Monthly Archive: November 2012
BACH: Goldberg Variations BWV988 – Hristo Kazakov, piano BACH: Goldberg Variations BWV988 – Takae Ohnishi, harpsichord – Bridge
An interesting comparison of competing piano and harpsichord versions of the Goldbergs.
ROSSINI: Sonate a Quattro for two violins, cello & doublebass – Salvatore Accardo/Sylvia Gazeau/Alain Meunier/Franco Petracchi/Bruno Canino – Philips/F.I.M.
A worthwhile upgrading of a classic classical chamber music recording.
Audio News for November 23, 2012
Sony & Panasonic “Junk” Credit Rating; Genius Launches Car Video Camera; Consumers Reports List of Standout Products; CES Names 2013 Five Top Home Technology Opportunities; Legrand Acquires Nuvo; Retro-Style Home Telephones for Smartphones
Pat Metheny, guitar – The Orchestrion Project, 3D Blu-ray (2012)
A unique production matching the top electric guitarist against an assembly of mechanical instruments.
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 1 in E Minor; Pohjola's Daughter; Tapiola – Royal Philharmonic Orch./ London Sym. Orch./ Robert Kajanus – Naxos Historical
Kajanus set the gold standard for Sibelius symphony interpretation, and these restorations show us how.
"Armenian Spirit" – Georgi Minassyan, Haeg Sarikouyoumdjian, Gaguik Mouradian, Armen Badalyan, Hesperion XXI/ Jordi Savall – AliaVox
A unique musical discovery, of the magical sounds of Armenian instrumental music.
“Convergence” – DAVID NISBET STEWART: Concerto for Piano and Orch.; Suite for Piano-Brass Quartet; GERSHWIN: Porgy and Bess (Suite for Brass) – Martin Levicky, piano/ Moravian Philharmonic Orch./ Petr Vronsky/ Karolina Rojahn, piano & brass trio/Tower Brass Quintet – Navona
Another interesting examples of two most accessible modern works, sandwiching a fine brass version of selections from Porgy and Bess.
LOFSTROM: ‘Concertino’ = Concertino for Oboe and Orch., Concertino for Harp and Orch., The Plumed Serpent – Soloists /New Philharmonic Orch./Kirk Muspratt/Studio Orch./Doug Lofstrom – Origin Classical
Delightful works with a bit of jazz influence.
Audio News for November 20, 2012
Rubicon Preamp With Atomic Clock; Hitachi Hi-Value 32-Inch LCD TV; Boston Acoustics Wants to Balance Soundbars and Component Speakers; Speakers at January 2013 International CES
Stefon Harris/David Sanchez/ Christian Scott – Ninety Miles – Live At Cubadisco – Concord Picante
The music works when politics and geography do not.
The Raven, Blu-ray+DVD+Digital Copy (2012)
A fictional re-imagining of Poe as a crime-solver.
TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture; Romeo and Juliet Fantasy; March Slav — London Sym. Orch./Andre Previn – EMI (1972)/ Resonance Recordings (Hi-Q)
An expensive though hearable improvement over other releases of this legendary recording.
Salon Mexicano – Mexican piano music – Jorge Federico Osorio, p. – Cedille
Mexican salon music at its acrobatic and poetic best, realized with stunning aplomb by master pianist Jose Federico Osorio.
BEETHOVEN: The Symphonies – Soloists/ Laurens Collegium & Cantorej, Rotterdam/ Orchestra of the 18th Century/ Frans Brüggen – Glossa (5 discs)
Brüggen’s second complete effort; while the results are never in doubt as to sincerity, they are at best mixed.
VILLA-LOBOS: Symphony No. 6 "On the Outline of the Mountains of Brazil"; Symphony No. 7 – Sao Paulo Sym. Orch./Isaac Karabtchevsky – Naxos
The first volume in a Naxos series devoted to the Villa-Lobos symphonies offers two colorful essays in the form that break away from the “native tradition” pigeonhole that often defines his music.
Steve Jobs – The Lost Interview (1995/2012)
A most interesting interview from 1995, thought lost until recently.
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major; SMETANA: The Bartered Bride – Ov.; CHAPI: Musica classica: Prelude; La corte de Granada, Fantasia morisca: Serenata; El tambor de granaderos: Prelude; GIMENEZ: El baile de Luis Alonso: Intermezzo; La boda de Luis Alonso: Intermezzo – Orq. Nac. de Espana/ Orch. de la Suisse Romande (Smetana)/ Gran Orquesta Sinfonica (Chapi, Gimienez)/ Ataulfo Argenta – ICA Classics
The gifted but ill-fated conductor Argenta delivers an Eroica that avoids cliches and restores the fervor of Beethoven’s originality.
CHOPIN: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 – Shura Cherkassky, p./ BBC Scottish Sym. Orch./Christopher Adey/ BBC Sym. Orch./ Richard Hickox (Op. 21) – ICA Classics
We are indeed privileged to have a record of the arch-individualist Cherkassky in the two Chopin concertos, of which no record of the E Minor exists commercially.
“Of Birds and Lemons” – DAVID TANNER: Pocket Symphony; Tango of the Lemons; I’ll Come to Thee by Moonlight; Tyger; JOSE ELIZONDO: Estampas Mexicanas; Danzas Latinoamericonas; Leyendo del Quetzol y la Serpiente – Moravian Philharmonic Orch./ Millenium Sym./ Petr Vronsky/Vit Mieka/Robert Ian Winstin, conductors – Navona Records
A fine collection of new orchestral works that one need not fear in any way.
Accidental Tourists – The L.A. Sessions – Challenge Records
An erudite and accomplished pianist in a remarkably good outing.
“American Mavericks” – COWELL: Synchrony; Piano Concerto; HARRISON: Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orch.; VARESE: Ameriques – Jeremy Denk, piano/ Paul Jacobs, organ/ San Francisco Symphony/ Michael Tilson Thomas – SFS Media
Superb performances of four intense works from composers who found their own ways in the 20th century.
LALO: Cello Concerto in D minor; Divertissement for Orch.; Scherzo for Orch.; MILHAUD: Cello Concerto No. 1 – Nadege Rochat, c./ Wurttembergisch Philharmonie/ Ola Rudner – Ars Production
A disc of romantic French cello concertos and orchestral music that will please those looking for tuneful and ingratiating music, well performed and recorded.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
