Vasily Kallinikov – Elegy

When an umbrella-shaped viburnum serves a part of a composer’s monument, you catch on without further ado: this must be someone you have to learn more about. A monument I’m talking about perpetuates Vasily Kallinikov, Russian bassoonist and composer. For those not having a copious vocabulary of Russian words it may be not obvious what a viburnum have to do with him, but everything is explained simply: his surname is a derivative of “kalina,” i.e. “viburnum” in Russian.

Kallinikov's music at all is hard not to be associated with nature, trees, and pastoral landscapes. Folk motifs strike the eye in his oeuvre; even symphonic works of Kallinikov bear their imprint. Elegy is his entrancing solo piano piece, a true pleasure to play and listen. Download it here: Elegy.

Gounod – Faust. Even Bravest Heart May Swell, for Voice and Piano

Those who like classical music usually have an eye for a good literature as well – a classical music generally involves a good taste. There is a number of books are as immortal as pieces of Beethoven or Tchaikovsky. Referring to the most important matters of existence, those works do not age; even though Goethe’s Faust was written centuries ago, it is still as relevant and thought-provoking as it has always been. Thanks to Charles Gounod, a French composer of opera, ballet, and even a national anthem of Vatican City (concurrently, Vatican State), we can not only read this amazing tragic play, but see it on stage. Here is Gounod’s Faust. Even Bravest Heart May Swell, for Voice and Piano – enjoy this fine piece of music.

Psyché – a song by Émile Paladilhe

Despite his name doesn’t seem to be well-known nowadays, Émile Paladilhe was quite a conspicuous figure during his lifetime. First of all, he was the youngest composer to win the Prix de Rome – a French award granting a privilege to live in Italy for three to five years. Just to note, some of the better-known composers (and men of art in general) failed to receive an award, with one of them – a painter Jacques-Louis David, – being so desperate to consider suicide. It’s not David coming in depression over nothing – Eric Satie also had been feeling sore for the same reason; the Prix de Rome was quite an indicator of recognition back in days.

Another fact of Paladilhe’s biography that deserves a special mention is that he died exactly after composing his last opus. Download a piece by this gifted and dedicated ‘til the very moment of his death composer here: Psyché (for piano and voice).

Violin Concerto No.9 by De Bériot

Rarely if ever have I met a composer of mainly violin music who was equally, if not to say more, good at piano. However, in the nineteenth century it seemed to have been more common: Belgian violinist and composer Charles Auguste de Bériot was also a pianist, and, which is particularly impressing – a virtuosic one.

Fate of this Romantic composer is quite tragic. Deafness of Beethoven is well-known even to people with little to no interest in classical music, but not many know that by the end of his life, De Bériot became blind and, perhaps even worse, a paralysis of the left arm made him unable to play an instrument. Be that as it may, he composed a lot of violin works before that to happen. Among them are educational music and violin concertos, and the latter are being almost entirely forgotten these days. Both time and neglect are impuissant to affect their value still: these have always been among the finest violin works of Romantic era. Here is De Bériot’s Violin Concerto No.9, Op.104 (Score for Two Performers).

Wieniawski – Kujawiak for Violin and Piano

As Polish violinist and composer Henryk Wieniawski had been alternately living in different countries, such as Russia, Belgium, and France (more exactly, Paris; he was studying in the conservatoire there) , one might think he was not especially persistent kind of person. Well, in terms of abiding-place it may have been so; as for his instrument of choice, his devotion was inconceivable – acknowledged virtuoso, Wieniawski had been writing almost exclusively for violin, and his works are now considered among the most notional in the repertoire.

Furthermore, not only Wienawski was good at drawing a bow across the violin’s strings but also in strumming the strings of the soul: parents of his bride discommended their marriage, but a work he composed made them temper justice with mercy. Here is Wieniawski’s Kujawiak for Violin and Piano – enjoy.

Kol Nidrei – Max Bruch

As you may have noticed, in this blog I mainly focus on an unfairly overlooked music – one that collects dust on shelves, figuratively speaking. No matter what, during revisions it is always possible to find something unexpectedly interesting at the attic. The same with music – sooner or later listeners start appreciating what they were abandoning before and find themselves wondering why they haven’t heard such a marvelous piece before.

As today I’m going to write about Max Bruch, quite well-known Romantic composer, many of you may wonder what kind of neglect his music met at all. Well, I don’t say it happened to all of it but as for Kol Nidrei, this piece was not present in a concert repertoire for quite long. Despite Bruch himself was neither Jew nor did he considered this his work to be Jewish to the core – he only was influenced by Hebrew motives, – it was forgotten since National Socialists came into power, for reasons quite obvious. Still Kol Nidrei is a very recommendable work, and I want to bring to your attention an arrangement for violin or cello and piano (originally it was written for cello and orchestra). Here it is: Kol Nidrei (Arrangement for Violin or Cello and Piano), Op.47. Enjoy the music.

Thirty Studies for Flute Solo – Karg-Elert

Having no intention to repeat truisms, I still can’t help but write about my attitude towards virtuosity: virtuosity doesn’t cost a thing if playing doesn’t come from a heart. Contrariwise, if music is sincere, it need not be technically complex; a piece can be simple in its structure or harmony yet be regarded as a masterpiece.

As for an adjective best describing studies and what they usually aren’t, it is perhaps “interesting.” While learning, one usually thinks not about enjoyment but rather about how exhausting exercises will be rewarded handsomely in the future. Still some studies can be a real pleasure to play – take Thirty Studies for Flute Solo, written in a form of capriccio, a form quite lively and cheerful. German composer Sigfrid Karg-Elert composed them for his friend, a flutist and recruit, to make the latter's military service less dead-alive. Thanks to his good intentions, Studies now are pretty much a part of every aspiring flutist’s repertoire. Download them here: Thirty Studies for Flute Solo, Op.107.

String Quartet in A Minor – Robert Fuchs

This far, I don’t know many composers, neither living nor departed, extensively lavish in their praise towards their colleagues. This is explicable: if they had been complimenting them right and left, the latter would quite possibly write far weaker works, having a fair conceit of themselves and convinced in own would-be genius. Nevertheless, there are exceptional cases, when it is hard to keep silence, and even those most terse say everything openly; to this category I put Erik Satie and Johannes Brahms: the former, known for his acrimonious nature, appreciated music of Igor Stravinsky and even wrote two articles about his pen pal.

As concerns Brahms, he was judging own works so strict that destroyed those of imperfection – no wonder he was not inclined to speak straight from the shoulder, rating other people’s oeuvre. However, there was a man who made Brahms use adjectives such as “fine” and “splendid,” and the name of this man was Robert Fuchs. Strong point of this Austrian composer is his chamber music, and I particularly like his 62nd opus. Download this piece here: String Quartet in A Minor – Parts, Op.62.

Symphonie espagnole by Édouard Lalo

Édouard Lalo is one of the most original French composers. His music was inspired by Richard Wagner and is characterized by ingenious orchestration and memorable melodies. Due to having style unlike anyone else’s Lalo didn’t meet much success until his late forties, but it was worth it: at least he had never sacrificed his aesthetic ideals and had always been composing in the manner naturally inherent to him – something that anyone with strong personality can do justice to. In Lalo’s case not just anyone, but Tchaikovsky himself: great Russian composer was impressed with his Symphonie espagnole to such extent that wrote one of the best known violin concertos of all time (namely, Violin Concerto in В major, Op. 35). Well, if even Tchaikovsky didn’t remain indifferent towards it, you shouldn’t be disappointed as well. Download Lalo’s opus 21 here: Spanish Symphony in D Minor (for Violin and Piano).