Monthly Archive: November 2013
PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major; BARTOK: Piano Concerto No. 2 – Lang Lang, p./ Berliner Philharmonic/ Sir Simon Rattle – Sony Classics
Lang Lang extends his “matinee idol” charisma to two contemporary concertos by Prokofiev and Bartok, in spectacular and energetic readings led by Sir Simon Rattle.
JEFF TALMAN: Sea of Curves – New Domain Records
Very hard to describe but fascinating.
“AGOSTINO STEFFANI: Danze e Ouvertures” – I Barocchisti /Coro della Radiotelevisione Sviszzera/ Diego Fasolis – Decca
Thrilling! The third disc of Steffani from Diego Fasolis and I Barocchisti is a must-have for lovers of Baroque orchestral music.
Audio News for November 29, 2013
Awards and Events for 2014 International CES; Minnesota Symphony Hassles; LG Shows 77-inch Curved-Screen UHD OLED; UHD TV Jumps to Prominence with Consumers
Mack Avenue SuperBand – Live from the Detroit Jazz Festival 2012 – Mack Avenue
This SuperBand really is a super band.
Bernreuther Bayer and Kossowska – United Blues Experience/ The Cologne Concert – Clear Audio (double-vinyl)
German blues group delivers on live set!
“The Romantic Piano Concerto – Vol. 61” = THEODORE DÖHLER: Piano Concerto; ALEXANDER DREYSCHOCK: Morceau de concert; Salut à Vienne: Rondo brilliant – Howard Shelley, piano and cond. / Tasmanian Sym. Orch. – Hyperion “The Romantic Piano Concerto – Vol. 62 = GOUNOD: The Complete Works for Pedal Piano and Orchestra” = Suite concertante in A Major; Concerto for Pedal Piano; Fantaisie sur l’hymne national russe; Danse roumaine – Roberto Prosseda, pedal piano / Orch. della Svizzera Italiana / Howard Shelley – Hyperion
Here we have some entries from early and late in the annals of the Romantic piano concerto. Both offerings are attractive.
Houston Person – Nice ’n’ Easy – HighNote
Straight-ahead jazz played with conviction and empathy.
HOLST: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 = The Mystic Trumpeter; First Choral Symphony – Susan Gritton, sop./ BBC Sym. Orch. and Chorus/ Sir Andrew Davis – Chandos
An excellent recording of these lesser known Holst works.
Buddy Guy – Rhythm and Blues – RCA/Silvertone
Buddy Guy switches from soul to blues and back again on a double album filled with hard-charging guitar.
The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey – Extended Edition 3D, Blu-ray (2013)
An excellent first prequel to the Lord of the Rings series of a decade ago.
Leopold Stokowski – Conducts MOZART – Guild
Certain to be among the most sought-after Stokowski discs, this collection of Mozart performances offers some truly rare and outstanding collaborations.
VERDI: Otello (complete opera) – Aleksandrs Antonenko (Otello)/ Krassimira Stoyanova (Desdemona)/ Carlo Guelfi (Iago)/ Barbara Di Castri (Emilia)/ Chicago Children’s Choir/ Chicago Sym. Orch. and Chorus/ Riccardo Muti – CSO Resound
The CSO puts a real winner in our hands with a recording exemplary in sound and nearly so in performance as well.
* “here/after songs of lost voices” = HEGGIE: Camille Claudel: Into the Fire; Pieces of 9/11: Memories from Houston; Soliloquy; Friendly Persuasions: Homage to Poulenc; Rise & Fall; A Question of Light; Fury of Light – Var. performers – Pentatone Classics (2 discs)
************* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH *************
Heggie goes beyond himself in this unbelievably outstanding collection of vocal pieces.
“Panagia – Orthodox Hymns to the Mother of God” – Archangel Voices/ Vladimir Morosan – Archangel Voices
Yet another recording from the superb Archangel Voices, pioneers in the presentation of Orthodox Chant in English.
Audio News for November 26, 2013
Fight Between Apple and Digital Music News Over Digital Copyright; 1893 Recording of Black Vocal Group is Auctioned; Six Horrible Violent Video Games to Keep Your Kids Away From This Holiday; Iowa Gets Over $275,000 in Google Settlement; Funny Video Clips Most-Watched by People Online
SCHÜTZ: Psalmen Davids – Dorothee Mields & Marie Louise Werneburg, sop./ David Erler, alto/ Georg Poplutz & Tobias Mathger, tenors/ Dresden Ch. Choir/ Dresden Baroque Orch./ Hans-Christoph Rademann – Carus
Volume 8 of the Carus Schutz project resounds with one of its best recordings yet.
Move Me Brightly – Documentary Concert Film Celebrating Jerry Garcia’s 70th Birthday, Blu-ray (2013)
A moving tribute concert to a great musician and rock legend!
Beecham in Toronto – Three Previously Unissued Concerts from 1960 = HAYDN, BRAHMS, LALO & MOZART Symphonies, R. STRAUSS, HANDEL, WAGNER, DELIUS, SUPPE, SIBELIUS, MASSENET, ROSSINI – Music&Arts (4 CDs)
The Beecham sojourn into Canada in 1960 proves a joyful ride of great music and witty commentary.
“Dry Heat” = ERIC P. MANDAT: Music for Clarinets; Sub(t)rains O’Strata’s Fears; Three for Two; PRINCE: Dry Heat – Robert Spring, clad./J.B. Smith; perc. – Potenza Music
More modern master works for clarinet from a modern master.
Kenny Garrett – Pushing the World Away – Mack Avenue
Saxophonist Kenny Garrett spans Latin, pop and post-bop on his latest, tribute-laden outing.
Kenny Garrett – Pushing the World Away – Mack Avenue
Vadym Kholodenko: Gold Medalist = STRAVINSKY: Trois mouvements de Petrouchka; LISZT: 12 Transcendental Etudes – Vadym Kholodenko, piano – Harmonia mundi
Vadym Kholodenko spins pure gold from his performances at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition XIV, his Liszt and Stravinsky poetically mesmerizing.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
