Topics

Those of you who like the music of Alkan will, I hope, be pleased to note the soon-to-be-available fifth album in Mark Viner's ongoing series to record all the composer's piano works.

Listen to samples here.

Alkan is not now so unsung, but the works on this disk certainly are. To my knowledge this includes the first CD recording on piano of the rarely heard 11 pieces dans le style religieux, Op.72, which would be placed within the composer's more 'spiritual' offerings. I had previously only heard these works on the organ and it is fascinating to hear how the soundworld of each piece is so different depending on the instrument they are played on. Interestingly, for me, they work well on both instruments and it is only a pity that one cannot hear them on a pédalier (the few historical instruments don't do much for me, and the newer inventions, despite their clarity of sound, don't quite capture the sonorities required).

Added to this are a first recording of an Alkan étude - always a ravishing prospect - and a second-ever recording of another étude. Both pieces are like nothing else in the piano repertoire.

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These first recordings just added to the Toccata Classics pipeline page. A couple of these works are arrangements, but all are first recordings:

• Prelude and Fugue for string quartet, P182
• Prelude in E major for viola and piano, Op. 123
• Pièces lyriques for string quartet, Op. 139
• Romanze for viola and piano, P202
• Concertstück in C sharp minor for viola and piano, P166
• Concertstück in C sharp minor for viola and orchestra, P167

Moór's unrecorded music has been in Martin Anderson's sights for some time now, so hopefully we will hear more of the composer's music from this label.

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I don't normally watch Hurwitz's videos, but I did enjoy his brief take on this disk of superb music by Antoine Reicha. As a taster for the album, it worked on me!

Review: Ivan Ilić Dazzles in Reicha's "The Art of Variation"

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Prompted by Eric's post in the 'Unsung Concerts 2022' board, members may like to know that Price's Piano Concerto in One Movement is to be released in April on the Avie label, with Michelle Cann at the piano. The disk also features a second release within six months of this composer's Ethiopia's Shadow in America, as well as works by Valerie Coleman and Jessie Montgomery.

Details.

[Thomas de Hartmann]

With thanks to Mark Thomas for giving me the go-ahead to post on this, forthcoming in February from Toccata Classics is a disk of Romantic-rooted music from the pen of the fascinating Ukraine-born composer Thomas de Hartmann (1885–1956), which should be more widely known.

I was originally going to post this in the recent Ukrainian Music thread, but I think the composer warrants his own topic. From what I have heard (and read with great interest) the music will appeal to many here. The description of his music on the website may alert some, but do give it a listen: "downstream from Tchaikovsky, contemporary with Rachmaninov, and alert to the discoveries of Stravinsky and Prokofiev."

Thomas de Hartmann: Orchestral Music

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At the risk of being inappropriate, and in the search of an easier life(!), I am asking if anyone has immediate or ready access to the first edition of volume 7 of the above encyclopedia?

If so, could you PM me?

Many thanks!

I am trying to make contact with anyone from the Alphonse Leduc music publishers who might know anything about their archives.

Unfortunately as both Hamelle and Leduc were bought over by 'Wise Music Publishing' – which on the face of it seems to have decidedly taken the personal touch out of things – I can find no trace of contact details for anyone who may have worked at Leduc. Wise are not answering my emails either.

It's a long shot, but does anyone here have any leads?

Many thanks!
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With apologies for the surname spelling above (I'm using my outdated phone to post this), here is a forthcoming disk from Piano Classics:
https://www.piano-classics.com/articles/p/peja%C4%8Devi%C4%87-piano-music/

Nothing new since the Complete Piano Works recording from CPO of a few years ago, but an alternative at least should anyone prefer to simply sample the composer's piano music.

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Naxos look to be bringing us a series of recordings of Vierne's piano works with pianist Sergio Monteiro. No other detail on the Presto page, but anyone who knows this music will hopefully welcome this news.

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Anyone who loves the piano concerto by Reynaldo Hahn may like to hear a new recording of the work is on the way from Warner Classics.

With Shani Diluka (piano) and the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris under Hervé Niquet.

Details here.

Wikipedia article on the composer here.

Composer mainly of piano pieces and transcriptions, Sieveking (I discovered a couple of years ago) also wrote a piano concerto, the manuscript of which can be found here at Gallica.

Others more qualified than I can attest to the quality or otherwise of the music.

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The first recording of Andrée's Violin Sonata in B-flat Major is forthcoming from Toccata Next, joining several other recordings of her chamber music from other labels. Perhaps of interest to Martin Eastick and a few others?

jpc.de link.

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Wonderful music in a fabulous-sounding recording, forthcoming from Patrick Hemmerlé:

Maurice Emmanuel: The Six Piano Sonatinas

Forthcoming from the Heritage label, including the first recording(?) of Parry's Shulbrede Tunes:

Hubert Parry: Piano Music.

One pianist I've always admired is the ever enterprising Marie-Catherine Girod, who brings us a cornucopia of works by various female composers from the 18th century onwards. Some of them may fall out of this forum's remit, but most will not. I'm sure there will be much to enjoy here.

Regards de Femmes.

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According to previous topics/posts on the forum, these works have been recorded a few times before, but this time it's with a period orchestra. Perhaps this then lends this particular recording an opportunity for attention.

Erato label, for release in the UK on 9 July according to Presto Music – Louise Farrenc / Symphonies 1 & 3.

For those who may be interested...

Forthcoming from Piano Classics (a brand of Brilliant Classics): https://www.piano-classics.com/articles/c/czerny-der-pianist-im-klassischen-style-op856-48-preludes-fugues/

Only the second complete recording.

Whilst reading this very interesting article in Interlude, I was delighted to come across Paul's mention of plans for a recording of Henselt and Bronsart PCs (he also mentions a Beethoven/Liszt – Mozart/Alkan disk).

Although these are just in the planning stages, on the strength of his previous two releases both disks will certainly be on my want list.

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[Birth of the Etude]

'Birth of the Etude' – forthcoming from Toccata Next: https://toccataclassics.com/product/birth-of-the-etude/

The music on this disk falls into the earliest phases of the Romantic-era as defined in this forum. Nevertheless I feel it's an important release and includes some first recordings. I'm particularly looking forward to hearing the Berger pieces.

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Forthcoming from Acte Prealable - and certainly a welcome rarity, for me at least: https://acteprealable.com/produkt/ap0496/