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February Catalogue

February Supplement 1

JOSEPH CALLAERTS (1838-1901): Gavotte, Op. 20, EMILE WAMBACH (1854-1924): Andante appassionata, PAUL GILSON (1865-1942): Suite, JAN BLOCKX (1851-1912): Sérénade de Milenka, EDWARD KEURVELS (1853-1916): A Childhood Ideal, EMMANUEL DURLET (1893-1977): The Refuge of Your Eyes, LEO VAN DEN BROECK (1896-1968): Poëma, JEF MAES (1905-1996): Impromptu, FRANZ CORNEEL D'HAEYER (1889-1971): Sarabande BEA. This recital was put together by its artists to pay homage to forgotten Flemish composers and teachers at the Antwerp Conservatory. The 19th century pieces are in the song-without-words or salon style ( a nice bouncy gavotte from Callaerts) but even the 20th century pieces are tonal and easy on the ear with little trace of passionate emotions (even for Wambach's piece written in London during WWI or Durlet's written in 1945 during the Allied bombing of Antwerp); the mellow singing quality of the instrument is the main focus here. Beatrijs Schilders (cello), Urbain Boodts (piano). René Gailly 87135 (Belgium) 02- 0AK $16.98

FRANTI·EK BENDA (1709-1786): Violin Sonatas in A, B Flat, G, A Minor and A. Benda spent much of his career at the court of Frederick the Great and, though Frederick's instrument was the flute, found plenty of time to write more than 100 works for violin. Self-admittedly not a great contrapuntalist, Benda composed to his strength: an inherent Bohemian ability to write tuneful, song-like music which is what is on offer here in these five three-movement sonatas (where the cello plays a "continuo" role). Shizuka Ishikawa (violin), Petr Hejny (cello), Josef Hála (piano). Lotos 0050 (Czech Republic) 02- 0AL $16.98

CHRISTIAN FREDERIK EMIL HORNEMAN (1840-1906): Aladdin (An Adventure Overture for Orchestra), Ballet Music from Act 3 of Aladdin, Act 1 Melodrama from Esther, Suite: The Struggle With the Muses, Gurre-Suite. Horneman was the son of a composer and a close friend of Grieg, with whom he set out to topple the conservative Danish musical establishment dominated by Hartmann and Gade. Nothing here will sound revolutionary to late 20th century ears but Horneman does have a distinctive personality which can be heard in the dramatic, galloping overture (1863), the evocative, muted and mysterious melodrama depicting the inhabitants of a sunken city (1889), the brilliant "Sunrise" and delirious "Bacchanale" from the Struggle With Muses (1897) and the entire Gurre-Suite (composed at the same time as Schoenberg's Gurrelieder!). Distinctive music, well worth discovering! Aalborg Symphony Orchestra; Owain Arwel Hughes. BIS 749 (Sweden) 02-0AM $17.98

LOUIS FRANÇOIS DAUPRAT (1781-1868): Grand Sextuor in C. Dauprat was the most influential horn player of his day and swept the Parisian public off their feet with his displays of virtuosity. This 41-minute work for six horns (in six movements too) is a breathtaking balancing act between acrobatic virtuosity and cantabile passages of "vocal" quality. Die Detmolder Hornisten. MD&G 324 0087 (Germany) 02-0AN $18.98

JOHANN FRIEDRICH REICHARDT (1752-1814): Trio in B Flat, Op. 1/3, Three Trios, Op. 4. Almost forgotten today, Reichardt was an important figure in the history of the German lied and his stage works were equally influential. His instrumental compositions have sunk almost without trace however, making this new release of string trios particularly welcome. The op. 4 works, published in 1786, are in three movements of the typical sonata, song-like andante and final rondo form and the violin dominates. The other trio, from 1778, is in similar style but with a prominent role at times for the viola as well. All are conservatively "classical". Ensemble AGORA. MD&G 603 0731 (Germany) 02-0AO $18.98

LUDWIG AUGUST LEBRUN (1752-1790): Clarinet Concerto in B Flat, JOSEPH BEER (1744-1812): Clarinet Concerto in B Flat, FRANZ ANTON HOFFMEISTER (1754-1812): Concerto for 2 Clarinets and Orchestra in E Flat. Clarinettist Klöcker's archival rummaging has turned up three more world premiere recordings in this first volume of a series of clarinet concertos from the Imperial and Royal Court Orchestras of Vienna and Berlin. These works all come from the collection of clarinettist and composer Joseph Beer whose concerto (in one movement) crosses the Romantic threshold. Lebrun's work is stylistically close to Mozart as is Hoffmeister's which particularly exploits the low registers of the paired instruments. Dieter Klöcker, Waldemar Wandel (clarinets), Munich Chamber Orchestra; Hans Stadlmeier. Koch Schwann 364222 (Germany) 02- 0AP $16.98

LEOS JANÁCEK (1854-1928): The Eternal Gospel, Our Father, Lord Have Mercy, Elegy on the Death of My Daughter Olga, âarták on the SoláÀ. Janacek's 1914 cantata, The Eternal Gospel, sets a poem by Jaroslav Vrchlicky on the vision of a kingdom of the spirit governed by eternal love. The score is pure mature Janacek of the late period, rising to a grand climax reminiscent of moments in the Glagolitic Mass. Lord Hav e Mercy, from 1896 (for soloists, choir, harp and organ) sets an ancient Czech chant in music of alternating ethereal calm and rhythmic vigor while the Elegy (1903), for tenor, choir and piano is filled with painful resignation. Rare and top-drawer Janacek! Jadwiga Wysoczanska (soprano), Beno Blachut (tenor), Prague Philharmonic Choir, Prague Radio Choir, Prague Symphony Orchestra; JiÞí Pinkas. Supraphon SU 3314 (Czech Republic) 02- 0AQ $6.98

BOHUSLAV MARTINU (1890-1959): Symphony No. 1, Symphony No. 6 "Fantaisies symphoniques". First digital recordings at budget price of Martinu's symphonies. The First Symphony was written in New England during 1942, full of the composer's inimitable motoric rhythms and swirling orchestral colors with an impassioned Largo inspired by the Nazis' recent destruction of the Czech town of Lidice while the Sixth was completed in Paris in 1953 ultimately to become Martinu's most acclaimed work. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Arthur Fagen. Naxos 8.553348 (Hong Kong) 02-0AR $5.98