wswebmaster – Page 15 – Walter Simmons

FERGUSON Piano Sonata in F minor. Discovery. Five Bagatelles. Partita for Two Pianos

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

FERGUSON Piano Sonata in F minor. Discovery. Five Bagatelles. Partita for Two Pianos – Raphael Terroni, Vadim Peaceman (pns); Phillida Bannister (contralto) – NAXOS 8.572289 (60:11) Howard Ferguson (1908-1999) was an English composer and musicologist, born in Ireland. Though he lived a long life, his …

COPLAND Dance Symphony. Symphony No. 1. Symphony No. 2, “Short Symphony”

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

COPLAND Dance Symphony. Symphony No. 1. Symphony No. 2, “Short Symphony” – Marin Alsop, cond; Bournemouth SO – NAXOS 8.559359 (58:40) Aaron Copland is not usually thought of as belonging to the “American symphonic school,” usually associated with William Schuman, Walter Piston, Peter Mennin …

Interview with Lilia Boyadjieva

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

The piano artistry of Lilia Boyadjieva was first brought to my attention back in 1997 by a Greek friend, who urged me to hear a newly-released recording of the complete piano music of Samuel Barber featuring a Bulgarian pianist of …

BLOCH Two Psalms. Three Jewish Poems. Baal Shem Suite. Suite Hébraïque

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

BLOCH Two Psalms.Three Jewish Poems. Baal Shem Suite. Suite Hébraïque – Steven Sloane, cond; German SO, Berlin; Christiane Oelze (sop); Antje Weithaas (vn); Tabea Zimmermann (va) – CAPRICCIO 5001 (65:55) This is a perfectly adequate recording of four of Ernest Bloch’s lesser Jewish-oriented works. …

BLOCH Baal Shem. BERNSTEIN Serenade. BARBER Violin Concerto

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

BLOCH Baal Shem. BERNSTEIN Serenade. BARBER Violin Concerto – Vadim Gluzman (vn); John Neschling, cond; São Paulo SO – BIS SACD-1662 (70:31) I have reviewed several previous recordings featuring the artistry of Ukrainian-Israeli-American Vadim Gluzman, and have found the playing of this violinist, now in his …

BAKSA Sonata for Flute and Guitar.. Sonata da Camera. Journeys.. Sonata da Giardino.. Celestials

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

BAKSA Sonata for Flute and Guitar.. Sonata da Camera. Journeys.. Sonata da Giardino.. Celestials – Annette Heim (fl); Bret Heim (gtr); Christine Bock (va) – MSR CLASSICS (63:32) Now in his early 70s, New York City-native Robert Baksa has been following his own muse for many years. …

HOIBY The Tempest (2 CDs). A Pocket of Time (21 Songs and a Duet). Songs of Lee Hoiby

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

HOIBY The Tempest • Robert Balonek (Prospero); Molly Davey (Ariel), Catherine Webber (Miranda), Joshua Benevento (Caliban), Anthony Caputo (Ferdinand) et al. soloists; Hugh Murphy, cond; Purchase Opera and SO • ALBANY TROY-1106/1107 (2 CDs: 147:01) HOIBY A Pocket of Time (21 Songs and a Duet) • Julia …

Picks of the Year: 2009

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

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.

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

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 …

“THE GREAT AMERICAN SYMPHONY: Music, the Depression, and War” By Nicholas Tawa

wswebmaster on November 26, 2018

BOOK REVIEW THE GREAT AMERICAN SYMPHONY: Music, the Depression, and War. By Nicholas Tawa. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2009. 237pp. $24.95. Nicholas Tawa is a veteran musicologist—one of the founders of the Society for American Music (formerly known as …