Monthly Archive: February 2010
“Luminosa Buenos Aires” – PIAZZOLLA: Las Cuatro Estaciones Portenas; Double Concerto “Hommage a Liege”; PUJOL: Double Concerto “Luminosa Buenos Aires” – Giampaolo Bandini, guitar/Cesare Chiacchiaretta, bandoneon/I Musici di Parma – Concerto
There is a strong Italian influence in tango music, and these Italian musicians are perfect in this live performance recording.
MAHLER/REINECKE/GRIEG: Their 1905-1906 Welte Mignon Interpretations of works by themselves and MOZART, CHOPIN, BEETHOVEN & SCHUBERT – Tacet
Mahler played several of his works at the keyboard in Leipzig on 9 November 1905, of which the extended piano transcription of his Fifth Symphony proves both febrile and fascinating.
Symphonies from the 18th Century Court of Orange in The Hague = by FRANCESCO ZAPPA; FRIEDRICH SCHWINDL, CARL STAMITZ, MOZART – Soloists/New Dutch Academy Orch./Simon Murphy – PentaTone
These composers are said to balance visionary 18th century enlightened elegance with the raw energy of being the “rock ‘n roll” of its day!
“21st Century Romantic" – Jackson Berkey, Steinway & harpsichord = Rainydark & Firelight; Time Twisters; Vivaldi’s Winter; 24 Nocturnes; Suite for Two Pianos; Playin’ in the Buff; JJ’s Toy Box; BEETHOVEN: Sonata in E Major – Soli Deo Glo
The two two-piano suites on the second disc are a delight.
KAIJA SAARIAHO: L’Amour de loin – Daniel Belcher (Jaufre Rudel)/ Ekaterina Lekhina (Clemence)/ Marie-Ange Todorvitvh (Le Pelerin)/ Berlin Radio Choir/ German Symphony Orchestra Berlin/ Kent Nagano – Harmonia mundi (2 discs)
A masterpiece? Not sure, but it is certainly close.
JOSEPH HOLBROOKE – Symphonic Poems: Amontillado; The Viking; Three Blind Mice; Ulalume – Brandenburg State Orchestra of Frankfurt/ Howard Griffiths – CPO
The music of Holbrooke was heavily influenced by Wagner and Liszt, and the latter’s many tone poems became the Englishman’s preferred musical form.
“The Birth and Rise of the Recording Industry in Canada – from Berliner to RCA Victor” – 28 examples, from a 1903 recorded ad for Berliner Gramophone to a 1959 “45” of Yakety Yak – Gala Records
The story of the recording industry in Canada, focusing on Emile Berliner and his family members there.
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG: 5 Orchesterstucke Op. 16; 6 lieder Op. 8; Notturno (1896)/ J. S. BACH (arr. by Arnold Schoenberg 1929) Prelude and Fugue BWV 552 – Manuela Uhl, soprano/ Beethoven Orchester Bonn/ Stefan Blunier – MD&G
The results of the arrangement are Bach-Schoenberg. This is dramatic music, Bach with adrenaline.
Chris Greene Quartet – Merge – Single Malt
The Chris Greene Quartet delivers good-natured music that should appeal to listeners who gravitate toward contemporary sounds and appreciate a solid groove alongside fluid jazz improvisation.
HOFMANN: Cello Concerto in D Major; HAYDN: Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major; MOZART: Concerto in D for Cello and Orchestra, K. 314 (arr. Flute Concerto) – Sol Gabetta, cello/ Kammerorchester Basel/Sergio Ciomei – RCA
Argentine cello virtuoso Sol Gabetta extends her already phenomenal reputation with this latest inscription, which includes a musical rarity or two.
Bolivian Baroque: Music from the Missions and La Plata, Vol. 3 – James Johnstone, organ/ Florilegium/ Arakaendar Bolivia Choir/ Ashley Solomon, director – Channel Classics
Volume 3 brings more delights as the Bolivian underbrush is again mined for music.
MISCHA SPOLIANSKY – Film Music: Voice in the Night; The Happiest Days of your Life; The Man who could work Miracles; The Ghost Goes West; King Solomon’s Mines; North West Frontier; Dedication – Roderick Elms, p./ BBC Concert Orch./Rumon Gamba – Chandos
Spoliansky wrote quality music written for the silver screen, and this release is very highly recommended.
Stargate SGU Universe 1.0, 3-Disc set (2010)
Only the first ten of the 20 episodes of Season One of this series.
Dave Sharp's Secret Seven – 7 – Vortex
The Secret Seven deliver a jazz-funk party that emphasizes entertainment and good vibes.
ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD: String Quartets 1-3; Piano Quintet Op. 15 – Aron Quartet/ Henri Sigfridsson, piano – CPO
The Viennese-based Aron Quartet play these great quartets from a modern perspective without losing their romantic passion.
Arturo Toscanini Anthology 1 = BRAHMS: Hungarian Dances; THOMAS: Mignon Overture; CATALANI: La Wally Prelude, Act IV; Loreley: Dance of the Water Nymphs; DONIZETTI: Don Pasquale Ov.; PONCHIELI: La Gioconda: Dance of the Hours – with NBC Sym. – Opus Kura
Lighter selections from the vast Toscanini repertoire grace this sweetly restored album, a compendium of brisk materials chosen for the virtuosity of their encore capacities.
Angels & Demons – 2 Blu-rays + Digital Copy (2009)
While he’s no Indiana Jones, Tom Hanks nevertheless delivers yet another top-notch acting performance.
Audio News for February 16, 2010
Samsung Begins Mass Production of 3D TVs; D-Link Honored at 2010 Consumer Electronics Show; EMI Loses Major Copyright Case; HDMI v. 1.4 for 3D-enabled Devices; Wall Street Journal Piece on Audiophiles
BALBASTRE Music for Harpsichord = Pieces de clavecin, Book I, Livre contenant des pieces (excerpts); La d’Esclignac; Prelude; Marche des Marseillois et l’air Ca-ira; RAMEAU (Arr. Balbastre): Pygmalion (excerpts) – Elizabeth Farr – Naxos
Balbastre was one of the most celebrated keyboardists and composers of the French regime, and he survived the French Revolution.
HAYDN: The Complete String Quartets Vol. 6 of 14 – Op. 33 Nos.1 – 6 – Auryn String Quartet – single Tacet DVD-A
The Auryn String Quartet provides a fine recording of the seminal Haydn Op.33 complete quartets on a single high-resolution DVD-A.
Benjamin Grosvenor = “This & That” – Piano music by Kapustin, Scarlatti, Albeniz, Moszkowski, Chopin, Brahms, Strauss, Gershwin [www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk] BENJAMIN GROSVENOR = Ben at 10: Piano Classics – Shellwood SWCD31 [www.shellwood.co.uk]
The young Ben at eleven, was the winner of the piano final in the 2004 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition.
Bidu Sayao, Vol. 2: Rare Live Radio Performances = Sel. of PERGOLESI, VERDI, BIZET, MASSENET PONCE, MARTINI, FAURE, GRIEG, SCORAK, SCOTT, YOUNG, NILES, COWARD, etc. – Cembal d'amour
Sayao’s vocal instrument exhibited a clarity, power, and nuanced control rare in the annals of singing.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
