Monthly Archive: March 2016
“Vienna New Year’s Concert 2016”: Music by STOLZ, ZIEHRER, WALDTEUFEL, HELLMESBERGER and The STRAUSSES =- Vienna Philharmonic/ Jansons – Sony Classical
“Vienna New Year’s Concert 2016”: Music by STOLZ, ZIEHRER, WALDTEUFEL, HELLMESBERGER and The STRAUSSES – Vienna Philharmonic/ Mariss Jansons – Sony Classical 88875174802, 112 mins (2 CDs) (1/22/16) *****: One of the best of the New Year’s Concert series. This is one of the best in the long history of Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concerts, combining Mariss Jansons’ charismatic conducting, the Vienna Philharmonic’s sublime playing and the explosively live sound of the Philharmonic’s Goldener Saal des Wiener Musikvereins home. Meanwhile, the usual enterprising but still conservative program is highlighted by a staggering audiophile performance of Joseph Hellmesberger Sr.’s obscure but highly addicting Ballszene (Scene at the Ball). The Hellmesbergers were members of another celebrated Viennese family – father Georg was the most popular Austrian violinist of his day and the first leader of the Vienna Philharmonic, and son Joseph Jr. conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. And while music by his son is regularly played, Hellmesberger Senior’s Ballszene (Ball Scene), based on a violin study by Joseph Mayseder and scored for strings, harps, timpani and triangle, has a whirling, deliriously chromatic main theme in the violins that’s like mainlining classical music, especially with Jansons and the VPO giving it a slightly […]
BRAHMS: Sonata in f minor for 2 Pianos; Variations on a Theme by Haydn – Eleonora Spina & Michele Benignetti, pianos – Brilliant Classics
BRAHMS: Sonata in f minor for Two Pianos, Op. 34b; Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56b – Eleonora Spina & Michele Benignetti, pianos – Brilliant Classics 94956, 60:22 (7/31/15) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Two of the Brahms orchestral works have their alternate egos realized in glowing terms on two pianos. This first disc in a projected complete series of Brahms’s duo-piano works, all to be recorded by the young Italian musicians Eleonora Spina and Michele Benignetti; this pairing of two-piano arrangements of larger scores derives from sessions 24-25 July 2014. Brahms in 1871 had already worked his 1864 Two-Piano Sonata from a string quintet, only to have had both Joachim and Clara Schumann declare that its form suited neither medium satisfactorily. The task of composing his first symphony lay ahead, and several of the motifs of the first movement would find heir way into that long-delayed work. But rather than destroy the Sonata, Brahms went forward with this publication, dedicating the score to Princess Anna of Hesse. Brahms would then settle for a hybrid of his former ideas, the Piano Quintet, Op. 34, as a fit medium for its weighty, symphonic conception. The opening Allegro non troppo gravitates […]
DEBUSSY: Violin Sonata in g; Cello Sonata in d; Flute, Viola, and Harp Sonata; Syrinx for Solo Flute – Boston Sym. Ch. Players – Pentatone
An outstanding release wonderfully brought back to life. DEBUSSY: Violin Sonata in g; Cello Sonata in d; Flute, Viola, and Harp Sonata; Syrinx for Solo Flute – Boston Sym. Ch. Players – Pentatone multichannel SACD (4.0) PTC 5186 226, 46:11 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: For those of you who don’t remember, the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, one of the greatest groups of its time, consisted of (for this disc) Joseph Silverstein, violin; Jules Eskin, cello; Michael Tilson Thomas, piano; Doriot Anthony Dwyer, flute; Burton Fine, viola; and Ann Hobson, harp. Especially interesting is the fact of all the trouble Tilson Thomas was supposedly having with the symphony members—who were not liking him much, according to some sources—yet the recordings he made with them during the start of his career, were nothing less than sensational, several now considered staples of the recorded legacy and even desert island discs. This translated into his work with the Chamber Players too. Tilson Thomas, an outstanding pianist, hooked up with the folks on this recording to make a go at repertory that was always second nature to the BSO. Its moniker “The Aristocrat of Orchestras” indicated a certain suavity and high natured tonal luster that […]
Piotr Szewczyk, solo violin – “Violin Futura” – Navona (2 discs)
Piotr Szewczyk, “Violin Futura”, Thirty-three commissioned works from composers around the world [TrackList follows] – Piotr Szewczyk, solo violin – Navona NV6028 [Distr. by Parma], TT: 101:22, (two CDs) (2/12/16) ***: Very impressive violin work in a cutting-edge but nearly exhausting collection. Nearly exhausting is this modern solo violin collection both for the incredible talent of Piotr Szewczyk as well as for the listener. The back story on this two disc program is as follows. In 2005, violinist and composer Piotr Szewczyk developed the Violin Futura Project, a collection of commissioned miniatures for solo violin that highlights over thirty international contemporary composers and how they are re-imagining the solo violin. “The purpose of the Violin Futura Project,” says Szewczyk, “is to sample the creative environment of our times by showcasing the wide variety of styles present in the 21st century, and to create a body of new solo violin repertoire.” Szewczyk is, indeed, a very fine player. Polish-born violinist Piotr Szewczyk has been a member of the Jacksonville Symphony’s first violin section since 2007. Szewczyk has also appeared as guest concertmaster with the Orlando Chamber Soloists and has completed a three-year fellowship at the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson […]
“Mezzotints” = STALE KLEIBERG: String Quartet No. 2; Ruf und Nachklang (piano); Ashes (violin solo); Piano Trio No 2; Violin and Cello Sonata; Sonanze e cadenza – Soloists – 2L Blu-ray & SACD
Hard to describe, but once you listen, easy to understand. “Mezzotints” = STALE KLEIBERG: String Quartet No. 2; Ruf und Nachklang (piano); Ashes (violin solo); Piano Trio No 2; Violin and Cello Sonata; Sonanze e cadenza (violin and piano) – Marianne Thorsen, violin/ Oyvind Gimse, cello/ Bard Monsen, violin/ Ole Wuttudal, viola/ Jorgen Larsen, piano – 2L multichannel Pure Audio Blu-ray + multichannel SACD + downloads 115 (2 discs), 70:08 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: Stale Kleiberg is an extraordinary composer from any angle you care to look at. He is not a slave to the high modernists — far from it as his music is tonally secure, though not beholden to any traditional systems—yet one hears echoes of the most advanced of modern musings in his work, but bent to his advantage and definitely subservient to it. His style is indebted to the past in its sense of thematic sharing and dependency among each instrument. But the intimacy that comes from the quietest of linkages shines in each of these pieces, personal statements that make no waste of any note. I wish I could be more definitive in terms of describing Kleiberg’s overall stylistic tendencies, but I’m afraid that would […]
MOZART: Flute & Harp Concerto; Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds – Soloists/Oslo Philharmonic/Buribayev & Enegard – LAWO
MOZART: Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra in C Major, K. 299; Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds in E-Flat Major, K297B – Per Flemström, flute / Birgitte Volan Håvik, harp / Pavel Sokolov, clarinet/ Per Hannisdal, bassoon/ Inger Besserudhagen, horn/ Oslo Philharmonic Orch./ Alan Buribayev (K. 299) / Arvid Enegård (K. 297B) – LAWO Classics multichannel SACD LWC1071, 57:53 (2/18/15) ****: A winning showcase for the first-chair talents of the Oslo Phil. Here are two musical souvenirs of Mozart’s ill-advised and even tragic sojourn in Paris during spring and summer of 1778. The ill advice came by way of Mozart’s father, Leopold, ever the impresario, who insisted that Mozart establish his credentials in the French capital. The tragedy involved the death of Mozart’s mother, who had accompanied him on the trip, an event that deeply affected the twenty-two-year-old composer. As it turned out, Mozart made little impact in Paris and ended up being saddled with a couple of commissions for which he was neither recognized nor paid. One of them was for the ballet Les Petites Riens; not only did the management stiff Mozart on this composition, his name didn’t even appear in the program. But then again, ballet was […]
The Doug Webb Quartet – Sets the Standard – VSOP & The American Jazz Quintet – Gulf Coast Jazz – Wade in the Water – VSOP
Two new releases from V.S.O.P Records to recommend… The Doug Webb Quartet – Sets the Standard – VSOP 128CD, 59:10 (3/18/16) ****: (Doug Webb – tenor sax, soprano sax; stritch; Alan Broadbent – piano; Putter Smith – bass; Paul Kreibich – drums) The American Jazz Quintet – Gulf Coast Jazz – Wade in the Water – VSOP 129CD, 43:59 (1959) ****: (Ellis Marsalis, Jr. – piano; Harold Battiste – tenor sax; Alvin Batiste – clarinet; Ed Blackwell – drums; Richard Payne or William Swanson – bass) V.S.O.P Records is a small label run by Peter Jacobson out of San Diego. They have an eclectic catalog of jazz releases both on their own label as well as from boutique labels such as Mode, Studio West, and Tampa Records. Their West Coast jazz releases have long been a favorite of mine and I especially prize issues from Pete Jolly, Frank Rosolino, and Marty Paich. Their latest releases, available March 18, 2016, are from LA-based saxophonist Doug Webb, as well as a follow-up release from The American Jazz Quintet (out of New Orleans) from 1959 that concentrates on jazz interpretations of gospel and spiritual music. The Doug Webb set was recorded on May […]
DVORAK: Stabat Mater – Soloists/Radio Sym. & Choir of Bavarian Radio/ Mariss Janssons – BR Klassik
This live performance maintains an air of piety and devotion requisite to its powerful musical occasion. DVORAK: Stabat Mater, Op. 58 – Erin Wall, sop./ Minoko Fujimura, mezzo-sop./ Christian Elsner, tenor/ Liang Li, bass/ Choir of the Bavarian Radio/ Bavarian Radio Sym. Orch./ Mariss Janssons – BR Klassik 900142, 77:55 [Distr. by Naxos] (1/8/16) *****: When discussing Dvorak’s epic 1876-80 Stabat Mater (in b minor) with the late choral conductor David Randolph, I came to realize the innate difficulty of sustaining the musical tension of “a work consisting of basically ten adagios,” in Randolph’s words. Indeed, only one movement, the fifth, indicates a tempo that includes quasi allegretto. A series of personal tragedies – especially among his children – may have triggered Dvorak’s fascination with texts illustrating the pain of Mary in the face of her son’s crucifixion. Pietistic and emotionally introverted, the score embraces a deep sense of lamentation and tragic loss, colored only occasionally by moments of grudging optimism. My first recording of the work, led by the venerable Dvorak master, Vaclav Talich, projected a staid dignity and breadth of conception, and the present realization (rec. 24-26 March 2015) from Munich makes a worthy successor. From the expansive […]
KATI AGÓCS: The Debrecen Passion & other works – Soloists/BMOP/Rose – BMOP
KATI AGÓCS: The Debrecen Passion; Requiem Fragments; By the Streams of Babylon; Like Treasure Hidden in a Field; Vessel – Kati Agócs, sop./Lisa Bielawa, sop./Katherine Growdon, mezzo-sop./Margot Rood, sop./Sonja Tengblad, sop./ Lorelei Ensemble/Boston Modern Orchestra Project /Gil Rose – BMOP Sound 1046, 57:00 multichannel SACD (2/02/16) ****: More outstanding vocal work from this emerging contemporary voice. The more I hear of Kati Agócs’ music, the more I like it. She has an amazing way of setting texts, both and sacred and other inspirational, and giving them a “modern” but captivating context. Agócs typically assimilates several different cultural influences and multiple languages into her powerful and attention getting style. A perfect example is the amazing Debrecen Passion. Thematically centered on the work of contemporary Hungarian poet Szilárd Borbély and influenced by the particular qualities of the Hungarian language and culture, The Debrecen Passion takes Christian and humanist texts and utilizes them in a unique read of the Passion story but without the usual voices in roles. In many ways I found this approach both refreshingly different and quite moving. This is a strong, dramatic and, occasionally unsettling work. Vessel is another polytextual work for three female voices, taking us in a […]
Audio News for March 11, 2016
Sonos Announces Layoffs and Readjustments; Tom Sachs Turns a Speaker Into Anything; Amazon Prime Video Could Have VR Upgrade Soon; Touch-Free Typing Project at Google
PROKOFIEV: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 – Vadym Kholodenko p./ Fort Worth Sym./ Miguel Harth-Bedoya – Harmonia mundi
PROKOFIEV: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 – Vadym Kholodenko p./ Fort Worth Sym./ Miguel Harth-Bedoya – Harmonia mundi multichannel SACD HMU-807631, 57:03 (2/5/16) **** (performance) **1/2 (recording): A dynamic performance of two Prokofiev concertos with disappointing recorded sound. Winner of the gold medal in the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Vadym Kholodenko has impressed audiences around the world and particularly in Texas where he serves as Artist in Partnership with the Fort Worth Symphony. This SACD presents Kholodenko with Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in a pair of piano concertos by Sergey Prokofiev that clearly showcase Kholodenko’s skills. This SACD is the first in a projected Prokofiev cycle. The disc contains the Second Piano Concerto (1913) and Prokofiev’s Fifth Piano Concerto written almost 20 years later. The Second is well known, the Fifth less so. The performances are precise and dynamic. I’ve only heard a few performances of the Fort Worth Symphony, but they perform ably here. These are both challenging compositions, but they did not defeat the orchestra or the soloist. The recording is not a bad one, but not a standout either. Admittedly, how something is recorded is a matter of taste, but […]
SCHUMANN: Phantasie in C Major, Op. 17; BRAHMS: Ten Intermezzi – Iskander Zakirov, p. – Blue Griffin
Kindred Romantic spirits Schumann and Brahms provide the lyric and passionate content of Zakirov’s recital. SCHUMANN: Phantasie in C Major, Op. 17; BRAHMS: Ten Intermezzi – Iskander Zakirov, p. – Blue Griffin BGR 387, 64:38 (1/5/16) [Distr. by Albany] ****: Iskander Zakirov was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan to a family of professional musicians. He started his musical studies at the age of five. At the age of six he entered the Uspensky Music Lyceum for Gifted Children in Tashkent, Soviet Union. Iskander Zakirov received his Doctor of Musical Arts from Michigan State University, where he studied with Deborah Moriarty. He also studied in the Tashkent State Conservatory and Duquesne University. His teachers include Lev Naumov, Lia Schwartz, and David Allen Wehr. This recital recording, engineered by Sergei Kvitko, results from sessions May-July 2015. Zakirov has a natural affinity for the Schumann Fantasie (1835-1838), conceived originally as part of a tribute for the Bonn monument to Beethoven. The piece, moreover, has a powerful autobiographical component for Schumann, who called the work a “deep lament” for his beloved Clara Wieck, from whom he had been separated in 1836. Schumann inscribed the score with a lyric from Schlegel that a secret note resounds […]
Paris Belongs To Us, Blu-ray (1961/2016)
A supposed first in the French New Wave, but not a classic. Paris Belongs To Us, Blu-ray (1961/2016) Cast: Betty Schneider, Jean-Claude Brialy Director: Jacques Rivette Studio: MK2/ Janus Films/The Criterion Collection 802 (3/8/16) Video: 1.37:1 for 4:3 display, 1080p HD black & white Audio: French, PCM mono Subtitles: English Extras: New interview with Richard Neupert, author of A History of the French New Wave Cinema; 1956 Rivette short Le coup du berger; Illus. booklet with essay by critic Luc Sante Length: 141 min. Rating: ***1/2 Rivette usually is not included in the leaders of the French New Wave with Truffaut, Godard, Chabrol and Rohmer, partly because finances delayed the post-production on this film and it wasn’t released until 1961, though shot in 1958 and ‘59. Rivette gets away from the American gangster-influenced characters but is also obsessed with Americana. He is known for the length of his films; this is actually one of his shortest at 141 minutes and could use some editing! Anne is a young literature student in a Paris hostel, drawn into the bohemian circle of her brother Pierre. Much of it is shot in rather decrepit Parisian rented rooms, with little attention to lighting. There’s […]
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra – All My Yesterdays – Resonance (2 CDs)
Celebrating fifty years, and counting, of powerful Monday night big band jazz at the Village Vanguard… Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra – All My Yesterdays – Resonance HCD 2023 – 2 CDs, 48:47, 77:11 (1966) ****1/2: (CD 1- 2/7/66: Thad Jones- trumpet, Flugelhorn, arranger & conductor; Hank Jones- piano; Sam Herman – guitar, percussion; Richard Davis – bass; Mel Lewis – drums; Jerome Richardson – alto sax, clarinet, flute; Jerry Dodgion – alto sax, clarinet, flute; Joe Farrell – tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Eddie Daniels – tenor sax, clarinet; Marv “Doc” Holladay – baritone sax; Jimmy Nottingham, Snooky Young, Jimmy Owens, Bill Berry – trumpets; Bob Brookmeyer, Garnett Brown, Cliff Heather, Jack Rains – trombones) (CD 2- 3/21/66: Thad Jones – trumpet, Flugelhorn, arranger & conductor; Hank Jones – piano; Sam Herman – guitar; Richard Davis – bass; Mel Lewis – drums; Jerome Richardson – alto sax, clarinet, flute; Jerry Dodgion – alto sax, clarinet, flute; Joe Farrell – tenor sax, clarinet, flute; Pepper Adams – baritone sax; Jimmy Nottingham, Bill Berry, Jimmy Owens, Danny Stiles – trumpets; Jack Rains, Garnett Brown, Cliff Heather, Tom McIntosh – trombones) For jazz fans who can afford to live in New York City, the […]
Gerry Mulligan – The Emarcy Sextet Recordings – Mosaic – 5 vinyls
Sixty years later, a dream front line still dazzles… Gerry Mulligan – The Emarcy Sextet Recordings – Mosaic Records MRLP 3008 – 5 vinyl mono box set – 1955-1956 ****1/2: (Gerry Mulligan – baritone saxophone, piano; Bob Brookmeyer – valve trombone, piano; Zoot Sims – tenor saxophone; Jon Eardley or Don Ferrara – trumpet; Peck Morrison or Bill Crow – acoustic bass; Dave Bailey – drums) As a fan of classic mainstream jazz, there are times that I wish I was born ten or fifteen years earlier so that I could have attended jazz night clubs to have heard my heroes when they were either in their prime or just beginning to achieve fame. In the right city (especially New York), this could have been a weekday occurrence. This thought comes to mind when reading the informative liner notes in the Mosaic booklet of the just issued five LP box set documenting the 1955-1956 Gerry Mulligan sextet. The notes mentioned that the Mulligan group received high praise from jazz critics, yet the public at that time didn’t flock to record stores to buy the Emarcy label albums. How could this be besides the fact that there was an embarrassment of […]
Florian Hoefner Group – Luminosity – Origin
Musical storytelling which mixes compositional originality with instrumental brilliance. Florian Hoefner Group – Luminosity [TrackList follows] – Origin 82706, 54:28 [1/15/16] ****: (Seamus Blake – tenor and soprano saxophone; Florian Hoefner – piano; Sam Anning – bass; Peter Kronreif – drums) Stepping outside one’s comfort zone is a time-honored tradition in jazz. Pianist Florian Hoefner—born and raised in Germany and who finished his jazz education in Manhattan—took that journey a bit further than most. In 2014, he relocated from NYC to the isolated city of St. John’s in Canada’s farthest easterly province, Newfoundland. Not a hotbed of jazz, but the rugged and scenic area offered a place where Hoefner could and did focus his creativity. The result is Hoefner’s new quartet album, Luminosity, his third outing as a leader and one which exhibits growth, development and thoughtful complexity. The eight tunes (all Hoefner originals) total 54 minutes and were specifically composed for Hoefner’s international group, which also comprises tenor and soprano saxophonist Seamus Blake (who grew up on the west coast of Canada; runs his own quintet; and has been a regular with the Mingus Big Band); bassist Sam Anning (an Australian who resides in NYC and has worked with […]
Benjamin Beilman, v. – Spectrum = Works of SCHUBERT, JANACEK, STRAVINSKY & KREISLER – Warner Classics
Benjamin Beillman’s “Spectrum” displays a fine virtuoso talent in a variety of persuasive styles. Benjamin Beilman – Spectrum = SCHUBERT: Violin Sonata in A Major, D. 574 “Grand Duo”; JANACEK: Sonata for Violin and Piano; STRAVINSKY: Divertimento for V. & P.; KREISLER: Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta – Benjamin Beilman, v./ Yekwon Sunwoo, p. – Warner Classics 0825646008971, 69:28 (3/18/16) ****: I must confess to finding Mr. Beilman’s recital (rec. 18-21 August 2015) immediately exciting and refreshing, the sound of his incisive 2002 Peter Greiner instrument absolutely ravishing. Mr. Beilman studied with Almita and Roland Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicago, Ida Kavafian and Pamela Frank at the Curtis Institute of Music, and Christian Tetzlaff at the Kronberg Academy. The recital, obviously chosen to represent Beilman’s ability to accommodate a variety of musical styles, serves him well. The 1817 Grand Duo of Schubert – which I first heard from a record by Joseph Szigeti and Myra Hess – delights in a lyric urgency that propels the music forward without false sentiment. The Scherzo in E Major reveals a Beethoven touch or two. Especially plaintive, the Andantino flows with noble sympathy between the principals, who attend to Schubert’s idiosyncratic modulations, here, early into […]
Audio News for March 8, 2016
New LG VR Headset Competes With Samsung; Steps for a Better Whole-House Audio System; Some Grammy Results
Crimson Peak, Blu-ray (2016)
A Gothic romance masterpiece from Guillermo del Toro, set in the early 20th century. Crimson Peak, Blu-ray (2016) Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Hessican Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam Director: Guillermo del Toro Studio: Universal Home Entertainment 61163118 (2/9/16) [2 discs] Video: 1.85:1 for 16:9 1080p HD color Audio: English DTS-HD MA 7.1, DTS Headphone 2.0, English DD 5.1 & 2.0, French or Spanish DTS-HD 5.1, Spanish DD 5.1 Subtitles: French, Spanish, English SDH All Regions Extras: On Blu-ray only: “I Remember Crimson Peak,” Primer on Gothic romance, Hand-tailored Gothic, A Living Thing, Crimson phantoms; On DVD disc: Commentary track with del Toro, Deleted scenes, “Beware of Crimson Peak,” “The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak” Length: 238 min. Rating: **** This del Toro effort is full of his usual clockwork gadgets, blood, ghosts and strange little insects. The latter are often moths which constantly flutter all over the place. However the complications of turn-of-the-century costuming and life keeps the director on course for most of the film. The preview pegs it as a horror film, but it’s really more of a Gothic romance/mystery. Edith is an aspiring novelist, sheltered by an older wealthy industrialist/widower. She falls for a seductive stranger, Thomas […]
“Cesko” – Works of SCHULHOFF, & DVORAK – Ragazze Q. – Channel Classics
“Česko” = ERWIN SCHULHOFF: String Quartet No. 1; DVOŘÁK: String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, Op. 106; SCHULHOFF: Esquisses de jazz (arr. Leonard Evers) – Ragazze Quartet – Channel Classics multichannel SACD CCS SA 36815, 65:00 [Distr. Harmonia mundi] (5/15/15) ****: A very attractive program of Bohemian yin and yang. The “young Dutch/British” Ragzze Quartet here presents a program that is obviously dear to their hearts. And if it doesn’t quite seem to mesh as you think about it, both composers are Bohemian (hence the title Česko, the popular Eastern-European nickname for Bohemia), and both tap into the folk traditions of their native land though in very different ways. At the same time, both are cosmopolitan composers whose musical influences came as much from abroad as from their homeland. Erwin Schulhoff was born in Prague of a German-Jewish family. As a child, he met and was encouraged in his musical studies by none other than Dvořák, entering the Prague Conservatory before moving on to Leipzig and Paris, where Schullhoff studied with both Max Reger and Claude Debussy. Quite a musical mix, which certainly influenced his music making. Following service on the Eastern Front during World War I, Schulhoff traveled […]
Audio News for March 4, 2016
Black Violin Breaks Stereotypes of Classical and Race; DVIGear UHD Multiviewer Switcher/Scaler Allows Various Presentation Environments; Microsoft’s Xbox Chief Says Their Games Console Will Be Upgraded Regularly – Like Other Digital Products; Smart Audio Provides Automated Audio Production for Telecasters; The Economic Times of India Recommends Eight Tech Upgrades
Noah’s Ark (2016)
Not the best Noah movie, but enjoyable nevertheless… Noah’s Ark (2016) Cast: David Thelfall, Joanne Whalley, Nico Mirallegro Director: Kenneth Glenaan Studio: Cinedigm GP5049 (2/2/16) Video: Enhanced for 16:9 1080i HD color Audio: Englsh DD stereo Length: 88 min. Rating: ***1/2 There are other Noah movies which may be better that this one but I haven’t seen them. It’s not as slavishly Biblical as one might expect, but there is little time spent on the actual flood. Much of the film contrates on the difficulties Noah has in convincing anyone that he has been told by God to build the ark and everybody that doesn’t come with him on the ark will be drowned. He doesn’t even get the asisstance of his four sons until the ark is nearly finished. His wife, however, helps him out though she (like almost everone else) think he is perfectly crazy. I kept waiting for the procession of the pairs of animals into the ark when the big rain finally comes, but we never get it. Only a quick shot of a silhouette of some of the animals on a hill at some distance, and then that’s it. It’s basically the story of one […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
