Author Archive

Review – Brahms String Quintets – Takacs Quartet

While Johannes Brahms almost always deployed classical forms and tonality to express Romantic emotional states and ideas, his attitude towards classicism changed significantly as he aged. A few weeks ago, I played Melnikov’s rendition of the first two piano sonatas for Harmonia Mundi back to back with the recently released Tackas Quartet’s Hyperion recording of [...] Continue Reading

Review – J.S. Bach Easter Oratorio – John Eliot Gardiner

The new Solo Dei Gloria disc containing J.S. Bach’s Easter Oratorio is the latest in John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir’s efforts to record pieces which were, for one reason or another, left off the roster of the Cantata Pilgrimage project but, nonetheless, have some kind of claim to be part of any comprehensive [...] Continue Reading