On the first Sunday of every month, WRTI broadcasts a special edition of our program Sunday Classical focused on new releases. Join host Mark Pinto on WRTI on Nov. 3 from 3-6 p.m. to hear highlights from each of these albums, and read his thoughts here.
Milestones
Quatuor Ébène
“A string quartet that can easily morph into a jazz band” is how one New York Times critic described France’s Quatuor Ébène. This depiction rings true on the ensemble’s new album of jazz standards by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Erroll Garner, Charles Mingus and others, in arrangements by the quartet’s now former cellist, Raphaël Merlin. A stylish and original recording.
Alexandre Kantorow plays Brahms and Schubert
Alexandre Kantorow (piano)
Now 27, Alexandre Kantorow became the first French pianist to win the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 2019. With this release he concludes a cycle of lauded recordings devoted to the piano sonatas of Brahms. Kantorow dazzles here with Brahms’s Op. 1 Sonata, Schubert’s technically demanding Wanderer Fantasy, and Liszt’s transcriptions of five Schubert lieder.
Sibelius: Violin Concerto
James Ehnes (violin), Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner (conductor)
Overshadowed by the Violin Concerto, some of Sibelius’ other works for violin and orchestra are given a welcome showcase alongside the ever-popular Concerto. Acclaimed Canadian virtuoso James Ehnes and the Bergen Philharmonic make persuasive cases for Sibelius’ delightful Humoresques, Serenades, two “Earnest Melodies,” and a Suite for Violin and String Orchestra.
Welcome Joy - A Celebration of Women's Voices
Louise Thomson (harp), Corvus Consort, Freddie Crowley (conductor)
The vein of choral music written for women’s voices and harp is surprisingly deep. The English vocal ensemble Corvus Consort, with their founder-director Freddie Crowley and harpist Louise Thomson explore some of the repertoire written by 20th- and 21st-century British women composers, plus intriguing works by Gustav Holst inspired by his fascination with the Sanskrit language and the culture of India.
Baroque Concertos
Alison Balsom (trumpet), Pinnock's Players, Trevor Pinnock (conductor)
Outstanding British trumpet virtuoso Alison Balsom invites you to consider some old music in a new perspective. She expands the concerto repertoire for her instrument with these ear-opening performances of Baroque violin and oboe concertos arranged for her modern piccolo trumpet by trumpeter Simon Wright. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Balsom is backed by a period instrument ensemble led by her longtime friend, the venerable Trevor Pinnock.
Haydn 2032, Vol. 16: The Surprise
Il Giardino Armonico, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Giovanni Antonini (conductor)
Haydn was known to enjoy a good laugh, and he shared his sense of humor with audiences through his music. “Papa” Haydn’s mischievous wit is explored here in period instrument performances of his Symphonies Nos. 90, 94 “Surprise” and 98. Gioacchino Rossini, a great admirer of Haydn, is also represented here by the overture to his opera, La scala di seta (The Silken Ladder).
Who's afraid of...?
Boulanger Trio
Noted for their thoughtful, award-winning recordings and sought after for performances of new music, the all-female piano trio celebrates the music and stories of often overlooked women composers. Their program spans more than four centuries of music in a diverse range of genres, with music of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Nadia Boulanger (the trio’s namesake) to Kate Bush and Alicia Keys.
Contemplation
Huw Montague Rendall (baritone), Opéra Orchestre Normandie Rouen, Ben Glassberg (conductor)
“A voice of exhilarating beauty” and “a fantastic talent” are just two of the praises that have been heaped upon the exciting 30-year-old British baritone Huw Montague Rendall. He makes his recording debut with this album of lieder and arias and songs from opera, operetta, and Broadway. The orchestra is conducted by another rising British talent and 30-year-old, Ben Glassberg, Music Director of the Opéra as well as the Vienna Volksoper.
My American Story – North
Daniil Trifonov (piano), The Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor)
The electrifying, Russian-born pianist Daniil Trifonov celebrates his Philly connections and shows us a more personal side in a recording he describes as retracing “an immigrant’s journey in the New World.” Showcasing his phenomenal technique and sensitivity are performances with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra of concertos by George Gershwin and Philadelphia native Mason Bates. In solo turns, Trifonov delves into minimalism, film music, and even jazz in this impressive, can’t-miss kaleidoscope of North American music.
