Monthly Archive: December 2007
Paprika, Japanese anime feature, Blu-ray (2006)
Wild and amazing visual fantasy involving the collision of the dream world with reality.
LISZT: Christus – Franziska Hirzel, soprano/ Birgit Remmert, alto/ Donald Kaasch, tenor (Christus)/ Ralk Lukas, baritone/ Christoph Anselm Noll, organ/ Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno/ Beethoven Orchestra Bonn/ Roman Kofman, conductor – MDG
A spectacular SACD release of what might be Liszt’s greatest work
RICHARD STRAUSS: Josephs Legende (The Legend of Joseph), ballet
A great DVD for ballet, classical music and high definition sound lovers – a production of the highest quality and integrity.
David Bowie – David Bowie Box – ISO/Columbia/Legacy (10 CDs)
Big Box, Small Gifts
HAYDN: Symphonies 88-92; Sinfonia Concertante – Toru Yasunaga, violin/ Georg Faust, cello/ Jonathan Kelly, oboe/ Stefan Schweigert, bassoon/ Berlin Philharmonic/ Simon Rattle, conductor – EMI
These Haydn readings are of the highest order, on a par with my favorites.
BUSONI: The Two-Piano Program = Fantasia Contrappuntistica; MOZART-BUSONI: The Magic Flute Overture, Fantasie; Duettino Concertante; BUSONI-PETRI: Improvisation on a Bach Chorale, Berceuse élégiaque – Daniel Revenaugh & Lawrence Leigton Smith – EMI
Busoni said his Fantasia would be “between a composition of Cesar Franck and Beethoven’s Hammerklavier.”
Dish Network ViP222 Hi-Def Satellite Receiver
Provides independent video content to two TVs – one hi-def and one standard definition.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 3 in D minor – Birgit Remmert, contralto/ Swiss Chamber Choir/Zurich Sängerknaben/ Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra/ David Zinman – RCA Red Seal
That this is one of the Mahler Symphonies most suited to surround sound recording is indicated by the fact that it was the very first four-channel prerecorded tape of a Mahler Symphony.
Audio News for December 4, 2007
E-waste Grows Rapidly in Third World; Big Holiday Sales of Electronics Expected
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64; SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 – Alfred Cortot, piano/RSO Berlin/Ferenc Fricsay – Audite
Listening to a collaboration between two such mighty musical minds is still a rare privilege.
Baiba Skride, violin = Violin Concertos by SHOSTAKOVICH (No. 1, Op. 77) and JANACEK (“The Wandering of a Little Soul”) – Baiba Skride, violin/ Munich Philharmonic/ Mikko Franck (Shostakovich) and the RSO Berlin/ Janowski (in the Janacek) – Sony Classical
The lovely little Janacek Concerto deserves to be heard more often.
“Journeys” – Santa Fe Guitar Quartet – PIAZZOLLA: Three Modern Tangos; PAT METHENY: Three Pieces; ALBENIZ: Two Spanish Pieces; CARLOS GUASTAVINO: Two Argentine Romances; WILL AYTON: Prelude and Ricercar – Soundset Recordings
Three pieces come from an unexpected source – leading American jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny.
TIPPETT: Concerto for Double String Orchestra; BERG: Violin Concerto; JANACEK: Sinfonietta – Edith Peinemann, violin/BBC Symphony Orchestra/Rudolf Kempe – BBC Legends
Features the gifted Dresden-born conductor Rudolf Kempe, a coloristic literalist.
“The Invitation” – Music for Saxophone Quartet – GLASS: Concerto for Saxophone Quartet; FRANK REINSHAGEN: The Invitation; BARBARA THOMPSON: Saxophone Quartet No. 2; ZDENEK LUKAS: Rondo for 4 Saxophones; BACH: Fugue No. 20 – Tetraphonics Sax Q. – Cybele
Glass feels the instrumentation of his Sax Quartet Concerto gives the effect of a Baroque concerto grosso.
Editorial for December 2007
Welcome to Adobe GoLive 6 Mack Avenue Records is providing our December Drawing/Giveaway, which should please Audiophile Audition jazz fans no end. A dozen of our readers will have their registration information drawn at the end of this month and be sent these two Mack Avenue discs: The exciting Gerald Wilson Orchestra’s “New York New Sound,” – in multichannel hybrid SACD – which we raved about here; plus some swinging versions of festive favorites titled “Jazz Yule Love II.” Its 11 tracks feature such celebrated musicians as the Bud Shank Quartet, The Hot Club of Detroit, Oscar Castro-Neves and Sean Jones. To have your name and address drawn for the giveaway, just Register Right Here. (Please fill out all the fields; we don’t ask for much.) The lucky winner of the Oppo DVD 970 Universal Disc Player – our November Drawing – is Ken Holder of Snowflake, AZ. Congrats Ken! Register Here for the Current Drawing Re: Surround Sound for Music An opinion from one of our guest reviewers worth being reminded of Over the past year I have learned almost to an incontrovertible conclusion that two channels for classical music are hopelessly inadequate (when there […]
TCHAIKOVSKY: Polonaise; Berceuse, op. 16:1; Oh! Chante encore, Op.16:4; Qu’importe, Op. 16:5; The Seasons, Op. 37; Doumka, Op. 59 – Lev Vinocour, piano – MDG
Wonderful sonics in music still all too little appreciated or even heard
Great Handel – Selections from HANDEL operas and oratorios – Ian Bostridge, tenor/ Kate Royal, soprano/ Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/ Harry Bicket, conductor – EMI
Great Handel, but perhaps not the greatest singing…
EDWARD JOSEPH COLLINS: Hibernia (Irish Rhapsody); Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat; Lil’ David Play on Yo’ Harp; Lament and Jig – William Wolfram, piano/ Royal Scottish National Orchestra/ Marin Alsop, conductor – Albany
Nice music of questionable long-term value, but deserving of hearing
Audio News for December 1, 2007
MP3 Up, CD Down; Microsoft’s New Zune; Now’s the Time to Shop for Home Electronics; Advice on Purchase of an AV Receiver
MOZART: Salzburg Sacred Music = Vesperae solennes; Missa solemnis; Regina coeli; Sonata – Cornelia Samuelis, soprano/ Ursula Eittinger, alto/ Benoit Haller, tenor/ Markus Flaig, bass/ Cologne Ch. Choir/Collegium Cartuianum/Peter Neumann – MDG
Wonderful performances that enliven the repertory
SIDNEY CORBETT: Que hora es in Paradiso?; Kammermusik fur und mit Gitarre – Seth Josel (e-guitar, banjo, classical guitar/ musik Fabrik/ Johannes Debus, director – Cybelle
Super-quiet avant chamber music involving guitars and jazz/rock influences
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
