Beethoven -- And More!

If you've been following the most recent posts, then you know I've been working on processing the Monument Records catalog -- a catalog centered around Beethoven's under-performed and under-recorded repertoire.

While "Masters of the Classical Keyboard" does have some Beethoven (and another world premiere recording at that), pianist Stephen Beck explores other composers active at the time. Haydn and Mozart, the composers most closely associated with Beethoven are respresented, but so are some others. Beethoven's publisher, Diabelli has a work on this disc, as does Czech composer Jan Ladislav Dussek, Carl Phillip Emmanual Bach (J.S. Bach's son, and considered at the time the more famous Bach of the two), and more.

The result is an interesting collection that puts Beethoven in perspective with his contemporaries.

- Ralph

Beethoven's Military Music

We now have another release from Monument Records posted on our website, complete with track listings. This time around, its a collection of "military" piano music by Beethoven.

Some of these selections, such as the March from "The Ruins of Athens" may be familiar, but many will not. In addition to Beethoven's variations on "Rule Britannia" and "God Save the King," there are several world premiere recordings mixed into this recital.

A very interesting collection, and one that shows how the times colors the arts -- many of these works were written during the Napoleonic Wars.

- Ralph

More Beethoven; More Dance Music

We now have Monument Records' second collection of Beethoven's dance music posted on our website. This disc, like the release "Early Dance Music of Beethoven," contains a number of world premiere recordings.

The sound quality -- and the performance -- holds to the same high standards as the rest of the Monument catalog. Once I get through posting all the individual titles, I'll explore the possibility of offering both CDs of Beethoven's dance music for piano at a special price. Stay tuned!

- Ralph

Fantasies for Piano by Beethoven

Today I was able to post another Monument release. The Fantasies for Piano album features three of Beethoven's "Sonatas quasi una fantasia." It includes the two published as Beethoven's Op. 27 (No. 2 is the "Moonlight" sonata). And it features a finished version of a sonata that survived in sketch form. That sonata in D major (Biamonti 213) received its world premiere recording with this release.

Great stuff!

- Ralph

Early Dance Music

Another Monument release has been posted. Beethoven: Early Dance Music provides an illuminating glimpse at the stylistic development of the young composer. And it features two world premiere recordings.

You'll be hearing some of these works in future podcasts.

- Ralph

Beethoven Cameos

Today I finished the webpage for Beethoven: Cameos for Piano
from Monument Records. As I said last time, entering all those track listing can take a while -- especially when it has to take a back seat to other aspects of running a record label!

Nevertheless, if you look over the selections, I hope you'll agree it was worth the effort. There's a lot of seldom-heard Beethoven on this recording waiting for you to explore.

- Ralph

A Monumental Task

Posting a new product is always an involved process. Although we use templates to streamline the process, in the end pages only go up as fast as the data can be entered.

I finally got the first of the Monument's releases posted, and there's more to come. Today I finished the recording of Beethoven's piano arrangement of his "Creatures of Prometheus."

The track listings are quite extensive on some of Monument's recordings, which really slows the process down. With so many world premier recordings and under-represented works, though, I think its important to provide as much information as possible.

Now adding soundbites to a release with 32 tracks is another story.....

Ralph

Milhaud Podcast Posted

We've put the finishing touches on our Milhaud special podcast, and posted it to the site. Troubadisc's 3-CD set presents an interested profile of this French composer. Although we could have given each of the three discs their own podcast episode, I thought that holding the set to a single episode let the listener get an overview of the series.

Hope you enjoy it!

- Ralph

Milhaud Special

We're putting the finishing touches on our next podcast. It's centered around a three-CD set released by Troubadisc featuring the early string quartets and chamber music of Darius Milhaud. We should have it ready and posted sometime over the weekend.

- Ralph

Out with the old

Today we "soft-launched" our revamped website. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, it simply means that the new website replaced the old without any fanfare. Folks will discover the new look as they visit the site. We're still checking links and tweaking images, so we decided to put it out there without making a lot of fuss about it.

We've come a little ways over the past few years. Here's a look at our old website, courtesy of Archive.org.

If you have any suggestions for ways to improve the site, please let us know.

- Ralph