Monthly Archive: August 2008
Audio News for August 19, 2008
Detroit Jazz Festival; Target Adds Installation Option; Blu-ray Manufacturer Doubles Production; Recycling Thru the Mail
Meridian Arts Ensemble – Timbrando – Channel Classics
The group’s ninth album is centered around works that come out of South American culture.
MOZART: Flute Quartets in D, A, C & G; Flute Concerto in G K 313 – Yoshimi Oshima, flute/ members of the Kocian Quartet/ (in Concerto: Praga Camerata/Pavel Hula) – Praga Digitals
It is hard to believe that Mozart disliked the flute, because these are some of the loveliest works of chamber music for the instrument ever written by anyone.
Karel Ancerl Conducts Ma Vlast (1966-68)
A fine tribute to a great musician and a brave man.
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor; SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 63 – BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent – BBC Legends
Unlike Sir Adrian Boult, Sargent has only off-the-air broadcasts to testify to his command of this music.
Mike LeDonne – FiveLive – Savant
LeDonne and an all-star band live at Smoke
ANON.: The Play of Daniel – The Dufay Collective/ William Lyons, director – Harmonia mundi
The Play of Daniel is strongly recommended for all lovers of music.
GIUSEPPE TARTINI & FRANCESCO MARIA VERACINI: The Devil’s Trill (Five Sonatas) – Palladians – Linn Records
Manze’s passion (on HM) is in the solo while the Palladians’ “passion” is in the ensemble playing.
Stargate Continuum, Blu-ray (2008)
The gang of the original Stargate SG-1 is brought back together; and I was pleased to see both Ben Browder and Claudia Black from “FarScape”
ELGAR: Organ Sonata No.1 in G (Op. 28) – James Lancelot, Organ of Durham Cathedral – stereo DVD + CD Durham Media Academy
Lancelot brings out all the colours of the fine organ of Durham Cathedral, demonstrating the various solo stops to the listener’s advantage.
* ANTONIO VIVALDI: The Four Seasons; Concerto RV 317 in G minor; Concerto RV 257 in E-flat major – Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra/Daniel Gaede (violin)/Wojciech Rajski – Tacet
********* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ********
One of the best Four Seasons to come around in a long time.
Toscanini Stereo Recordings = ROSSINI: The Barber of Seville Overture; TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 “Pathetique”; WAGNER: Lohengrin Prelude, Act I; Dawn and Siegfried’s Rhine Journey – NBC Symphony Orchestra – Pristine Audio
These experimental stereo recordings can only add to the Toscanini legend for sheer breadth of musical line and the inflamed quality of his musical vision.
Mapleshade Finished Platform for Turntables
Air-dried solid maple was found to be the best-sounding support for turntables and other components.
The Doors, Blu-ray (1991)
An often spectacular movie on rock outlaw Jim Morrison.
Van Sant/Palmer Jazz Duo Play the Music of Horace Silver – Lei’zure
The Silver tunes take on a quite different life in this chamber-music-like instrumentation vs. the originals.
PADEREWSKI: Piano Sonata in E-flat Minor. Op. 21; Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme in A Minor, Op. 11; Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme in E-flat Minor, Op. 23 – Jonathan Plowright, piano – Hyperion
Passionate and unabashedly nationalistic, pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski bestowed a legacy both as creative and recreative artist.
Audio News for August 15, 2008
Best Buy Selling Musical Instruments; Onkyo Selects Third-Party Universal Remotes; Blu-ray Even Better Than Theater?; Movie Pirating in France
Schmidt-Isserstedt Conducts = WEBER: Euryanthe Overture; TIPPETT: Fantasia concertante on a Theme of Corelli; BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98 – Eli Goren and Bela Dakany, violins/Denis Vigay, cello/BBC Symphony Orch. – BBC Legends
The Brahms Fourth holds a special meaning for Schmidt-Isserstedt: it was the last major work he conducted.
Harry Allen – Joe Cohn Quartet – Stompin the Blues – Arbors
Special guests spice up the Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet
Frank Derrick – The Beat Goes On – Jazzed Media
The jazz drum tradition is in good hands
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37; Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56 – Andres Diaz, cello/Chee-Yun violin/Camerata Ireland /Barry Douglas, piano and conductor – Satirino
Douglas concentrates on both beauty of tone and modesty of ensemble; rarely does he permit the Steinway to intrude onto the ensemble mix.
Arie Antiche – Margiono Quintet – Challenge
This is admittedly a niche album, but lovers of singing should not hesitate.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
