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 June 1 from 3-6 p.m. to hear highlights from each of these albums, and read his thoughts here.
Esther Abrami: Women
Esther Abrami (violin), Kim Barbier (piano), Lavinia Meijer (harp), Esther Abrami Quintet, Vienne Radio Symphony Orchestra, Irene Delgado-Jiménez (conductor)
Celebrated French violinist and social media influencer Esther Abrami showcases the work of 14 remarkable female composers. The eras-spanning album offers newly composed works and rediscovered masterpieces, including the world-premiere recording of Ina Boyle’s breathtaking, late-Romantic Violin Concerto. Abrami joins forces with conductor Irene Delgado-Jiménez and the Vienna Radio Symphony, pianist Kim Barbier, harpist Lavinia Meijer, and her own Esther Abrami Quintet.
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 & Symphonic Dances
Sinfonia of London, John Wilson (conductor)
Though the premiere of Rachmaninoff’s First Symphony in 1897 was disastrous and contributed to the creative block that stymied the composer for the next three years, he never gave up on the piece and thought enough of it to reference the theme from its final movement in his last major composition, the Symphonic Dances of 1941. Both of these works enjoy fresh performances by John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London, who complete their rewarding set of Rachmaninoff symphonies with this recording.
For Dieter: Hommage à Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Benjamin Appl (baritone), Bartolomeo Dandolo Marchesi (cello), James Baillieu (piano)
German-English baritone Benjamin Appl honors the music and the life of his late mentor and legendary lieder singer in this centenary year of his birth. Recognized for his own lieder performances, Appl presents repertoire associated with the major stages of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s life, including compositions by family members Albert and Klaus Fischer-Dieskau, music he sang as a soldier during World War II and as a POW in Italy, commissioned pieces, and favorite Schubert lieder. The 140-page CD book includes personal text written by Appl as well as previously unpublished photos and letters.
Charles Koechlin: Symphony No. 1
Patricia Petibon (soprano), Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Ariane Matiakh (conductor)
Writing works that emphasized anything from Bachian counterpoint to the heights of French impressionism, with textures ranging from deceptive simplicity to extreme complexity, Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) wrote music that is hard to pin down stylistically. Ariane Matiakh and the Württemberg Philharmonic offer a welcome foray into the largely unexplored world of this fascinating composer with his Symphony No. 1, Au loin, and orchestrations of three Mélodies, featuring soprano Patricia Petibon.
Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1
Ariel Quartet
Praised for their bold interpretations and deep musical insight, the U.S.-based Ariel Quartet begins a project timed to coincide with the ensemble’s 30th anniversary in 2028. This first volume of Beethoven’s complete string quartets brings us the composer’s first set of quartets, commissioned works published in 1801 which demonstrate his total mastery of the form he inherited from Haydn and Mozart.
Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works
Yuja Wang (piano), Thomas Rolfs (trumpet), Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons (conductor)
Superstar pianist Yuja Wang collaborates with Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony in this latest installment of the BSO’s award-winning, decade-long Shostakovich project marking the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death. Wang delivers characteristically dynamic and expressive performances of the two Piano Concertos, and as a bonus plays several of Shostakovich’s Op. 34 and Op. 87 Preludes and Fugues.
Firedove
Anna Lapwood (organ)
Not that it never was, but Anna Lapwood has made the organ cool again. Dubbed the “TikTok organist,” the British organist with more than two million social media followers has introduced her instrument to new fans through her viral videos, high-profile collaborations, and sold-out live concerts. Undoubtedly, another major contributing factor is the music she plays. On full display here in this remarkable new album, this repertoire includes canonical organ works, new compositions, and arrangements of movie music and pop songs.
Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Alpesh Chauhan (conductor)
Alpesh Chauhan and the BBC Scottish Symphony deliver another sonic spectacular of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral works. As with previous recordings in this fascinating survey, this album effectively combines well-known pieces with lesser-known works. Here the Marche slave and the Waltz and Polonaise from Eugene Onegin sit comfortably with the “Dance of the Tumblers” from his rarely performed opera, The Enchantress, the concert overture The Storm, and the Second Orchestral Suite.
Images. Hommage à Marcel Tournier
Emmanuel Ceysson (harp), Véronique Gens (soprano), Quatuor Voce
Acclaimed for his powerful virtuoso playing, Emmanuel Ceysson, principal harpist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, pays tribute to one of the greatest harpist-composers in the history of the instrument. Most of Marcel Tournier’s (1879-1951) compositions are for solo harp or voice with harp. Collaborating with the Voce Quartet and soprano Véronique Gens, Ceysson here focuses on works which the composer himself later transformed into chamber pieces by adding other instruments. These mature works reflect the influence of Debussy, Satie, and Ravel.
Influences
Mariam Batsashvili (piano)
Prize-winning, sought-after Georgian pianist Mariam Batsashvili offers us her favorite sonatas, Haydn’s Sonata No. 37 in D major, Mozart’s “Hunt” Sonata, and Beethoven’s “Appassionata.” A renowned Liszt interpreter, she also presents the composer’s Fantasia quasi sonata (the Dante Sonata), two of the Liebesträume, and other solo pieces.
BEACH, A.: Bal masqué / Jephthah's Daughter / Symphony, Op. 32, "Gaelic Symphony"
Angela Brower (mezzo-soprano), Camille Schnoor (soprano), Munich Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Bastian (conductor)
The rich, multi-layered, and colorful musical language of pioneering American composer Amy Beach remains undiscovered territory for many listeners. Featuring outstanding performers, this album invites you to encounter the very first symphony written by a female American composer, the orchestral piece Bal masqué, and world premiere recordings of three poetic and dramatic vocal works.
