Monthly Archive: April 2013
Rich Thompson – Less is More – Origin Records
A cast of heavyweight talent…
Audio News for April 23, 2013
Classical News; SiriusXM Car Tuner Promotion; Harman Kardon Expands Networked AVRs; LG Joins Rival Wireless Power Camp; Meridian Expands Autosound
WEINBERG: Symphony No. 19 “Bright May,”; The Banners of Peace (Symphonic Poem) – St. Petersburg State Sym. Orch./ Vladimir Lande – Naxos
Slowly but surely, Weinberg’s music is appearing on disc with Naxos being one of the prominent contributors.
Jurassic Park 3D, Blu-ray+DVD+UV Digital Copy (1993-2013)
An old favorite comes back with some 3D punch.
Wings of Life, Blu-ray (2013)
One of the finest nature films ever.
Felix Hell Plays the Rieger-Kloss Organ – Works of BACH, BUXTEHUDE, GIGOUT, DUPRE, WIDOR, BOELLMANN & REGER – MSR Classics
An interesting program from the top-flight organist.
Joe Locke – Lay Down My Heart (Blues and Ballads – Vol. 1) – Motema
Exquisite mood music…
Ossy Renardy: The Complete Columbia Recordings — Music of CORELLI, PLATTI, HANDEL, SCHUBERT, PAGANINI, BURMESTER, VECSEY & SARASATE – Ossy Renardy, violin/ Walter Robert and Leo Taubman, p. – Pristine Audio
The assembled Columbia Recordings by Ossy Renardy from 1938-1939 reveal a fine-tuned artist of heightened sensitivity and burnished style.
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Pieces for Oboe and Piano — Fantasietücke for Clarinet and Piano; Adagio and Allegro in A-flat Major for Horn and Piano; Drei Romanzen for Oboe and Piano; Sonata No. 1 in A Minor for Violin and Piano –Alexei Utkin, oboe/ Igor Tchetuev, p. – Caro Mitis
For me, this is an ill-conceived program.
The Yardbirds: Making Tracks, On Tour (2010-2012)
Two survivors of a stalwart ‘60s group “bring back the band.”
PETER MAXWELL DAVIES: Trumpet Concerto; Piccolo Concerto; Maxwell’s Reel, with Northern Lights; Five Klee Pictures – Stewart McIlwham, piccolo/ John Wallace, trumpet/ Royal Philharmonic Orch. /Royal Scottish Nat. Orch./ Philharmonia Orch./ Peter Maxwell Davies – Naxos
Welcome to the diverse and stimulating sound world of British composer Peter Maxwell Davies, one of the most honored and controversial composers of our time!
GRECHANINOV: Piano Trios — No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 38; No. 2 in G Major; Cello Sonata in E Minor – The Moscow Rachmaninov Trio – Helios
The reissue of the Grechaninov chamber music from 2002 still invests a relatively obscure body of work with undeniably melodious and spirited power.
Zoot Sims – Down Home – Bethlehem Records/ Pure Pleasure Records
Tenor saxophonist swings on audiophile re-mastering.
Laszlo Gardony, piano – Clarity – SunnysideGregg Kallor, piano – A Single Noon – Single Noon
Two solo piano, sort-of-jazz efforts; the second one a winner.
“Ragazze Quartet, Vivre” – HAYDN: Quartet in D Minor, ‘Fifths Quartet;’ SCHUBERT: Quartet in D Minor, ‘Death and the Maiden’; JORG WIDMANN: Hunting Quartet – Channel Classics
Very polished played by this female quartet on two classics and a wild contemporary quartet.
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major; Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major – Rudolf Buchbinder, fortepiano/ Concentus Musicus Wien/ Nikolaus Harnoncourt – Sony Classical
Rudolf Buchbinder joins Concentus Musicus Wien for a pair of Mozart concertos, a joyful collaboration that transcends “antiquity” to present lively, uniquely colored realizations of established virtuoso masterpieces.
Miles Davis – Sketches of Spain (arr. & cond. by Gil Evans) – Columbia/ Mobile FidelityMiles Davis – Milestones – Columbia/Mobile Fidelity
Two SACD upgrades of Miles Davis classic albums.
JENNIFER HIGDON – “An Exhaltation of Larks” – An Exaltation of Larks; Scenes From the Poet’s Dreams; Light Refracted – Gary Graffman, p./ Todd Palmet, clar. /Blair McMillen, p. /The Lark Quartet – Bridge
A disc of programmatic contemporary chamber music that’s tonal, well-crafted and cleverly written. But will it stand the test of time?
Audio News for April 19, 2013
Three Important Names in Audio industry Pass; Conductor Sir Colin Davis Dies; Library of Congress Concerned About Preservation of Recorded Sound; Home Tech Market Turning Around
Jackie McLean – 4, 5 and 6 – Prestige/ Analogue Productions (mono)
Jackie McLean’s turn to blow….
JENNIFER HIGDON: “Chamber Music of Jennifer Higdon”—Dash; Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano; Trumpet Songs; Song for solo flute; Legacy for violin and piano; Piano Trio – Verismo Trio/Scott Turpen, alto saxophone/Theresa Bogard, piano/Scott Meredith, trumpet/Rubia Santos, piano/Nicole Riner, flute/John Fadial, violin/Beth Vanderborgh, cello – Albany Records
Terrific collection of this great American composer’s chamber music.
Hank Mobley – Mobley’s Message – Prestige/ Analogue Productions (mono)
Prime early Hank Mobley with all-star backing in pristine SACD.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
