John Sunier Archive
BEETHOVEN: Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56; Incidental Music to Goethe’s Egmont, Op. 84 – Trio Wanderer/ Anja Harteros, sop./ Konrad Beikircher, narr./ Guerzenicher-Orch. Koelner Philharmoniker/ James Conlon – Harmonia mundi
Harmonia mundi revives two sterling Beethoven renditions, each a testament to conductor Conlon’s range and sensitivity, supported by the peerless Trio Wanderer.
TOLIBKHON SHAKHIDI: Ballet music & Clarinet Concerto = London & Mariinsky Theatre Syms./Valery Gergiev – Melodiya
Exotic and exciting music from Tajikistan, in excellent fidelity.
BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 3; Symphony No. 7 in A – San Francisco Sym./ Michael Tilson Thomas – SFS Media
The second of the Beethoven Symphonies series from the SF Symphony is superb.
Audio News for July 3, 2012
SiriusXM Adding Google TV App This Year; Polk 40th Anniversary; Vizio Has First 21:9 HDTV; Classical News
Puss In Boots, Blu-ray 3D+2D+DVD+Digital Copy (2012)
Funnier than the Shrek sequels from the same studio.
FAURE: Cello Sonata No. 1; Cello Sonata No. 2; Elegie; Romance; Papillon; Serenade; Sicilienne; Allegro commodo – Alban Gerhardt, cello/ Cecile Licad, p. – Hyperion
Precious music of Faure elegantly rendered in lovely harmony by two collaborators with the same high-mindedness.
DAVID MASLANKA, “Liberation” = Concerto for Alto Sax and Wind Ens.; Liberation – Paul Nolen, alto sax/ Illinois State U. Wind Ens. and Sym. Winds/Stephen K. Steele – Albany
A wonderful – and emotionally deep – addition to the solo saxophone repertory!
Our July drawing/giveaway is for two of the Complete Beethoven Symphonies 6-SACD boxed sets on the Dutch Challenge Classics label, with the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jan Willem de Vriend. De Vriend is regarded as an outstanding conductor with a new and fresh point of view on Beethoven. Curiosity and eagerness are part of […]
Editorial for July 2012
Register Here using our non-intrusive email-protected form and you will have a good chance of being one of the two AUDIOPHILE AUDITION readers this month to receive the Complete Nine Beethoven Symphonies 6-SACD set on Challenge Records—our drawing for July. Jan Willem de Vriend conducts the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, and of course these are all […]
The 39 Steps, Blu-ray (1935/2012)
A classic wrong-man thriller from the early career of the suspense master, lovingly restored.
Cantelli Conducts = CHERUBINI: Symphony in D; R. STRAUSS: Tod und Verklaerung; BUSONI: Berceuse elegiaque; Tanzwalzer – NY Philharmonic/ Guido Cantelli – Pristine Audio
Pristine restores another colorfully virtuosic concert from the New York Philharmonic under its gifted but short lived, brilliant maestro, Guido Cantelli.
“French Masterpieces for Horn and Piano” = EUGÈNE BOZZA: En forêt; GOUNOD: Six Melodies; FRANCAIX: Canon in Octave; DUKAS: Villanelle; POULENC: “In Memory of Dennis Brain”; SAINT-SAËNS: Morceau de Concert; MARAIS: Le Basque – Bernhard Scully, Fr. horn / Joanne Minnetti, p. – Albany
There are three decades of performing experience behind this refreshingly different program of horn classics from France.
SCHUMANN: Adagio and Allegro for horn and piano; Märchenbilder; Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano; Märchenerzählungen; Drei Romanzen; Violin Sonata No. 1 – The Nash Ensemble – Hyperion
The program is key to this collection of Schumann’s most representative chamber music.
John Lee Hooker – Cook With The Hook: Live In 1974 (2012)
John Lee Hooker – Cook With The Hook: Live In 1974 is an unpolished gem.
JUDITH LANG ZAIMONT: Sonata; Nocturne: La fin de siècle; A Calendar Set: 12 Virtuosic Preludes – Chrisopher Atzinger, p. – Naxos “Art, Fire, Soul: Piano Works of JUDITH LANG ZAIMONT” [TrackList follows] Elizabeth Moak, p. – MSR Classics
Fine performances and recordings both. Which to choose? Do you want a crash course in Zaimont’s piano music or the total experience? You decide.
Great Voices – In-akustic Reference Sound Edition – In-akustic
Collection of singers has a fuller sound than standard CDs, though it is still 44.1/16.
“Latin Perspectives” = LEO BROUWER: Quintet; Beatlerianas; MIGUEL DEL AGUILA: Presto II; JAVIER ÁLVEREZ: Metro Chabanco – Ahmed Dickinson Cárdenas, guitar / Santiago Q. – Cubafilin Records
This an entertaining little program, well played and recorded too.
Audio News for June 29, 2012
Vizio Google TV Box; Pioneer Launches Wi-Fi Speakers; Iogear 2D-to-3D Converter; ADA Amp for Flat-Panel TVs
MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 3 “Scottish”; Symphony No. 4 “Italian”; Hebrides Overture; SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 4 – Philharmonia Orch./ Otto Klemperer – EMI Classics Signature Series (2 discs)
One of the glories of the catalog restored to pristine splendor.
Neapolitan Songs – Giuseppe di Stefano, tenor/ studio orch./ G. M. Guarino, Dino Oliveri – EMI Classics Signature Series (2 discs)
Di Stefano brought to glory with sound that he can only have dreamed of hearing on an album.
John Carter 3D, Blu-ray+Blu-ray 3D+DVD+Digital Copy (2012)
Though panned in the theaters, in 3D at home it’s a bloody good show.
SCHUBERT Lieder – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone/ Gerald Moore & Karl Engel, p. – EMI Classics Signature Series mono/stereo (four discs)
What’s to say? Four of the greatest lieder albums of all time newly remastered in Super Audio.