Monthly Archive: June 2016

“Pollini & Abbado: The Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings” – 8 CDs

“Pollini & Abbado: The Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings” – 8 CDs

An important bag, if a mixed one, but the pros outweigh the cons. “Pollini & Abbado: The Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings” = BEETHOVEN: Complete Piano Concertos; Fantasy for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra, Op. 80; BRAHMS: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (1995); Piano Concerto No. 2 (1976); SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto, Op. 54; SCHOENBERG: Piano Concerto, […]

“Hand Eye” = “Sleeping Giant” – Cedille

“Hand Eye” = “Sleeping Giant” – Cedille

Up for a little adventure? Eighth Blackbird provides the roller coaster. B01C5PTUSK “Hand Eye” = SLEEPING GIANT: Checkered Shade; Mine, Mime, Meme; I. Touch; II. Pulse; III. Send; South Catalina; By-by Huey; (Crossfade); Cast – Eighth Blackbird – Cedille CDR 90000 162, 72:21 [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Eighth Blackbird is a marvelously innovative ensemble that […]

Dave Miller – Old Door Phantoms – ears & eyes

Dave Miller – Old Door Phantoms – ears & eyes

Multi-genre instrumental album of the year. Dave Miller – Old Door Phantoms [TrackList follows] ears & eyes ee:16-046, 44:59 [4/1/16] ****: (Dave Miller – guitar, Mellotron; Ben Boye – pianet, Wurlitzer electric piano, Mellotron; Matt Ulery – Fender bass; Quin Kirchner – drums, percussion) You can’t peg guitarist Dave Miller. He’s juxtaposes jazz, rock and […]

Phronesis – Parallax – Edition EDN

Phronesis – Parallax – Edition EDN

Jazz which covers food to fish, astronomy to harmonization. Phronesis – Parallax [TrackList follows] Edition EDN 1070 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] 56:47 [4/8/16] ****: (Jasper Høiby – doublebass; Ivo Neame – piano; Anton Eger – drums) Pan-European trio Phronesis escalates an atmosphere of adventure, veered jazz and interplayed imagination on sixth album overall—and fourth for […]

BRUCH: String Quartet in c; Swedish Dances for Violin and Piano; Piano Quintet in g – Piers Lane, p./ Goldner String Q. – Hyperion

BRUCH: String Quartet in c; Swedish Dances for Violin and Piano; Piano Quintet in g – Piers Lane, p./ Goldner String Q. – Hyperion

Piers Lane and the Goldner Quartet add another pearl to their string of gems, Bruch’s Piano Quintet. BRUCH: String Quartet in c, Op. 9; Swedish Dances for Violin and Piano; Piano Quintet in g – Piers Lane, p./ Goldner String Quartet – Hyperion CDA68120, 77:40 (4/1/16) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: Recorded 18-20 February 2015, […]

W.H. Squire (cello) in Chamber Music of BRAHMS, DVORAK, TCHAIKOVSKY, HARTY, DUNKLER – Pristine Audio

W.H. Squire (cello) in Chamber Music of BRAHMS, DVORAK, TCHAIKOVSKY, HARTY, DUNKLER – Pristine Audio

Cello virtuoso W.H. Squire has potent representation in chamber works from the acoustic and early electric sound era. W.H. Squire in Chamber Music = BRAHMS: Clarinet Trio in a minor, Op. 114 (acoustic recording); TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Trio in a minor, Op. 50;  DVORAK (arr. Gruenfeld): Songs my mother taught me; HARTY: Scherzo, Op. 8; HURE: […]

The Frank Sinatra Collection (2016)

The Frank Sinatra Collection (2016)

The Frank Sinatra Collection – DVD (2016) This is a nostalgic look at an iconic performer! Cast: Frank Sinatra; Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra; Ella Fitzgerald; Antonio Carlos Jobim; Diahann Carroll; The Fifth Dimension;  Don Costa & His Orchestra Studio: Eagle Vision EV307649 (5/27/16) Video:  4:3, Color Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 TrackList: (A Man And […]

Zootopia, Blu-ray (2016)

Zootopia, Blu-ray (2016)

Another wonderful Disney family animation feature from Pixar. Zootopia, Blu-ray (2016) Directors: Bryon Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush Voice-overs: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba Studio: Walt Disney Studios (6/7/16) Video: 2.40:1 for 16:9 widescreen, 1080p HD color Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, French DD 5.1, Spanish DD 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish Dubbed: French, […]

“Belle Epoque” French music for harp and orchestra – Emmanuel Ceysson, harp/ Orch. Régional Avignon Provence – Naïve

“Belle Epoque” French music for harp and orchestra – Emmanuel Ceysson, harp/ Orch. Régional Avignon Provence – Naïve

Soothing music for harp and orchestra from French composers, performed by Emmanuel Ceysson. “Belle Epoque” French music for harp and orchestra – Emmanuel Ceysson, harp/ Orchestre Régional Avignon Provence – Naïve V5419, 65:54 [7/31/15] (Distr. by Naxos) *****: The turn of the last century truly was a “beautiful era” for music in France. So this […]

Audio News for June 10, 2016

Over Eight Billion Connected Devices Globally Now – According to a new Business Wire article, number of connected AV devices worldwide is now 8.1 billion. This includes smartphones, tablets, PCs, TVs, TV-attached devices and audio hardware. On average this equates to an amazing four devices per household. Smartphones outnumber tablets by five to one and […]

Jeff Lederer & Brooklyn Blowhards – Brooklyn Blowhards – little music

Jeff Lederer & Brooklyn Blowhards – Brooklyn Blowhards – little music

Wailing saxes and whaling songs wend together in this year’s most unique jazz offering. Jeff Lederer & Brooklyn Blowhards – Brooklyn Blowhards [TrackList follows] little music 616892358640 52:20 [4/8/16] ****: (Jeff Lederer – tenor and soprano saxophone; Petr Cancura – tenor saxophone; Kirk Knuffke – clarinet, slide trumpet; Brian Drye – trombone; Art Bailey – […]

TANEYEV: Chamber Music with Piano =  Piano Quartet in E Major, Op. 20; Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 22; Violin Sonata in a; Piano Quintet in g – Solisti dell’Officina Musicale – Aevea (2 CDs)

TANEYEV: Chamber Music with Piano = Piano Quartet in E Major, Op. 20; Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 22; Violin Sonata in a; Piano Quintet in g – Solisti dell’Officina Musicale – Aevea (2 CDs)

A survey of Taneyev’s chamber music with piano unearths several mighty treasures of earnest power and learned style.  TANEYEV: Chamber Music with Piano =  Piano Quartet in E Major, Op. 20; Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 22; Violin Sonata in a; Piano Quintet in g, Op. 30 – Solisti dell’Officina Musicale – Aevea AE15004005 […]

BRAHMS: Clarinet Quintet in b; Hindemith: Clarinet Quintet – Raphael Severe, clar./ Quatour Prazak – Mirare

BRAHMS: Clarinet Quintet in b; Hindemith: Clarinet Quintet – Raphael Severe, clar./ Quatour Prazak – Mirare

Two German clarinet quintets from opposed aesthetics find brilliant realization in these performances from Prague. BRAHMS: Clarinet Quintet in b, Op. 115; Hindemith: Clarinet Quintet, Op. 30 – Raphael Severe, clarinet/ Quatour Prazak – Mirare MIR 282, 58:00 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: Recorded February and May 2015, these two German clarinet quintets in diametrically […]

HAYDN: Symphonies Nos. 78, 79, 80 & 81 – Accademia Bizantina/ Ottavio Dantone – 
Decca (2 CDs)

HAYDN: Symphonies Nos. 78, 79, 80 & 81 – Accademia Bizantina/ Ottavio Dantone – 
Decca (2 CDs)

Beautifully recorded and rendered, these original instrument realizations of rare Haydn symphonies do everyone honor. HAYDN: Symphony No. 78 in c; Symphony No. 79 in F Major; Symphony No. 80 in d; Symphony No. 81 in G Major – Accademia Bizantina/ Ottavio Dantone – Decca 478 8837 (2 CDs), 54:20, 55:10 (2/12/16) [Distr. by Universal] […]

“Opus 250” – Works by BERG, ULVO, SÖDERLING and PAUS – Bergen Philharmonic Orch. – LAWO

“Opus 250” – Works by BERG, ULVO, SÖDERLING and PAUS – Bergen Philharmonic Orch. – LAWO

“Opus 250” – Works by BERG, ULVO, SÖDERLING and PAUS – Bergen Philharmonic Orch. /Andrew Litton /James Macmillan/ Edward Gardner – LAWO Classics LC1089, 72:54 (11/27/15) [Dist. by Naxos] ****: Contemporary music from Norway nicely recorded and expertly played. In celebration of its 250th anniversary (!), the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra has undertaken an interesting project […]

Audio News for June 7, 2016

On Panasonic Giving Up On Plasma TVs – The TV set made Panasonic a household name from Singapore to San Francisco. Their TV engineers pointed out that though plasma flat-panel technology gave a better picture, consumers preferred the lighter, durable rival: liquid LCD TVs. When the new president Kazuhiro Tsuga took over in 2012, he […]