Monthly Archive: November 2007
The Tape Project
Back to Open Reel Tape for the Ultimate Audiophile Experience.
BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34; String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2 – Stephen Hough, piano/Takacs Quartet – Hyperion
These elegant Brahms performances manage to elucidate the darker, more turbulent emotions of the composer while maintaining a sense of intimacy
GOTTFRIED HEINRICH STOELZEL: Christmas Oratorio; New Year’s Day Cantata; Te Deum – Ute Schulze, soprano/ Schirin Partowi, alto/ Andreas Post, tenor/ Klaus Mertens, bass/ Handel’s Company/ Ch. Choir of MarienKantorei Lemgo/ Rainer J. Homberg – MD&G
Agreeable baroque cantatas for the person who thinks they have heard it all…
BEETHOVEN: Missa Solemnis, Op. 123 – Hillevi Martinpelto, soprano/ Elena Zaremba, mezzo-soprano/ Herbert Lippert, tenor/ Ronnie Johansen, bass/ Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno/ Orchestra of the Beethovenhalle Bonn/ Marc Soumstrot, conductor – MD&G DVD-A
A worthy recording perhaps lost in a needless format shuffle
MAHLER: Symphony No. 4 – Christine Schafer, soprano/ Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Bernard Haitink, conductor – RCO Live
A reading for the ages that might make Haitink detractors take notice—and it sounds better than any
Hairspray, Blu-ray (2007) 2-Disc Shake & Shimmy Edition
An uplifting, crammed-with-energy dance-musical romp
RAVEL: Miroirs suite; Gaspard de la nuit suite – Patrick O’Byrne, piano – Stockfisch stereo
I can’t think of any composer for the piano whose music demands the highest resolution in reproduction more than Ravel’s.
Shura Cherkassky at Wigmore Hall = Program: RAMEAU, HAYDN, HINDEMITH, CHOPIN, LISZT, BERKELEY, TCHAIKOVSKY – Wigmore Hall
An artist who reveled in the liberation of technique to serve his own eccentric personality.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (The complete soundtrack recordings of the score by HOWARD SHORE for Part III of the trilogy) [Collector’s Edition] – London Philharmonic Orchestra/Shore/ many guest artists – Reprise/Warner Bros.
A lavish boxed set with 4 CDs + 1 DVD-A + 2 illustrated booklets
Audio News for November 23, 2007
Epson Introduces First Really Complete Home Theater System; Don’t Forget the AV Receiver
“Eclipse” = Music of JEAN LANGLAIS – Soloists/Gloria Dei Cantores/ Elizabeth C. Patterson, conductor – Gloria Dei Cantores (2 CDs)
A devoted collection of works by a beloved sacred composer
HANDEL: Messiah – Susan Gritton, soprano/ Sara Mingardo, alto/ Mark Padmore, tenor/ Alastair Miles, bass/ Tenebrae Choir/ London Symphony Orchestra/ Colin Davis, conductor – LSO Live
Features 2 SACD discs plus a video DVD of highlights from the recording session.
BEETHOVEN: Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 16; DVORAK: Terzetto in C Major for 2 Violins and Viola; Piano Quartet in E-flat Major – Han, piano/ Erin Keefe, violin/Arnaud Sussmann, violin/Beth Guterman, viola/David Finckel, cello – CMS Studio CMS S
An eminently affectionate rendering Dvorak’s mature chamber music masterpieces.
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980/2007)
A 15+hour no-holds-barred epic which many believe to be the crowning achievement of the quirky, self-destructive filmmaker Fassbinder
*SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Trios Nos. 1, op. 8, and 2, op. 67; PAUL JUON: Piano Trio op. 17; Trio-Miniaturen – Trio Paian – Coviello Classics
******* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ********
An outstanding recording that beats the competition in every way – Paul Juon is a great discovery.
RESPIGHI: Church Windows; Brazilian Impressions; Rossiniana – Suite for Orchestra – Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra/JoAnn Falletta – Naxos
Two works of colorful tone-painting and one ballet suite expanded from Rossini’s piano pieces.
The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol. 13 = WM. STERNDALE BENNETT: Piano Concerto No. 4 in f minor; Caprice in E major; FRANCIS EDWARD BACHE: Piano Concerto in E major – Howard Shelley, piano & conductor/ BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
This volume in the series brings us two little-known British composers of the 19th century.
DURUFLE: Requiem; FAURE: Requiem – Miah Persson, soprano/ Malena Ernman, mezzo-soprano/ Olle Persson, baritone/ Mattias Wager, organ/ Swedish Radio Choir/ Fredrik Malmberg, conductor – BIS
A fine supplement to the orchestral versions, captured in super-spacious sound
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Piano Duos – Scheherazade; Sadko; Capriccio Espagnol – Arthur Pizarro & Vita Panomariovaite – Linn Records
Both the transcriptions and pianists create an amazingly good re-imagining of these three most colorful orchestral scores.
“Crown Imperial” – Festive Music for Organ, Winds, Brass & Percussion – Music of R. STRAUSS, GIOVANNI GABRIELI, TOMASI, GRAINGER, WAGNER, HINDEMITH, MICHAEL DAUGHERTY – Mary Preston, organ/ Dallas Wind Symphony/Jerry Junkin – Reference Recordings
Audiophiles will have to have this one – unless they’re part of that sad organ-hating clan.
Spider-Man High Definition Trilogy, Blu-ray
Includes all three of the live-action Spider-Man movies on individual Blu-ray discs plus a fourth disc that contains the special features for Spider-Man 3 only.
Horacio Hernandez – Italuba II – Cacao Musica
“El Negro” on the sticks
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
