2011 Archives

Franz Vincenz Krommer
(1759-1831)

String Quartet in D Major, Op. 18 #1
String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18 #2
String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 18 #3

Quartetto dì Milano
Tudor Musique oblige 7083 77:26

In his chamber music, Krommer followed the style of Franz Josph Haydn and Wolfgang Mozart, and yet his modes of expression extend from the galant style of the earlier 18^th century to Romanticism. These relatively early quartets, published in 1800, show Krommer at the height of his Classicism. In all, Krommer wrote more than 75 string quartets, of which these are numbers 22 through 24.

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[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus ]

Jennifer Higdon
(b. 1962)

Concerto for Orchestra (2002)
City Scape (2002)

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Robert Spano
Telarc CD-80620 66:17

Some may read the dates of composition and bypass this CD, expecting difficult music. It's not. The concerto is in five movements, as is Béla Bartók's, and there are echoes of that work in Higdon's first movement. The music has great power, is inescapably American and is, for me, an important release. Likewise City Scape, a commission by the Atlanta symphony, which portrays aspects of that city, especially effectively in the long second movement. The fine recording, also available as an SACD, shows the music in the very best light.

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[ Also available on Multichannel Hybrid SACD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe - JPC ]

Václav Pichl
(1741-1805)

Symphony in B Flat Major, Z23
Symphony in E Flat Major, Z24
Symphony in G Major, Z22
Symphony in C Major, Z21
Symphony in D Major "Diana", Z16

London Mozart Players/Matthias Bamert
Chandos CHAN9740 68:07

There is some confusion about the symphonies of the prolific Czech composer Václav (aka Wenzel) Pichl, in that some of his work may have been attributed to others, and the work of others attributed to him. A catalogue by Anita Zakin lists 39 symphonies, although other references credit him with many more. The symphonies on this CD are thought to have been written around 1769-70.

Pichl's career took him to Hungary, a twenty-year stint as Kapellmeister to Archduke Ferdinand in Lombardy, and finally to Vienna. With the exception of the last symphony which includes a minuet, all those recorded here are in three movements. This is another in Chandos's Contemporaries of Mozart series. Naxos 8.557761 contains four of his named symphonies, including the Diana Symphony.

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[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Leopold Jan Antonín Koželuch
(1747-1818)

Piano Concerto #1 in F Major, Op. 12 (P IV:1)
Piano Concerto #4 in A Major, Op. 16 (P IV:4)
Piano Concerto #5 in E Flat Major, Op. 15 (P IV:5)

Tomas Dratva, piano
Slovak Sinfonietta Žilina/Oliver von Dohnányi
Oehms OC588 79:56

The Bohemian composer Koželuch was Wolfgang Mozart's successor as chamber music composer to the Austrian Emperor, and thus contributed to the flourishing of Viennese Classicism. As evidenced by these three lovely works, his 22 piano concertos are full of elegance and refinement, characteristics that helped make his music popular throughout Europe.

[ Available on CD: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic - CD Universe - JPC ]

[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]