Monthly Archive: June 2012
Lenny Marcus – Distant Dream – self-produced
A pianist with loads of talent.
Stokowski Conducts Encores of STRAUSS, BORODIN, PAGANINI, RACHNINOV, HANDEL, PURCELL, GLUCK, BOCCHERINI, TCHAIKOVSKY & BERGER – Guild
The “Stokowski String Sound” has another notch on its belt, a collection of popular favorites played with that especial lush intensity this Maestro brings to music.
ROUSSEL: The Spider’s Banquet; Padmavati Suites 1 & 2 – Royal Scottish Nat. Orch./ Stephane Deneve – Naxos CYRIL SCOTT: Aubade; Neapolitan Rhapsody; Three Dances; Suite Fantastique; Two Passacaglias – Nat. Sym. Orch. of the S.A.B.C./ Peter Marchbank – Marco Polo
Interesting, off-beaten-track music from French & English composers.
VIEUXTEMPS: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Greeting to America – Chloe Hanslip, violin/ Royal Flemish Phil./ Martyn Brabbins – Hyperion
Hyperion’s excellent The Romantic Violin Concerto, Vol. 12 offers two exquisitely effective virtuoso concertos by Belgian master Henri Vieuxtemps.
Charlie Daniels Band: Live at Rockpalast (1980/2012)
Southern rock, done right.
David Bowie – The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars – 40th Anniversary Edition – 12" Vinyl + multichannel audio DVD – Capitol
Transformative 1972 album comes alive in hi-resolution on vinyl & DVD.
H2 Quartet – Groove Machine – Works of MARC MELLITS; AMY WILLIAMS; THIERRY ESCAICH; MURRAY GROSS; VICTOR M. BARRIOS; ALEXANDROS MARKEAS – Blue Griffin Saxology Quartet – English Quartets – Works of HOROVITZ; HARVEY; SULZMANN; WILSON; JACOB; ELGAR-HILL; WILSON; BULLARD; CHAPPLE – Meridian
A pair of worthwhile saxophone quartet discs.
A Lotus Blossoming = ZEMLINSKY: Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano; MESSIAEN: Quartet for the End of Time – Ensemble Liaison – Melba
Two chamber works for clarinet – a masterpiece by Messiaen and an early work by Zemlinsky – receive romantic interpretations and a plush recording.
Lee Ritenour & Band – Overtime, Blu-ray (2012)
Guitarist Lee Ritenour has here the winner of his video concert career.
Audio News for June 22, 2012
SRS Consumer Promo; iBiquity Digital Announces 14 More New Cars with HD Radio; URC Debuts Amp/Surround Processor; Consumer Electronics Market in U.S.; Consumer Electronics Show in New Delhi
HERBERT HOWELLS: Requiem; Behold, O God our Defender; A Sequence for St. Michael; Chichester Magnificat and Nunc dimittis; Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing; Te Deum Laudemus – Gloriæ Dei Cantores/ Elizabeth C. Patterson – Gloriæ Dei Cantores (SACD) HERBERT HOWELLS: Requiem; A Hymn for St. Cecilia; Salve regina; Gloucester Service; Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing; St. Paul Service; All My Hope on God – Trinity College Choir, Cambridge/ Jeremy Cole, organ/ Stephen Layton – Hyperion (CD)
The Howells renaissance enjoys a big boost from these two superb recordings.
* WITOLD LUTOSLAWSKI: Symphony No. 3; Chain 3; Concerto for Orchestra – BBC Sym. Orch./ Edward Gardner – Chandos
************** MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ************
In sound and performance, perhaps the definitive recording of these magnificent works.
ROBERT ACKERMAN: “The World of Robert Ackerman” – Interplay Classical – MSR Classics (3 CDs)
An interesting and exhaustive collection of work by this Renaissance man!
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Blu-ray/DVD/UV Digital Copy (2011)
The sequel to the 2009 Holmes movie.
Anatole Fistoulari Conducts Russian Concert Favorites = Works of GLINKA, TCHAIKOVSKY, BORODIN, GLAZUNOV, PROKOFIEV, RIMSKY-KORSAKOV – Guild
Émigré Fistoulari leads two crack British ensembles in music of his native Russia, popular favorites rendered with sonic audacity and verve.
REICHA: Woodwind Quintets Nos. 5 &6, Op. 100 – Westwood Quintet – Crystal
The absolute best saved for last. Entire set now also available.
BRUCKNER: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9 – Vienna Philharmonic/ Carl Schuricht – EMI Classics Signature Series (2 discs)
Another exceptional 96/24 remastering of historic recordings to stereo SACD.
RACHMANINOV: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 ; Preludes: Op. 23 & 32 – Sviatoslav Richter, p./ Leningrad Philharmonic Orch./ USSR Radio-TV State Sym./ Kurt Sanderling – Melodiya/Praga Digitals
Another historical stereo recording brought to stereo-only SACD.
“A Second of Silence” – SATIE: Gymnopédie I & II; GLASS: Company; SCHUBERT: Gretchen am Spinnrade; Des Baches Wiedenlied from Die Schöne Müllerin; Symphony No. 3; Symphony No. 8 in b, “Unfinished”; MORTON FELDMAN: Madame Press Died Last Week at Ninety – The Knights/ Eric Jacobsen – Ancalagon
A chamber orchestra of great quality presented in a sterling package.
“Who are these Angels?” = Choral works of JAMES MACMILLAN – Capella Nova/Alan Tavener – Linn
Capella Nova’s MacMillan sequel.
Sun Ray – A Tribute to Ray Bryant – Lenny Marcus Trio and friends
A consistently imaginative musical offering commemorating Ray Bryant.
The Mahler Album = MAHLER: Adagietto from Symphony No. 5; Adagio from Symphony No. 10; BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 11, “Quartet Serioso” – Amsterdam Sinfonietta/ Candida Thompson – Channel Classics
Not quite all Mahler, but what we do get is very attractive indeed.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
