Monthly Archive: February 2010
GUILLAUME CONNESSON: Cosmic Trilogy = Aleph; Une lueur dans l’age sombre; Supernova; The Shining One (Piano Concerto) – Eric Le Sage, p. (Shining One)/ Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Stéphane Deneve – Chandos
This SACD will bear many repeat hearings to mine the imaginative blend of musical strands woven into these works.
Kenny Dorham – The Flamboyan, Queens, NY, 1963 – Uptown
Beyond special.
The Godfather, Blu-ray (1972/2010) The Godfather, Part II, Blu-ray (1974/2010)
First time the Blu-rays are available separately, but without the bonus features.
Aperion Home Audio Link (HAL) System
Excellent for powering a small audio system with decent speakers across your office from your computer at your desk, free from intervening wires.
Sherwood Newcastle R-972 Surround AV Receiver
A receiver that can fix speaker-matching problems, poor room layout and improper listening positions, but may have reliability issues.
Audio News for February 9, 2010
Commercials on Fast Forward?; Apple to Manage Home Electronics’ Energy Use; Explosion of Open-Source Applications; Las Vegas CES No Longer Features Mainstream Home Audio
David Grier – Evocative – Dreadnought
An acoustic guitar giant goes electric in this soulful collection of original instrumental tunes.
Antonio Ciacca Quintet with Steve Grossman – Lagos Blues – Motéma
Lagos Blues is a project for any listeners on the outlook for some traditional jazz refreshment.
Mario Adnet & Philippe Baden Powell – Afrosambajazz: The Music of Baden Powell – Adventure Music
A refreshing and energetic new look at one of Brazil’s greatest musicians.
HAYDN: Piano Sonata No. 56 in D Major; Piano Sonata No. 50 in D Major; Piano Sonata No. 32 in G Minor; Piano Sonata No. 33 in C Minor – Andrew Rangell, piano – Bridge
Inspired performances by a pianist most likely bearing the digital and intellectual mantle of Glenn Gould.
A Serious Man, Blu-ray (2010)
The Oscar-winning Coen Brothers have come up with another winner here, just as good as The Big Lebowski and Fargo.
David Sanborn – Only Everything (with Joey Defrancesco, Steve Gadd, James Taylor, Joss Stone) – Decca
This album should be heard by all the pure jazz aficionados who feel Sanborn is too pop and commercial; he swings mightily herewith.
Carlo Maria Giulini = MUSSORGSKY: Prelude from Khovantschina; TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto in D Major; DVORAK: Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70 – Kyung Wha Chung, violin/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Carlo Maria Giulini – Testament (2)
A real treasure unearthed for admirers of Carlo Maria Giulini and the Berlin Philharmonic: a convergence of genial spirits of the highest order and a serene reminder of what record-collecting can be all about.
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491; Rondo in A Major, K. 386; Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503; Appendix to Piano Concerto No. 24: Cadenza to Movement One (Hummel) – Valerie Tryon, piano/London Symphony Orchestra/Robert Trory – APR
These two familiar Mozart concertos benefit from the meticulous applications of pianist Valerie Tryon.
“The Power of the Orchestra” = MOUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition; A Night on Bare Mountain – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/René Leibowitz – Sony Music/Analog Production
While both conductors amp up the dramatic elements of the work, Reiner’s just sounds more musical, and it benefits from three-channel reproduction.
BEETHOVEN: The Complete String Quartets – Borodin Quartet – Chandos box (8 CDs)
An exemplary recording celebrating a singular musical collective performing some of the finest quartet music ever written.
Samuel Blaser Quartet – Pieces of Old Sky – Clean Feed
Music exploring an ambient/free jazz terrain that has a depth of vision and clarity revealing musical maturity beyond Blaser’s nearly three decades of life.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 3 – Norma Procter, contralto/Ambrosian Singers/Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir/ London Sym. Orch./ Jascha Horenstein MAHLER: Symphony No. 7 – Royal Concertgebouw/ Orch., Amersterdam/ Bernard Haitink – – both HDTT 96/24 DVD-Rs
This time both the DVD-R and the vinyl original had similar qualities of “air” around the instruments.
Conductor Fritz Lehmann = DVORAK: Serenade for Strings in E Major; KODALY: Hary Janos Suite; BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 2 in D Major Orch. des Deutsches Operhauses/Grosses Radio-Sinfonieorchester, Brussels – Historical-Recordings
A welcome addition to the Lehmann legacy–distinguished music-making at every bar!
Audio News for February 5, 2010
Blu-ray Players Under $300; Panasonic 3D Professional Camera; Blu-ray Penetration; Blu-ray Disc Association Welcomes the 3D Age; 3D Glasses Format War
Felix Weingartner = WEBER: Overture to Der Freischuetz; Invitation to the Dance; SCHUBERT: Rosamunde: Entr’acte No. 3 in B-flat Major; WEINGARTNER: The Tempest: Scherzettino; MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 3 – Basle Sym./Royal Philharmonic – Pristine Audio
Conductor Felix Weingartner belonged to a literalist tradition in German music-making not far removed from the style of Arturo Toscanini.
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Liederkreis, Op. 39; Maria Stuart, Op. 135; Ruckert Lieder; 6 Lieder from Myrthen, Op. 25 – Bernarda Fink, mezzo-soprano/ Anthony Spiri, piano – Harmonia mundi
More super Schumann from a quality source.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
