Monthly Archive: August 2005
The Flowers of St. Francis (1950)
Rossellini’s neorealist meditation on the simple spirituality of St. Francis
TCHAIKOVSKY: String Quartet No. 3 in E-flat Minor, Op. 30; Quartet Movement in B-flat Major (1865) — Parkanyi Quartet — Praga Multichannel SACD
Two less-often-heard of the six chamber works composed by Tchaikovsky
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor; Symphony No. 6 in F Major — Boston Symphony Orchestra/ Charles Munch — RCA Living Stereo
Amazing DSD resuscitation of a classic Fifth on records
BUSONI: Piano Concerto, Op. 39 — Gunnar Johansen, piano/ NDR Symphony Orchestra and Men’s Chorus, Hamburg/Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt — Music&Arts
Fine version from 1956 of this monumental work for piano, chorus and orchestra — inspired by Beethoven and Mahler
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132 – The Griller Quartet – Dutton
Impressive reading of this important last quartet, recorded in 1950
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor; Capriccio Italien – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Daniele Gatti – Harmonia Mundi
Competent but not sizzling interpretation of the sprightly Fourth
Audio News for August 23, 2005
Film Music Radio Launch; Hi-Fi Industry Podcast Launch; 45% Increase in DTV Sales vs. Last Year; Robert Moog Dies
Mravinsky in Moscow, 1965 (4 CD set) – Scribendum
From Melodiya’s archives, works of SIBELIUS, STRAVINSKY, HINDEMITH, BARTOK, HONEGGER, MOZART, SHOSTAKOVICH, and several short works
Barbirolli and the New York Philharmonic: The Columbia Masters, Vol. 3 = BERLIOZ: Roman Carnival Ov.; DEBUSSY: Petite Suite; Premier Rhapsody for Clarinet; RAVEL: La Valse; BRUCH: Violin Concerto – Benny Goodman/Milstein/NY Philharmonic/John Barbirolli
Marvelous Dutton restorations from originally noisy 78s of 1940-42
SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61; BRAHMS: Tragic Overture, Op. 81; STRAUSS: Don Juan, Op. 20 – Berlin Philharmonic/George Szell – Testament
Intense readings from l969, a year prior to the conductor’s passing
“Sea Change” = Choral music of RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT – Sea Change; A Farewell to Arms; A Good-Night; Missa Brevis; Five Carols; What Sweeter Music; Puer Nobis – The Cambridge Singers, John Rutter director – Collegium
Subtle and accessible choral music in excellent surround sound
Daniel and the Lions (Ludus Danielis) – New York’s Ensemble for Early Music/Frederick Renz director – Fonè
Not the first Play of Daniel on records, but the first in surround
Spem in alium – Choral Works of THOMAS TALLIS: Spem in alium; Salve intemerata; Missa Salve inemerata; With all our heart; Discomfort them, O Lord; I call and cry to Thee, O Lord – Oxford Camerata,/Jeremy Summerly director – Naxos
Surround sound approximation of the way the motet was originally performed
HUMMEL: 24 Grande Etudes, Op. 125; Troise Amusements en forme des Caprices, Op. 105; Rondo brillant, Op. 109; Rondo Villageois, Op. 122 – John Khouri, fortepiano and Broadwood piano – Music&Arts
Interesting and somewhat odd piano pieces that hint of Chopin, Schumann and Gottschalk
SCHUBERT: Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960; Six Moments Musicals; 4 Impromptus/BACH: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 1052; MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor – Mieczyslaw Horszowski, piano – Arbiter
Mid-sixties recordings by the Polish virtuoso of subtle refinement
The Beecham Touch = DEBUSSY: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun; ROSSINI (arr. RESPIGHI): Rossiniana; BIZET: La Jolie Fille de Perth Suite; BERLIOZ: Excerpts from La Damnation de Faust; DVORAK: Slavonic Rhapsody No. 3 – London Phil./Beecham – Dutton
Best sound yet on these superlative Beecham recordings from 1934 to 1939
SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A Minor; Fantasiestucke, Op. 12; RAVEL: Gaspard de la Nuit; GINASTERA: Danzas argentines – Martha Argerich, piano/ Orchestra della Svizzera italiana/ Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky – EMI Classics
Passionate Argerich performances recorded in l978
WAGNER: Orchestral music from Der Fliegende Holländer, Lohengrin, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Tannhäuser & Tristan und Isolde – Herbert von Karajan, conductor. EMI
Excellent studio sound from l975, highlighting exciting Karajan performances
The Brodsky Quartet – Moodswings – Songs for vocalist and string quartet by RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT, SJON, TRIER etc. – sung by Elvis Costello, Bjork, Errollyn Wallen, Sting etc. – Brodsky Records
Various pop vocalists deliver songs accompanied by string quartet
Hiroko Kokubu, piano – New York Uncovered (with Christian McBride, acoustic bass; Min Cinelu, drums & percussion) – JVC xrcd
Piano trio outing of the quieter sort, with an outstanding Japanese pianist and crystalline sound
Babatunde Olatunji – Circle of Drums (with Sikiru Adepoju, Muruga, James Gurley, Shakti – female vocals, Harry Ely – hammered dulcimer) – Chesky multichannel SACD
Terrific variety of drumming sounds, skillfully recorded
“Wanderer” – SCHUBERT: “Wanderer” Fantasy in C; LISZT: Sonetto 123 del Petrarca; Après une Lecture de Dante – fantasia quasi sonata; Gondoliera; Canzone; Tarantella; Fountains of the Villa d’Este – Luiza Borac, piano – Avie multichannel SACD
Interesting pairing of Schubert’s stirring Wanderer variations with Liszt’s piano impressions of his wanderings around Europe
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
