performed by the Goldner String Quartet, or below by the Alban Berg Quartet (cover image by David von Diemar) One of Stravinsky’s few efforts in the string quartet form, the Three Pieces dates from 1914, right after Petrushka and The Rite of Spring. … Continue reading Stravinsky: Three Pieces for String Quartet
performed by the Novosibirsk “Filarmonica” String Quartet (cover image by Zach Reiner) Roslavets again, this time in what I find to be a far more compelling piece. We discussed last week that Roslavets, as if nearly disappearing from the face of … Continue reading Roslavets String Quartet no. 1
performed by Olga Andryushchenko, or below by someone who is not Olga Andryushchenko (cover image by Roman Mavrin) Scriabin’s influence can be heard in earlier works, and a constant search for fresh sound constellations resulted in Roslavets’ invention of influential new … Continue reading Roslavets: Three Compositions
performed by Emil Leichner, or below by Paul Kaspar (the above video should start at 27:45) (cover image by Rhendi Rukmana) If you assumed from the ‘book III’ in the title of this work that there exist books I and II … Continue reading Martinů: Puppets, Book III
performed by the Beaux Arts Trio, or below by the Joachim Trio (cover image by Aaron Burden) I’ve written my trio. Now all I need are the themes. Ravel, of his piano trio Ravel’s piano trio was written in 1914, … Continue reading Ravel Piano Trio in Am, M. 67
performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult third and fourth movements here Ralph Vaughan Williams was born on 12 October, 1872 at Down Ampney, Gloucestershire to Rev. Arthur Vaughan Williams, of English and Welsh ancestry, with backgrounds … Continue reading Ralph Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony
performed by an unknown pianist from some recording I acquired somehow, or below by Irina Emeliantseva Nikolai Andreevich Roslavets was born on January 4 1881 (23 December, 1880 in the Julian Calendar) (possibly) in the Chernigov Governorate (a day less than … Continue reading Nikolai Roslavets: Piano Sonata no. 1
performed by Matti Raekaillo, or below by Boris Berman The second sonata of Sergei Prokofiev was first performed on February 5, 1914 by the composer in Moscow. It is dedicated to Maximilian Schmidthof, to whom the composer’s second piano concerto (which … Continue reading Prokofiev Piano Sonata no. 2 in Dm, op. 14
performed by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra under Evgeny Svetlanov playlist of the entire work here Yesterday we talked a bit about Myaskovsky’s early life and his second symphony. Today we’ll talk a bit more about his life and his … Continue reading Revisit: Myaskovsky Symphony no. 3 in Am, op. 15
performed by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra under Yevgeny Svetlanov (This piece has been ‘revisited’ since I felt the article below to be inadequate. For the updated article, click here.) Losing a post in progress is like Tumblr stealing a small part of my life. And infuriating. This one is two movements, but that doesn’t mean it lacks length. Each movement is at or over 20 minutes, so it comes in at somewhere shy of 45 minutes. As I’ve said before, I’m not super great at recognizing structure and key changes and all of that business, and it’s certainly harder … Continue reading Myaskovsky Symphony No. 3 in Am
Fugue for Thought 