Monthly Archive: June 2008
American Orchestral Song = THOMSON: The Feast of Love; CARPENTER: Water-Colors; HARRIS: Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun; GRIFFES: Ancient China and Japan; more – Patrick Mason, baritone/ Odense Symphony Orch./Paul Mann – Bridge
An essential disc of unknown but outstanding repertory
The Beast With a Billion Backs, Futurama Feature (2008)
Matt Groening’s Simpsons-ish sci-fi series lives on in a feature-length adventure with Fry, Leela, Bender and all the others.
R. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 – Scipione Guidi, violin/Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York/Willem Mengelberg – Pristine Audio
Recorded December 1928, this is a spectacular performance of the Richard Strauss ode to musical and personal aggrandizement.
“Capriccio” – Renaud Capucon, violin and Jerome Ducros, piano in Recital – Virgin Classics
Capucon is a gifted artist who plays the 1737 Guarneri del Gesu instrument the late Isaac Stern sported for fifty years.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor “Resurrection”; HAYDN: Symphony No. 86 in D Major – Hanni Mack-Cosack, sop./Hertha Toepper, contralto/Chorus and Orchestra of the Radio-Symphony Stuttgart/ Bach-Choir Stuttgart/Carl Schuricht – Hanssler Classic (2 CDs)
Another excellent addition to the recorded legacy of Carl Schuricht; perhaps, along with Celibidache the world’s greatest “wandering” conductor with no regular appointment.
STEPHEN JAFFE: Cut Time; Cello Concerto; Poetry of the Piedmont; Homage to the Breath – David Hardy, cello/ Milagro Vargas, sop./ North Carolina Sym./ Grant Llewellyn/ Odense Symphony Orchestra/ Paul Mann, conductor/ 21st Century Consort/Kendall – Bridge
The best here certainly proves that Jaffe is a voice to be reckoned with.
ANTONIO SALIERI: Armida (Sinfonia); Daliso e Delmita (Overture); Pafio e Mirra ossia I prigionieri; Der Rauchfangkeher (Overture); Les Danaides; Les Horaces (Overture); Catilina (Overture) – Mannheim Mozart Orchestra/ Thomas Fey, conductor – Hanssler
Is Salieri unjustly neglected or justly ignored? You decide.
KENNETH FUCHS: United Artists; Quiet in the Land; Fire, Ice, and Summer Bronze; Autumn Rhythm; French Horn Concerto (“Canticle to the Sun”) – Timothy Jones, horn/ London Symphony Orchestra/ JoAnn Falletta, conductor – Naxos
Successful follow up to Fuch’s previous Grammy-nominated Naxos CD
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Contrapunctus XVIII; LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: String Quartet Op. 131; ERNST KRENEK: String Quartet No. 1 Op. 6 – Beethoven Quartet – Audiomax (MD&G) multichannel SACD 2+2+2 plus multichannel DVD-Video (2 disc set) – Audiomax
Everything is here you wanted to know, hear and see about the art of fugue and were afraid to ask.
Audio News for June 24, 2008
Growing Support for Universal Wall-Wart; First Nationwide, Next-Day Installer of Home Electronics; Wadia Introduces iPod Dock With Optical Digital Audio Out
Duke Ellington Legacy – Thank You Uncle Edward – Renma Recordings
From the uncle to the nephew
Scott Robinson – Plays the Compositions of Thad Jones: Forever Lasting – Arbors
Multi-instrumentalist is an understatement here
Alvin Queen – Jammin’ Uptown – Just A Memory/Justin Time
A welcome Alvin Queen re-release
John Patton – Soul Connection – Just A Memory/Justin Time
A long overdue CD reissue
SCHOENBERG: Chamber Symphony No. 2, op.38; Die gluckliche Hand, op. 18; Wind Quintet, op. 26 – Mark Beesley, bass/ Simon Joly Chorale/ New York Woodwind Quintet/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Robert Craft, conductor – Naxos
More terrific Schoenberg by a master conductor who know the works better than anyone
Romaria = The Dowland Project – John Potter, tenor/ Milos Valent, violin and viola/ John Surman, soprano sax, bass clarinet, tenor and bass recorders/ Stephen Stubbs, baroque guitar, vihuela – ECM
The latest Dowland Project album provides plenty more of the same
MASCAGNI: Zanetto (complete opera); L’amico Fritz (Intermezzo); Cavalleria rusticana (Intermezzo) – Eilana Lappalainen (Sylvia)/ Jennifer Larmore (Zanetto)/ Academic Choir Zerotin/ Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic/ Peter Tiboris, conductor – Elysium
A Mascagni rarity with the effervescent Jennifer Larmore
Nat Adderley – Work Song – Riverside Keepnews Collection
The new CD reissue series sounds the same on a good player as the previous SACD reissue series.
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9 in D minor (2007)
The visual coverage is the most varied and interesting I have yet seen in a symphony orchestra video.
The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery – Riverside
Its clarity surpasses what we’ve heard on CDs before and is probably surpassed on vinyl only by the 45 rpm reissues.
DEBUSSY: Preludes for Piano (complete – TrackList below) – Evgeni Koroliov, piano – Tacet
Today we have multichannel hi-res recording, so why not employ it in a creative manner to surround the listener with Debussy’s unique sound-world?
HAYDN: Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4, 9, 11 – Sebastian Knauer, piano/ Cologne Chamber Orchestra/ Helmut Muller-Bruhl – Naxos
Joyful, spirited Haydn that is beautifully played.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
