Monthly Archive: March 2015
Audio News for March 31, 2015
Pandora/Naxos Licensing Deal Felt to be Unfair?; Additions to the National Recording Registry; Goodby to CDs?
Milford Graves and Bill Laswell – Space/Time–Redemption [TrackList follows] – TUM
Bass and drums: it adds up to more than what you might expect.
“Dances for Piano and Orchestra” = CADMAN: Dark Dances of the Mardi Gras; CASTRO: Vals Capricho; CHOPIN: KRAKOWIAK: Concert Rondo in F; GOTTSCHALK: Grand Tarantelle; LISZT: Polonaise brillante; PIERNE: Fantaisie-Ballet; SAINT-SAENS: Valse-Caprice, “Wedding Cake” – Joel Fan, p./ Northwest Sinfonietta/ Christophe Chagnard – Reference Recordings
Don’t let the title throw you off—this is riveting stuff!
SCRIABIN: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor; Piano Sonata No. 2; Poeme in F-sharp Major; Prelude in G Minor; Four Preludes; Deux Morceaux; Sonata No. 6; Two Poemes; Piano Sonata No. 7, “White Mass” – Matthew Bengtson, p. – Romeo
Over an hour of the music of mystic Alexander Scriabin, a labyrinth of the ineffably compelling and perennially challenging personalities.
PROKOFIEV: Violin Sonatas No. 1 in F Minor; No. 2 in D; RACHMANINOV: Marguerite; TCHAIKOVSKY: Melodie – Sidney Weiss, violin/ Jeanne Weiss, p. – Crystal
A solid Russian program from 1968 testifies to the easy, fluent virtuosity of the Weiss Duo, whose work gleaned praise from Solti and Giulini.
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 7 in E Major – Vienna Philharmonic Orch./ Karl Boehm – Pristine Audio
The famed – even notorious – inscription of the 1943 Bruckner Seventh under Karl Boehm has a splendid revival in this Pristine production.
Mikko Innanen with William Parker & Andrew Cyrille – Song for a New Decade [TrackList follows] – TUM
Three free jazz guys walk into a studio…what happened next is a Song for a New Decade.
“The Transfigured Nightingale – Music for Clarinet and Piano” by BRAHMS, SHOSTAKOVICH, RACHMANINOFF & Others – Jerome Summers, clar./Robert Kortgaard, p. – Blue Griffin
Some very nice playing and some new finds.
SCHUMANN: Carnaval; Papillons; Davidsbuendlertaenze – Boris Giltburg, p, – Naxos
Pianist Boris Giltburg finds refreshing bravura and poetry in three of Schumann’s most often realized suites of miniatures.
Les McCann – Invitation to Openness – Omnivore Recordings
Les McCann – free form music from the heart and a photo collection book to treasure.
“Evocación” – Works of FALLA, PIAZZOLLA, ALBENIZ, D. SCARLATTI & BUENCAMINO [TrackList follows] – Charisse Baldoria, piano – Blue Griffin“Elevation – The Upper Air” – Bernie Worrell, piano – M.O.D. Technologies
A pair of solo piano CDs of interest, one classical and one sort of jazz.
“Evocación” – Works of FALLA, PIAZZOLLA, ALBENIZ, D. SCARLATTI & BUENCAMINO [TrackList follows] – Charisse Baldoria, piano – Blue Griffin“Elevation – The Upper Air” – Bernie Worrell, piano – M.O.D. Technologies
A pair of solo piano CDs of interest, one classical and one sort of jazz.
Audio News for March 27, 2015
Pioneer Expands Atmos and Adds HDCP 2.2; SOL Wireless Headphones; Astell & Kern Limited Edition Hi-Res Mobile Audio Player; ‘Deezer Elite’ Hi-Res Audio Streaming Now Global; The Rise of Hi-Res Digital Music
John Fedchock Quartet Live – Fluidity – Summit Records
An auspicious recording by a classy and exciting band.
LISZT: Piano Sonata in B Minor; Mazeppa; Mephisto Waltz – Felix Ardanaz, piano – Orpheus
Another modern titan of the keyboard emerges, a natural exponent of the Liszt style whose sheer bravura qualifies as the best Liszt to date.
JOHN HARBISON: The Great Gatsby Suite; Darkbloom; Closer to My Own Life – Mary Mackenzie, sop. (Life)/ Albany Sym. Orch./ David Alan Miller – Albany
A terrific instrumental suite from the excellent complete opera.
“Music for Queen Caroline” = HANDEL: The king shall rejoice; Te Deum ‘Caroline’; The Ways of Zion do mourn – Tim Meade, countertenor/ Sean Clayton, tenor/ Lisandro Abadie, bass-bar./ Les Arts Florissants/ William Christie – Arts Florissants
Thematic programming at its absolute best!
MAXIMILIAN STEINBERG: Passion Week; RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Alleluia; Behold, the Bridegroom comes; Your bridal chamber; Do not weep for Me, Mother; Let all mortal flesh – Cappella Romana/ Alexander Lingas – Cappella Romana
Cappella Romana is at it again, swinging—successfully—for the fence.
“Improvisations for Theremin and Piano” – Carolina Eyck, theremin/Christopher Tarnow, p. – Butterscotch Records (both CD & audiophile vinyl)
Not what you would expect – it’s better than that.
BRAHMS: Seven Fantasias; Three Intermezzi; Six Pieces; Four Pieces – Ariel Halevy, piano – Romeo
Potent, if unsubtle, performances of late Brahms, but resonant and filled with a conviction that wins us over.
“Spirit, Strength, & Sorrow” = Setting of the Stabat Mater by ALISSA FIRSOVA, TONU KORVITS, CLAUDIO CASCIOLINI, MATTHEW MARTIN, DOMENICO SCARLATTI – The Sixteen/ Harry Christophers – Coro
Christophers’s Coro goes from strength to strength in this absorbing collection.
Mary Stallings – Feelin’ Good – HighNote
A self-assured and sincere singer.