Monthly Archive: May 2013
“Rite” = STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring; Petrouchka (piano transcriptions) – Jon Kimura Parker, p. – self
A bold and mostly successful transcription effort.
VIVALDI: Dixit Dominus; In furore iustissimae irae; HANDEL: Dixit Dominus; – Lucy Crowe, sop./ La Nuova Musica/ David Bates – Harmonia mundi
Two great Dixits, sung and played with fervor.
DEBUSSY: Préludes (Orch. by Peter Breiner) – Royal Scottish Nat. Orch./ Jun Märkl – Naxos
Orchestrator Peter Breiner turns his sights on Debussy; the results are mostly satisfying.
Audio News for May 21, 2013
Sony Starts 4K Marketing Campaign; CEA Backs Bill Ending Anonymous Patents; Anthony Gallo Ships New Satellite Speakers; Apple Lightning Connectors
FLORENT SCHMITT: Complete Original Works for Piano Duet and Duo, Vol. I = Trois Rapsodies; Sept pieces; Rhapsodie parisienne – The Invencia Piano Duo – Grand Piano
The Ivencia Piano Duo inscribe two world premier recordings of the four-hand music of Florent Schmitt in the first of a series of traversals of his keyboard oeuvre.
“Martin Perry plays Carter, Bartók, Rozsa” = BARTOK: Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs; ROZSA: Piano Sonata; CARTER: Piano Sonata 1945-46 – Martin Perry, p. – Bridge Records
Martin Perry performs three distinct piano classics in this fine CD for Bridge Records.
KALINNIKOV: “Symphonic Works” = Symphonies Nos. 1 in g minor & 2 in A Major; Intermezzi Nos. 1 in A Major & 2 in G Major; Serenade for Strings; Nymphs; Bylina Overture; The Cedar and the Palm; “Suite;” Incidental Music to “Tsar Boris” – USSR State Academic Sym. Orch./ Evgeny Svetlanov – Melodiya (3 CDs)
A most worthwhile collection of orchestral works by this rather obscure Russian composer.
The Sorcerer and the White Snake, Blu-ray (2011/2013)
An amazing Chinese martial arts/special effects epic!
Alex Pangman with Special Guest Bucky Pizzarelli – Have A Little Fun – Justin Time
Mostly focused on some smartly-layered cover tunes, with a vibrato-less voice not the usual.
Nicola Benedetti: The Silver Violin = WILLIAMS: Schindler’s List Main Theme; KORNGOLD: Tanzlied des Pierrot from Die Tote Stadt; Violin Concerto in D; Marietta’s Lied from Die Tote Stadt; GARDEL: Por una cabeza; SHOSTAKOVICH: Romance; Andante; Prelude; HESS: Ladies in Lavender Main Theme; MARIANELLI: My Edward &I from Jane Eyre; SHORE: Concertino from Eastern Promises; MAHLER: Piano Quartet in A Minor – Nicola Benedetti, violin & ens. & orch. – Decca
Violinist Nicola Benedetti pays homage to the Silver Screen with a host of romantic and passionate film score arrangements, of which those by Erich Korngold provide the original impetus.
MAHLER: Das Klagende Lied (1899 version); Blumine; Adagio from Sym. No. 10 – Manuela Uhl, sop./ Lioba Braun, alto/ Werner Güra, tenor/ Czech Philharmonic Chorus Brno/ Beethoven Orch. Bonn/ Stefan Blunier – MD+G
A Mahlerian catch-all.
“Lorraine” = BACH: Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut; Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 – Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo/ Allan Vogel, oboe d’amore; Los Angeles Ch. Orch./ Jeffrey Kahane – Yarlung Records
More Lieberson—and worth every moment.
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies No. 4 in B-flat; No. 7 in A – Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/ Joshua Bell, concertmaster & cond. – Sony Classical
The first in a projected complete symphony series, but it’s a little too early to predict the outcome.
“Escapades” = JOHN WILLIAMS: Escapades for Sax & Orch.; MICHAEL NYMAN: Where the Bee dances for Soprano Sax & Orch.; ANDREI ESHPAI: Konzert for Sax & Orch.; BOB MINTZER: Rhythm of the Americas – Jan Schulte-Bunert, sax/ Neue Philharmonie Westfalen/ Heiko Mathias Förster/ with clair-obscur sax quartet – Solo Musica (vinyls)
Four great classical concerti for saxophone(s) and orchestra on a vinyl double album.
BACH: The French Suites; Allemande and Menuet fr. Suite in E-flat; Menuet and Sarabande from Suite in a – Colin Tilney, clavichord – Music & Arts
A marvelous representation of these pieces that succeeds on every level.
FRANCK: Violin Sonata in A Major; Melancolie; Prelude, Fugue and Variation in B Minor; R. STRAUSS: Violin Sonata in E-flat Major; Auf stillem Waldespfad – Augustin Dumay, v./ Louis Lortie, p. – Onyx
Dumay and Lortie collaborate on two post-Romantic violin sonatas of passion and power, their architectural beauties pre-eminent in these thoughtful renditions.
Audio News for May 17, 2013
The CD vs. Vinyl Controversy; Classical News; LG Google TVs Update; B&O Debuts Its First Surround System
Swingadelic – Toussaintville – Zoho Music
Music that is evocative of the Big Easy.
Ben Webster and “Sweets” Edison – Columbia CS 8691 (1962)/ Original Recordings Group (45 rpm vinyls)
One of the finest two-horn jazz sessions ever, in the finest fidelity possible.
DEBUSSY: Children’s Corner; Suite bergamasque; Danse; Deux Arabesques; Pour le piano; Masques; L’isle joyeuse; La plus que lente – Angela Hewitt, piano – Hyperion DEBUSSY: Préludes, Books 1 and 2 – Philippe Bianconi, p. – la dolce volta “Hommage à Claude Debussy” = DEBUSSY: Images, Books 1 & 2; Estampes; Arabesque No. 1; CARLO GRANTE: Debussy-Pastiche; ALFREDO CASELLA: A la manière de. . .Claude Debussy; DUKAS: La plainte, au loin, du faune; ROBERTO PIANA: Image d’un faune – Carlo Grante, p. – Music & Arts
Three Debussy releases with something to offer. On points, Angela Hewitt is the winner, but Carlo Grante offers the most interesting program of the three.
![Classical Barbra – [TrackList follows] Barbra Streisand, soprano/ Columbia Sym. Orch./ Claus Ogerman, piano and cond. – Sony Masterworks](https://www.audaud.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ClassicalBarbra.jpg)
Classical Barbra – [TrackList follows] Barbra Streisand, soprano/ Columbia Sym. Orch./ Claus Ogerman, piano and cond. – Sony Masterworks
It’s taken 37 years, but Barbra’s finally back in the classical genre.
SCHOENBERG: Verklaerte Nacht; SCHUBERT: String Quintet in C Major – Janine Jansen & ens. – Decca
Two brilliantly effective works from the opposite ends of the Romantic period are rendered with fervent passion by players from the recent Utrecht Chamber Music Festival.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
