Monthly Archive: June 2009
TCHAIKOVSKY: The Sleeping Beauty Ballet, Op. 66; The Nutcracker: Suite No. 1, Op. 71a; Suite No. 2 (arr. Fistoulari) – Paris Conservatory Orchestra/Anatole Fistoulari – Opus Kura
The Sleeping Beauty’s pageantry and delicate scoring obviously appeal to Fistoulari.
CHOPIN: 21 Mazurkas – Vassily Primakov, piano – Bridge
Primakov performs them with a sensitivity that pays tribute to these heartfelt dances that sprang from Chopin’s Polish heritage, while capturing the elements that point toward the twentieth century.
Pat Metheny, baritone guitar – One Quiet Night – Metheny Group Productions/Nonesuch
Basically a homemade undertaking. One Quiet Night is an admirable representation of when an artist trusts his inner voice and lets the creative spirit loose.
SERGEY PROKOFIEV – The 5 Piano Concertos: No. 1 in D Flat Major; No. 2, Op. 16 in G minor; No. 3 in C Major; No. 4 in B Flat Major; No. 5 in G Major – Boris Berman, piano/ Horacio Gutiérrez, piano/Royal Concertgebouw /Neeme Jarvi – Chandos (2 CDs)
A fine mid-price collection of all the Prokofiev piano concertos.
PIETRO DOMENICO PARADIES: 7 Sonatas for Harpsichord, 1754 – Filippo Emanuele Ravizza, harpsichord – Music Media Concerto
Delightful Neopolitan harpsichord sonatas influed by Domenico Scarlatti
“Seduction” – Songs by RICHARD STRAUSS: Steve Davislim, Tenor/ State Orchestra of Victoria/ Simone Young, cond. – Melba Recordings
Richard Strauss’ mastery of the orchestra and voice are thrillingly revealed.
FRANZ SCHMIDT: Symphony No. 1 in E Major; Orchestral Excerpts from Notre Dame, Op. 2 – Malmö Symphony Orchestra/ Vassily Sinaisky – Naxos
The first of Schmidt’s four symphonies is on a grand scale and influenced by Bruckner, Brahms and Reger.
The 1956 Red Garland Trio – Essential Jazz Classics Art Tatum & Ben Webster – The Album (1956) – Essential Jazz Classics
Two Essential Jazz Classics of note
Sharon Isbin, guitar – Journey to the New World – (with Joan Baez and Mark O’Connor) Sony Classical
The sounds of both instruments are beautifully captured on the recording, and the cardboard jewel-box alternative packaging is well-designed.
Kobie Watkins – Involved – Origin Records
Heavily involved – a fine debut for Watkins.
Lost: Complete Second Season, 7 Blu-ray discs (2009)
I could never have imagined the twisted turnings that unfurled in Season 2.
Jim Rotondi – Blues for Brother Ray – Posi-Tone
A rather special addition to the Ray Charles tributes.
Yevgeny Mravinsky in Moscow in 1959 = SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 “Unfinished”; TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36 – Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra/Yevgeny Mravinsky – Praga Digitals stereo-only SACD
Mravinsky remains a romantic interpreter, albeit one committed to an objective, icy delineation of all musical particulars.
Lost: Complete First Season, 7 Blu-ray discs (2009)
Intending to only skim through all seven discs, our weekend quickly turned into a Lost marathon!
BOHUSLAV MARTINU: Piano Quintet Nos. 2 H.298; Piano Quintet No. 1 H.229; Piano Quartet H.287 – Ivan Klansky, piano & Kocian Quartet – Praga Digitals
This is the first time all three of these Martinu chamber works have been collected on a single disc.
Audio News for June 16, 2009
New Hassles of the DTV Switchover; Retrial for Only File-Sharing Defendant Who Had a Trial; HDtracks’ Free CD-Quality Seven-Tune Download
Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um – Columbia/Legacy
The Legacy reissue pairs this bold 1959 album with another from the same session: Mingus Dynasty.
VERDI: Messa da Requiem (2009)
This spectacular benefit concert which took place in the basilica of St. Mark’s in Venice.
Jerry Bergonzi – Simply Put – Savant
Bergonzi is a master musician with clarity, subtlety, and precision.
Emerson String Quartet: Intimate Letters = JANACEK: String Quartet No. 1 “The Kreutzer Sonata”; MARTINU: Three Madrigals for Violin and Viola; JANACEK: String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters” – Emerson String Quartet — DGG
The two Janacek Quartets bring to posterity music the Emerson ensemble has championed for twenty-five years.
Rachmaninoff in Re-performance – Live at Zenph Studios
Zenph Re-Performance on the Steinway Model D SE Concert Grand Piano with reproducing system implementation by Richard Shepherd, Middlesbrough UK, in association with Live Performance, Inc. Piano restoration by Faust Harrison Pianos, New York
The Russian Piano Tradition: Lev Oborin = BEETHOVEN: Ecossaises; Sonata in A Major; CHOPIN: 3 Etudes, Op. 25; Mazurka in G, Op. 50, No. 1; Sonata No. 3 in B Minor; LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp Minor; TCHAIKOVSKY: The Months (excerpt) – APR
Among the most versatile, catholic, and consistent of performing keyboard artists, Lev Oborin (1907-1974) was the complete musician.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
