Catalogue

Discovery of the Week - Classic FM

“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

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