Monthly Archive: December 2015
GOUVY: “The Complete Symphonies” = Symphonies No. 1 – 6, etc. – cond. by Jacques Mercier – CPO (4 CDs)
LOUIS THÉODORE GOUVY: “The Complete Symphonies” = Symphonies No. 1 – 6; Fantaisie Symphonique; Symphony brève; Sinfonietta – Deutsche Radio Philharmonie/ Saarbrücken Kaiserlautern/Jacques Mercier – CPO 777-992-2 (4 CDs) [Distr. by Naxos](7/31/15) TT: 239:43 ***: Obscure to be sure but mostly worth the trip. If you’ve always wanted a set of the complete symphonies by […]
From the Attic of My Mind – Sam Most, flute – Xanadu/ Elemental
A 1978 session with one of the top jazz flutists around. From the Attic of My Mind – Sam Most, flute – Xanadu Master Edition 906074 (digitally remastered by Elemental Music) [6/30/15] ****: (Sam Most, flute; Kenny Barron, piano; George Mraz, bass; Warren Smith, percussion; Walter Bolden, drums) The late Most (died in 2013) really […]
BARTÓK: Rhapsody No. 1; Rhapsody No. 2; Violin Concerto No. 2 – Barnabás Kelemen, v. /Hungarian Nat. Philharmonic Orch./Zoltán Kocsis – Hungaraton
BÉLA BARTÓK: Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra; Rhapsody No. 2 for Violin and Orch.; Violin Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Orch. – Barnabás Kelemen, violin/Hungarian Nat. Philharmonic Orch./Zoltán Kocsis – Hungaraton HSACD 32509 multichannel SACD [Distr. by Naxos] (9/11/15) 77:39 ****: Fresh new readings of important Bartok classics. Bartok was not just […]
Dave Wilson Quartet – There Was Never – Zoho
Saxophonist Wilson effortlessly moves from emotional aspects to abstract elements. Dave Wilson Quartet – There Was Never [TrackList follows] – Zoho ZM 201512, 65:33 (11/6/15) ****: (Dave Wilson – tenor, soprano saxophone, producer; Bobby Avey – piano; Tony Marino – acoustic bass; Alex Ritz – drums) When it’s cool outside, you can warm up with […]
Audio News for December 29, 2015
The Problem With Vinyl Pressings; Video Game Becomes Reality with Auro-3D; Handy Guide to Voice-Over Equipment; 2016 New Technologies
FAURE: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major; R. STRAUSS: Violin Sonata in E-flat Major – Itzhak Perlman, v./ Emanuel Ax, p. – DGG
For their first inscription together, Perlman and Ax gloriously collaborate in two works new to the Perlman legacy. FAURE: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13; R. STRAUSS: Violin Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 18 – Itzhak Perlman, v./ Emanuel Ax, p. – DGG B0023611-02, 53:52 (8/28/15) [Distr. by Universal] ****: This recording […]
Friedrich Wuehrer. piano = BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 29 “Hammerklavier”; 12 Variations; SCHUBERT: “Wanderer” Fantasy – MeloClassic
Friedrich Wuehrer makes a powerful impression in music by two of his specialty composers, Beethoven and Schubert. Friedrich Wuehrer = BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106 “Hammerklavier”; 12 Variations on a Russian Dance, WoO 71; SCHUBERT: “Wanderer” Fantasy in C Major, D. 760 – Friedrich Wuehrer, piano – MeloClassic MC 1023, […]
Isang Yun – In Between North and South Korea (2015)
Isang Yun – In Between North and South Korea (2015) Documentary by Maria Stodtmeier Studio: Accentus ACC 20208 (9/25/15) [Distr. by Naxos] Video: 16:9 color Audio: DD Surround, DTS 5.1 Language: German Subtitles: English, Korean, Chinese, French All regions Length: 60:00 Rating: *** An interesting look at a story that few know. There are […]
Heist, Blu-ray (2015)
A suspensful thriller which will have you rooting for the father. Heist, Blu-ray (2015) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Robert De Niro, Kate Bosworth, Gina Carano Director: Scott Mann Video: 16:9 1080p HD color Audio: English DTS-HD MA audio Subtitles: English, Spanish Studio: Lionsgate [12/29/15] Extras: Commentary track by director, Deleted & extended scenes, “The Making […]
BARTOK: Concerto for Orchestra; Dance Suite – London Sym. Orch./ Sir Georg Solti – Decca vinyl
A classic Solti recording of two Bartok works, on a remastered vinyl. BARTOK: Concerto for Orchestra; Dance Suite – London Sym. Orch./ Sir Georg Solti – Decca 4788558, 70 min. vinyl (3/6/15) ***(*): When Solti’s Concerto for Orchestra with the LSO was released in 1965, it set standards in sound and performance that lasted […]
Bennie Wallace – Moodsville – Prestige/ Groove Note
Bennie Wallace – Moodsville – Prestige/ Groove Note GRV1010-1 two 45 rpm vinyls, 50:53 ****: Saxophonist combines traditional jazz plus hi-resolution. (Bennie Wallace – tenor saxophone; Peter Washington – doublebass; Mulgrew Miller – piano; Lewis Nash – drums) Jazz saxophonist Bennie Wallace draws heavily on his Tennessee roots. From his early days with the high […]
Ancient Voices – RICHARD DANIELPOUR Works – Nashville Sym. /Giancarlo Guerrero – Naxos
Ancient Voices – RICHARD DANIELPOUR Works – Nashville Sym. /Giancarlo Guerrero; Hila Plitmann, sop./ Pacific Chorale /John Alexander; Pacific Sym. /Carl St. Clair – Naxos 8.578311-12 – 1:26:27 (2 CDs) (6/9/15) ****: Stirring contemporary music with a middle-eastern theme. Composer Richard Danielpour refers to himself as “an American composer with a Middle Eastern memory”. This […]
Bob Dylan – Don’t Look Back, Blu-ray (2015)
Hi-resolution release of legendary 1967 documentary is a welcome addition to the Dylan legacy. Cast: Bob Dylan, Donovan, Joan Baez, Alan Price, Donovan, Albert Grossman, Sally Grossman, Marianne Faithful, Allen Ginsburg, Fred Perry, Tom Wilson, Bob Neuwirth, Derrol Adams Studio: Criterion 786 [11/24/15] Director: D.A. Pennebaker Video: 1.37:1 for 1080p HD, Black & White Audio: […]
SIBELIUS: Historic Recordings and Rarities, 1928-1945 – feat. Boult, Beecham, Koussevitzky etc. – Warner Classics (7 CDs)
For his 150th birthday, Sibelius has his classic inscriptions restored for a grand pageant by many of his favored interpreters. SIBELIUS: Historic Recordings and Rarities, 1928-1945 = The Seven Symphonies; Karelia Suite; Andante festive; Pohjola’s Daughter; Belshazzar’s Feast; Tapiola; Night Ride and Sunrise; The Oceanides; Romance in C Major; The Bard; The Tempest; Pelleas and […]
RACHMANINOV: Symphony No. 3; Capriccio on Gypsy Themes; Symphonic Dances; The Rock; Vocalise – Orch. de Paris/ Paavo Jarvi – Erato
Paavo Jarvi embarks on a series of recordings dedicated to the composer’s orchestral oeuvre. RACHMANINOV: Symphony No. 3 in a minor, Op. 44; Capriccio on Gypsy Themes, Op. 12; Symphonic Dances, Op. 45; The Rock, Op. 7; Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14 – Orch. de Paris/ Paavo Jarvi – Erato 0825646195794, 60:18, 56:42 (2 CDs) […]
PIERNE: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 = BBC Philharmonic – Chandos
Pianist Bavouzet and conductor Mena revisit the music of Pierne with effective results. PIERNE: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 = Paysages franciscains, Op. 43; Les Cathedrales; Scherzo-Caprice, Op. 25; Poeme symphonique, Op. 37; Fantasie-Ballet, Op. 6; Nocturne en forme de valse, Op. 40, No. 2; Etude de concert, Op. 13 – Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, p./ BBC […]
Joey Alexander – My Favourite Things – Motéma
Joey Alexander – My Favourite Things – Motéma MTA-CD-171, 58:30 ****1/2: An impressively-gifted pianist with a captivating understanding of the music well-beyond his years. (Joey Alexander – piano all tracks; Larry Grenadier – bass; Ulysses Owens, Jr. – drums tracks 1,2,4; Larry Grenadier – bass track 3; Russell Hall – bass; Sammy Miller – drums […]
Dragon Blade, Blu-ray (2015)
A quite different sort of Jackie Chan movie, with amazing visuals. Dragon Blade, Blu-ray (2015) Cast: Jackie Chan, John Cusack, Adrien Brody, Sharni Vinson Director: Daniel Lee Studio: (Chinese) Grindstone/Lionsgate Premiere (12/22/15) Video: 2.40:1 for 16:9 color 1080p HD Audio: Mandarin & English, DTS-HD MA 5.1 Subtitles: English Extras: Behind the Scenes of Dragon Blade, […]
Astell & Kern AK Jr. Digital Audio Player
Astell & Kern AK Jr. Digital Audio Player SRP: $500.00 A high end but relatively low cost DAP. Specs: Body Material: Aluminum Display: 3.1″ WQVGA (240 x 400) Touchscreen Storage 64 GB storage built in, up to 200 GB in aux slot with mini SD cards Output Level: 1.95Vrms Supported Audio Formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, […]
STRAVINSKY: Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring); Le Roi des Etoiles – Men’s Chorus of the New England Conserv./ Boston Sym. Orch./ Michael Tilson Thomas – Pentatone
A classic returns, though the results will surprise you.
SCRIABIN: Nuances = Two dozen works [TrackList below] – Valentina Listisa, piano – Decca
With her emphasis on early and rare Scriabin, Valentina Lisitsa provides an alternative universe.
Sounds & Clouds – Music of VIVALDI and HOSOKAWA [TrackList follows] – Jeremias Schwarzer, recorder/ Holland Baroque Soc. – Channel Classics
A successful pairing of baroque and contemporary music in a stunning recording.