Four Centuries of Great Music December 15, 2024 Some Favorite New Releases from 2024

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music is the first of two episodes featuring music from some  of my favorite new album releases from 2024

We open with
Bela Bartok: 6 Romanian Folk Dances Sz 56 (arranged by Arthur Willner)  Bela Bartok was both a composer and ethnomusicologist

Bela Bartok: 6 Romanian Folk Dances Sz 56 (arranged by Arthur Willner) 1. Stick Dance
Bela Bartok: 6 Romanian Folk Dances Sz 56 (arranged by Arthur Willner) 2. Sash Dance
Bela Bartok: 6 Romanian Folk Dances Sz 56 (arranged by Arthur Willner) 3. Stamping Dance
Bela Bartok: 6 Romanian Folk Dances Sz 56 (arranged by Arthur Willner) 4. Dance of Buchum
Bela Bartok: 6 Romanian Folk Dances Sz 56 (arranged by Arthur Willner) 5. Romanian Polka
Bela Bartok: 6 Romanian Folk Dances Sz 56 (arranged by Arthur Willner) 6. Fast Dance

Daniel Hope violin and Zürcher Kammerorchester
Dance
Deutsche Grammophon

Next on this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music featuring music from some of my favorite new album releases from 2024 is Joel Thompson’s Seven Last Words of the Unarmed a seven movement oratorio with each movement focusing on the last words of men killed by the police.

Joel Thompson: Seven Last Words of the Unarmed: I. Kenneth Chamberlain, Officers, why do you have your guns out?
Joel Thompson: Seven Last Words of the Unarmed: II. Trayvon Martin, What are you following me for?
Joel Thompson: Seven Last Words of the Unarmed: III. Amadou Diallo, Mom, I’m going to college.
Joel Thompson: Seven Last Words of the Unarmed: IV. Michael Brown, I don’t have a gun! Stop shooting!
Joel Thompson: Seven Last Words of the Unarmed: V. Oscar Grant, You shot me. You shot me!
Joel Thompson: Seven Last Words of the Unarmed: VI. John Crawford, It’s not real.
Joel Thompson: Seven Last Words of the Unarmed: VII. Eric Garner, I can’t breathe!

Here is a performance by Eugene Concert Choir & Orchestra  Sphinx vocal ensemble  EXIGENCE  conducted   by Eugene Rogers from the album” Black is Beautiful” Navona Records

Next on this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music featuring music from some of my favorite new album releases from 2024 is a performance by the teen aged cellist Miriam K. Smith who was 17 years old when she recorded this EP of Zoltan Kodaly’s Sonata for Solo Cello in B minor, Op. 8.  Kodaly was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, music pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He spent several years collecting and transcribing the folk music of Hungary.  He also adapted a teaching method for music education that links movement with the teaching of music that is still used throughout the world today.  His Sonata for Solo Cello is filled with the melodic and rhythmic richness of Hungarian folk music.  It is in 3 movements:

Zoltan Kodaly – Sonata for Solo Cello in B minor, Op. 8 – 1. Allegro maestoso ma appassionato
Zoltan Kodaly – Sonata for Solo Cello in B minor, Op. 8 – 2. Adagio con gran espressione
Zoltan Kodaly – Sonata for Solo Cello in B minor, Op. 8 – 3. Allegro molto vivace

Again here is a performance Zoltan Kodaly’s Sonata for Solo Cello in B minor, Op. 8 by of Miriam K. Smith  from the EP Kodaly      Azica Records

We open this second hour of today’s episode of Four Centuries of Great Music featuring music from some of my favorite new album releases from 2024 with Antonín Dvorák’s Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 (Dumky).  Dumky, the plural form of dumka, is a Ukrainian term. Originally, it refers to epic ballads, specifically a song or lament of captive people.  During the nineteenth century, composers from the Slavic countries began using the duma or dumka as a classical form to indicate a brooding, introspective composition with cheerful sections interspersed within.  Dvorak used this form in many of his chamber music and orchestral pieces.  This work is in an unusual 6 movements


Antonín Dvorák:  Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” 

Antonín Dvorák:  Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” I. Lento maestoso

Antonín Dvorák:  Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” II. Poco adagio 

Antonín Dvorák:  Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” III. Andante 

Antonín Dvorák:  Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” IV. Andante moderato \

Antonín Dvorák:  Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” V. Allegro 

Antonín Dvorák:  Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” VI. Lento maestoso

This is a performance of Antonín Dvorák:  Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” by the Trio Zimbalist from the album Piano Trios of Weinberg, Auerbach, & Dvořák

Next on today’s episode of Four Centuries of Great Music featuring music from some of my favorite new album releases from 2024 is Antonio Vivaldi:  Piccolo Concerto in C major, RV 443.  In his twenties Vivaldi became the music master of Vivaldi at an orphanage called the Pio Ospedale della Pietà (Devout Hospital of Mercy).  He wrote many works for the all female orchestra at the orphanage including concertos for most of the instruments of the baroque orchestra including 3 concertos for piccolo (or recorder).

Antonio Vivaldi:  Piccolo Concerto in C major, RV 443 – I. Allegro
Antonio Vivaldi:  Piccolo Concerto in C major, RV 443 – II. Largo
Antonio Vivaldi:  Piccolo Concerto in C major, RV 443 – III. Allegro molto

Here is a performance of Antonio Vivaldi:  Piccolo Concerto in C major, RV 443 featuring Jennifer Bouton, piccolo with Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; and Andrew Raciti, bass
From the album VIVALDI PICCOLO CONCERTOS    Navona Records
4:20
4:41

There have been a number of album with the music of Gabriel Faure released this year which is not surprising as 2024 is the centenary of the death of Faure.  There have been a number of excellent albums including the album Renaud Capuçon – Gabriel Fauré     which appeared in June.   One might think  this would be violin centric but it is not.  Following the opening movement of Faure’s violin concerto the rest of the pieces  are all orchestral pieces or orchestra and either cello or piano soloists.  I have selected Faure’s Elegy for cello and orchestra.  This was originally written for cello and piano as the second movement of a cello sonata that was never completed.  It was orchestrated by Faure in 1901 and was premiered by Pablo Casals as cello soloist and Faure himself conducting.  From this first concert it was a smash hit.  The work features a sad and somber opening and climaxes with an intense, tempestuous central section before returning to the elegiac opening theme in C minor.

Here is a performance of Gabriel Faure’s Elegy for cello and orchestra with Julia Hagen, cello and Renaud Capuçon conducting the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne

Renaud Capuçon – Gabriel Fauré    Deutsche Grammophon

You have been listening to Gabriel Faure’s Elegy for cello and orchestra with Julia Hagen, cello and Renaud Capuçon conducting the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne from the album Renaud Capuçon – Gabriel Fauré