SAMUEL BARBER: His Life and Legacy

Walter Simmons on December 3, 2023

By Howard Pollack SAMUEL BARBER: His Life and Legacy. By Howard Pollack. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2023. 686 pp. Hardcover. $59.95 It has been more than 40 years since the death of Samuel Barber; 13 years have passed …

THE WAR ON MUSIC: Reclaiming the Twentieth Century

Walter Simmons on November 18, 2022

By John Mauceri. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2022. 232 pp. When a book appears that purports to deal with the mid-20th-century estrangement of classical music audiences from the fruits of their own time, which has largely continued since …

MUCZYNSKI Piano Sonatas

Walter Simmons on February 25, 2020

MUCZYNSKI Piano Sonatas: Nos. 1-3 ● Zachary Lopes (pn) ● ALBANY TROY1771 (42:44) This is a most welcome recording of Robert Muczynski’s three compelling piano sonatas—the first to appear since Laurel released its two-CD set of the composer’s own performances …

VINCENT PERSICHETTI: Grazioso, Grit, and Gold

Walter Simmons on March 3, 2019

VINCENT PERSICHETTI: Grazioso, Grit, and Gold. by Andrea Olmstead. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. 493 pp. Cloth. $110 The third quarter of the 20th century was an enormously fruitful period in American classical music, which saw the appearance of …

Interview with Robert. R. Reilly

wswebmaster on December 2, 2018

Robert R. Reilly has pursued a most unusual career. He was the music critic for Crisis magazine for 16 years, and continues to review concerts and operas for Ionarts, an arts blog that covers the Washington DC area and elsewhere. He has also …

KABELAC: Symphonies Nos. 1-8

wswebmaster on December 2, 2018

KABELÁČ  Symphonies Nos. 1-8 —  Marko Ivanović, cond; Prague RSO  —  SUPRAPHON SU 4202-2 (4 CDs: 3:58:23) Miloslav Kabeláč (1908-1979) is generally recognized within the Czech Republic as their most important composer from the generation following Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959). However, his reputation seems barely to …

GIANNINI: The Medead and songs by other composers

wswebmaster on December 2, 2018

GIANNINI: The Medead ● Irene Jordan (sop); Henry Sopkin, cond; Atlanta SO (World  Premiere: 10/60); Paul Paray, cond; Detroit SO (1/4/62); songs by other composers ● JORDAN YSL T-343 (mono, analog); 2 CDs: 118:01 (Available from www.norpete.com) I am grateful to Joel Flegler for permitting me, as …

PISTON Symphonies: No. 5; No. 7; No. 8.

wswebmaster on December 2, 2018

PISTON Symphonies: No. 5; No. 7; No. 8. • Robert Whitney, Jorge Mester, conductor; Louisville Orchestra. • ALBANY AR011 [AAD]; 65:50. Produced by Howard Scott and Andrew Kazdin. For those who missed them during their days as Louisville LPs, this CD …

Picks of the Year: 2013

wswebmaster on December 2, 2018

During the past year there were three recordings that met my criteria for Want List inclusion: a) little-known music of the past hundred years, b) in impeccable performances, and c) represented via the finest audio technology. The last criterion is …