Monthly Archives: April 2017

Domenico Cimarosa – Piano Sonatas no. 11 and no. 19 (Danae Kara – piano)

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Domenico Cimarosa (1749-1801)

Domenico Cimarosa was an Italian composer, violinist, and keyboard player. During his lifetime Cimarosa was known for his more than 60 operas. He also composed vocal music (oratorios, sacred pieces, secular cantatas, hymns and songs) and instrumental music (over 80 keyboard sonatas,chamber music, and other works).

Danae Kara (1953-)

Danae Kara is a Turkish pianist. She gave her debut recital in 1969 when she was 16 years old. Since then Danae Kara has performed in major venues in various European cities, Latin America, in Russia, and the former U.S.S.R.

Here is a recording of Sonata no. 11 and Sonata no. 19 by Domenico Cimarosa played by Danae Kara. The sonatas come from a recording entitled: Domenico Cimarosa – The Piano Sonatas. I hope that you enjoy this music.

Paul Halley organ improvisation “Dusk/Sunset” at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine

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Paul Halley (1952-) is an English organist, pianist, singer, composer, and choral conductor. He is well known for being a member and composer of the Paul Winter Consort.

From 1977-1989 Paul Halley was the organist and choirmaster at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. In 1982 Paul Halley recorded a series of organ improvisations on the organ at St. John the Divine on an album entitled Nightwatch. Here is one of those improvisations entitled Dusk/Sunset. The improvisation is based on the hymn tune Picardy. I hope that you enjoy it.

Flight of the Bumblebee -Jenö Lisztes & Roby Lakatos ensemble

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The Flight of the Bumblebee is a piece composed by Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov.

Here is a performance of the Flight of the Bumblebee performed by Jenö Lisztes (cimbalom solo) & the Roby Lakatos ensemble.

Jenö Lisztes is one of the world’s cimbalom virtuosos. The cimbalom is a type of hammered dulcimer. I hope that you enjoy this performance.

Gypsy violinist Roby Lakatos and pianist Frantisek Janoska play ‘Két Gitár’ and Brahms Hungarian Dance no.5

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Here is a recording of ‘Két Gitár’ (a traditional gypsy tune called Two Guitars) and Brahms Hungarian Dance no.5 performed in a gypsy style by gypsy violinist Roby Lakatos and pianist Frantisek Janoska for ABC Radio.

Roby Lakatos is a gypsy violinist who has a family that goes back seven generations of gypsy musicians all the way back to the “King of Gypsy violinists” Janos Bihari. He can play in just about any style (gypsy music, classical, and jazz) and has performed with many of the world’s great orchestras as well as his own ensemble. He makes playing the violin look effortless and doesn’t even break out in a sweat when he plays.

Frantisek Janoska is an up and coming pianist who is comfortable playing gypsy music as well as jazz. He often performs with Roby Lakatos’ ensemble and his brother Roman (a jazz violinist). Frantisek Janoska has his own group which performs gypsy music as well as jazz and classical music in a gypsy style.

J. Haydn – Pieces for Musical Clock

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Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Joseph Haydn was an Austrian classical composer. He worked for the Esterhazy court for over 30 years and then spent his last years in London, England. Haydn composed over 104 symphonies, 80 string quartets, about 50 piano sonatas, two famous oratorios, The Seasons, The Creation, and other works.

Here are six pieces that Haydn wrote for a musical clock. They are performed on a pipe organ by Bruno Vlahek. I hope that you enjoy these delightful little pieces.

Frederick ll King of Prussia – Flute Concerto no.4 in D Major

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Frederick II King of Prussia (1712-1786)

Frederick II King of Prussia (Frederick the Great) was a German monarch, patron of the arts, flute player, and composer. Frederick had his own musical ensemble with which he would perform from time to time. He had some of the finest musicians in Europe in his ensemble. Among the famous musicians in Frederick’s ensemble were C.H. Graun (Kapellmeister and opera composer), Johann Joachim Quantz (composer and flute virtuoso), and C.P.E. Bach (his accompanist and one of J.S. Bach’s famous musical sons).

Frederick the Great composed flute sonatas, flute concertos, and several arias for C.H. Graun’s operas. He also wrote librettos for several operas including Graun’s Montezuma (1755).

Here is a recording of Frederick the Great’s Flute Concerto no.4 in D Major. Unfortunately I do not know who the flute soloist or orchestra is because the person who posted the recording on youtube neglected to mention that information.

Clara Schumann – Piano Trio op.17

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Clara Schumann (1819-1896)

Clara Schumann was a German pianist, composer, and the wife of the famous composer Robert Schumann. She took piano lessons from her father Friedrich Wieck. Soon she was having great success touring as a virtuoso pianist. As a pianist Clara was praised for her performances of Chopin, her husband’s music, and Brahms. She was known for her thoughtful interpretations and singing tone. Clara premiered many of Robert Schumann’s compositions and prepared a complete edition of his music.

Clara’s music was imaginative and her method of composing was very controlled. Notable among her many compositions are the Piano Trio op.17 (considered to be her masterpiece) and her op.23 songs.

Here is a recording of Clara Schumann’s Piano Trio op.17 performed by Micaela Gelius, Sreten Krstic, and Stephan Haack. I could not find the first movement played by the same musicians because the person who posted the trio posted the fourth movement twice. Here is the second movement, third movement, and fourth movement.

Nathaniel Dett – Ave Maria (performed by the Nathaniel Dett Chorale)

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Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943)

Nathaniel Dett was a Canadian composer, pianist, organist, and music professor who was born in Drummondville, Ontario. He spent most of his musical career working in the United States. During his lifetime he was a leading black composer who was known for his spirituals and African-American folk songs which he used as a basis for choral and piano compositions written in a 19th century romantic style. Nathaniel Dett performed as a pianist and choral director at Carnegie Hall.

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is a Canadian choral group that specializes in African-American classical, spiritual, gospel, jazz, folk, and blues. It is named after the black composer Nathaniel Dett. The Nathaniel Dett Choral has performed in the Maritimes, Quebec, Manitoba, Western Canada, the U.S., and France.

Here is a recording of Nathaniel Dett’s Ave Maria performed by the Nathaniel Dett Chorale. I hope that you enjoy this music.

Bach Prelude and Fugue in D Major and Fantasie and Fugue in g minor- Silbermann organ Frauenkirche, Dresden (1944) – Hanns Ander-Donath (organist)

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Frauenkirche, Dresden

The Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden started out as a Roman Catholic parish, then became Protestant during the Reformation, and finally in the 18th century it became a Lutheran church. It was destroyed during the bombing of Dresden in WWII. The ruins of the church that remained were left for 50 years as a war memorial. In 1994 the church was rebuilt after the reunification of Germany. The exterior of the church was completed in 2004, and the interior was completed in 2005.

The organ in the Frauenkirche was built by the great German organ builder Gottfried Silbermann who came from a family of organ builders. It was one of the greatest pipe organs in Europe. The organ was installed in 1736 and the great organist and composer Johann Sebastian Bach gave an organ recital on it shortly after its installation. A new organ based on the ideas of Gottfried Silbermann and Andreas Silbermann was built by Kern (an organ builder from Strasbourg) in 2005.

In 1944, the organist of the Frauenkirche, Hanns Ander-Donath made a recording of several organ pieces before Dresden was bombed and the church and organ were completely destroyed. I discovered that both recordings were listed on youtube as being recorded in 1944 at the Frauenkirche. I am not sure if that is true as they both come from different cd compilations recorded by the same organist.

Here is a recording of the Prelude and Fugue in D Major by J.S. Bach. The recording of the Prelude and Fugue in D Major comes from a cd album entitled Ein Leben fur die Orgel. I am not sure if the recording of the Prelude and Fugue is done on the Frauenkirche Silbermann organ.
The recording of the Fantasie and Fugue in g minor by J.S. Bach was recorded on the old Frauenkirche Silbermann in 1944. What a magnificent and powerful sound that organ has.