~Program~
William Grant Still: African Dancer from Suite for Violin and Piano
Randall Goosby, violin; Zhu Wang, piano
Randall Goosby is a student and protegé of Itzhak Perlman. On his debut CD, “Roots” he explores music written by black composers or inspired by black culture.
Frédéric Chopin: Variations on “La ci darem la mano,” Op. 2
The Orchestra Now, Leon Botstein
Orion Weiss, piano
Based on an aria from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, this set of variations dates from 1827 when Chopin was seventeen years old.
Gene Scheer, arr. by Lee Musiker: American Anthem
Carrie Jacobs-Bond, arr. by Irina Beach and Steve White: A Perfect Day
Lucas Meacham, baritone; Irina Meacham, piano
Gene Scheer is an American songwriter and librettist born in 1958 in New York City. A Perfect Day was written in 1910 by Carrie Jacobs-Bond, an American singer, pianist, and writer of popular songs. American baritone Lucas Meacham was born in Carthage, NC, in 1978. His wife, pianist Irina Meacham, is an opera coach. The Meachems recorded on the Rubicon label.
Sir Granville Bantock: Scenes from the Scottish Highlands (Suite for Strings)
Southwest German Chamber Orchestra, Douglas Bostock
English composer Sir Granville Bantock (1868-1946) helped found the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
J.S. Bach: Fantasia on Komm heiliger Geist, BWV 651
Jeremy Thompson, organ
1995 Casavant Freres organ at First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville, Virginia
Canadian organist Dr. Jeremy Thompson hails from Dipper Harbour, New Brunswick. He is Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Thompson made this recording to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Casavant organ in First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Rob Kennedy speaks with pianist Eugene Albulesco about his recording of the Beethoven concertos.
Ludwig van Beethoven: Finale (Rondo) from Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, Op. 15
Orchestra of Friends, Eugene Albulescu
Eugene Albulescu, piano
Romanian-born pianist Eugene Abulescu is an Associate Professor in Music at Lehigh University and holder of the Ronald J. Ulrich Endowed Chair in Orchestral Studies.
Max Bruch: Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 5
Nash Ensemble
England’s Nash Ensemble has released some lesser-known works by Max Bruch (1838-1920) on the Hyperion label.
Sergei Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 19
Radio France Philharmonic, Mikko Franck
Hilary Hahn, violin
In an interview with The Strad, Hilary Hahn observes: “To me, the Prokofiev Concerto has always been a Parisian piece, not least because it came into being in Paris, and is such an example of intercultural artistic expression.”
Niels Gade: Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 21
Maria -Elisabeth Lott, violin; Sontraud Speidel, piano
Danish composer Niels Gade (1817-1890) wrote his Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor in 1849. He dedicated it to Robert Schumann. You’ll hear bits of Schumann’s songs in this Sonata.
Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Arthur Fagen
Tedd Joselson, piano
James Keller writing in program notes for the New York Philharmonic states: “In a 1903 article in The Century magazine, Grieg wrote of that concerto: “Inspired from beginning to end, it stands unparalleled in music literature and astonishes us as much by its originality as by its noble disdaining of an ‘extravert, virtuoso style.’ It is beloved by all, played by many, played well by few, and comprehended in accordance with its basic ideas by still fewer—indeed, perhaps by just one person—his wife.” AMP released the recording earlier in 2021.
Rob Kennedy
October 3, 2021