Monthly Archive: January 2015
Jack Bruce – Rockplast – The 50th Birthday Concerts (2014)
Legendary rock bassist celebrates his career at birthday bash in Germany.
“Good Friday in Jerusalem: Medieval Byzantine Chant from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre” – Cappella Romana/ Alexander Lingas – Cappella Romana
Cappella Romana continues their standard-setting course of Byzantine recordings.
SAINT-SAENS: Danse Macabre; Cypres et Lauriers; Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, “Organ” – Vincent Warnier, organ/ Orch. National de Lyon/ Leonard Slatkin – Naxos Pure Audio Blu-ray
Inaugurating the former organ of the Palais du Trocadero, Vincent Warnier and Leonard Slatkin proffer vivid Saint-Saens for our delectation.
Brailowsky Rarities on CD: NYC, 1940-1955 = CHOPIN, MUSSORGSKY, SCHUMANN, WEBER, LISZT, BACH, LIADOV, SCRIABIN & FRANCK – Fondazione Stauffer (2 CDs)
Almost 40 years since the passing of Alexander Brailowsky, an enterprising French label resurrects some of his finest recorded efforts.
Steve Turre – Spiritman – Smoke SessionsEddie Henderson – Collective Portrait – Smoke Sessions
Where there is Smoke (Sessions) there is fire…Steve Turre & Eddie Henderson…
Steve Turre – Spiritman – Smoke SessionsEddie Henderson – Collective Portrait – Smoke Sessions
Where there is Smoke (Sessions) there is fire…Steve Turre & Eddie Henderson…
“Paris 1937” = Works of RIVIER, FRANCK, TRENET, HAYDN, GOLESTAN & Others – Trio Lezard – Coviello Classics
Very pleasant tribute album with interesting and somewhat obscure pieces.
Audio News for January 27, 2015
Specs for Ultra HD Blu-ray; UHD Alliance Introduced at CES; Harman Acquires SM Pro Audio; Esa-Pekka Salonen Named NY Philharmonic Composer-in-Residence
Jeremy Pelt – Tales, Musings, and other Reveries – High Note
Two drummers set the pace for Jeremy Pelt’s new High Note issue…
Keith Jarrett/ Charlie Haden/ Paul Motian – Hamburg ’72 – ECM
Revisiting a most special evening with Keith Jarrett’s 1972 trio…
* WAGNER: Complete Mature Operas [Details below] – PENTATONE multichannel (32 SACDs + 1 DVD)
************* MULTICHANNEL CDs OF THE MONTH *************
If you love Wagner, you have to have this magnificent set.
Jack Mouse and Scott Robinson – Snakeheads and Ladybugs [TrackList follows] – Tall Grass
A horn and drum duo who take free-improvisation to subtle, superb heights.
Work of Art – Winds Of Change – Soundkeeper Recordings
Audiophile label proves less is more on this recording!
“UNCOMMON GROUND” = Contemporary Works for Trumpet with horn, piano and organ – compositions by BLAHA, GENZMER, LU, MICHEL AND SCHULZ [TrackList follows] – MSR Classics
World premier contemporary brass and organ.
(Piano for Four Hands) = REGER: Sechs Walzer; SCHULHOFF: Ironien; SHERWOOD: Sonata in Blue; DEBUSSY: Ballade; MENDELSSOHN: Andante und Allegro vivace assai – Mathias Veit & Henning Lucius, piano – Telos Music
The brilliant variety of Romantic and post-Romantic four-hand music has a colorful exposition here from Veit and Lucius.
Touch of the Light (2012)
Taiwanese drama about a would-be dancer and a blind pianist.
Audio News for January 23, 2015
DTS Competition to Dolby Atmos: DTS:X; Sony Hi-Res Digital Walkmen; Starz Adds DTS-HD Surround; CES – All About the Bling
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 2 “Little Russian”; Symphony No. 3 “Polish” – Vienna State Opera Orch./ Hans Swarowsky – Tuxedo
Hungarian maestro Swarowsky brings creditable energy and poise to two of Tchaikovsky’s less neurotic, early symphonies.
1914 – Music for Strings and Piano = KOECHLIN: Violin Sonata; VIERNE: Preludes for Piano; Quintet for piano and string quartet – Gramola
A lovely disc of French chamber music written during World War I.
Trifonov (piano) at Carnegie Hall = Works of SCRIABIN, LISZT, CHOPIN & MEDTNER – DGG
A triumph of will and technical audacity, Daniil Trifonov’s Carnegie Hall recital explores the Romantic ethos brilliantly.
Colin Maier – The Fabulist – self
Oboist pushes the boundaries of classical music.
SAINT-SAENS: Piano Trio No. 1 in F Major & No. 2 in E Minor – Aquinas Piano Trio – Guild
Splendid ensemble graces these realizations of the Saint-Saens piano trios, music both melodically and polyphonically engaging.