Cpo

All five of nineteenth century Russian-Latvian cellist and composer Carl Davidov's cello concerti are important and valuable concert works for the cello, and you'd never know that to the extent they have been recorded. The Concerto No. 2 in A minor has fared the best at four recordings, whereas Concerto No. 1 in B minor enjoys its second recording in this fine CPO performance by Wen-Sinn Yang and the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra under Terje Mikkelsen.

Johann Strauss Junior’s second operetta, Der Carneval in Rom, premiered in 1873 only one year before Die Fledermaus, and while the music is enjoyable enough, with several nice tunes, there is little in the score to presage the gorilla blockbuster soon to come. For one thing, Strauss wrote the music in the more romantic style of light opera because the work was originally scheduled to be mounted at the Vienna court opera, a place of more serious mien than the Theater an der Wien, then the home of the comic-oriented Viennese operetta.

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) - The Piano Music - Michael Korstick (2017) {CPO Official Digital Download 555 069-2}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (qobuz.com) -> 298 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 190 Mb
Full Artwork (pdf+jpg) -> 51 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2017 CPO | 555 069-2
Classical / Solo Piano

On his latest cpo CD Korstick dedicates himself to the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera with great passion and virtuosity. This CD, released on the hundredth anniversary of Ginastera’s birth comprises of the composer’s complete published piano oeuvre – apart from his Piano Sonata No. 2.

The notes to this recording suggest that Ture Rangstrom's 2nd symphony, subtitled "My Land", is his least-played symphony because it speaks in a nationalistic language that is an anathema to Swedes. If true, it's too bad because this is a wonderful piece, full of northern, though not distinctly Swedish, atmosphere. Unlike the 1st symphony, which is written in a tense style full of Wagnerian chromaticism, the 2nd symphony limits itself to more diatonic harmony which makes it easier listening. Like his previous effort, Rangstrom builds his movements out of short themes (& chordal sequences), but his melodic inspiration is on a higher level here. That combined with his distinct ability to create atmosphere results in a memorable piece that really ought to occasionally replace Sibelius' first two symphonies in concert.

Christoph Graupner - Jesus ist und bleibt mein Leben: Solo & Dialogue Cantatas (2018) {CPO 555 215-2}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 457 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 222 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2018 CPO | cpo 555 215-2
Classical / Baroque / Vocal

On its brand-new second Graupner album the Kirchheimer BachConsort performs solo and dialogue cantatas by this composer who always met the highest standards of his times. Graupner sought opportunities for original expression and was open to the latest developments and to unfamiliar instruments. With his inexhaustible imagination he was able to create cantatas rich in contrasts and with variability, originality, diversified instrumentation, special tone color opulence, intelligent voice leading, and drama schooled on the opera as their hallmarks.