Monthly Archive: March 2013
BEETHOVEN: Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C Major, “Triple”; Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 1 No. 1 – Claremont Trio/ SF Ballet Orch./ Martin West – Bridge
A well-chosen program performed and recorded with aplomb.
DVORAK: Cypresses for String Quartet; String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, Op. 106 – Cypress String Quartet – Avie
The gorgeous talent of Antonin Dvorak in the string quartet medium has splendid accounts in this new addition to his cycle from the Cypress String Quartet.
DEEMS TAYLOR: Through the Looking Glass; C. T. GRIFFES: Poem for Flute and Orch.; The White Peacock; The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan; Three Tone Pictures; Bachhanale – Scott Goff, flute/ Seattle Sym., Gerard Schwarz – Delos/Naxos American ClassicsDUKE ELLINGTON: Black, Brown and Beige; Harlem; Three Black Kings; The River, Take the “A” Train – Buffalo Philharmonic Orch./ JoAnn Falletta – Naxos American Classics
2 fine collections of great American orchestral music.
I’m Now: The Story of Mudhoney (2012)
A Seattle grunge band which survived trends and is still doing music its way.
“Final Cut: Film Music for Four Guitars” – The Aquarelle Guitar Quartet – Chandos“Thrum” – Minneapolis Guitar Quartet – Innova
Two terrific guitar quartet CDs at one time!
Mengelberg in New York = HANDEL: Alcina Suite; J.S. BACH: Air from Suite No. 3; J.C. BACH: Sinfonia in B-flat Major; MOZART: Overture to Die Zauberfloete; BEETHOVEN: Egmont Ov.; MENDELSSOHN: Athalie: War March of the Priests; MEYERBEER: Le Prophete: Coronation March; WAGNER: Siegfried: Forest Murmurs; HUMPERDINCK: Hansel und Gretel Ov.; SAINT-SAENS: Le Rouet d’Omphale – Philharmonic-Sym. of NY/ Willem Mengelberg – Pristine Audio
A treasury of short works by virtuoso conductor Willem Mengelberg and his New York orchestra, a singular vision of athleticism and Romantic license.
LACH LAU: “Islas” = Pantaleón; ‘round ruby; rzw + Continuidad Paralela; γеnealoπaedie; Chamba de um acorde; Blank Space – The Electric Hammer/ Moravian Philharmonic Ch. Players/Ens. 3 /soloists – Navona
Quite an interesting new and unique voice!
PAUL MORAVEC: “Northern Lights Electric” = Northern Lights Electric; Clarinet Concerto; Sempre Diritto!; Montserrat: Concerto for Cello and Orch. – David Krakauer, clarinet/Matt Haimovitz, cello/Boston Modern Orch. Project/Gil Rose – BMOP
Wonderful set of works from this Very American Composer!
JEFFREY STADELMAN, “Messenger” = Messenger; Nine Bagatelles; Evans House; Koral 19 – Moravian Philharmonic Orch./Petr Vronsky, cond./Jeffrey Stadelman, p./Elizabeth McNutt, flute – Navona Records
A little of everything from this versatile composer.
WAGNER: Die Walküre – Jonas Kaufmann (Siegmund)/ Mikhail Petrenko (Hundling)/ Rene Papé (Wotan)/ Anja Kampe (Sieglinde)/ Nina Stemme (Brünnhilde)/ Ekaterina Gubanova (Fricka)/ Mariinsky Orchestra/ Valery Gergiev – Mariinsky (4 discs)
A sterling reading of superior value that hopefully flags the beginning of a compete Ring cycle.
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 4 “Tragic”; BRITTEN: Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings; SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2 – Gerald English, tenor/ Hermann Baumann, horn/ Cologne Radio-Sym. Orch./ Sir John Barbirolli – ICA Classics (2 CDs)
Sir John Barbirolli brings a devotee’s conviction to his Schubert “Tragic” Symphony and the Sibelius D Major in Cologne, and the Britten Serenade adds an important work to his discography.
Audio News for March 15, 2013
Settlement With Google for Violating Privacy Rights; New FCC Rules Make It Difficult to Get Cable Channels Without a Cable Box; Vienna Philharmonic to Disclose Its Nazi Past
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor; No. 27 in B-flat Major; 8 Variations on Sarti’s “Come un agnello” – Alessio Bax, p./ Southbank Sinfonia/ Simon Over – Signum Classics
Piano virtuoso makes a startling and intimate impression at once in two of Mozart’s mature piano concertos, and Bax adds a brilliant set of variations as an encore.
“Emerging Composers, Vol. 1” & “Playing it UNSafe” = 2 American Composers Orchestra CDs
Two more great releases from the nation’s premiere composers’ orchestra.
Time Loops – Music in Pure Intonation – Michael Harrison, piano & composer/ Maya Beiser, cello/ Young People’s Chorus of NYC/ Payton MacDonald, artist/ Francisco J. Nunez – Cantaloupe Music
Absorbing contemporary experimental music that makes for a mostly good listen.
Once I Was: Songs by RICKY IAN GORDON – Stacey Tappan, sop./ Ricky Ian Gordon, piano – Blue Griffin
The best album of Gordon’s songs that I have heard so far.
Steve Slagle – Evensong – Panorama – Pan
Straight-ahead jazz done right.
MOZART: Clarinet Quintet, Horn Quintet, String Quartet K.169, Blu-ray 3D (2010)
A fine chamber music concert in topflight video and audio, but the 3D doesn’t add much.
Life of Pi, Blu-ray 3D (2012)
An amazing journey and the absolute best 3D film I’ve seen!
Lush – Joe Clark Big Band, featuring Jeff Hamilton – Jazzed Media
A new band in the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra tradition.
“L’Orgue monumental” = Peter Eilander, Cavaillé-Coll-Orgel St Sulpice, Paris – Works by Lefebure-Wely, Guilmant-Andriessen, de Pauw-Monnikendam, Van Weatering-Bijister – Motette
A fine recording of less well-known works.
“The Music of Sparky Davis” = SPARKY DAVIS: …and One Last Waltz; Symphony in Bb; Fantasy Sonata – Moravian Philharmonic Orch./Vit Micka/ Karolina Rojahn, piano – Navona
An interesting new voice with a bit of jazz influence.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
