Monthly Archive: May 2017

Artur Schnabel: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings = BEETHOVEN: Concerti, Sonata; SCHUBERT: Impromptus- Artur Schnabel (p.) / Chicago Symph. Orch./ Frederick Stock (cond.) – Sony

Artur Schnabel: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings = BEETHOVEN: Concerti, Sonata; SCHUBERT: Impromptus- Artur Schnabel (p.) / Chicago Symph. Orch./ Frederick Stock (cond.) – Sony

Artur Schnabel: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings = BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58; Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 “Emperor”; Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109; Piano Sonata No. 32 in c minor, Op. 111; SCHUBERT: Four Impromptus, D. 899 – Artur Schnabel, piano/ […]

DR. MiNT – Voices in the Void  – Orenda

DR. MiNT – Voices in the Void  – Orenda

DR. MiNT – Voices in the Void [TrackList follows] – Orenda 0037, 34:34 [1/27/17] ****: The doctor is in. (Daniel Rosenboom – trumpet; Gavin Templeton – saxophone; Alexander Noice – electric guitar, effects; Sam Minaie – electric bass, effects; Caleb Dolister – drums) Jazz quintet DR. MiNT (yes, it’s officially spelled that way) uses an […]

“El Amor Brujo – The Essence of the Music of Manuel De Falla” – Euskal Barrokensemble/Enrike Solinis – Alia Vox 

“El Amor Brujo – The Essence of the Music of Manuel De Falla” – Euskal Barrokensemble/Enrike Solinis – Alia Vox 

“El Amor Brujo – The Essence of the Music of Manuel De Falla” – Euskal Barrokensemble/Enrike Solinis – Alia Vox AV9921, 57:15, (6/09/2017) Tracklist follows ****:  Absolutely sultry and very authentic sounding. I have loved the music of Manuel De Falla for many years, having first heard my father’s old vinyl recordings as I was […]

Fifty Shades Darker, Blu-ray (2017)

Fifty Shades Darker, Blu-ray (2017)

A long second chapter of the best-selling book and movie, with more to come. Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Kim Basinger Director: James Foley Studio: Universal Pictures 61180932 (5/19/7) [2 discs] Video: 2.40:1 for 16:9 screens, HD color Audio: English DD 5.1 & 2.0, English SDH, French DD 5.1 & DTS-HD MA 5.1, […]

DVORAK: Serenades from Bohemia = Piano Octet, Serenades for strings and woodwinds – Czech Nonet/ Ivan Klansky (p.) / Pavel Huela, Vladimir Klansky (vlns.)/ Academy of St-Martin/Marriner – Praga Digitals

DVORAK: Serenades from Bohemia = Piano Octet, Serenades for strings and woodwinds – Czech Nonet/ Ivan Klansky (p.) / Pavel Huela, Vladimir Klansky (vlns.)/ Academy of St-Martin/Marriner – Praga Digitals

DVORAK: Serenades from Bohemia = Piano Octet-Serenade in E, B. 36; Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22; Serenade in d minor for Woodwinds (arr. Nonet), Op. 44 – Czech Nonet/ Ivan Klansky, piano/ Pavel Huela and Vladimir Klansky, vioins/ Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Fields/ Neville Marriner – Praga Digitals PRD 250 371, 77:21 (4/17/17) [Distr. […]

DVORAK & SCHUBERT:  ‘American’ and ‘Death and the Maiden’ Quartets – Channel Classics

DVORAK & SCHUBERT:  ‘American’ and ‘Death and the Maiden’ Quartets – Channel Classics

DVORAK & SCHUBERT:  String Quartets ‘American’ & ‘Death and the Maiden’ – Channel Classics 39147, 64:17 (5/26/17) *****: The debut recording of a powerhouse Chinese ensemble featuring central works of the string quartet repertoire.  Midway through the Dragon String Quartet’s vivid reading of Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden”, I realized that this was not just […]

Cantelli: New York Phil.-Symph. Orch., Vol. I = Works of HAYDN, MOZART, RAVEL, de FALLA, VIVALDI, BEETHOVEN, PISTON, COPLAND – Walter Gieseking (p.) / New York Phil. Symph. Orch./ Guido Cantelli – Pristine Audio

Cantelli: New York Phil.-Symph. Orch., Vol. I = Works of HAYDN, MOZART, RAVEL, de FALLA, VIVALDI, BEETHOVEN, PISTON, COPLAND – Walter Gieseking (p.) / New York Phil. Symph. Orch./ Guido Cantelli – Pristine Audio

Cantelli: New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, Vol. I = HAYDN: Symphony No. 93 in D Major; MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467; RAVEL: Pavane pour une infant defunte; FALLA: El Sombrero des Tres Picos: Suite No. 2; VIVALDI: Concerto Grosso in d minor, Op. 11, No. 3; BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 […]

Henri MARTEAU: Serenade; Clarinet Quintet/Alexander ZEMLINSKY: Clarinet Trio – Mark Lieb (cl.)/Phoenix Ensemble – Navona Records

Henri MARTEAU: Serenade; Clarinet Quintet/Alexander ZEMLINSKY: Clarinet Trio – Mark Lieb (cl.)/Phoenix Ensemble – Navona Records

“Chamber Works of Henri Marteau and Alexander Zemlinsky” = Henri MARTEAU: Serenade; Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet/Alexander ZEMLINSKY: Trio for clarinet, cello and piano – Mark Lieb, clarinet/Phoenix Ensemble – Navona Records NV6076 [Distr. by Naxos], 77:09, (2/10/2017) ****: Pleasant and somewhat obscure music played with dedication. This very pleasant collection of chamber music, […]

Steve REICH, “Duet” = Duet for Two Solo Violins, compositions – MDR Leipzig Symph. Orch./MDR Leipzig Radio Choir/Kristjan Järvi – Sony Classical

Steve REICH, “Duet” = Duet for Two Solo Violins, compositions – MDR Leipzig Symph. Orch./MDR Leipzig Radio Choir/Kristjan Järvi – Sony Classical

Steve REICH, “Duet” = Duet for Two Solo Violins, compositions [Tracklist follows] – MDR Leipzig Symphony Orchestra/MDR Leipzig Radio Choir/Kristjan Järvi – Sony Classical 88985366362 (2 CDs), 92:58, (11/11/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Some of Reich’s best works given excellent performances, As one of the founding composers and one of the best known of America’s […]

Anat COHEN, Marcello GONCALVES, Trio Brasileiro: Outra Coisa & Rosa Dos Ventos – Anzic

Anat COHEN, Marcello GONCALVES, Trio Brasileiro: Outra Coisa & Rosa Dos Ventos – Anzic

Anat COHEN & Marcello GONCALVES: Outra Coisa: “The Music of Moacir Santos” – Anzic 0055, 46:45 (4/28/17) *****: Anat COHEN & Trio Brasileiro: Rosa Dos Ventos – Anzic 0057, 48:40 (4/28/17) ****: Anat Cohen fronts two small ensembles on a double release of stupendously creative and exciting music which draws its inspiration from choro, jazz […]

Eliane Elias – Dance Of Time – ConcordJazz

Eliane Elias – Dance Of Time – ConcordJazz

Eliane Elias – Dance Of Time – ConcordJazz CJ A00027 56:16 **** Samba Olé (Eliane Elias – vocals , piano; Marcus Teixeira – acoustic guitar 1-3, 5-10; Conrado Goys – electric guitar 4; Marcelo Mariano – electric bass – 1-10; Edu Ribeiro – drums 1-3, 5-10; Celso de Almeida – drums 4; Marivaldo dos Santos […]

PROKOFIEV and ZABOROV: Piano Works – Jenny Lin (p.) Steinway & Sons

PROKOFIEV and ZABOROV: Piano Works – Jenny Lin (p.) Steinway & Sons

PROKOFIEV: Pieces from Cinderella – Pieces for Piano – ZABOROV: Nine Variations on the theme by Dmitri Shostakovich – Variations for piano “Quattrocento” – Ten Apparitions – Suite for Piano “Entrelacs” – Jenny Lin, piano, Steinway & Sons 30055, 62:56, ***** Classic and modern Russian piano scores, played with intelligence and verve This is the […]

Sir John BARBIROLLI conducts = SIBELIUS:  Symphony No. 6; NIELSEN:  Symphony No. 4 – The Hallé Orch. – HDTT 

Sir John BARBIROLLI conducts = SIBELIUS:  Symphony No. 6; NIELSEN:  Symphony No. 4 – The Hallé Orch. – HDTT 

Sir John BARBIROLLI conducts = SIBELIUS:  Symphony No. 6; NIELSEN:  Symphony No. 4 – The Hallé Orchestra – HDTT [various formats including hi-res PCM & DSD from www.highdeftapetransfers.com] [Reviewed from DSD64 files], TT:  64:33 Barbirolli shines in two works from Scandinavia. Sir John Barbirolli (1899-1970) was born in London; his father and grandfather were violinists […]

KLEIBERG :  Mass for Modern Man – Mari Eriksmoen (sop) / Johannes Weisser (bar) / Trondheim SO & Choir / Eivind Gullberg Jensen – Pure Audio Blu-ray 2L

KLEIBERG :  Mass for Modern Man – Mari Eriksmoen (sop) / Johannes Weisser (bar) / Trondheim SO & Choir / Eivind Gullberg Jensen – Pure Audio Blu-ray 2L

KLEIBERG :  Mass for Modern Man – Mari Eriksmoen (sop) / Johannes Weisser (bar) / Trondheim SO & Choir / Eivind Gullberg Jensen – Pure Audio Blu-ray – 5.1 surround + stereo + mShuttle / 9.1 Auro-3D + 11.1 Dolby Atmos 48kHz / SACD multichannel and stereo;  2L-136SABD –  TT: 67:59 ea. (2 discs) [Distr. […]

Leopold STOKOWSKI conducts BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1; WEBER: Invitaton to the Dance; STRAUSS: Blue Danube and Vienna Woods Waltzes; LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 – Philadelphia Orch./ Leopold Stokowski – PASC

Leopold STOKOWSKI conducts BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1; WEBER: Invitaton to the Dance; STRAUSS: Blue Danube and Vienna Woods Waltzes; LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 – Philadelphia Orch./ Leopold Stokowski – PASC

BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1 in c minor, Op. 68; WEBER: Invitaton to the Dance, Op. 65 (arr. Berlioz/Stokowski); J. STRAUSS: On the Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314; Tales from the Vienna Woods Waltz, Op. 325; LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (orch. Mueller-Berghaus) – Philadelphia Orchestra/ Leopold Stokowski – Pristine Audio PASC 500, 70:01 [www.pristineclassical.com] […]

Arrangements or Transfigurations = BACH, MOZART, BRAHMS, STRAVINSKY, JANACEK: Pieces for piano, string trio/quartet, wind ensemble, orch. – Wilhelm Kempff (p.); Grumiaux Trio/ Arthur Rubinstein, Guarneri String Quartet; Chicago Symph. Orch./ Robert Craft/ Tokyo String Quartet/ London Symph. Orch./ Antal Dorati/ Prague Wind Quintet/ Zemlinsky Quartet  – Praga Digitals

Arrangements or Transfigurations = BACH, MOZART, BRAHMS, STRAVINSKY, JANACEK: Pieces for piano, string trio/quartet, wind ensemble, orch. – Wilhelm Kempff (p.); Grumiaux Trio/ Arthur Rubinstein, Guarneri String Quartet; Chicago Symph. Orch./ Robert Craft/ Tokyo String Quartet/ London Symph. Orch./ Antal Dorati/ Prague Wind Quintet/ Zemlinsky Quartet – Praga Digitals

Arrangements or Transfigurations = BACH: Prelude and Fugue in e-flat minor, BWV 853; MOZART: 6 Preludes and Fugues, K. 404a: No. 3 in d minor; BRAHMS: Piano Quartet No. 1 in g minor, Op. 25: Intermezzo; Intermezzo (orch. Schoenberg); STRAVINSKY: Three Pieces for String Quartet; Four Etudes for Orchestra; JANACEK: Mlada Suite for Wind Sextet; […]