Monthly Archive: January 2012
Audio News For January 31, 2012
Home Audio Makes New Connections; Best Buy Offers Rocketboost Wireless Audio; Sony 2012 Audio Products
* BACH: Sonata No. 1; Sonata No. 3; Sonata in g; Sonata in b; Sonata in E-flat: Siciliana – Lara St. John, violin/ Marie-Pierre Langlamet, harp – Ancalagon
******** MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH *******
Lara St. John is back with Bach—no surprise there—but this time with a most welcome twist.
ETA HOFFMAN: Piano Sonatas 1-5; SCHUMANN: Kreisleriana – Luisa Guembes-Buchanan, p. – Del Aguila
For the Hoffman we have no other choices—fortunately this is not a bad one at all.
WAGNER: Lohengrin highlights – Jess Thomas, tenor/ Elisabeth Grummer, soprano/ Christa Ludwig, mezzo-soprano/ Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone/ Gottlob Frick, bass/ Otto Wiener, bass/ Vienna State Opera Chorus/ Vienna Philharmonic/ Rudolf Kempe – EMI
Even after almost 50 years, the Kempe recording offers the most intelligent and most ravishing incarnation of Wagner’s romantic opera, an archetype of unconditional love.
Emil Gilels Legacy, Vol. 9 = CHOPIN & SCHUBERT – Doremi
Master pianist Emil Gilels in live recital and performance, of which the Chopin Preludes offer potent insights, and the Schubert Fantasy a musical curio for the ages.
‘Gulfstream’ = enhakē and guests plays works of LIBBY LARSEN, PETER SCHICKELE, AARON COPLAND & PETER LIEUWEN – Naxos
Very good additions to an appealing combination and American originals!
Art of the Violin = YSAYE: Sonatas Nos. 2 & 4; AULIS SALLINEN: Cadenze; DEBUSSY: Violin Sonata; DAVID LEFKOWITZ: Eli Eli; BACH: Partita No. 2 – Petteri Iivonen, v./ Kevin Fitz-Gerald, p. – Yarlung Records
A first-rate violin-piano program on disc.
Clarinet Trios by BEETHOVEN, BRAHMS & BRUCH – David Shifrin, clarinet/ David Finckel, cello/ Wu Han, piano – ArtistLed
Three staples of the clarinet trio medium in fine performances and recording.
THIERRY LANCINO: Requiem – soloists/Philharmonic Orch. and Choir of Radio France/ Eliahu Inbal – Naxos audio-only Blu-ray
A powerful work of great substance—but it’s not your traditional requiem.
Homage to PADEREWSKI = Jonathan Plowright, piano – Hyperion
A wide range of compositions in bravura and salon style celebrate Ignaz Jan Paderewski, the Polish virtuoso and political hero, all performed deftly by Jonathan Plowright.
DOMENICO SCARLATTI: Stabat Mater; Madrid Mass; Cibavit nos; Te Deum – Ens. Jacques Moderne/ Joel Suhubiette – Ligia
I can think of no better introduction to the sacred music of this composer.
The David Leonhardt Group Plays Cole Porter – Big Bang Records
A Porter song is a luxury item, expensively made and extravagantly rhymed.
A Tribute to FRITZ KREISLER = with Kreisler, Ruggiero Ricci, Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, Christian Ferras, Gidon Kremer, Anne-Sophie Mutter & others – DGG (2 CDs)
An extended tribute to Kreisler, with some of his early recordings as well as those of many other violinists.
Audio News for January 27, 2012
CE Devices Tops During Holiday Shopping; LG Wins International 3D Award; Dynaudio Wireless Speakers; Onkyo and TEAC in Cross-Ownership
From Straight to Bizarre (2012)
The inside story on Zappa’s two independent labels, made without the cooperation of most of the performers or labels.
Westchester Jazz Orchestra – Maiden Voyage Suite – WJO Records
A sharp re-imagining of Hancock’s iconic compositions.
Dick Hyman & Octet – From the Age of Swing – Reference Recording 200-gr. 45 rpm (2 discs)
A fabulous fidelity trip back to the late 1930s small-group swing era.
PUCCINI: La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) – Blu-ray
Are we really ready for a Hollywood modernist takeoff on the old West?
ACROSS THE SEA = Chinese-American Flute Concertos. ZHOU LONG: Concerto; BRIGHT SHENG: Flute Moon; CHEN YI: The Golden Flute – Sharon Bezaly, flute /Singapore Sym. Orch./ Lan Shui – BIS
Four Chinese-American flute concertos demonstrate the creative integration of two different musical cultures in this beautifully recorded disc.
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1 – Clifford Curzon, piano/ London Symphony Orch./ George Szell – Decca/ ORG 45 rpm (2 discs)
Decca Full Frequency Stereophonic Sound from 1962 fully revealed for the first time now.
GAVRIIL POPOV: Chamber Symphony (Septet) for flute, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin, cello, and double bass; Symphony No. 1 – St. Petersburg Orch./ Alexander Titov – Northern Flowers
The performance of the symphony has more enthusiastic abandon than polish; a very fine performance of the Septet makes this release indispensible.
MOHAMMED FAIROUZ: ‘Critical Models’ = various chamber works – Sono Luminus
The cultural eclecticism works but not quite overall.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
