Monthly Archive: May 2014
Audio News for May 30, 2014
Classical Dirt; Best Buy Says Consumer Technology is Changing Rapidly; Flagship CEA Study; CEA Call for Speakers for 2015 CES
Charlie Byrd – Brazilian Byrd (Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim) [TrackList follows] – Columbia/ Pure Pleasure vinyl
Guitarist Byrd and the music of Jobim, with chamber orchestra on audiophile vinyl.
Barb Jungr – Hard Rain [TrackList follows] – Kristalyn Records
Barb Jungr is a lounge goddess!
elbow – The Take Off and Landing of Everything [TrackList follows] – Fiction/Polydor – 45rpm double vinyl
Indie rock charting the ups and downs of mature relationships.
BRAHMS: The Four Symphonies; Overtures – Gewandhausorchester/ Riccardo Chailly – Decca (3-CDs)
Riccardo Chailly grants us a “revisionist” Brahms that departs from his 2005 cycle and reverts to the Classic detail and architecture of his model, Felix Weingartner.
Mike Murley Trio – Looking Back – Cornerstone Records
A versatile trio with a firm approach to the material.
Die Stereo Hörtest-Edition (Listen and Compare Edition) [TrackList follows] – Acousence Classics
A hi-res stereo classical demo from Germany, of not only SACD to vinyl but also to 96/24 DVD-A & FLAC and 192/24 FLAC.
GEORGE CRUMB: Sun and Shadow; Voices from the Heartland (American Songbook VII) – Ann Crumb, sop./ Patrick Mason, bar./ Orchestra 2001/ James Freeman – Bridge
A little fatigue sets in on the Lorca settings, but the American Songbook is as vital as ever in this last installment.
MEREDITH MONK: Piano Songs [TrackList follows] – Ursula Oppens and Bruce Brubaker, pianos – ECM New Series
Why didn’t they tell us she’s been writing for piano all along?
Audio News for May 27, 2014
Classical Music News; Sharp Greatly Reduces Prices on Aquos & UHD TVs; Screen Innovations Enlarges Selection of Ambient-Light-Rejecting Screens; Integra Adds HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 to AVRs; More UltraViolet Users Watching TV Content
Francy Boland Playing With The Trio: Kenny Clarke, Jimmy Woode – Schema Records
A scintillating trio session.
RESPIGHI: Belkis, Queen of Sheba Suite; The Pines of Rome [TrackList follows] – Minnesota Orch./ Oue – Reference Recordings Mastercuts vinyl
A Respighi chestnut and a Respighi sort-of premiere, both on an audiophile vinyl pressing.
PENDERECKI: “Works” = Polymorphia; Anaklasis; Fluorescences; Tren; Intermezzo; Kosmogonia – Antoni Wit, cond. – Naxos (double vinyl)
Some historic works given fine performances and great sound!
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor”; SCHUMANN: Fantasy in C Major – Yundi, p./ Berlin Philharmonic/ Daniel Harding – DGG
Chinese virtuoso Yundi performs Beethoven and Schumann passionately and aggressively, likely not suited to veteran tastes.
The Monuments Men, Blu-ray (2014)
Monuments Men is the true story of the group who rescued thousands of works of great art from Nazi thieves during WWII.
The Art of Arthur Grumiaux = Works of MOZART, SCHUBERT, MENDELSSOHN, BRAHMS, FRANCK, RAVEL, YSAYE, CHAUSSON, STRAVINSKY – Arthur Grumiaux/others – Andromeda (4 CDs)
Collected from Italian and German radio broadcasts, this four-disc tribute to Belgian violin wizard Arthur Grumiaux brings riches beyond the period sound of the performances.
David Roth – Will You Come Home – Stockfisch
Two fine singer-songwriters in hi-res stereo sonics.
Two X Four = BACH: Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043; CLYNE: Prince of Clouds; GLASS: Echorus; LUDWIG: Seasons Lost – Jennifer Koh, violin/ Jaime Laredo, violin/ Curtis 20/21 Ensemble/ Vinay Parameswaran – Cedille
Jennifer Koh extends her hegemony in violin matters contemporary by teaming with mentor Jaime Laredo in homage of the two-violin concerto ensemble.
The Bill McBirnie Trio – Find Your Place – Extreme Flute
A nicely-paced album that shows off the band in its best light.
Holly Hofmann – Low Life (The Alto Flute Project) [TrackList follows] – CapriAndrea Brachfeld – Lady of the Island [TrackList follows] – Zoho
Two recent flute jazz CDs of great interest.
Holly Hofmann – Low Life (The Alto Flute Project) [TrackList follows] – CapriAndrea Brachfeld – Lady of the Island [TrackList follows] – Zoho
Two recent flute jazz CDs of great interest.
Concerto I = MOZART: Two Piano Concerto in E-flat; LISZT: Concerto Pathetique for Two Pianos; BARTOK: Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion, and Orch. – GrauSchumacher Piano Duo/ Franz Schindlbeck, Jan Schlichte, percussion/ German Sym. Orch. Berlin/ Ruben Gazarian – Neos
A solid and well-done series of readings all in one convenient package.