Description:

Composer Ernest Kuchenek was born in Austria and raised in a German-speaking Czech family. He was such a genius that although he was drafted into the army during World War I, he was allowed to remain in Vienna to continue his musical studies because of his extraordinary talent. He is also known to have been married at one time to Mahler's daughter, Anna. Persecuted by the Nazis and exiled to the U.S., he continued to work as a music teacher and officially became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1945, leaving behind numerous works. There are seven piano concertos, including four for solo piano, two for two pianos, a double concerto for violin and piano, and a variety of timbres: organ and piano. All are enchanting works in the Viennese tradition with majestic orchestration. Recorded in 2016 by Mikhail Korzhev (piano) and others.