Monthly Archive: January 2014
Travis Sullivan’s Björkestra – I Go Humble – Zoho
A jazz big band with an unusual mission: bring the music of Björk to the jazz audience (and vice versa).
The Music of HARL MCDONALD = Symphony No. 1 “The Santa Fe Trail”; Two Hebraic Poems; Cakewalk; San Juan Capistrano – Two Evening Pictures; Rhumba; Dance of the Workers; The Legend of the Arkansas Traveler; From Childhood – Suite for Harp and Orch. – var. performers incl. Stokowski & Koussevitzky – Pristine Audio
The much-neglected music of Harl McDonald enjoys a healthy revival in this collection from Philadelphia Orchestra historic performances.
Audio News for January 21, 2014
The Neglect of American Orchestral Music; LG Laser Video Projector; Be Sure to Wipe Old Electronics Clean; A View of the 2014 International CES
BRAHMS: Late Piano Works = Three Intermezzi; Four Intermezzi; Capriccio in F-sharp Minor; Capriccio in B Minor; Five Pieces; Intermezzo in B Minor – Gena Raps, p. – Musical Friends NY
A highly personal and consistently compelling selected survey of late Brahms, music Clara Schumann claimed to be rife with “bittersweet discord.”
CORRINGHAM: Walking – Innova
Not really music; an unusual audio exploration of environments and stories.
BACH: Brandenburg Concertos – Oregon Bach Festival Ch. Orch./Helmuth Rilling – Hanssler double vinyl
Vinyl recording of Baroque landmark is a great fit!
BACH: Brandenburg Concertos – Oregon Bach Festival Ch. Orch./Helmuth Rilling – Hanssler double vinyl
Vinyl recording of Baroque landmark is a great fit!
“RAVEL: Piano Masterworks” = Serenade grotesque; Jeux d’Eau; Sonatine; Miroirs suite; Gaspard de la nuit – Alessandra Ammara, p. – Arts Music
A well-performed and recorded Ravel piano program in hi-res surround.
“RAVEL: Piano Masterworks” = Serenade grotesque; Jeux d’Eau; Sonatine; Miroirs suite; Gaspard de la nuit – Alessandra Ammara, p. – Arts Music
A well-performed and recorded Ravel piano program in hi-res surround.
“Aldo Ciccolini plays 13 Valses” = by CHOPIN, SIEBILIUS, PIERNE, GRIEG, SCHUBERT, DEBUSSY, MASSENET, BRAHMS, FAURE – Aldo Ciccolini – La Dolce Volta
Master pianist Aldo Ciccolini’s sentimental tour of his favorite waltzes, drawn from French and selected national styles.
RACHMANINOV: The Bells; Symphonic Dances – Soloists/ Radio-Choir Berlin/ Berlin Philharmonic Orch./ Sir Simon Rattle – Warner Classics
Sir Simon Rattle indulges in a spectacular sonics and large gestures for his all-Rachmaninov disc, a tour-de-force of color and power.
The Matthew Finck/ Jonathan Ball Project – It’s Not That Far – self
A democratic duo displays delightful demeanor on a debut endeavor.
The Songs Of Bobby Troup – Bethlehem Records mono
An appealing and approachable performer.
Pablo Casals: The Late Concerto Recordings = SCHUMANN: Cello Concerto in A Minor; DVORAK: Cello Concerto in B Minor – Pablo Casals, c./ Prades Festival Orch./ Eugene Ormandy (Schumann)/ Festival Casals of Puerto Rico/ Alexander Schneider – Pristine Audio
The final concerto recordings by Pablo Casals command our musical and emotional interest in spite of a waning technique.
Ivo Perelman, Joe Morris, Balázs Pándi – One – RareNoise
Three free spirits explore intense music which more or less fits under the free-jazz umbrella.
BRITTEN: Var. on a Theme of Frank Bridge; Lachrymae; Elegy for Strings; Simple Symphony; 2 Portraits – Camerata Nordica/ Terje Tønnesen – BIS
Well-played Britten with a world premier selection.
The Stockfisch DMM-CD/SACD Sampler Vol. 1 – Stockfisch
An amazing amount of work went into this German attempt to capture the enhancements of stereo vinyl sound without its usual side effects.
“Exile – Piano Music by Composers with Roots in Two Continents” = KORNGOLD: Vier Walzer für Klavier; ERICH ZEISL: 8 Klavierstücke: “November”; TOCH: Scherzo in B Minor; Profile No. 3; Der Jongleur, Burleske; SCHOENBERG: Sechs kleine Stücke; CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO: Cielo di settembre; I Naviganti; Fandango – Eric Le Van, p. – Music & Arts
Attractive music attractively played: a fascinating portrait of European composers in self-exile.
BACH: Suite in E Major; Suite in A Minor; Christ lag in Todesbanden; Ciaccona from Partita for Solo Violin – Ismo Eskelinen, guitar – Alba
A perfect disc for when you want to explore the more intimate side of Bach’s art.
Stefano Bollani – Carioca Live, Blu-ray (2009/2014)
Bella Brazilian jazz in terrific image and sound!
Audio News for January 17, 2014
Yamaha Adds Network Streaming to Tabletop Audio System; Harman Kardon and JBL Add Networked Audio; Many Vehicle-Specific OEM Car Stereo Upgrades; CEA Praises Supreme Court Decision About Aereo TV Case; Sony Has Media-Oriented Smartphones
Best of the Year Discs for 2013
* = The 12 Multichannel Discs of the Month CLASSICAL (incl. HI-RES), CLASSICAL REISSUES & CLASSICAL VINYL BACH: Mass in b, BWV 232 – Soloists/ Collegium Vocale 1704/ Collegium 1704/ Vaclav Luks – Accent ACC 24283 (2 CDs) BACH: St. Matthew Passion – Soloists/ RIAS Ch. Chorus/ Academie fur Alte Musik Berlin/ Rene Jacobs – Harmonia mundi SACD HMC 802156.58 (2 SACDs + DVD) BACH: St. John Passion – Ian Bostridge (Evangelist) & other soloists/ Polyphony/ Orch. of the Age of Enlightenment/ Stephen Layton – Hyperion CDA67901 (2 CDs) BACH: French Overture in b; SCRIABIN: Piano Sonata No. 5; MOZART: Variations on “Salve tu, Domine” by Paisiello; CARTER: Piano Sonata – Orion Weiss, p. – Yarlung Records 78873 A BEETHOVEN Odyssey, Volume 1 = Piano Sonatas: No. 1 in f, Op. 2/1; No. 3 in C, Op.2/3; No. 23 in f, Op. 57, “Appassionata” – James Brawn, p. – MSR Classics MS 1465 * BERLIOZ: Seven Overtures – Bergen Philharmonic Orch./ Sir Andrew Davis – Chandos SACD CHSA 5118 Derek BERMEL: “Canzonas Americanas” – Canteloupe Music CA21088 * BRITTEN: War Requiem – Soloists/ Netherlands Radio Choir / Netherlands Children’s Choir/ Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orch./ Jaap van Zweden – Challenge Classics, SACD CC72388 […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
