Austrian delights | CBW15

3. Concerto no. 7 in F major for three pianos, K. 242 (“Lodron”) by Mozart

No honourable mention this week, we dive directly in a concert for three pianos by Mozart, which he composed especially for a countess and her two daughters. The first movement starts in a pompous manner and then slides into a merry stroll of fingers over the piano keys with a lively tempo and ending symmetrically in the same energetic fashion.… Read more

Luciano Pavarotti

Operatic rule | CBW05

Peaceful, serene, soothing … this is how this week’s honourable mention makes me feel when listening to it: “L’heure excuse” by Reynaldo Hahn, a Venezuelan composer and a prodigy child (he entered the Paris Conservatoire when he was ten years old), best known for his songs. Naturally, when it comes to a voice composition, you need a great voice to portray the beauty of the song, and Susan Graham does this superbly.

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diStefano Tosca

An eclectic mix | CBW03

The honourable mention of the week goes to “Dirait-On”, a song from the cycle “Les Chansons des Roses” by the American composer Morten Lauridsen. This is a setting of poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, an Austrian poet who, besides being one of the most lyrical German-language poets, also wrote over 400 poems directly in French.… Read more

Arcangelo Corelli

All the strings | CBW02

We’re going to start with the honourable mention of “Toccata Arpeggiata” by Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger, a composer from the early Baroque, best remembered for his lute music, being an important contributor to the development of plucked string instruments. This is a beautiful short piece, with a calming effect, that I could listen to over and over again.… Read more

Max Bruch

Beethoven wins it, but Bruch steals the heart | CBW01

We start the year with some big names (Bach, Beethoven) and some unknown ones for me at least, since I’m not exactly a big connoisseur in this domain.


At number 4, we have a new find for me: “O virtus sapientiae” by Hildegard of Bingen. I have to admit I’d never heard of this name before and it turns out this was a very intelligent and notable lady of the 12th century (a nun, a composer, a scientist and many other things – more details can be found in the book).… Read more