Although Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-1888) is not that well known to the average concertgoer, he certainly is to organists and pianists for the staggeringly difficult, romantic keyboard music he wrote. That's particularly true of his two sets of etudes Op. 35 (1848) and 39 (1857). There are twelve studies in each of these, with the earlier one devoted to the major keys and the later, to the minor. The eighth, ninth and tenth etudes from Op. 39 are a virtuosic entity unto themselves also known... Continue

Here are two albums that will appeal to chamber music fans and audiophiles alike. You may not be familiar with the Fry Street Quartet (FSQ), but after you hear these releases, you'll certainly never forget this outstanding group of musicians. The album to the left includes the fifth (Op. 18, No. 5) and fifteenth (Op. 132) string quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) along with the fourth of Ned Rorem (b. 1923), first of J. Mark Scearce (b. 1960) and three pieces for string quartet by... Continue

Strange and wondrous sounding things happen when you hear early Baroque organ music performed on a mean-tone tempered instrument like the one here. That's because this method of tuning produces pure major thirds, which were all the rage in Dieterich Buxtehude's day (1637-1707) as they were thought to be the musical equivalent of "heavenly harmony." Not only that, but they intensify the contrast between consonances and dissonances in music thereby giving it... Continue

If you found David Briggs one-man-band organ transcriptions exciting (see the newsletter of 14 May 2007), just wait until you hear this hybrid, CD(2)/SACD(2/5.1) album. The ante has been upped by using two separate organs (in the same church and played from one console) as well as some recording wizardry. The result is an audiophile’s dream come true and probably the greatest sounding Wagnerian organ transcription disc released to date. None of this would have been possible... Continue

Here are two albums that will appeal to chamber music fans and audiophiles alike. You may not be familiar with the Fry Street Quartet (FSQ), but after you hear these releases, you'll certainly never forget this outstanding group of musicians. The album to the left includes the fifth (Op. 18, No. 5) and fifteenth (Op. 132) string quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) along with the fourth of Ned Rorem (b. 1923), first of J. Mark Scearce (b. 1960) and three pieces for string quartet by... Continue

Four of the six British piano quartets on this recent two disc set from Albany have been recorded before, but not in performances as good as these. The ones by Alexander Mackenzie (1847-1935) and Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) make their first appearance on CD here, and many may find it was worth getting this release just for those. Mackenzie's dates from 1873 and is a beautifully crafted work that owes a great deal to Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. This is not surprising... Continue

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (1954-2006) was an extraordinary mezzo-soprano who won the hearts of all who heard her, and her death at the age of fifty-two was a terrible loss for the classical music world. This valedictory album is a moving testament to her art as well as that of her husband, composer Peter Lieberson (b. 1946), and the great love they shared for each other during the last nine years of her short life. He wrote the five songs she sings here specifically for her as a token of their... Continue

This disc of some little known music by Gabriel Pierne (1863-1937) is one of the greatest French romantic releases to hit the streets in a long time! "L'An Mil," or "The Year 1000," is an extended, three-part combination tone poem and cantata for chorus and orchestra. Composed in 1897, it's a musical representation of the apocalypse that was to occur at the end of the first millennium as predicted in The Book of Revelation. It's first-rate Pierne that owes a great debt to Cesar Franck, who was one... Continue

Jean-Baptiste Lully's (1632-1687) groundbreaking Thesee, or Theseus, became the foundation for the tragedie lyrique, which would dominate French baroque opera up until Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) began writing for the stage. This stunning new recording will make today's audiences appreciate just what a blockbuster it must have been when it appeared in 1675 during the reign of Louis XIV (1638-1715). While the plot is based on the Theseus legend from classical Greek... Continue