Monthly Archive: August 2016
Bobby Avey – Inhuman Wilderness – Innervoice Jazz
The human condition becomes musically portrayed on pianist Bobby Avey’s latest. Bobby Avey – Inhuman Wilderness [TrackList follows] – Innervoice Jazz IVJ 102, 45:43 [6/24/16] ****: (Bobby Avey – piano, producer; John O’Gallagher – alto saxophone (tracks 2-3, 6, 8); Thomson Kneeland – bass; Jordan Perlson – drums) It may not be readily apparent when listening to pianist Bobby Avey’s fifth album, Inhuman Wilderness, but Avey has produced a record replete with concept, specifically the tragedy of man’s inhumanity to fellow men and also to the world/nature around them. Avey’s eight originals (which range from over nine minutes long to under two minutes) cover topics such as American military drone operations in the Middle East, to the unwritten stories of people who form the fabric of historical events; from the disproportionate costs of gentrification and escalating rents, to the need for societal changes. Since this 45-minute project has no vocals—this is quartet jazz music, not a spoken word or lyric-driven achievement—Avey and his band convey and communicate via musical cues, themes and stimuli. Avey’s eloquence, compassion and occasional indignation can be heard from start to finish, and are brought into focus by his new quartet: bassist Thomson Kneeland and drummer […]
MOZART: Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (comp. opera), Blu-ray (2015)
A setting according to Mozart’s original intentions? What heresy! MOZART: Die Entfuhrung aus den Serail [The Abduction from the Seraglio] (complete opera), Blu-ray (2015) Performers: Sally Matthews (Konstanze)/ Edgaras Montvidas (Belmonte)/ Tobias Kehrer (Osmin)/ Mari Eriksmoen (Blonde)/ Brenden Gunnell (Pedrillo)/ Franck Saurel (Pasha Selim)/ The Glyndebourne Chorus/ Orch. of the Age of Enlightenment/ Robin Ticciati Producer: George Bruell Director: David McVicar Studio: Opus Arte Glyndebourne OABD7204D [Distr. by Naxos] Video: 1080i HD, 16:9 for widescreen, color Audio: PCM 2.1, DTS-HD MA 5.1 Subtitles: German, English, French, Japanese, Korean No region code Extras: Concept, Craft & Collaboration: The Visual Story and a cast gallery (12 min.) Length: 168 min. Rating: ***** I must confess to being washed with refreshment at seeing an Entfuhrung staged at the actual time Mozart indicated—what a concept! It makes most of the modern stagings seem rather simplistic and silly, which of course is what most of them are! This idea that times and dates must be updated to speak to confused and stupid modern mankind is hopefully becoming passé, returning the brilliance and importance of Mozart’s message back to his original concept. After all, Entfuhrung is not actually intended to give a “realistic” account of Muslim Turkey, and even […]
Elvis Presley – Way Down in the Jungle Room – RCA/Legacy – vinyl (2)
Elvis Presley – Way Down In The Jungle Room [Tracklist follows] – RCA/Legacy 88985318111 – stereo double vinyl, TT: 76:40 ***1/2: Vinyl release of Elvis Presley’s last sessions is welcome, but at times disappointing! (Elvis Presley – vocals; James Burton – guitar; Charlie Hodge – guitar; John Wilkinson – guitar; Chip Young – guitar; Jerry Scheff – bass; Glen Hardin – piano; Tony Brown – piano; David Briggs – piano, electric piano; Bobby Emmons – electric piano Ronnie Tutt – drums; Myrna Smith- vocals; J.D. Summer & The Stamps – vocals; Kathy Westmoreland – vocals; Sherrill Nielsen – vocals) In America, there was only one king, Elvis Aaron Presley. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley moved to Memphis and eventually signed with Sam Phillips’ Sun Records label. He became the cultural symbol of Rock and Roll. With songs like “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Love Me Tender” he became a superstar. The rockabilly backbeat and rhythm-and-blues alchemy mesmerized American youth. More importantly, his electrifying television appearances elevated him to iconic status. Every teenager (including Bob Dylan, John Lennon and effectively all rock stars) wanted to be him. His ascension signaled the passing of the torch from establishment figures […]
Beecham ABC, Vol. 4 – Pristine Audio
The last of the Beecham ABC Network concerts evokes thunderous applause at every piece. Beecham – The ABC Blue Network Concerts, Vol. 4 = HAYDN: Symphony No. 102 in B-flat Major; MOZART: The Impreasario – Ov., K. 486; SAINT-SAENS: Omphale’s Spinning Wheel, Op. 31; BERLIOZ: Les Troyens: Royal Hunt and Storm; Hungarian March from La damnation de Faust – Blue Network Sym. Orch./ Sir Thomas Beecham – Pristine Audio PASC 480, 53:37 [avail. in various formats from www.pristineclassical.com] ****: The Haydn 1795 Symphony No. 102 in B-flat Major provides the centerpiece for this high-energy concert from 28 April 1945, the fourth and last of Sir Thomas Beecham’s concerts sponsored through the ABC network. The onrush of musical dynamism begins earlier, with Beecham’s thoroughly spontaneous approach to Mozart’s 1786 singspiel The Impraesario, whose Overture permits all sorts of interior colors as well as witty rhythmic subtleties not lost on our engaged conductor. Even narrator Milton Cross seems delighted to announce it as his prelude to the Saint-Saens symphonic poem that depicts the Lydian queen’s “humiliation” of the Greek hero Hercules – for the fatal fall of Iphitos – in the form of “women’s work.” A brilliant piece of orchestration – set […]
Kavakos, v. – Virtuoso = Works of Tarrega, Paganini, Falla, Stravinsky, Sarasate, Elgar, Etc.
True virtuoso fiddle-playing! “Kavakos – Virtuoso” = STRAVINSKY: Danse russe; Chanson russe; SARASATE: Caprice basque; Romanza andaluza; TARREGA: Recuerdos de la Alhambra; FALLA: Danza del molinera; PAGANINI: Introduction and Variations on “Nel cor piu non mi sento”; Variations on “God Save the King”; WIENIAWSKI: Caprice-valse; R. STRAUSS: Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier (arr. Prihoda); DOHNANYI: Gypsy Andante; BRITTEN: Reveille; ELGAR: La Capricieuse; TCHAIKOVSKY: Valse sentimentale; DVORAK: Humoresque – Leonidas Kavakos, v./ Enrico Pace, p. – Decca 478 9377, 78:47 (5/8/16) [Distr. by Universal] ****: Recorded in Athens 28-31 May 2015, this program celebrates the bravura art of the virtuoso encore in the European tradition, an art that several contemporary instrumentalists – especially Leonidas Kavakos – have decided to reinvigorate. Kavakos plays the Abergavenny Stradivarius of 1724, an instrument quite capable of projecting a vivid, piercing range of tone, including the fearsome four-note chords that transform a piece like the opening Danse russe of Stravinsky into a ‘symphonic’ experience. If Kavakos’ passionate gypsy-classical style approaches that of any of the old masters, it is likely Huberman. The two Paganini works demand left-hand pizzicato, three- and four-note chords, tremolo, staccato, ricochet bowing, duets between melody and left-hand pizzicato accompaniment. Considerable hazards abound, and […]
MAX REGER: Comp. Works for Clarinet & Piano – Robert Oberaigner, clar./Michael Schöch, p. – MD&G Scenes
Another nice addition to the growing Reger renaissance. MAX REGER “Complete works for Clarinet and Piano” = MAX REGER: Sonata No.1 in A-flat major, Op.49/1; Sonata No. 2 in F-sharp minor, Op. 49/2; Sonata in B-flat major, Op.107; Tarantella; Album Leaf – Robert Oberaigner, clarinet/Michael Schöch, p. – MD&G Scene MDG 903 1963-6, 79:33 (8/05/16) [Distr. by E1] ****: This is the third album of Max Reger’s complete music for clarinet and piano I have seen and heard these past six months. Clearly the somewhat obscure and somewhat irascible early twentieth century German composer is having a bit of a Renaissance; including recent releases of his choral and organ output and some very rare orchestral music. This is good because Reger was a very fine and somewhat daring composer whose main barriers to further renown were his own criticism of his works; hiding and sequestering them in some cases for years and that documented prickly personality. Interestingly, his clarinet music was always among his best known output; of those many works, the two sonatas written as the opus forty-nine pair are the best known and most often performed. This is for good reason. Those two works are masterpieces of swirling […]
RACHMANINOV: All-Night Vigil – London Sym. Chorus/ Simon Halsey – LSO Sing
LSC enters the fray with a release of highly competitive value. RACHMANINOV: All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 – London Symphony Chorus/ Simon Halsey – LSO Sing multichannel SACD LSO0781, 53:28 [Distr. by Naxos] (6/10/16) *****: If there is any work of Rachmaninov’s that has benefitted from the surround sound revolution, it is certainly his seminal All-Night Vigil, sometimes incorrectly labeled Vespers. (The piece is actually a compendium of selections from the Orthodox Vespers and Matins services often served together as one.) I think we are now at the point of admitting that no one need sacrifice great sound, meaning SACD or Blu-ray sound, in this work for want of great interpretations. Nearly every Super Audio disc of this piece I have reviewed—around five—offers quality presentations in superior, glorious sound. So why this one? Honestly, I can’t think of a reason. There are recordings where the all-important basses are given more presence, and spiritually it is hard to forget Rostropovich and his Washington Chorus. The aforementioned basses are nicely present in the Shaw recording (Telarc), but both of these are stereo versions, but all of the surround recordings sport fine choirs with deep, spacious sound. I can only say, with respect to […]
RACHMANINOV: P. Con. No. 3; The Bells – Van Cliburne, p./Sym. of the Air/Soloists/ Krill Kondrashin – Praga Digitals
The best version yet of this classic. RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto No. 3 in d, Op. 30; The Bells, Op. 35 – Van Cliburn, p./ Symphony of the Air/ Elizaveta Shumskaya, sop./ Mikhail Dovenmann, tenor/ Alexei Bolshakov, bar./ Moscow P.O./ Kirill Kondrashin – Praga Digitals Reminiscences stereo-only SACD PRD/DSD 350 123, 78:01 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] *****: Yes, this is that recording from 1958, Cliburn’s homecoming triumph after winning, against all odds—considering who was in power at the time in the Soviet Union—the First International Tchaikovsky Competition, a huge Cold War ploy if ever there was one, considering the wealth of musical talent present in Russia at the time, almost guaranteeing a win. It was the performance of the Tchaikovsky First and Rachmaninov Third that won the day for the young Harvey Lavan Cliburn, and when he returned to New York, Maestro Kondrashin was there at Carnegie Hall with him, subsequently recording the piece for RCA Victor. Only history will testify as to how much this significant event in the relationship between the United States and the USSR was soothed by the balm of Cliburn’s love for the Russian people, and their very demonstrable love for him. This recording has been […]
HANDEL: Messiah (complete) – Soloists/Mormon Tabernacle Choir – CFN – (2 CDs + DVD)
The third complete Messiah recording from this legendary ensemble. HANDEL: Messiah – Sonya Yoncheva (soprano), Tamara Mumford (mezzo-soprano), Rolando Villazon (tenor), Bryn Terfel (bass), Mormon Tabernacle Choir/ Orch. at Temple Square/ Mack Wilberg – Mormon Tabernacle Choir CFN 1631-2 (2 CDs) + Bonus DVD – 320k or FLAC download, TT: 2:23:26, 40:17 (DVD) (3/4/16) ****: The saga of the Mormons and their trek across America is indelibly etched into the psyche of all people in this country, regardless of what one’s opinion is of the religious tenets behind the faith. Mormons, not universally recognized by the Christian population of the United States—or the world—as a Christian religion, have struggled to become mainstream accessible for many, many years, and their success in this endeavor is much higher today than it was fifty or sixty years ago. But one of their most fruitful efforts was in the creation of the Tabernacle Choir, a highly sophisticated amateur ensemble of great size that enjoyed superior technical finesse, beauty of sound, and a repertory that spoke all aspects of the American experience. Founded in 1847, only a month after arriving in Utah, and building their unique tabernacle in 1867, the group consolidated into one of […]
Genius (2016)
A fascinating story of a famous writer’s struggles to get his books published. Genius (2016) Cast: Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Laura Linney, Guy Pearce Director: Michael Grandage Studio: Summit/ Lionsgate (9/6/16) Video: 2.39:1 for 16:9 screens, color Audio: English DD 5.1 Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish Extras: “Genesis of Genius,” “Painting a Portrait of the Lost Generation” Length: 98 min. Rating: ***** This film chronicles the NYC 1930s’ lifestyle and the chaotic relationship between the great North Carolina author Thomas Wolfe and his editor at Scribiner – Maxwell Perkins. Their friendship goes thru many phases as they work tirelessly on editing down the lengthy and verbose handwritten manuscripts of Wolfe. Wolfe’s wife is also a major fixture in the rocky relationships, and she seems to understand what is happening between her husband and the editor better than either of them do. It’s quite amazing that the filmmakers were able to somehow make it interesting to watch what an editor does. [I’m so glad I don’t have those length problems with any of my writers… Ed.] Firth, as the editor, always keeps his hat on, until the very end when he reads the final letter Wolfe has sent him […]
Audio News for August 30, 2016
Audiophile Gurus Forecast Best Buy – Best Buy has been in the news lately, both for prognostications about its longterm future (Money Magazine, CNBC, Bloomberg, Forbes, NPR) and the short term implications of its expanding its Hi-Res Listening Station displays – developed with Sony Electronics, and now available in 82 Magnolia Design Centers at Best Buy, and will expand to 250 stores, as corporate says, “bringing studio-quality music to the masses.” The new display showcases a high-resolution Sony Walkman, Sony MDR-1A, Sennheiser HD558 and Momentum M2, Polk Hinge, and V-MODA Crossfade. Hi-res listening stations will be set up in 82 of its stores nationwide. It seems as if the audiophile concept has spread to market sectors with money, and for this sector, hi-res headphones just make so much sense, especially with increasingly attractive entry-level price points. It’s also a way of legitimatizing the concept of audiophile sound, and the small window it may create for a new wave of re-recordings of classic audiophile touchstone repertoire has just opened. Reference Recordings’ New CD – By some magical sleight of imagination, probably buoyed by the success of his first three San Francisco Ballet Orchestra recordings, music director Martin West approached and persuaded Reference […]
MOZART: Piano Concertos No. 12 & No. 17 – Alfred Brendel, p./ Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/ Neville Marriner – Pentatone RQR
If there is any justice in the world, this will continue through the whole series. MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K. 414; No. 17 in G, K. 453 – Alfred Brendel, p./ Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/ Neville Marriner – Pentatone multichannel (4.0) SACD PTC 5816 236, 55:47 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: Anyone who knows the series of piano concertos of Mozart with Brendel and Marriner knows of its importance and significance. Few pairings of conductor and pianist have so successfully navigated Mozart’s supreme masterpieces with such panache and style, and when these were released both critical opinion and public acclaim merged as if one voice to proclaim them the most sensational recorded issuances of these works ever accomplished. They were not entirely complete—and this is a shame. But the greats and almost-greats were, making them mandatory acquisitions. This release, one in Pentatone’s series dedicated to reissues of recordings originally made in four-channel surround sound for quadraphonics, is a real beauty, and self-recommending, one of two the company has released so far. One hopes for a complete traversal of all the Phillips Brendel Mozart concertos, but I have no idea if this is in the offing […]
Gilels in Seattle = Works of BEETHOVEN, CHOPIN, PROKOFIEV, RAVEL, DEBUSSY, STRAVINSKY & BACH – DGG
DGG restores a colossal recital from the Russian legend Gilels. Gilels in Seattle = BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53 “Waldstein”; CHOPIN: Variations on “La ci darem la mano,” Op. 2; PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonata No. 3 in a minor, Op. 28; Visions fugitives, Op. 22 – excerpts; DEBUSSY: Images, Book I; RAVEL: Alborado del gracioso from Miroirs; STRAVINSKY: Danse russe from Petrouchka; J.S. BACH (arr. Siloti): Prelude in b minor, BWV 855a – Emil Gilels, p. – DGG 479 6288, 74:47 (9/2/16) [Distr. by Universal] ****: Emil Gilels (1916-1985) appeared in Seattle’s Opera House 6 December 1964 as part of his fifth tour of the United States. The private tape of the recital, made with professional equipment, came under the aegis of Deutsche Grammophone via pianist Felix Gottlieb, a former pupil of Gilels who had established the Emil Gilels Foundation and who runs the Emil Gilels Festival in Freiburg im Breisgau. The surviving recital had to dispense with the Chopin Ballade No. 1, the recording of which had lost several moments. Only the variations on Mozart by Chopin have ever appeared on records prior. Despite somewhat distant microphone placement, the opening 1803 Waldstein Sonata reveals a virtuoso […]
NICOLAS KAVIANI: Te Deum; Tous Les Matins du Monde – Moravian Philharmonic Orch./Janacek Opera Choir/ Soloists/Petr Vronsky – Navona CD & DVD
Traditional religious text treated like a traditional setting of traditional religious text. NICOLAS KAVIANI: Te Deum; Tous Les Matins du Monde – Moravian Philharmonic Orch./Janacek Opera Choir/soloists/Petr Vronsky – Navona NV6021 + DVD documentary (2 discs) [Distr. by Parma] (7/08/16) 48:20 **1/2: Nicolas Kavaiani, from the bio on a piano accompanist website, is a composer, pianist and accompanist and has over ten years of experience teaching piano, music theory and composition to students of all levels, styles and ages. He received his B.A. in Music Composition at UCSC and also studied at the Conservatoire de Musique in Avignon, France. Now, from some publicity materials for this new recording of his Te Deum: ”Nicolas Kaviani writes his modern day Te Deum (Navona CD plus documentary DVD) to praise the heavens in the fundamental manner that Western Civilization has done for many centuries past. In our modern age, however, the full creation is something we now know much more about than we previously believed. Yet it is still a mystery. The vastness and ineffable nature of boundless space as science has come to know it is the material entity Nicolas Kaviani sets out to praise in his half-hour work for orchestra.” Well, […]
What Happened, Miss Simone?, Blu-ray + CD
A terrific documentary on the life of this important vocalist in jazz, plus a CD of some the songs most associated with her career. What Happened, Miss Simone?, Blu-ray + CD (2015) Director: Liz Garbus Cast: Nina Simone and many of her friends and family Studio: Netflix/RadicalMedia/Moxie Firecracker Prod./Universal/Eagle Vision Blu-ray EVB335429 (9/2/16) + standard CD (2 discs) Video: 1080i for 16:9 screens, HD color & B&W Audio: English DTS-5.1 HD-MA, PCM stereo (CD – 44.1K/16-bit stereo) Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese Rating: ***** The story of her life and career is shown thru bits of archived interviews, extensive footage of her performances, and new interviews with family, friends and colleagues. Simone started out as a little black girl classical pianist of great talent, beginning at the age of four, who was turned away by Curtis Institute due to her race. She became a jazz and pop pianist, a unique vocalist, songwriter, singer, performer, civil rights activist, wife and mother, victim of abuse and a black icon. Simone’s career in music began when she had to earn money and began by playing and singing jazz and blues in nightclubs. She was considered by many to be too black, short […]
Monty Alexander Trio – Montreux Alexander – MPS Music – vinyl
Monty Alexander Trio – Montreux Alexander – MPS Music 0210986MSW (2016) stereo vinyl, 45:40 ****1/2: Jamaican pianist wins over Montreux in 1976, and the performance gets a sonic upgrade. (Monty Alexander – piano; John Clayton – doublebass; Jeff Hamilton – drums) Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander emerged on the music scene as a teenager in Miami. There he played with Frank Sinatra, and met Ray Brown and Milt Jackson. He recorded three albums with Jackson and one with Dizzy Gillespie. He toured and played with Ernest Ranglin, Bennie Golson, Jimmy Griffin and Frank Morgan. But he came into his own in the seventies when he teamed with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton. When The Monty Alexander Trio performed at the 1976 Montreux Jazz festival in 1976, the jazz world took notice. A jazz musician is often evaluated by live performances. Jazz festivals provide an incentive to stand out in front of their peers. The Monty Alexander Trio -Montreux provided an opportunity for the Jamaican pianist to make a name for himself. The trio (John Clayton on doublebass and Jeff Hamilton on drums) was making their major festival debut at the 1976 Montreux. It was not an easy task following the Thad […]
CORIGLIANO: Sym. No. 1; TORKE: Bright Blue Music; COPLAND: Appalachian Spring suite – Nat. Orch. Institute Phil./ David Alan Miller – Naxos
Three 20th-century American symphonic scores magnificently performed and recorded. CORIGLIANO: Symphony No. 1; TORKE: Bright Blue Music; COPLAND: Appalachian Spring (Suite) – National Orch. Institute Philharmonic/David Alan Miller – Naxos American Classics 8.559782, 73:58 *****: This is a varied cross-section of American orchestral works of the 20th century superbly performed and recorded. The amateur musicians of the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic (NOIP) are selected each year through rigorous international auditions and spend a month in intensive training at the Clarice Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Maryland. This process has continued for 29 years. Its conductor, David Alan Miller, has led the Albany Symphony since 1992 and made many recordings of significant American symphonic scores in the acoustically perfect Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Albany, New York. The performances are the equal of any major professional orchestra. This CD is a testament to how well student musicians can perform today. John Corigliano (b. 1938) has walked the fine line of musical composing: traditional enough to appeal to current audiences (Elegy (1965), modern enough to satisfy his colleagues and (most) critics (the Clarinet Concerto of 1977), and choosing subjects for his works that connect with American culture […]
White – Josh at Midnight – Ekectra/Ramseur vinyl
White – Josh At Midnight – Electra EKL-102 (1956)/Ramseur RAM1-811 (2016) mono vinyl ****1/2: This is a great vinyl remastering of an iconic blues artist! (Josh White – guitar, vocals; Sam Gary – vocals; Al Hall – bass) In the annals of American country blues, there was no greater influence than Josh White. He transcended music and became a cultural icon. Among his achievements, he was the first African-American singer/guitarist to star in Hollywood films, Broadway and various segregated hotels. His record “One Meatball” was the first African-American hit to garner one million sales. White was active in civil rights (he was an “advisor” to Franklin Delano Roosevelt) and in an unprecedented event, performed at the White House in 1941. He survived blacklisting (which ruined many Hollywood careers) (with significant career implications), and enjoyed some crossover success, especially with the blues-conscious rock and roll scene. His energetic singing and guitar histrionics (including pre-Hendrix playing with his teeth) became legendary. Rammer records has released an audiophile re-mastered version of Josh At Midnight. Initially released on Electra in 1956, the album is a joyful, expansive look at American folk, blues and gospel. The sparse arrangements frame a musical talent and charismatic performer. […]
TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake Suite – Menuhin, v./Philharmonia Orch./ Efrem Kurtz – HiQ xrcd24
TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake, Op. 20: (Suite from the Ballet) – Yehudi Menuhin, v./ Philharmonia Orch./ Efrem Kurtz – Hi-Q xrcd24 HIQXRCD49, 60:00 (6/24/16) [Distr. by Warner Classics] ****: A fine xrcd remastering of a classic performance recording. Once more, Hi-Q remasters Parlaphone 1958 original analog recordings from the three Tchaikovsky ballets recorded in excerpts by Efrem Kurtz and the Philharmonia Orchestra. Given that 1916 marks the centennial of violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999), the sliken collaboration in some of the world’s finest ballet music becomes even more attractively noteworthy. Menuhin appears thrice in the course of the excerpts, the last of which, the Danse russe from the Supplement materials, provides a rousing finale. As per expectation, the warm and often suavely heart-rending Menuhin violin tone proves ravishing, as in the appearance of the Swan Princess, Odette. Kurtz himself has an excellent grasp of the Tchaikovsky style, although for unbridled passion in particular dances and scenes, I might recommend Fricsay, Markevitch, and Gergiev as my preferences. At every moment, however, the effect of the new mastering process by Tohru Kotetsu at JVC consistently stuns for effects, especially through my BOSE headphones. The booklet, the slick production qualities, and the recording itself […]
The Cell, Blu-ray (2016)
Stephen King thinks the cell phone is bad – REAL bad… Cell, Blu-ray (2016) Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Stacy Keach Director: Tod Williams Studio: Saban Fims, 120dB Films, Genre Co./Lionsgate (9/27/16) Video: 2.40:1 for 16:9 screens, 1080p HD color Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish Extras: Audio commentary track with Director, “To Cell and Back:” The Making of the Film, Ultraviolet digital HD Length: 89 min. Rating: **** One of the Amazon reviews repeats in caps: This Is Not a Zombie Movie!” Well, I eschew zombie movies and I found this one plenty disturbing but having certain similarities to zombie movies. It’s based on a decade-old novel by Stephen King (who changed the ending to a more positive one for the film) and opens with nearly everybody using a cell phone or smart phone at the Boston Airport turning into a foaming-at-the-mouth rabid killer or self-destroyer. This is supposedly brought about by an electronic signal from somewhere. The cell phone connection is never made entirely clear (there’s one scene where a pile of cell phones have been burned.) But the Cusack character (who has been separated from his wife and young son […]
Audio News for August 26, 2016
Sony Is Advertising a Hi-Res Turntable – There cannot be such a thing as a hi-res turntable. It may be designed to convert vinyl discs to audio files, but it is not therefore hi-res. Vinyl may often sound fantastic, but it is not hi-res and never will be. Post-iPod Players – Both new and experienced audio fans are flocking to hi-res audio players for music while on the go. Rather than the old-fashioned MP3 players like Apple’s iPod, they have sophisticated electronics such as DACs, making them capable of reproducing hi-res audio that the iPod cannot handle. The hi-res mobile players have also become cheaper and more feature-packed recently. Hi-res correctly refers to anything in digital audio files which is more than the standard 44.1K/16-bit of compact discs. (The current low-end hi-res is considered to be 48K/24-bit.) The bit depth is usually pushed up to 24-bits and the sampling to at least 96K, which results in clearer, richer and more authentic audio. Enthusiasts sometimes compare hi-res audio to so-called 4K video (actually UHD) in terms of better sound quality, clarity, and authentic audio. Such players now range from $150 to $6000. Tracks can be streamed via services like Tidal and […]
HANDEL: Trio Sonatas for Two Violins and Basso Continuo ‒ The Brook Street Band ‒ Avie
HANDEL: Trio Sonatas for Two Violins and Basso Continuo [TrackList follows] ‒ The Brook Street Band ‒ Avie AV2357, 76:10 (3/4/16) ****: An entertaining and enlightening appendix to the Brook Street Band’s Handel Trio Sonata series. Here we have the Brook Street Band batting cleanup, providing a fascinating appendix to their important survey of Handel’s music in the form of the trio sonata. I say “in the form of the trio sonata” because some of this music, including the “Oxford” Water Music recorded earlier (Avie AV0028) and the Sinfonia on the current disc are chamber music versions of orchestral works. My first Brook Street Band experience, a recording of the Op. 5 Trio Sonatas, came as something of a shock. At the time, I had in my collection a recording of Op. 5 sonatas by a now-defunct group—I think it was called the Goldsbrough Trio, headed by Arnold Goldsbrough. I recall describing the Musette from Op. 5, No. 2, as played by this group as “haunting,” an adjective I wouldn’t readily apply to the music of Handel. Imagine my surprise to hear this piece as played by Brook Street: gone was the lulling, sauntering pace of the Goldsbrough, and instead, […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
