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Monthly Archive: March 2013

BEETHOVEN: Complete Piano Sonatas – Hj Lim, p. – EMI (8 CDs) “BEETHOVEN in D” = Piano Sonata Op. 10 No. 3 in D; Sonata Op. 28 in D Major, “Pastoral”; Sonata Op. 31 No. 2 in D Minor, “The Tempest” – Luisa Guembes-Buchanan, p. – Del Aguila BEETHOVEN: The Violin Sonatas – Barbara Govatos, violin/ Marcantonio Barone, p. – Bridge

BEETHOVEN: Complete Piano Sonatas – Hj Lim, p. – EMI (8 CDs) “BEETHOVEN in D” = Piano Sonata Op. 10 No. 3 in D; Sonata Op. 28 in D Major, “Pastoral”; Sonata Op. 31 No. 2 in D Minor, “The Tempest” – Luisa Guembes-Buchanan, p. – Del Aguila BEETHOVEN: The Violin Sonatas – Barbara Govatos, violin/ Marcantonio Barone, p. – Bridge

by | Mar 7, 2013 | Classical CD Reviews

Whew! An omnibus review profiling some fine Beethoven playing and some that gets a grade of “needs improvement.”

Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D / Vienna Sym./ Fabio Luisi – Vienna Sym. (2 LPs)

Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D / Vienna Sym./ Fabio Luisi – Vienna Sym. (2 LPs)

by | Mar 4, 2013 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D / Vienna Symphony/ Fabio Luisi – Vienna Symphony WSLP 001 (2 vinyl LPs) ****: This is a very good recording of the Mahler No. 1, well-played and well-recorded with a medium-distance hall ambience. Fabio Luisi, currently Principal Conductor of the Zurich Opera and Metropolitan Opera, New York has been Music Director of L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and other European orchestras. Known primarily as an opera conductor, he has established himself equally  well in the symphonic repertory. This is the start of a new label put out by the Vienna Orchestra, like many similar orchestras worldwide (though so far, no SACDs). The first symphony is Mahler’s Genesis. It establishes Mahler’s symphonic language, recurring thematic motifs referenced throughout his symphonic output: yearning, dream sequences of childhood, musical references to past life. This symphony paves the way for his magnificent symphonic output to follow. The first movement deals with innocence and emergence. This is exuberant declarative music,  presented with great clarity and notable restraint by Maestro Luisi and his fine orchestra. Movement #2 is a very deliberate ländler, contrasted with a wistful delicately-shaded  longing second subject. This is one of Mahler’s favorite devices, yearning , wonderfully accented […]

Portland Jazz Festival Highlights 2013

Portland Jazz Festival Highlights 2013

by | Mar 4, 2013 | Special Features

For its tenth year of jazz in Portland, this year’s U.S. Bank festival, presented by Alaska Airlines, kicked off with a number of sold out shows. An imposing array of internationally-recognized and local musicians played a variety of jazz styles, and the festival’s recognition of Black History Month was seen in a number of community-wide initiatives tied in with the festival.     In addition to the headline performers on the main stages—which included recent Grammy-winner Esperanza Spalding, Barry Harris, Nancy King, Gerald Wilson, Patricia Barber, Steve Kuhn, Kenny Garrett, Jack De Johnette, Terri Lyne Carrington, Geri Allen, the Art Abrams Swing Machine, the Blue Cranes, the Afro-Cuban All-Stars and SexMob— there were simultaneous performances by local musicians at various watering holes around the city.                   One of the highlights was the February 22nd concert at the Newmark Theater: “The Jazz Message: Celebrating Art Blakey. The assembled sextet consisted of Javon Jackson, tenor sax; Bobby Watson, alto sax; Curtis Fuller, trombone; Eddie Henderson, trumpet; George Cables, piano; Buster Williams, bass; and Lewis Nash, drums. There are occasional nights in which the stars align and the jazz gods look down upon us lowly […]