Monthly Archive: March 2007
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467; Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491; Rondo in D Major, K. 382; Fantasie in D Minor, K. 397 – Camerata Salzburg/ Stefan Vladar, piano and conductor – Harmonia mundi
Best of the Year entry and any Mozart-lover’s perfect gift to himself.
Audio News for March 10, 2007
The MET in the Multiplex and on PBS; Traneumentary Podcasts; The Trend to Wireless
DVORAK: Requiem (1988)
A wonderful piece of music that has had comparatively few recordings, and even a DVD issue is most welcome.
SCHUBERT: Complete Works for Violin and Piano = Sonata in A, “Duo,” D. 574; Rondo in B Minor, D. 895; Fantasy in C Major, D. 934; 3 Sonatinas – Arnold Steinhardt, violin/ Seymour Lipkin, piano – Newport Classics
Steinhardt sounds much like Joseph Szigeti, with the same wiry tone and piercing drive that Szigeti projected
Look Both Ways (2005)
Clever interpolation of animated segments into live action drama on the links between strangers
Audio News for March 7, 2007
Portable Audio Sales Up Again; Hiding Away the Home Electronics; Cleveland Orchestra Partnership with DGG
Anat Fort, piano – A Long Story – ECM
ECM debut of originals by a young Israeli pianist, with Paul Motian on drums
Fresh Uncles – Prague Jazz Series – Cube/Metier A Night in Tunisia – The Apollon String Quartet – Prague Jazz Series – Cube/Metier
These two CDs display just two distinctive approaches to jazz in Prague.
“Musique Héroïque” – BREWER: March Héroïque; DUBOIS: Marche Héroïque de Jeanne d’Arc; DUPRE: Poéme Héroïque; STANFORD: Sonata Eroica; TELEMANN: 2 movements from Musique Héroïque; JONGEN: Sonata Eroïca – Eric Plutz, organ (Dupré) – Pro Organo
Heroic music for pipe organ has inspired composers for a couple centuries now, mostly French or Belgian.
TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker (complete ballet); Excerpts from Swan Lake & Eugene Onegin – Childrens’ Choir/Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre Moscow/Alexander Vedernikov – PentaTone
There is lots of equally great music here that didn’t make it to the suites.
Raphaël Faÿs, guitar – Django & Classic – Chant du Monde Raphaël Faÿs, guitar – Gypsy & Classic – Chant du Monde
Amazingly versatile guitarist covers classical, flamenco and gypsy jazz with aplomb
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93 – The Australian Youth Orchestra/ Alexander Anissimov – Melba
Ostensibly a musical portrait of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin
Toscanini conducts works of MEYBERBEER, GOLDMARK, BIZET, MASSENET, MOZART, KALINNIKOV, COPLAND, SOUSA – Testament
The wartime program includes American marches and a recent Russian symphony in deference to our ally at the time
Gandhi – 25th Anniversary 2-Disc Collector’s Edition (1982/2007)
The masterpiece on the guru of nonviolence won eight Academy Awards
Bud Shank & Bob Cooper – All of the Pacific Jazz & World Pacific sessions of the 1950s by the two reed players – Mosaic Select
The flute ‘n oboe virtuosos of West Coast Jazz
Audio News for March 3, 2007
More DRM Gripes; Upcoming AES Conferences
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64; Nutcracker Suite,. Op. 71a Philharmonia Orchestra/ Herbert von Karajan – Opus Kura
As magnificently as Brain performs his warm solo in the Tchaikovsky’s second movement, Karajan still steals the show.
NIELSEN: Maskarade Overture; At the Bier of a Young Artist; Helios Overture; Saga-Drom; Pan and Syrinx; Rhapsodic Overture: An Imaginary Journey to the Faroe Islands; Bohemian-Danish Folk Tune; Suite from Aladdin – Aarhus Symphony/Friedel – MSR
The music is generally wonderful and makes for an ingratiating hour’s worth of listening, or in this case, a full 80 minutes.
BACH: B Minor Mass (complete) – Johannette Zomer, soprano/ Veronique Gens, soprano/ Andreas Scholl, alto; Christoph Pregardien, tenor/ Peter Kooy, bass/ Hanno Muller-Brachmann, bass/ Collegium Vocale Gent/ Philippe Herreweghe – Harmonia mundi
This recording may indeed be the best B minor Mass ever recorded
Carlos Santana & Wayne Shorter – Live at the 1988 Montreux Jazz Festival (2007)
Great DTS 5.1 surround on this blazing blend of jazz, rock & Latin
Ennio Morricone – Arena Concerto (2002)
Perfectly timed with Morricone’s honors at the recent Academy Awards
Mort Weiss Meets Sam Most; Mort Weiss: The B3 & Me
Amazing clarinet work from a musician who has paid his dues bigtime
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
