ZAIMONT Music for Piano Solo (3 CD’s)

ZAIMONT Art Fire Soul  ● Elizabeth Moak (pn) ● MSR Classics 1366 (2 CDs: 79:57; 75:39)Sonata. Calendar Collection: Spring, Summer, Autumn. Jupiter’s Moons. Wizards: Three Magic Masters. Nocturne: La Fin de Siècle. A Calendar Set. Cortège for Jack. Jazz Waltz. American City: Portrait of …

Picks of the Year: 2011

Of the new releases that came my way this past year there were two that met my criteria of rare but extraordinarily fine repertoire in excellent performances. One was the long-awaited first recording of the late (1926-2011) Lee Hoiby’s deeply …

SCHUMAN On Freedom’s Ground. A Free Song. Prelude. American Festival Overture. SOWERBY Canticle of the Sun. COPLAND Appalachian Spring.

SCHUMAN On Freedom’s Ground. A Free Song. Prelude. American Festival Overture ● Ian Hobson,Fred Stoltzfus, conds; University of Illinois Chorale and Oratorio Society, Sinfonia da Camera; Ricardo Herrera (bar); Ingrid Kammin (sop) ● ALBANY TROY1280 (71:33) SCHUMAN A Free Song. SOWERBY Canticle of the Sun. COPLAND Appalachian Spring ●Carlos Kalmar, …

HOIBY Summer and Smoke

HOIBY Summer and Smoke ● Steven Osgood, cond; Anne Viemeister (Alma Winemiller); Nickoli Strommer (John Buchanan) et al.; Manhattan School of Music Opera Theatre ● ALBANY TROY1272/73 (2 CDs: 2:02) Lee Hoiby died on March 28, 2011, shortly after celebrating his 85th birthday. …

Picks of the Year: 2009

This year, with only a bit of stretching, I was able to find four CDs that met my criteria of “neglected masterpieces,” rendered in brilliant performances. John Corigliano is not a particular favorite of mine, but he is unquestionably a …

TOUCH: The Toccata Project: Works by PERSICHETTI. MENOTTI . HOIBY. DIEMER. HARRIS. ANTHEIL. ROREM. I. FINE. SOWERBY. L. LIEBERMANN. LEES. M. L. LEHMAN. MUCZYNSKI. R. LEWENTHAL. RIEGGER. BASTIEN.

TOUCH: The Toccata Project PERSICHETTI Three Toccatinas. MENOTTI Ricercare and Toccata. HOIBY Toccata. DIEMER Serenade/Toccata. HARRIS Toccata. ANTHEIL Toccatas Nos. 1 and 2. ROREM Toccata. I. FINE Little Toccata. SOWERBY Toccata. L. LIEBERMANN Toccata. LEES Toccata. M. L. LEHMAN Toccatina. MUCZYNSKI Toccata. R. LEWENTHAL Toccata alla Scarlatti. RIEGGER Toccata. BASTIEN Toccata. Philip Amalong (pn) •ALBANY TROY1142 (57:00) An hour of …

PASATIERI: Before Breakfast. Lady Macbeth

PASATIERI: Before Breakfast. Lady Macbeth • Lauren Flanigan (sop); Joseph Illick, cond; (pn); Voices of Change Chamber Ens • ALBANY TROY 1083 (54:00) Recent releases suggest that Albany Records has embarked on a project to release the operas of Thomas Pasatieri, not that this …

MORAVEC: Chamber Symphony. Cool Fire. Autumn Song. Morph. THEOFANIDIS: Visions and Miracles. L. BIELAWA: The Trojan Women. GATONSKA: Transformation of the Hummingbird. (2 CD’s)

MORAVEC Chamber Symphony. Cool Fire. Autumn Song • Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival • NAXOS 8.559393 (45:30) MORAVEC Morph. THEOFANIDIS Visions and Miracles. L. BIELAWA The Trojan Women. GATONSKA Transformation of the Hummingbird •String Orchestra of New York City • ALBANY TROY941 (59:18) Now in his early 50s, …