Category: Classical
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Sebastien Fagerlund: Darkness In Light
Sebastien Fagerlund is Finnish and his Wikipedia entry reads: “He is described as a post-modern impressionist whose sound landscapes can be heard as ecstatic nature images which, however, are always inner images, landscapes of the mind.” It says the violin concerto Darkness in Light “inhabits the zone between dream and reality” and is partly inspired…
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Copenhagen Piano Quartet: Kuhlau: Piano Quartets 1&2
Unlike Henze (see above) Kuhlau seems to have been more workmanlike in his output, writing cosmopolitan pieces to entertain, and these two piano quartets are major works from the composer’s most productive decade. They’re both easy to listen to and evidence of Kuhlau’s skills as a pianist. Part of the attraction of this CD is…
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Lucia Micallef: Bach, Keyboard Concertos
Just as the opera Pomona (elsewhere) is a good way to ease into that genre, this album is a good introduction to classical music itself, though for a different reason: it’s top quality. If you feel you want to buy a classical CD, this is an excellent first investment (after which, Peter Sheppard Skaerved’s Beethoven…
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Reinhard Keiser: Pomona
If you’re looking to get into opera, this fairly simple piece is a good place to start. We suspect opera buffs would dismiss it as lightweight froth; the Review Corner doesn’t particularly warm to opera yet we’ve enjoyed it. It’s a gateway CD: get into this and heavier opera will seem more palatable. The plot…
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Isasi Quartet Isasi: String Quartets 1&5
As can be seen by the CD sleeve, complete with Spanish flag, Isasi was Spanish (born in Bilbao) but despite being active in the early 20th century he was a fan of Germanic classical music from the previous century, and wrote accordingly. This wasn’t fashionable at the time and Isasi, who the sleeve notes say…
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Kammerchor Michaelstein: Rolle – 31 Motets
Rolle was described by a contemporary as benevolent, moderate and with good breeding, and his personality is reflected in his music; it is these qualities that presumably made his music so popular during his lifetime. He was born in 1715 and died in 1785, but by 1825 he had been largely forgotten. He composed his…
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Odinn Baldvinsson, Patricia Romero: Cantilena II
Odinn Baldvinsson, Patricia Romero Cantilena II The main appeal of this charming album is how the flute and piano meld — the two musicians work really well together. We’re struggling to say much about the music itself (and curse the fact that no-one seems to review other than the big-name classical CDs): these are delicate…
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