Classical Explorations — May 2025

Rachel Portman
Flight
Over the past year of curating this music blog, I’ve proudly featured two extraordinarily talented young artists: organist Anna Lapwood and saxophonist Jess Gillham. Earlier this month, I was particularly spellbound by the release of Flight, an exquisitely beautiful track from Lapwood’s album Firedove. Composed by Rachel Portman: one of her generation’s most acclaimed composers, the arrangement is radiant and deeply evocative. The piece begins with a gentle soaring melody that conveys freedom and tranquillity. The interplay between Gillham and Lapwood is both intimate and moving, drawing listeners directly into the emotional heart of Portman’s work. It’s no surprise, then, that the track has amassed over 60,000 streams on Spotify alone in under one month.

Dónal McCann
Source and Front of All Creation 
Belfast born Dónal McCann is a rapidly rising star in the world of choral and organ music. His musical journey began as a chorister at St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast, before he became Organ Scholar at St George’s Parish Church. At just fifteen, he was awarded the prestigious Lloyd Webber Scholarship to Eton College, and by the age of seventeen, he had achieved the Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists (FRCO), earning the Limpus Prize for the highest practical mark in the examination. Source and Front of All Creation features rich harmonic textures, dynamic contrasts and, as you might expect, some beautiful organ registrations that show McCann’s understanding of the instrument.

Rolf Martinsson
Soundscape Op. 118: Part 1
Rolf Martinsson is a Swedish composer and professor of composition at the Malmö Academy of Music. He studied composition in the 1980s under notable figures such as Brian Ferneyhough, Sven-David Sandström, and Hans Eklund. Martinsson has been teaching at the academy since 1987 and became a Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Soundscape Op.118 is a concerto for horn, subtitled ‘A Walk in Colours’. The concerto is a substantial, single-movement work lasting approximately 28 minutes, commissioned for and dedicated to the horn virtuoso Felix Klieser and premiered in 2022. The work from the outset is bold and striking, showcasing the lyrical and virtuosic capabilities of the horn, with the soloist engaging in a rich dialogue with the orchestra.

Béla Bartók
Piano Concerto No.3 in E Major
The Hungarian composer Béla Bartók is a much-underrated composer in my estimation and whilst his contribution is often cited by musicologists as a major 20th-century innovator, there just isn’t enough programming of his corpus of works. For me there is something raw about his of complexity and modernism. Sharply contrasted with folk elements of his native Hungary, the result is enriching and satisfying. It was perhaps the folk element that saw composers such as Stravinsky or Schoenberg enjoying better exposure. It wasn’t until Bartók’s death that works began to enter standard concert repertoire. The unvarnished truth was that his life was marked by personal hardship and political turmoil, including his forced emigration from Hungary due to fascism and his struggles with health and financial stability in the United States. This new recording released on the Supraphon label, showcases the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra rather splendidly, an orchestra I have collaborated with several times in the last three years. I particularly like the clarity from the playing of 31 year old Tomáš Vrána.

Arvo Pärt
Trisagion – (Version for String Orchestra)
Undoubtedly Arvo Pärt is one of the most popular living composers. According to Bachtrack, the leading database for classical music events, he has consistently ranked among the top two most performed living composers globally for over a decade. In 2023, he was the second most performed living composer after John Williams, and in 2022, he was number one. Between 2012 and 2019, and again in 2022, Pärt was the most performed living composer on Bachtrack’s annual lists. Pärt’s signature compositional style, called Tintinnabuli, creates a unique sound world. This method involves the interplay between simple triads (often in slow, sustained notes) and stepwise melodic lines, resulting in music that is both transparent and emotionally resonant. The technique gives his works an austere, meditative quality that can feel both ancient and modern. Trisagion is inspired by the ancient Orthodox Christian prayer known as the Trisagion, which means “Thrice Holy” in Greek. The Trisagion is the opening prayer of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy and has a long tradition as a hymn of both communal worship and remembrance for the departed. This piece expertly demonstrates the tintinnabuli style here.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Serenade in C Minor No.12 K.388
I first came across the clarinettist Nicolas Baldeyrou on social media where famous works for orchestra or organ we transcribed for several clarinets all played by the performer, with clever video cloning techniques (multiple images of Baldeyrou appearing simultaneously). Baldeyrou is no one trick pony (like so many social media stars!) having studied formally at the Paris Conservatoire and has won many top international competitions. I was therefore delighted to hear this superb new release – the first in what will be a series of the complete works with clarinet by Mozart. What makes this recording even more special is the decision to use period instruments. I am featuring the opening Allegro from the Serenade in C Minor No.12 K.388. The piece and its performance here demonstrate the “Sturm und Drang" (storm and stress) characteristics, with dark, intense moods and dramatic contrasts. With Baldeyrou at the helm, the ensemble’s rhythm remains tight, rising and falling perfectly at all the right moments. Whist recorded on period instruments, this music feels relevant and new with the magic of Baldeyrou. What a wonderful recording this is, I cannot wait for future volumes.

Bohuslav Martinů
The Frescoes of Piero della Francesca ii. Adagio
Readers to this blog will already know I adore the music of Martinů and this symphonic triptych is very special indeed. Inspired by Martinů’s visit to the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo, Italy, where he encountered Piero della Francesca’s celebrated fresco cycle The Legend of the True Cross, the work is not programmatic in the sense of directly narrating the frescoes’ stories but rather aims to evoke the paintings’ atmosphere—their solemn, immobile calm and subtle play of light and colour. If you like the and narration and evocative feel of Respighi’s Fountains of Rome, you will love this.

Leonard Bernstein
Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront 
Despite this being his only original work for film, this is one of Bernstein’s most compelling orchestral achievements. I recall conducting this some years back and being captivated by the dramatic power and emotional breadth of the score. Premiered in 1954, On the Waterfront was renowned for its unflinching portrayal of corruption and violence among dockworkers in New Jersey. Disillusioned by the compromises and losses inherent in film scoring, Bernstein never accepted another film commission, but he salvaged the best of his music by crafting this symphonic suite the following year. The music is testament to Bernstein’s genius for musical storytelling.

Oliver Davis
Life: I
Life is the latest album from British composer Oliver Davis, released in May 2025. The collection is inspired by Davis’s earlier work Life Cycle for violin and strings, and expands on this original theme, with each subsequent piece exploring different facets of existence and experience. The music is characterised by Davis’s signature blend of lyrical melodies, luminous orchestration, and an uplifting, contemporary classical soundworld.

Samuel Barber
Violin Concerto, Op.14 i. Allegro moderato
While many American composers of his time embraced experimental or modernist techniques, Samuel Barber remained rooted in the Romantic tradition, preferring lyricism and emotional expression over avant-garde innovation. His music is often described as conservative and European-influenced, yet deeply personal and expressive. Later Barber did incorporate elements of dissonance, chromaticism, and even serialism in later works—but always with a sense of restraint and clarity. His style was not about breaking new ground but about perfecting the craft of melody and form. As a student, I recall listening to a lot of Barber, especially the concertos for violin, cello and piano. I’ve not listened to them in a long time so I was delighted to re-explore them with this wonderful new release on Orchid Classics with the RPO, conducted by Michael Poll.

Anon. My Lady Carey's Dompe
Arranged by Shani Diluka
Shani Diluka is a renowned Monegasque pianist of Sri Lankan descent. Recognised for exceptional talent from age six through a Princess Grace Foundation programme, she trained at the Prince Rainier III Academy and the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris, where she won first prize with unanimous jury acclaim. Her discography is extensive, covering works from Beethoven and Mendelssohn to contemporary composers like Philip Glass and Bill Evans. My Lady Carey's Dompe is a Renaissance piece, most likely composed in the 1520s during the reign of Henry VIII of England. Its composer remains unknown, though it is sometimes attributed to Hugh Aston, a notable Tudor composer. This rendition is personally arranged by Diluka and features an abundance of precisely articulated musical figures, making it an ideal choice to open the album.

Erik Højsgaard
Essays: ii. Dust
Erik Højsgaard (born 1954) is a Danish composer and professor emeritus, widely recognized for his significant contributions to Danish musical life as both a composer and an educator. His compositional output includes two symphonies, a cello concerto, a piano concerto, and the opera Don Juan vender hjem fra krigen (Don Juan Returns from the War). This track was highlighted as a new classical release this month, so I was delighted to explore Højsgaard’s work – atmospheric and highly nuanced. I particularly like the phrase shapes that help to frame this contemporary landscape.

Bryce Dessner
O Nobilissima Viriditas 
Bryce Dessner is an American composer, guitarist, and curator based in Paris. He is best known as a founding member and guitarist of the indie rock band The National, where he collaborates with his twin brother Aaron Dessner and lead singer Matt Berninger in writing music. O nobilissima viriditas comes from a new album, entitled Electric Fields. The piece is an eclectic mix of styles and performers. The medieval tones Hildegard von Bingen are given a new contemporary backdrop, accompanied by the famous Labèque sisters, Katia and Marielle. This crossover album is a curious but fascinating mix of styles and techniques.

Louise Farrenc
Nocturne in Eb 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. Released just today, this track is the second pre-save, the album including Farrenc’s Overtures will be out in September.