Monthly Archive: June 2014
GUSTAV HOLST cond. the London Sym. Orch. = The Planets – Acoustic Recording; The Planets – Electrical Recording; St. Paul’s Suite; Beni Mora; Songs Without Words – London Sym. Orch. and Women’s Chorus/ The String Orch./ Gustav Holst – Explore Multimedia (2 CDs+CD-ROM)
In a triumph of “authenticity,” this set restores the complete Gustav Holst recorded legacy in startlingly improved sound for the period, 1922-1926.
Audio News for June 6, 2014
Netflix Plan for Streaming UHD; HiFi House Liquidates; Clarion Car Electronics Launches Car Restoration Project; New Bluetooth Speakers from TDK Life on Record; Polk Launches Their First Active Speaker; Yamaha Adds Two Stereo Components
BRAHMS: Cello Sonata No. 1 in e; and in F – John Whitfield, cello/ James Winn, p. – MSR Classics
Whitfield’s creamy tone is a huge advantage though the Sonata 2 needs some more emotive power.
MARTY REGAN: Scattering Light, Scattering Flowers; Selected Works for Japanese Instruments, Vol. 3 (TrackList follows) – Aura J Japanese Musical Ensemble – Navona
An interesting musical journey with Japanese instruments in modern compositions.
Kevyn Lettau – Songs Of The Police – Master Music xrcd24
Jazz vocalist covers The Police in hi-res.
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor; Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major – Nicholas Angelich, piano/ Frankfurt Radio Sym. Orch./ Paavo Jarvi – Erato (2 CDs)
Erato reissues the two Brahms piano concertos with Nicholas Angelich; offers impressive, sympathetic interpretations.
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 1 in E Minor; Pohjola’s Daughter; Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major – BBC Sym. Orch. /Sir Malcolm Sargent – Guild
Sir Malcolm Sargent proves a credible leader in the music of Sibelius, a composer he well championed in performance and on records.
ERIK SATIE: Nearly Complete Piano Works – Klara Körmendi, piano – Naxos (5 CDs set)
A bargain way to get most all of Satie’s piano music in excellent performances.
Ernest & Celestine, Blu-ray (2014)
A warm and cuddly family feature animation from France, influenced by Studio Ghibli.
The Rolling Stones – 12×5 – London Records /Abkco Records vinyl/The Rolling Stones In Concert – ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out –London Records /Decca Records (UK)/Abkco Records vinyl
Two great vinyl reissues of Rolling Stones material.
![Dan Weiss – Fourteen [TrackList follows] – Pi Recordings](https://www.audaud.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/DanWeiss.jpg)
Dan Weiss – Fourteen [TrackList follows] – Pi Recordings
A big band but not big band jazz.
The Rolling Stones – 12×5 – London Records /Abkco Records vinyl/
The Rolling Stones In Concert – ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out –London Records /Decca Records (UK)/Abkco Records vinyl
Two great vinyl reissues of Rolling Stones material.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Ballet Suites from Swan Lake, The Nutcracker & The Sleeping Beauty – Vienna Philharmonic Orch./ Herbert von Karajan – Decca Pure Audio Blu-ray
These 1962 recordings, while not the most groomed in ensemble, still remain in a class all by themselves.
Oscar Peterson Trio – West Side Story – Analogue Productions/Verve/Universal
Canadian jazz master delivers on West Side Story SACD.
Audio News for June 3, 2014
Classical Music for a Modern Age; Free Classical & Jazz Music; OLED TV May Not Be the New Technology
David Oistrakh Collection, Vol. 14: Live Performances in Stockholm – Works of BACH, BRAHMS, HAYDN, PROKOFIEV, MOZART, STENHAMMER, AULIN – Doremi (2 CDs)
The great Russian violinist appears in Sweden, where he proffers us two new items for his immense discography by Stenhammar and Aulin.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 8 in E-flat, “Symphony of a Thousand” – Soloists/ Wiener Staatsoperchor/ Wiener Singverein/ Wiener Sangerknaben/ Chicago Sym. Orch./ Georg Solti – Decca Pure Audio Blu-ray
Heading to that desert island? Don’t forget to pack this one.
STRAVINSKY: Le Sacre du Printemps – Duisburger Philharmoniker/ Jonathan Darlington – Acousence Classics vinyl
Performance is very good; recording is outstanding!
Sonny Rollins – Colossus (1956) – Prestige Records/Analogue Prod. – mono SACD
This is a flawless SACD reproduction of a real jazz classic.
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 1 “Spring”; Symphony No. 2 in C; Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish”; Symphony No. 4 + video extras – Berlin Philharmonic/ Sir Simon Rattle – Berlin Philharmonic Recordings (Blu-ray video & Pure Audio + CDs)
************ MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH *************
All four Schumann Symphonies in both Blu-ray video and separate audio.
A Matthay Miscellany = Tobias Matthay, piano & his pupils/ Minneapolis Sym. Orch./ Eugene Ormandy (Honegger) – Appian Recordings (2 CDs)
Britain’s most esteemed pianist-pedagogue and his pupils come together in a broad spectrum of music performed with elegance, taste, and bravura.
Editorial for June 2014
Decca Classics will donate three of their new (Feb. release) 11-CD boxed sets of Rachmaninov’s Complete Works for Piano, with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Bernard Haitink and other musicians. It includes all four of the Piano Concertos and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, as well as the Piano Trios. These are considered at the top of recordings of Rachmaninov’s piano works. The three winners of this set will be chosen from among those AUDIOPHILE AUDITION readers who register this month using our simple form. When you register we don’t share any of your information except your address, and you won’t be receiving emails from anyone else. The three winners’ names will be listed here next month. Here are the three lucky winners of the recordings of all of the Mozart Symphonies on Naxos, our May drawing: Andrew Dolson, Richmond VA; Tenley Erickson, Tigard OR; Patricia Niska, Brainerd MN. Congrats to all three! EDITORIAL AUDIOPHILE AUDITION began as a local program in San Francisco and then in 1985 as a weekly national radio series hosted by John Sunier, and aired for 13½ years on up to 200 public radio and commercial stations. In September 1998 its web site for program listings was […]
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