Monthly Archive: April 2014
Sean Chen – La Valse = SCRIABIN: Valse in A-flat Major; Piano Sonata No. 4; Piano Sonata No. 5; RAVEL: Menuet antique; Valses nobles et sentimentales; Menuet sur le non d’Haydn; Prelude (1913); La Valse – Sean Chen, piano – Steinway & Sons
Sean Chen combines two musical iconoclasts in one audaciously imaginative program, poetic and rebellious at once.
BRITTEN to America: Music for Radio and Theatre = The Ascent of F6; An American in England; Roman Wall Blues; On the Frontier; Where do we go from here? – Samuel West, narr./ Mary Carewe, mezzo-sop./ Andrew Kennedy, tenor/ Mervyn Cooke, Lucy Walker, p./ Halle/ Mark Elder/ Ex Cathedra/ Jeffrey Skidmore – NCM
Of great historical interest, and showing the development of a very young composer, but beyond that of questionable long-term value.
HAMPSON SISLER: The Second Coming – Sofia Ch. Choir/ Sofia Sinfonietta/ Marlon Daniel – MSR Classics
A sizzler from Sisler? Not in my book, but many beg to differ.
LOUIS ANDRIESSEN: Anaïs Nin; De Staat – Cristina Zavalloni, voice/ Synergy Vocals/ London Sinfonietta/ David Atherton – Signum Classics
A strange choice for a monodrama, and a touch exploitative. The music, unfortunately, doesn’t save it.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor; The Tempest – Joyce Yang, piano/ Odense Sym. Orch./ Alexander Lazarev – Bridge
Pianist Yang and conductor Lazarev, two kindred spirits, collaborate in refreshed and often exciting realizations of the passionate Russian.
Music for a While: Improvisations on HENRY PURCELL – Philippe Jaroussky, countertenor/ Raquel Andueza, sop./ Vincenzo Capezzuto, alto/Dominique Visse, countertenor/ Gianluigi Trovesi, clar./ Wolfgang Muthspiel, acoustic guitar & elec. guitar/ L’Arpeggiata/ Christina Pluhar – Erato
Some concepts should die on the drawing table—this is one of them.
Charlie Dennard – From Brazil To New Orleans – Self
An interesting excursion into a little explored musical genre.
MISSY MAZZOLI: Song from the Uproar – The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt – Abigail Fischer, mezzo-sop./ NOW Ensemble/ Steven Osgood – New Amsterdam
This got rave reviews at the premiere—was the fuss really justified?
BRAHMS: String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat; No. 2 in G; String Quintet No. 1 in F; No. 2 in G – Alexander String Q. – Foghorn Classics
Secondary Brahms? Is there such a thing? Yes there is, but readings like this do a lot to dispel such notions
Talks About Nothing (2014)
Turns out that plenty can be said about nothing, and these active minds say it.
Audio News for April 29, 2014
Hi-Res Coming to Apple’s iTunes; LG and Smart TVs; Samsung’s New Headphones and Bluetooth Speaker
SCHUBERT: Winterreise – Jonas Kaufmann, tenor/ Helmut Deutsch, piano – Sony
A soaring, radiant, yet bleak reading of a work that embodies many contradictory elements.
Sir Malcolm Sargent conducts TCHAIKOVSKY: Marche Slav; Romeo and Juliet – Fantasy Overture; Waltz; Theme and Variations from Suite No. 3; 1812 Overture – Royal Philharmonic Orch./ Sir Malcolm Sargent – Guild
The colorful Malcolm Sargent delivers an equally colorful series of Tchaikovsky performances from vintage appearances with the Royal Philharmonic.
CLEMENTI: Piano Sonatas, in g; in C; in g; in G – Ian Hominick, p. – MSR Classics
Unearthing music from a man once considered a consummate master.
SCHUMANN: Piano Quintet in E-flat; BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in f – Joyce Yang, p./ Alexander String Q. – Foghorn Classics
Another Schumann? Another Brahms? Absolutely!
Alexandre Tharaud – Autograph = Works of BACH, RACHMANINOV, FAURE, SIBELIUS, GRIEG, SCRIABIN, CHOPIN, CHABRIER, BIZET, POULENC, SATIE & Others – Erato
Tharaud’s “In Celebration of the Encore” enchants us with a garden of gentle but brilliantly played delights.
Présent – Triskaïdékaphobie and Le Poison Qui Rend Fou – Rune 382 (1 CD) and Rune 383/384 (2 CDs)
Présent’s early albums get a definitive reissue treatment.
SCHUBERT: String Quintet in C Major; Quartet-Movement in C minor – Gary Hoffman, c./ Cypress String Quartet – Avie
The Cypress Quartet and guest Gary Hoffman realize a potent rendition of Schubert’s late masterpieces, delivered in fine sound.
James Brawn in Recital, Volume 1 = BACH/BUSONI: Chaconne; Prelude in C; LISZT: Mephisto Waltz No. 1; Consolation No. 3; MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition; RACHMANINOFF: Prelude in b – James Brawn, p. – MSR Classics
It’s getting to be a habit—every new recording by Mr. Brawn demands attention.
Catherine Russell – Bring It Back [TrackList follows] – Jazz VillageDiane Schuur – I Remember You (With Love to Stan and Frank) [TrackList follows] – Jazzheads
Two great female jazz vocalists you should know if you don’t already.
Catherine Russell – Bring It Back [TrackList follows] – Jazz VillageDiane Schuur – I Remember You (With Love to Stan and Frank) [TrackList follows] – Jazzheads
Two great female jazz vocalists you should know if you don’t already.
Tracy Silverman: “between the kiss and the chaos”; “Axis and Orbits” – Tracy Silverman (soloist & composer) with the Calder Quartet – Delos
This virtuoso of the electric violin provides an interesting mix of contemporary music.