Modern, an adjective that brings everything to a stop as soon as the talk is of music. And yet what could be more vague than such a classification?

Today is no different than yesterday; there are as many styles of “modern” music as there are composers. And thus Othmar Schoeck’s music captures dominant characteristics of the time not merely because he lived during the first half of the 20th century.

Reminiscent of Puccini or the later works of Saint-Saëns, the Swiss composer’s music did not set off to establish new paths but to go its own way, colored by the history of music as a whole. Claves Records presents a wonderfully sonorous and vivid example with this CD dedicated to Schoeck’s works for violin and piano; the music seems to flow so naturally to the listener.

Swiss musicians Simone Zgraggen and Ulrich Koella are the authors of this interpretation; a duo with years of concert experience together... and that is very audible in every note!