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Do you write about classical music? Are you a blogger? Want to team up with Classical Connect? Send us a message, let's talk!
January 4, 2010
This week is especially rich in birthdays. Five talented composers were born between January 3 and January 9: Giovanni Pergolesi, Nikolai Medtner, Max Bruch, Alexander Scriabin and Francis Poulenc. We could play the music of these composers for many hours, but we have to be reasonable. So here is this week's playlist: we'll start with Medtner's Canzona serenata, from Forgotten Motives Op. 38, played by the Russian pianist Dmitry Paperno. Medtner is not particularly popular these days, but together with Scriabin and Rachmaninov, he was one of the most important Russian composers of the early 20th century. Then we'll hear two etudes by Scriabin: Etude in c-sharp minor, Op. 2, No. 1, played by the pianist Soyeon Lee; and Etude in c-sharp minor, Op. 42 No. 5, in Daniil Trifonov's interpretation. After these three Romantic pieces, we'll hear a very different performance: Poulenc's Sonata for Clarinet and Piano played by Alexander Fiterstein. To listen, click here.
December 28, 2009. From recent uploads.
The New York-based pianist and composer Jeffrey Biegel uploaded a number of performances, including three piano concertos: the Tchaikovsky First, Rachmaninov Third, and Prokofiev Third. Just as a sample, we included Franz Liszt's Sonetto del Petrarca no. 104 in E Major in the playlist. There's much more in the library, so please browse. The pianist Beth Levin uploaded a major piece: Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, Op. 120, his last large-scale piano composition. (Don't miss Ms. Levin's very interesting liner notes to the Diabelli, which are on the Details page). Lasting about 60 minutes, the Diabelli requires a separate hearing, but Ms. Levin also uploaded an encore, Mozart's Fantasy no. 3 in d minor, which we also included in the playlist. And to conclude, from a recent concert by the flutist Jessica Warren-Acosta, Henri Dutilleux's Sonatine. To listen, click here.
December 21, 2009. Season's greetings!
We wish all our listeners and all the talented musicians who contribute their music to our site a joyous holiday season! In this spirit, we present three pieces. First, The National_Collegiate_Chorale_of_Scotland sings O Magnum Mysterium by the American composer Morten Lauridsen. Then the pianist Minju Choi plays Regard de première communion de la Vierge, from Vingt Regard sur l'Enfant Jésus by Olivier Messiaen. And we'll finish with the wonderful kids of Brighton School Chamber Choir singing Benjamin Britten's Wolcum Yule. Happy Holidays – and click here to listen!
December 14, 2009
This week the whole music world commemorates Ludwig van Beethoven's birthday. Beethoven was baptized in Bonn, Germany, on December 17, 1770, so traditionally his birthday is celebrated on December 16. It is our pleasure to join these celebrations. We'll begin with the Piano Sonata No. 21 ("Waldstein"), played by Michael Mizrahi. Then Christina Castelli and Grant Moffett perform Sonata No. 9 ("Kreutzer") for piano and violin. Following that, Atlantic Piano Trio plays Trio Op. 11 for piano, violin and cello. We conclude with the finale (Allegro) of Symphony No. 5, with Pascal Verrot leading The Texas Festival Orchestra. These are just a few of our selections; we have much more Beethoven music in our library. To listen, click here.
December 7, 2009. From recent uploads
This week we feature three performances that were recently added to our library. First we'll hear Maurice Ravel's Tzigane. It is performed by the violinist Dmitri Berlinsky, who is accompanied by the pianist Elena Baksht. Then the flutist Kristin Paxinos plays Sonatine by the French composer Pierre Sancan. Sancan died just a year ago but the style of this piece, written in 1946, harkens back to Ravel's time. And lastly, Irina Kotlyar - Gregory Shifrin Piano Duo plays Schubert's masterpiece, his Fantasia in F Minor, D. 940. To listen, click here.
November 30, 2009. Four Ballades
In the music world, the word Ballade usually brings either Chopin or Brahms to mind. Both of them wrote magnificent pieces for piano under that title (we'll hear two of them), but of course many other composers wrote ballades as well. We'll hear one of Eugène Ysaÿe's Sonatas for solo violin, which he called "Ballade," and also a piece by the Swiss composer Frank Martin by the same name, this one written for flute. So, first we'll hear Hayk Arsenyan playing Choipin's Ballade No. 2 in F Major, then the young French violinist Fanny Clamagirand in the Ysaÿe. The fultist Katherine DeJongh will follow with the Frank (she's accompanied by Yoko Yamada-Selvaggio). We'll finish with Sevgi Giles playing Brahms' Ballade No. 2 in D Major, Op.10. To listen, click here.