Monthly Archive: October 2010
Elton John/Leon Russell – Union – Decca/Mercury Records
Elton and Leon deliver the Word.
Elliott Sharp – Spectropia Suite: Elliott Sharp Edition Vol. 6 – NEOS
On Spectropia Suite, Elliott Sharp showcases his eclectic tastes as he combines swing jazz with contemporary discord and dissonance.
Eddie Henderson – For All We Know – Furthermore Recordings
Some stories to tell…
Winter’s Bone, Blu-ray (2010)
A gritty but skillful film on a rural community wracked by meth production and drug use.
Gustav Mahler und Sein Klavier = MAHLER: Fifth Symphony: In gemessenem Schritt. Steng. Wie ein Kondukt; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen: “Ging heut’ morgen ueber’s Feld; Lied, “Ich ging mit Lust durch einen gruenen Wald; Fourth Sym.: Last mvt. – Preiser
A fascinating excursion into the “authenticity” movement via Mahler’s own versions of four of his works, here playing at his own keyboard in 1905.
Klezwoods – Oy Yeah! – Accurate Records
Boston band rocks Klezmer on debut album.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto in E Op. 35; Melody Op. 42 No. 3 – Tossy Spivakovsky / London Symphony Orchestra / Walter Goehr – Dual Disc from 35mm master: CD + DualDisc of DVD-A/DVD-Video, 2 or 3-channel, Everest/Classic Records
A welcome and rare reminder of the art of Tossy Spivakovsky.
Audio News for October 29, 2010
Holiday CE Spending to Grow; 1½ watt amp, only $4000; Problems of Home Networking Over Power Lines; Blu-ray Music Video Sales Up
“Far Away” = MILOS RAICKOVICH: Flying Trio; Piano Sonata; B-A-G-D-A-D; “El contorno” Variations; 3 Romances; Winter Waltz – Soloists/RTS Sym. Orch./Milen Nachev & Bojan Sudjic, cond. – Albany
Minimalism to the point of not needing to be composed at all…
Beoga – Live At Stockfisch Studio – Stockfisch Records
Irish quintet sizzles with a live set of world music.
BEETHOVEN: The ‘Late’ String Quartets (Nos. 12 thru 16) – Tokyo String Quartet – Harmonia Mundi (3 discs)
A superbly engineered recording of the greatest string quartets ever written, played by one of the world’s finest ensembles.
FRESCOBALDI: Il Regno d’amore – Mariana Flores, soprano/ Clamatis Ensemble/ Leonardo Garcia-Alarcon – Ricercar
Ten arias taken from the composer’s two books of “Arie musicali,” presented in counterpoint with a selection of his instrumental “Canzoni.“
LOU HARRISON: Scenes from Cavafy; Concerto for Piano with Japanese Gamelan; A Soedjatmoko Set – John Duykers/ Jessika Kenney, voice/ Adrienne Varner, piano/ Gamelan Pacifica and Chorus – Jarrad Powell, director – New World
A West Coast/Asian mélange that will excite many and bore many.
“Home and Away” – MORRIS ROSENZWEIG: Past Light; Just One Step Beyond; A Table of the Most Used Chords; "person, place,etc."; "reprise"; Rough Sleepers – New York New Music Ens./ Canyonlands Horn Quartet and the Canyonlands Ens./NOVA ens. – Albany
Some pretty obscure, pretty abstract stuff takes more than one listen.
VIRGIL THOMSON: Three Pictures; A Solemn Music; A Joyful Fugue; The Feast of Love; Collected Poems; Five Songs from William Blake – Thomas Meglioranza, baritone/ Kristen Watson, soprano/ Boston Modern Orchestra Project/ Gil Rose, conductor – BMOP/Sound
A rich selection of memorable Thomson scores played with devotion.
Kirsten Flagstad and Georges Sebastian = WAGNER: Wesendonck-Lieder; Isoldes Erzaehlung und Fluch; Isoldes Klage und Liebestod; Bruennhildes Schlussgesang; Tristan Prelude; R. STRAUSS: Four Last Songs (3); Monolog – with Berlin State Opera Orch. – Audite
The legendary helden-soprano late in her career still possessed the power to thrill in the repertory she had consistently championed.
Anne Akiko Meyers – "Seasons… dreams …" – Music by DEBUSSY, WAGNER, BEETHOVEN, GENE PRITSKER, GERSHWIN, VERNON DUKE, JOSEPH KOSMA, SCHNITTKE, and FAURE – Anne Akiko Meyers, violin/ Reiko Uchida, piano/ Emmanuel Ceysson, harp – E One
The importance of this release has been amplified by her acquiring a new Strad and her appearance on a hot cable show.
Michael William Gilbert – I Can See From Here – Gibex Recording
One-man orchestra takes flight.
The Curios – Pillow Book – Fresh!/Reference Recordings
Northern California folk band shines on new release.
Randy Halberstadt – Flash Point – Origin
If you love the post-bop sound, you will be pleased with this album start to finish.
BARTOK: 6 String Quartets – Juilliard String Quartet – Sony Classical
At last! A classic reissue set that will be mandatory for many.
CARL ORFF: Carmina Burana Gala Concert, Blu-ray (2004/2010)
The lyrics effectively reflect the interests and concerns of the average person at this time and place in history.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
