Monthly Archive: January 2009
DVORAK: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”; Symphonic Variations – Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/ Marin Alsop – Naxos
War Horse, galloping…
Babylon A.D., Blu-ray – Raw and Uncut (2008)
It’s raw all right
CHARLES T. HAUBIEL: Karma (Symphonic Variations) – Columbia Symphony Orchestra/Robert Hood Bowers, conductor – Pristine Audio
A musical curio it certainly is, o adventurous ones!
AARON COPLAND: Dance Symphony; Symphony No. 1; Short Symphony – Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/ Marin Alsop – Naxos
Audiophiles listening to this disc will delight in the musical characteristics of Aaron Copland that make his music desirable to them: clear textures, broad lyricism, ostinato, syncopated rhythms and fanfares.
CLEMENT: Violin Concerto in D Major; BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 – Rachel Barton Pine, violin/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Jose Serebrier – Cedille (2 CDs)
Evidence suggests that the two composers, in mutual admiration, wrote their respective works in spiritual dialogue.
AUROPHONIE and 2+2+2
Our Second Feature on 2+2+2 Hi-Res Multichannel Technology on SACDs
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. RAVEL); Night on the Bare Mountain (orch. RIMSKY-KORSAKOV); Thwe Sorochinsky Fair: Introduction (orch. LIADOV); Khovantschina: Prelude; Dance – Russian National Orchestra/Carlo Ponti – PentaTone
The repertory on this splendidly-mounted SACD is all-too-familiar, no matter the brilliant execution.
SCHUMANN: Frauenliebe und –leben, Op. 42; 4 Lieder from Goethe’s Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre; BRAHMS: 8 Songs, Op. 57; DEBUSSY: Fantoches; HANDEL: Angels, ever bright and fair – Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo-sop./ Julius Drake, p. – Wigmore Hall Live
Another Lieberson wonder from Wigmore Hall
Scene d’amore = TCHAIKOVSKY: Puskay pogibnu ya (Eugene Onegin); BIZET: Je dis, que rien ne m’epouvante (Carmen); GOUNOD: Je voudrais bien savoir (Faust); PUCCINI: 2 arias; VERDI: 2 arias – Soile Isokoski, sop. – Ondine
The Tchaikovsky and Gounod pieces probably fare the best, Puccini suffering the worst.
HAYDN: The Complete Piano Sonatas – Jeno Jando, piano – Naxos 8.501042 (10 CDs)
Jeno Jando plays the Haydn keyboard sonatas with dynamic energy and a refined sense of drama while artfully probing their mysteries.
HAYDN: Symphonies, Piano Concertos, Violin Concertos, Organ Concertos, Horn Concertos, Cello Concertos, Lira Concertos, Masses, The Seasons, The Creation, The Seven Last Words, Violin Sonatas, Piano Sonatas, more… Brilliant Classics – 150-CD boxed set
Not totally complete as advertised in some places, but still a whopping lot of Haydn.
BEETHOVEN: Overtures = The Ruins Of Athens, Op.113; Coriolan, Op.62; Leonore, No.1, Op.138; The Creatures Of Prometheus, Op.43; Egmont; Leonore, No.3; Fidelio – Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis – Stereo-only SACD Sony/TEAC
TEAC/Esoteric has released a number of specially remastered stereo SACDs, and what an excellent job has been done.
Audio News for January 2, 2009
Consumer Electronics Show Opens Tuesday; SRS Labs’ TruVolume; Jazz Legend Freddie Hubbard Dies
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21; Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11 – Lang Lang, piano/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Zubin Mehta – DGG
Lang Lang’s own model in these concertos is Artur Rubinstein; and the young pianist tries hard to evoke the same resonance and fluid transition of musical periods.
A Trio of Piano Syncopation Delights
A United Nations of light and jazzy piano music from the 20s thru the 40s, on 3 CDs
Anthony Collins Conducts British Music – Works of SULLIVAN, GARDINER, VAUGHAH WILLIAMS & DELIUS – Beulah ELGAR: Falstaff; Intro & Allegro; Serenade for Strings – LSO/Collins – Beulah
A new release of British music and an allied one going out of print.
Best of the Year Discs for 2008
CLASSICAL, incl. Hi-Res & Reissues JOHN ADAMS: A Flowering Tree – Soloists/Schola Contorum Caracas/ London Symphony Orchestra/ John Adams – Nonesuch 327100, (2 CDs) “Air” – Music of DEBUSSY & TAKEMITSU for Harp, Flute, and Strings – Telarc CD-80694 ALKAN & CHOPIN: Cello Sonatas – Gerhardt and Osborne – Hyperion CDA67624 An American Journey = GERSHWIN: Porgy and Bess Fantasy; O’CONNOR: Trio No. 1; BERNSTEIN: West Side Story Suite – Eroica Trio – EMI 07351 Martha Argerich – Music for Two Pianos by TCHAIKOVSKY, RACHMANINOFF, BRAHMS, PROKOFIEV & LUTOSLAWSKI – with guest pianists – EMI Classics (2 CDs) J.S. BACH: Cembalo Concertos = BWV 1052 in D minor; BWV 1053 in E Major; BWV 1056 in F minor; BWV 1054 in D Major – Francesco Cera, harpsichord/I Barocchisti/ Diego Fasolis – Arts SACD 47729-8 J. S. BACH: Goldberg Variations – Winfried Bönig, organ – Motette SACD MOT 13494 BEETHOVEN: Symphonies No. 5 and 6 – Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra-Sopot/Wojciech Rajski – Tacet SACD S-164 Beethoven: Sonatas, Vol. 5: Garrick Ohlsson, piano – Bridge 9250 YORK BOWEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in G minor (Fantasia); Piano Concerto No. 4 in A minor – Danny Driver, p. / BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra […]
BRUNO WALTER: Symphony in D minor – NDR Sinfonieorchester / Leon Botstein – CPO
This is no clone of a Mahler work, though there are passing hints; nor is this work a chimera of Richard Strauss, Alexander Zemlinsky and Max Reger.
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37; Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 – Clara Haskil, piano/Boston Symhony Orchestra/ Charles Munch (Op. 37)/Studio-Orchester Beromuenster/Erich Schmid – Tahra
Haskil provides clean, articulate filigree and a warmth of palette that make any Beethoven encounter with her an avid, connoisseur’s experience.
RAUTAVAARA: Complete Works for Male Choir – YL Male Voice Choir/ Mati Hyokki, conductor/ Talla Vocal Ensemble/ Pasi Hyokki, conductor – Ondine
It would be a mistake to bypass it, for this is not just choral music, but choral music by a Finnish composer, and the male choir is one of the most popular examples of the genre—the Finns love it.
Event Horizon, Blu-ray (1997/2008)
Not a Star Trek type of sci-fi film, more of a Hellraiser in space.
Editorial for January 2009
Welcome to Adobe GoLive 6 Our January drawing/giveaway is for the first two acclaimed SACDs using the amazing Zenph Studios technology: Glenn Gould playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations in 1955 and Art Tatum’s Live at the Shrine concert of 1949. See our reviews of the Gould here, and the Tatum here. Also a feature on Zenph here. Both discs contain multichannel performances newly recorded in DSD on a nine-foot concert grand, plus stereo SACD and stereo CD layers, plus separate binaural pickups which with headphones put your head exactly where Gould’s and Tatum’s heads were as they were performing! Ten lucky AUDIOPHILE AUDITION readers will be sent both SACDs in early February, drawn from those who register on the site this month. And when you register, let us know of your specific interest in the Zenph SACDs. Here are the two AUDIOPHILE AUDITION readers whose names were drawn and will be shipped the Brilliant Classics Haydn Set of 150 CDs, encompassing his most famous works. Congratulations to both! Barry T. Bassis, New York City; Anthony Salzano, Trinity, FL Register Here for the Current Drawing General Editorial AUDIOPHILE AUDITION began in 1985 as a weekly national radio […]
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