Obscure Music Mondays

Thanks to one of our loyal customers, we've discovered the works of Leonhard von Call (also known as Leonhard de Call). A talented guitar and mandolin player, Call became known for his works written for his student ensembles. Today we look at one of those for the unique combination of Flute, Viola, & Guitar, the Sérénade, Op. 66. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k83cB6DGifA Call...

Giselle Galos, a French composer whom we know little of, is someone we've covered works of before on Obscure Music Mondays, but today we look at her La Baie des Anges, a beautiful work for solo piano. Galos, sometimes listed as Galas, was a mysterious figure who little is known about. Her works were generally published as C. Galos, with...

Théodore Akimenko (also known as Feodor, Fedir, and Fyodor) has been featured long ago on Obscure Music Mondays, but we're visiting another work of his, this time the Idylle for Flute & Piano, Op. 14. Akimenko was born in Ukraine, near the currently troubled city of Kharkiv, before studying in St. Petersburg, relocating to Paris, teaching in Prague, and returning...

Helen Hopekirk (1856-1945) was a talented pianist, composer, and teacher born in Scotland, though later became an American citizen after moving to the United States in 1897 to take on a teaching position at the New England Conservatory of Music. She traveled extensively during her career, touring Europe and America as a concert pianist and studying in diverse cities like...

This week we move back much further in time to the 17th Century and a composition by Barbara Strozzi, Che si può fare. This lovely aria is part of a series of Arias, Cantatas, & Sernatas first published in 1664 as her Arie, Op. 8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F458aC_FUM Strozzi, born as Barbara Valle, was a self-made force of music in Italy in...

Many of the composers we feature in Obscure Music Mondays come from the Romantic and Modern eras, simply as a result of wider publication of music during those times. Today we move back to a much lesser known composer of the Classical era, Maria Hester Park. Her Piano Sonata in C Major, Op. 7 was first published in 1796 at...

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor took inspiration from many spirituals in his writing, often arranging them for new ensembles or building works around these themes. These could take the forms of piano works (such as his 24 Negro Melodies), vocal works (such as his 6 American Lyrics), or instrumental ensembles, which we look at today. While the song Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel...

Today we take a look at a longer waltz by Francis Popy (1874-1928), his Sphinx. This waltz for piano was believed to have been performed on the ill-fated journey of the RMS Titanic, earning it the nickname of the "Titanic Waltz." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k74oBvtOwO8 With a traditional format of Waltz-Trio-Waltz, this work is easily approachable and shows us some of the movement...

Swedish composer Hermann Berens' works are not heard as often as many of his contemporaries, however Berens writing is always overflowing with lovely melodies and deserving of an additional look. Today we take a look at his Piano Trio, Op. 95, No. 2. Berens was the son of a German flautist, Carl Berens, who also composed a number of works...

Adele aus der Ohe (1861-1937) was a German pianist and composer whose works have sadly disappeared from common performance. As a pianist, her virtuosic performances led to her being held in high regard (and demand). While her involvement is much less talked about than other aspects of the trip, she joined her friend Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky on his trip to...