Thursday, August 16

"Make new friends but keep the old" - that's good advice regarding music as well as people. Today I'm pleased to introduce you (and heck, myself) to several rarely aired works: a sorrowful tribute by Claudio Monteverdi to his late wife, subtitled "Tears of a lover at the grave of his beloved"; chamber music by Georges Onslow, whose colorful father fled first political scandal in England and then countterrevolutionary troubles in France; choral songs by Russian composer-pianist-teacher-scientist Sergei Taneyev; and, from the previous generation, Alexander Borodin's Third Symphony, normally overshadowed by his popular Second. Will these pieces be mere passing acquaintances? Future bosom buddies? You never know if you don't meet 'em.

11 AM
  • Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 7 in F. London Sym, Jarvi (Chandos 8885)
  • Onslow: Sextet for piano and strings in E-flat, Op. 30. Gianluca Luisi, Ensemble Concertant Frankfurt (MDG 603 1442)
  • Taneyev: Twelve Part-Songs on Poems by Jakov Polonsky: Book 1 (Songs 1-4). Voronezh Chamber Choir, Shepel (Etcetera 1158)
12 N
  • Copland: Danzon Cubano. New York Phil, Bernstein (Sony 60571)
  • Ginastera: Homage to Aaron Copland; Danzas Argentinas. Fernando Viani (Naxos 8.557911-12)
  • Telemann: Recorder Concerto in C major, TWV 51:C1. Philip Pickett, New London Consort (L'Oiseau-Lyre 433 043)
  • Borodin: Symphony No. 3 in A minor. Royal Stockholm Phil, Rozhdestvensky (Brilliant Classics box 93348)
1 PM
  • Monteverdi: Sestina, "Lacrime d'amante al sepolcro dell'amata." Delitiae Musicae, Longhini (Naxos 8.555312-13)
  • Schumann, Clara: Valses Romantiques, Op. 4. Susanne Grutzmann (Profil 07065)
  • Pleyel: Periodic Symphony No. 6 in F major. Zurich Chamber Orch, Griffiths (CPO 999 759)
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