Monthly Archive: February 2017

Furtwangler Conducts BEETHOVEN = Leonor Ov.; Sym. No. 7 & No. 8 – Vienna Philharmonic – Praga Digitals

Furtwangler Conducts BEETHOVEN = Leonor Ov.; Sym. No. 7 & No. 8 – Vienna Philharmonic – Praga Digitals

Praga gives us three Beethoven performances by the veteran Furtwaengler. BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 3 in C, Op. 72a; Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92; Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 – Vienna Philharmonic Orch./ Wilhelm Furtwaengler – Praga Digitals mono-only SACD PRD/DSD 350127 (1/6/17) 79:22 [Distr. by PIAS] ****: Assembled […]

“Perspectives”: American Brass Quintet – Music by PATTERSON, GREENBURG, CURRIER AND EWAZEN – Summit

“Perspectives”: American Brass Quintet – Music by PATTERSON, GREENBURG, CURRIER AND EWAZEN – Summit

“Perspectives”: American Brass Quintet – Music by PATTERSON, GREENBURG, CURRIER AND EWAZEN – Summit 692, 51:00  (12/13/17) ***1/2: Contemporary brass music from the premier brass ensemble: The American Brass Quintet is one of the finest group of brass players in the world. In 2013 the quintet received Chamber Music America’s highest honor, the Richard J. […]

GIULIANI, CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO & VILLA-LOBOS: Guitar Concertos – Narciso Yepes, g./ London Sym. Orch./ English Ch. Orch./ Luis Antonio García Navarro – PentaTone

GIULIANI, CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO & VILLA-LOBOS: Guitar Concertos – Narciso Yepes, g./ London Sym. Orch./ English Ch. Orch./ Luis Antonio García Navarro – PentaTone

GIULIANI, CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO & VILLA-LOBOS: Guitar Concertos – Narciso Yepes, g./ London Sym. Orch./ English Ch. Orch./ Luis Antonio García Navarro – orig. quadrophonic recordings from 1977, remastered in 2014 – Pentatone SACD PTC 5186-202, 61:49 (4/14/15) ****: Beautifully restored and played four-channel guitar concertos by Yepes and the London Symphony. What a treat this disc […]

BRATLIE: Vers la Lumière – Bratlie, piano; David Bratlie – electro-acoustic transitions – 2L

BRATLIE: Vers la Lumière – Bratlie, piano; David Bratlie – electro-acoustic transitions – 2L

JENS HARALD BRATLIE: Vers la Lumière – Bratlie, piano; David Bratlie – electro-acoustic transitions [track list fellows] 2L 2L-132-SACD Pure Audio Blu-ray + multichannel SACD, DTS-HD MA 192kHz/24 bit 5.1, DTS-HD MA 96kHz/24 bit, PCM 192kHz/24-bit stereo, Dolby Atmos, 9.1 Auro 3D, mShuttle: stereo MQA 96kHz + MP3 TT: 57:00 (Blu-ray is region free) (12/16) […]

The Handmaiden (2017)

The Handmaiden (2017)

An interesting plot-driven film with quite a twist. The Handmaiden (2017) Actors: Min-hee Kim, Jung-woo Ha, Tae Kim, Jin-woong Jo, Hae-suk Kim Director: Chan-wook Park Studio: Amazon Studios/ Sony Pictures Home Ent. 49278 (1/24/17) Video: 2.39:1 for 16:9 screens Audio: Korean DD 5.1 Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish Length: 145 min. Rating: ****1/2 The same […]

Audio News for February 7, 2017

Jamie Parker Commemorates 150 Years of Classical Music in Canada – He is the face classical piano music thruout Canada and enjoys bringing its joys to audiences around the world. He is judge for the Cliburn Competition and often paralyses his Facebook followers with laughter. Competitors in the annual Piano Hero competition are evaluated mainly […]

SCHUMANN: Cello Concerto in a; Sym. No. 2 in C Major – Jan Vogler, cello/ Dresden Festival Orch./ Ivor Bolton – Sony

SCHUMANN: Cello Concerto in a; Sym. No. 2 in C Major – Jan Vogler, cello/ Dresden Festival Orch./ Ivor Bolton – Sony

Suave and elegant Schumann played in natural, heroic manner by all principals. SCHUMANN: Cello Concerto in a, Op. 129; Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61 – Jan Vogler, cello/ Dresden Festival Orch./ Ivor Bolton – Sony 88985372122, 59:06 (12/2/16) ****: Clara Schumann once referred to the people of Dresden as “Philistines,” convinced that, […]

Nate NAJAR – This is Nate Najar – Candid

Nate NAJAR – This is Nate Najar – Candid

Nate NAJAR – This is Nate Najar – Candid 79979, 50: 58 (10/31/16) ****½: (Nate Najar; nylon string guitar/ James Suggs; trumpet/ Matt Home; drums/ John Lamb; bass) An odd nylon string guitar/trumpet combo makes for a unique bossa-swing ensemble. On this eponymous debut, Nate Najar plays jazz on an unamplified classical guitar in the […]

Jimmy Scott, vocals – I Go Back Home – Eden River

Jimmy Scott – I Go Back Home – Eden River/Rough Trade ERR-CD-01 63:44 ****: A stylish turn from a jazz legend. (Jimmy Scott – vocals, guests; Joey Defrancesco – Hammond B-3; Kenny Barron – piano; Joe Pesci – vocals; Peter Erskine – drums; Oscar Castro Neves – vocal, guitar; George Maret – harmonica; John Pisano […]

The 9th Life of LOUIS DRAX, Blu-ray (2017)

The 9th Life of LOUIS DRAX, Blu-ray (2017)

A thriller of a film about a child’s supposed death-defying accidents. The 9th Life of LOUIS DRAX, Blu-ray (2017) Actors: Aaron Paul, Jamie Dornan, Michael Adamthwaite, Aiden Longworth, Oliver Platt Director: Alexandre Aja Studio: Miramax/ Summit/ Lions Gate (2/7/17) Video: 2.39:1 for 16:9 screens, color HD 1080p Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA Subtitles: English SDH, […]

WOLF! – 1-800-WOLF! – Royal Potato Family

WOLF! – 1-800-WOLF! – Royal Potato Family

Canis lupus rockus. WOLF! – 1-800-WOLF! [TrackList follows] – Royal Potato Family 020286222316, 35:14 [10/14/16] *****: (Scott Metzger – guitar; Taylor Floreth – drums, percussion; Jon Shaw – bass, keys) The wolf is a potent symbol. It’s no wonder the wolf has been used as a musical name by blues shouter Howlin’ Wolf; hard rockers […]

ELGAR: Enigma Variations; In the South, Carillon; etc. – BBC Scottish Sym. /Brabbins – Hyperion

ELGAR: Enigma Variations; In the South, Carillon; etc. – BBC Scottish Sym. /Brabbins – Hyperion

Need another Enigma Variations? Listen to this one. ELGAR: Enigma Variations, Op. 36; In the South “Alassio”, Op. 50; Carillon, Op. 75; Une voix dans le desert, Op. 77; Le drapeau belge, Op. 79; Pleading, Op. 48 – Florence Daguerre de Hureaux, narrator/ Kate Royal, sop./ Yann Ghiro, clar./ BBC Scottish Sym. Orch./ Martyn Brabbins […]

“Seven Responses” The Crossing/ Donald Nally – Innova/ EDIE HILL: Clay Jug – The Crossing/Donald Nally – Navona

“Seven Responses” The Crossing/ Donald Nally – Innova/ EDIE HILL: Clay Jug – The Crossing/Donald Nally – Navona

Two new and amazing releases from this wonderful vocal ensemble. “Seven Responses” = CAROLINE SHAW: To the Hands; HANS THOMALLA: I come near you; PELLE GUDMUNDSEN-HOLMGREEN: Ad cor; ANNA THORSVALDSDOTTIR: Ad genua/To the knees; DAVID T. LITTLE: dress in magic amulets, dark, from My feet; SANTA RATNIECE: My soul will sink within me; LEWIS SPRATLAN: […]

SCHUBERT: Hermann Prey sings The Song Cycles, Blu-ray (2016)

SCHUBERT: Hermann Prey sings The Song Cycles, Blu-ray (2016)

SCHUBERT: Hermann Prey – The Schubert Song Cycles, Blu-ray (2016)  Don’t pass this one up. Performers: Hermann Prey, (baritone), Leonard Hokanson (p.), Helmut Deutsch (p.) Studio: Naxos [11/18/16] Video: 1.33:1  Color Audio: DTS-HD 5.1, PCM Stereo Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish Extras: Introductions by Hermann Prey Length: 252 minutes Ratings: Audio ****¾ Once in a […]

Audio News for February 3, 2017

New Orleans Public Radio Station Restores Classical to FM Dial – WWNO in New Orlean has begun broadcasting classical music on their new stations Classical 104.9 FM. It therefore becomes the only Golf Coast area between Houston and Tallahassee where music lovers can hear classical music anytime thru the year. New Orleans Public Radio continues […]

Editorial Page for February 2017

Editorial Page for February 2017

Our February free drawing is for a four-SACD box set, Piano Works of the Russian Futurist Movement, donated by Cybele Records. Futurism was a movement in which Russian and Italian artists and poets adopted the principles of Filippo Marinetti’s Futurist Manifesto in 1909. The word applied to those who “consciously reject the most elementary traditions […]