Yes, the 30s and 40s were better known as “The Swing Era,” but things were going on in classical music as well. Pianist Paul Hindemith was mixing a bit of both genres during that period as this collections of sonatas by Alexander Melnikov and a collection of partners attest.
Four sonatas with alto horn are rich and deep, making an interesting comparison with the series of duets with the trombone. A pair of pieces with violin are plaintive and pensive, while the cello group is deeply ruminating. The album closes with some crisp trumpet and piano pairings, but through it all, a sense of transition from the straitjacket of classical music is felt breaking free, albeit in a tentative way, into jazz. A rich collection of an overlooked period of long hair music that started wearing a zoot suit.
Harmonia Mundi Records