Monthly Archive: April 2006
DELIUS: Piano Concerto in C Minor; MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor; BEETHOVEN: Fantasia in C Minor for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra – Clifford Curzon, piano/ BBC Symphony Orchestra/ Sir John Pritchard (Delius)/ London Philharmonic/ Haitink – BBC
Three examples of the “delectable brilliance” of the playing of Curzon, who died in 1982
TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake: Highlights from Acts I-II-III; J. STRAUSS, JR.: Tales From the Vienna Woods; On the Beautiful Blue Danube; BEETHOVEN: Turkish March; MOZART: Turkish March – NBC Symphony Orchestra/ Leopold Stokowski – Cala
Vivid and electrically-sparkling Stoky versions of some pop classics
ALBENIZ-FRÜHBECK DE BERGOS: Suite Española – New Philharmonia/ Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos – Decca/First Impression Music
A xrcd reissue that actually surpasses the vinyl version
J.S. BACH: Alio modo – Keyboard works transcribed for Viols – Fretwork – Harmonia mundi
Dazzlingly intricate and entertaining performances; also well-recorded
Laura Welland: Dissertation on the State of Bliss – Laura Welland, vocals; John Clayton, bass; Gerald Clayton, piano; Anne Drummond, flute; Mike LeDonne, organ; Russell Malone, guitar; Kenny Washington, drums – OA2 Records
Great band, but not-in-the-same-league vocalist
TELEMANN: Flute Quartets – Musica Antiqua Koln, Reinhard Goebel, director – DGG/Archiv
4 quartets for flute, 3 for recorder and one for 2 violins and a viola
Altre Follie 1500-1750 – Manfredo Kraemer, violin; Jordi Savall, viole de gamba; Hesperion XXI; Jordi Savall, director – Alia Vox
Enchanting survey of an early peasant dance tune which has attracted composers for 500 years
Buddy Rich and His Band: The Lost Tapes (1985)
Companion to the Channel One Suite DVD which won an Emmy
DEBUSSY: Complete Piano Music, Vol. I = Danse bohemienne; Deux Arabesques; Intermede; Le Petit Negre; Reverie; Danse; Children’s Corner Suite; Preludes, Book II – Bennett Lerner, piano – Bridge
An auspicious start to the complete piano works of Debussy
BRAHMS: Clarinet Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 120, No. 1; Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2; SCHUMANN: 3 Romances, Op. 94; 3 Fantasiestuecke, Op. 73 – Todd Levy, clarinet/ Elena Abend, piano – Avie
Rich and burnished tone from clarinetist Levy
BEETHOVEN: Diabelli Variations, Op. 120; Variations on Diabelli’s Waltz by HUMMEL: KALKBRENNER; MOSCHELES; SCHUBERT; LISZT; CZERNY – Melvin Chen, piano – Bridge
Stylish interpretation of the huge concept built around a simple waltz tune
Andrew Hill: Time Lines – Andrew Hill, piano; Charles Tolliver, trumpet; Greg Tardy, sax and clarinets; John Hebert, bass; Eric McPherson, drums – Blue Note
Underlying melodicism and structure make Hill’s free jazz accessible; reference quality recording
Greg Osby: Channel Three – Greg Osby, alto and soprano sax and vocals; Matt Brewer, bass and vocals; Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums, percussion and vocals – Blue Note
This sax trio approaches free jazz but never gets too far out
Eminent Technology LFT-8A Speakers
This firm’s first hybrid speaker uses ribbon transducers combined with a dynamic 8-inch sealed-cabinet woofer
Audio News for April 27, 2006
Warner To Release Hybrid HD/Standard DVD; Broadcasters’ Concerns About Expense of Hi-Def TV; CEA Urges Members to Educate About Four Primary Issues; Video Display Maker Proton Legislates Against Two Companies Using Similar Name
West Coast All Stars at JazzOpen Stuttgart 2001 (2002)
First-class videography and DTS 5.1 distinguish this lively jazz festival concert
“Film Spectacular! Vol. 2” – Sel. from Lawrence of Arabia, On the Waterfront, Gone With the Wind, The Magnificent Seven, My Fair Lady Medley, Spellbound, Anthony & Cleopatra, A Summer Place – London Festival Orch./ Stanley Black – First Impression Music
xrcd24 reissue of a 1963 Phase4 Stereo Decca classic
GE GAN-RU: Chinese Rhapsody, Wu – for piano and orchestra, Six Pentatonic Tunes for Orchestra – Margaret Leng Tan, piano (in Wu)/Royal Scottish Nat. Orchestra/ José Serebrier – BIS
Fascinating world premieres from China’s first avantgarde composer
Jaco Pastorius Big Band – The Word Is Out! – Heads Up
Second edition of a tribute to the great bassist/composer
Logitech Harmony 880 Universal Remote
Apply some feng shui to your coffee table full of remotes
JANACEK: String Quartet No. 1 “The Kreutzer Sonata;” String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Pages;” SCHULHOFF: String Quartet No. 1 – Talich Quartet – Calliope
Highly emotional quartets from two Eastern European composers
Shopgirl (2005)
Steve Martin and Claire Danes shine in an unconventional and original love story
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
