Monthly Archive: September 2007
Blades of Glory, HD DVD (2007)
The film is more than just a one-joke premise and is consistently funny throughout.
Jacques Loussier Plays Bach – Encore! – Telarc Jazz
I find it the most enjoyable Loussier album I’ve ever heard.
ERNESTO HALFFTER: Sonatas; Suite de la doncellas; Homages; Dos piezas cubanas; Tres piezas infantiles; others – Guillermo Gonzalez, piano – Naxos Spanish Classics
The works here in general demonstrate the charm of Halffter’s attractive style.
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 5 in E-flat, Op. 82; Karelia Suite, Op. 11; Swan of Tuonela, Op. 22, No. 2 – London Symphony Orchestra/Alexander Gibson/Symphony Orchestra conducted by Morton Gould (Swan) – HDTT
Remastered from commercial 4-track RCA tapes, an assemblage of Sibelius offerings proves aurally delectable.
The Composers Play – JEAN FRANCAIX, FRANCIS POULENC, MANUEL DE FALLS & BELA BARTOK – Dutton
Amazing restorations by Michael Dutton of recordings from 1930 to 1940
Ron Di Salvio – Essence of Green – A Tribute to Kind of Blue – Origin Records
An album along the lines of the historic Miles Davis/Bill Evans Kind of Blue.
John Sebastian & David Grisman – Satisfied – Acoustic Disc
Sebastian does most of the vocals, and the tunes are originals, folk, blues, and instrumentals.
A Few Good Men, Blu-ray (1992)
Fantastic acting from a terrific lineup of top Hollywood stars
VIVALDI: Double Concerto for 2 guitars, strings & continuo RV 532; Trio Sonata RV 82; Concerto for guitar, string & continuo RV 93; Trio Sonata RV 85; Concerto for guitar, strings & continuo RV 425; WEISS: Sonata – Katona Twins, guitars – Channel Classics
There is clarity of all the instrumental lines in these chamber-like versions with just string quartet
Audio News for September 22, 2007
Combo Hi-Def Disc Concerns; High End Prices for High End Media Items; Imagine a Voice-Recognition TV
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4 (arr. Lieberman); SHOSTAKOVICH: String Quartet No. 12 (arr. Lieberman); SARASATE: Caprice Basque; Romanza Andaluza; Ziguenerweisen (arr. Chase) – The American String Project – MSR Classics
The sound product hums seamlessly through a program of Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Sarasate, both intimate and virtuosic at once.
MOZART: Six Sonatas for Fortepiano with accompaniment of Violin, K301-306; plus interviews with the performers – Marieke Spaans, tangent piano (1789)/ Anton Steck, Baroque violin (1780) – Deutschlandfunk
The articles are in English, French and German, and a two-part interview with the performers is printed, but also heard in stereo, in German.
CYRIL SCOTT: Piano Works to 1910; Piano Works Published After 1910 – Leslie De’ath, p. – Dutton Epoch
CYRIL SCOTT: Piano Works to 1910; Piano Works Published After 1910 – Leslie De’ath, p. – Dutton Epoch CDLX 7183 (2 CDs for price of 1), 77:54, 75:22 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: Canadian musician Leslie De’ath (talk about important punctuation…) has a varied career as pianist, chamber music player, accompanist, vocal coach, conduct and author. He is associate editor of the Journal of Singing, and has a particular interest in more obscure piano literature – especially the piano music of Scott and Florent Schmitt. This is his fourth volume devoted to the complete piano music of Scott, with two of the previous ones having been double-CD albums. Scott wrote in his second autobiography that his publisher insisted he write a certain number of short piano pieces each year, and he himself felt he wrote too many, detracting from his more important works. However, these for the most part are not the sort of corny, dated little miniature salon pieces that were popular early in the 20th century. Most of them are highly original and some, while still tonal, play around with musical tricks of harmony that are quite advanced for the period. Scott was an inveterate improviser and some […]
BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Vol. 1 (Preludes & Fugues I – XXIV) – Richard Egarr, harpsichord – Harmonia mundi
Egarr’s notes are short and sweet; just sit back and listen. Most highly recommended!
Marty Ehrlich & Myra Melford – Spark! – Palmetto Records
Two of the originals are offered as prayers of peace for Iraq
RACHMANINOV: Variations on a Theme of Chopin; 2 Song Transcriptions = Lilacs; Daisies; Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 36; KREISLER-RACHMANINOV: Liebesleid; Liebesfreud – Yevgeny Sudbin, piano – BIS
The Russian obsession with death and fatalism shows strongly in Rachmaninov’s music by his frequent quotations of the medieval chant Dies irae.
Lalo Schifrin & Friends – Aleph Records
For his 75th birthday, Schifrin has gone back to his jazz roots.
The Bourne Identity, HD DVD (2002)
The beginning of the Matt Damon spy franchise
Audio News for September 19, 2007
First Audio-Only HD DVD; HD Film on Bach; Circle Surround Auto in New Subaru
Asturiana – Songs from Spain and Argentina by DE FALLA, GRANADOS, GINASTERA, GUASTAVINO, BUCHARDO & MONTSALVATGE – Kim Kashkashian, viola/ Robert Levin, piano – ECM New Series
Everything about this collection puts it on a very high level and rates a top recommendation.
MOZART: The Complete Piano Concertos – Viviana Sofronitzki, fortepiano and harpsichord (in the juvenile concertos), with friends and the Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense (the early instrument ensemble of the Warsaw Chamber Opera) conducted by Tadeus
You will want to acquire the complete set without delay
Gerald Wilson Orchestra – Monterey Moods – Mack Avenue
Gerald Wilson’s career spans more of jazz history than any other living composer/leader in the biz.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
