Liszt in Context

Spanish conductor Ataúlfo Argenta cheated death many times in his short life; during the Spanish Civil War, he talked his way out of execution by a firing squad, contracted typhoid in prison, and survived that in addition to its recurrence later in his life.

Various Artists - A Guide to Musical Instruments, Vol. II: 1800-1950 (2013) {8CD Box Set Ricercar RIC104}
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© 2013 Ricercar / Outhere Music | RIC104
Classical / Viennese School / Romantic / Early 20th Century Music

This second volume of the Guide to Musical Instruments explores the history of musical instruments in the period from 1800 to 1950. Its purpose is both to discuss improvements and transformations of instruments dating from before 1800 and to investigate all the novelties thought up by instrument makers during this era. All these developments took place in a context in which the process of instrument making moved from artisans’ workshops to commercial firms which became veritable factories, typical of the ‘age of industrialisation’. The majority of the musical examples are recordings of individual instruments that allow us to hear timbres often lost under the weight of the orchestral mass.This second volume of the Guide follows the same principles as the first.

The coherence of the program on this release by the increasingly popular British cellist Steven Isserlis may not be evident at first glance, but it's a nifty idea, and one with a weight that not so many contemporary composers can comfortably support. What Franz Liszt, Leos Janácek, Gabriel Fauré, and György Kurtág have in common is that they all influenced the last composer on the program, Thomas Adès. This gives you an idea of Adès' eclecticism, which is brought into relief when you hear the strands of music that he likes.