Recent posts

#21

Recordings & Broadcasts / Re: BBC Proms 2024 Season

Last post by semloh - Tuesday 30 April 2024, 10:56

.. and maybe worth mentioning Holst's The Cloud Messenger.

#22

Composers & Music / Re: Sir Andrew Davis dies 20th...

Last post by semloh - Tuesday 30 April 2024, 10:45

Much loved in Australia, of course, as Chief Conductor and subsequently Conductor Laureate of the Melbourne SO, and as a champion of Grainger (whom we claim as our own!). Sadly missed.

#23

Recordings & Broadcasts / Re: Czerny Concerto for Piano ...

Last post by semloh - Tuesday 30 April 2024, 09:30

I certainly share your enthusiasm, John. I have always found this work, like so much of Czerny's music, joyful and uplifting. I have the Koch-Swann version, with the Kölner Klavier Duo.

#24

Composers & Music / Re: Jakab Gyula Major Concert ...

Last post by semloh - Tuesday 30 April 2024, 09:24

I too trust your judgement, Gareth. I am sure many people would simply hear that Youtube piece and dismiss him. Clearly, that would be a mistake.

#25

Recordings & Broadcasts / Re: Vilma von Webenau Piano Qu...

Last post by semloh - Tuesday 30 April 2024, 09:13

Try this, Colin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCYXr58oFOQ

Oh yes, beautiful. Thanks, Alan. To my ear, hints of Verklärte Nacht!

#26

Composers & Music / Re: Josef Klička (1855-1937)

Last post by Simon - Tuesday 30 April 2024, 04:25

The bio written by Hoffmeister has been digitized by the National Library of the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, it's only in Czech. But for those who can understand it, I suppose it is one of the most comprehensive work on Klička and his music:

https://kramerius5.nkp.cz/view/uuid:0c2c7220-3287-11e3-a5bb-005056827e52?page=uuid:1e9a0f80-6bc1-11e3-af76-5ef3fc9ae867

#27

Composers & Music / Re: Eižens Buke / Evgeny Bukke...

Last post by Theodore S. - Tuesday 30 April 2024, 03:13

Hello everyone,

As suggested by the OP Christopher, I'd like to share a score of a piece by Eizens (Evgeny) Bukke, the Romance in C-sharp minor for violin and piano (kindly scanned for me by a friend in Riga). I'm not aware of any recordings of this piece, but reading through it, it's clearly a very lovely composition, I'm sure any violinist would be happy to perform it as a short concert piece - on that note, the score also includes the violin part. Interesting to note the Romance's premiere by the composer and Prince Georgy Dulov, it seems he helped publish the piece as well, judging by the front and back pages of the score, under the legend "Полный курс скрипичной игры: заключающий в себе упражнения, этюды и песны, расположенныя по степеням трудности и составленный из произведений знаменитых скрипачей и композиторов - Преподавателем Московской Консерватории кн. Г. ДУЛОВЫМ" (adapted to modern Russian Cyrillic from the Imperial spelling).

Anyway, here's hoping the piece will get a recording!

#28

Recordings & Broadcasts / Re: Reissiger Piano Trios 1 & ...

Last post by Alan Howe - Monday 29 April 2024, 20:50

Agreed. A fine composer of really attractive music.

#29

Composers & Music / Re: Manon Manon Manon – Torino...

Last post by Alan Howe - Monday 29 April 2024, 17:19

Mind you, who really knows Massenet's great opera these days? A much subtler score than Puccini's early belter. And what cast could we muster to do it justice? It's only had a handful of decent recordings, the last (and possibly best) back in 2000 with Gheorghiu and Alagna under Pappano. An opera once familiar and with a performing tradition is now cast adrift, virtually unknown except for a few highlights. But then, the performing traditions of much of 19th century opera, whether French, German, Italian or Russian (to name the main ones), have faded with the disappearance of singers trained in those traditions, leaving very few capable of mastering the roles involved. Yes, Bru Zane are doing a sterling job in the French repertoire, mostly with lesser-known works and excellent production values, but are there performances to match the great ones from the past? Historic recordings - and even ones from the days of LPs - suggest otherwise.

#30

Composers & Music / Re: Manon Manon Manon – Torino...

Last post by John Boyer - Monday 29 April 2024, 14:17

That is interesting programming. I am reminded of attending the 2007 Glimmerglass season, when they did four different Orpheuses: Monteverdi, Gluck, Offenbach, and Glass. Of course, none of these are unsung, but I'm glad that Torino managed to work one in.

But they missed an opportunity. Two years before the Orpheus season, Glimmerglass did Massenet's seldom performed Portrait of Manon, his one act sequel to the original. That would have been a good choice for the Manon alignment