Monthly Archive: February 2010
Pyrotechnics = VIVALDI: Opera Arias – Vivica Genaux, mezzo-soprano/ Europa Galante/ Fabio Biondi, violin and conductor – Virgin Classics
You’ll break out in a sweat before this one is over…
Audiens = Works of WHITACRE, DYRUD, CHRISTOPHERSEN, LAURIDSEN, REHNQVIST – Schola Cantorum/Nordic Voices/Tone Bianca Dahl – 2L
Choral lovers and all others will need to acquire this spectacularly recorded disc.
Amelia, Blu-ray (2009)
Great cinematography and good acting, but the story of Earhart’s unfortunately brief career falls a bit flat.
New York, I Love You, Blu-ray (2009)
Ten love stories (using a wide range definition of that), mostly related to the diversity and unusual relationships that New York City is known for.
Buddy Merriam – Back Roads Mandolin – Lily Pad Records
All original bluegrass instrumentals that favor substance over flash.
Fabien Sevitzky, Vol. 2 = GLAZUNOV: Suite “From the Middle Ages,”; TCHAIKOVSKY: Waltz from Evgeny Onegin; Symphony No. 1 in G Minor “Winter Reveries” – Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra/Fabien Sevitzky – Historic-Recordings
The second installment from Britain’s Historic-Recordings devoted to Fabien Sevitzky is recommended as some of the best Tchaikovsky you will hear this year.
Mike Marshall’s Big Trio – Adventure Music
Virtuosic contemporary acoustic music from one pro and two prodigies.
Eva Scow & Dusty Brough – Sharon By The Sea – Adventure Music
Brazilian-flavored acoustic jazz by an up-and-coming young virtuoso.
* SCHOENBERG: Gurrelieder – Stig Andersen/ Soile Isokoski / Monica Groop/ Ralf Lukas / Andreas Conrad/ Barbara Sukowa/ Philharmonia Voices/ City of Birmingham Sym. Chorus/ Philharmonia Orch./Esa-Pekka Salonen – Signum (2 discs)
********* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ********
Best-ever Gurrelieder? If it’s not, it’s close!
BRAHMS: Complete Organ Works – Haig Mardirosian, organ – Centaur
Brahms’s organ music is quite unlike anything else he wrote.
BEETHOVEN: The Complete Piano Sonatas – Paul Lewis, piano – (Gramophone Record of the Year for 2008) – Harmonia mundi box (10 CDs)
A superlative set of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas, worthy of the accolades it has received.
Issay Dobrowen, Vol. I = TCHAIKOVSKY: Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48; Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36; LIADOV: Berceuse – Philharmonia Orchestra/Issay Dobrowen – Historical-Recordings
For collectors of the great Russian conducting tradition, the name of Issay Dobrowen (1891-1953) carries special weight.
Sherman Irby Quartet – Live at the Otto Club – Black Warrior Records
The joyous sound of Sherman Irby.
Ralph Lalama Quartet – The Audience – Mighty Quinn
A musical product of true veterans.
Istanbul: Dimitrie Cantemir, “The Book of the Science of Music” and the Sephardic and Armenian musical traditions – Hesperion XXI/ Jordi Savall, director – AliaVox
Savall finally hits downtown Istanbul at its Ottoman peak.
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Mariss Jansons – RCO Live
Sterling Mussorgsky from Amsterdam, but couldn’t there have been more?
MAHLER: Symphony No. 9 – Bamberger Symphony/ Jonathan Nott – Tudor
I cannot praise this recording highly enough. It presents the majesty of the Mahler 9th with near perfection.
BRUCH: Kol Nidrei for Violin and Orchestra; Romance for viola and Orchestra; Overture to “Scherz, List, und Rache”; Serenade on Swedish Folk Melodies; Violin Concerto No. 1 – Alexandre da Costa, v./Orch. Sym. Bienne/Thomas Roesner – Guild
Bruch’s lyrical gifts are undeniable, and this disc presents us several aspects of his effusive personality.
Audio News for February 2, 2010
2010 Grammy Award Winners of major interest to our readers
Editorial for February 2010
Welcome to Adobe GoLive 6 Our February 2010 drawing/giveaway is for two sets of the 8-DVD Jazz Icons Series 4 – the latest in the series of amazing European TV performances by leading U.S. jazz artists and bands in the 1960s. The stations were all government-owned and didn’t have the commercial constraints of U.S. stations (who didn’t present any jazz for decades). The videos are B&W and mono but of excellent quality since the stations were adept at recording live music; films and kinescopes were filed away after telecast rather than being discarded or erased as in the U.S. Europeans were crazy about jazz and there was little race prejudice. To be considered for receiving one of the two Jazz Icons sets, you must Go Here to Register. Remember: we need your address in order to ship. The two winners of the Roku HD-XR Players, our January drawing-giveaway, have now been selected. The versatile digital multimedia receivers will be shipped to: Fred Dietzel, Lebanon, PA; and Scott Higgins, Bloomington, IN. Congrats to both! Guest Editorial – Leave it in or take it out? A restorer’s question by Andrew Rose, Pristine Audio, St. Méard de Gurçon, France Earlier this week […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
