Monthly Archive: May 2013
Frank Sinatra – No One Cares – Capitol Records (1959)/ Mobile Fidelity
SACD reissue showcases Sinatra’s lonely take on life.
BACH: St. John Passion – soloists/ Polyphony/ Orch. of the Age of Enlightenment/ Stephen Layton – Hyperion (2 CDs)
This could be my favorite St. John Passion to date—it is certainly the equal to any other out there.
Gino Marinuzzi = ROSSINI: Il Barbiere di Siviglia Overture; La Gazza ladra Overture; L’Assedio di Corinto Overture; BELLINI: Norma Overture; VERDI: I Vespri sciliani Overture; PUCCINI: Manon Lescaut: Intermezzo, Act 3; MASCAGNI: Cavalleria rusticana: Intermezzo; Le Maschere Overture; GIORDANO: Siberia – La Pasqua; PIZZETTI: Fedra; WOLF-FERRARI: Il Campiello: Ritornello Act 3; MARINUZZI: Musiche per I trionfi Sforza & Savoia – Rito Nuziale – Orch. del Teatro alla Scala, Milano/ Gino Marinuzzi – Preiser Records
A conductor-composer of potent abilities, Gino Marinuzzi traverses a series of opera overtures and excerpts that demands a second look at an under-rated talent.
LUTOSLAWSKI: “Orchestral Works Vol. 4” = Symphony No. 1; Partita for Violin and Orchestra; Chain 2 (Dialogue for Violin and Orchestra); Preludia tanczne – Elizabeth Burley, piano/ Michael Collins, clarinet/Tasmin Little, violin /BBC Symphony Orch./ Edward Gardner – Chandos
A welcome performance of the Symphony No. 1 and more in excellent high resolution sound.
POULENC: Organ Concerto in g; WIDOR: Organ Symphony No. 6 (Allegro); TOMASO VITALI: Chaconne; LILI BOULANGER: Pie Jesu; PAUL HALLEY: Winter’s Dream – William Neil, organ/ Heather LeDoux Green, violin/ Jane-Anne Tucker, sop./ Paul Winter, sax/ Eclipse Ch. Orch./ Sylvia Alimena – MSR Classics
Quite a gala performance, and quite a blockbuster recording as well.
Planet Ocean, Blu-ray (2012/2013)
A gorgeous nature film with a strong message about saving our oceans.
YEVSTIGNEY FOMIN: Orfeo ed Euridice – Alexey Ivashchenko (Orfeo)/ Maria Shorstovo (Euridice)/ Pratum Integrum Orch./ Horn Orch. of Russia/ Pavel Serbin – Caro Mitis
Who knew this kind of music was being created in Baroque Russia? But could we not have had a little more of it?
Carlos Santana and Mahavishnu John McLaughlin – Love Devotion Surrender – Columbia/ Sony / Mobile Fidelity
On a spiritual journey….
Audio News for May 7, 2013
The End of New Devices; Cut the Cord and Save; 47% of Entertainment Devices Are Connected to the Internet; Q1 Growth of Home Media Spending; Thiel Audio Ships First Speakers Since Acquisition
Surround Master Processor
A very effective pseudo-surround processor for any stereo source, lacking proper switching into an already-existing surround system.
MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG: Symphony No. 8 – Soloists /Warsaw Philharmonic Orch. & Choir/ Antoni Wit – Naxos
World premiere recording of this odd, but interesting masterwork.
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight”; SCHUMANN: Kinderszenen; CHOPIN: Piano Sonata No. 3; TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1; MENDELSSOHN: Cello Sonata No. 2 – Pavel Kolesnikov, p./ Johannes Moser, cello/ Calgary Philharmonic Orch./ Roberto Minczuk – Honens (2 CDs)
In a series of towering performances, the young firebrand Pavel Kolesnikov demonstrates his worthy claim to fame at the Honens International Piano Competition.
Michael Dease – Coming Home – D Clef Records
A trombone player of the highest order…
Mordecai Shehori New York Concerts, Vol. 7 = CLEMENTI: Sonata in F-sharp Minor; TCHAIKOVSKY: “Grande Sonate” in G Major; KHACHATURIAN: Vocalise; LISZT: Polonaise from Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”; BACH: Adagio; MOSZKOWSKI: Etude in F Major; CHOPIN: Mazurka in G Minor; Polonaise in A-flat Major “Heroic” – Mordecai Shehori, p. – Cembal d’amour
Selected from recital programs at Weill Hall and the 92nd St. Y in NYC, 1979-90.
Guapo – History of the Visitation – Cuneiform Rune (CD + DVD)
Experimental rock artists Guapo explore science fiction and folklore on their special CD/DVD release.
Pierre Etaix Films, Blu-ray (1961-71/2013)
Five witty features and three shorts from an almost forgotten filmmaker known as “The French Keaton.”
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor; Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor; Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise Brillante; 2 Polonaises; Polonaise-Fantasie in A-flat Major; 5 Mazurkas – Menahem Pressler, p./ Vienna State Opera Orch./ var. conductors – Doremi
Collectors of Menahem Pressler have one of “the essentials” in this all-Chopin assemblage from Pressler’s commercial recordings, a real union of virile intelligence and poetic feeling.
Naked Lunch, Blu-ray (1991/2013)
The film is totally surrealistic, in a clammy, compelling way.
Oscar Brown Jr. & Maggie Brown – We’re Live (Concert recorded 2001) – ESP-Disc
A live concert recorded in 2001 with the amazing Oscar Brown Jr. and his daughter Maggie.
“Spain Through Strings” = ARRIAGA: String Quartet No. 3 in E flat Major; TURINA: The Toreador’s Prayer; TOLDRA: Sea Views; CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO: Quintet for guitar and string quartet – Zemlinsky Q./Miriam Rodriguez Brüllová, guitar – Praga Digitals
Guitar and string quartet sounds to me even more appropriate than that of piano and string quartet.
Audio News for May 3, 2013
Home Entertainment Spending Up 5%; Cellist Janos Starker Dies at 88; Denon 2013 In-Command AVRs; NAD Wants to Connect With Younger Music Lovers
WEINGARTNER: Symphony No. 7 – Maya Boog, sop./Franziska Gottwald, alto/ Rolf Romei, tenor/ Christopher Bolduc, baritone/ Babette Mondry, organ/ Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno/ Basel Sym. Orch./ Marko Letonja – CPO
No Mahler, but no slouch either, moments of Weingartner give great pleasure. It’s the inconsistency that mars a lot of his music.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
