Monthly Archive: March 2014
Eric Clapton – The 1970’s Review, (2014)
Interesting documentary on Eric Clapton, made without his participation.
LULLY: Phaeton (complete opera) – Emiliano Gonzalez Toro (Phaeton)/ Ingrid Perruche (Clymene) – Choeur de Chambre de Namur/ Les Talens Lyriques/ Christophe Rousset – Aparte (2 discs)
One of Lully’s best operas, and a great candidate for such a brilliant performance.
WAGNER: Der Ring des Nibelungen: Symphonic Excerpts = Nine Stemme, sop./ Orch. de l’Opera Nat. de Paris/ Philippe Jordan – Erato (2 CDs)
Philippe Jordan leads exciting performances of mostly instrumental Wagner selections.
Greg Lewis – Organ Monk: American Standard
A Monk of a different make and model.
CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH: Berlin Symphonies, Wq. 174, 175, 178, 179, 180, and 181 – Orch. de Chambre de Lausanne / Christian Zacharias – MD&G
Dash and daring from C. P. E., well-captured in these performances from Lausanne.
Audio News for March 4, 2014
PS Audio New DirectStream DAC; Classical Music News; Sony Sells Off Buildings
ARENSKY: Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor; Piano Trio No. 2 in F Minor; RACHMANINOV: Vocalise (arr. Conus) – Leonore Piano Trio – Hyperion
Russian Romanticism is well served in this assemblage of Arensky trios and the perennial Vocalise of Rachmaninov.
Adolf Busch: The Berlin Recordings 1921-1929 = Works of BACH, BRAHMS, CORELLI, DVORAK, TARTINI, GOSSEC, SCHUMANN, MOZART, VERDI, POPORA, SCHUBERT ETC. – Adolf Busch, violin/ Busch String Quartet/ Bruno Seidler-Winkler & Rudolf Serkin, piano – Guild (2 CDs)
For the first time, the Adolf Busch legacy from Weimar Germany is assembled for our delectation of the foremost violinist and chamber musician in Europe at that time.
The Lotus Pond: Exotic Oboe Sounds – Music of ABEL-RAHIM, TANN, QUAN, SOULAGE, LIMBACK, VERCOE – Cynthia Green Libby, oboe/ Wei-Hn Su, p., /Susanna Reichling & Scott Cameron, percussion/ Peter Collins, p./ Jeremy Chesman, harp – MSR Classics
Soothing oboe sounds from six lesser-known composers.
“. . .avec un frisson” = BOULEZ: Une page d’ephemeride; DEBUSSY: Études, Book II; BOULEZ: Incises – Yegor Shevtsov, p. – New Focus
This disc gives short measure but offers valuable insights into the music of the two composers. Powerful playing and recorded sound.
PERGOLESI: Stabat Mater; Laudate pueri Dominum; Confitebor tibi Domini – Julia Lezhneva, sop. / Philippe Jaroussky, countertenor /Coro della Radiotelevision svizzera /Lugano I Barocchisti /Diego Fasolis – Erato
A very distinguished version of Pergolesi’s famous Stabat Mater. The two psalm settings offer welcome contrast.
BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier Vol. 2 = Christophe Rousset – Aparté (2 CDs)
Frenchman Rousset plays the German classics on the French harpsichord, in a French Venue, for a French record label.
GARY WASHBURN: Earth Life: October Full Moon – Gary Washburn & Alex Czerny, piano/ Doug Johnson & Noa Eads, percussion – Milan Records
Pleasant enough music that comes up short in lasting impact.
King Crimson – USA 1975/2013, 40th Anniversary Series – Discipline Global Mobile (CD+DVD-audio) & other mixes
King Crimson’s live 1975 release, USA, gets a definitive reissue.
Saxophone Pictures = MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition; DRESSEL: Partita; CANFIELD: Trio after Brahms in G minor – Kenneth Tse, sax/ Rachel Patrick, violin/ Lin-Yu Wang & Alan Huckleberry, pianos – Crystal Records
The saxophone’s full range explored in three diverse pieces.
O’Riley’s LISZT, Blu-ray (2013)
The Blu-ray video release of an album that we liked earlier—a lot.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 6 in a minor – Bamberger Sym./ Jonathan Nott – Tudor
A solid Mahler Sixth Symphony with fine sonics.
Home Page for March 1, 2014
Our March drawing/giveaway is for five new three-CD albums from San Francisco’s Foghorn Classics label. They are of the complete six Bartók String Quartets plus the two by Kodály, played by the sensational Alexander String Quartet. Here is our rave review of the album. Steven Ritter said they may be the best ever of these important works. All you need to do is to register on our simple form this month; we will not share your email with anyone. The five lucky winners will be announced on our Editorial Page next month and you’ll find more details there this month. Our Best Discs of 2013 are published here.
Editorial for March 2014
Foghorn Classics and Allegro Distributors have donated five copies of the three-CD package The Complete String Quartets of Bartok & Kodaly. The Alexander String Quartet’s sense of natural communications seems to make the Bartók Quartets less difficult, and our reviewer raved about the set. This San Francisco label was founded in 1994 by the Alexander String Quartet. To be eligible for this drawing, just register this month via our simple non-intrusive form, and we won’t share your email address. The six winners will be listed in this space next month. Here are the six winners of our February drawing—the new vinyl, “Water”, by vocalist Gregory Porter from Motema Records. Congrats to all six!: Cynthia Cathron, Dallas TX; Lorenzo Glover, Columbus OH; Joseph Cardettino, Niskayua NY; Sandra Deuel-Weiks, Newaygo MI; Beth Nilva, Reno NV; Vadim Fedotov, San Francisco CA. GUEST EDITORAL by Dr. Mark Waldrep of AIX Recordings Surround Music Never Caught On? The Audiophiliac, aka Steve Guttenberg, wrote an interesting piece over at cnet.com (click here to read the entire article) that in his opinion interest in surround sound is “fading fast”. While I do have a great deal of respect for Steve (he called our Goldberg Variations Blu-ray disc “best […]
MENDELSSOHN: Complete Chamber Music for Strings, Vol. III = Mandelring Q. / Quartetto di Cremona – Audite
Powerful performances: the Manderling Quartet’s Op. 44, No. 3, gives the lie to the judgment that Mendelssohn’s middle quartets represent a step backward.
* Hymn to the Virgin – Schola Cantorum/ Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl – 2L Pure Audio Blu-ray
************ MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH *************
This release is unbelievably spectacular in any category you care to name.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
