Monthly Archive: March 2012
Benny Goodman Orchestra Featuring Anita O’Day – Jazz Haus
A program that bristles with liveliness and excitement.
High Flight = Tribute to BOB CHILCOTT, MORTEN LAURIDSEN, & ERIC WHITACRE – The King’s Singers/ Concordia Choir/ Rene Clausen – Signum Classics
The King’s Singers in usual fine form, nicely complemented by the Concordians.
Esperanza Spalding – Radio Music Society (Deluxe Version) – Heads Up (CD+DVD)
This has my vote for the best CD+DVD pop package yet.
Frank Macchia – Frank Macchia’s Swamp Thang – Cacaphony Records
This is something unexpected…Swamp Jazz.
British Treasures: Violin Sonatas = GOOSSENS: Violin Sonata; HURLSTONE: Violin Sonata in D Minor; TURNBULL: Violin Sonata in E Minor – Madeline Mitchell, v./ Andrew Ball, p. – SOMM
Three evocative British violin sonatas performed with natural sympathy and grace by two gifted artists from the RCM.
PUCCINI: La Boheme (complete opera), Blu-ray (2009)
Exceeds all expectations, and the hype was enormous.
“The Art of the Flute” = Music of MOZART, KUHLAU, FRANCAIX, ST.-SAENS, POULENC – Wolfgang & Matthias Schulz, flutes, with clar. & piano – Naxos
Very nice. But with so much good chamber music for flutes, why program an arrangement of a work that’s so obviously pianistic in nature?
JOLY BRAGA SANTOS: Symphonic Ov. No. 3; Elegy; Alfama: Ballet Suite; Variations for Orch.; Three Symphonic Sketches – Royal Scottish Nat. Orch./ Álvaro Cassuto – Naxos
A great introduction to the music of Portugal’s most important composer.
GERSHWIN: Concerto in F; Rhapsody No. 2; I Got Rhythm Variations – Orion weiss, piano/ Buffalo Philharmonic Orch./ JoAnn Falletta – Naxos audio-only Blu-ray
Gershwin’s greatest piano-and-orchestra work in an interesting hi-res format.
“Under the Spell of Spain” – Superbrass – Superbrass
A fine program of brass and percussion with a Spanish theme.
Audio News for March 13, 2012
Redbox Taking Over DVD Rentals; KEF Launches Square Speakers; Judge Rules Against Kaleidescape DVD Copying
GLAZUNOV: String Quartet No. 3 in G Major, “Slavonic”; Idyll; String Quartet No. 4 in A Minor – Zemlinsky Q./ Christoph Ess, horn – Praga
The Zemlinsky Quartet reinvigorates the Glazunov chamber music legacy with three melodious works that warrant more familiarity.
Mark Sherman – The L.A. Sessions – Miles High Records
Vibraphone master offers an endearing tribute to jazz legends.
Oliver Jones – Live In Baden Switzerland – Justin Time
A festive caper by an under-appreciated Canadian pianist.
Hommage a Ole Bull – violin, hardanger fiddle, piano & harmonium – ECM
Bull surely would have appreciated these superb takes on his music.
MOZART: 17 Church Sonatas (arr. for organ solo) – Zsigmond Szathmary – Carus
Mozart’s mysterious and without precedent epistle sonatas, done here on solo organ—surely not “authentic”!
PUCCINI: Turandot – Birgit Nilsson, soprano/ Franco Corelli, tenor & others/MET/ Stokowski – Pristine (2 CDs)
Leopold Stokowski’s immortalized MET debut in Puccini’s last but flawed masterpiece returns to us in its spectacular triumph with a stellar cast.
Green Lantern, 3D & 2D Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack (2011)
Green Lantern, 3D & 2D Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack (2011) Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Tim Robbins, Angela Bassett Director: Martin Campbell Studio: Warner Home Video [10/14/11] Video: 2.40:1 anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9 1080p HD 3D Audio: English DTS HD-MA 5.1; French, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin Extras on 2D Blu-ray disc: Extended and theatrical cut; Maximum Movie Mode: Green Lantern’s Light; Focus Points (eight feaurettes); “The Universe According to Green Lantern” featurette; “Ryan Reynolds Becomes the Green Lantern” featurette; deleted scenes; Justice League #1 digital comic; “Green Lantern: The Animated Series” preview; PS3 Arkham City character skin code; “Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters” game preview Length: 114 minutes theatrical cut (3D & 2D); 123 minutes extended cut (2D only) Movie Rating: ***½ 3D Video Rating: ***½ 2D Video Rating: **** Audio Rating: ****½ D-BOX Rating: **** Cocky test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is gifted superhuman powers when he is selected by “the Ring”. The Ring is the power source of the Green Lantern Intergalactic Corps, a group of alien beings charged with protecting the Universe from harm. Jordan receives training […]
Fellini, Jazz & Co., Blu-ray (2011)
No jazz, but a glorious concert in a glorious setting, preserved with the best in visuals & audio.
François Couturier – Tarkovsky Quartet – ECM 2159
Modern takes on the ever-changing definition of jazz and improvisation, seriously offered and well worth exploring.
Dance Hall Pimps – Beast For Love – Lakeshore Records
Rock and soul band shine a light on the night.
A Beginner's Guide to High Resolution Downloads of Music
The trend to digital downloading of music files is definitely growing, but you no longer need to compromise audio quality in order to do so; there are even some surround sound options.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
