Monthly Archive: October 2014
The Rides – Can’t Get Enough [TrackList follows]—429 Records
Buffalo Springfield, Electric Flag and a modern bluesman stir it up!
Ray Charles – Genius Loves Company [TrackList follows] – Concord /Hear Music (DVD+CD)
Genius certainly applies to Ray Charles, and this was his final recording session.
SCHUBERT: Gesange des Harfners; Gretchen am Spinnrade; Sonatina in D; Impromptus Nos. 2; 3 in G-flat, 4 in A-flat; “Arpeggione” Sonata; Trio, “Sonatensatz” – Lara St. John, violin/ Marie-Pierre Langlamet, harp/ Anna Prohaska, sop./ Ludwig Quandt, cello – Ancalagon
Join these artists for a delightful and moving Schubertiad.
Audio News for October 31, 2014
Ten Best Classical Music Comedies and Parodies; Complete Peabody Panel on the Uncertain Future of Classical Music; Sharp Introduces World’s First Wireless Hi-Res Audio Player; Possible Dangers of Wireless Radiation
“Prelude Cocktail” = Preludes by BACH, DEBUSSY, SHOSTAKOVITCH and others [TrackList follows] – self
Preludes, from Bach to the 21st century, are toasted by a fine marimba-flute duo.
Zubin Mehta and Güher & Süher Pekinel in Concert, DVD+CD (2012/2014)
Another fine piano duo video from the Pekinel sisters; plus a CD of some of the program.
“Miraculous Metamorphoses” = HINDEMITH: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber; PROKOFIEFF: The Love for Three Oranges Suite; BARTOK: The Miraculous Mandarin Suite – Kansas City Sym./ Michael Stern – Reference Recordings
Another fine SACD from a fine American symphony orchestra.
NIELSEN: Sym. No. 4, “The Inextinguishable”; Sym. No. 1 – New York Philharmonic/ Alan Gilbert – DaCapo
Fine reading of these important, somewhat rare masterpieces.
Harry Allen All-Star Brazilian Band – Flying Over Rio – Arbors
Harry Allen’s sturdy tenor saxophone leads an inventive and versatile band.
ROSSINI: Le Comte Ory (complete opera) (2014)
A fine rendition of this terrific piece, which suffers only in comparison to the Metropolitan Opera.
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor & No. 4 in G Major – Mario Joao Pires, p./ Swedish Radio Sym. Orch./ Daniel Harding – Onyx
The lovely, often grandly lit performances of these two Beethoven concertos celebrate the memory of Claudio Abbado.
Audio News for October 28, 2014
Deezer and TidalHi-Fi Streaming Coming to U.S.; Classical News; Classical Mystery Tour Band
PROKOFIEFF: Romeo & Juliet ballet, Blu-ray (2014)
Better image and sound than the MacMillan Royal Ballet production.
Frank Lowe Quartet – Out Loud [TrackList follows] – Triple Point – vinyl (2 discs)
Unreleased Frank Lowe: free-form jazz with vision and vitality, on LP.
Trio 3 and Vijay Iyer – Wiring [TrackList follows]—Intakt
A memorable excursion into free-form jazz by four masters of the milieu.
VERDI: Don Carlo (complete opera) (2014)
Kaufmann and company do the 2013 Salzburg Festival proud.
Michael Nyman – Make It Louder, Please!, Blu-ray (2014)
A double-billing: a live concert by Nyman’s band plus a documentary “portrait” of the minimalist composer.
Branford Marsalis – In My Solitude: Live at Grace Cathedral [TrackList follows] – Sony/Okeh
A celebration of melody in an iconic setting…
The Mike Longo Trio Live – Celebrates Oscar Peterson – Consolidated Artists Productions
Don’t mess with an icon, and they don’t.
Freddie Hubbard – Straight Life [TrackList follows] CTI / Pure Pleasure
A new jazz style takes center stage on this vinyl reissue.
Delfeayo Marsalis – The Last Southern Gentlemen [TrackList follows] – Troubadour Jass
Two Southern gentlemen shine on a ballad-rich session…
PROKOFIEFF: Romeo and Juliet – Complete Ballet – Sym. Orch. of the State Academic Bolshoi Th./ Gennady Rozhdestvensky – Pristine Audio
The restoration of Rozhdestvensky’s complete 1959 version of Prokofiev’s brilliant ballet score is cause for general dancing.