Monthly Archive: October 2013
“American Harp” = JOHN WILLIAMS: The Lanes of Limerick; HANNAH LASH: Stalk; LOWELL LIEBERMANN: Music for Harp; STEPHEN PAULUS: Berceuse; DELLO JOIO: Bagatelles; CAGE: In a Landscape; CARTER: Bariolage – Yolanda Kondonassis, harp – Azica
Interesting sounds, lovely playing and sonics from Yolanda Kondonassis and the Azica engineers.
Barbirolli = HAYDN: Symphony No. 83, “The Hen”; BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique – SWF Sym. Orch. Baden-Baden/ Sir John Barbirolli – ICA Classics
Sir John Barbirolli travels to 1969 Baden-Baden, where he and Hans Rosbaud’s veteran ensemble make glorious sense of Haydn and Berlioz.
Walter Damrosch = GLUCK: Airs de Ballet; BACH: Gavotte in D; SAINT-SAENS: Ballet Divertissement from “Henry VIII”; FAURE: Pavane; MOSZKOWSKI: Perpetual Motion; PIERNE: Entrance of the Little Fauns; RAVEL: Mother Goose Suite; BEETHOVEN: Funeral March from “Eroica” Sym. – Walter Damrosch, piano & cond. – Pristine Audio
Musician and educator Walter Damrosch has the majority of his electrical recordings from 1927 and 1930 restored masterfully in this Pristine collection.
Audio News for October 8, 2013
Esa-Pekka Salonen Extends Contract with Philharmonia; Antelope Audio Emphasizes Superior Clocking for Digital Audio; 135th Audio Engineering Society Convention, Oct. 17-20; Netflix Super HD Available to All Subscribers – Maybe
ALFONSO REGA: Sinfonia No. 7, “11 Settembre” – Musicale Vicentina /Concentus Aponius/ Heinrich Unterhofer
A moving and somewhat atypical musical tribute to the victims of 9/11.
KORNGOLD: Much Ado About Nothing (complete incidental music) – U. of North Carolina School of the Arts Drama Soloists and Sym. Orch./ John Mauceri – Toccata Classics
Even if not perfect, this is an important and entertaining performance molded by veteran man of the theater John Mauceri.
House of Wax, Blu-ray 3D+2D (1953/2013)
The long sought-after classic 3D (perhaps the best of the early 3Ds) movie looks and sounds great.
Cory Weeds/Bill Coon Quartet – With Benefits – Cellar Live
An album that showcases everyone’s best qualities.
GREGORY HALL: ‘Compositional Improvisations – from The Mysteria, Vol.1’ = Reflects dans le soleil; Introduction to “The Mysteria”; Thouros and Phosphoros; Mabou; Appledore; Symbolist Minimal; Apotheosis – Gregory Hall. p. – Ravello
The art of classical improvisation revised, in a way.
“Schönberg – Monn – Cellokonzerte” = SCHOENBERG: Chamber Symphony No. 1 for 15 solo instruments; MATTHAIS GEORG MONN: Cello Concerto (basso continuo and cadenzas by Schoenberg); Cello Concerto in D Major (transcribed by Schoenberg) – Soloists/ Philharmonische Orch. der Hansestadt Lübeck /Roman Brogli-Sacher – Cybele
An interesting mix of music from the pen of Arnold Schoenberg.
Moura Lympany, piano: The HMV Recordings 1947-1952 = Works of CHOPIN, BRAHMS, SCHUMANN, LISZT, DEBUSSY, GRANADOS, ALBENIZ, PROKOFIEV, SHOSTAKOVICH, MENDELSSOHN, FRANCK, TURINA, LITOLFF (some with orch.) – APR (2 CDs)
British piano virtuoso Moura Lympany’s elegant work for HMV finds a fine tribute in this collation of her solo and concerted performances.
Tom Dempsey, guitar – Saucy – Planet Arts
Saucy: dig it and dig in!
“Musica de Venezuela” – Bolívar Soloists – Berliner Meister Schallplatten (Direct-Disc vinyl)
Amazing! A new series of direct-discs from Germany – the only ones in the world currently, aside from Analog Productions’ blues discs.
* COPLAND: Rodeo; Dance Panels: Ballet in Seven Sections; El Salon México; Danzon Cubano – Detroit Sym. Orch./ Leonard Slatkin – Naxos Pure Audio Blu-ray
************** MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ************
A great performance, important works and superb hi-res surround fidelity, and at a lower price than many SACDs.
Emil Gilels, piano = SCHUMANN: 4 Klavierstuecke; BRAHMS: 4 Ballades; CHOPIN: Polonaise in C Minor; Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor; MOZART: Fantasy in D Minor – Emil Gilels, p. – ICA Classics
Russian piano master sings Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms in a 1979 recital from Abbotssholme, exquisitely mounted and gorgeously preserved.
Craig Hartley – Books on Tape, Vol. 1 – Self
A trio with tales to tell.
Alcatraz / Eberbach AV Presentation (2013)
An interesting throwback to slide/sound/dissolve presentations, and quite a visual/aural experience for those familiar with San Francisco Bay.
GORDON GETTY: Plump Jack (concert version) – Christopher Robertson, bass-baritone (Henry IV/Pistol) /Nikolai Schukoff, tenor (Hal) /Melody Moore, soprano (Boy/Clarence) /Nathaniel Webster, baritone (Bardolph/Chief Justice) /Lester Lynch, baritone (Falstaff) / Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks /Münchner Rundfunkorchester /Ulf Schirmer – PentaTone
There are very good things in this opera even if it doesn’t add up to a fully engaging experience.
GRANADOS: Goyescas (complete) – Nicholas Zumbro, piano – Kritonos
An excellent recording of one of Spain’s top composers expertly performed.
ELIZABETH MACONCHY: The Land; Concertino; Music for Woodwind and Brass; Symphony for Double String Orch. – Clelia Iruzun, piano/ BBC Scottish Sym. Orch./ Odaline de la Martinez – Lorelt/Lontano Records
Another fine release in the growing Maconchy discography—and well earned.
FAURE: Theme et Variations in C-sharp Minor; Valse-Caprice No. 1 in A; Valse-Caprice No. 2 in D-flat Major; Nocturne No. 5 in B-flat Major; Nocturne No. 6 in D-flat Major; Nocturne No. 13 in B Minor; Ballade – Angela Hewitt, piano – Hyperion
Angel Hewitt celebrates her life-long devotion to Faure’s solo piano music, offering a selection from the composer’s various period of development.
RAUTAVAARA: Missa a Capella; Psalm of Invocation; Evening Hymn; Missa dudecanonica; Ave Maria, gratia plena; Canticum Mariae Virginis; Our Joyful’st Feast; Die erste Elegie – Latvian Radio Choir/ Sigvards Llava – Ondine
Gorgeous and wonderfully affecting choral music from one of Finland’s greatest composers.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
