Monthly Archive: August 2016

Bryan Nichols (solo piano) – Looking North – Shifting Paradigm

Bryan Nichols (solo piano) – Looking North – Shifting Paradigm

Pianist Bryan Nichols takes listeners northward. Bryan Nichols (solo piano) – Looking North [TrackList follows] – Shifting Paradigm SP-119 46:20 [5/27/16] ****: The American upper-Midwest is a location of placid beauty: wintery landscapes, warm summer nights, windswept countryside, and lonely rural roads; forests, lakes, towns, and families. Minnesota is the place which permeates Bryan Nichols’ […]

“STRAVINSKY in 4 Deals” = Violin Con.; Jeu de cartes; Movements – Soloists/Stravinsky – Praga Digitals

“STRAVINSKY in 4 Deals” = Violin Con.; Jeu de cartes; Movements – Soloists/Stravinsky – Praga Digitals

This album serves as a microcosm of Stravinsky’s evolving musical styles, in four performances expertly restored.  “STRAVINSKY in 4 Deals” = Violin Concerto in D; Pulcinella – Suite; Jeu de cartes; Movements for Piano and Orchestra – David Oistrakh, violin/ Concerts Lamoureux/ Bernard Haitink/ Philharmonia Orch./ Otto Klemperer/ Bavarian Radio-Sym. Orch./ Igor Stravinsky/ Margrit Weber, […]

“MASTERPIECES IN MINIATURE” Works of LITOLFF, MAHLER, DELIBES, DVORAK, DELIUS, GRIEG & others – SF Sym./MTT – SF Media

“MASTERPIECES IN MINIATURE” Works of LITOLFF, MAHLER, DELIBES, DVORAK, DELIUS, GRIEG & others – SF Sym./MTT – SF Media

Classical gems vividly played and beautifully recorded. “MASTERPIECES IN MINIATURE” = LITOLFF: Scherzo from Con. symphonique No. 4; MAHLER: Blumine; FAURE: Pavane; DEBUSSY: La Plus que lente; SCHUBERT: Entr’acte No. 3 from Rosamunde; IVES/BRANT: The Alcotts from A Concord Symphony; RACHMANINOFF: Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14; DVORAK: Legend for Orchestra, Op. 59, No. 6; SIBELIUS: […]

HAYDN: 107 Symphonies (complete) – Christopher Hogwood; OCTAVO PANTONE – cond. by Frans Brüggen – Decca (34 CD set)

HAYDN: 107 Symphonies (complete) – Christopher Hogwood; OCTAVO PANTONE – cond. by Frans Brüggen – Decca (34 CD set)

HAYDN: 107 Symphonies (complete) – Christopher Hogwood (Artist, cond.), OCTAVO PANTONE (Comp. & cond.): Frans Brüggen (Artist, cond.), The Academy Of Ancient Music Chamber Ens, (Orch.), Salomon Quartet/ The Academy of Ancient Music /Accademia Bizantina – Decca 478 9604, (34-CD set) About 1.5 days [5/13/16] ****¾: The discs should have imprints of chocolate chip cookies on them. Once […]

DVORAK: Sym. No. 9 in e minor, “From the New World”; Sym. No. 8 in G Major – Czech Philharmonic Orch./ Frantisek Stupka – Praga Digitals stereo-only

DVORAK: Sym. No. 9 in e minor, “From the New World”; Sym. No. 8 in G Major – Czech Philharmonic Orch./ Frantisek Stupka – Praga Digitals stereo-only

For those unfamiliar with the veteran Czech conductor Stupka, these two Dvorak performances provide a brilliant introduction. DVORAK: Symphony No. 9 in e minor, Op. 95 “From the New World”; Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/ Frantisek Stupka – Praga Digitals stereo-only SACD PRD/DSD 350 134, 78:23 (8/12/16) [Distr. […]

Audio News for August 5, 2016

Cadillac CT6 Bose Panaray Audio System – The $3700 optional audio system puts 34 tiny speakers around the cabin to create an immersive soundstage. It succeeds where most surround sound systems fall short: it perfectly blends the discrete channels into a uniform soundstage. The system’s center channel silently rises from the center of the dash […]

CLERAMBAULT & MARCHAND – Mahugo, harpsichord – Brilliant; “20th-Century Harpsichord Music” – C.D. Lewis – Naxos

CLERAMBAULT & MARCHAND – Mahugo, harpsichord – Brilliant; “20th-Century Harpsichord Music” – C.D. Lewis – Naxos

Two fascinating solo harpsichord CDs for your collection. LOUIS-NICHOLAS CLERAMBAULT & LOUIS MARCHAND: Complete Harpsichord Music – Yago Mahugo, harpsichord – Brilliant Classics 94790, 77:20 (Distr. by Naxos) ****: “20th Century Harpsichord Music” Wrks of POULENC, FRANCAIX, MARTINU & DUREY – Christopher D. Lewis, harpsichord – Naxos 8.573364, 60:05 (10/9/15) ****: Clerambault and Marchan are […]

Houston Person & Ron Carter – Chemistry – HighNote

Houston Person & Ron Carter – Chemistry – HighNote

Houston Person & Ron Carter – Chemistry [TrackList follows] – HighNote HCD 7293 49:25 ****: An exuberant release from a definitive bassist and an earthy tenor saxophonist. (Houston Person – tenor saxophone; Ron Carter – bass) The word chemistry springs from the word alchemy which in its very early etymology was often seen as linked […]

Chat Noir – Nine Thoughts for One Word – RareNoise

Chat Noir – Nine Thoughts for One Word – RareNoise

A trio which finds the middle ground between electronics and acoustics. Chat Noir – Nine Thoughts for One Word [TrackList follows] – RareNoise RNR064, 48:09 [5/20/16] ****: (Michele Cavaliari – keyboards, piano, effects; Luca Fogagnolo – electric bass, upright bass, trombone; J. Peter Schwalm – electronics, beats, keyboards, acoustic guitar; Daniel Calvi – electric guitar, […]

“Love” = Simone Kermes, soprano/ La Magnifica Comunita/ Enrico Casazza – Sony Classical

“Love” = Simone Kermes, soprano/ La Magnifica Comunita/ Enrico Casazza – Sony Classical

Definitely on the sweet side, Kermes’ artistry is hard to resist.  “Love” = Simone Kermes, soprano/ La Magnifica Comunita/ Enrico Casazza – Sony Classical 88875111382, 65:23 ****: German artist Simone Kermes has easily established herself as one of the foremost coloratura sopranos in the world today, possessing a virtuoso voice of great flexibility and range. […]

REICH: Double Sextet; Radio Rewrite – Ensemble Signal/Brad Lubman – Harmonia mundi

REICH: Double Sextet; Radio Rewrite – Ensemble Signal/Brad Lubman – Harmonia mundi

STEVE REICH: Double Sextet; Radio Rewrite – Ensemble Signal/Brad Lubman – Harmonia mundi HMU907671, 39:45, (7/8/16) ***1/2: Outstanding performances of these recent Reich works in the familiar style. B01FLNZNPM  Steve Reich has been, for several decades now, one of those composers who found his niche and maintains a great success within it. He was one […]

***********  MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH    ***********

*********** MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ***********

A long overdue issue of an important and wonderfully lyrical operatic experience. * CARLISLE FLOYD: Wuthering Heights (complete opera) – Georgia Jarman (Catherine)/ Kelly Markgraf (Heathcliff)/ Susanne Mentzer (Nelly)/ Vale Rideout (Edgar Linton)/ Heather Buck (Isabela Lint)/ Chad Shelton (Hindley Earnsh)/ Matthew Burns (Mr. Earnshaw)/ Frank Kelley (Joseph)/ Aaron Short (Lockwood)/ Florentine Opera Chorus/ Milwaukee […]

Audio News for August 2, 2016

Yamaha Adds 4K Blu-ray Players With Stereo SACD – The BD-S681 offers 3D playback, 4K upconversion, Wi-Fi networking, and compatibility with hi-res audio formats (in stereo). It retails for $329.95. The Aventage BD-A1060 adds a 192K/32-bit DAC, a high-purity power supply and independent circuit boards to reduce signal noise. Both players reduce disc vibration by […]

Editorial for August 2016

Editorial for August 2016

For this August our free drawing is five complete Rossini operas on Blu-ray from Opus Arte: The Italian in Algiers, Il Signor Bruschino, The Silken Ladder, Moses in Egypt and Cyrus in Babylon. Claudio Scimone and Ewa Poldes are among the performers. The Italian in Algiers is considered one of the funniest operas ever written. Here […]