Monthly Archive: December 2006
KABALEVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1 in A minor; Piano Concerto No. 4 “Prague”; Symphony No. 2 in C minor – Kathryn Stott, piano/BBC Philharmonic/Neeme Järvi – Chandos
Kabalevsky was a staunch member of the “approved” group of Soviet composers
Esa Noche Yo Baila – Feast and Devotion in High Peru of the 17th Century – Musica Ficta – ARTS
A first class production all around, to be acquired with some urgency
LUNA PEARL WOOLF: Aprés Moi, Le Déluge – Matt Haimovitz, cello soloist/U. of Wisconsin-Madison Concert Choir/Beverly Taylor dir.; Orpheus on Sappho’s Shore, an operatorio – with Ensemble contemporain de Montreal – Oxingale Records
The first concert music work commemorating the New Orleans hurricane disaster
HANDEL: Messiah (1751 version) – Soloists, the Academy of Ancient of Music and the Choir of New College, Oxford/ Edward Higginbottom – Naxos
One of the most important recordings Naxos has yet released!
HANDEL: Messiah (complete) – Kerstin Avemo, soprano/ Patricia Bardon, alto/ Lawrence Zazzo, countertenor/ Kobie van Rensburg, tenor/ Neal Davies, bass/ Choir of Clare College/ Freiburger Barockorchester/ Rene Jacobs – Harmonia mundi
The best sounding Messiah ever!
MENDELSSOHN: Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49; Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 66 Julia Fischer, violin/ Jonathan Gilad, piano/ Daniel Mueller-Schott, cello – PentaTone Classics
This bravura performance is a dessert to be savored many times.
TELEMANN: Sonata in E; Sonata II in D; Fantasie No. 3 in B; Sonata in A; Sonata 1 in G; Fantasie No. 2 in A; Sonata in E Flat – Pauline Ooetenrijk, oboes/ Richte van der Meer, cello/ Mike Fentross, theorbo/ Siebe Henstra, harpsichord – Northwest Classics
Genuine pieces of sometimes astonishing emotional depth similar to the best of Bach’s writing
Rostropovich, cello = HAYDN: Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major; SAINT-SAENS: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33; ELGAR: Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 85 – Mstislav Rostropovich, cello/ London Symphony Orchestra/ Gennady Rozhdestvensky – BBC Legends
The Elgar is the kind of towering musical presence Rostropovich can bestow on a score he admires
Chant Wars – Sequentia/Benjamin Bagby & Dialogos/ Katerina Livljanic – Deutsche Harmonia mundi
Riveting chant sung with impetuous conviction and obvious relish
Audio News for December 12, 2006
Pioneer Blu-ray Player Due Any Minute; Blu-ray Negative Buzz According to Report; SACD Software Production Enhanced
MOZART: Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) – Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/ James Levine / Pamina: Ileana Cotrubas; Tamino: Eric Tappy; Papageno: Christian Boesch; Sarastro: Martti Talvela – RCA Red Seal (3 discs)
A tremendous treat for Mozart lovers
BEETHOVEN: Mass in C Major, Op. 86; Ah! Perfido, Op. 65; Ne’giorni tuol felici, WoO 93; Tremate, empi, tremati, Op. 116 – Solists/ Corydon Singers/ Corydon Orchestra/Matthew Best – Helios
Excellent sonic definition in all these performances
Honoring James Taylor, Musicares Person of the Year Tribute
One of the best-sounding pop DVD concerts of all time
Battlestar Galactica, Season 2.5 (2006)
Excellent dramatic series, sci-fi or not
DAVID MASLANKA: A Child’s Garden of Dreams; In Memoriam; Symphony No. 4 – Dallas Wind Symphony/Jerry Junkin – Reference Recordings
Powerful music of wide open spaces and strong spirit
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 7 in E minor, conducted by Günter Wand (1999)
Another valuable live video treasure from the conductor who refused to do studio recording
Anton Schwartz – Radiant Blue – AntonJazz
The tenorman offers a special edition DVD-A of his new release
Mega Movies – Themes from 16 blockbuster movies + Mega sound effects – Cincinnati Pops Orchestra/Erich Kunzel – Telarc
Turn up your surround level and take a walk around NYC with Godzilla…
Magnum Mysterium – Grex Vocalis/Carl Høgset 2L
The 5.0 option perfectly captures the reverberant acoustics and balances them with the choir
Audio News for December 8, 2006
Share Your New Electronics Frustrations; Conductive Speakers; Heifetz Box 45rpm Vinyl Boxed Set; Thiel Audio Celebrates 30th Anniversary
EMIL HARTMANN (1836-1898): Nordic Folk Dances (world premiere recording); Hakon Jarl, op. 40; A Carnival Feast, op. 32 (world premiere recording) – Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Bo Holten – Dacapo
Just another unassuming release which turns out to be an audiophile spectacular!
WOLF: Lieder – Ian Bostridge, tenor/ Antonio Pappano, piano – EMI
Many worthy moments, but something’s missing
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
