Berg, Fromm-Michaels, Messiaen, Schumann & von Weber

Featuring

Sabine Grofmeier
Tra Nguyen
Carl Maria von Weber
Ilse Fromm-Michaels
Alban Berg
Olivier Messiaen

Robert Schumann

Did you know?

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Composition History

Olivier Messiaen composed his 'Quatuor pour la fin du temps' while a prisoner of war in Görlitz in 1940/41, inspired by hallucinations caused by hunger and hardship.

Composition History

Ilse Fromm-Michaels' 'Stimmungen eines Fauns' for solo clarinet (1921) is noted as one of the earliest works for solo clarinet, alongside Stravinsky's 'Three Pieces'.

Performer Biography

Tra Nguyen was recognized by the Vietnamese government in 2001 as one of the ten most distinguished young Vietnamese individuals.

Composition History

Carl Maria von Weber's 'Grand Duo concertant' for clarinet and piano was written in 1815/16 when he was an opera director in Prague, influencing its operatic elements.

Historical Context

Robert Schumann composed his 'Fantasiestücke' for clarinet and piano in 1849, during a time of political unrest in Dresden that forced him and his wife Clara to move to the countryside.

Performer Biography

Sabine Grofmeier, the clarinetist on this album, has performed as a soloist in prestigious German concert halls and has been the artistic director of the International Music Festival Capdepera in Mallorca since 2007.

Performer Biography

Tra Nguyen, the pianist, made her solo debut in Hanoi, Vietnam, at age ten and has frequently performed as a guest soloist with major Vietnamese symphony orchestras.