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
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 […]