Monthly Archive: June 2010
OFFENBACH: Les Contes D’Hoffmann (complete opera) (2010)
OFFENBACH: Les Contes D’Hoffmann (complete opera) (2010) Conductor: Philippe Béziat Cast: Marc Laho, Eric Huchet, Francisco Vas, Nicolas Cavallier, Patricia Petibon, Rachel Harnisch, Maria Riccarda Wesseling, Gilles Cachemaille; Choir of the Grand Theater of Geneva Stage director: Oliver Py Studio: Bel Air Classiques BAC049 [Distr. by Naxos] Video: 1.77:1 1080i HD Color Audio: PCM Stereo; DTS 5.0 Surround Sound Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish Length: 171 minutes Rating: ****1/2 Finally. I’ve been waiting years for an intense, well-sung, uninhibited, and creatively-directed version of Jacques Offenbach’s final opera. Now it’s here. This latest production by Oliver Py and Philippe Béziat sweeps aside all the weird (Lopez Cobos/Paris Opera), stagebound (James Levine/Metropolitan Opera), and artificial (Kent Nangano/Lyon Opera) productions of this work since Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s prissy 1951 British film version. “Light the lamps of pleasure, there is no divine mercy,” said Offenbach. And so there isn’t, for in this sparkling performance there is only sex, death, and the darkest humor since, well, Calixto Bieito’s controversial production of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck. Here the renditions of the opera’s great arias never disappoint. Marc Laho as Hoffmann, delivers the twisted song of the dwarf Kleinzach (“Il était un fois à la cour […]
Ideal Bread – Transmit: Vol. 2 of the Music of Steve Lacy – Cuneiform Rune
The four-man Ideal Bread gives Steve Lacy’s material a fresh outlook for a new audience.
Maurizio Colonna, acoustic guitar – Rock Waves (Electric Dreams of a Classical Guitar Player) Live – TopMusic
Maurizio Colonna, acoustic guitar – Rock Waves (Electric Dreams of a Classical Guitar Player) Live – TopMusic Blu-spec CD ™-BSCD7014.5, 1 hour *****: I suppose the thing of greatest interest here would be what a Blu-spec CD is. The master is made using the same Blu-ray laser diode as used on Blu-ray DVDs. It is extremely precise because the little pits on a Blu-ray disc are about 1/20 the size of those used for standard CDs, so it can make the CD pits even more accurate, eliminating jitter. Width, length and placement of the pits are improved. No cooling fan is required, which eliminates some vibration. (I’d like to have this put in the Hi-Res Section but we can’t since it’s still a standard CD.) The original recording was made using 192K/32-bit DSD and SADiE digital precision mastering. I notice also that the actual CD is more opaque than most when you hold it up to the light. The notes features a long list of the audiophile gear used in the production. The performance was given live in a large hall in Turin, Italy, and guitarist Colonna plays a modern classical guitar built in 1992. There have been strings and […]
SMETANA: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15; MARTINŮ: Piano Trio No. 1: Cinq pièces brèves; PETR EBEN: Piano Trio – The Florestan Trio – Hyperion
The Florestan Trio has made a series of highly regarded recordings for Hyperion, including a definitive one of the Schumann trios, and this is an equally distinguished effort.
BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, BWV 870-893 – Richard Egarr, harpsichord – Harmonia mundi (2 CDs)
If you’re open to a possibly new way of hearing Bach played, be assured that this is a first-class production in every way.
Flash Gordon, Blu-ray (1980/2010)
If you’re a sci-fi fan of any stripe, you’ll probably have a ball with this super-campy space opera.
Audio News for June 11, 2010
33rd-Year Anniversary of VHS; Marian McPartland Gets Order of the British Empire; PacketVideo Launches Two Inexpensive Downloadable Connected Home Solutions; TV/Internet Browsers?
MUZIO CLEMENTI: Sonata Op. 31, No. 1, in A Major; Sonata No. 3, in G Major; Sonata Op. 27, No. 2; Sonata No. 2, in B-Flat Major – Sang Mi Chung, p. – Centaur
If you want to sample some of the best of Clementi without breaking the bank or stuffing your CD rack, Sang Mi Chung’s collection of four mature sonatas is a fine place to start.
RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2 in E minor Op. 27 – London Symphony Orchestra/ Valery Gergiev – LSO Live
This is actually the first volume in an LSO Rachmaninoff cycle from Gergiev.
MOZART: Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio; Ah, lo previdi; Ah se in ciel, benigne stelle; Vado, ma dove? oh Dei!; Bella mia fiamma, addio; Se ardire e speranza; Exsultate, jubilate – Lenneke Ruiten, sop./ Concertgebouw Ch. Orch./Ed Spanjaard – PentaTone
“Bella fiamma” has the requisite fire and drama. Like the performances of “Ah, lo previdi” and “Se ardire e speranza” (and the melting “Vado ma dove?” too), this is quite enjoyable, finding Ruiten in the very best voice.
HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS: Complete Symphonies = Nos. 1 & 11; No. 2; NY Skyline Melody; Nos. 3 & 9; Overture de l’Homme Tel; Nos. 4 & 12; Nos. 6 & 8; Suite pour Cordes; No. 7 & Sinfonietta 1; Sym. No. 10 – Radio Sym. Orch. Stuttgart/Carl St. Clair – CPO (7 CDs)
While this set isn’t necessarily the best works of the great Brazilian composer, it is extremely worthwhile and even ground-breaking.
John Goldsby with Jacob Duncan and Jason Tiemann – The Innkeeper’s Gun – Bass Lion
On their sax/bass/drums album, The Innkeeper’s Gun, John Goldsby, Jacob Duncan and Jason Tiemann give European-slanted jazz an adventurous American articulation.
“TrondheimSolistene – in Folk Style” – GRIEG: Holberg Suite; Two Nordic Melodies; EMILIA AMPER: Abrege – folk suite for nyckelharpa & strings; GJERMUND LARSEN: Diplom – folk suite for fiddle & strings – Trondheim Soloists/Øyvind Gimse, musical dir. – 2L
Latest in the “Pure Audio” Blu-ray series from Norway’s 2L label, which come with the identical program also on SACD.
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15; R. STRAUSS: Burleske in D Minor, Op. 11 – Joshua Pierce, piano/Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra/Czech National Symphony Orchestra (Strauss)/Paul Freeman – MSR Classics
A Brahms D Minor Concerto given at the Reduta (June 1993) in Bratislava, formerly Pressburg, during the so-called Velvet Revolution.
MUZIO CLEMENTI: 2 Sonatas, Op. 34; 3 Sonatas, Op. 37; Sonata in B-flat, Op.46; 6 Progressive Sonatinas, Op. 36 – Howard Shelly, piano – Hyperion (2 CDs)
We’re getting to the meaty stuff with Volume 5.
FRANCESCO MARIA VERACINI: Overture 2 in F; Overture 6 in g; Sonata 6 in a; Sonata 7 in A; Violin Concerto in A – L’Arte dell’Arco/ Federico Guglielmo, violin and direction – CPO
A promising beginning to a new series on a not inconsequential composer.
OSVALDO GOLIJOV: La Pasion segun San Marcos – Soloists/Simon Bolivar Youth Orch./Maria Guinand; Robert Spano – DGG (CD + DVD)
Revisiting La Pasion—was it necessary?
“Baltic Runes” = VELJO TORMIS: Bridge of Song; The Bishop and the Pagan; St. John’s Day Songs; SIBELIUS: The Lover; CYRILLUS KREEK: 3 Folksongs; ERIK BERGMAN: Lapponia – Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir/ Paul Hillier, conductor – Harmonia mundi
More excellence from Estonia.
Sacred Music Series – The Sixteen (4 Volumes)
A terrific BBC-TV series is now available for everyone.
Fairy Tales, Folklore & Fables = Storytelling and music – Auricolae – New Focus
An excellent, high quality disc of children’s stories imaginatively presented.
Audio News for June 8, 2010
Kazaa To Go Legitimate; USB Cards to Replace Compact Discs?; Sanyo Delivers New Short-Throw 3D Projectors; Two Studios Join Adobe to Oppose Apple’s Ban on Flash; Sony Develops First “Rollable” Video Display
“Lyrita – Celebrating 50 Years Devoted to British Music” Vol. 1 = Works of ALWYN, ARNOLD, BANTOCK, BAX, BENJAMIN, BERKELEY, BRIDGE, BLISS, BUSH, BUTTERWORTH, COLERIDGE-TAYLOR, DELIUS, FINZI, HOLST, IRELAND & others – Var. performers – Lyrita (4 CDs)
A true celebration of one of the finest past catalogs available today.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
