Monthly Archive: November 2005
Cecilia Bartoli: Opera Proibita – Arias by HANDEL, SCARLATTI, and CALDARA – Les Musiciens du Louvre / Marc Minkowski – Decca
Arias from the period when the Catholic church forbade public performance of operas
GOTTSCHALK: Piano Music, Volume 8 = Home, Sweet Home; Chant de guerre; Pensive; Le chant du martyr; Ses yeux; Pastorella e Cavalliere; Radieuse; Dernier amour; Variations de concert; La melancolie; Jerusalem – Philip Martin, piano – Hyperion
Martin’s complete survey of what may be America’s first classical music continues
Pnina Salzman, Vol. 5 = CHOPIN: Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 35 “Funeral March;” Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58; Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante; Fantasie in F Minor, Op. 49; Valse in G-flat Major
Israeli keyboard virtuoso dazzles in Chopin program
Claude Lamothe, cello – Vivace = Dia a Dia, La Cathédrale de Bourges, L’iIe aus Monuments, V Comme dans Bach, Eine Walzer, L’Ile des Vents; Traversées, L’ile au Printemps, See You… – Analekta
Solo and multiple cellos, courtesy of overdubbing
Sunfire Theater Grand IV AV Preamp/Processor/Tuner
Multi-featured AV Center does it all for home theater but is also a high end stereo and multichannel preamp
GRAINGER: Country Gardens; Mock Morris; Early One Morning; Shepherd‚s Hey; Irish Tune from County Derry; Molly on the Shore; Handel in the Strand/SIBELIUS: Berceuse from The Tempest; Valse Triste & more – Grainger/Stokowski – Cala
1950 collaboration of Percy Grainger and Stoky, originally issued on RCA 45s
BACH: Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826; Partita No. 3 in A Minor, BWV 827; Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828 – Cedric Tiberghien, piano / Harmonia mundi
Presence and warmth in the piano expression of Bach’s inventive Partitas
Bryan A. Crumpler, Clarinets – “Monochrome” = DESPORTES: Caracteres (clarinet sextet); BERTOUILLE: Concertino; BARBER: Adagio for Strings, for solo clarinet and clarinet choir; PETER SCHICKELE: Monochrome III; DONDEYNE: Symphonie – WTG
Solo and multiple clarinets, courtesy of overdubbing
CHOPIN: 12 Etudes, Op. 10; 12 Etudes, Op. 25 – Freddy Kempf, piano – BIS
Rich, pointed, balanced sound – an audiophile model
Audio News for November 10, 2005
More TV Series On Demand; Grokster Closed Down; Adults More Accepting of New Technology; Classical Programming Moving to Satellite and Internet
War of the Worlds (1953)
The original filmic treatment of H. G. Wells’ classic sci-fi novel, with DIY special effects
The Modern Jazz Quartet – 35th Anniversary Tour (1987)
An hour with the long-running chamber jazz quartet, in DTS surround
Emil Gilels, piano = SCARLATTI: 5 Sonatas; SCHUMANN: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F# Minor, Op. 11; BACH: Aria and Variations in the Italian Manner, BWV 989; TCHAIKOVSKY: 3 Pieces from Six Morceaux; PROKOFIEV: Toccata in D Minor – BBC Legends
Late 50s recordings by the Russian pianist in his later more introspective style
MOZART: Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385 “Haffner;” Symphony No. 36 in C Major, K. 425 “Linz” – The Prague Philharmonia/ Jiri Belohlavek – Supraphon
Deft and witty renditions of the familiar symphonies
“Viola View” = LUENING: Suite for Viola and Piano; LUTOSLAWSKI: Bucolics for Viola and Violoncello; CLARKE: Lullaby and Grotesque for Viola and Violoncello; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Romance; PISTON: Duo – Cortese, v./Coryn, cello/Roc, p. – Crystal
Six contemporary composers’ contributions to the literature for the rich sound of the alto instrument
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K, 467; Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491 – Dinu Lipatti, piano/ Walter Gieseking, piano/ Lucern Festival Orchestra/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Herbert von Karajan – EMI Classics
Two great performances from the early 1950s by two of the greatest pianists of the century
SCHUBERT Classics – DTS Classical Collection – London Symphony Orchestra/Don Jackson – DTS Entertainment Double-Disc
Third release of these collections, but in a form that should appeal to many different users
HANDEL’s Water Garden – DTS Classical Collection – London Symphony Orchestra/Don Jackson – DTS Entertainment Double-Disc
Third release of these collections, but in a form that should appeal to many different users
BEETHOVEN Classics – DTS Classical Collection – London Symphony Orchestra/Don Jackson – DTS Entertainment Double-Disc
Third release of these collections, but in a form that should appeal to many different users
DVORAK: Symphony No. 6 in D Major, Op. 60 – London Symphony Orchestra/ Sir Colin Davis – LSO SACD
Compelling multichannel effects in this live LSO recording of Dvorak influenced by Brahms
TCHAIKOVSKY’s Nutcracker ballet suite – DTS Classical Collection – London Symphony Orchestra/Don Jackson – DTS Entertainment Double-Disc
Third release of these collections, but in a form that should appeal to many different users
Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi Universal Disc Player
Flagship universal player shines on DVDs and all other discs too, and is priced attractively
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
