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Monthly Archive: June 2015

Film Score Roundup – 21 Recent Soundtrack CDs

Film Score Roundup – 21 Recent Soundtrack CDs

by | Jun 24, 2015 | Special Features

In the June round up we have some recent releases like The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Thomas Newman, Far From the Madding Crowd by Craig Armstrong, and Exodus Gods and Kings by Alberto Iglesias, along with reissues and compilation scores. Howe records has released a few collector’s edition scores by Howard Shore, Crash and Dead Ringers featuring nice artwork and packaging. The sweeping score by Alexandre Desplat to The Imitation Game is the highlight of this film score roundup and should not be missed. HOWARD SHORE – Naked Lunch – Collector’s Edition Vol. 6 – Howe Records HWR-1017 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] This music has been released on CD before. The 1992 version on Milan Records has only the first 18 tracks, whereas this new reissue has six additional bonus tracks. Seven of the tracks were composed by Ornette Coleman and and Thelonious Monk’s “Misterioso” is also heard. One of the CDs featured William Burroughs on its cover because this is about his seamy drugged-out underworld and based on his 1959 novel. The film is full of sinister centipedes, living typewriter bugs, and “mugwumps,” and the music might best be described as beatnik jazz. Coleman contributes some lovely […]

“Poema – Works for Cello and Strings” = ERKKI SALMENHAARA: Poema; PEHR HENRIK NORDGREN: Hate-Love; JUHO KANGAS: Concerto for Cello and Strings; AULIS SALLINEN: Chamber Music VIII – Juha Kangas – Alba

“Poema – Works for Cello and Strings” = ERKKI SALMENHAARA: Poema; PEHR HENRIK NORDGREN: Hate-Love; JUHO KANGAS: Concerto for Cello and Strings; AULIS SALLINEN: Chamber Music VIII – Juha Kangas – Alba

by | Jun 20, 2015 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

“Poema – Works for Cello and Strings” = ERKKI SALMENHAARA: Poema; PEHR HENRIK NORDGREN: Hate-Love; JUHO KANGAS: Concerto for Cello and Strings; AULIS SALLINEN: Chamber Music VIII – Marko Ylönen, cello/Ostrobothnian Ch. Orch. /Juha Kangas – Alba multichannel SACD ABCD 372 [Distr. by Albany], 65:09 (5/05/15) ***1/2: The body of work for solo cello with, or within, a string orchestra is not a huge one but does contain some fine examples, especially within the twentieth century. Here we have a fascinating collection of works for this combination all written by Finnish composers within the last fifty years. The opening work and title cut, Poema, is also the shortest piece here but is absolutely beautiful. This work by Erkki Salmenhaara is written very traditionally in a solid E-minor and actually uses a snippet from the well-known Chopin “Funeral March” (from his B-flat minor Piano Sonata) as a starting point. This brief but poignant piece is also the oldest work here. It was written in 1975 shortly after the death of Shostakovich, who Salmenhaara greatly admired. No actual dedication or connection to that event was ever acknowledged by Salmenhaara, however. The mysteriously titled Love-Hate by Pehr Nordgren is really a cello concerto […]