DCD 028 - A Midsummer's Mozart

It's the middle of summer, and I'm taking it a little easy. This podcast its just music by Mozart, as performed by three different artists on three different labels. Great summer listening, enjoy!

- Ralph

This program we play:

Mozart: Sonata in F major for piano four hands, K.497 (mvt. 1)
Howard and Francis Karp, piano
University of Wisconsin at Madison School of Music

Mozart: Sonata in C major, K. 46E (mvt. 2)
Gary Levinson, violin
Zeus Entertainment

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat major, K. 456 (mvt. 3)
Svlatislav Richter, piano; Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra; Rudolph Barshai, conductor

DCD 027 - Biggs, Beethoven and the Barber

I didn't plan this podcast episode to be alliterative -- it just worked out that way.

We continue our survey of the Monument Records catalog of unusual Beethoven repertoire, this time presenting a previously unrecorded string quartet. The "Brilliant" quartet (named for Beethoven scholar Ira F. Brilliant) was discovered in the notebooks for the "Eroica" symphony. The first movement was almost complete, and so with very little editing, a performance edition was created. As with other selections I've featured from Monument, it presents a fascinating glimpse of what might have been.

We recently added Consort Press to our list of labels, and from them we include an excerpt from a mass by from American composer and conductor John Biggs.

And we start with a performance of the opening sinfonia to Rossini's "Barber of Saville," as performed by the Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese, an occarina ensemble with a history that stretches back to the late 19th century.

- Ralph

Rossini: a"il Barbiere di Siviglia" Sinfonia
Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese
Callisto Records

Beethoven: The "Brilliant" String Quartet in A major, Biamonti 382
Covington String Quartet
Monument Records


Biggs: Mass for Our Time (final movement)
Consort Chorale and Chamber Players
Consort Press

DCD 026 - Some American Classics

Notice the title says "some" American Classics. We begin this episode with another installment of our Monument Records survey. In addition to releasing under-recorded works by Beethoven, Monument's also concerned about other works from the classical era that deserve more attention. In this podcast we present a selection from their CD "Masters of the Classical Keyboard."

The other two works on the show are American, and thus the title. Daron Hagen composed his "Concerto for Brass Quintet" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Music. As an alumni of the school, I'm sure it was a commission he was happy to fill.

Our final work comes from Sheila Silver. We were able to obtain some now out-of-print recordings of her earlier work, and will offer them as long as our stock lasts. Supplies are limited! We close the program with the final movement of her chamber work "To The Spirit Unconquered."

- Ralph

Neefe: Sonata XI in D major
Stephen Beck, piano
Monument Records

Hagen: Concerto for Brass Quintet
Wisconsin Brass Quintet
University of Wisconsin Madison School of Music

Silver: To the Spirit Unconquered
Guild Trio
CRI