Monthly Archive: January 2014
“Chicago Moves” – Works of JOAN TOWER, JAMES WOODWARD, JOHN CHEETHAM, BRIAN BAXTER, STACY GARROP, ROB DEEMER & DAVID SAMPSON – Gaudete Brass – Cedille
Recently-written pieces for brass quintet, from the Chicago area.
BRAHMS: Symphonies, No. 1 in c; No. 2 in D; Tragic Ov.; Variations on a Theme of Haydn – London Sym./ Orch./ Valery Gergiev – LSO Live (2 SACDs)
Gergiev finally gets around to Brahms, and continues to impress and surprise.
Peter Gabriel: Live in Athens, Blu-ray [2013]
A great two-for-one package for Gabriel fans.
Audio News for January 14, 2014
2014 International CES Wrap Up
WALTON: Cello Concerto; KHACHATURIAN: Cello Concerto – Erling Bloemdal Bengtsson, cello/ Iceland Sym. Orch./ Zuohuang Chen (Walton)/ Damain Iorio – Danacord
Two impressively mounted cello concertos performed by Danish virtuoso Bengtsson attest to his easy virtuosity in diverse styles.
ADLER: String Quartet No. 8; Piano Quartet; String Quartet No. 9 – Esterhazy Quartet / Jerome Lowenthal, p. – Albany
Chamber music of the prolific American composer Samuel Adler.
ADLER: String Quartet No. 8; Piano Quartet; String Quartet No. 9 – Esterhazy Quartet / Jerome Lowenthal, p. – Albany
Chamber music of the prolific American composer Samuel Adler.
MOZART: Piano Concertos Nos. 15 & 27 = Martin Helmchen, p./ Netherlands Ch. Orch./ Gordan Nikolić – PentaTone
Lovely, inventive versions of two Mozart Piano Concertos in hi-res surround.
“Pacific Premieres” – Works of GORDON GOODWIN, VINCE MENDOZA, PATRICK WILLIAMS & JEREMY COHEN – Quartet San Francisco – ViolinJazz
A wonderful swinging approach to the string quartet in five works.
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 32 in c; Fantasia in g; “Eroica” Variations and Fugue; Polonaise in C – Inna Faliks, p. – MSR Classics
Faliks is an excellent Beethovenian with keen insight into this most elusive of structures: the variation.
Spyro Gyra – The Rhinebeck Sessions – Crosseyed Bear
Jazz band delivers…even after four decades!
MAHLER: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen; Kindertotenlieder; Ruckert Lieder – Christian Gerhaher, bar./ Montreal Sym. Orch./ Kent Nagano – Sony Classical
Fine new readings of songful and soulful Mahler, not as interpretatively etched in stone as they might be, but attractive nonetheless.
The Rolling Stones – Sweet Summer Sun/Hyde Park Live, Blu-ray (2013)
Fifty years later, The Rolling Stones can still rock!
CHOPIN: Etudes, Op. 10 & Op. 25 – Jan Lisiecki, piano – DGG
A young firebrand’s Chopin Etudes prove colossal and poetic by turns.
DVORAK: Stabat Mater; TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto – Maria Stader, sop./ Vera Soukupova, mezzo-sop./ Ivo Zidek, tenor/ Eduard Haken, bass/ Czech Philharmonic/ Czech Singers’ Chorus/ Nathan Milstein, v./ Karel Ancerl – Tahra
Karel Ancerl performs Dvorak’s valedictory Stabat Mater with a sincere elegance and majesty at the Montreux Festival.
Audio News for January 10, 2014
Financial Struggles in the Performing Arts; IPv6 – Latest Revision of the Internet Protocol; Wireless Speaker and Audio Association Grows; Record Amount of Innovation at 2014 International CES
“Metamorphoses” = Works of GUBAIDULINA, YANOV-YANOVSKY, ALI-ZADEH & KNAIFEL – Celli Monighetti – Louth Cont. Music
Some new and unusual music for multiple cellos is worth exploring.
Dianne Reeves – Beautiful Life – Concord
Dianne Reeves is back; attention must be paid.
Piano and Cello Works by DELIUS, BACH & BRIDGE – Gloria Jones, cello/ David Booth, p. – Direct-to-Tape Recording/ HDTT DVD-A
Interesting; hi-res but lacks useful notes.
BRITTEN: Cello Symphony; Cello Sonata – Zuill Bailey, cello/Natasha Paremski, p./North Carolina Sym./Grant Llewellyn – Telarc
Incredible performances of these heady works.
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3; Concerto in C Major for Piano Trio and Orch. – Annie Fischer, p./ Bavarian State Orch./ Geza Anda, p./ Wolfgang Schneiderhahn, v./ Pierre Fournier, cello/ Berlin Radio Sym. Orch./ Ferenc Fricsay – Pristine Audio
The Fricsay centennial has two Beethoven performances of exquisite Romantic power and beauty restored.
“Le Jazz et la Pavane”: Improvisation through the centuries = Les Sacqueboutiers (The Early Brass Ensemble of Toulouse) & friends – Flora
Another fascinating disc from this innovative early music ensemble.