Classical Explorations — April 2025

Artur Malawski
Toccata
Artur Malawski (1904-1957) was a prominent Polish composer, conductor, and music educator. Born in Przemyśl, he studied violin at the Kraków Conservatory and later composition and conducting at the Warsaw Conservatory. Malawski taught composition and conducting at the State Higher School of Music in Kraków from 1945 until his death, where his students included Krzysztof Penderecki and Bogusław Schaeffer. He was known for his independent and uncompromising approach to composition, creating a unique modern artistic language. Malawski's works, such as Symphonic Studies and Symphony No. 2 ‘Dramatic’, earned him numerous awards and recognition. His influence on Polish contemporary music extended beyond his compositions, as he helped establish Poland as a force in post-Stalinist contemporary music through his teaching. You could be forgiven for hearing the music of Lutosławski here, an intricate contemporary soundworld with many similarities, but there is quite a unique voice here. This release from Naxos is a wonderful exploration of Malawski’s music, released only in December. There is some crisply detailed playing under the direction of Mariusz Smolij. I had not heard of the Artur Malawski Podkarpackie Philharmonic – so I was very happy to learn of its existence!

Louise Farrenc
Mélodie in Ab Major
Louise Farrenc was a pioneering force in the 19th century. Her exceptional works, particularly her symphonies and chamber works challenged the prevailing notion that women were incapable of creating substantial musical pieces. Farrenc's success as a composer, pianist, and professor at the Paris Conservatory paved the way for future generations of female musicians. Her fight for equal pay and recognition set a precedent for gender equality in the music world. Today, the rediscovery and celebration of Farrenc's works continue to inspire and empower women composers, redefining their place in music history and expanding our understanding of the Romantic era. This pre-release track was released to coincide with Women’s International Day on Sony Classics. The piece is originally for piano and has been expertly arranged here by Christopher Hussey, with the Nocturne being released later on 29 May 2025. The remainder of the album including Farrenc’s concert overtures will be released in September this year.

Jonathan Dove
Between Friends: Conversation: 2: Dancing
Londoner Jonathan Dove is well known for his contribution to opera, choral works, and orchestral music. Dove's breakthrough came with the opera Flight in 1998, commissioned by Glyndebourne. His works, including over thirty operas, have been performed worldwide, earning him acclaim for their accessibility and ability to captivate audiences. Dove has received numerous accolades, including an Ivor Novello Award nomination and a CBE in 2019 for his services to music. Jonathan Dove writes: “Many of my happiest memories of playing two pianos involve Graeme Mitchison (1944-2018). Graeme was a scientist whose boundless curiosity crossed many disciplines: he wrote about the Fibonacci series in plants, the nature of dreams, quantum physics. He was also physically adventurous, enjoying paragliding, mountaineering and fast cycling. And he was an excellent pianist. The music-room of his house in Cambridge had two pianos (his living room also contained a fine Bösendorfer grand), and over a span of forty years, my visits to him would always include lively renditions of our favourite two-piano pieces, along with fascinating arrangements and sometimes new discoveries, interspersed with heady conversation. Graeme was wise and stimulating company, and a wonderful duet partner: we always seemed to feel music at the same tempo, and with the same intensity.  It was enormously satisfying, and I would return to London, my head ringing with intoxicating sounds and new ideas.”

Nico Muhly
Patterns: Palindromes
American composer Nico Muhly has written a number of works for organ and I’ve enjoyed performing some of them in concert programmes myself. I was drawn to this release in January because of the amazing artistry of James McVinnie playing the organ of St Albans Cathedral: an amazing instrument closely associated with legendary organists Peter Hurford and Ralph Downes. The organ is also central to the St Albans International Organ Festival. Patterns: Palindromes (2014) is a conversational piece between three departments of the organ. The thumping 16ft reed acts almost like a drum which builds a solid foundation. The ‘string’ chords on the organ bring a welcome contrast towards the end of the movement. Muhly’s language is fascinating, different and new. So to have this wonderful instrument played by a star organist on such a prestigious label is a treat.

Bedřich Smetana
Håkon Jarl
Smetana wrote this symphonic poem in 1860, based on Adam Oehlenschläger's historical tragedy about Håkon Jarl, a 10th-century Norwegian ruler. The work depicts the conflict between paganism and Christianity in Scandinavia. Smetana completed this piece, the last of his "Swedish" symphonic poems, during his time in Gothenburg. Hakon Jarl premiered in Prague on February 24, 1864. Although less known than Smetana's later cycle Má Vlast, it remains a regularly performed and is wonderfully recorded by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Petr Popelka in this new release for the historic Czech label, Supraphon.

César Franck
Prière, Op.20
César Franck made significant contributions to the organ repertoire, revitalizing French organ music in the 19th century. Despite composing only twelve major organ works, Franck is considered by many to be the most important organ composer after J.S. Bach. His compositions, particularly the Grande Pièce Symphonique, laid the foundation for the French symphonic organ style and paved the way for future composers like Widor, Vierne, and Dupré. Franck's innovative use of cyclic form and his skill in improvisation greatly influenced the development of the repertoire. His works, including the Trois Chorals, remain cornerstones of the organ repertoire, admired for their chromatic harmonic language and balanced form. It is often said the best stop on the organ is the acoustic and, in this recording, we hear Westminster Cathedral with its huge and dark Byzantine curves. The foundation stops of the instrument are beautifully voiced. Add into the mix the aromas of the cathedral's polished floor, the lingering incense and the distant stench of London. It is at once earthly and heavenly. The playing by Peter Stevens is utterly controlled and blended. At the climactic moments, the reeds enter subtlety and skilfully adding weight to the contoured lines but keeping focus on the score. This is wonderfully artistic playing and as an organist, I admire this deeply. (*Please note the track I have written about here is not available on Apple Music. I have included a performance on Apple Music of Marie-Claire Alain, but I’d recommend hearing the recording I have recommended).

Gabriel Fauré
Trois Mélodies, Op. 23: iii. Le Secret
What is it about Fauré that manages to capture the imagination of the masses? His music is so easy to like yet sophisticated and highly refined. His subtlety and harmonic innovation are second to none. So as I turn to these gorgeous pieces for voice and piano, we hear Fauré’s refined approach to text setting and harmonic beauty. Each song in the cycle explores contrasting emotional landscapes. This single release by Hyperion in February, sung by Nicky Spence, accompanied by Julis Drake is simply gorgeous. There is much emotional depth in this performance. It has left me wondering if the rest of the set have been recorded!

Lili Boulanger
D’un Soir Triste
Parisien Lili Boulanger was a child prodigy, demonstrating musical talent from the age of two, mastering multiple instruments and studying at the Paris Conservatoire despite chronic illness stemming from childhood pneumonia. She became the first woman to win the Prix de Rome in 1913 for her cantata Faust et Hélène. Her family’s musical legacy—including her father, Prix de Rome winner Ernest Boulanger, and sister Nadia Boulanger—shaped her career. Influenced by Fauré and Debussy, her works blended innovative harmony with emotive text settings. She died at 24, leaving a small number of works. I must admit to not seeing quite the attraction others have in her music and I like to push myself to listen and understand music that I’m not familiar with. Benjamin Britten once said that he was incapable of disliking music, only misunderstanding it. I rather like that! D’un soir triste (“Of a Sad Evening”) is one of the final works composed by Lili Boulanger, completed in 1918 during the last months of her life. Alongside its companion piece, D’un matin de printemps (“Of a Spring Morning”), there is great detail in the orchestration. I hear the sheen of Ravel in that respect. Acknowledged for her Debussy-esc harmony, I too hear the parallel nature but there is something more adventurous here, if not austere.

Molecule
Symphony No.1 "Quantique”: II: Clair-obscur
Born in 1979 in Grenoble, France, Romain Delahaye-Serafini is an electronic musician, composer, and producer known for his immersive soundscapes and field recording expeditions. Adopting the stage name Molécule, he has pioneered "nomadic electronic music," capturing environmental sounds in extreme locations like the Arctic Circle, North Atlantic fishing vessels, and Portugal’s Nazaré waves. I was drawn to this Symphony No.1 earlier in February when I heard it, mostly because of the fusion between electronic and classical worlds. Many non-classical artists create orchestral music through the means of digital sampling, so I was intrigued to listen with it’s exciting sound from the Orchestre National de Lille. There are some obvious film music techniques at play here, but there is much besides that creates something of a classical exploration!

Sergei Prokofiev
Flute Sonata in D Major, Op. 94
Russian composer and pianist Prokofiev was renowned for his 20th-century masterpieces, including Romeo and Juliet, Peter and the Wolf, and Alexander Nevsky. A prodigy who wrote his first opera at nine, he studied at St. Petersburg Conservatory, later emigrating post-1917 before returning to the USSR in 1936. Composed in 1943 during Prokofiev’s wartime exile in Perm and Alma-Ata, the Flute Sonata reflects a deliberate shift toward neoclassical clarity amidst the turbulence of World War II and his concurrent work on the opera War and Peace. Commissioned by the USSR’s Committee on Artistic Affairs, the sonata balances classical forms with Prokofiev’s signature chromaticism and harmonic daring.

Howard Shore
The Noble Wood (I Roderyn) 
Renowned for scoring over 80 films, notably The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, Howard Shore has composed many classical works and operas, earning numerous awards including Grammys, Golden Globes, and the Order of Canada. The Noble Wood (I Roderyn) is a concert arrangement of themes originally composed for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, representing the Woodland Elves of Mirkwood. The piece, scored for solo oboe and orchestra, embodies Shore’s signature fusion of lyrical melody and atmospheric orchestration, evoking the mystical and ancient nature of Tolkien’s Elven realms. The title I Roderyn (Sindarin Elvish for "The Noble Wood") reflects Shore’s collaboration with linguist David Salo to create linguistically authentic titles. 

Herman Vogt
Cello Concerto: II. Canzona
Herman Vogt (b. 1976, Drammen) is a Norwegian contemporary composer known for blending classical tradition with more modern compositional techniques. He studied composition at the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, with works performed internationally by ensembles like the Oslo Philharmonic and Norwegian Radio Orchestra. This rather wonderful slow movement, marked Canzona, has an eloquent beauty and is a nice contrast to my other pieces featured here.

Tsohle Tsohle (from the album Hymns of Bantu)
Trad. Arr: Abel Selaocoe
Abel Selaocoe’s Hymns of Bantu is a cross-cultural exploration rooted in “celebrating ancestral connections and shared human experiences through music”. The album merges South African traditions with Western classical influences, “emphasising unity and healing”. Tsohle Tsohle is a joyful song of thanksgiving to God, framed as a celebration of universal creation and interconnectedness. The title translates from Sesotho as “all things” or “everything,” reflecting its lyrical focus on gratitude for the totality of existence.

Detlev Glanert
Prelude to No.1 (After J. Brahms’ Op.121)
A student of Hans Werner Henze, Detlev Glanert (b. 1960) is a German composer renowned for his operas and orchestral works, blending lyrical intensity with modern reinterpretations of Romantic traditions. He gained early recognition with operas like Leyla und Medjnun (1988) and Der Spiegel des großen Kaisers (1995), the latter winning the Rolf-Liebermann-Preis. His works, including Caligula (2006) and Solaris (2012), explore dark human themes through rich orchestration and textural brilliance. Glanert’s Prelude to No.1 serves as the opening movement of his orchestral reimagining of Brahms’s Four Serious Songs, Op. 121. The prelude acts as both a thematic prologue and a contemplative expansion of Brahms’s material, drawing from the first song, “Denn es gehet dem Menschen” (For that which befalleth the sons of men). The prelude establishes a somber atmosphere through low orchestral sonorities, with Glanert ingeniously reversing melodic fragments from the song’s conclusion to create a reflective, almost ritualistic introduction. Stylistically, Glanert navigates between Brahms’s late-Romantic language and a more contemporary harmonic palette, subtly introducing expressionist inflections while maintaining reverence for the original. 

Seán Doherty
Snow Dance for the Dead
Seán Doherty (b. 1987) is a Northern Irish composer, musicologist, and singer from Derry. Educated at Cambridge and Trinity College Dublin, he lectures at Dublin City University and is a member of New Dublin Voices. A multi-award-winning choral composer, his works are performed internationally. Commissioned to mark the centenary of the Russian Revolution (1917), the choral work reflects on the atrocities of the Russian Civil War and the Cheka, the Soviet secret police whose executions were euphemized as "NatsoKal"—an onomatopoeic term mimicking the sound of a gun being cocked and fired. The piece incorporates a fragment of Dublin-born poet Lola Ridge’s 1927 poem Snow Dance for the Dead, which juxtaposes a haunting call for children to dance "to the rhythm of the snow" against the backdrop of violence.