Topics

Might anyone here know of an expert on French music publishers? My query is more specifically about those active in the latter half of the 19th century.

Many thanks.

I'm hoping someone here will know who may be an expert on Lalo. My question to them isn't explicitly to do with this composer but Lalo could have a direct connection.

Many thanks.

[MORITZ MOSZKOWSKI: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC, VOLUME FOUR]

Referring back to this topic thread, several members will be pleased to learn of this work's forthcoming release - the feature item on Volume Four of Toccata Classics's ongoing 'Orchestral Works' series.

MORITZ MOSZKOWSKI: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC, VOLUME FOUR
Symphony in D minor (1873)
Laurin: four episodes from the ballet

Sinfonia Varsovia
Ian Hobson

First recordings

Best wishes to all.
4c

Does anyone have a direct contact at Chandos - ideally but not essentially in the artist/repertoire management side?

The contact form on their website is not working. I prefer not to phone in general.

Thanks
4c

[LISTEN HERE - Kreutzer - Flute Quartet in D Major]

Delighted to say I've found an audio version of the above work, which, on the basis of hearing it through fully for the first time, absolutely deserves to be performed and recorded commercially.

This work was praised by Berlioz and critics of the time for its sense of fantasy and ingenuity. With quite clear hints as to the influence of Beethoven (at least to my ears), this could be one of the strongest works of his I've heard. In parts there is even an orchestral feel to it, which is an effect I often sense with Kreutzer's chamber works that I've heard.

• Mvt 1 - Amoroso: Very straightforward, simple even, and should be playable by any good amateur group.
• Mvt 2 - Scherzo. Vivace: More ambitious in scale - quite rigidly constructed and worked out, but with a good sense of forward movement and even drama. Strangely, this movement is given the title 'Scherzo', but I feel this title should be reserved for the following movement...
• Mvt 3 - Fantasia: Particularly delightful - including some piquant turns of harmony and rather delicious effects, giving the overall work a bit of an impish, fantastic turn.
• Mvt 4 - Finale: The longest movement and a little four-square, but never dull, and including a brief but sweet segué at the end given over to piccolos.

LISTEN HERE - Kreutzer - Flute Quartet in D Major (Click on the 'Audio' tab)

Best wishes to all.

4c

I was delighted to discover a recent LIVE performance of this, one of my favourite concertos, on YouTube, thanks to Bard College / The Orchestra Now / Leon Botstein.

Whilst not the most unknown composer or piece, the concerto is very rarely programmed and it is so nice to finally SEE a performance of the piece, and in such high quality a broadcast too.

Although not a groundbreaking rendition - it is all a little slow and lacking some fire and drive for my taste - the soloist and ensemble receive my applause for this brave piece of programming. I appreciate the piano's closer mic'ing too, allowing one to hear all those notes, textures and harmonies more clearly.

4c

Members have already noted delays in processing physical CD deliveries at Presto Music. Perhaps you have heard back directly, but I thought I would note here that they have come back to me with the following:

The purchasing team there are:

"working through a big backlog of deliveries and therefore [there] are going to be catalogue holes in unpredictable places until that's finished. They are currently checking how far through we are and will hopefully provide you with an answer soon."

4c

For me, a welcome release from Da Vinci Classics, including works by minor composers Singelée, Savari, Sellenick, Cressonnois, Mohr, Mayeur and my beloved Léon Kreutzer (I am delighted to say). Most are first recordings, I believe, and fill a gap in the recorded repertoire for the instrument.

Not completely convinced about the balance of the disk in terms of music quality, but I'm certainly not going to quibble.

Here are uncomplicated, well-crafted pieces, mostly typical music for the era. Harmonically and structurally I'd say Kreutzer's piece (which I recently discovered is a transcription of a string quartet movement) is the most adventurous and individual, but there are lovely moments in all the works presented here, which are by clearly very competent composers.

The Quartetto Cherubini have a fine tone  and good sense of balance and are warmly recorded.

Not yet available on CD in UK / at Presto, but you can find more information here.

And indeed you can now stream the release via Spotify and YouTube.

Dear all

This is an extremely long shot, but I have been trying to create an account on this website - https://forum.ahnenforschung.net/ - specifically to contact one of its members about a composer.

For whatever reason I am not able to register.

Does anyone have access to this so that I may try and further my research (which is in its relative infancy)?

Many thanks
4c

This piece has been mentioned before in the only other Jentsch thread on UC, but a newly prepared midi has been added to YouTube of the above work, which I think does much greater service to the music (and is easier on the ears!) than the previously available midi from Musescore.

Although the midi is no product of the level of Note Performer or Sibelius, it isn't bad at all. The two downsides I noticed initially are the lack of real dynamic variation, and a slightly annoying 'slide' between notes that's noticeable particularly in the first violin. The software's limitations are quite marked in the Finale, unfortunately, which is perhaps the strongest movement.

Looking past these though, I think we now have reason to reassess this work (and this composer in general, which I am trying in my own way to promote). Although slightly long-winded, partially to do with the chosen midi tempi, I think it's a fine piece and is certainly worth recording in my opinion.

Members can make up their own minds.

With a score prepared by Merton Music, available at IMSLP, you can listen here:

4c

Including Elgar's Études Caractéristiques, Tovey's Sonata Eroica, and a first recording of selections from Albert Sammons' etudes.

Eroica - Tovey, Sammons, Elgar

Forthcoming from Etcetera, a potentially interesting release including music by Peter Benoit, Charles Louis Hanssens, Philippe Vanden Berghe, and Jean Vanderheyden - mostly first recordings. I'm only familiar with Benoit.

Au Clair de La Lune - Flemish Romantic Piano Music

I don't see any recent references to Hahn's piano music on UC, so hopefully this will be welcome news to many. For release in the New Year:

Reynaldo Hahn, Complete Piano Music, Piano Classics

Forthcoming from Grand Piano - includes first recordings.

Forthcoming from Grand Piano.

Vol.1: Etudes, includes world premiere recordings.

Forthcoming from Acte Prealable

The Brazilian pianist Artur Cimirro is asking for help to purchase a new piano, in order to continue his valuable recordings for Acte Préalable.

Find out more here: https://www.catarse.me/PianoForCimirro

Delighted to discover yesterday that Toccata Classics is embarking on a survey of Henry Litolff's piano music, with Tingyue Jiang at the keys, all in first recordings:

• 6 Opuscules, Op. 25
• 6 Arabesken, Op. 65
• Invitation à la Polka, Op. 31
• Scherzo, Op. 115
• Valse élégante, Op. 107
• Une fleur du bal, Op. 77
• La Mazurka, Op. 109

Yes this programme seems salon heavy, but here is a composer whose output in general (other than the famous piano concerto movement) has been sorely overlooked, so I will be interested to hear the musical results.

4c

Hello.

I cannot find a decipherable OCR recognition of this article online, so could anyone with a good grasp of C19th printed typeface in German help me out? It's an article by August Stradal on the compositions of Max Jentsch (and others), which seems enlightening from the little I can understand.

Max Jentsch und die Claviermusik nach Liszt

I can be patient!

Many thanks
4c

Rarely heard works by Ryelandt, Soulage, Foote and Bantock on this recording from MSR Classics, 'available' from 5 August:

1919 Viola Sonatas - Hidden Treasures from an Epoch Year