Monthly Archive: October 2008
JOHANN JAKOB WALTHER: Suite No. 9 in C Minor; Suite No. 8 in E major; Aria No. 14 in G Minor; Suite No. 20 in C Minor; Serenata; Passacaglia No. 7 in D Minor – Les Plaisirs du Parnasse/ David Plantier, direction and violin – Zig-Zag
The playing is lushly rendered, colorful, and masterly.
GIOVANNI BENEDETTO PLATTI: Antologia – Pratum Integrum Orchestra/Alfredo Bernardini – Caro Mitis
Platti’s music seems to have been influenced by the likes of Corelli and Tartini, both of them violin virtuosos.
The Larry Coryell Organ Trio – Impressions – Chesky Records
He used his regular drummer of the past five years and one of the newer breed of B-3 players, Israeli-born Sam Yahel.
Stokowski, The Eternal Magician = ENESCO: Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1 in A Major & No. 2 in D Major; DEBUSSY: Three Nocturnes; STRAVINSKY: Firebird Suite; WAGNER: Ride of the Valkyries – Symphony Orchestra/All-American Youth Orch./Leopold Stokowski – Cala
The Wagner track of 1941 is in stereo – assembled from two separate synchronized lacquer masters marked Left & Right!
Body Heat, Blu-ray (1981-2008)
The modern injection of energy, color and good use of the surrounds adds much interest to the old film noir approach.
RICHARD STRAUSS: Don Juan / Ein Alpensinfonie (Alpine Symphony) – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra /Mariss Janson RCO Live
RICHARD STRAUSS: Don Juan / Ein Alpensinfonie (Alpine Symphony) – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra /Mariss Janson RCO Live multichannel SACD RCO 08006, 70:22 ***** [Distr. by Harmonia mundi]: Richard Strauss (1864-1949) wrote Don Juan inspired by Lenau’s poem of the same name during 1888 and 1889, having completed his first tone poem, Aus Italien, a couple of years before. That work’s first three parts were well received in Munich in 1887 – though the final section, quoting Funiculi Funcula divided the audience and its composer Luigi Denza later sued Strauss for quoting what he’d thought was a folk tune! And won his case. Don Juan is a far more mature and demanding work, and its premiere with the Weimar Court Orchestra in late 1889 was a complete success. The orchestra fairly leaps into action, the opening bars needing the most careful of rehearsal even by the most accomplished of orchestras and conductors. What a test this is for virtuosity! Jansons and his fine orchestra play this wonderfully well, and the love music at the center has rarely sounded so tender. Ein Alpensinfonie was the last of Strauss’ tone poems, and took him several years to write; he began in the balmy […]
“Csakan & Biedermeier” = KREAEHMER: Introduction, Variations and Polonaise; Variations brillantes; Rondeau hongrois Works by HUNYADY, LAVOTTA, HEBERLE, GELINEK – Siri Rovatkay-Sohns, csakan/Lajos Ravatkay, tafelklavier – GEMA
A curio of the so-called Biedermeier Period, the csakan is an evolution of the labial pipe that gave us the recorder.
PUCCINI: La Boheme (complete opera) – Norah Amsellem (Mimi)/ Marcus Haddock (Rodolfo)/ Georgia Jarman (Musetta)/ Fabio Capitanucci (Marcello)/ Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/ Gwinnett Young Singers/ Robert Spano, conductor – Telarc
The stunning clarity of presentation and the considered efforts of its young cast now make this recording something of a first choice among alternatives—yes, I changed my mind.
Echoes of Swing – 4 Jokers in the Pack – Echoes of Swing
The 17 short tunes are not all taken from the 30s and 40s – many are originals by members of the quartet.
Lou Donaldson – Lou Takes Off – Blue Note RVG series
Donaldson takes off with an all-star Blue Note contingent.
J. R Monterose – J. R Monterose – Blue Note RVG series
The underrated J.R. Monterose
Hank Mobley – Hank Mobley Quintet – Blue Note RVG series
Prime vintage 50s Mobley.
Audio News for October 7, 2008
Vinyl Records’ Increased Sales; Style and Functionality Uppermost in Audio Sales; Rocky Mt. Audio Show Runs Oct. 10-12
LUDWIG MINKUS: Don Quijote ballet (complete)
I highly recommend this DVD – as well as Barishnikov’s (1983) – both are a must for ballet lovers.
“A to Z of Jazz” – Fine Arts Brass Quintet – Nimbus Records
Among the surprises were seeing Basie’s Li’l Darlin’ , Chick Corea’s La Fiesta, and the two tune from Frank Zappa.
McCoy Tyner – Guitars – HalfNote
The concept here is to put the leader in a wide-ranging context of top drawer guitarists (and one banjo player).
* SCHNITTKE: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 – 3 – Ewa Kupiec, Maria Lettberg (No. 3), piano/ Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra/ Frank Strobel – Phoenix Edition
Go for it, and be not afraid of Schnittke.
********* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH *********
The Sixth Sense, Blu-ray (1999/2008)
This was probably the best film from Shyamalan, and his standard twist ending really works here.
ALBAN BERG: Drei Orchesterstücke Op. 6 (Three Orchestral Pieces) – Symphonische Stücke aus der Oper ‘Lulu’ (1935) (Symphonic Suite from “Lulu”) – Anat Efraty – soprano / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Daniele Gatti – RCO Live
The Lulu Suite was written due to Berg’s finding it difficult to get performances of his work due to its atonality committing it to the corpus of “Entartete Musik” – degenerate music.
Randy Klein, piano – The Flowing – Jazzheads
Basically in the New Age bag but with more variety and depth than most recordings of that genre.
Carlo Zecchi, piano, playing his 1926 interpretations – The Welte-Mignon Mystery Vol. X – Works by SCARLATTI, ALALEONA, PIZZETTI, BAJARDI, CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO, GASCO, CASELLA, DAVICO & STRAVINSKY – Tacet
None of the previous Welte CDs have equaled the convincing sound of these Tacet releases.
Martin Taylor, guitar – Double Standards – P3Music
The technical information is very detailed for this type of jazz album, with the mode of guitar, the pickup system, the strings, the guitar amp etc.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
