Monthly Archive: January 2013
An English Fancy = Music of BYRD, HUME, LAWES, JENKINS, LOCKE, PURCELL & Others – Trio Settecento – Çedille
The final of a series of four, Trio Settecento settles it out in fine fashion.
BRAHMS: Complete String Sextets, Piano Quartets, String Quintets, Clarinet Trio – The Nash Ensemble – Onyx 4093 (4 CDs)
One of the best Brahms collections to have come my way in a long time.
DVORAK: Piano Trio No. 4 “Dumky”; Piano Trio No. 3 in F Minor – Wu Han, p./ Philip Setzer, v./ David Finckel, cello – ArtistLed
Another elegant example of music-making from principals of ArtistLed and Music@Menlo, here in the splendid and infinitely luminous music of Dvorak.
The Quatsi Trilogy, Blu-ray, 3 discs (1983/1988/2002/2012)
A mind-blowing visual and musical experience achieved with no narration, actors or plot whatever.
“Sonates Françaises” = Cello Sonatas by MARCELLE SOULAGE; PIERRE-OCTAVE FERROUD; PAUL VIARDOT – Genevieve Ibanez, cello/ Odile Bourin, p. – Skarbo/Anima “Felix Austria” = KODÁLY: Sonata for Cello and Piano; Sonatina for Cello and Piano; LIGETI: Sonata for Solo Cello; BARTÓK: First Rhapsody; DVOŘÁK: Rondo in G Minor; JANÁČEK: Pohádka; DAVID POPPER: Hungarian Rhapsody – Pamela Smits, cello/ Sabine Simon, p. – Universe Classics
Two fascinating musical outings for cello and piano with nationalistic overtones. Which to choose? How about both!
RACHMANINOV: Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27; BERNSTEIN: Candide Ov. – Philharmonia Orch./London Sym. Orch./ Evegeny Svetlanov – ICA Classics
An epic reading, live, as a British ensemble sheds its native identity and achieves that spectacular Russian wind sound in its strings.
Fleetwood Mac – Tusk – Warner Brothers (1979)/ Reprise Records (double vinyl)
Fleetwood Mac releases their masterpiece on audiophile vinyl.
Audio News for January 11, 2013
Richard Rodney Bennett Dies; Technology-Enabled Jackets; New Approach in Parasound CD Player; Half of 3DTV Owners Watch 5+ Hours of 3D Weekly
Bobby Battle Quartet with David Murray – The Offering – Mapleshade
All the music is played with an intensity and sincerity that shows the commitment of the performers.
Lee Ritenour – Rhythm Sessions – Concord Music
Lee Ritenour – Rhythm Sessions – Concord Music CRE-33709-02, 57:42 ***1/2: (Lee Ritenour (guitar) and a mixture of different artists including: George Duke (Fender Rhodes, Moog synthesizer); Stanley Clarke (acoustic bass); Dave Weckl (drums); Munyungo Jackson (percussion); Ariel Mann (synths, programming); Kurt Elling (vocals); Dave Grusin (Fender Rhodes); Nathan East (bass); Will Kennedy (drums); Patrice Rushen (acoustic piano); Marcus Miller (electric bass); Melvin Lee Davis (electric bass guitar); Oscar Seaton (drums); Deron Johnson (Fender Rhodes); Rob Bacon (rhythm guitar), Christian McBride (acoustic bass); Wesley Ritenour (drums); Zamajobe (vocals); Chick Corea (piano); Alan Pasqua (piano);Chuck Berghofer (acoustic bass); Peter Erskine (drums); Larry Goldings (Hammond B3 organ); Sonny Emory (drums); Tal Wilkenfield (bass guitar); Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); R.J. Benjamin (background vocals); John Beasley (piano); Demetrius Nabors (acoustic piano); Hans De Wild (Hammond B3 organ); Michael Feinberg (acoustic and electric bass); Selim Munir (drums)) The artists assembled for this disc are literally a “who’s who” of the contemporary jazz scene. With this many great performers it would be hard to imagine a bad record as a result. In the booklet that accompanies the disc Lee has taken the time to reason his choice for musicians as well as the younger ones—many of […]
Legends Live – Dizzy Gillespie Quartet – Jazz Haus mono
For those who enjoy Gillespie’s sound and appreciate live recordings of Latin jazz, it is worth a long listen.
Wadada Leo Smith & Louis Moholo-Moholo – Ancestors – Tum
For those ready to take on something more serious outside the border of much of the common.
Grant Geissman (guitar) – Bop! Bang! Boom! – Futurism Records
The list of guest artists is huge, but Geissman claims that the album is not planned, but exploring different styles and following his inspiration.
![“Mission” [TrackList follows] = Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo-sop./ Coro della Radiotelevisione svizzera/ I Barocchisti/ Diego Fasolis – Decca](https://www.audaud.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Bartoli-Mission.jpg)
“Mission” [TrackList follows] = Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo-sop./ Coro della Radiotelevisione svizzera/ I Barocchisti/ Diego Fasolis – Decca
Don’t believe the hype behind this album, believe the performances themselves, which far outstrip the publicity.
ANTTI SAMULI HERNESNIEMI: ‘Compositions 1’ = Man playing on the shore; Poem; Ascending form – Antti Hernesniemi, electric piano – Savellyksia Records
Strangely attractive music that requires more.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 3 in D Major,“Polish”; Coronation March – Russian Nat. Orch./ Mikhail Pletnev – PentaTone
Though not top drawer, this is one of Pletnev’s finer Tchaikovsky recordings.
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5 – Claudio Arrau, p./ Boston Sym. Orch./ Charles Munch (4)/ Pierre Monteux (5) – West Hill Radio Archives
Arrau’s Beethoven from Tanglewood mixes strength with lucid clarity of detail, assisted by glowing colors from the BSO under its two French masters, Munch and Monteux.
Gabrieli Sacred Symphonies = Ex Cathedra/ His Majesties Sagbutts and Cornetts/ Concerto Palatino/ Jeffrey Skidmore – Hyperion
There is always room for recordings of Gabrieli that are as effective and well-recorded as this one.
Donald Fagen – Sunken Condos – Reprise Records – (2 vinyl LPs)
Soul/jazz hipster combines exquisite music with unusual insights.
Scott Healy Ensemble/Scott Healy-Glenn Alexander Quartet – Hudson City Suite; Northern Light – both Hudson City Records
Two distinctly different projects show the creativity of a relatively unknown keyboardist/composer.
MOZART: La finta giardiniera (complete opera) – Soloists/ Freiburg Baroque Orch./ René Jacobs – Harmonia mundi (3 CDs)
A new version of this Mozart opera and one of the top opera productions of the year!
![Move – Hiromi [TrackList follows] – Telarc](https://www.audaud.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Hiromi-Move.jpg)
Move – Hiromi [TrackList follows] – Telarc
The latest CD from the Japanese pianist/composer again features her trio.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
