laurel Records have both recorded the Pro Arte Quartet. Both we'll feature in this episode of the "DCD Classical 'Cast."

In a way, it's not surprising. The quartet, founded in 1912, has a long and distinguished recording career. In the 1920's, for example, they were the first chamber ensemble to extensively record. The podcast alternates between their Laurel Records releases of the 1980's and their current output for UW-Madison.

The program has been languishing in the can for a while. We've had to switch servers, and were unable to upload either podcasts or image files until the transfer was complete. If you have any problems with any of our links, please let me know. I'll be testing everything personally, but its a growing site. Any help would be most appreciated. E-mail me at mailto:info@dcdrecords.com?subject=Podcast.

- Ralph Graves
President, DCD Records

This program, we play the following:
Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 2 in a minor, Op. 13 (mvt. 1)
UW-Madison

Rozka: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 38 (mvt. 2)
Laurel Records

Dvorak: String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 51 (Finale)
UW-Madison

Bloch: Two Pieces for String Quartet
Laurel Records