Monthly Archive: June 2017

Beecham at the Royal Festival Hall, Vol. 2 = MENDELSSOHN: The Fair Melusina Overture; GHEDINI: Concerto for Viola and Strings; DVORAK: Symphony No. 8 – Frederick Riddle (vla.) / Royal Phil. Orch./ Sir Thomas Beecham – Pristine Audio 

Beecham at the Royal Festival Hall, Vol. 2 = MENDELSSOHN: The Fair Melusina Overture; GHEDINI: Concerto for Viola and Strings; DVORAK: Symphony No. 8 – Frederick Riddle (vla.) / Royal Phil. Orch./ Sir Thomas Beecham – Pristine Audio 

Beecham at the Royal Festival Hall, Vol. 2 = MENDELSSOHN: The Fair Melusina – Overture, Op. 32; GHEDINI: Musica da concerto for Viola and Strings; DVORAK: Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 – Frederick Riddle, viola/ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/ Sir Thomas Beecham – Pristine Audio PASC 504, 70:43 [www.pristine classical.com] ****:  The second […]

Beecham at the Royal Festival Hall, Vol. I = HAYDN: Symphony No. 101; LALO: Symphony in G Minor; DEBUSSY: Cortege et Air de Danse – Royal Phil. Orch./ Sir Thomas Beecham – Pristine Audio 

Beecham at the Royal Festival Hall, Vol. I = HAYDN: Symphony No. 101; LALO: Symphony in G Minor; DEBUSSY: Cortege et Air de Danse – Royal Phil. Orch./ Sir Thomas Beecham – Pristine Audio 

Beecham at the Royal Festival Hall, Vol. I = HAYDN: Symphony No. 101 in D Major “Clock”; LALO: Symphony in G Minor; DEBUSSY: Cortege et Air de Danse from L’enfant prodigue – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/ Sir Thomas Beecham – Pristine Audio PASC 502, 58:42 [www.pristineclassical.com] ****:  The first of the Beecham concerts from Royal Festival […]

Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) = Choral Music – Trinity College Choir Cambridge, Owain Park and Alexander Hamilton, organists / Trinity Brass / Stephen Layton (cond.) Hyperion

Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) = Choral Music – Trinity College Choir Cambridge, Owain Park and Alexander Hamilton, organists / Trinity Brass / Stephen Layton (cond.) Hyperion

Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) = Choral Music – Trinity College Choir Cambridge / Owain Park and Alexander Hamilton, organists / Trinity Brass / Stephen Layton (conductor) Hyperion CDA68174 (6/30/17) TT: 81:02 ****: A fine recording and performance of Anglican Music by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford What a nice CD from Hyperion, celebrating the music […]

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3, Prometheus and Consecration of the House Overtures – Orch.of the Southwest German Radio/ Vienna Symph. Orch. / Jascha Horenstein – Pristine Audio

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3, Prometheus and Consecration of the House Overtures – Orch.of the Southwest German Radio/ Vienna Symph. Orch. / Jascha Horenstein – Pristine Audio

BEETHOVEN: The Creatures of Prometheus – Overture, Op. 43; Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 “Eroica”; Overture to the Consecration of the House, Op. 124 – Orchestra of the Southwest German Radio/ Vienna Symphony Orchestra (overtures)/ Jascha Horenstein – Pristine Audio PASC 505, 66:20   [ww.pristineclassical.com] ****:  Andrew Rose and Pristine Audio extend […]

Leff Pouishnoff: The Complete 78-rpm and Selected Saga LP Recordings =  Historic Recordings of Piano Literature- Leff Pouishnoff, piano – APR

Leff Pouishnoff: The Complete 78-rpm and Selected Saga LP Recordings =  Historic Recordings of Piano Literature- Leff Pouishnoff, piano – APR

Leff Pouishnoff: The Complete 78-rpm and Selected Saga LP Recordings =  Historic Recordings of Piano Literature- Leff Pouishnoff, piano – APR 6022 (2 Discs) 73:49; 75:32 [TrackList follows] (6/20/17) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: APR  revives the legacy of Leff Pouishnoff, whose limited recorded work indicates a fiery personality who fell into decline. Among the throng […]

William WALTON: Violin Concerto, Partita & Hindemith Variations – Anthony Marwood (v.) / BBC Scottish Symph. Orch. / Martyn Brabbins (cond.) – Hyperion

William WALTON: Violin Concerto, Partita & Hindemith Variations – Anthony Marwood (v.) / BBC Scottish Symph. Orch. / Martyn Brabbins (cond.) – Hyperion

William WALTON: Violin Concerto, Partita & Hindemith Variations – Anthony Marwood (violin) / BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra / Martyn Brabbins (conductor) – Hyperion CD CDA67986 – TT: 81:28 (6/30/17) ****: An excellent survey of Walton’s music, very well played and recorded Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra follow up their definitive account of the Walton […]

Jean SIBELIUS:  “In the Stream of Life”, Songs – Gerald Finley (bass/bar) / Bergen Phil. Orch. / Edward Gardner – Chandos

Jean SIBELIUS:  “In the Stream of Life”, Songs – Gerald Finley (bass/bar) / Bergen Phil. Orch. / Edward Gardner – Chandos

“In the Stream of Life: Songs by Sibelius” – Gerald Finley, bass-baritone/Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra/Edward Gardner – Chandos SACD CHSA5178 [Distr. by Naxos], 78:40, (1/29/2017) [Track list follows] ****: Splendid performances of some lesser known works. Sibelius is not known very widely for his vocal music but what a rich and rewarding collection of his songs […]

Audio News for June 25, 2017

Classical Music, the Next Wave — We recently noted that the Manchester Camerata has enjoyed some three-fold increase in ticket sales, the result of imaginative programming, as well as exploring contemporary, cross-over, and fusion sounds.  There is more of this in the air—a recent youth concert here featured Holst’s The Planets, with the addition of […]

Nicki Parrott – Dear Blossom – Arbours Records

Nicki Parrott – Dear Blossom – Arbours Records

Nicki Parrott – Dear Blossom – Arbours Records ARCD 19453 58:02 ****: An immensely satisfying release. ( Nicki Parrott – vocals & bass; Chris Grasso – piano except track 4; Chuck Redd – vibes tracks 1,2,5,6,10,11,12,14; Lenny Robinson drums except tracks 4,13; Engelbert Wrobel – clarinet & tenor sax tracks 3,6,9,12; Vince Cherico – percussion […]

Tigran MANSURIAN: Requiem – RIAS Kammerchor/Münchener Kammerorchester/Alexander Liebreich – ECM 

Tigran MANSURIAN: Requiem – RIAS Kammerchor/Münchener Kammerorchester/Alexander Liebreich – ECM 

Tigran MANSURIAN: Requiem – RIAS Kammerchor/Münchener Kammerorchester/Alexander Liebreich – ECM New Series 2508 (4/14/17) 45:25 ***1/2: Heartfelt music which reminds us of a cultural tragedy. The darkest side of human behavior has given history plenty of truly shocking incidents and stories for generations to ruminate upon and – one would hope – learn from. In […]

Marcel TYBERG: Masses – Christopher Jacobson (organ) South Dakota Chorale/Brian A. Schmidt- Pentatone

Marcel TYBERG: Masses – Christopher Jacobson (organ) South Dakota Chorale/Brian A. Schmidt- Pentatone

Marcel TYBERG (1893-1944) ; Mass No. 1 in G Major for Mixed Chorus and Organ (1934) Mass No. 2 in F Major for Mixed Chorus and Organ (1941) ; Christopher Jacobson (organ) South Dakota Chorale/Brian A. Schmidt- Pentatone PTC5186584 SACD TT: 64:36 – (1/15/16) ****: Pentatone provides an opportunity for us to honor the music of a […]

RAVEL by Cluytens = Orchestral Retrospective – Samson Francois, piano/ Paris Conservatory Orch./ Andre Cluytens – Urania Arts

RAVEL by Cluytens = Orchestral Retrospective – Samson Francois, piano/ Paris Conservatory Orch./ Andre Cluytens – Urania Arts

RAVEL by Cluytens = Bolero; La Valse; Rapsodie espagnole; Valses nobles et sentimentales; Menuet antique; Pavane pour une Infante defunte; Le tombeau de Couperin; Ma mere l’oye – Suite; Alborada del gracioso; Une barque sur l’ocean; Piano Concerto for the Left Hand – Samson Francois, piano/ Paris Conservatory Orchestra/ Andre Cluytens – Urania Arts Stereo […]

GUSTAV MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde – Jonas Kaufmann, tenor/Vienna Phil./Jonathan Nott – Sony

GUSTAV MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde – Jonas Kaufmann, tenor/Vienna Phil./Jonathan Nott – Sony

GUSTAV MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde (“Song of the Earth”)– Jonas Kaufmann, tenor/Vienna Philharmoniker/Jonathan Nott – Sony Classical 88985389832 (4/17/17) 61:05 ***: First, the glorious, extravagant and often emotionally painful music of Gustav Mahler. If I were to recommend one or two works by the early twentieth century composer-conductor who was a genius in so […]

Manuel de FALLA: Nights in the Gardens of Spain; The Three-Cornered Hat – Mari Kadama (p.) /Sophie Harmsen, (mezzo) /Orch. de la Suisse Romande/Kazuki Yamada – Pentatone

Manuel de FALLA: Nights in the Gardens of Spain; The Three-Cornered Hat – Mari Kadama (p.) /Sophie Harmsen, (mezzo) /Orch. de la Suisse Romande/Kazuki Yamada – Pentatone

Manuel de FALLA: Nights in the Gardens of Spain; The Three-Cornered Hat; Interlude and Dance from ‘Life is Short’; Ritual Fire Dance from ‘The Bewitched Love’ – Mari Kadama, piano/Sophie Harmsen, mezzo-soprano/Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Kazuki Yamada – Pentatone SACD PTC5186-598 [Distr. by Naxos] (5/05/17) 72:59 ****: Some wonderful readings under this rising star young […]

Grant Stewart Trio – Roll On – CellarLive

Grant Stewart Trio – Roll On – CellarLive

Grant Stewart Trio – Roll On – CellarLive CL000616 49:19 ***: A cooly competent session ( Grant Stewart – tenor saxophone; Paul Sikivie – acoustic bass; Phil Stewart – drums) Grant Stewart is a former Canadian and now a transplanted New Yorker.  As a tenor saxophone stylist, he  is closer to Sonny Rollins than John Coltrane […]

Dominic DOUSA:  Musical Portrait of the American Southwest – Stephen Nordstrom (vla.) / Dominic Dousa (p.) – Blue Griffin

Dominic DOUSA:  Musical Portrait of the American Southwest – Stephen Nordstrom (vla.) / Dominic Dousa (p.) – Blue Griffin

A Musical Portrait of the American Southwest – Stephen Nordstrom (viola), Dominic Dousa (piano) Blue Griffin CD GR 429 TT: 73:37 [dist. by Albany] ****: A fine recording with premier performances and the composer at the piano The music on this disc takes its inspiration from the land referred to as the American Southwest, a […]

Gerry Gibbs & Thrasher People – Weather or Not – Whaling City Sound 

Gerry Gibbs & Thrasher People – Weather or Not – Whaling City Sound 

Gerry Gibbs & Thrasher People – Weather or Not [TrackList follows] – Whaling City Sound WCS 091 (2-CDs) [Distr. by Naxos] 58:12, 61:41 [2/24/17] ****: A two-for-one deal from drummer Gerry Gibbs. (Gerry Gibbs – drums, percussion, kalimba glockenspiel, balifones, castanets, mini-Moog synthesizer, mouth drums, harp, conga drums, electronics, voices, clavinet; Alex Collins – Steinway […]

“Hommage a Boulez” = BOULEZ: Derive 2; Dialogue; Memoriale; Le Marteau; Anthemes 2; Messagesquisse – West-Eastern Divan Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim – DG

“Hommage a Boulez” = BOULEZ: Derive 2; Dialogue; Memoriale; Le Marteau; Anthemes 2; Messagesquisse – West-Eastern Divan Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim – DG

“Hommage a Boulez” = Pierre BOULEZ: Derive 2; Dialogue de l’ombre double; Memoriale; Le Marteau sans maitre; Anthemes 2; Messagesquisse – West-Eastern Divan Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim – Deutsches Grammaphon 479 7160 (3/24/17) 2 CDs, 142:27, ***1/2: Complex and fascinating music in excellent performances. The music of the late Pierre Boulez is not an easy listen. It […]

Eric VLOEIMANS & Holland Baroque: Carrousel – Channel

Eric VLOEIMANS & Holland Baroque: Carrousel – Channel

Eric VLOEIMANS & Holland Baroque: Carrousel – Channel Classics 39817, 60:18 (6/16/17) *****: An astonishing collaboration that mines the many layers of the Baroque with thrilling sense of discovery. The Holland Baroque Orchestra has an original take on what the Baroque offers in terms of musical possibilities. While other groups diligently research new repertoire in […]