Alexandre Tansman, a Polish-Jewish composer featured on this album, moved to Paris in 1919 and became associated with Maurice Ravel's circle and 'Les six' composers, whose neoclassical style influenced him.
Recording & Production
This album features world premiere recordings of Theodor Blumer's Flute Sonata and Ottorino Respighi's Violin Sonata (arranged for flute and piano by Jürgen Franz).
Instruments
Jürgen Franz plays a J. A. Landell flute with an A. Cooper headjoint, and the piano used for the recording is a Grotrian Steinweg.
Historical Context
The four sonatas on this album were composed between 1917 and 1935, a period in Europe marked by a turning away from late Romantic traditions towards Neoclassicism and the 'L'art pour l'art' philosophy.
Composer Biography
Walter Gieseking, a composer on this album, was one of the 20th century's greatest pianists, publicly performing all of Beethoven's sonatas by age fifteen.
Performer Biography
Jürgen Franz, the flutist on this album, is the principal flutist of the NDR Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and has performed with renowned orchestras like the Berlin Philharmonic and La Scala Philharmonic.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The aesthetic of the Neoclassical period, in which these works were composed, emphasized playfulness, joy in sound and color, and experimentation, rather than subjective emotional expression.
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