Monthly Archive: August 2011
Harmonia Caelestis = Works of BACH & MOZART — soloists/Strings of the RSO Stuttgart/ Budapest Strings/ Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn/ Jörg Faerber – Bayer Records
Homegrown production values, but musicianly performances of works for oboe and chamber orchestra.
SCHUBERT: Nacht und Traume – Matthis Goerne, baritone/ Alexander Schmalcz, piano – Harmonia mundi
Volume 5 lives up to expectations.
BRAHMS: Complete Piano Music Vol. 3 – Late Piano Works = Fantasien, Op. 116; Drei Intermezzi, Op. 117; Klavierstücke, Op. 118; Klavierstücke, Op. 119 – Hardy Rittner, piano – MD&G
It’s instructive and pleasurable to hear these works played on instruments Brahms would have known first-hand; the quieter, gentler pieces fare best.
Renolds Jazz Orchestra – Three Penny Opera (KURT WEILL) Live in Aarau – Shanti Records
A very European jazz project—an instrumental jazz version of the music from Kurt Weill’s Three Penny Opera.
ELLIOTT MILES McKINLEY: String Quartet No.4, String Quartet No.5, String Quartet No. 6 – The Martinů Quartet – Navona Records
Great new quartets with a modern jazzy feel!
The George Lernis Jazz Quartet – Shapes of Nature [9/1/11] – self-released
A noticeable debut with compositional creativity and imbued with potential.
Art I Facts – Great Performances From 40 Years of Jazz at NEC- New England Conservatory
Revisiting some of the terrific student/faculty performances over the years.
The Twilight Zone: Season 5 (5-Disc Set), Blu-ray (1964/2011)
One of the most popular TV shows of all time; it has certainly influenced the creation of many other popular sci-fi shows.
Audio News for August 22, 2011
Another Switch of a Classical Radio Station from Commercial to Public; Reduce Your Overly-Bright TV; HD Radio Still Struggling for Acceptance; Nostalgic-Design Internet Radio
The Battle of Algiers, Blu-ray (2 discs) (1966/2011)
A unique and amazing film which not only stands up perfectly in today’s world but is propitiously-timed with the current independence movement in the Arab world.
Sir Roland Hanna, solo piano – Colors from a Giant’s Kit – IPO Recordings
An eloquent remembrance of a keyboardist who is gone but will never be forgotten.
LISZT: Les Preludes; Piano Concertos 1 & 2 – Andor Foldes, piano/Berlin Philharmonic/ Leopold Ludwig /Bamberg Philharmonic/Ferdinand Leitner – Guild
A collation of early DGG LP performances dedicated to the music of Liszt proves pungently effective and, with Foldes at the keyboard, poetically inspired.
BACH: 5 Klavier Concertos – Ramin Bahrami, p./Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch./Riccardo Chailly – Decca
Youthful virtuoso takes a decidedly sanguine approach to five of Bach’s piano concertos, assisted in all matters of infectious but sometimes heavy brio by Riccardo Chailly.
CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR: Symphony for Organ and Orch.; Sinfonia Sacra for organ and orch. – Christian Schmitt/ Bamberger Sym./ Stefan Solyom – CPO
A spectacular version of movements from two Widor solo organ sonatas for organ and orchestra
Paul Avgerinos – Bliss – Round Sky Music
A lot of flowing, constantly metamorphosing musical lines sort of like clouds of sound.
Heavy Pedal – various organists & soloists – Navona Records
The title idea comes from a two-minute piece based on a Bach theme played entirely on the pedals.
Lou Donaldson – Sunny Side Up – Blue Note ST-84036 /Analogue Productions
Known for its hard bop credentials with a mixture of standards to blues and early soul jazz motifs.
FRANZ SCHMIDT: Symphony No. 4; Intermezzo – Beethoven Orch. Bonn/ Stefan Blunier – MD&G Live
Schmidt avoided the serialists and composed in a Brahmsian style.
Hanson Conducts American Music, Vol. 3 = CARTER; RIEGGER; MACDOWELL – Eastman-Rochester Orch./Howard Hanson – Pristine
A third volume of Howard Hanson’s readings of American music provides a rare collection of overlooked and surprisingly effective masterworks.
Joel Harrison String Choir – The Music of Paul Motian – Sunnyside Communications
Guitarist Joel Harrison’s String Choir provides a new perspective to Paul Motian’s music, putting both artists in the spotlight.
The Perfect Host (2010/11)
David Hyde Pierce—with his version of his “Niles” character—becomes the perfect center of this suspense tale.
NIELS OTTO RAASTED: Solo Violin Sonatas = Op. 18: 1-3; Op. 30: 1-2 – Johannes Soe Hansen, violin – Dacapo
Who would have guessed that a modern composer could create solo violin works that breathe the same air as Bach?
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
