Albany Records: Chamber Music of Korngold

Download from iTunes Quantity in Basket: None ERICH KORNGOLD Chamber Music of Korngold TROY348 - Price: $16.99

"Classical" music by a composer for "classic" films.

A stretch for Albany Records to bring out a release featuring the music of Korngold? Not at all, because another part of our mission is giving exposure to terrific American artists and that is just what is done with this disc. These performances, by these musicians, a number of whom play in the National Symphony Orchestra, can stand with the best of them. Cellist Steven Honigberg is a cellist with the National Symphony. He gave the world premiere of David Ott's Concerto for Two Cellos with Rostropovich and the National Symphony Orchestra. Nancy Thomas Weller joined the viola section of the National Symphony in 1990. Claudia Chudacoff was the Assistant Concertmaster of the Louisville Orchestra. She recently moved to Washington where she is the Concertmaster of the National Gallery Orchestra and has played with the National Symphony. Kathryn Brake studied at Juilliard and Peabody, where her teachers were, among others, Leon Fleisher.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold, composer
Piano Quintet in E Major, Op. 15
Kathryn Brake, piano, George Marsh and Claudia Chudacoff, violin, Nancy Weller, viola, Steven Honigberg, cello

Erich Wolfgang Korngold, composer
Suite, Op. 23 for Two Violins, Cello and Piano-left hand
Kathryn Brake, piano, George Marsh and Claudia Chudacoff, violin, Nancy Weller, viola, Steven Honigberg, cello

Review:

"This enterprising album, which offers two contrasting Chamber works from the young Korngold, may come as a surprise to those only familiar with the composer's famous film scores, or perhaps with his grand concert works, which in any case often bear marked similarities to his film music....Both pieces on this disc require playing of a high order, and the informal ensemble responds with virtuoso performances...Steven Honigberg is clearly the driving force behind the recording...With engineer Ed Kelly he has achieved a very clear and unforced sound, with the instruments defined in a natural soundstage making following the interplay between the parts delightfully easy....This is not a release to recommend to the hardcore film music buff, for apart from this not being film music, there is little here which sounds directly like Korngold's later soundtrack work. However, for the more adventurous film music fan, and for those interested in a range of classical as well as film music, this is a very interesting and rewarding album." (www.musicweb.uk)

"Classical" music by a composer for "classic" films.

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