Monthly Archive: August 2014
20th Century Music = BÁRTOK: Dance Suite; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on Theme by Thomas Tallis; COPLAND: Appalachian Spring Suite; STRAVINSKY: Suite from “The Firebird” – David Bernard – Park Avenue Ch. Sym.
Top-flight performances in brilliant sound of some basic orchestral repertory.
WOLF: Prometheus (Orchestral Lieder) = Spanisches Liederbuch; Morike-Lieder; Goethe-Lieder – Juliane Banse, sop./ Dietrich Henschel, bar./ Berlin German Sym. Orch./ Kent Nagano – Harmonia mundi
From 2005, this reissue is a stunner in every way.
* “Zoforbit: A Space Odyssey” = URMAS SISASK: The Milky Way; HOLST: The Planets; GEORGE CRUMB: Celestial Mechanics; DAVID LANG: Gravity – Zofo – Sono Luminus
************* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH *************
A knock-your-socks off album of tremendous sonic import, with radiant performances to boot
JENNIFER HIGDON: On a Wire; MICHAEL GANDOLFI: QED.: Engaging Richard Feynman – Eighth Blackbird/ Atlanta Sym. Orch. and Chorus/ Robert Spano – ASO Media
Another stunning contemporary disc from two composers very much associated with the ASO.
RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor; PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor – Yuja Wang, p./ Simon Bolivar Sym. Orch. of Venezuela/ Gustavo Dudamel – DGG
Two top musicians offer extraordinary performances of Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev.
MOHAMMED FAIROUZ: Tahrir; Symphony No. 3, “Poems and Prayers” – Soloists/ UCLA Philharmonia & Chorus/ Neal Stulberg – Sono Luminus
Two fascinating pieces that don’t quite uncover the enigma of the composer, though an obvious talent lies underneath.
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat; Piano Concerto No. 24 in c – Angela Hewitt, p./ NAC Orch. / Hannu Lintu – Hyperion
Hewitt’s accessible Mozart doesn’t temper the easy-going antics of No. 22 or disguise the tempestuous meanderings of No. 24.
The Busch Quartet plays BRAHMS = String Quartet in C Minor; String Quartet in A Minor; String Quartet in B-flat Major; Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor – Rudolf Serkin, p./ Busch String Q. – Pristine Audio (2 CDs)
The classic interpreter of Brahms, the Busch Quartet, realizes the Master’s complete quartets with often gripping results.
Audio News for August 12, 2014
Exclusive Recording Contract for Winner of 3rd Annual Sarah Vaughan Competition; Best Buy to Launch $3499 Curved-screen 55-inch LG OLED HDTV; Russound at CEDIA
Monique Haas = Piano works of MOZART, PROKOFIEV, DEBUSSY, LISZT, COUPERIN, RAMEAU, RAVEL & CHOPIN – MeloClassic
Monique Haas in recital justifies her repute as a master of ancient and modern colors, often revealing the kinship of each.
Cesar Chavez, Blu-ray (2013)
A good documentary on an important American organizer.
CHARPENTIER: “a la Chapelle Royale de Versailles” = Canticum ad Beatum Virginem Mariam; Missa Assumpta est Maria; Concert pour les violes/ Nuit – Soloists/ La Capella Reial de Catalunya/ Le Concert des Nations/ Jordi Savall – Alia Vox (2 discs)
A compendium of old and new marks this latest release from Savall and company.
CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS: Symphony No. 1; PETER LIEBERSON: Neruda Songs – Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-sop./ Atlanta Sym. Orch./ Robert Spano – ASO Media
A bold second take on a seminal piece, plus a new and substantial first symphony from one of the best composers today.
Frank Rosolino – I Play Trombone – Bethlehem Records
A smart and lively outing from Frank Rosolino made all the more pleasurable by the presence of Sonny Clarke.
SIBELIUS: Lemminkäinen Suite & The Wood Nymph – Lahti Sym. Orch. / Osmo Vanska – BIS
Sibelius well-played and beautifully recorded.
SCHUMANN: Overture, Scherzo, and Finale; Manfred Overture; Julius Caesar Ov.; Hermann and Dorothea Ov.; “Zwichau” Sym. – Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie/ Frank Beermann – CPO
The performances here are solid but not really special. The program and fine SACD recording do have an appeal though.
Andy Biskin and Ibid – Act Necessary [TrackList follows] – strudelmedia
Clarinetist Andy Biskin has the cure for your blahs.
ZZ Top: Live at Montreux (2013/14)
That Lil’ Ol’ Band from Texas rocks the Montreux Jazz Festival.
“DOBRINKA TABAKOVA: String Paths” [TrackList follows] = Soloists/ Lithuanian Ch. Orch./ Maxim Rysanov – ECM New Series
Bulgarian composer Dobrinka Tabakova brings us something old and something new, something familiar and yet fresh.
“DOBRINKA TABAKOVA: String Paths” [TrackList follows] = Soloists/ Lithuanian Ch. Orch./ Maxim Rysanov – ECM New Series
Bulgarian composer Dobrinka Tabakova brings us something old and something new, something familiar and yet fresh.
DEBUSSY: La Mer; RAVEL: Lever du Jour; Valses Nobles et Sentimentales Nos. 2 & 3; La Valse; Pavane pour une infante défunte; Boléro – Gunnar Idenstam, arr. & performer on organ of Eglise St.-Martin de Dudelange, Luxembourg – BIS
First-time pipe organ transcriptions of these Debussy & Ravel works.
GLIÈRE: Eight Pieces for Violin and Viola; BRUCH: Eight Pieces for Violin, Viola, and Piano – Anton Miller, violin/ Rita Porfiris, viola/ David Westfall, p. – Miller-Porfiris Duo
Works by two Romantic masters, one very characteristic of its composer (Bruch), the other something of a surprise.