http://www.audaud.com DVD Reviews, CD Reviews, SACD Reviews - Audiophile Audition en-us http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7103 Postwar Sounds, Switzerland – ROLF LIEBERMANN: Furioso; RICHARD STRAUSS: Metamorphosen; ARTHUR HONEGGER: Symphony No. 3 (Symphonie liturgique) – Philharmonisches Orchester Lübeck/ Roman Brogli-Sacher – Musicaphon multichannel SACD [Distr. by Qualiton] 69:02 **1/2: This is a pretty intriguing program as long as you don’t require musical feng shui, because the late-Romantic outpourings of Metamorphosen clash with the resolutely modernist bookends by Liebermann and Honegger. Inclusion of another S... 03/11/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7102 Gary Peacock, bass & Marc Copland, piano – Insight – Pirouet PIT3041, 58:26 ***1/2: On their second duet release, Insight, bassist Gary Peacock and pianist Marc Copland consistently and confidently support each other like the old friends they are: they have worked together for nearly 20 years, although most often in a trio setting. In fact this material was put on tape in 2005 and 2007 when Peacock was involved in Copland’s trio. Peacock is no stranger to acoustic pianists: he has recorded ... 03/11/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7101 ANTON REICHA: Woodwind Quintets, Volume 10 – Quintet in F Major, Op. 100, No. 1; Quintet in D Minor, Op. 100, No. 2 – Westwood Wind Quintet – Crystal Records CD 270, 73:06 ***:An exact contemporary and friend of Beethoven, Bohemian composer Anton Reicha lived and worked in a number of cities including Hamburg and Vienna before settling in Paris. He became a French citizen in 1829 and was honored as chevalier de la légion d’honneur. As a teacher at the Paris Conservatory, he taught counterpoint t... 03/11/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7100 THOMSON: The Mother of US ALL--Suite; BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73; CHABRIER: Joyeuse Marche - New York Philharmonic/Leopold Stokowski Pristine Audio PASC215, 57:29 [avail. as different download formats at www.pristine classical.com] ****: Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977) leads a radio broadcast of the New York Philharmonic (2 April 1950), a Sunday concert that includes the debut of Virgil Thomson’s three-movement suite from his opera The Mother of Us All, after a libretto by Gertrud... 03/11/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7099 HAYDN: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 76 No. 2 (“Fifths”); String Quartet in C Major Op. 76 No. 3 (“Emperor”); String Quartet in B Major Op. 76 No. 4 (“Sunrise”) – Gewandhaus-Quartett – NCA multichannel SACD 60148-210, 70:45 [Distr. by Naxos] ***: Like the named symphonies of Haydn, the named string quartets get all the air time. And while it’s a very good idea to go off the beaten track and explore the treasures among all those mere “numbers,” there’s no denying that the three quartets on this ... 03/10/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7098 HANDEL: Trio Sonatas Op. 2 and 5 - Academy of Ancient Music/ Richard Egarr - Harmonia mundi HMU 907467.68 (2 CDs), TT 142:00 *****: Handel studied the music of Corelli quite carefully while he was in Rome, adopting the older composer's four-movement 'sonata da chiesa' structure as his model for most of his instrumental music. The Op. 2 trio sonatas were probably all composed prior to 1720 and almost all of them conform to the slow-fast-slow-fast Corellian model. The single exception is Op. 2 No... 03/10/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7097 CARL MARIA VON WEBER: Clarinet Quintet in B Major Op. 34; SIGISMUND NEUKOMM: Clarinet Quintet in B Major Op. 8 – Eric Hoeprich, clarinet/ Ensemble Les Adieux – NCA multichannel SACD 61070, 54:24 [Distr. by Naxos] ****1/2: An interesting program for sure: here we have two quintets, one at the heart of the clarinet repertoire, and one that is surely unknown even by many professional clarinetists. The Weber is high-spirited and filled with the kind of musical high jinks that makes clarinetists’ ... 03/10/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7096 BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 “Choral” - Christiane Oelze, soprano/Petra Lang, alto/Klaus Florian Vogt, tenor/Matthias Goerne, baritone/Deutsche Kammerchor/The Deutschephilharmonie Bremen/Paavo Jarvi RCA multichannel SACD 88697576062, 63:55 ****:Extending his Beethoven cycle to the Ninth Symphony (rec. 22-26 August 2008 and 20-22 December 2008), Paavo Jarvi embraces the original metronome marks for this inscription, placing him among those conductors--like David Zinman and Nikol... 03/10/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7095 MOZART: Four Preludes and Fugues from String Trio Arrangements (after Bach), K. 404a; Divertimento for String Trio in E-flat Major, K. 563 - The Pasquier Trio Music&Arts CD-1233, 66:20 [Distr. by Albany] ****: Recent scholarship calls into question the authorship of the six three-part fugues arranged for string trio, presumably by Mozart. Whether they must be attributed to Haydn or to Albrechtsberger may ultimately remain a pedant’s or a purist’s question. The Pasquier Trio (estab. 1927) t... 03/09/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7094 Sony Introduces 3D-Compatible AV Receivers - Sony has announced its first AV receivers capable of supporting 3D audio and video. They feature HDMI 1.4 3D pass-thru technology, hi-def connectivity, and compatibility with all the latest Blu-ray audio formats - offering a simple solution to control any hi-def or 3D-capable home theater.  The 7.1-channel STR-DN1010AV receiver has 110 watts power per channel @8 Ohms, full 1080/24p support, four HDMI inputs and three component inputs. It passes 3... 03/09/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7093 Michael Treni Big Band - Turnaround - The Bell Production Co. (2009) DualDisc set: DVD Video (16:9 color) + CD Audio [www.bellproductionco.com] ****: (Soloists incl. Jerry Bergonzi, tenor sax; Vinnie Cutro, trumpet; Frank Elmo, soprano sax; Dave Gibson, trombone; Gerry Niewood, alto sax; Charles Blenzig, piano) Big bands have had a big struggle the last few decades, and the current economic situation makes it even worse. Fans of big band should be thankful for the stream of good recordings tha... 03/08/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7092 Dan Dean – 251 – Origin 82552, 77:57 ****: (Dan Dean – bass, producer, mixer; George Duke – piano (tracks 4, 7); Larry Goldings – Hammond B3 organ (tracks 2, 6, 8, 10); Gil Goldstein – piano, accordion (tracks 3, 9); Kenny Werner – piano (tracks 1, 5, 11) Electric bassist Dan Dean might not be well known by general jazz fans but he has extensive credits as a sideman for Ernie Watts, Diane Schuur and others; has contributed to television and film music; and is a music educator and an author of ... 03/08/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7091 "Peiwoh" - Arianna Savall (vocal, triple harp, gothic harp, celtic harp)/ Petter Johansen (vocal)/ Ferran Savall (vocal and theorb)/ Javier Mas (12-string guitar and lute)/ Mario Mas (guitar)/ Bjørn Kjellemyr (double bass)/ Dimitri Psonis (santur, bouzuki)/ and Pedro Estevan and David Mayoral (percussions) - Alia Vox 9869 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] *****: In Los Angeles you know that someone’s fallen in love when they take you for a ride and gush over something they’ve just heard.... 03/07/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7090 SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Op. 60 “Leningrad” - NBC Symphony Orchestra/Arturo Toscanini
 Opus Kura OPK 7050, 72:15 [Distr. by Albany] ****: Opus Kura restores the 19 July 1942 radio premier broadcast of the Shostakovich Seventh Symphony by the NBC Symphony and Arturo Toscanini, a cause celebre in its own time.  Both a piece of political propaganda and a dark testament to Shostakovich’s ongoing personal turmoil with variations on totalitarianism from within and without,... 03/07/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7089 Beecham in Seattle =  WAGNER: Prelude, Act III Die Meistersinger; Prelude Act I; Overture to The Flying Dutchman; ELGAR: Enigma Variations, Op. 36; Serenade in E Minor for Strings, Op. 20: Largo; DELIUS: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring - Seattle Symphony Orchestra/Sir Thomas Beecham Pristine Audio PASC212, 67:00 [avail. in various formats from www.pristineclassical.com] ****: "I was informed there was an emergency, so I emerged..." With his typical relish for the bon mot, ... 03/07/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7088 The Fourth Kind, Blu-ray (2010) Starring: Mila Jovovich, Will Patton, Corey Johnson Studio: Universal 61111406 [3/16/10] Video: 2:35 anamorphic/enhanced 1080p HD Audio: English & Sumarian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DD 2.0, French & Spanish DTS 5.1 Extras: Deleted scenes, Pocket BLU, BD Live interactive features, D-Box motion enabled Length: 1 hour 38 minutes Rating: ***½ One of the online user comments about this feature, which was in theaters in November, asked “Where is Fox Mulde... 03/07/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7087 CLAUDE BOLLING: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (1975/2004) Performers: Claude Bolling, composer & pianist/Jean-Pierre Rampal/Marcel Sabiani/ Max Hediquer Studio: Editions Bleu Marine/Frémeaux & Associés FA4003 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] Video: 4:3 color Audio: French DD stereo Subtitles: French, English Length: 40:30 Rating: ***½ This was the first collaboration of top classical flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and jazzman Claude Bolling, and its success led to a whole series of s... 03/07/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7086 Baltic Exchange = UGIS PRAULINS: Missa Rigensis; Laudibus in sanctis; MAIJA EINFELDE: A Cycle of Fricis Barda Poems; URMAS SISASK: Benedictio; VYTAUTAS MISKINIS: Angelis suis Deus; Pater noster – Choir of Trinity College Cambridge/ Stephen Layton, conductor – Hyperion 67747, 67:43 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: Hyperion continues to astound by coming up with unknown and eminently-listenable music from various parts of the world. On this disc the wonderful Stephen Layton presents us with mus... 03/05/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7085 LITA GRIER: 5 Songs for Children; Sneezles; 5 Songs from A Shropshire Lad; 2 Songs from Emily Dickinson; Songs from Spoon River; Reflections of a Peacemaker – Michelle Areyzaga, soprano/ Elizabeth Norman, soprano/ Scott Ramsey, tenor/ Alexander Tall, baritone/ Levi Hernandez, baritone; Welz Kauffman, piano/ William Billingham, piano/ John Goodwin, piano/ Tina Laughlin, percussion/ Anne Bach, oboe/ Chicago Children’s Choir/ Josephine Lee, conductor – Cedille 90000 112, 67:45 **** [Naxos]: Lita... 03/05/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7084 SCHOENBERG: Solo Piano Music (complete, mono); EDUARD STEUERMANN: Suite; Arrangements for 2 and 3 Pianos – POULENC: Toccata; STRAUSS: Themes from “Die Fledermaus”; Perpetuum Mobile; SCHUBERT: Whither? – Eduard Steuermann, piano (Schoenberg)/ Thomas Hell, piano (Steuermann, stereo)/ Erika Haase, piano/ Carmen Piazzini, piano/ Ulrike Moortgat-Pick, piano (Arrangements, stereo) – Tacet 186 (2 CDs), 91:46 *****: I did not know about the musical exploits of Eduard Steuermann before seeing this relea... 03/05/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7083 George Crumb, “Bad Dog” (2009) Contents: 3 Early Songs; Fritzi; Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik; Sit Down Sister; Apparition; various background pieces accompanying interviews with the composer - Performers: Tony Arnold, soprano/ David Starobin, guitar/ Robert Shannon, piano/ George Crumb, percussion/ George Crumb Ensemble Produced by Becky Starobin Studio: Bridge 9312 [Distr. by Albany] Video: 4:3 color Audio: DTS 5.1 surround or stereo; Dolby Digital surround or stereo All Regions Length:... 03/05/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7082 WILLIAM KRAFT: Encounters I (Soliloquy for solo percussion); Encounters II (solo tuba); Encounters III (duel for trumpet and percussion); Encounters IV (duel for trombone and percussion); Encounters V (In the Morning of the Winter Sea, cello and percussion); Encounters VI (concertino for roto toms and percussion quartet); Encounters VII (Blessed are the Peacemakers, speaker and percussion); Encounters VIII (Divinations, percussion); Encounters IX (alto saxophone and percussion); Encounters X (du... 03/05/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7081 CARL RUTTI: Requiem – Olivia Robinson, soprano/ Edward Price, baritone/ Jane Watts, organ/ The Bach Choir/ Southern Sinfonia/ David Hill – Naxos 8.572317, 55:02 ****: Carl Rutti (b. 1949) grew up in Zug, Switzerland and studied at the Zurich Conservatory before going to England and gaining his first exposure to English choral music. He has now written an impressive amount of choral music himself, along with some pieces in other categories, and teaches at his Alma Mater Zurich. Rutti is a mast... 03/05/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7080 GLUCK: Orpheus und Eurydike, Blu-ray Performers: Yann Bridard (Orpheus dancer)/ Marie-Agnes Gillot (Eurydike dancer)/ Miteki Kudo (Amor dancer)/ Maria Riccarda Wesseling (Mezzo)/ Julia Kleiter (soprano)/ Sunhae Im (soprano)/ Ballet l’Opera national de Paris/ Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble and Choir/ Thomas Hengelbrock, director Produced by Francois Duplat Studio: BelAir BAC444 [Distr. by Naxos] Video: 16:9 1080p HD Audio: PCM Stereo 2.0; DTS-HD Master Audio Subtitles: English All Regions L... 03/05/2010 http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=7079 Ponyo, Blu-ray - 2-disc Combo Pack (2009) Director: Hayao Miyazaki English Voices: Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cloris Leachman, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, Betty White Studio: Studio Ghibli/Disney 101856 [3/2/10] Video: 1.85:1 for 16:9 color 1080p HD Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48K/24-bit), Japanese or French DD 5.1 Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish Extras: The World of Ghibli Visits Ponyo: “Enter the Lands,” “Behind the Studio;” Meet Ponyo; Storyboar... 03/05/2010