Monthly Archive: August 2016
The Lady In the Car with Glasses and a Gun (2016)
A French psychological thriller with an interesting twist. The Lady In the Car with Glasses and a Gun (2016) Cast: Freya Mavor, Benjamin Biolay, Elio Germano Director: Joann Sfar Studio: Magnolia Studios 10921 (4/12/16) Video: 2.39:1 for 16:9 screens, color Audio: French or English dubbed Subtitles: English, Spanish Extras: Interview with Director, The Paintings of Director Joann Sfar, Theatrical trailer Length: 95 min. Rating: **** This was the first foreign film for which I auditioned the English-dubbed soundtrack instead of using the English subtitles. It wasn’t bad, though it somehow emphasized some of the poor acting during the movie. A lovely secretary has no boyfriend and envies the life her married school friend has with her wealth husband. She is instructed to take the couple to Orly airport and then to return the Ford Thunderbird to their home, but instead takes off on a trip to Nice and Monaco because she has never seen the sea before. She is sure this is the first time she has been there, but everyone seems to know her name and has records of her having been there recently. She meets and has an affair with a wild man who is on his way to […]
Erik Friedlander, cello – Rings – Skipstone
Erik Friedlander once again advances the cello into innovative musical areas. Erik Friedlander – Rings [TrackList follows] – Skipstone SKPST 023, 66:26 [6/10/16] ****: (Erik Friedlander – cello, producer; Shoko Nagai – piano, accordion, electronics; Satoshi Takeishi – percussion) Cellist Erik Friedlander is always pushing forward as a composer, musician and music creator. He’s helped elevate the cello as a lead instrument in the jazz arena. He’s explored different aspects of improvisation, composition and performance. On Friedlander’s latest, the 66-minute Rings (issued on his own Skipstone label), he continues to refine and adapt. This time out, Friedlander utilizes a new trio, Black Phebe (it’s unclear if the name is linked to the bird of the same name) to delve into the cyclical characteristics of musical repetition. Despite the application of reiteration, Friedlander’s 12 original pieces offer an enriching degree of variety, with a spacious scope of textures and moods. Friedlander is a veteran of New York City’s downtown jazz/improvisation scene but also works with artists outside that community. He’s collaborated with American indie folk rock band the Mountain Goats; alt rock singer Courtney Love; as well as jazz players such as Dave Douglas and John Zorn. The other Black Phebe […]
To Keep the Dark Away = Piano music of SCHULMAN, PROKOFIEV, WANGER, SHATIN – Gayle Martin – Ravello
In the course of documenting her friendship with composer Shatin, Gayle Martin drafts several Romantics. “To Keep the Dark Away” = SCHUMANN (arr. Liszt): Widmung; SHATIN: To Keep the Dark Away – Suite of 5 Pieces; Fantasy on St. Cecilia; PROKOFIEV: 5 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75; WAGNER (arr. Liszt): Ballade of the Flying Dutchman; Isolde’s Liebestod – Gayle Martin, piano – Ravello RR 7937, 64:38 (7/8/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ***: Pianist Gayle Martin and composer Judith Shatin (b. 1949) have had a creative relationship as far back as 1997, when Ms. Martin performed Ms. Shatin’s Fantasy on Saint Cecilia at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. This disc features that work, along with Ms. Shatin’s piano suite To Keep the Dark Away Dr. Shatin teaches at the University of Virginia, where she heads the Center for Computer Music. Pianist Gayle Martin wishes to impart (rec. 10-11 September 2015 and 5 December 2015) her vision of luminous and numinous experience, and so she seeks out those composers and literary artists who exult in a “secret song” of “emotional fervor.” To be sure, Martin’s rendition of Schumann’s Widmung in the Liszt arrangement proves lyrical and dramatic in its “dedication” […]
JENNIFER HIGDON: Cold Mountain (comp. opera) – Soloists /Santa Fe Opera Orch. & The Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers/ Miguel Harth-Bedoya – Pentatone (2 SACDs)
The birth of a truly distinguished American opera. JENNIFER HIGDON: Cold Mountain (comp. opera) – Jay Hunter Morris (Teague)/ Robert Pomakov (Owens)/ Adrian Kramer (Owens’ Son)/ Nathan Gunn (W.P. Inman)/ Kevin Burdette (A Blind Man)/ Isabel Leonard (Ada Monroe)/ Emily Fons (Ruby Thewes) The Santa Fe Opera Orch. & Members of The Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers/ Miguel Harth-Bedoya – Pentatone multichannel SACD PTC5186583 (2 discs), TT: 145:40 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: Like most novels of sufficient length and depth, it is virtually impossible to react while maintaining the consistency and formative narrative that makes the work succeed—or not. But when doing so for an opera, one does at least have a chance providing the music is up to the task. Opera, after all, is able to amplify and illumine specific static moments of a work in a way that even the most verbose text is unable to accomplish, emotionally speaking. This stylized formula, tried and true after so many years, and when in the hands of a genius composer, is often able to give birth to new and varied aspects of characterizations and hidden layers of meaning not present even in the original. No one, for example, […]
KLUGHARDT: Symphony No. 4 in C Minor; Drei Stücke ‒ Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau / Antony Hermus ‒ CPO; JUROWSKI: Symphony No. 5; Russian Painters ‒ Norrköping Sym. Orch./ Michail Jurowski ‒ CPO
AUGUST KLUGHARDT: Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 57; Drei Stücke, Op. 87 ‒ Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau / Antony Hermus ‒ CPO 777 740-2; 53:48 (8/14/15) (Distr. by Naxos) ***1/2: VLADIMIR MICHAILOVIC JUROWSKI: Symphony No. 5, Op. 79; Russian Painters ‒ Norrköping Sym. Orch./ Michail Jurowski ‒ CPO 777 875-2; 73:46 (3/11/15) (Distr. by Naxos) ***: Two more worthy composers rescued from obscurity, thanks to CPO. On paper and by just about every other standard, these two recordings have little in common except they both represent the crusading efforts of the CPO label to bring obscure but significant music and their composers to light. Klughardt was a German conductor and composer, an enthusiast of Wagner and Liszt who nonetheless pursued the course of the Romantic Classicists, devoting himself to the symphony and showing affinities to Schumann’s symphonic style. Jurowski was a Ukrainian Soviet composer best known for his film scores and for founding a musical dynasty that includes his conductor son Michail and conductor grandson Vladimir. However, I decided to review their works together because while I find their symphonic arguments somewhat compelling, it’s an interesting coincidence that I’m more attracted to the other works on each program and […]
Penclic B3 pen-type mouse replacement
An interesting, if expensive variation, on the standard mouse for RSI computer users. Penclic B3 pen-type mouse replacement $90 Tech Details: Wireless Bluetooth Type 802.11abg3-2051 Weight: 10.4 oz. Dimen.: 9” x 3.5” x 3.5” Comes with 1 AAA battery For Left or Right-handed users 3 buttons & scroll wheel Mac & PC compatible Also works via USB if no Bluetooth While I don’t usually review computer-only products here, I thought the Penclic was appropriate because of the number of older readers of AUDIOPHILE AUDITION with various RSI hand pains (Repetitive Stress Pain) who use an ordinary mouse on their computer. It may be appropriate for some, the earlier B2 version (which is cheaper – as little as $35 at Amazon) may be superior, but many feel that an “air mouse” is not the appropriate solution to avoid RSI. I am using a Kensington large trackball which instantly cured my carpal tunnel and trigger finger problems (in addition to surgery), but I will leave it to the reader to decide on investing in the Penclic B2 or B3. The two provided so-called instruction books with the unit talk about the warranty and other matters, but lack the basic instructions about how […]
SCHUMANN: Violin Concerto in d minor; Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major, “Spring”; Phantasy in C Major – Thomas Zehetmair, v. & cond. / Orch. de chamber de Paris – ECM New Series
Zehetmair’s “double duty” as violinist and conductor produces poetry and happy energy music. SCHUMANN: Violin Concerto in d minor, WoO 23; Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 38 “Spring”; Phantasy in C Major for Violin and Orch., Op. 131 – Thomas Zehetmair, v. & cond. / Orch. de chamber de Paris – ECM New Series 2396 48111369, 79:00 (4/29/16) [Distr. by Universal] ****: Founded in 1978, the Orchestre de chambre de Paris quickly established its reputation as one of Europe’s leading chamber orchestras. In 2012, Thomas Zehetmair was appointed the orchestra’s principal conductor and artistic advisor and on this recording, made at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in February 2014, does double duty as both soloist and conductor. Zehetmair has approached the 1853 Violin Concerto with a new urgency and respect, returning to the original version without the emendations accorded the “flawed” work from Joachim and Kulenkampff. Collectors well know the unhappy circumstances of the Violin Concerto and its suppression from publication by Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim after Schumann’s 1854 suicide attempt. The work found itself rediscovered in the 1930s, when its world premiere was to have been granted to Yehudi Menuhin. The National Socialists, however, staged the premiere […]
Audio News for August 23, 2016
Sennheiser Coming to the Big Apple – Headphones will take center stage in October when Sennheiser opens two retail outlets in New York. Both a flagship Soundscape showroom in Westfield World Trade Center and a pop-up store in SoHo will stock Sennheiser’s audiophile range of headphones, including the new HE 1 electrostatic reference headphone system, and demonstrate the AMBEO 3D audio technology. Starting in Chicago on September 27, Sennheiser is planning a series of special “HE 1 Listening Experiences” in selected U.S. and Canadian locations, continuing on to other cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto. Bryston Introduces New Digital Music Player – The BDP-π (yes, that’s the Pi symbol) is currently available for a $1295 suggested retail. The device is built upon the Raspberry Pi and HifiBerry platform, with a chassis that’s one-third the size of Bryston’s BDP player. The BDP-π will playback a range of digital files — from MP3 to lossless 24/192 — and can be connected to virtually any digital-to-analog converter, according to the company. It can also be connected to a network-attached storage drive and access Internet radio and Tidal streaming. The player features four USB 2.0 and one Ethernet (10/100 Mbps) input; […]
Metalwood – Twenty – CellarLive
Metalwood – Twenty – CellarLive CL02016 ****: The revitalization of a band devoted to electric/fusion jazz sounds. (Mike Murley – saxophones; Brad Turner – piano,triton,trumpet; Chris Tarry – electric bass; Ian Froman – drums) If you are into nostalgia for the electric/fusion jazz sounds like that of Weather Report, Return To Forever, and the Miles Davis band of the late ‘60s, then Metalwood’s newest offering called Twenty might be for you. This album is a revitalization for the same-named band that floated primarily in and around Canada in the late 90s and early 2000s, although there was some touring in the US and Europe. It also celebrates the twenty years since the group won it’s first Juno Award (Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) for their debut album Metalwood. Over the intervening years, the playing of the members of the band has evolved as each one’s individual style and technique has matured. As part of this re-introduction to the listening public, ten new compositions were written by Mike Murley, Brad Turner, and Chris Tarry. However compositional structure is often hard to define in this particular jazz form, as well as melody and time signatures. For the aficionado that is not particularly […]
SHOSTAKOVICH: Violin Concerto No. 1 in a minor; GLAZUNOV: Violin Concerto in a minor – Nicola Benedetti, v./ Bournemouth Sym. Orch./ Kirill Karabits – Decca
Nicola Benedetti lends her suave virtuosity to two Russian staples of contrasting temperament. SHOSTAKOVICH: Violin Concerto No. 1 in a minor, Op. 99; GLAZUNOV: Violin Concerto in a minor, Op. 82 – Nicola Benedetti, violin/ Bournemouth Sym. Orch./ Kirill Karabits – Decca 478 8758, 59:05 (7/1/16) [Distr. by Universal] ****: The story of the Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 (1948, Op. 77; rev. Op. 99) – delayed its publication and premiere for eight years (1956) because of political and personal intrigues – has now become familiar fare to students of the composer. Rostropovich blamed dedicatee David Oistrakh for “an act of cowardice” for not bringing the work out in its prime, just at the moment when the Zhdanov decree made of Shostakovich a pariah, fired from his post at the Leningrad Conservatory. The violin part – on which Oistrakh devoted technical advice – remains extremely demanding, to the point that after a grueling Passacaglia and equally punishing Cadenza, the Burlesque had followed immediately on its heels without a break. Oistrakh begged Shostakovich, “Please, Dmitri Dmitreyevich, consider giving the orchestra the first sixteen bars so I can at least wipe the sweat off my brow!” Shostakovich yielded, conceding, “Of course, why […]
FRANCK: Piano Quintet in f minor; DEBUSSY: String Quartet – Takacs Quartet/ Marc-Andre Hamelin, p. – Hyperion
Wonderful performances of some lesser heard masterworks. CÉSAR FRANCK: Piano Quintet in f minor; CLAUDE DEBUSSY: String Quartet in g minor – Takacs Quartet/ Marc-Andre Hamelin, p. – Hyperion CDA68061, 62:25 (5/22/16) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: While Debussy and his music are widely known, his string quartet – an immensely lovely sole work of its type – is certainly less familiar than his orchestral works and much of his piano music. Countryman César Franck is, regrettably, a much less familiar composer save the Symphony in D minor or, perhaps, his orchestral poem Le Chausseur Maudit (“The Accursed Huntsman”.) So, this simply beautiful paring is very welcome and, for me, especially having the Franck Piano Quintet. The amazing Takacs Quartet has recorded for Hyperion before and often in this combination of a piano quintet work and a similarly-styled string quartet. The Franck is a big, beautiful and passionate work; one that actually earned the composer a lot of vilification at the time for its sweeping Romanticism – simply not “French” enough, it seemed. The piano truly controls the opening movement, and Marc-Andre Hamelin’s sensitivity to the style bolsters the sensual nature of Franck’s writing. The Takács Quartet becomes equally engaged […]
Antonio Ciacca Quintet – Volare, The Italian American Songbook – Cellar Live
Antonio Ciacca Quintet – Volare, The Italian American Songbook – Cellar Live CL101815, 55:31 ***: A mostly robust and assertive session. (Antonio Ciacca – piano; Paul Gill – acoustic bass; Peter Van Nostrand – drums; Cory Weeds – tenor saxophone; Benny Benack III – trumpet & vocals) The Italian word Volare means “to fly” in English. It was the title to a popular song of the same name with a sub-title of ‘nel blu di pinto di blu‘ ( translated as “in the blue that is painted blue”). Composed, recorded and sung by Domenico Modugno, it won a Grammy in 1958 for record and song of the year. Although the other tracks on this Volare release do not have Italian-sounding titles, their congruity comes from the composers. Pianist Antonio Ciacca who is originally from Foggia, Italy composed six compositions, Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna) two numbers, and Frank Signorelli one. While the titling may be the thinnest pretension, the music itself is mostly robust and assertive. The trio of Ciacca/Gill /Van Nostrand open the session with the title track “Volare” in sprightly-swinging fashion and while Ciacca shows he has the chops to hold the tune together, he often falls […]
LISZT: “Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses” – Roberto Plano, p. – Decca (2 CDs)
Plano fulfills both aspects of Liszt’s Poetic and Religious Harmonies with style and fluent grace. LISZT: “Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses” – Invocation; Ave Maria; Benediction de Dieu dans la Solitude; Pensee des Morts; Pater Noster; Hymne de l’Enfant a son Reve; Funerailles; Miserere d’apres Palestrina; Andante Lagrimoso; Cantique d’Amour (Consolation No. 3 in D-flat Major) – Roberto Plano, p. – Decca 481 2479 (2 CDs), 48:00, 42:00 (7/29/16) [Distr. by Universal] *****: The issue of “who will assume the mantle?” of the great, by-gone pianists – Horowitz, Rubinstein, Cziffra, Casadesus – always stirs debate; but in the case of Roberto Plano’s survey of the 1848-1853 collection of Liszt, his Poetic and Religious Harmonies, we might acclaim him as the heir-apparent of Jorge Bolet. Finalist in the Van Cliburn Competition 2005, Roberto Plano has since toured US extensively every year, as well as Europe. He has recently been appointed as piano professor by the Boston University, where he will start next September. For this recording of Liszt, from the Fazioli Concerto Hall, 28-30 September 2015, Plano performs on a warmly-toned instrument dubbed “Mago Merlino” by the late French virtuoso, Aldo Ciccolini. Liszt, who constantly sought the spiritual within the confines of […]
REICH: Clapping Music; Music for Pieces of Wood; Sextet – London Sym. Orch. Percussion Ens. – LSO Live
Minimalism grows from a new technique to a sophisticated musical style. REICH: Clapping Music; Music for Pieces of Wood; Sextet – London Sym. Orch. Percussion Ens. – LSO Live – multichannel SACD, LSO 5073, 43:06 [Distr. by Naxos] ****: The rise of minimalism in the mid-20th century was a result of a revolt against the complexity of serialism (Schoenberg, Webern and Babbitt) and the indeterminacy of John Cage. Inspired by jazz, rock-and-roll, non-Western music (Indian raga, West African drumming and Balinese gamelan), the American minimalist Fab Four (La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Philip Glass and Steve Reich) composed music that emphasized tonality and pulse over harmony and the drama of tension and release. Reich (b. 1936), probably the most sophisticated example, demanded that the listener be able to clearly understand the process of the evolution of his music. He emphasized movement within repetition by shifting rhythmic patterns of one or more instruments at different times. He uses phase shifting (analogous to canon) where two identical patterns played together gradually shift out of unison creating intricate and complex counterpoint. When the listener has the patience to concentrate on this process, the music can become a “slowly unfolding, ecstatic ritual that can […]
BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1 in c minor; LEIF SEGERSTAM: Symphony No. 288, “Letting the Flow go on…” – Turku Philharmonic Orch. /Leif Segerstam – Alba
Fine, sensitive performance of the Brahms. JOHANNES BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1 in c minor; LEIF SEGERSTAM: Symphony No. 288, “Letting the Flow go on…” – Turku Philharmonic Orch. /Leif Segerstam – Alba Records multichannel SACD ABCD390, 71:35 [Distr. by Albany] (7/29/16) ***: The first things I noticed about this new (and very good) rendition of the Brahms first is the cover. We get one of the best known photos of Johannes Brahms aside that of the physically quite similar composer-conductor Leif Segerstam (only Brahms looks less manic) The other thing that caught my attention immediately was the title and mere fact of the existence of Segerstam’s Symphony No. 288 (Two Hundred Eighty-Eight! …. Haydn and Hovhaness, move over). More on that. Segerstam’s rendition of the iconic Brahms Symphony No. 1 is quite good. While I really, really like a couple of the older versions, such as those by Giulini and von Karajan, this is a very nicely paced performance with great sensitivity to style. I found the second movement especially lovely. This is, in my opinion, one of the best symphonies by any composer, ever, and there are certainly and literally hundreds of recordings to choose from (because it’s a […]
Steve Turre – Colors For The Masters – Smoke Sessions
Steve Turre – Colors For The Masters – Smoke Sessions SSR-1606, 60:51 ****: A group of jazz professionals developing a thoughtful rapport in an attractive uncluttered session. (Steve Turre – trombone & shells; Kenny Barron – piano; Ron Carter – bass; Jimmy Cobb – drums; Special guests: Javon Jackson – tenor saxophone, tracks 1/3/4/6; Cyro Baptista – percussion, track 10) Steve Turre knew he was going to have good day when he woke up on February 25, 2016. He was going into the recording studio to cut an album with an iconic jazz rhythm section. The ever tasty pianist Kenny Barron, the impeccable bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Jimmy Cobb who at eighty-seven was the only surviving member of the Miles Davis band that recorded the consummate jazz album Kind Of Blue in 1959. By the end of the day, Turre would not have been disappointed, as the album Colors For The Masters has turned out to be the perfect example of a group of jazz professionals developing a thoughtful rapport, in an attractive uncluttered session. The music for this “live” recorded session is a deft combination of Turre originals, and other compositions from some well-known jazz players, as well […]
Fabiren Sevitzky & the Indianapolis Sym. Vol. I – Pristine Audio
Mark Obert-Thorn restores the World Premiere recording of Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony. Fabien Sevitzky – Indianapolis Symphony Vol. 1 = TCHAIKOVSKY: Manfred Sym. in b minor, Op. 58; Waltz from Eugene Onegin, Op. 24; GLINKA: Russlan and Ludmilla Ov.; RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Dubinushka, Op. 62; LIADOV: Baba Yaga, Op. 56 – Indianapolis Sym. Orch./ Fabien Sevitzky – Pristine Audio PASC 479, 79:00 [www.pristineclassical.com] ****: The restoration of the Fabien Sevitzky (nee Koussevitzky) reading of the Tchaikovsky Manfred Symphony (27-28 January 1942) at the Mural Theatre, Indianapolis by audio engineer and annotator Mark Obert-Thorn is not the first CD incarnation of this performance: it had been issued on the Historic-Recordings.co.uk label in 2009 (HRCD 00017) in a transfer by Damien Rogan. Under that aegis, the gloomy, dramatic symphony inspired by Lord Byron’s 1816 epic poem stands alone; here, Obert-Thorn adds – in the first two selections from 1941 – the earliest of the conductor’s sessions at RCA Victor. Sevitzky (1891-1967) – nephew of his more illustrious uncle Serge Koussevitzky – had studied both with Liadov and Rimsky-Korsakov in St. Petersburg, so he had imbibed the Russian style naturally. An avid collector of neckwear, Sevitzky claimed to possess the second largest assortment of neckties, […]
Cyrus Chestnut – Natural Essence – HighNote
Cyrus Chestnut – Natural Essence – HighNote HCD 7283, 63:10 ****: This is a delightfully invigorating trio session. (Cyrus Chestnut – piano; Buster Williams – bass; Lenny White – drums) Cyrus Chesnut’s musical demeanour is a combination of soulful and probing. In his latest release for HighNote Records entitled Natural Essence, he and his cohorts bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White, confirm that their similar ideas and personality make for a session that the listener will find clearly appealing. The recital’s opening track is the Joe Henderson funkaloo number “Mamacita” on which the band finds a groove that they rock out with brio as each member struts his stuff. Chestnut has always had an affinity with spiritually-based music. His own composition “Faith Amongst The Unknown” falls into this bedrock in a supple yet assertive way. “I Cover The Waterfront” was written in 1933 by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman and was inspired by the 1932 book of the same name by Max Miller. Since that time, the tune has been covered by many artists including Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. Chestnut and the trio take the tune at a sprightly pace grounded by the pianist’s impeccable touch. […]
TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 – Suite from the Ballet – Philharmonia Orch./ Efrem Kurtz – Hi-Q Records
The 1958 classic Nutcracker excerpts assume a new audiophile guise in this issue from Hi-Q Records. TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 – Suite from the Ballet – Philharmonia Orch./ Efrem Kurtz – Hi-Q Records xrcd24 HIQXRCD51, 60:00 (6/24/16) [Distr. by Warner Classics] ****: The Nutcracker – Suite From The Ballet is performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra and conducted by the well-known Russian conductor Efrem Kurtz. Kurtz had already been a familiar name with the Philharmonia to the record collector of the 1950s, and he embarked upon a series of Tchaikovsky ballet recordings with the Philharmonia Orchestra for EMI in 1958. A tall, imposing figure – he often dispensed with a podium – Efrem Kurtz had studied with Glazunov and Tcherepnin and was a pupil of Arthur Nikisch. Kurtz had a broad symphonic and operatic repertory and conducted the premieres of works by Copland, Barber, Walton, Hindemith, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, and Khachaturian. He remained most highly regarded for his interpretations of Russian music. Of this Nutcracker in the original review in The Gramophone of November 1958, R. F. remarked: “The orchestral quality is superb, and the dynamic contrasts tremendous. If you can hear the opening pizzicato notes of the Sugar-Plum Fairy, the […]
“Russian Dances” – TCHAIKOVSKY, SHOSTAKOVICH, GLAZUNOV, STRAVINSKY – Suisse Romande – Pentatone
“RUSSIAN DANCES” = TCHAIKOVSKY: Suite from Swan Lake; GLAZUNOV 2 Concert Waltzes; SHOSTAKOVICH: The Golden Age; STRAVINSKY: Circus Polka – Kazuki Yamada/ Orch. de la Suisse Romande – Pentatone multichannel (5.0) SACD PTC 5186 557, 70:54 (3/11/16) ***: Nice sonics and playing but the program is a bit mundane. “Russian Dances” is a pleasant diversion from Pentatone, but it isn’t particularly compelling for serious music lovers. Most of our readers will have much of this music in their collections performed by other musicians. The performances here are fine, and the 5.0 SACD sounds good, as do all the Pentatones I’ve reviewed. On the other hand, the compositions on the disc are pretty much war horses and not the kind of music most of us would seek out. I thought the highlight of the disc was the Shostakovich ballet suite The Golden Age, likely because I was less familiar with it and it wasn’t a waltz, which, along with a Stravinsky polka pervades the program. The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under the baton of Kabuki Yamada play the included music well, but again, there’s not much compelling here. The recorded sound is well-engineered, but this is not among the top tier […]
Audio News for August 19, 2016
Steps to Protect a Home’s Electronics – More and more homeowners are becoming aware of the need to protect their homes from lightning strikes. The number of homes struck by lightning has increased 5 to 8% and exceeds billions of dollars annually. Lightning can rip thru roofs, cause structural damage, ignite fires and cause chaos with electronic equipment. The most common damage mode is a lightning strike to the network power, phone and cable TV. It can go to all your connected equipment. The next most common mode of damage is when lightning strikes travel thru the ground connecting to the external wiring such as air conditioners, exterior lights, gate control systems and security systems – all of which will carry the lightning into the home. The third most common lightning damage is when it strikes nearby objects such as trees, flagpoles and signs. It can thus radiate a strong electromagnetic field which can be picked up by the wiring in the house. The fourth and last mode of damage is a direct lightning strike to the house. The National Electric Code requires certain grounding, bonding and protection features intended to protect against lightning. They can greatly reduce personal injury, […]
GOYA – Visions of Flesh and Blood (2016)
Nothing to do with music, but a fascinating view of the father of modern art. GOYA – Visions of Flesh and Blood (2016) From the National Gallery, London Director: David Bickerstaff Producer: Phil Grabsky Studio: Seventh Art Prod. SEV190 [7/8/16] (Dist. by Naxos) Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9 screens, color Audio: English PCM stereo Subtitles: English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Italian All Regions Length: 96 min. Rating: ***** This is perhaps a better introduction to the great painter than a visit to to the exhibition of his work at the National Gallery in London. It uses a fresh biography, excerpts from his letters, and stunning local scenery as well as behind the scenes at the Gallery. Francisco Goya was a really brilliant observer of everyday life and of the troubled times in Spain. His gifts as a portrait painter extended to his getting a true feeling for person he was painting and especially with their eyes showing your way into their very soul – which other portrait painters failed to capture. He had a highly modern approach to the capture of subtle expressions and gestures, and occasionally painted himself as a minor figure in the back of many of his […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
