Kenneth Woods

Matthew Sharp, English Symphony Orchestra, Kenneth Woods – Hans Gál: Concertino for Cello and Strings (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 01:08:00 minutes | 1,16 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Avie Records

Although he lived to be 97 years old, Hans Gál (1890-1987) didn’t exactly leave an indelible mark on European music. Still, the first decades of his career seemed to suggest a bright future: his works received enthusiastic support from Szell, Furtwängler, Strauss, Fritz Busch, and his notoriety grew steadily until Nazis came to power. Then there was the exile in Great Britain where he was interned during the war until the authorities understood, rather quickly in fact, he was anything but an enemy infiltrator! He went on to spend his late years in Edinburg where he taught at the university until he retired. His musical language remains rooted in Austro-Hungarian post-romantic tradition, while never foraying in any dodecaphonic nebula; it’s easy to imagine how much his work was neglected, particularly during the post-war years of lead with their imposed serialism, but the early 21st century finally saw his star shine once again in the firmament. Let’s therefore welcome the release of this album, which features his 1966 Concertino for Cello, followed by his Sonata and Suite for Solo Cello, both from 1982 – works from his ultimate maturity. All brought to life by the talented touch of Matthew Sharp, a disciple of Pergamenschikow and Jacqueline du Pré – and even of Galina Vishnevskaya, because he’s not only a talented cellist, but also a popular baritone!

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