Catalogue

Discovery of the Week – Classic FM

“Nadia Boulanger’s Three Pieces are technically impressive … Rita Strohl [is] a composer of considerable power … Reena Esmail’s ‘one word makes a world’, based on an Indian raga [sports] imaginative swoops and slides” ★★★★ – BBC Music Magazine

“Yoshika Masuda and pianist HyeJin Kim offer this album of compositions by women as nothing other than masterpieces by truly great composers,” and the program lives up to this claim … A highly listenable addition to the growing body of recordings of music by women” ★★★★ – AllMusic

“Listeners interested in discovering a major Romantic-era violin-and-piano work will scarcely be disappointed in having a disc centered on Strohl’s sonata” – Infodad

“The album’s centrepiece in every way is Rita Strohl’s tremendous sonata … Masuda overcomes the work’s considerable demands on stamina and agility” – The Strad

“Superb renditions of the pieces by the cellist and pianist. These intimate performances invite and warrant repeated visits” – Textura

“a full, rich cello sound across the entire range … delightful … a fine CD full of excellent playing” – WholeNote

“The two performers shed light on the music and double thoughts … we take a closer look at the path to discovering the “hidden passion” that exists in modern times, which was pioneered by the undercurrents … It’s also Rita Stroll’s nearly 40-minute grand sonata is full of passion. There are multiple layers of culture in contemporary Reena Esmail songs” – Asahi Shimbun, Japan

Japanese-American cellist Yoshika (“Yoshi”) Masuda makes his recording debut with Hidden Flame, an album containing music by Amy Beach, Clara Schumann, Rita Strohl, Nadia Boulanger, Maria Theresia Paradis, and a world-premiere by Reena Esmail.

The works on Hidden Flame span over two centuries and collectively tell a story of how women have moved from the margins of the classical repertoire to somewhere closer to the centre. Whilst the quality of the music these women composed is indisputable, there are also fascinating background stories for all these pieces which often illustrate the personal and societal pressures faced by creative women in history.

Yoshi describes the album’s concept: “to present the compositions of women as masterpieces by truly great composers. Musicians and music lovers often feel confident that great works that exist in this world must already be a part of the standard repertoire. However, this album proves that there are hidden gems that deserve more recognition are still out there! It is my aspiration that, in encountering both the familiar and the unfamiliar within this collection of pieces, listeners will transcend considerations of gender or race and recognise these compositions simply as expressions of profound beauty crafted by masterful composers”.

AMY BEACH (1867–1944)
1. Romance, Op.23 6.27

CLARA SCHUMANN (1819–1896)
3 Romances, Op.22
2. I. Andante molto 3.24
3. II. Allegretto: Mit zartem Vortrage 3.18
4. III. Leidenschaftlich schnell 4.13

RITA STROHL (1865–1941)
Great Dramatic Sonata ‘Titus et Bérénice’
5. I. Allegro moderato 14.03
6. II. Vivace – Molto movimento 5.30
7. III. Lento, tristamente 8.31
8. IV. Allegro molto movimento 10.45

REENA ESMAIL (b. 1983)
9. one word makes a world 5.56
world-premiere recording

NADIA BOULANGER (1887–1979)
3 Pieces for cello & piano
10. I. Modéré 2.51
11. II. Sans vitesse et à l’aise 1.39
12. III. Vite et nerveusement rythmé 2.33

MARIA THERESA PARADIS (1759–1824) attrib.
13. Sicilienne 3.32

Total Duration: 72.46

Yoshika Masuda, cello
HyeJin Kim, piano

Recorded: 10–12 June 2022, Cammilleri Hall, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Publishers: A Piece of Sky Music (ASCAP) (Esmail); Éditions musicales Alphonse Leduc (Boulanger)
Producer: Judith Sherman • Engineer: Benjamin Maas
Piano Technician: Enoch Xu • Editing Assistant: Jeanne Velonis