FX Dussek Symphonies -- Comfort Music

I found these symphonies thoroughly enjoyable. Comfort food isn't gourmet dining, but it makes you feel good when you eat it. Dussek isn't Mozart, but his music made me feel good when I heard it.

Tim Snider 8/10/12 Tim Snider 8/10/12

Report from Verona

The Festival at the Arena di Verona is one of the great operatic spectacles. Staged in the vast Roman arena in Verona, the stage is probably the world's largest.

Ralph Graves 8/1/12 Ralph Graves 8/1/12

Holmboe Chamber Symphonies -- Miniature Gems

I wasn’t that familiar with Vagn Holmboe’s music before I received this collection of his chamber symphonies. But after listening to them for a while, I would definitely like to explore the repertoire of this Danish composer further.

Ralph Graves 7/25/12 Ralph Graves 7/25/12

Here the Cliffs: The Orchestral Music of Hilary Tann

This new recording of Hillary Tann’s orchestral music is another outstanding addition to the North/South catalog.

Ralph Graves 7/18/12 Ralph Graves 7/18/12

Alsop Starts Prokofiev Cycle with Symphony No. 5

The Sao Paulo Symphony has a very warm ensemble sound, yet they can be strident and spiky when they need to be.

Ralph Graves 7/11/12 Ralph Graves 7/11/12

Gorecki Concerto-Cantata Welcome Addition to Repertoire

Antoni Wit leads the Warsaw Philharmonic with authority and provides sympathetic readings for these works.

Ralph Graves 7/4/12 Ralph Graves 7/4/12

Reclaiming the 4th Musically

In the last post I outlined my thoughts about programming music for the 4th of July. Here’s what I actually aired.

Ralph Graves 7/2/12 Ralph Graves 7/2/12

Retiring the 1812 for the 4th

Let's forget the Russian overture written by a Russian honoring the victory of a Russian monarch over a French military dictator and trot out some red-blooded American classical music written by real Americans.

Ralph Graves 6/25/12 Ralph Graves 6/25/12

Krenek Complete Symphonies - Outstanding Overview

A fine set that should do much to raise Krenek’s profile.

We are grateful for the generosity of the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation and UVA Arts Council, supporting WTJU and CharlottesvilleClassical.org.