Orion Weiss opens Preview! this week with a spirited performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Piano Concerto in C sharp minor. He is accompanied by The Orchestra Now conducted by Leon Botstein.
We’ve aired a few tracks from Ian Hobson’s Moritz Moszkowski Piano Works recordings. This evening Ian plays Moszkowski’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 accompanied by the Sinfonia Varsovia. As I listened to the piece, I had a sense of déjà entendu. The writing is pretty, and light, just like the sort of music Eric Coates writes. Not very deep but very listenable.
Gothic Records released a recording in 2020 entitled For All the Saints/Anthems, Hymns and Motets which features the choir of All Saints Church, Beverley Hills, California. Their music director is a very distinguished composer and organist by the name of Craig Phillips. We’ll hear the choir sing Dr. Phillips’ setting of the Agnus Dei (O Lamb of God) text.
From the pen of French romantic composer, Camille Saint-Saëns comes an Oboe Sonata. Francois Leleux, oboe and Emmanuel Strosser, piano perform. The CD is entitled Bienvenue en France on the Warner Classic label.
“…there is probably no more inspirational musician working today…” Gramophone
Violinist Rachel Podger
Photo ⓒ Jonas Sacks
Rachel Podger is one of the musical world’s leading early music specialists. I was most fortunate to catch up with her a couple of weeks ago when she came across the pond to do some workshops and seminars at The Julliard School. We will listen to her premiere recording of a 1784 sonata fragment by Mozart, completed by British musician and educator Timothy Jones.
Canadian violinist Angele Dubeau plays Planet Ocean Suite by French composer Armand Amar. He composed the piece for the 2012 documentary Planet Ocean.
Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his Op. 59 String Quartets on a commission from the Russian Ambassador in Vienne, Prince Razumovsky. Building on the foundation laid by Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven takes the string quartet to a whole new level. The Julliard String Quartet is more than a match for the challenges in String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2.
Lithuanian conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla recently signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. She conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Sir William Walton’s Troilus and Cressida, Symphonic Suite. The CD on the DG label is entitled Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla: The British Project/Walton: Troylus 2021 and Cressida.
I interviewed American pianist Andrew von Oyen last week about his wonderful new recording of Bach and Beethoven. When you listen to him play Bach’s Overture in the French Style this evening, listen for his exquisite cantando technique. Andrew knows how to make the piano sing.
Rob Kennedy
June 13, 2021