Monthly Archive: October 2009
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – ¡Bien Bien! – Patois Records
For Latin jazz newcomers, Patois has been kind enough to indicate on the song titles the genre of Latin jazz being covered.
STRAVINSKY: Jeu de Cartes; Symphony in 3 Movements – Boston Symphony Orchestra/Charles Munch (Jeu)/London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Eugene Goossens – HDTT
Two Stravinsky scores in neo-Classic style and two conductors of irrepressible power.
MOZART: Divertimento No. 15 in B-flat Major, K. 287; STRAVINSKY: Le Sacre du Printemps – Berlin Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan – Testament
In concert, Karajan addresses two scores of opposed emotional polarity and density, with equal virtuosity.
TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture; “Moscow Cantata”; Marche Slave; Festival Coronation March; Festival Overture on the Danish Nat. Anthem – Lyubov Sokolova, sop./ Alexy Markov, baritone/ Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre/ Valery Gergiev – Mariinsky
Great concept but with flawed sound.
HOLST: The Planets; BRITTEN: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34 – Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Jarvi, conductor – Telarc
An acceptable Planets with a nondescript Britten.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Blu-ray (1939/2009)
Holder of many motion pictures firsts, Snow White remains after 70 years probably the best all-around animation feature ever made.
Sonny Rollins with Thelonious Monk & Kenny Dorham – Moving Out – Prestige
Rollins is always in control.
Thelonious Monk with Sonny Rollins & Frank Foster – Monk – Prestige
Two quintets, same great sound.
BENEDICT & MACFARREN: Piano Concertos – Howard Shelley, piano/ Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra/ Shelley – Hyperion
Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series continues with three obscure works that awaken our interest.
Red Garland & John Coltrane – Dig It! – Prestige
Van Gelder makes his presence felt.
Audio News for October 9, 2009
Innovative New Speaker Technology; Second Blu-ray Conference Focuses on Platform Opportunities; External Blu-ray Optical Drive for PCs; California to Set Energy Efficiency Standards for TVs; Cisco Acquires Pure Digital
Otto Klemperer = BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 “Eroica”; Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201 – Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (Beethoven)/Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Otto Klemperer – Medici Masters
Klemperer loves to slow down contrapuntal passages so as to savor the strict entries and harmonic foci of the layered melodic lines.
Kurt Sanderling = R. STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40; SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 “Unfinished” – Barry Griffith, violin solo/BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra/Kurt Sanderling – BBC Legends
Sanderling’s immense experience with the Kharkov Philharmonic, Leningrad Philharmonic, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, allows him elegant interpretative freedom in large canvases like Ein Heldenleben, the ultimate in ego-musik.
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 – Polish Chamber Philharmonic/ Wojciech Rajski – Tacet
The Polish Chamber Philharmonic plays Beethoven with rustic abandon in high resolution very-surrounding DVD-A sound.
Rick Wakeman’s The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Blu-ray (2009)
A spectacular concert in concept and images; not so spectacular musically.
George Colligan Trio – Come Together – Sunnyside
While fundamentally an acoustic jazz piano trio excursion, there are a lot of elements incorporated – from fusion to funky flickerings, from bebop to blues, and polytonality to classical components.
* GRIEG: Piano Concerto in A minor; Violin Sonata No. 3; Wedding Day at Troldhaugen; Album Leafs Op. 28 Nos. 1 & 2; Erotikon, To Spring – Percy Grainger piano roll/Kristiansand Symphony orchestra/Rolf Gupta; Bjorå/Rex – 2L music-only Blu-ray + hybrid SACD
******* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH **********
Percy Grainger is the soloist from a 1921 piano roll, the piano solo selections are Grieg’s own 1906 piano rolls, and the orchestra is recorded surrounding the listener.
PROKOFIEV: Symphonic Suite from War and Peace (arr. C. Palmer), Op. 91; Suite from The Duenna, Op. 123; Russian Overture, Op. 72 – Philharmonia Orchestra/Neeme Jarvi – Chandos
This fine reissue celebrates one of the composer’s most cherished scores, his 1941 operatic setting of Leo Tolstoy’s massive novel.
MORTON FELDMAN and EDGAR VARÈSE: Piano works = Piece for four pianos; Five Pianos; Amériques (version for 2 pianos) – Helena Bugallo, Amy Williams, Amy Briggs, Benjamin Engeli, and Stefan Wirth, pianos – Wergo
An odd pairing, but it works; an amazing version of Varese’s Ameriques.
Danza = Medieval Dances – Millenarium – Ricercar
A fine collection for those who like early music but prefer it instrumental rather than vocal.
Back to Back Live – Mr. B. & Bob Seeley, two pianos (2009)
A very thorough experience of the art of Boogie Woogie piano playing.
4 Elements – 4 Seasons (2009)
The idea was to juxtapose two almost contemporaneous yet quite different works in a concert including choreography.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
