Monthly Archive: February 2008
VARIOUS COMPOSERS: Francisco Javier – La Ruta de Oriente (Routes of the Orient) – Hesperion XXI/La Capella Reial de Catalunya/ produced by Jordi Savall – Alia Vox
This two-disc set is perhaps Jordi Savall’s most ambitious and handsome one yet!
ELGAR: Complete Songs for Voice and Piano, Volume 1 – Amanda Roocroft, soprano/ Konrad Jarnot, baritone/ Reinild Mees, piano – Channel Classics
Elgar the songster should not go underestimated, as this lovely surround sound disc proves
Serenissime Sonate – Music for Strings in the Republic of Venice 1630-1660 = Sonatas by GIOVANNI ARRIGONI, TARQUINIO MERULA, BIAGIO MARINI, FRANCESCO CAVALLI, MARCO FERRO, MARTINO PESENTI, MASSIMILIANO – Sonatori De La Gioiosa Marca – Divox
These composers are ones who were creating music in the city right after its bout with the plague that carried away 50,000 of its residents.
THEODORE BLUMER: Serenade and Theme and Variations, Op. 34; 10 Waltzes, Op. 56; From the Animal Kingdom, Op. 57a; From the Plant World, Op. 57b – John Bailey, flute/ Mark Clinton, piano/ Moran Woodwind Quintet – Crystal
This isn’t a bad disc for someone looking for something a little new (and good) and different.
MOISEI VAINBERG: String Quartets No. 11, Op. 89; No. 13, Op. 118; Piano Quintet Op. 18 – Vilnius String Quartet/ Golda Vainberg-Tatz, piano – Delos
A lost musical voice that deserves much better
FREDERIC MOMPOU: Musica Callada; Trois Variations – Javier Perianes, piano – Harmonia mundi
His very personal approach is epitomized in his Musica Callada series of short and quiet pieces – Silent Music in English.
Play Your Own Thing – A Story of Jazz in Europe (2006)
American jazz and its players received a welcome in Europe absent in the U.S.
BYRD & TALLIS: Heavenly Harmonies – Stile Antico – Harmonia Mundi
Stile Antico offers simply stunning performances here; their phrasing and intonation are beyond reproach.
HANS-OLA ERICSSON: The Four Beasts’ Amen and other Organ Works – Hans-Ola Ericsson, organ – BIS
The centerpiece, The Four Beasts’ Amen, is essentially a mass for organ and electronics. Ericsson employed at least six organs throughout the complex piece.
Eugene Ruffolo – In A Different Light – Eugene Ruffolo, guitar and vocals/ John Jennings, guitar and dobro/ Hans-Jorg Maucksch, basses/ many others – Stockfisch
The surround mix is disappointing – try the stereo option.
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 8 – Royal Flemish Philharmonic/ Philippe Herreweghe, conductor – Pentatone
The performances given here are totally in keeping with the previous excellent Talent disc, and will make a strong case for inclusion in your library.
FELIX WEINGARTNER: Symphony No. 5; Overture from Serious Times – Basel Symphony Orchestra /Marko Letonja, conductor – CPO
Repeat listenings of this excellent disc have definitely helped me to rethink Weingartner’s place in the musical pantheon.
RAVEL: l’oeuvre pour piano (Works for Piano) – Philippe Bianconi, piano – Lyrinx
French pianist Philippe Bianconi offers a truly idiomatic performance of a set that is both extremely diverse and remarkably entertaining.
Echos d’artistes (Echoes of Artists) – Works by composers from the Casa de Velazquez – Ensemble Telemaque/ Raoul Lay, director – Lyrinx
The compositional style throughout is a sort of French version of the Second Viennese School, except most of the pieces are slightly more melodic in nature than the typical twelve-tone work.
Discovering Masterpieces of Classical Music = SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A Minor
An analysis of the Schumann Piano Concerto, with its performance by Martha Argerich
Lorraine Feather – Language – Jazzed Media
A super lyrics writer in the tradition of Dave Frishberg – writing about little everyday life experiences – often in ascerbic and witty ways
30 Days of Night, Blu-ray (2007)
You will find that Northern Alaska is No Country for Old Men, and you can be sure that There Will Be Blood.
MICHAEL GANDOLFI: The Garden of Cosmic Speculation – Orchestral Suite in 3 Parts – Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Robert Spano – Telarc
The Garden of which this is the musical expression actually exists in Southern Scotland.
PENDERECKI: Symphony No. 8; Dies Irae; Aus den Psalmen Davids – Antoni Wit, conductor/ Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra – Naxos
He bases his text on several different poets with mystical or pantheistic strains in their poetry from time to time.
Chamber Music Palisades – SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Quintet; DEBUSSY: Sonata for Flute, Viola & Harp; & BROCKMAN: Feast of Fives – 2 discs: Disc 1, Side 1: Complete 16:9 video with DTS 5.1 & many bonus features; Side 2, DVD-A audio-only side; Disc 2: CD – AIX
The disc provides the usual feature overkill of AIX, with a dizzying variety of choices among the audio programs
Diane Schuur – Some Other Time – Concord
Though the tunes are from another era, the arrangements by pianist Porter are very up-do-date and make for a fresh overall sound.
“Liaisons, Vol. 1” SCARLATTI and BARTOK program – Dejan Lazic, piano – Channel Classics
Scarlatti integrated elements of Spanish folk music into his 550+ harpsichord sonatas, and Bartok used Hungarian peasant songs and Arabic folk music in his piano music.