performed by the Nash Ensemble, or below (cover image by Gaetano Cessati) Mozart’s second flute quartet, in G major, was written, or at least completed, in 1778. Three of Mozart’s four flute quartets, I guess, were written for “amateur flautist … Continue reading Mozart Flute Quartet no. 2 in G, K. 285a
performed by Chamber Music Northwest, or below by performers at the Cleveland Institute of Music (cover image by Joanna Kosinska) We’re going to see that Prokofiev’s self-plagiarism was relatively common, at least in this period, and considering he wrote such … Continue reading Prokofiev Quintet in Gm, op. 39
performed by the Wind Soloists of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, or as below by Ensemble Philidor (cover image by Aaron Burden) Today’s piece is the first in a group of five works for six instruments. A few weeks ago … Continue reading Mozart Divertimento no. 8 in F, K. 213
performed by the Consortium Classicum under Dieter Klocker, or below by someone else (cover image by Alex) It’s worth mentioning here that what was at one time labeled as Mozart’s fifth divertimento, also in C major, given catalogue number 187, … Continue reading Mozart Divertimento no. 6 in C, K. 188
performed by the Amadeus quartet with Cecil Aronowitz and William Pleeth, or below by the Alberni Quartet with Roger Best and Moray Welsh (cover image by Brooke Lark) If you have, like I used to have, any doubt that where … Continue reading Brahms String Sextet in G, op. 36
performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Wind Ensemble, or below by the Ensemble Zefiro in a wildly different tempo in places (cover image by Jess Watters) This piece is for an ensemble of only ten instruments, all winds, and so is … Continue reading Mozart Divertimento no. 4 in B flat, K. 186
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 Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Kawin Harasai) So this one really tops them all, I think. What do you to to top off a symphonic cycle, even if it’s just a … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 6, op. 79
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Samuel Zeller) Here we are at Milhaud’s op. 75, the opus number right after his fourth. It was composed in 1922. As the previous little symphony was … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 5, op. 75, ‘Tentet’
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Daria Shevtsova) The fourth little symphony was completed in 1921, the same year as the third. It’s longer than the previous works, at about six minutes, of … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 4, op. 74
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Aaron Burden) As you can see, we’ve moved forward a bit in this third post on this Monday in the middle of the year. The third little … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 3, op. 71 ‘Serenade’
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Lisa Hobbs) Well, here we are again in record breaking time for our second article of the day, and for a work with such a similar subtitle … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 2, op. 49, ‘Pastorale’
performed by the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg under the composer’s baton (cover image by Trevor Cole) I apologize in advance. Today and tomorrow, there will be three posts each. You’ll see why. Beginning in 1917, in his mid-twenties, Darius Milhaud … Continue reading Milhaud Little Symphony no. 1, op. 43 “Le Printemps”
performed by the Czech Philharmonic Wind Ensemble & Zdenek Jilek, or below with Daniel Hoexter (piano) with members of the Concertgebouw Orchestra (cover image by Aaron Burden) Listening to this work, it just doesn’t surprise me that there aren’t very many works … Continue reading Beethoven Quintet in E-flat for Piano and Winds, op. 16
performed by the Lahti Chamber Ensemble (cover image by Hao Wang) Today’s piece, also without a YouTube video, dates from 1969, just a few years after the first string quartet, in 1965, which ended Meriläinen’s early “Dodecaphonic” period. In that article, … Continue reading Meriläinen: Metamorfora per 7
performed by the Echnaton Trio, or below by Peter Sirotin, Violin; Michael Stepniak, Viola; Fiona Thompson, Cello (cover image by Geoffrey Datema) Today’s work is obviously a much later piece than the first symphony, with an identifiably chromatic vocabulary. Its four … Continue reading Melartin String Trio, op. 133
performed by the Rawlings Piano Trio (cover image by Kassey Downard) Horatio Parker was born on September 15, 1863 in Auburndale, Massachusetts. He studied first with his mother, then with Chadwick at the New England Conservatory. He also studied, as did … Continue reading Horatio Parker: Suite for Piano Trio in A, op. 35
performed by the DaVinci Quartet and James Barbagallo, or as below by five other people second and third/fourth movements (cover image by Matthew Landers) Arthur William Foote was born on March 5, 1853 in Salem, Massachusetts. He was organist of the … Continue reading Arthur Foote: Piano Quintet in Am, op. 38
performed by Trio Wanderer, or below by the Castle Trio, on period instruments (cover image by Martin Oslic) More Beethoven! Today’s work acts as sort of an introduction to what we’ll be doing in the month of August, similar to … Continue reading Beethoven Variations in E-flat piano trio, op. 44
Performed by the Quatuor Diotima and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, or below by the Juilliard Quartet (without vocalist) If I haven’t already mentioned it, and I’m pretty sure I have, the works of Alban Berg might for many be the way into … Continue reading Berg: Lyric Suite
performed by Karl Schlechta, clarinet; Susanne Kaldor, violin; Akos Hernadi, piano; or below, in what might be this release We jump ahead now to a much later work in Bartóks’ output, having given him our attention for an entire week, even if … Continue reading Bartók: Contrasts, Sz. 111
Fugue for Thought 