WSCL Blog

Today our featured CD is a new orchestral arrangement of the beloved Claude Bolling Jazz Suite for Flute, Piano, and... orchestra. We continue our "Animal Attraction" theme with a new CD of modern compositions for viola and piano in works inspired by animals. We vary it with selections from a 3 CD set of works by Veracini, and smooth things out with classical piano favorites by 2 recognized artists.

AN AMERICAN MENAGERIE
Music for Viola & Piano
Michelle LaCourse, viola
Martin Amlin, piano & composer
MSR 1474
ISBN# 6 81585 14742 9
For more information on violist Michelle LaCourse
Glowing reviews on the MSR label website.
In perfect concert with our after-the-news-at-noon theme of animal inspired works, is this CD of new works by American composers for viola and piano. Amlin's "Kennel" is a seven movement work with different breeds of dog inspiring each section. His Sonata and Violetta are also included. Unfortunately, his work is very much in the modern concert vein, and perhaps even more than usual, when pieces are supposed to represent animals, pets, we tend to listen and look for melody. A recognizable melodic through line is hard to find in Amlin's jagged, repetitive, abstract works. So while the concept of this CD is incredibly appealing, I regret to say that much of the music is... not so much for the average listener. Those of us who follow music and music making know that this type of modern work is both intellectually and technically challenging, and for that, both of these musicians are completely up to the task. Merfled's "Animal Miniatures" is appealing and evocative, and Houghton's "Whalefall" brings the watery, new age influence that one expects from the title; these are the accessible highlights of the CD, and those are the pieces we share today on Just Opened. I'll leave it to our adventuresome audience members to seek out the CD for the more challenging works.

SUITE FOR FLUTE & JAZZ PIANO TRIO
Symphonic Arrangement by
Steve Barta
Hubert Laws, flute
Jeffrey Biegel, piano
SBMCD -01
ISBN# 6 70579 69291 5
http://stevebartamusic.com
Pianist Jeffrey Biegel's official site
My Delight of the Week! One of our WSCL favorite pianists, Jeffrey Biegel, is at it again - recording a new take on a beloved favorite that promises to bring it back into the light again in a new version... not that Bolling's "Suite" ever left its place in popularity. Much like seminal pieces/groups like Herb Alpert, and the 5th Dimension, some things strike such a chord that they remain in our collective positive memory - such is Bolling's Suite. Arranger Steve Barta brings the full orchestra to this work in a way that is fulfilling and subtle. He carefully balances the original intention (setting) of the work with the great variety possible in the orchestra to enhance the work, but never to overwhelm it. Often an orchestration of a smaller work either changes it to make it a completely "new thing" for orchestra, or sometimes it can feel like (as do many theme and variation arrangements) "a really big deal made out of very small concept." Barta's special success here is the way he makes choices to keep the intimate and light feel of the work while giving it the additional musical depth. A total success!

THE ROMANTIC PIANO
Samuel Perez, piano
www.samuel-perez.com
ISBN# 8 84501 93762 7
Puerto Rico born Perez has performed in Europe, US, Mexico, the Carribean as soloist, chamber musician, and with many orchestras, playing a variety of styles. He has received international awards and recognition, and - due to his performance styles and venues - an unusally broad array of critical acclaim from Chick Corea's copious critical compliments, to Paul Polovnik (Conductor Laureate of the New Hampshire Music Festival) calling him "the real deal." On this CD, Perez turns his talents to the tried and true, beloved works of the Romantic era by the great masters. He focuses largely on single movements and shorter works by Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Mozart and Strauss, making for a savvy collection of selections that are very accessible to the ipod crowd.

THOMAS PANDOLFI
piano
Pandolfi's Website for Info. & Purchases
ISBN# 7 07541 85102 2
This release from 2006 has a simple cover photo of a keyboard, with the names of the included composers superimposed on the black keys. Pandolfi has appeared locally a number of times in the Delmarva region, and has a growing, sparkling reputation internationally as today's foremost interpreter of Gershwin. One of the nice things about this CD is that we really get to experience his full range, from Liszt and Scriabin, Mozart and Chopin, to Gershwin and Webber. It is a varied display of the excellence that won him scholarships to Juliard for both his bachelor's and master's degrees.

VERACINI (3 CD set)
Complete Sonate Accademiche
Trio Settecento
Rachel Barton Pine, violin
John Mark Rozendaal, cello
David Schrader, harpsichord
CEDILLE 155
ISBN#7 35--- 91552 8
Visit Trio Settecento's site (free downloads, too!)
Gift Giver's Delight! The individual performers of Trio Settecento are no strangers to critical acclaim, awards and rave reveiws in their solo careers, so it is not surprising that, when they pool their talent, intelligence, musicality, and interest for a labor of love like this 3 CD set of the works of Francesco Maria Veracini, it has a full bouquet of critical raves and gushing kudos. I'll join the club. Magnificent musicians with unity of purpose, at the top of their game, in an excellent recording. Not everyone is a fan of Baroque music, and in any 3 CD set of one composer's works for the same trio combination, there is an inevitable sameness (which is exactly why we mix things up on air). For those who are not Baroque fans, these CDs could be interminable, but for most of WSCL's listeners this is a "staple" and even an entire CD would be, for most of our listeners, a soothing delight. For any lover of baroque chamber works, this would be a magnificent gift!

Join us again next week for more great music, Just Opened!
Kara Dahl Russell

As our regular listeners will know, for many years during interviews, one of my standard questions for musicians has been about the teacher/student relationship. Many great artists who achieve success young don't know the pain of a difficult learning relationship - perhaps that is the lucky part of their stellar path? Others are reluctant to call out poor teachers or techniques, at least in part for political reasons. Some musicians have found tremendous success having been taught in methods that are harsh and punitive, and have not realized that not all valid, talented artists can blossom under cut throat conditions. Some great artists are known to be very poor, frustrated and discouraging teachers, while others have the gift of encouraging a variety of students. And finally, others have moved into the inclusion of teaching as part of what they do, and these folks often have a very full insight based on both sides of the learning relationship.

This article by international virtuoso Jeremy Denk is insightful and filled with witty turns of phrase that make the (long) article worth the read, informative, and amusing, too.

"Every Good Boy Does Fine" by Jeremy Denk
link to article from The New Yorker

Enjoy this when you have time to savor his insights and language!
Kara Dahl Russell

Today we have a grounding of Basic Bach and then make musical excursions all over the place, with a healthy dose of new Choral Music created (as with most of Bach's music) for religious observation.

EAST WEST ENCOUNTER II
Susan Chan, piano
MSR 1280
ISBN# 6 81585 12802 2
My delight of the week! Continuing her adventures in juxtaposition of traditional Western composers and composers of the East, in works for solo piano, Susan Chan continues to open up listening windows. Chan's accolades are worldwide, as is her training. As an instructor she has tenure at Washington State Universtiy and currently teaches at Portland State University. She actively promotes the music of female and Asian composers. This "East West" series beautifully demonstrates her love of classics, her ability to allign these traditional works with the works of modern and less known composers, and a larger mission. They underscore her musical technique and understanding, with an educational component that is simultaneously accessible and expansive.

UNIVERSAL SACRED MUSIC
FOR CHORUS
Roger Davidson, composer
Harold Rosenbaum, Cond.
New York Virtuoso Singers
SR (Soundbrush) 1034
ISBN# 8 88295 27646 7
A large number of our listeners love choral music and many are active in choirs, in church and secular choirs - sometimes both! Davidson's new works of "universal sacred music" take traditional forms from many religions and incorporate them into new works that have a timeless sound.

THE SIX SUITES FOR 'CELLO SOLO
for Acoustic Guitar
Steven Hancoff, guitar
OUT 960
ISBN# 7 00261 42386 9
Gift giver's delight. Hancoff's labor of love in this 3 CD set of the Bach cello works transcribed for guitar shines through in the booklet that comes with the CD that details how he became acquainted with Bach, and then became something of a Bach biographer with a mission to help spread Bach's works to audiences that might not usually know or be aware of his works. For the purist, it can take a sizable adjustment to get the ear used to hearing these works for a bowed instrument played on a plucked instrument with limited sustain. For the (very large) audience who simply loves acoustic guitar, this is a welcome joy (and a great gift idea)!

GAMES OF LIGHT
Discovering Treasure for Solo Flute
Francesca Arnone, flute
MSR 1457
ISBN# 6 81585 14572 2
A CD of works for solo flute is simply not for everyone. When these works are all by modern composers, the percentage goes down. So why then does a performer record works like these? Well, for some performers, it is as simple as they like working on modern music, it can be intellectually stimulating and challenge musical routines for the performer. It's a labor of love for the instrument and the exercise of learning new works that may be both musically and melodically challenging, with an eye toward expanding both pedogogy and possibly exposing the audience to works that may, over time, become well known. Francesca Arnone is well placed to do this, having played in the Americas, Asia and Europe, in some of the world's finest concert locations. She also has another concurrent CD of very infectious and melodic works called "Dedications" which we've aired quite a bit since we "opened" it, which is worth looking up, and much more accessible. Koechlin had a varied musical inner life which was in keeping with the arts of his day, sometimes very abstract, sometimes absurd, yet often romantic (melodic). Like Reynaldo Hahn, he was known for creating extensive experimental works, and even here, Arnone recorded only about 1/2 of the movement of this exceedingly rarely performed work. If you adore the flute, and you are musically very adventuresome, this CD will expand your horizons.

BACH/GOULD PROJECT
The Catalyst Quartet
AZICA 71300
ISBN# 7 87867 13002 5
The Catalyst Quartet are gaining critical raves and taking risks with their programming. Here, their impressive project of arranging Bach's Goldberg Variations for chamber group is paired with a composition of Glenn Gould, one of the foremost interpreters of the Bach work. Gould's work is rarely played (lovers of linear melody might add, "for good reason"), but is a smart and challenging addition to this arrangment of a beloved work of Bach that resonates on multiple levels.

Join us next week for more new releases, Just Opened!
Kara Dahl Russell

Wagner and World music today on Just Opened... with a bit of Poulenc thrown in for spice!

ORIGINS
Kontras Quartet
MSR 1537
ISBN#6 81585 15372 7
Official website for Kontras Quartet
Works that are alternately challenging, whimsical, inventive, melodic and engaging fill the adventuresome program on this CD. A work called "Hunting: Gathering" inspired by native South African sound motifs; "Japanese Folk song Suite" has been a performance favorite of this group, and they have finally recorded it. Formed in 2009 Kontras Quartet consider themselves pioneers in genre-defying collaborations. The group has a stated appetite for the musically bizarre and unexpected, and they found satisfaction for this in Stravinsky's "3 pieces", and the program closes with a playful, accessible work by modern composer Dan Visconti that includes snippets of songs, rhythmic intricacy and special effects, "Ramshackle Songs."

SIGFRIED IDYLL
David Deveau, piano
STEINWAY & SONS 30051
ISBN# 0 34062 30051 8
Deveau's faculty page on MIT website
My Delight of the Week! The works and life of Wagner form a touchstone for the works on this CD, from Liszt's piano transcription (arr. by Rubinstien) of Wagner's title work, 2 of Liszt's works inspired by his personal friendship and musical admiration of Wagner, and then contemporary works of Brahms, which bring more warmth into the program. These are some of Liszt's darkest works, his technical proficiency sometimes adding a chill to the darkness, so the Brahms capriccios and intemezzi - while still often introspective and melancholy - add a beautiful balance to the shadows. Deveau's career as a soloist and chamber musician have taken him around the world many times over. This CD presents a thoughtful program of a mature, accomplished artist who has been a "Steinway Artists" since 1999.

FRANCIS POULENC
Complete Music for Winds & Piano
The Iowa Ensemble
MSR 1540
ISBN# 6 81585 15402 1
for information & purchase
Detailed review of this CD in "The Classical Reviewer"
To me, the essential sound of Poulenc is a slightly tipsy take on soulful melody and skipping innocence that is just awakening to the complexity of adult life. Winds are the perfect vehicle for his particular and peculiar mental & musical worlds, and here we have works that run the gamut from early works of rule-breaking nonsense to later works of engaging complexity. Do take time to read the review in the link, it is comprehensive and glowing!

WAGER/ELGAR
Wesendonck - Lieder
Sea Pictures
Sarah Rose Taylor, mezzo
Nigel Potts, organ
Grace Cloutier, harp
MSR 1532
ISBN# 6 81585 15322 2
Taylor's website; Pott's website
Traditional works performed by 3 young performers in the international limelight. Nigel Potts has become renowned worldwide as “a consummate musician who knows how to communicate the essence of [the] music” (The American Organist), and whose “playing is assured and stylish” (Organists' Review, UK). He has built a reputation for his expressive, colorful and tasteful performances, always communicating and placing the music at the forefront with “…warm, sympathetic playing” (Choir & Organ, UK). British born mezzo-soprano Sarah Rose Taylor is rapidly becoming recognized for her warm and full tones "Germanic" voice. Now based in Manhattan, the works on this CD were the featured works of her Carnegie Hall debut in 2014. She has had wide ranging experience as a soloist in oratorios, in addition to many opera roles. Grace Cloutier rounds out the group of accomplished young musicians; an intenationally recognized harpist who has studied on both sides of the Atlantic, and whose 8 CDs demonstrate her particular affinity for accompaniment in addition to solo and orchestral work, and she adds additional color to a few cuts here. The works on this CD are all transcribed by Nigel Potts for organ and vocalist.

Join us next week for more new releases, Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

Alan Feinberg's new CD exploring Fugues of the Baroque era contrasted with the new music of David Crumb. The music of Brahms compared with new music of Andrea Clearfield. And the musical history of Jews in India explored in Choral Music.

FUGUE STATE
Alan Feinberg, piano
STEINWAY & SONS 30034
ISBN# 0 34062 30034 1
Steinway & Sons publicity of this CD
My Delight of the Week! After his last Steinway CD that focused on the Elizabethan works of John Bull, Feinberg moves up into the Baroque era with a focus on fugues. The great composers are represented here, but perhaps more importantly, the meditative and surprisingly melodic elements of fugues come into clear focus in this intelligent collection. Many people say they like "music to study to" to help them concentrate. Here's the ticket. Feinberg says, “Performing works of the Baroque period on a modern Steinway enables the use of an especially rich tool for contrapuntal expression. In the end, I think that the performer’s task is to strive to harness the same spiritual, personal, intellectual, and technical concerns that the composer has mustered in order to re-create or re-imagine these past works for the present.” Fugues can be dry stuff, and Feinberg brings out the drama, the elegance, and surprising tenderness.

KOCHI
Ruth Webber, cond.
San Diego Jewish Men's Choir
ISBN# 7 66897 74872 1
For information and purchase.
Gift Giver's Delight! A truly rare treat for the upcoming Jewish Holy Days, a new exploration of music from India, specifically from 3 communities of Jews (Malabars 562 BC, Roman in 70 AD (or CE), and Paradesi 1492) who made up the thriving (over 5,000) community in the fishing port town of Kerala, India. The resulting music of traditional jewish texts and music played on a variety of instruments, including traditional Indian instruments creates a fresh "new" world music soundscape that is both historically accurate and completely relevant in today's thirst for multi-culturalism with integrity. I can envision the musical program of this CD creating ripples in choral presentations and religious service music as well. ** This CD has allready topped 2 billboard charts (#3 World Albums, #7 Heatseaker Pacific), and is a "Global Music Award" winner.

CONVERGENCES
Barbara Westphal, viola
Christian Ruvolo, piano
BRIDGE 9442
ISBN# 0 90404 94422 2
for more info & purchase
Westphal's luscious dark viola tones have been a staple on our station for years. Here she plays 2 well-loved sonatas by Brahms paired with a sparkling new work for viola & piano by Andrea Clearfield.

Click here for a review of both Westphal's CD & Crumb's Red Desert

RED DESERT
Compostitions of David Crumb
BRIDGE 9450
ISBN# 0 90404 94502 1
His father was avant-guarde composer George Crumb, and David's work is said to be more accessible that that, but it remains pretty far from what our listeners ask for. David Crumb teaches music theory and composition. If you are seeking a challenge to your musical notions, this CD has varied instrumentation on the individual pieces which is smart, as it helps greatly to leaven this collection of new works.

Thank you for your support of WSCL-FM, and your continued interest in Just Opened, the program where we open up new releases and releases new to our library, to give you a small taste of what's new in the classical music release world.
Kara Dahl Russell

Today we have works that recognize the celebration Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a new major release from Itzhak Perlman and Emanuel Ax of beloved traditional violin sonatas, two more great pianists - from Brazil - play works by Russian composers. We top these off with the icing of choral music by Paulus and some new settings of klezmer music by an Argentinian composer.

RACHMANINOV
Luiz de Moura Castro, piano
Slovenia Radio & TV orchestra
Ligia Amadio, cond.
ISBN#8 88295 25148 8
http://www.luizdemouracastro.com/
Conductor Ligia Amadio's website
My Delight of the Week! Listed amongst the top piano instructors in the US, Castro has been recognized for at least 50 years as an international virtusoso, and regularly sits on the jury of the top international piano competitions. He knows the process since he has been winning competitions since his teens. This is an opportunity to hear a mature recognized master-class teacher performing the RAC-PAG variations, one of the most revered works of the piano repertoire, which he has been playing since his childhood! (Note: the picture of this CD is not the same cover art as the one sent to us here at the station, and I have been unable to find both on online sources, so your best source is to contact Castro through his website for this CD.) Rachmaninov piano works remain among the best loved of piano/orchestra literature, and his variations on a theme of Paganini is a perennial favorite and frequently requested piece. (Castro learned the variations as a child for "piano exercises," first performing them in competition and then with orchestra at the age of nine. This is an artist who KNOWS the piece.) This is an exceptionally nuanced performance of a performer who has played the work for 50 years!

KLASSICAL KLEZMER
Daniel Galay, composer
Michele Gingras, clarinet
Ron Matson, piano
MSR 1240
ISBN# 6 81585 1240 2 4
http://danielgalay.com/
Argentinian born Galay immigrated to Israel in 1965 and received the "Prime Minister Composition Prize" in 2009. For several years he is the Chairman of Leyvik House, the Association of Yiddish writers and Journalists in Israel, where he introduced changes to attract new generations to Jewish Culture and Literature. It is said that his exceptional affinity with the language is integrally connected to his success as a composer of Yiddish works. Gingras is Distinguished professor of Clarinet at Miami University and has authored the advanced pedagogy book, "Clarinet Secrets: 52 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Clarinetist."

FAR IN THE HEAVENS
Choral Music of Stephen Paulus
Eric Holtan, Cond.
True Concord Voices & Orchestra
REFERENCE RECORDINGS 716
ISBN# 0 30911 17162 9
http://www.trueconcord.org/
Just weeks before his death from a stroke in 2014, this recording was made under the supervision of Paulus; premier recordings (including one in remembrance of 9/11) introducing the international debut of True Concord Voices and Orchestra. The full and varied orchestration lend even more color than usual to these fine choral works performed by exceptional artists.

ITZHAK PERLMAN, violin
EMANUEL AX, piano
Faure & Strauss Violin Sonatas
DEUTCHE GRAMMOPHON #23611
ISBN# 0 28948 11774 1
http://www.itzhakperlman.com/
http://emanuelax.com/
Two above-the-title greats join forces in a new release of two of the great traditional works of concert repertoire. Perlman & Ax are touring internationally with these works, and will be performing in the region - on Sept. 28th at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

RUSSIAN RECITAL
Mussorgsky/Prokofiev/Shostakovich
Jorge Federico Osorio, piano
CEDILLE 153
ISBN# 7 35131 91532 8
Osorio has been in our playlists on WSCL for awhile. His technical facility and interpretational skill always please. This CD's major work is Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." We are now so used to the orchestral version of the work that we forget it was originally composed for solo piano, with the intention of creating in music the specific works of art the composer had in mind. It has been compared to Debussy's preludes in it's use of color, variety and subtlety. A prelude and fugue of Shostakovich give us some rigor, and two Prokofiev works, one challenging, one poetic, round out the program. This is the tour-de-force recital of an accomplished master.

Join us next week for more new releases, Just Opened!
Kara Dahl Russell

THE SINGING OBOE
Romantic German Lied Transcriptions
Andrew Parker, oboe
Alan Huckleberry, piano
MSR 1514
ISBN# 6 81585 15142 6
My Delight of the Week!
Classics Today (reviewer Jed Disler): "Not only does Parker command a pleasant, singing sonority, but he also gauges his vibrato with expressive discretion. In strophic songs where the text ordinarily informs one’s interpretive game plan, Parker compensates by adjusting his phrasing and articulation, as you immediately hear in Schubert’s Die Forelle. Alan Huckleberry is far more than a mere accompanist; he imbues the piano parts with pinpointed articulation and multi-dimensional character. His ripplingly clear treatment of Gretchen am Spinnrade’s gentle arpeggiated figurations are right up there with Edwin Fischer and Gerald Moore, and that’s the ultimate compliment" Reviewers often feel obliged to compare instrumental song cycles unfavorably to sung, citing the loss of lyrics and the vocal drama -- but for many listeners who do no speak the foreign language of the art songs in question, the release from words is its own joy. Parker was just signed to the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin, having graduated from Yale in '03. He has performed around the country in numberous chamber groups and as a soloist. Huckleberry has performance experience and an interesting addition: He and pianist Jason Sifford have recorded standard repertoire for beginner to intermediate piano students, available on youtube's UIPianoPed. channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/UIPianoPed

Not only does Parker command a pleasant, singing sonority, but he also gauges his vibrato with expressive discretion. In strophic songs where the text ordinarily informs one’s interpretive game plan, Parker compensates by adjusting his phrasing and articulation, as you immediately hear in Schubert’s Die Forelle. Alan Huckleberry is far more than a mere accompanist; he imbues the piano parts with pinpointed articulation and multi-dimensional character. His ripplingly clear treatment of Gretchen am Spinnrade’s gentle arpeggiated figurations are right up there with Edwin Fischer and Gerald Moore, and that’s the ultimate compliment! - See more at: http://www.classicstoday.com/review/songs-without-words-oboe-style/#sthash.Py6jcYQQ.dpuf

ILLUMINATIONS
Avalon String Quartet
CEDILLE 90000 156
ISBN#7 351-- -1562 5
Avalon Quartet Official Site
American Record Guide: "It would be hard to overpraise the polished, adroit, deeply musical and sheerly gorgeous playing of the Avalon String Quartet." The Avalon Quartet takes us on a tour of "modern" music from the well known quartet of Debussy, into Brittens inventive and accessible "Divertimenti" and March to a challenging new work by Stacy Garrop that has been compared to Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" in that it provides musical illustrations of the illustrations in a Medieval manuscript, the "Book of Hours." Much of this work is melodically challenging and is in a modern compositional style that can be off-putting for many listeners. Closing with Golijov's "Tenebrae" we keep the mediaeval theme but add a lush cello melody which brings us back to a musical voice and brings us around to the current trend in "contemporary classical" music to keep the intellectual curiosity but blend it with a more accessible musical language and the blessing of melody. This musical tour of modern repertoire is, of course, a technical and musical tour de force by this quartet.

JAMES BRAWN
IN RECITAL
James Brawn, piano
MSR 1501
ISBN# 6 81585 15012 2
Brawn's website
Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" have been featured on several solo piano CDs recently, so the work seems to be back in vogue. The work has been compared to Debussy's Preludes in the expanse of tonal color, and Brawn has been hailed both for his ability to have the thundering quality and the finesse of clarity of line to bring the full pallate. Reviews are unequivocal in their high praise.
“… If one has never listened to this gentleman’s expertise, then perhaps this James Brawn in Recital would be a great place to start” -- American Record Guide

OLA DIURNA (WAVE DAY)
Works for Violin by Composers from
The Americas
Francisco Caban, violin
Kevin Class, piano
Cermelo de los Santos, violin
ISBN# 8 88295 11768 5
Caban's official website for info. & purchase
Caban is Professor of Music at the Conservatory of Puerto Rico. A frequent soloist in the United States, Spain, Mexico, Peru, and Puerto Rico, he also serves as a member of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. His intensive pedagogical work includes the creation and artistic direction of the Conservatory’s annual violin festival. As with his first CD, his focus is on composers mostly from Latin America, including one of his own works for solo violin, reminiscent of Paganini's etudes. As with much contemporary work, some of these are a bit challenging, but most of them are accessible, and highly entertaining.

ROBERT SCHUMANN
Dichterliebe & Liederkreis
Stanley Wilson, tenor
Malcolm Halliday, piano
MSR 1513
ISBN# 6 81585 15132 7
Wilson's website
Halliday's website
Wilson and Halliday have partnered together before, on a CD of British Songs that received raves from Fanfare Magazine, among others. Schumann's song cycles are touchstones and significant calling cards for tenor and pianist alike. Both artists have estimable independent careers, so when they join forces on major cycles like these, we have to assume they have special meaning and import for both. Halliday's playing has been called "not a pianist who agonizes how chords should be weighted.... unruffled and homogenous" (which may have something to do with his also being an accomplished organist), and Wilson has an impressive growing career on international stages of opera and as a featured soloist.

Join us again next week for more new releases, Just Opened!
Kara Dahl Russell

Favorites from many time periods today on Just Opened.

ALEXANDRE PIROJENKO
Piano works by
Debussy, Ravel & Kapustin
www.alexandrepirojenko.com
A commanding release of beloved familiar works by Debussy and Ravel, and one lesser known composer; Kapustin's Concert Etudes have been called "an encyclopedia of piano technique" and are in the "feuille d'album" form of salon pieces. Pirojenko has won a firework display of awards, and this assured, nuanced, masterful CD is exactly what one would expect and hope for.

VIA VOCE
Geoffrey Andrews, tenor
GRACO MUSIC # 24790
ISBN# 8 88295 24790 0
http://www.geoffreyandrews.com/
Gift Giver's Delight. A "natural" tenor with a powerful voice from Texas, who went to Nashville to try his luck and hit gold in the form of the production team of Hooper and Kevern, known for their classical crossover accousitc orchestra work. Having overcome an infant bilateral clubfoot deformity, and living with tourette syndrome, he has the kind of "back story" to make him the darling of the "reality tv" set. These logistics all fall away when we hear his powerful, clear, balanced voice.

GRIEG & SAINT SAENS
Piano Concertos
Vadym Kholodenko, piano
Miquel Harth-Bedova, cond.
Norwegian Radio Orchestra
HARMONIA MUNDI #907629
ISBN# 0 93046 76292 6
http://vadymkholodenko.com/
My Delight of the Week. I'm personally so very happy to see and hear that Grieg is coming back into favor in concert halls and recordings after what has seemed like a long winter of absence. As one might expect from a Van Cliburn winner (2013), critics have been trowing bouquets, praising theses performances as "as tender as you might want... and... passionate but not overwrought." This welcome pairing of Grieg with Saint Saens' 2nd Concerto makes it a "no brainer" to add to your collection, especially if you do not have these works in your library. Grammpone's Jeremy Nicholas called this Grieg "a truly outstanding recording" and said the Saint Saens was "even better" and thrilling!

COLOURS
Aralee Dorough, flute
Scott Holshouser, piano
ISBN# 7 00261 39071 0
www.araleedorough.com
Accomplished orchestral flautist Dorough shines in these transcriptions of orchestral works. Most of these works all ready heavily featured the flute, so these reductions feel absolutely natural. The choice of material has been smart (like starting the CD with Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn"), so that we rarely feel the lack of the orchestra, merely the flute being brought into forward focus, which allows us to bask in Dorough's painterly approach to ... colours. She is joined by Judy Dines on a second flute part (with Hoshouser still holding down the orchestral reduction with a masterful blend of virtuosity and support) on a rousing closing work, the ever popular Stravinsky "Pulcinella Suite."

THE NEW GOLDBERG VARIATIONS
Zoe Black, violin
Joe Chindamo, piano
ALFI RECORDS# 15002
ISBN# 7 24131 54960 2
http://www.joechindamo.com/
Chindamo made his name as a jazz pianist and has been recognized by great musicians of all genres, performing in concert halls with orchestras, rock bands and big names of all kinds of genres. Aside from performances on over 23 CDs of his own, and countless with other groups, he has achieved recognition as a composer of chamber works. To those credentials he offers this labor of love ... Bach's major keyboard work with counterpoint for violin. What we have is a calling card of technical proficiency and variety for both piano and violin. Zoe Black is completely up to the challenge of what - in this - amounts to an extensive and virtuosic violin "variation cycle". Critics being what they are, the reviews have been a bit mixed, some want nothing other than the original, others gripe that he didn't stray far enough in creating the violin part. These are quibbles that are easily drowned out by simply listening to the work. Within the past few months, some chamber versions of this same originating work have been released, so, as usual, Chindamo has his finger on the pulse of what is current and performing with verve and excellence.

Join us again next week (during our Fall Fundraiser) for more new releases, Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

This is the first Friday of our Fall Fundraising Drive. You know the drill... if you love great "classical" music, and you want to be sure it is available in local programming on WSCL (shows like Just Opened), now is the time to support it!

Click here to support Classical Music on Delmarva Public Radio!

GABRIELI
National Brass Ensemble
OBERLIN MUSIC # 16677
ISBN# 7 51778 16677 0
Naxos label info. on the National Brass Ensemble
Traditional brass works by one of the all-time great brass composers, played by an award winning group of musicians. 'nuff said!

SONGS FROM THE ARC OF LIFE
Yo Yo Ma, cello
Kathryn Stott, piano
SONY 10316
ISBN# 88875 10316 2 3
http://www.yo-yoma.com/
Gift Giver's Delight! This CD just hit stores and on-line download on Sept. 18th. Any release by Mr. Ma is a major release, and this time he is working with a long-time collaborator Ms. Stott. This is a collection of immensely appealing melody driven works, some of them initially intended for vocalist, all of them qualify as classical "pop hits."

AUGUSTIN HADELICH
Bartok & Mendelssohn Violin Concertos
Miquel Harth Bedoya, con.d
Norwegian Radio Orchestra
AVIE 2323
ISBN# 8 22252 23232 5
http://augustin-hadelich.com/
The Mendelssohn violin concerto is a favorite of many great music lovers, and is held here in interesting contrast with the Bartok. Hadelich continues his meteoric rise adding breadth and variety to his recording palette.

ENTWINED
Jake Schepps Quintet
Website of Jake Schepps
ISBN# 7 00261 40871 2
Jake Schepps and his folk quintet recently performed at the Avalon theatre in Easton. This CD is part of a growing trend of what I call "concert folk." These are new works - "concert works" - for folk quintet. If the point being made is that these instruments are being played with technique and artistry, and true mastery, point taken without reservation. Unfortunately, these works are neither fish nor fowl, not really appealing to those who come to hear the group play folk music, and the "orchestration" of the band means that the sound is exceptionally foreign to a traditional concert goer. In their construction and "modern music" exploration, these works would be a challenge in any arena, and the works remain best suited to a jazz/folk crossover rather than folk/classical. It's an interesting premise being attempted here, to legitimize the folk instruments without changing their balance or sonority. In the classical era, composers like Fernando Sor worked to legitimize the guitar by writing pedagogy and intensely appealing melodic works - and it worked - I wish there were a little more of that in these compositions.

A BEETHOVEN ODYSSEY vol. 1
James Brawn, piano
MSR 1468
ISBN# 6 81585 14682 8
http://jamesbrawn.com/
This was the first of Brawn's "Beethoven Odyssey" and includes beloved sonatas like the Pastorale, and "To Therese" which was a personal favorite of Beethoven in an odd 2 movement form. Beethoven felt it was equal to, or better than his popular "Moonlight" sonata. We've actually been receiving these Brawn releases out of order from the label, so it's nice to get the first one, and recognize it as a wonderful "start" to the extensive and impressive series.

VIVALDI: THE FOUR SEASONS
Adrian Chandler, violin & director
La Serenissima
AVIE 2344
ISBN# 8 22252 23442 8
Official website for La Serenissima
Rave reviews from BBC3, Gramophone Magazine, The New York Times, Early Music Review, The Classical Reviewer... it was only a matter of time until Chandler and La Serenissima tackled - what is perhaps THE seminal work of Baroque Repertoire - Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. Fortunately for us, Chandler combines this well known and loved work with much less well known works for violin and bassoon, giving us a refreshing mix.

This week on Just Opened, we have three "big" releases, by violinist Anne Akiko Myers and the London Symphony Orchestra, a new solo release from pianist Lang Lang, and Rachel Barton Pine picking up the obscure viola d'amore and making it her own on the works of Vivaldi written for this instrument.. We also have one "smaller" release, the mother and daughter Van Hoesen harp duo "Genetic Harps." All of today's artists have international careers.

VIVALDI
The Complete Viola D'Amore Concertos
Rachel Barton Pine
Ars Antiqua
CEDILLE 159
ISBN#7 35131 91592 2
http://rachelbartonpine.com/
My Delight of the Week! Regular WSCL listeners know that rarity ranks high with me, and here we have one of the top violinists in the world picking up one of history's more obscure intruments (playing a beautiful historic one from 1774) and recording concertos composed for it by one of history's favorite composers. This follows closely on Pine's recent 3 CD set of the works of Veracini with Trio Setticento, so we can only assume she is going through a Baroque phase and let out a collective sigh of pleasure!

SERENADE
The Love Album
Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
London Symphony Orchestra
Keith Lockhart, cond.
ISBN#0 99923 77922 3
http://anneakikomeyers.com/
Gift Giver's Delight. While the focal point piece of this CD is Bernstein's cerebral "Serenade after Plato's Symphosium" - which some will find of interest, and others will want to skip all together forever - the rest of the CD is filled to the brim with memorable favorite tunes in beautiful arrangements for violin and orchestra. The orchestral settings of these favorite love themes are almost edible, incredibly luscious and fullfilling. While we first aired this CD today, we were all ready receiving notes from listeners that they love this CD!

LANG LANG in PARIS
Chopin & Tchaikovsky
SONY 751 1758 (2 CD set)
ISBN# 8 8875 11758 2 2
http://langlang.com/
Lang Lang has been hailed as one of the greatest pianists of our day. Indeed, in a field crowded with talented, technically proficient, magnificently trained, musically nuanced pianists, Lang Lang has the kind of career that simply "does not exist anymore" for most musicians, the legendary kind of career as we hear of from the Romantic era, similar to those of Clara Schumann, Moszkowski, and Liszt. After several releases of major concertos with world class orchestras, he tosses out this solo release to us; an exclamation of scherzos by Chopin, and Tchikovsky's epic calendar of music, "The Seasons." Lang Lang says the seasons is not as filled with notes as some works, but the use he makes of the note create melodies with the kind of pain that turns into beauty. "He presents his heart, and he holds your heart."

GENETIC HARPS
Gretchen Van Hoesen
Heidi Van Hoesen Gorton
LAVENDER HARP 200
ISBN# 8 89211 70874 1
http://www.lavenderharp.com/
Mother and daughter harpists, both award winners with international careers, the Van Hoesen's both hold principle harp chairs, Gretchen with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Heidi with the Toronto Symphony. As a duo they specialize in finding and arranging new and old works for harp duo (and they also perform symphonic concertos for two harps). They have performed as a duo extensively in PA, and around the united states. The program on this CD is excessively listenable with beloved works by Debussy, Da Falla, Ravel, Dussek, infectious new works by Schocker and Curcio, and a trio of Irish Airs in settings by Reynaldo Hahn.

Join us again next week for more new releases, Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

Our After the news at Noon series this month is "Spellbound" music about witches, enchantment, goblins, gnomes, devils and all things leading up to a celebration of Halloween.

Today, while playing a portion of Rosza's score for the Hitchcock film, "Spellbound" I mentioned the large cuts made to Salvador Dali's Dream/Hypnosis Sequence. (The sequence initially ran 20 minutes on it's own, and it's a loss to film and art that a copy of the full sequence was not saved... but editing is the essence of film art.)

At the bottom of this blog post you will find photos from the deleted sequence: Bergman as a greek statue come to live, and ballroom with grand pianos suspended from the ceiling with chamber musicians on top of them!
http://theblondeatthefilm.com/2014/01/15/spellbound-1945/

I'm not endorsing the blog (and have to be a bit curious as to whether the blog posted has rights to all these photos), but while I've seen some of the Bergman photos deleted from the dream sequence, this is the first time I've found/seen any photos of the deleted ballroom scene.

I hope you enjoy this little trivia tidbit along with the music!
Kara Dahl Russell

Exciting performers from the concert world presenting beloved time tested works and a few new works, too, with a focus on the Composers: Bach, Puccini, Ravel, and Lieuwen.

J.S. BACH
THE CELLO SUITES:
According to Anna Magdalena
Matt Haimovitz, baroque cello & piccolo cello
PENTATONE/OXINGALE 5186 555
ISBN# 8 27949 05556 0
http://www.matthaimovitz.com/
Short biography of Anna Magdalena Bach
picture of a violoncello piccolo
(Note that the cello on the cover of this CD is the piccolo cello played by Haimovitz.) Having recorded the Bach Cello Suites earlier in his career, Haimovitz has continued his studies over the years, hoping to find the clearest line of the composer's intention. There being no manuscript by Bach of these works existing, cellists have been led by versions of other musicians. Kellner, an acquaintance of Bach, had a version that has been greatly influential over the years. Haimovitz has become increasingly convinced through study that the copy that belonged to Bach's second wife, Anna Magdalena had interpretive insights and articulation grammar and phrasing that have been almost entirely lost. Adding the fact that the 6th suite was composed for the "piccolo cello", and performing that suite on this instrument, lends a completeness of approach to this entire project. It is worth remembering that even the addition of the piccolo cello remains an element of subtlety of technique and tone; the average listener may not notice any difference in these recordings, but for those who are interested in the intricacies of phrasing and the subtleties of sound, this recording by an established artist can become an essential touchstone of interpretation. Haimovitz continues his relationship with these works by recording newly commissioned overtures for these suites next spring.

http://www.jonaskaufmann.com/en/

THE PUCCINI ALBUM
Jonas Kaufmann, tenor
Antonio Pappano, cond.
Orchestra & Chorus of the
National Academy of Saint Cecilia
SONY #750 9249
ISBN# 8 8875 09249 2 6
Biography of Giacomo-Puccini
Gift Giver's Delight! International heart-throb tenor Jonas Kaufmann released this CD in September, after years of having performed Puccini's heros on the great stages of Opera all over the world. His European tour this fall is largely comprised of the works on this CD. This month he has released a new Cinematic release of his concert from Teatro alla Scala, with behind the scenes glimpses. Kauffmann has been hailed by "The Daily Telegraph" as "the greatest tenor of our day." His is joined on some of the works by soprano Kristine Opolais, who has partnered with him in two productions of Manon Lescaut.

http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/us/artist/wang/

YUJA WANG (piano)
RAVEL
Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra
Lionel Bringuier, cond.
D.G. #4794954
ISBN# not available currently
http://www.yujawang.com/
My Delight of the Week! When a young piano virtuoso is continually hailed for her sartorial style as much as her phenomenal technique and musicality, when she becomes the model for Rolex watches internationally, meanwhile performing some of the greatest works of the piano repertoire with the world's most renowned orchestras, we have the kind-of cross-over stardom that exceptionally few classical musicians achieve. While other artists can become sidelined, subsumed or marginalized by these extra-musical factors, Wang has been able to deftly incorporate them into her being as a musician with a larger sense of herself as an artist on the world stage. In this CD she performs two major concertos by Ravel, and a rarely heard "concertino" of Faure (one of my favorite works, his "Ballade for Piano & Orchestra") in an even more rarely heard solo piano version. Brava!

OVERLAND DREAM
The Music of Peter Lieuwen
SOLI Chamber Ensemble
Cumberland Wind Quintet
Various Soloists
MSR #1581
ISBN# 6 81585 15812 8
http://www.peterlieuwen.com/
Lieuwen's compositions have been acclaimed for their orchestral balance, his instrumental palette, and their attractive, shimmering sonorities. Influenced by the rhythms of jazz and world music, and by romantic era impressions of nature and landscape. These come together to form new music that has melody and accessibility that the listener wants to hear again. This ability to engage both performers and audience has been rewarded with commissions and performances by leading orchestras on the world stage from the Royal Philharmonic and Orchestra of the Americas and the National Orchestra Association. Born in the Netherlands and raised in New Mexico, Lieuwen currently is on faculty at Texas A&M University, where he served as the first head of their Department of Music Performance Studies.

We hope you enjoied today's exploration of Composers on Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

Traditional classics juxtoposed with new works today on Just Opened.

BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 5 & No. 7
Manfred Honeck, Music Dir.
Pittsburgh Symphony Orch.
REFERENCE RECORDINGS 718
ISBN # 0 30911 27182 4
More info on this recording.
New recordings of Beethoven's beloved, now traditional Symphonies are getting quite rare. These works were the closing program of last season's Beethoven Fest. What a treat to have new recordings of these all time greats!

JUST STRINGS
music of Lou Harrison &
John Luther Adams
Alison Bjorkedal, harps
John Schneider, guitars
MICROFEST RECORDS 7
ISBN# 7 00261 42878 9
http://microfestrecords.com/just-strings-notes/
This CD has all ready made it through the first phase for the 2015 Grammy Awards, and is under consideration in several categories. I'm very lucky to know musicians who are incredibly talented and also committed to combining their intellectual curiousity with their work. Alison Bjorkedal was my first harp teacher (and a gifted, supportive teacher). She has a fondness for new works and inventive music, and was part of a group Grammy Award win in 2014 of new music on new instruments.   Meanwhile, she has been working with a group of musicians, "Just Strings" on modern works composed in "just" tuning. (This is a different tuning mode from the "even-tempered" tuning of Bach that is now the standard that we're used to for concert - and pop - music. See links below for more info.) She plays a variety of harps on this CD, and the other strings are played by John Schneider on a variety of guitars. Joined by T.J. Troy on percussion and the HMC American Gamelon, you know you're in for a sound world infused with ancient world music and folk traditions. Don't be put off by the "just tuning" aspect of these works - if you didn't know about that, you would just know that they have the sound of world music.   While this CD may be very challenging for those who just want to hear traditional works like the Beethoven Symphonies, for many others, this CD will be a revelation, and have great-cross over appeal to people who appreciate many diverse genres. Some of the works have a sound of ancient tunings and instruments, while others are redolent of American folk. These works are tuneful, very accessible, and create vivid sound pictures.
   For a fuller explanation of Just tuning, here are some articles:
    Wikipedia: Just_intonation; An explanation of Just Tuning; Just Intonation Explained

WATERCOLOR
Shen Lu, piano
STEINWAY & SONS 30039
ISBN#
More information on Shen Lu & this CD.
My Delight of the week. I've been listening to this CD almost every day since I took the shrink wrap off it. A native of Jiangsu, China, Shen Lu has performed concerts in Beijing, Carnegie Hall in New York, Boston, Cleveland, The Kennedy Center, Los Angeles, Sydney, and in Dublin. He was a prize-winner at multiple International Piano Competitions, and won best French music prize for Ravel’s Miroirs at the 2015 Dublin International Piano Competition, the central work on this CD. Pixum Chen's exquisite "Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake" starts off the painterly pieces, along with Racmaninov's "Etudes Tableaux" and Tan Dun's glittering tone pictures, "8 Memories in Watercolor." The recording was part of the winner's package for one of his awards, and it is marvelously performed & recorded, and an emotionally touching first recording.

CONCERTINFOURO
Matthew Hunt, clarinet
Alastair King, composer/conductor
Chamber Orchestra of London
www.alastairking.me.uk
ISBN# 8 89211 60454
"Concertinfouro was written as a surprise 40th birthday present for my wife, Claire, who is a clarinetist. It was given a first performance just a few weeks later on Saturday 24th March 2012 by the Argyle Orchestra with Claire playing the solo clarinet and myself conducting." The CD recording that features Matthew Hunt is a short CD that includes the full work on one cut (about 13 minutes), then each movement in separate cuts. Not only was this work composed as a labour of love, but it is FULL OF MELODY, fun and accessible. It is easy to envision this work becoming a concert staple, and a favorite of the clarinet concerto repertoire.

Join us next week for more new releases, Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

Today we open up Sharon Isbin's latest major release, a dependable holiday treat of Bach's lute suites played by this guitar master. Hornist Denise Tryon displays her virtuosity in (mostly) new works for horn, and The Meridian Arts Ensemble play early brass works. We take a sip from Judith Lang Zaimont's new orchestral work, and trio influenced by water imagery, and Quink Vocal Ensemble's masterful tuning of settings by British composers.

SO LOW
Denise Tryon, horn
BRIDGE 9455
ISBN# 0 90404 94552 6
Tryon's official website.
In 1989 Tryon graduated from the famed Interlochen Arts Academy and in 1993 received her Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) in Boston. She received the Presidential Scholarship while in the Artist Diploma Program at NEC. She is known for her masterclasses in the US, Europe and Asia. In 2009, Tryon founded Audition Mode, a yearly horn seminar, with Karl Pituch. In 2010 she was an International Horn Society (IHS) Northeast Workshop Featured Artist. This CD of mostly new works has some challenging works, but many with infectious rhythm and melody, and her sound is rich and creamy.

JUDITH LANG ZAIMONT
Symphony No. 4 "Cool Water"
and "Russian Summer" Piano Trio
Niels Muus, cond.
Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra
SOREL CLASSICS # 3
ISBN# 8 88295 33669 7
Zaimont's Official Site
More about the Sorel Organization
Lang has won many awards for her compositions and prestigious commissions. The works on this CD are inspired by imagery of water. She is a grantee of both National Endowments and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow. Zaimont is also a 2003 Aaron Copland Award winner and recipient of a 2005 Bush Foundation Artist Fellowship. She has taught at several institutions including CUNY and Peabody Conservatory. Her work is known for risk taking and music coloration.

BACH for GUITAR
The Lute Suites
Sharon Isbin, guitar
ERATO # 75185
ISBN# 8 25645 17518 5
Isbin's official site.
Gift-Giver's Delight! From the very beginning, Bach's lute suites have been played on other instruments. World renowned guitarist Isbin joins the tradition with her usual sparkling virtuosity. The combination of these timeless works and her artistry make this a great choice for gift giving (even for those who think they "don't like classical music"). Beautiful music for the holidays and on into the new year.

MUSIC WHEN SOFT VOICES DIE
Quink Vocal Ensemble
Music of Elgar, Stanford, Bridge, Parry,
Vaughan Williams & Moeran
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 95216
ISBN# 5 028421 95216 1
Quink's official site.
In keeping with our series focus on late Romantic era British composers this month, comes this CD of song cycles and individual favorites by many of our featured composers. In 1983 Quink received its first international recognition when the group was named finalist in a major European music competition, and they have been going strong ever since (they tour the states twice a year). Here, Elizabethan partsong settings by Vaughan Williams and Cycles by Moeran (Songs of Springtime) and Parry (Six Modern Lyrics) are set alongside traditional favorites sung by this versatile Dutch a capella group.

ALCHEMY
Meridian Arts Ensemble
8 BELLS # 6
ISBN# 7 00261 37354 6
Meridian Arts Ensemble Official Website
This all-male brass ensemble has created a diverse catalogue of recordings; original compositions from their own members, afro-Cuban and South American folk, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa, & renaissance and baroque music. They have performed around the world and won awards for their innovative programming and "high octane" performances. This CD, with it's focus on traditional brass works of early and Baroque composers (Byrd, Corelli, Gabrielli, Bach and others) is another Holiday suitable CD that can take you into the new year with brassy confidence.

Join us again next week for more new releases, Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

We begin working in Christmas releases this week, mixed with the usual melange of great music, Just Opened!

CINEMA
Andrea Bocelli, tenor
Abbey Roads Studio Orchestra
David Foster, piano, arrangs. & prod.
SUGAR # 23945
www.andreabocelli.com
This year's "holiday" special produced by David Foster featuring beloved tenor Andrea Bocelli is a tribute to great film music. Beloved songs in beautifully orchestrated arrangements. Bocelli is joined by some regulars (his wife, whose voice is reminiscenet of Claudine Longet), and other current pop luminaries. Andrea Bocelli's voice is both timeless and current - there is something very fullfilling about his vocal quality, and it seems that he has also striven for a simplicity (in the vocal music lines) in this production, letting the well known songs do their magic.

CHRISTMAS FAVORITES
Jenni Olson, flute
Alison Bjorkedal, harp
available on itunes, cdbaby, and other online sources
http://www.jenniflute.com/
http://www.alisonbjorkedal.com/
Pure Tradition - My Gift-Giver's Delight! Even the most dedicated orchestral listener turns to the combination of flute and harp music for Christmas. Alison Bjorkedal is a grammy winning musician (and is under consideration for a solo grammy this year), and was my first harp teacher. She is particular dedicated to new and challenging repertoire and new music, but she is nothing if not diverse and well-versed! Bjorkedal is joined on this CD by versatile flautist Jenni Olson, who has also performed and recorded with major orchestras. This CD has lovely and unusual arrangement of traditional carols, and a few non-traditional, but well known Christmas works added to the mix.

COMPLETE VIOLIN CONCERTOS
OF SAINT SAENS
Andrew Wan, violin
Kent Nagano, cond.
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
ANALEKTA 8770
ISBN# 7 74204 87702 6
Link to purchase the CD
My Delight of the Week! Flawless musicianship, taste, musicality and excellence. If these are the things you look for to add to your music library, (or as a gift,) then this is one for you! Andrew Wan was named concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in 2008 after performing Elgar's Violin Concerto with them in 2007. He performs on this recording on a 1744 Bergonzi violin. After serving as soloist and guest concert master for many major orchestras internationally (and winning competitions), the musical fit between performer and orchestra is unmistakable and simply adds to the chemistry of these live performances.

WINTER DELIGHTS
Early Christmas Music & Carols
from the British Isles
Quadriga Consort
DEUTSCHE HARM.MUNDI 75722
ISBN# 8 88750 75722
Quadriga Consorts's Official Website
Egaging and appealing seasonal offerings played by a group of Austrian early instrument musicians. Grammophone magazine has hailed them as "luminescently beautiful... utterly joyful." They are known for their unconventional musical pairings which give them a unique charm and freshness. Their previous Christmas album, "On a Cold Winter's Day" was a best-selling Christmas album of 2013.

Join us next week for more Christmas (and Hanukkah) releases, Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

We're now well into Hanukkah this year, but have an interesting new release called "Shiksa" from internationally renowned violinist Lara St. John - so how could we resist? The Complete Beethoven Symphonyies, the Bach Cello Suites played by an American-Israeli Cultural Scholarship winner, and a new Christmas release from Pladico Domingo complete today's offerings!

SHIKSA
Lara St. John, violin
Matt Herskowitz, piano
ANCALAGON 143
ISBN# 8 54853 00404 9
http://larastjohn.com/
With her typical mix of musical research, intense musicality, fun, and inspiration, St. John joins with MattHerskowitz for a CD of "gypsy" inspired music. From traditional folk music to Romany works, to Judaica (hence the tongue-in-cheek title) to works inspired by both, and some new arrangement/transcriptions by Herskowitz, this CD is filled to the rafters with passionate show-stoppers for violin and piano!

MY CHRISTMAS
Placido Domingo
Czech National Symphony Orchestra
Eugene Kohn, conductor
SONY# 117 432
ISBN#8 8875 11743 2 0
Official website of Placido Domingo
This major release by one of the living legends (and heart-throbs) of our day could well be called Placido's cross-over Christmas. Most of the selections are "the usual suspects" of traditional Christmas carols, and he is joined on various tracks by his son, Idina Menzel, Jackie Evancho, Hayley Westenra, Vincent Niclo and Helen Fischer. With someone like Domingo at the helm, one cast rest assured of exceptional arrangments and great orchestrations.

BEETOVEN 9 SYMPHONIES
6 CD SET
Kent Nagano, cond.
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
ANALEKTA 9150-9155
ISBN# 7 74204 91502 5
Official Website of Nagano
Gift-Giver's Delight! This 6 CD set is a compilation of recordings made from 2012-2014, Nagano's committment to recording the complete Symphonies of Beethoven, and several other orchestra works (Overtures, etc.) to flesh out the collection and concept. One critic took great exception to the varied recording location and releases being put together, he felt that the sound(s) of the various locations were so different that it was a detraction for him. I would think this is not something the average listener is going to find too distracting. As I frequently mention, the great canons are rarely being recorded anymore, so this is an opportunity to create a foundation of a new or growing classical music collection, with one of the most respected international composers of our day, and an orchestra that is having a hey-day under his baton.

BACH CELLO SUITES
Inbal Segev, cello
VOX CLASSICS 7911
ISBN#
Official website of Segev
With so many artists recording this seminal set by Bach, an attachment to the artist, and the artist's interpretation is what sets each recording apart. Segev is the winner of many international accolades, including the American-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarship. "Ultimately, the challenge for me was to find a way to incorporate the ideas I learned from Baroque practice while being true to my musical language, which is rooted in this century. I wanted to create an interpretation of this great masterwork for the contemporary listener – to say, ‘Here is what Bach has to say to people in the 21st century.’ In this recording I strive for simplicity while trying to keep a sense of freedom. Da-Hong and I worked at capturing a pure and warm sound. It is a distillation of everything I love about the suites.” Her journey with this music has also been captured in a documentary, a 21 minute film which you can find on youtube:
documentary about the making of this CD

Join us again for more new releases and great musical gifting ideas, Just Opened!
Kara Dahl Russell

A wide variety of Christmas music and new releases today. For your holiday gift lists and listening for years to come!

ON AN OVERGROWN PATH
Lyrical Strings Duo
Lucie Zalesakova, violin
Stephen Osserman, guitar
LYRICAL STRINGS #2015
ISBN#8 89211 67389 6
http://lyricalstringsduo.com/
My Delight of the Week! I have such a crush on this CD that I have all ready given it as a present. Interpretations of mostly piano works, re-imagined for guitar and violin, mostly by Eastern European composers, including little known works like Martinu's "Puppets" and some showstoppers like Wieniawski's "Legend." There is a uniformity of sound to these works - due to regional origin and perhaps national musical temperments - that many will find especially appealing as background music, the majority of these works are on the soothing, dark chocolate side. But, of course, the exceptional blend of these two, and their arrangements and interpretation make each work (or set of works) worth repeated and intentional listening, and their interpretations may very well inform the interpretation of future soloists.

THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS
CHORAL CLASSICS - 2 CD set
Couch End Festival Chorus
City of Prague Philharmonic Orch.
SILVA CLASSICS 6049
ISBN#7 38572 60492 9
http://www.cefc.org.uk/
Gift Giver's Delight! If you enjoy great choral music in traditional arrangements for the season, this set is sure to please. The Crouch End Festival Chorus is one of Britain's Formost Symphonic Choirs, based in north London. This set of traditional works is large symphonic settings with magnificent choir is bound to be on your playlist for years to come. [This CD is all ready temporarily sold out on some major online outlets, but do a websearch, and it is still available through many.]

THE NUTCRACKER
Complete Ballet arr. for Solo Piano
Stewart Goodyear, piano (and arranger)
STEINWAY & SONS 30040
ISBN#0 34062 30040 2
Sound check article/review
Stewart Goodyear says that he has been listening to Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker since his childhood. His love of the music, and his love and expertise as a pianist, drove him to create his own arrangement of it for solo piano. He felt that many of the existing arrangements were missing something, and he went back to the score to create a solo piano version that captured the complexity and nuance of the orchestration. It is said that any great pianist (or soloist) seeks to create an orchestral sound from his/her single instrument, and here we have an internationally renowned soloist in a labor of love to create arrangements that bring that concept of an orchestral piano to fruition. As with many piano "reductions" of beloved orchestral works, not every section of the work fares as well in this transition, and for some, the absence of the orchestra will simply be a bridge too far. What is striking in Goodyear's arrangement and performance is a gleeful recognition that this is as much an intellectual exercise and feat of musicianship for Goodyear, and what a joy that so much of it works in a way that is fully satisfying.

TOTUS TUUS
Sacred Choral Music of
Michael John Trotta (comp./cond.)
New York Repertory Singers
HAMPTON ROADS
ISBN#6 37230 77769 5
www.hamptonroadsmusicgroup.com
New Choral Works for the New Year by Trotta, whom Fanfare has called "one of the most exciting and prominent composers of choral music" and Choir & Organ praises his "elegant, singable music with strong spirtual heft."

CHRISTMAS PRESENCE
Terry Barber, counter tenor
featuring Denyce Graves, soprano
2TOURS special release
ISBN#8 88295 35432 5
http://terrybarber.com/
Available online (including through his website), Counter-tenor Terry Barber has taken selections from two tours, "Christmas Presence" and "Around the World in 80 Minutes" to provide a surprisingly cohesive program of new and traditional Christmas songs, and traditional, well known songs from around the world - all in beautiful arrangments.

CAROLS FROM QUEEN'S
Owen Rees, cond.
Choir of the Queen's College, Oxford
AVIE 2345
ISBN#8 22252 23452 7
http://www.queenschoir.com/recordings/
Rees is organist (Director of Music), a Fellow in Music, and Director of the Music Department at Queen's College. He has recorded on several labels, and performed internationally. Queens Choir at Oxford is one of the foremost University Choirs in Britain (and given Britain's choral preeminence internationally, consequently also one of the foremost in the world). The have toured the world to great acclaim, and have a strenuous weekly performance schedule in services alongside their academic schedule. If you like the more intimate sound of a smaller, excellent church choir (as opposed to a symphonic choir), this will be just your cup of tea!

I hope you've found your own personal musical delight here or in the previous weeks as we've opened up new Holiday releases. We'll be back in January with more new releases, next week we have many holiday specials. Have a lovely Christmas and New Year!
Kara Dahl Russell

UNDISCOVERED CHORAL GEMS
The Composer's Choir
Daniel Shaw, Art. Dir.
CCR #43416
ISBN# 0 61297 43416 9
Available for download on multiple resources online
About the Composer's Choir
Daniel Shaw has served on the faculties of Duquesne University and John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. As a choral composer, Shaw has been received numerous commissions and his works are performed throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to being Founder and Artistic Director of the Composer’s Choir, Shaw is Artistic Director of the New Haven Oratorio Choir and serves as Minister of Music at First Church, Woodbridge, CT with many previous prestigious posts. Singers of this Choir are predominantly graduates of the Yale School of Music. Their performances of new choral works have been hailed for their outstanding singing, tuning and diction.

JOSEPH MOOG (pianist)
Greig & Moszkowski Piano Concertos
Nicholas Milton, cond.
German Radio Orch. S.K.
ONYX 4144
ISBN# 8 80040 41442 1
http://www.josephmoog.com/
Moog received the Classical Grammy Young Artist of the Year last year, and this CD has been nominated for Best Classical Instrumental Solo this year. The son of professional musicians, Moog has been playing the piano since the age of 4. At the age of 28, and looking much younger, Moog has performed with major orchestras and conductors around the world, received numberous awards, and this is all read his 9th major release. Unadulterated romanticism is the order of this CD, with Grieg's well known Concerto (recorded live), paired with the luscious Concerto in E of Moritz Moskowski. Piano Concertos fall in and out of favor, and what a joy to be reintroduced to the Moskowski Concerto that has all the lyricism, melody and pyrotechnics of the great film scores. International critics are praising his performance of the Grieg, and thanking him for bringing the lovely Moszkowski back to the spotlight in such a shining performance.

AMARYLLIS
Nina Stern, recorders & chalumeau
Glen Velez, frame drums & percussion
MSR 1577
ISBN# 6 81585 15772 5
for more information and purchase
“[ * * * * * ] a cosmopolitan range of sophisticated composers... The repertoire ranges from the 12th through 18th centuries, and winds up with an exquisitely unique solution to “Greensleeves.” The pleasures are not only gentle and real, they sometimes connect with deep inner feelings... The combination of Nina Stern playing variously six different recorders, and a diverting chalumeau, and Glen Velez playing a shruti box, an Eckermann Turkish drum, a Bruno Spana tamburello, a 20” Cooperman bodhran and a Contemporanea Surdo Frame Drum, for starters, is curiously intimate. The sound, recorded at Mozart Studios in Clifton, New Jersey, is exquisite.” -- Laurence Vittes, Audiophile Audition [December 2015]
Stern is recognized as a clarinetist and recorder player, and has appeared with the premier "original instrument" orchestras of the world. She was appointed to the faculty of Juilliard’s Historical Performance program in 2012, and has served on the faculties of the Mannes College of Music where from 1989 to 1996 she directed the Historical Performance Program, the Civica Scuola di Musica in Milan, Oberlin Conservatory (Visiting Professor), and the Five Colleges in Massachusetts. A notable music educator, Nina Stern is an innovative teacher of school-age children, and a founder of S’Cool Sounds, a hands-on music education project in inner city public schools. For this important work, Stern was awarded an Endicott Fellowship in 2003 and Early Music America’s Early Music Brings History Alive award in 2005. This CD presents a grouping of her personal favorites, mostly early music, in arrangements that are vital and fresh.

IVAN ILIC (piano)
plays Morton Feldman
PARATY 135305
ISBN# 3 760213 650337
Ivan Ilic's Official Website
This CD whas been nominated for 2016 International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), Solo Instrument Category
This CD consists of one extended work (in 22 movements) from 1985 titled "For Bunita Marcus." To say that this work is rarely performed in it's entirety would be an understatement. And while the work has (surprisingly) been recorded several times, it remains a rarity. Especially rare is that a pianist of the caliber of Ilic will have such an extended and multi-faceted relationship with the work. Feldman's work is an acquired taste, and Ilic has acquired it, cultivated it, studied it, published articles and books about it, steeped in it, and allowed it to seep through him. These works that leave most critics and listeners cold become something different in his hands, redolent of gregorian chant, meditative cloisters, with glistening particles of Scriabin-like melody momentarily reflected. So it is no surprise that the critical acclaim for Ilic's interpretation praises his ability to instill warmth into the repetitions and silences of these hypnotic works.
In discussing this CD (and Ilic's work with Feldman's music) with my co-worker, Chris Ranck, he hit on "le mot juste": Ivan Ilic is doing a marvelous job of curating Feldman's work."These are less narratives than situations ("territories") that Feldman's music grows and causes, arousing in the viewer / listener, a new field of consciousness, a new listening protocol. Spaciousness becomes essential here: it frees music and listener for endless explorations." -- Adrien De Vries, ClassiqueNews.com This would definitely be a trial for many of our more conservative listeners, but if you are a fan of repetitive, meditative works, ancient chant, new age minimalism, and/or modern repetitions... you may find that this extended work speaks to you in illuminating ways.

BRAHMS String Quartets Op. 51
New Orford String Quartet
BRIDGE 9464
ISBN# 0 90404 94642 4
http://www.en.neworford.com/
Formed in 2009 (after their famous predecessors disbanded), this New group of musicians have fully picked up the mantle of their predicessors, and continued the tradition of excellence and critical rave reviews. After the breathtaking success of their recordings of Schubert and Beethoven, they now present us with two of Brahm's masterpieces. "...I will dispense with the details of performance quality by describing the New Orford's playing succinctly as having perfection of intonation, superb tone quality, and unsurpassed clarity of musical line, while offering ensemble playing of the finest character..." - - Burton Rothleder, Fanfare

MUSICAL BANQUET
Alan Rinehart, guitar
NovaScribe 202
ISBN# 7 78224 12042 1
http://alanrinehart.com/
Since 1983 Rinehart has been on the music faculty of the University of British Columbia & Vancouver University. He studied lute technique and performance practice extensively, classical guitar, and has many published editions of works (including several on this CD). Since his critically acclaimed London debut in 1980 he has been a recognized contributor to the world of concert guitar as a performer, teacher and editor. He has rave reviews from The Times of London, Fanfare, and more impressively, from industry specific publications, Classical Guitar Magazine and Guitar International Magazine. The newer works are inspired by and reference more classical works, making the entire CD easy on the ears. Incidentally, this is something that reviewers have mentioned, Rinehart's skill with putting together an appealing program. The majority of works on this CD are either traditional works, from early music to works by Albeniz, Pujol and Duarte, ending with infectious upbeat works by Machado and Ross.

Join us next week for more new releases, Just Opened!
Kara Dahl Russell

Mostly Chamber works today on Just Opened, with an older release tossed in that is new to our library, with a special focus on music inspired by traditional works of the orient, and spanish cultures.

J.S.BACH
Organ Works Vol. III
Robert Quinney, organ
CORO 16132
ISBN #8 28021 61322 7
Info. on Robert Quinney
English organist, Robert Quinney, studied at King's College, Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar. On graduating from Cambridge (with BA and M.Phil. degrees) Quinney became Acting Sub-Organist of Westminster Abbey for a year, then moved to Westminster Cathedral as Assistant Master of Music in September 2000. He won the Royal College of Organists Performer of the Year competition in 2002. He returned to Westminster Abbey in 2004, has toured and recorded with their choir, and was principal organist for many events. In April of 2013 he became Director of Music at Peterborough Cathedral. This is the third in his series of Bach works for the Coro label. Gramophone wrote, "Alongside his impeccable performances, Quinney’s greatest achievement is to produce music-making which really communicates itself to the listener." These works, including the Canonic Variations and Pastorella (suite) are performed on The Meltzer organ of Trinity College, Cambridge.

HANDEL ARIAS
Lorraine Hunt, mezzo
Nicholas McGegan, cond.
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
HARMONIA MUNDI 907149
Released in 1994
Bio of Lorraine Hunt 1954-2006
This CD was not in our library, and gave us a nice contrast to the chamber works featured today. It gave us an equally nice chance to explore the early work of this internationally renowned singer who died young.

MELODIES OF CHINA
Zhang Zhao, piano & arranger
Schott Publications

SKU: MMOCD16102HL

info. on purchase of sheet music book & cd
My delight of the week! Of particular interest to those who play the piano, this CD is included with the sheet music book of the works. I have always been personally enamored of "orientale" music of the romantic era, and arrangements and transcriptions of music from the far east. Zhang Zhao takes a page from the romantic-era, a focus on traditional folk melody, and creates lush, accessible, mostly low intermediate level piano work arrangments. There are a series of these "Melodies of China" books, for different instruments, featuring different pieces. Each has an accompanying CD of performances of the sheet music, here beautifully performed by the arranger himself. The music is under copyright to the People's Republic of China, and they have a special publication relationship with the German company, Schott Publishing, one of the largest sheet music publishers in Europe. What is particularly nice about this collection, is that the provinces are identified where the folk melody originated. It is a good way for piano teachers to add some interesting "flavors" to the repertoire for students, and for performers, too!

THE LATIN PROJECT
Boston Cello Quartet
ISBN# 8 63428 00020 1
http://www.bostoncelloquartet.com/
Sometimes we receive promotional copies of a CD so quickly, that the information on them can not yet be easily found online. Such is the case with this CD... as of today, it is not even on their website yet. So... consider this a tickling of your musical tastebuds, and if you want to purchase the CD, I'm sure they'd be delighted to receive and email through their website about it. (It IS availble through multiple online resources... try your favorite online CD store.) The works on this CD are sometimes familiar, always accessible. Works by Chabrier, Corea, Granados, Barroso, Albeniz, and a new highly melodic work by Patrice Sciortino, all easy on the ears, all inspired by the toe tapping rhythms of Spanish and Latin American music.

THE LEGEND OF HAGOROMO
Aaron Larget-Caplan, guitar
STONE RECORDS 80567
ISBN# 5 060192 780567
http://www.alcguitar.com/index.php
This CD features arrangements by Asian composers and works inspired by eastern legends and music by westerners. The largescale title work for solo guitar was arranged by David Russell. There is a piece by Leo Brower inspired by composer Toru Takamitsu, and arrangments by Takamitsu of works by Arlen & Gershwin. There are also a few first recordings of new works. Aaron Larget-Caplan is a roster artist for the New England Foundation for the Arts' New England States Touring Grant program, and has received rave reviews for his performances across the U.S. and internationally. This CD presents variations of style and composer on the strong theme of guitar music inspired by the far east.

BRAZILIAN DREAMS
Music of Michael Eckert
Amanda McCandless, clarinet
Polina Khatsko, piano
Unison Piano Duo
MSR 1549
ISBN# 6 81585 15492 2
Bio and Info on Michael Eckert
New music by a living composer! No need to hide or cover your ears, this collection by Michael Eckert is all filled with melody and easy to enjoy. The rich clarinet of McCandless joins effortlessly with the accomplished accompaniment of Khatsko, and nice tonal contrast is provided by the works for piano duo, richly performed by the husband and wife team, Unison Piano Duo. If you want to try new music, but are afraid that it will be too far from the madding crowd, this CD gives you an engaging variety of new works from a composer you'll want to follow and hear more of.

Join us again next week for more new releases, Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

Many of our releases today feature women in Music, the Cecilia String Quartet, pianist Klara Min, and composer Stacy Garrop put forth a strong case for serious accomplished women. Overall, today's program is one leaning more toward the "serious" music listener... with the accomplished soundings of Ensemble Caprice giving us seamless combinations of early and modern works, or the soundtrack to the feature film YOUTH, which combines many styles of music with traditional orchestral works and new works in a minimal vein by David Lang.

SCRIABIN
Klara Min, piano
STEINWAY & SONS 30045
ISBN# 0 34062 30045 7
My Delight of the Week!
Before the minimalism of today, we had the predominantly quiet and thoughtful music of Scriabin that was pointing toward the compositional world of today. But he was pointing to this new musical thought while standing firmly in the basis of the melodic Romantic era, so that, to the modern ear, his works feel profoundly peaceful, with the soothing touch of reassuring melody. Min has the technique to make Scriabin's sometimes challenging structures smooth as velvet, and the reassuring restraint to let the music unfold as slowly as an Iris blossom. She has chosen works that fit together beautifully, to immerse us in restful refreshment of a musical oasis.

CHACONNE
Voices of Eternity
Ensemble Caprice
Mattias Maute, cond.
ANALEKTA 9132
ISBN# 7 74204 91322 9
Mattias Maute & Ensemble caprice have been on our air for at least a decade, with literate, studious, dedicated, sparkling, lively interpretations of early and baroque works. This CD craftily contrasts new works by Maute in the style of his beloved eras with original era works into a

MENDELSSOHN
Cecilia String Quartet
ANALEKTA 9132
ISBN# 7 74204 91322 9
Meant ENTIRELY as a compliment: in a day when female composers rarely had sufficient training, and their work was dismissed as lacking, Felix Mendelssohn (and Chopin) were able to mine their feminine sides for music with lightness, classicism, depth and variety of emotion, passion and, in Mendelssohn's case, spritely humor. The accomplished women of this quartet takes all these elements into luminous stride to create a significant recording of Mendelssohn's beloved quartets.

MYTHOLOGY SYMPHONY
Orchestral Works by Stacy Garrop
CCPA Symphony Orchestra
CEDILLE 160
ISBN# 7 35131 91602 8
If you love the power and punch of Beethoven's works, you'll find that here in these orchestral works composed by Garrop. These are by no means classical works, blend world music and at quieter times, a pinch of new age minimalism with the force of thunder, and you'll get a sense of Garrop's work. Works here inspired by mythology and ancient peoples. Garrop's works are being performed and comissioned all over the world. Hers is a name to know, and this particular CD is a great way to familiarze yourself with her sound. IF she had been seeking to prove that women can compose music that doesn't sound like "a girl" wrote it, case stated and won!

YOUTH (soundtrack)
David Lang, composer
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Trio Medaevale, Sumi Jo, BBC Concert Orch.
ISBN # 7 31387 ?7592 8
A wide variety of performers and styles. The film is about a composer, and how is world is composed of sounds. New orchestral and chamber works by David Lang represent the works of the composer played by Michael Caine. Orchestral excerpts by Debussy, Mercadante, and Stravinsky populate the score alongside a wide variety of pop music performers and styles.

A special thanks to all of you who support the classical music programming here on WSCL. It is profound honor to be able to share this great music with you. Join me again next week, for more new releases, Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

Old, New and Happy New Year! Today on Just Opened.

2016 NEW YEAR'S CONCERT
Vienna Philharmonic
Mariss Jansons
SONY 5174802
ISBN# 8 88751 74802 6
Vienna Phil. website
My Delight of the Week! If you feel as I do... a year starts off best by watching/hearing the Vienna Philharmonic New Year Concert. Each year these concerts are made available, so you can revisit that "fresh New Year" feeling, and the glorious timeless music played by one of the greatest orchestras in the world. This year's program included the rarely heard "Vienna Maidens Waltz... which features the orchestra whistling the melody against the accompaniment of solo harp... it gives me chills and goosebumps every time I hear it!

AIRES INDIOS
Piano Music of Bolivia
Walter Aparicio, piano
MSR1546
ISBN# 6 81585 15462 5
http://www.walteraparicio.com/
Pianists are always looking for new repertoire that is melodic and accessible, but also interesting. These works are just the ticket, performed by an accomplished, multiple award-winning pianist who has made a purpose of cultivating these works from his home country, that could be called Contemporary South American Romanticism. Folk melodies and infectious driving rhythms in a variety of settings. A marvelous program in itself, any one of these works could be individually inspirational to pianists, and a great way to add color to a program.

JOHANN MICHAEL NICOLAI
Sonatas from 17th Century Germany
Passamezzo Moderno
www.passamezzomoderno.com
ISBN# 8 45121 08226 5
Passamezzo Moderno, founded in 2005, is a period ensemble that performs the music of three centuries, from 1530 to 1830, and specializes in the virtuoso instrumental music of the 17th century. The blend of strings and bassoon, both an historically accurate and a pleasing grouping, along with their dedication and affection for this obscure repertoire, make it lively and appealing.

PALESTRINA, Vol. 6
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers, cond.
CORO 16133
ISBN# 8 28021 61332 6
http://www.thesixteen.com/
Now on Volume 6 of their dedicated CD explorations of the works of Giovanni da Palestrina, Harry Christophers and "The Sixteen" are renowned internationally for their respect for early works, for exquisitely seamless vocals on complex historic materials, and they have developed an avid fan base around the world.

Thank you for listening to new works, Just Opened.
If you enjoy Just Opened, it needs your financial support! All programs on Delmarva Public Radio are listener supported. Please take a moment to click the red button at the upper right of the page and make your support tangible! Thank you!
Kara Dahl Russell

Today we have contrasts of traditional music and contemporary works, and some food for thought about inclusion in the arts.

STEAL AWAY
The African American Concert Spiritual
Seraphic Fire
Patrick Dupre Quigley, piano & cond.
SFM 642 7
ISBN# 6 143325 79642 7
When an all white choral group makes the decision to approach traditional African American material, they know it will be mentioned. (Having only two male african american soloists featured on this Cd make the photo of the all-white choral group more noticable.) The choice demonstrates a laudible intentionality of purpose in showcasing this music of great historic significance beyond a racial confine. In the publicity material, Seraphic Fire has stated that this choice demonsrates their belief that this music should have a larger place in the repertoire of concert music. Unfortunately, the choice does also highlight how segregated music making often remains - even among really fine groups like this. Conductor James De Priest often made the point that while his outreach work playing the music of African American composers was important, that he conducted all composers from around the world, and did not want to be known for just one segment of his work. In this day and age of "diversity," there can sometimes be a fine line between celebrating diversity and segregating the arts. For artists of EVERY race, making choices that call attention to race can be a double edged sword. Kudos to Seraphic Fire for not letting this disuade them. Any lover of choral music will know that this CD audibly makes the case for the timeless and universal beauty of these works.

So - something to think about and discuss with friends - why ARE so many choral groups so often racially unmixed?

BEETHOVEN
Vol. 5 Complete String Quartets
Quartetto di Cremona
with Lawrence Dutton, viola
AUDITE 92.684
ISBN# 4 022143 92684 5
Beethoven's only string quintet is featured alongside his "Thanksgiving" quartet in this CD, vol. 5 in the series of Beethoven quartets recorded by Quartetto di Cremona, hailed as "Italy's most exciting string quartet."

-- In light of the comments above about the racial composition of music groups, we should, perhaps refer to this quartet as an "all male" group?

HENRYK GORECKI
Symphony No. 4 (Tansman Episodes)
London Philharmonic Orch.
Andrey Boreyko, cond.
NONESUCH 549570-2
ISBN# 0 78597 95034 2
With the subject matter often dark, the musical influences modern (Alexander Tansman was known for breaking up musical forms), and the tonalities often non-melodic and bombastic, the music of Gorecki has been known to cause heated debates amongst our listeners, and is certainly not for those seeking musical cotton candy. His music HAS won the regard of musicologists as a leading Polish composer of the avant garde movement, and a 1992 recording of his Symphony No. 3 sold over one million copies and reached the top of the Classical Music charts. Certainly by any standard of recognition, when the London Philharmonic Orchestra undertakes the recording of all the Symphonies of one composer, it is a major stamp of approval. This symphony is being released individually, as part of a 7 disc set.

WATER
Helene Grimaud, piano
Deutsche Grammophone
Deutsche Gram. 479 3424
ISBN# 0289 479 3426 4
This CD of international piano virtuoso Grimaud is very much a collaboration with producer Nitin Sawhney, who composed transitional pieces that combine piano and electronic sound production into what they call an "acoustic stream" and a "musical ecosystem." One performance saw the concert stage being filled with water as Grimaud played. While many of the works are challenging (even the choice of Faure's Barcarolle No. 5 is one of the least melody driven of his Barcarolles), steeped into the foundation of this program are well loved works like Liszt's virtuoso showpiece, "The Play of Water at the Villa d'Este" and Debussy's "Sunken Cathedral" (which is often mentioned as a favorite work of many pianists). For many years, Grimaud has been an established artist who has consciously used her visibility to highlight extra-musical causes. With water resources and availability regularly in the international news, and now problems with tainted water here in the states, this CD has a world-wide resonance on many levels.

Join us next week for more new releases, Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

New music in a variety of forms and traditional works performed with freshness and new intention.

SAMPLINGS
New Music for Bassoon & Piano
Matthew Morris, bassoon
MSR 1547
ISBN# 6 81585 15472 4
more about Morris
A CD of new works for Bassoon and piano. These works are part adventuresome, partly lyric... a good mix to display technical proficiency and the luscious sound of the bassoon.

VISIONE (selected songs of)
Luigi Mantegani
Roberta Canzian, soprano
Ena Ferrari, piano
Visione Music 2014
ISBN# 6 44167 15682 0
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/luigimantegani
(available through many online CD resources)
My Delight of the Week! This is an enhanced CD that includes sheet music files of the music. Mantegani lived from 1894 to 1989, but the sound of these art songs remains very true to the Romantic era. I can think of many pianists and sopranos who would be delighted to receive this CD, and the fact that the music is available with the listening experience is a wonderful concept. Swiss/Italian composer Mantegani is best known for his religious works. His art songs, mostly settings of Italian poets, have a clarity of melodic line reminiscent of Faure. Canzian & Ferrari keep things simple and true to the text, to enable us to hear the composer's works in the most straightforward way... there is a purity here of tone (and intention). A wonderful introduction to lesser known works that are ripe to be included in recitals of today.

MARIA NEWMAN:
The Art of the Chamber Orchestra
Book II
Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra
Scott Hosfeld, cond.
MONTGOMERY ARTS HOUSE 1205205
ISBN# 6 14325 70812 3
http://www.marianewmanmusic.com/
Newman's works have been recognized in film scores and orchestras and commissioned works. This is the second "chapter" in her recordings of her very accessible chamber works.

TUTTI
Orechestral Arrangements for Piano 4 hands
Shelest Piano Duo
SOREL CLASSICS 002
ISBN# 8 88295 25659 9
http://annashelest.com/Duo.html
They could both easily be cover models, but this husband and wife duo are immensely talented pianists with solo careers. They also play as a duo and this CD is the result. The timeless appeal of works by Smetana, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Ravel and Gershwin.

THE GRAND CANYON PROJECT
Music for solo cello
Rhonda Rider, cello
MSR 1462
ISBN# 6 81585 14622 4
http://rhondarider.com/
This CD should be of intense interest to cellists, both for Rider's technical prowess and for the wealth of unusual new works here. The scrumptious voice of Rider's 1760 cello, and her musicality, give full nuance, emotional power, and texture to these challenging new works for solo cello.

LATE NIGHT: ENCORES II
Roberto McCausland Dieppa, piano
SCRUFFY RECORDS 020...
ISBN# 8 88295 14078 2
http://robertomccauslanddieppa.com/
For many years now, Dieppa has used a logo of his hair and glasses as a signature. This kind of negative space image says a lot about the fully integrated artistic approach that he has to his music, and also the modernity of his approach to recording. (Humorously, in our presidential run, this logo of a shock of hair and glasses appears to be his endorsement for Bernie Sanders, whose campaign has begun using a similar image.) Dieppa's performances are rich in nuance and tonal blending. This Cd of "Encores II" are just that - well loved and immensely popular works - performed by a master.

Thank you for your support of Just Opened.
Kara Dahl Russell

Today on Just Opened, we explore music from many folk traditions: lush orchestral arrangments of celtic songs and other popular music featuring formal Royal Harpist Claire Jones, very early folk music and dances, spanish- inspired piano music by Vanessa Perez, and new music for the oldest instruments - percussion!

JOURNEY
Claire Jones, harp
Chris Marshall, arranger
London Mozart Players
SILVA CLASSICS 6051
ISBN# 7 38572 60512 4
http://www.clairejones.co.uk/
My Delight of the Week! Sometimes we are sent a CD so early that the final title and publicity of the package is not complete. This came to us in a package, titled "Royal Harp Strings" instead of "Journey." Not to worry, the music is the same, a combination of luscious arrangements for harp and orchestra (arrangements by Claire's husband, Chris Marshall), of immense popularity. Almost all the arrangements are soothing, hence the addition of "harp to soothe the soul" into the new packaging, and only one or two solos (the magnificent "Les Dances des Sylphes" by Felix Godefroid). Jones is former "Royal Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales" and her beauty alone would be enough to attract attention... so her talent, and over 180 royal performance engagements in her 4 year tenure to the royals is icing on the cake. This CD is a compilation of 2 CDs sold in Britain, put out to coincide with her tour in the Unites States (she is due nearby in Washington D.C. in early March). All the works are popular, whether traditional celtic tunes, familiar film melodies, or great opera arias in instrumental arrangements. When people think of the sound of harp and orchestra, timeless beauty and magical melody, this is exactly what they expect. This CD is crossover in the best sense, combining popular melody with fine arrangements for orchestra, an easy favorite.
For info. & tickets on Claire Jones' performance in D.C. click here.

ISTANPITTA
New York's Ensemble for Early Music
Frederick Renz, Dir.
LYRICHORD/LEMS 8016
ISBN# 7 44457 80162 8
http://www.earlymusicny.org/emny.php
http://www.worldmusicstore.com/istanpittaiimedievaldances.aspx
Some of our listeners just can't get enough of music from 1500s and before. This particular selection (released way back in 1995) is an infectious grouping of dances from the 1300s. Music this old has a way of sounding extremely current, and it speaks to this CD still being available on many websites, including "world music" sites. Renz and New York's Ensemble for Early Music have a sizable CD output (on several different labels), and they have become synonymous with rigor in exploration of early music, and delightfully "present" performances.

SPAIN
Vanessa Perez, piano
STEINWAY & SONS 30036
ISBN# 0 34062 30036 5
http://www.vanessaperez.com/jsp/home.jsp
Pianist Perez has received high praises from international luminaries like Gustavo Dudamel, Claudio Arrau, and Zubin Mehta. This CD features works inspired by Spain, focusing on two beloved composers: Manuel da Falla, and Claude Debussy. Her work has been called shimmering, powerful, vivid, and stylish. This are essential piano pieces, adding a flourish to your listening library.

THIRD COAST PERCUSSION
(works by) Steve Reich
CEDILLE 161
ISBN# 7 35131 61612 7
New works by Reich played by this accomplished and esteemed percussion ensemble.

Thank you for your support of new works, JUST OPENED!
Kara Dahl Russell

SYMPHONY & CREATIONS
FOR ORGAN & ORCHESTRA
Kent Nagano, cond.
Montreal Symphony OrchestraOlivier Latry, organist emeritus of the MSO
ANALEKTA 8779
ISBN# 7 74204 87792 7
The official premier performance of the new organ in the relatively new Montreal Symphony House gives us the opportunity to hear a beloved major work for orchestra and organ, as well as two new works. The opening piece and major work of this CD is the Saint Saens "Organ Symphony." The final work on the CD is the most challenging, very much of the "modern" era, and many of our listeners would find it excessively jarring and unpleasant, but these works are important for musicians remaining in the "serious" mode of exploring new compositions, and cultivating the working composers of today. Between these two is a new work, "A Globe Itself Infolding" (yes, in-folding) which is meditative and layers tone on tone in a peaceful "new age-y" sort of contemplative work that is surprising mellow for the grand combination of organ and symphony. It may be reading too much into it to say that the central location of this work may be an indicator of the importance they expect it to have... certainly it is a work that would be suitable for a variety of religious services (for the churches lucky enough to have a combination of organ and symphony at their disposal).

A COUPLE OF MEN FROM 1810
Piano Music of Robert Schumann
and Frederick Chopin
ALBANY/TROY 1601 & 2
2 CD set
ISBN# 0 34061 16012 0
It is rare for a mature, regularly performing, internationally recognized performer past the age of 80 to continue making CDs. Cockrell asks and answers this question in the notes to this set. Trained at Juliard and Harvard College, he has taught for over 40 years at the University of Albany, with additional private students, and has also conducted. He says the purpose of playing is performing, and CDs fullfill the dual purpose of preserving and confirming favorite repertoire, but also the opportunity to perform beyond one own physical performance "region." And, on a practical note, he mentions the hope that new performance dates may come from this extended reach of the CD. So now I'm going to be a musical yenta: concert producers take note - he's interested and available!

EMBRACE
Seunghee Lee, clarinet
Evan Solomon, piano
SUMMIT 577
ISBN# 0 99402 57792 0
My Delight of the Week! One of the difficult pleasures of my job is having to listen to many, many new releases, and then choosing a delight from amongst a selection of wonderful and often incredibly varied CDs. Seunghee Lee is an artist whose work I simply enjoy. She simply gets out of the way and makes beautiful music for us (amply aided by pianist Evan Solomon). Her previous CD has been a staple of our playlist, and this CD, with a continuation of well-loved, "timeless classic" works is simply more of the same, in the best possible way. While many of our listeners enjoy a challenge from time to time, the majority of our listeners simply want to hear and enjoy beautiful music. Here it is - again!

THE TANGO FADO PROJECT
Manhattan Camerata
with Nathalie Pires, fado singer
Polly Ferman, piano & Daniel Binelli, bandoneon
SOREL CLASSICS 005
ISBN# 8 88295 36815 5
Sorel Classics is a new, selective label that continues to impress in its commitment to female performers and variety of fine concert repertoire. The connections (and contrasts) between Argentinian tango music and Portugese fado music are explored with all the craft, finesse, seriousness, utmost musicality - and - the infectious joy and spirited verve that you could hope for!

Kara Dahl Russell

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