Monthly Archive: August 2016
Bryan Nichols (solo piano) – Looking North – Shifting Paradigm
Pianist Bryan Nichols takes listeners northward. Bryan Nichols (solo piano) – Looking North [TrackList follows] – Shifting Paradigm SP-119 46:20 [5/27/16] ****: The American upper-Midwest is a location of placid beauty: wintery landscapes, warm summer nights, windswept countryside, and lonely rural roads; forests, lakes, towns, and families. Minnesota is the place which permeates Bryan Nichols’ first solo piano album, the aptly titled Looking North. Nichols grew up in what is known as the Star of the North, spent time in Iowa and Chicago, and then returned home. The ten tracks on Looking North (eight originals and two regional cover tunes) form a centralized narrative which surveys raising children and being married; living amid nature; and the act of musical creation. Minneapolis-St. Paul and the surrounding Minnesota area isn’t widely acknowledged by outsiders as having a thriving jazz community, but in reality Nichols is part of a first-rate jazz fellowship. The Bad Plus is probably the most recognized jazz group from Minneapolis. Nichols is friends with Bad Plus drummer Dave King, who is also active in the less-familiar Minnesota jazz trio, Happy Apple. Happy Apple’s 1997 debut had an important impact on Nichols as a teen discovering jazz, so when Nichols […]
“STRAVINSKY in 4 Deals” = Violin Con.; Jeu de cartes; Movements – Soloists/Stravinsky – Praga Digitals
This album serves as a microcosm of Stravinsky’s evolving musical styles, in four performances expertly restored. “STRAVINSKY in 4 Deals” = Violin Concerto in D; Pulcinella – Suite; Jeu de cartes; Movements for Piano and Orchestra – David Oistrakh, violin/ Concerts Lamoureux/ Bernard Haitink/ Philharmonia Orch./ Otto Klemperer/ Bavarian Radio-Sym. Orch./ Igor Stravinsky/ Margrit Weber, p./ Radio-Sym. Berlin/ Ferenc Fricsay – Praga Digitals PRD 250 329, 78:37 (8/12/16) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: Praga assembles four distinct Stravinsky performances, 1937-1963, that realize the mercurial nature of the composer’s style, especially after his departure from Romanticism and the throes of Le Sacre du Printemps. Both the Pulcinella Suite (1922; rev. 1947) after Pergolesi and the Violin Concerto (1931) embrace neo-Classical ambitions, while Jeu de cartes (1936) – a ballet in “three deals” – ironically adopts both Classical and Expressionist modes. The late Movements for Piano and Orchestra of 1959 proffers Stravinsky’s version of pulverized materials in the style of Webern and serial technique. Of the four performances, three derive from studio recordings, while the Stravinsky reading of his own card game comes to us live – and in brash, exemplary mono sound – from Munich, 4 October 1957. The Violin […]
“MASTERPIECES IN MINIATURE” Works of LITOLFF, MAHLER, DELIBES, DVORAK, DELIUS, GRIEG & others – SF Sym./MTT – SF Media
Classical gems vividly played and beautifully recorded. “MASTERPIECES IN MINIATURE” = LITOLFF: Scherzo from Con. symphonique No. 4; MAHLER: Blumine; FAURE: Pavane; DEBUSSY: La Plus que lente; SCHUBERT: Entr’acte No. 3 from Rosamunde; IVES/BRANT: The Alcotts from A Concord Symphony; RACHMANINOFF: Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14; DVORAK: Legend for Orchestra, Op. 59, No. 6; SIBELIUS: Valse triste; DELIUS: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring; GRIEG: The Last Spring, Opus 34, No. 2; DELIBES: Cortege de Bacchus from Sylvia—Yuja Wang, piano/SF Sym./Michael Tilson Thomas – multichannel SACD, SFMedia 821936-0060-2, 78:08, *****: What’s the role of the symphony orchestra in the 21st century? “It’s a preserve for endangered emotions, such as wistfulness,” answered Michael Tilson Thomas, the Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, in an interview at the 2015 Music Critics Conference of North America. Masterpieces in Miniature is a disc loaded with emotions that music is uniquely qualified to express: the exhilarating speed of a virtuosic performance; sensuous refinement; nostalgic memories; lush romanticism; a remorseful farewell to life, to name a few. This album celebrates MTT’s 70th birthday and the twentieth anniversary of his tenure as conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. Its inspiration derives from his earliest memories […]
HAYDN: 107 Symphonies (complete) – Christopher Hogwood; OCTAVO PANTONE – cond. by Frans Brüggen – Decca (34 CD set)
HAYDN: 107 Symphonies (complete) – Christopher Hogwood (Artist, cond.), OCTAVO PANTONE (Comp. & cond.): Frans Brüggen (Artist, cond.), The Academy Of Ancient Music Chamber Ens, (Orch.), Salomon Quartet/ The Academy of Ancient Music /Accademia Bizantina – Decca 478 9604, (34-CD set) About 1.5 days [5/13/16] ****¾: The discs should have imprints of chocolate chip cookies on them. Once you finish one, it’s hard not to indulge in the next one. How many times have you encountered a set like this for sale: The complete symphonies of Franz Josef Haydn, performed on original instruments? Never. That’s right, according to the packaging, this set contains the “first complete cycle on period instruments.” That horn you may have heard in a conventional recording of Haydn’s Symphony No. 5. In Christopher Hogwood’s recording, as a “natural horn,” it now has a charming antique sound to it (particularly when played presto). If you’ve heard Leonard Bernstein’s 1991 recording of the Paris Symphonies, you know they have a commanding, concert hall presence, fit for the 2,738 seat auditorium of Lincoln Center. Under the baton of Frans Brüggen, they have a more intimate feel, less booming and muscular perhaps, but more subtle. Yet there are other reasons why I believe […]
DVORAK: Sym. No. 9 in e minor, “From the New World”; Sym. No. 8 in G Major – Czech Philharmonic Orch./ Frantisek Stupka – Praga Digitals stereo-only
For those unfamiliar with the veteran Czech conductor Stupka, these two Dvorak performances provide a brilliant introduction. DVORAK: Symphony No. 9 in e minor, Op. 95 “From the New World”; Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/ Frantisek Stupka – Praga Digitals stereo-only SACD PRD/DSD 350 134, 78:23 (8/12/16) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] *****: The name of Czech conductor Frantisek Stupka (1879-1965) certainly did not convey to me the same authority as I had accorded Vaclav Talich, Karel Ancerl, and Rafael Kubelik, but these performances – of the “New World” Symphony (6 January 1964) and the G Major Symphony (8 January 1959) – have changed my perspective. Stupka – having made his reputation with the Czech String Quartet – served as co-director of the Czech Philharmonic from 1946-1956 and director of the Moravian Philharmonic, the latter of which remained an “Eastern” ensemble without recorded documentation. The live broadcasts here preserved by Praga prove instantly refreshing and eminently affectionate readings of repertory that once more – under an inspirational conductor – throw off any sedimentation or ossification from long-wrought familiarity. The reading of the New World Symphony proceeds linearly but with inflamed interior voices from the […]
Audio News for August 5, 2016
Cadillac CT6 Bose Panaray Audio System – The $3700 optional audio system puts 34 tiny speakers around the cabin to create an immersive soundstage. It succeeds where most surround sound systems fall short: it perfectly blends the discrete channels into a uniform soundstage. The system’s center channel silently rises from the center of the dash when you start the car. The system even levels out satellite radio, dialing back the overly sharp tones and injecting a bit of life into the clinical sound. The Panaray system shines most when fed hi-res audio. An optical drive is a $250 option. Without an SD card the only other way to play back hi-res files is thru a connected smartphone. The iPhone doesn’t support FLAC and there was a difference between a high-quality CD rip and an audio file purchased on iTunes. The exact wattage is not revealed, but there is enough power to achieve pounding bass and crisp high end. Luxury vehicles have long strived to provide occupants with surround sound, and the Panaray system delivers on this promise better than most others. Warner Licenses MQA – The technology allows for audio files small enough to stream or download, and WEA veteran […]
CLERAMBAULT & MARCHAND – Mahugo, harpsichord – Brilliant; “20th-Century Harpsichord Music” – C.D. Lewis – Naxos
Two fascinating solo harpsichord CDs for your collection. LOUIS-NICHOLAS CLERAMBAULT & LOUIS MARCHAND: Complete Harpsichord Music – Yago Mahugo, harpsichord – Brilliant Classics 94790, 77:20 (Distr. by Naxos) ****: “20th Century Harpsichord Music” Wrks of POULENC, FRANCAIX, MARTINU & DUREY – Christopher D. Lewis, harpsichord – Naxos 8.573364, 60:05 (10/9/15) ****: Clerambault and Marchan are typical of the French harpsichord style of the first half of the 18th century. The two suites by each composer, plus the four short works are grand, stately and have lavish embellishments in perfect accord with the life of the court at Versailles at the time, led by the Sun King Louis the XIV. Recorded in 2014 in Italy, this is the first CD to assemble all the known harpsichord works of both composers on one disc. The harpsichordist was featured on a previous Brilliant CD of the harpsichord works of Royer and played on the “CD of the Month” chosen by a Spanish magazine. TrackList: CLERAMBUALT: Suite in C; Suite in c minor; Prelude in G; MARCHAND: Suite in d; Suite in g; La Venitienne; Badine; Gavotte Even though Wanda Landowska played on a heavy Playel of Paris harpsichord which was more like a […]
Houston Person & Ron Carter – Chemistry – HighNote
Houston Person & Ron Carter – Chemistry [TrackList follows] – HighNote HCD 7293 49:25 ****: An exuberant release from a definitive bassist and an earthy tenor saxophonist. (Houston Person – tenor saxophone; Ron Carter – bass) The word chemistry springs from the word alchemy which in its very early etymology was often seen as linked to the search to turn common metals such as iron into gold. This release is called Chemistry from Houston Person and Ron Carter, and the intermediate process has been eliminated, resulting in pure gold. In this session of standards, the tunes have been culled from the American Songbook with the intention of providing unabashed look at life, love youth and beauty. So if you want to hear two masters at work, playing off and for each other, this is the place to be. In addition, the dean of recording engineers Rudy Van Gelder brought his artistry to the session giving both instruments a deep full approachable sound that was a hallmark of his style. Miles Davis’ first great quintet recorded “Bye Bye Blackbird” and although Ron Carter was in the second iteration of the group, he was fully aware of the connection to the band. […]
Chat Noir – Nine Thoughts for One Word – RareNoise
A trio which finds the middle ground between electronics and acoustics. Chat Noir – Nine Thoughts for One Word [TrackList follows] – RareNoise RNR064, 48:09 [5/20/16] ****: (Michele Cavaliari – keyboards, piano, effects; Luca Fogagnolo – electric bass, upright bass, trombone; J. Peter Schwalm – electronics, beats, keyboards, acoustic guitar; Daniel Calvi – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar (tracks 3-4, 7); Alessandro Tomaselli – vocals, lyrics (track 3)) The RareNoise label is becoming the go-to imprint for musicians who defy simple categorization. Chat Noir is an Italian trio which easily fits into the RareNoise roster. Keyboardist Michele Cavaliari, bassist Luca Fogagnolo and newest member, J. Peter Schwalm (a Brian Eno collaborator who adds electronics, beats, keyboards, and acoustic guitar) create a tempting mixture of ambient music elements, electronic textures, modern chamber music and electric jazz. The threesome’s latest is the 48-minute Nine Thoughts for One Word, their sixth recording and second for RareNoise. Nine Thoughts for One Word has been released as a digital download, on vinyl, and as compact disc. This review refers to the CD configuration. While Chat Noir isn’t like anyone else, their material has an aesthetic and adventurous attribute which should be appreciated by […]
Denny Zeitlin, solo piano – Early Wayne – Sunnyside Communications
Denny Zeitlin, solo piano – Early Wayne – Sunnyside Communications SSC1456, 69:59 ****: A dynamic, percussive, pianist with a gift for illuminating modern jazz that is harmonically articulate. In 1978, the late American psychiatrist M. Scott Peck published a book entitled The Road Less Travelled which purports to be a description of the attributes that make for a fulfilled human being. This is not meant to suggest that pianist/psychiatrist Denny Zeitlin does not have a fulfilled life. But rather it propounds that he has successfully developed his career on his own terms, following a path that is free of the shibboleths that might constrain his creative ideas. His current release Solo Piano: Early Wayne is a continuation of this voyage. A number of Wayne Shorter’s compositions featured here, were written during the period from 1964 to 1970, when he was a member of The Miles Davis Quintet. His compositions were intricately structured with meandering contours that allowed for a variety of interpretations which Denny Zeitlin has embraced. “Speak No Evil”is a perfect introduction to this recital, as Zetlin demonstrates his eloquent flexibility and dependable curiosity. Wayne Shorter, who is now eighty-two years old, and has achieved iconic status, continues to […]
“Love” = Simone Kermes, soprano/ La Magnifica Comunita/ Enrico Casazza – Sony Classical
Definitely on the sweet side, Kermes’ artistry is hard to resist. “Love” = Simone Kermes, soprano/ La Magnifica Comunita/ Enrico Casazza – Sony Classical 88875111382, 65:23 ****: German artist Simone Kermes has easily established herself as one of the foremost coloratura sopranos in the world today, possessing a virtuoso voice of great flexibility and range. For this program she has chosen to focus—not surprisingly or unusually—on the theme of “love”. Four different countries have been selected to present us with a wide range of characters and characterizations from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. What might give pause to purists is the fact that most, if not all, of these pieces have been newly arranged, or in some cases, “recomposed”, so that what you think you are familiar with could be slightly jarring in some instances. Several of the works are nebulous enough in terms of original scoring so that an updated version is not out of place, others sound a little sugary for my taste. But what cannot be doubted is Kermes commitment to her art and to the theme of this program, which she delivers with quite a punch. For a pleasant hour of ravishing singing sans historical concerns, […]
REICH: Double Sextet; Radio Rewrite – Ensemble Signal/Brad Lubman – Harmonia mundi
STEVE REICH: Double Sextet; Radio Rewrite – Ensemble Signal/Brad Lubman – Harmonia mundi HMU907671, 39:45, (7/8/16) ***1/2: Outstanding performances of these recent Reich works in the familiar style. B01FLNZNPM Steve Reich has been, for several decades now, one of those composers who found his niche and maintains a great success within it. He was one of the pioneers of the “minimalism” movement (a term that most consider no longer wholly descriptive.) Reich’s music continues to be comprised of overlapping bits of melody and rhythm and structured phase shifting and the like and it gives his music a signature sound; propulsive, light-textured and buoyant. The two works here are two fairly recent examples of Steve’s work which has, in its own realm, developed quite a bit over the years. The Double Sextet, from 2007, is interesting in that he wrote it to be played in its present iteration – with twelve live instrumentalists – or with six playing against a pre-recorded track of the other six parts. Certainly, the Double Sextet played with all live players is more intriguing to watch or to play in, I should imagine, than the version of six playing against a recording. Another interesting facet of […]
*********** MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ***********
A long overdue issue of an important and wonderfully lyrical operatic experience. * CARLISLE FLOYD: Wuthering Heights (complete opera) – Georgia Jarman (Catherine)/ Kelly Markgraf (Heathcliff)/ Susanne Mentzer (Nelly)/ Vale Rideout (Edgar Linton)/ Heather Buck (Isabela Lint)/ Chad Shelton (Hindley Earnsh)/ Matthew Burns (Mr. Earnshaw)/ Frank Kelley (Joseph)/ Aaron Short (Lockwood)/ Florentine Opera Chorus/ Milwaukee Sym. Orch./ Joseph Mechavich – Reference Recordings multichannel SACD FR-721 (2 discs), 69:51, 69:32 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: Carlisle Floyd, despite being among the foremost opera composers America has ever produced, still doesn’t get the due that a more civilized age might bestow upon him. His work is essential to any overview of American music, and though opera remains a bit of a specialized field for most listeners, there is certainly nothing in his music that would offend even the most generic of modern listeners. Whether caught up in the modern maze of popular music madness or the most devoted Wagnerphile, Floyd will, if you give him a chance, win you over. The Virgin Classics issue of Susannah (with Renee Fleming) some years ago was a smash hit, as well as being a seminal recording of Floyd’s first opera. Wuthering Heights is his second, premiered […]
Audio News for August 2, 2016
Yamaha Adds 4K Blu-ray Players With Stereo SACD – The BD-S681 offers 3D playback, 4K upconversion, Wi-Fi networking, and compatibility with hi-res audio formats (in stereo). It retails for $329.95. The Aventage BD-A1060 adds a 192K/32-bit DAC, a high-purity power supply and independent circuit boards to reduce signal noise. Both players reduce disc vibration by 30%, and Wi-Fi Direct allows streaming of music from a mobile device to the player for viewing on a TV. The USB port on both decodes DSD streams up to 5.6 MHz, FLAC and ALAC music files. The A1060 is $549.95. The Gramophone Classical Music Awards Shortlist – The list is not short at all; recordings were selected in each of several categories by their panel of critics. Here is most of it for what it’s worth: Baroque Instrumental: Bach in Montecassino’ – Luca Guglielmi (Vivat) JS Bach Organ Works – Masaaki Suzuki (BIS) WF Bach Harpsichord Concertos – Il Convito / Maude Gratton (Mirare) Biber Rosary Sonatas – Rachel Podger et al (Channel Classics) Lawes The Royal Consort – Phantasm (Linn) Vivaldi Four Seasons etc.- Adrian Chandler / La Serenissima (Avie) Baroque Vocal: JS Bach Magnificat in E flat etc. – Dunedin Consort/ John […]
Editorial for August 2016
For this August our free drawing is five complete Rossini operas on Blu-ray from Opus Arte: The Italian in Algiers, Il Signor Bruschino, The Silken Ladder, Moses in Egypt and Cyrus in Babylon. Claudio Scimone and Ewa Poldes are among the performers. The Italian in Algiers is considered one of the funniest operas ever written. Here is a link to the Amazon site where the box set is offered. All you need to do is click on the Register To Win banner on the Home Page and fill out our simple form. The winner of our July drawing for the lavish DGG package entitled The Mono Era 1948-57, consisting of 51 CDs, is Alan Craig of Grand Junction, CO. Congrats! (And note that the mono DGGs are considered superior to the later stereo CDs.) EDITORIAL AUDIOPHILE AUDITION began as a local program in San Francisco and then in 1985 as a weekly national radio series hosted by John Sunier, and aired for 13½ years on up to 200 public radio and commercial stations. In September 1998 its web site for program listings was expanded to this free Internet publication. August 2016 is our 209th issue! All disc reviews are added thru the month as […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
