Monthly Archive: September 2009
Svetlanov Conducts = RACHMANINOV: The Isle of the Dead; Two Etudes-Tableaux (orch. RESPIGHI); MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. RAVEL) – BBC Symphony Orchestra/Evgeny Svetlanov – BBC Legends
The Svetlanov intensity bears down on Mussorgsky’s long-familiar Pictures at an Exhibition, here played in a most virtuoso style.
The Swingle Singers Boxed Set – “A Cappella Amadeus;” “Bach Hits Back;” “1812;” “Around the World” – The Swingle Singers 4-CD Set, (1: 52:23; 2: 53:25; 3: 50:24; 4: 61:51) – EMI/Virgin Classics
This collection of four of their albums, rounded out with some additional tracks that didn’t fit on the original LPs, is a tribute to the truly innovative approach of the group.
BRAHMS: Trio for Piano, Clarinet, and Cello in A Minor, Op. 114; Trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello in A Major, Op. posth. – ABEGG Trio (Ulrich Beetz, violin/Birgit Erichson, cello/Gerritt Zitterbart, piano/Martin Spangenberg, clarinet) – Tacet
These two Brahms works embrace the early and late styles of the German master.
John Stowell – “Solitary Tales” – Origin Records
That Stowell has never stopped growing is amply apparent on this latest release.
Martha Argerich, Live at Verbier Festival (2009)
No previous disc recording of the Grieg Cello Sonata has affected me as much as this glorious performance of Maisky and Argerich.
Audio News for September 29, 2009
Pianist Alicia de Larrocha Dies; Mercury Living Presence Pioneer Dies; Free HDTV Streaming of Restored Wizard of Oz
Joe Henry – Blood from Stars – Anti-
This year’s best blues album that isn’t a blues record and the finest jazz record that isn’t a jazz album.
The Art of Campoli III = SIR ARTHUR BLISS: Violin Concerto; Theme and Cadenza; works by Bazzini, Debussy, Hubay, Hummel, Paganini/Kreisler – Alfredo Campoli, violin / Eric Gritton, piano / London Sym. Orch. /Sir Arthur Bliss – Beulah
Like Elgar’s, the Bliss Concerto is a substantial work and a very rewarding one for players and listeners and surely deserves more performances.
ALFREDO CAMPOLI & PETER KATIN = Mozart Violin Sonata in A major K526; Beethoven Violin Sonata in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2; Brahms Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 – Alfredo Campoli, violin / Peter Katin, piano – Orchestral Concert (3)
Previously unissued recordings of violinist Campoli playing chamber music with Peter Katin.
CHOPIN: 24 Etudes, Op. 10 & Op. 25; Mazurka in A Minor, Op. 59, No. 1; Mazurka in A-flat Major, Op. 59, No. 2; Mazurka in F-sharp Minor, Op. 59, No. 3 – Paul Badura-Skoda, piano – Music & Arts
Badura-Skoda was a pupil of Edwin Fischer and the Vienna Conservatory, and included Chopin in his catholic repertory.
The Ultimate Campoli = MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto in E minor; BRUCH: Scottish Fantasy; SAINT-SAENS: Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso – with London Philharmonic Orch. / Sir Adrian Boult; London Sym. Orch. / Anatole Fistoulari – Beulah
These are superb performances, virtuoso and musical.
PHILLIP GLASS: In The Upper Room – Michael Reisman, cond. – Orange Mountain
While he may have sprung from the New York avantgarde music scene in the 60s, there is nothing remotely “difficult” about his work. It’s both highly accessible and powerfully hypnotic.
John Zorn – Music Romance Vol. 1: Music for Children – Tzadik
Often beautiful but just as often jarring, Music for Children is a very strange album to classify.
A Dozen Piano Concerto Discs
NAPRAVNIK, BLUMENFELD, DELIUS, IRELAND, MELCER, LAMBERT, SEROCKI, BAIRD, GLASS, ANTHEIL, MILHAUD, HARTY, EL-KHOURY, ALWYN, KILAR
Stokowski = TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 in E Minor; Solitude; Humoresque, Op. 10, No. 2; CHOPIN: Prelude in E Minor; Prelude in D Minor; HANDEL: Pastorale from The Messiah; IPPOLITOV-IVANOV: In a Manger; STRAUSS Waltzes – Pristine Audio
Pristine issues what would have likely constituted the Leopold Stokowski Society’s final album for Cala Records.
Ghost Cat (2003/2009)
For the squeamish I can reveal that nobody gets killed in the making of this movie.
Lawrence Hobgood – “When the Heart Dances” NAIM
This latest addition to the Hobgood catalogue is a mostly down-tempo affair consisting of a nice balance of standards and originals.
Oumou Sangare – Seya – Nonesuch
Sangare is the foremost proponent of a style of music from Mali known as Wassoulou.
Monterey Jazz Festival – 52nd Edition – Sept. 18-20, 2009
The beginning of the changing of the guard.
Audio News for September 25, 2009
LAST Factory for Sale; Panasonic Micro System Gets European Award; Toshiba Media Controller for Their Laptops; Wi-Fi and Powerline Merger
STRAVINSKY: Oedipus Rex – Peter Pears, tenor/Martha Modl, mezzo-soprano/Heinz Rehfuss, bass-baritone/Otto von Rohr, bass/Helmut Krebs, counter-tenor/ Jean Cocteau, narrator/Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Igor Stravinsky – Historic-Recordings
Stravinsky composed the piece in Latin, seeking to create an austerity of tone in a language “not dead but monumentalized.”
MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 2 in B flat Major “Lobgesang” – Soloists/ Bergen Philharmonic Choir/ Bergen Vocal Ensemble/ Danish National Vocal Ensemble/ Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra/ Andrew Litton – BIS
Andrew Litton does a splendid job in uniting all of the disparate forces in this huge work.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
