Monthly Archive: May 2010
The Welte Mignon Mystery Vol. XVI, Josef Lhevinne: His 1906/1911 European Interpretations = Sel. of CHOPIN, MENDELSSOHN GODARD, SCRIABIN, SCHUMANN, LISZT, CLUCK, RUBENSTEIN, CZERNY, WEBER, others – Tacet
Josef Lhevinne barely now enjoys the immense repute he once held, a fame for beautiful piano playing that inspired Tchaikovsky to dedicate his 18 Pieces, Op. 72 to Lhevinne.
War of the Worlds, Blu-ray (2005/2010)
He updates the story from Victorian times to the present and the main characters from a scientist with a wife and brother to a divorced blue-collar American with a daughter and teenaged son.
Karajan in New York, Vol. 2 = WEBERN: Five Pieces, Op. 5; MOZART: Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 “Jupiter”; BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 – New York Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan – Pristine Audio
Here, in his New York Philharmonic radio debut (15 November 1958), Karajan leads a German-Viennese program.
SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97 “Rhenish”; RAVEL: Daphnis et Chloe–Suite No. 2; RESPIGHI: Feste Romane – NBC Symphony Orchestra/Arturo Toscanini – Opus Kura
Three inscriptions from 1949 grace this fine restoration, especially as Arturo Toscanini kept a tight rein on each of these scores.
RAUTAVAARA: Before the Icons; A Tapestry of Life – Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/Leif Segerstam – Ondine
Two beautiful tone poems by Finland’s elder statesman, Einojuhani Rautavaara, that are simultaneously romantic and modern, stunningly recorded.
Mayuko Kamio in Recital = BIZET-WAXMAN: Carmen Fantasie; TCHAIKOVSKY: Valse-Scherzo Op. 34; Méditation Op. 42; SZYMANOWSKI: Mythes Op. 30; CHAUSSON: Poème; STRAVINSKY: Suite Italienne – Mayuko Kamio, violin – Sony/BMG
The début recital from Mayuko Kamio offers playing both ripe in energy and insight.
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major“Eroica;” WAGNER: Siegfried’s Rhine Journey (Götterdämmerung); Prelude to Act I (Tristan und Isolde); Death of Isolde – Birgit Nilsson/ London Sym. Orch./Covent Garden Orch./Georg Solti – BBC Legends
These live recordings are arguably more spirited than those previously captured from the studios.
Bing Crosby – So Rare: Treasures from The Crosby Archive – Collectors Choice Music Bing Crosby – On the Sentimental Side – Collectors’ Choice Music
1) A collection of rare and personal recordings is released for fans.
2) A previously unreleased collection of Crosby childhood favorites.
MENDELSSOHN: Cello Sonata No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 45; Cello Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 58; Variations concertantes in D Major for Cello and Piano, Op. 17; Lied ohne Worte in D Major, Op. 109 – Jan Vogler, cello/Louis Lortie, piano – Berlin Classics
Another contribution to the Mendelssohn bicentennial, unfettered virtuosity relished for its own sake.
KNUDAGE RIISAGER Orchestral Works = Fools’ Paradise Suites I & II; Twelve By Mail – 6 dances from the ballet; Concertino for trumpet and strings; Dances from “Darduse” – Hakan Hardenberger, trumpet/Ars Nova/Helsingborg Sym. Orch./Thomas Dausgaard – Dacapo
This delightful collection of lighter music by one of the minor Danish composers originally came out as a standard CD.
The Waitiki7 – New Sounds of Exotica – Pass Out Records
Percussion Lopaka Colon is kept very busy making the bird and animal sounds in the background.
Audio News for May 28, 2010
New Theatrical Movies in Your Home After 30 Days; Phone Companies View Skype as a Big Threat; Hearing Loss From E.D. Drugs?; Greenpeace Consumer Electronics Rankings
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11; No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21 – Sa Chen, Piano/ Gulbenkian Orchestra/ Lawrence Foster – PentaTone
The vintage Chopin recording by the young Chinese priestess of the keyboard.
PEHR HENRIK NORDGREN: Taivaanalot (The Lights of Heaven) – Merja Wirkhala, soprano / Anssi Hirvonen, tenor /Central Ostrobothnian Chamber Choir / Kaustinen Children’s Choir/ Folk Orch./ Ostrobothnian Ch. Orch./ Juha Kangas – Alba
Once the percussionists, both ancient and modern, let loose, they create a racket that reminds me of Varèse at his most decibel-laden. The music is a strange amalgam of the traditional and the avant-garde, the tonal and the highly dissonant.
HAYDN: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Volume 1 (Nos. 31-33) – Geoffrey Lancaster, fortepiano – Tall Poppies
If you thought Haydn had his musical self halfway into the 19th century, this CD is designed to change your mind with a throughly unpredictable and bookish 18th century attitude.
Ted Hogarth and the Gerry Mulligan Mosaics Big Band – Live At The Jazz Showcase – Mulligan Mosaics
Hogarth introduces the Gerry Mulligan Concert Band arrangements to a new generation of jazz enthusiasts.
Cameron Live! DVD + CD = Works by BACH, CARPENTER, LISZT, SHOSTAKOVICH, SCHUBERT, VIERNE, WIDOR, DEBUSSY, MOSKOWSKI, SOUSA – Cameron Carpenter, organs – Telarc
Going Virgil Fox several better, Cameron blows away the funereal/liturgical image of the pipe organ with some listeners.
J.S. BACH: Art of Fugue – Vladimir Feltsman, piano – Nimbus (2 CDs)
Feltsman turns Bach’s torso into something alive and breathing.
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor; TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor – Mark Hambourg, piano/London Symphony Orchestra /Malcolm Sargent (Beethoven)/ Royal Albert Hall Orchestra/Landon Ronald (Tchaikovsky) – Pristine Audio
Mark Hambourg provides us a rather willful, Romantic manner of execution, a style that exemplifies the merits and demerits of a bygone era of performance.
BORIS TCHAIKOVSKY: Four Preludes for Chamber Orchestra; Suite: The Swineherd; Suite: Andersen Fairy Tales; Suite: Galoshes of Fortune – Musica Viva Chamber Orchestra / Kirill Ershov – Naxos
You can have a bit of nostalgic fun turning to the Andersen Fairy Tales Suite and seeing how the music matches your favorite tale—but not a lot of fun.
Furman IT-Reference 20i Symmetrical Power Conditioner
The reason to buy something much more expensive than a standard power strip is to prevent current limiting and negative effects in comparison to the direct connection to the wall.
Bing Crosby – Return To Paradise Islands – Collectors’ Choice Music Bing Crosby – El Senor Bing – Collector’s Choice Music
1) A new stereo mix of the 1963 collection of Hawaiian songs.
2) A reissue of a light and breezy 1960 Latin music collection shines.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
