Monthly Archive: June 2017
Audio News for June 18, 2017
Hi-res Streaming Service — Primephonic is presenting a unique offering of lossless-only classical music—no lossy compression allowed! They have a growing library, featuring over 200 labels, including those oft-reviewed here at Audiophile Audition — Naxos, Pentatone, HM, Chandos, Channel Classics. That, along with the several thousand recording artists, makes a rich portfolio for any audiophile. […]
FRANZ SCHMIDT: Symphony; R. STRAUSS: Intermezzo Excerpt – Vienna Phil. Orch./ Semyon Bychkov – Sony
FRANZ SCHMIDT: Symphony No. 2 in E-flat Major; R. STRAUSS: Dreaming by the Fireside – Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/ Semyon Bychkov – Sony 88985355522, 55:20 (6/2/17) ****: Semyon Bychkov and the VPO celebrate music that proves endemic to Vienna, in their under-rated favorite son, Franz Schmidt. Generally speaking, the late-Romantic music of Franz Schmidt (1874-1939) has not […]
HANDEL: Susanna – Göttingen Festival Orch./ NDR Choir, Laurence Cummings – Accent
HANDEL: Susanna (complete oratorio) – Emily Fons (Susanna)/ Christopher Lowrey (Joacim)/ Colin Balzer (1st Elder)/ Raimund Nolte (2nd Elder)/ Ciara Hendrick (Daniel)/ Göttingen Festival Orchestra/ NDR Choir, Laurence Cummings – Accent ACC26406 (3 CDs), 184:00 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: New recordings, especially as fine as this one, are always welcome. But Hunt still rules […]
Steve Davis – Think Ahead – Smoke Sessions Records
Steve Davis – Think Ahead – Smoke Sessions Records #SSR 1704 – 75:34 – ****: Steve Davis comes through again on Think Ahead… (Steve Davis – trombone; Steve Wilson – alto and soprano sax, flute; Jimmy Greene – tenor sax; Larry Willis – piano; Peter Washington – bass; Lewis Nash – drums) Trombonist, Steve Davis, […]
SCHUBERT: Piano Trio; “Trout” Quintet – Trio Wanderer/ Christophe Gaugue (vla.)/ Stephanie Logerot (bass) – HM
SCHUBERT: Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat Major, D. 929; “Trout” Quintet in A Major, D. 667 – Trio Wanderer/ Christophe Gaugue, viola/ Stephanie Logerot, double bass – Harmonia mundi HMX 2908748. 80:27 (6/23/17) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] *****: Two chamber music Schubert marvels from the archives of the Trio Wanderer celebrate their 30th anniversary. […]
CHOPIN: Les Grandes Polonaises = Seven Polonaises by CHOPIN – Pascal Amoyal, piano – La Dolce Volta
CHOPIN: Les Grandes Polonaises = No. 1 in c-sharp minor, Op. 26; No. 2 in e-flat minor, Op. 26; No. 3 in A Major, Op. 40, No. 1 “Military”; No. 4 in c minor, Op. 40, No. 2; No. 5 in f-sharp minor, Op. 44 “Tragic”; No. 6 in A-flat Major, Op. 53 “Heroic”; Polonaise-Fantasie […]
ISAAC: In the time of Lorenzo de’ Medici and Maximilan I – Hespèrion XXI/ La Capella Reial de Catalunya/ Jordi Savall – Alia Vox
Henricus ISAAC: In the time of Lorenzo de’ Medici and Maximilan I – Hespèrion XXI/ La Capella Reial de Catalunya/ Jordi Savall – Alia Vox multichannel SACD AVSA9922, 76:06 (Distr. by [PIAS] Classics) *****: Magnificent readings of music by an underperformed master. Henricus Isaac (also known as Heinrich Isaac, 1450 – 1519) is one of […]
The Ed Palermo Big Band – The Great Un-American Songbook – Cuneiform, Rune
The Ed Palermo Big Band – The Great Un-American Songbook: Volumes I & II [TrackList follows] – Cuneiform, Rune 435/436 (2-CDs) 58:49, 54:48 [2/24/17] *****: Who can mix prog-rock, British pop music, Miles Davis, Jeff Beck and West Side Story? It could only be the one and only Ed Palermo. (Ed Palermo – leader, conductor, […]
FRANCK: Violin Sonata; CHAUSSON: Concert for Piano, Violin and String Quartet – Isabelle Faust (vln.) / Alexander Melnikov (p.)/ Salagon Quartet – HMM
FRANCK: Violin Sonata in A Major; CHAUSSON: Concert in D Major for Piano, Violin and String Quartet, Op. 21 – Isabelle Faust, violin/ Alexander Melnikov, piano/ Salagon Quartet – Harmonia mundi HMM 902254, 67:11 (5/26/17) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: The Faust-Melnikov duo realizes two powerful masterpieces from the Belgian cyclical tradition. Recorded June 2017, […]
Nick Finzer – Hear & Now [TrackList follows] – Outside in Music
Nick Finzer – Hear & Now [TrackList follows] – Outside in Music OiM1701, 57:19 [2/17/17] ****: Trombone in the here and now. (Nick Finzer – trombone, co-producer; Lucas Pino – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Alex Wintz – guitar; Glenn Zaleski – piano; Dave Baron – bass; Jimmy Macbride – drums) Trombonist Nick Finzer’s third release, […]
SCHUMANN/MERTZ: Piano/Guitar Double Album Review
SCHUMANN – Davidbundlertanze, Humoreske, Blumenstück – Luca Buratto – Hyperion 68186, 64:58 ( 4/28/17) ****: Johann Kaspar MERTZ: “The Last Viennese Virtuoso” – Frank Bungarten (ten string guitar) MDG SACD 905, 67:10, (4/14/17) ****: Two Biedermeier recitals for solo instruments representing the intimate musical aesthetic of the domestic salon. The recordings under review here are […]
BRAHMS: Pieces for Piano, Intermezzi – Arkadi Volodos, piano – Sony
BRAHMS: Pieces for Piano, Op. 76: Nos 1-4; 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117; Six Pieces, OP. 118 – Arkadi Volodos, piano – Sony 88875130192, 54:10 (5/19/17) ***: In an all-Brahms program of limited duration but passionate intensity, Volodos will win admirers and possibly alienate purists. This release of Brahms piano music (2015-2017) by Russian pianist […]
The Pete Malinverni Trio – Heaven – Saranac Records
The Pete Malinverni Trio – Heaven – Saranac Records 55:48 ****: A stellar program fit for the constellation ( Pete Malinverni – piano; Ben Allison – bass; Akira Tana – drums; guests: Karrin Allyson – voice track 4; John Faddis – trumpet track 7; Steve Wilson – alto saxophone track 9 ) The use of […]
Two LG 4K TV Reviews — OLED 65″ and UHD 43″
LG 4K TVs — OLED65E6p and 43UH610A The OLED series from LG comes in various models (A, B, E, and G) and sizes. This E model is the second from the top. The upscale G model has a better sound system, at a $1700 up charge; it also has a curved screen OLED series. […]
Johann Baptist VANHAL: Six Quartets, Op. 6 – Eybler Quartet – Brilliant Classics
Johann Baptist VANHAL: Six Quartets, Op. 6 – Eybler Quartet – Brilliant Classics 17003, 70: 10 (4/27/17) *** 1/2: Charming works from a one-time illustrious contemporary of Haydn in the same formative Classical style. (Julia Wedman; violin I/ Aislinn Nosky; violin II/ Patrick Jordan; viola/ Margaret Gay; cello) The Eybler Quartet takes its name from […]
ALWYN : Film Music Vol. 4 – BBC Philharmonic / Rumon Gamba; Chandos
ALWYN : Film Music Vol 4 [contents below] – BBC Philharmonic / Rumon Gamba; Chandos 10930 reviewed as 24-96 flac download; TT: 77:33 [Distr. by Naxos] ****: A fine collection of Alwyn film music portraying lots of stiff upper lip from the 1940s and 1950s. William Alwyn (1905-1985) has been very well served over the […]
Carl Schuricht: Lucerne Festival = MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 27; BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 – Robert Casadesus (p.) / Swiss Festival Orch. Vienna Phil. – Audite
Carl Schuricht: Lucerne Festival = MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595; BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73 – Robert Casadesus, piano/ Swiss Festival Orchestra/ Vienna Philharmonic – Audite 95.645, 68:21 (5/19/17) [Distr. by Naxos] *****: Grand music-making defines these two concerts led by veteran Carl Schuricht. The appearance […]
RAVEL: Piano Concertos; FALLA: Nights in the Gardens of Spain – Steven Osborne (p.) / BBC Scottish SO / Ludovic Morlot – Hyperion
RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G Major; Piano Concerto in D Major for the Left Hand; FALLA: Nights in the Gardens of Spain – Steven Osborne, piano/ BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/ Ludovic Morlot – Hyperion CDA68148, 63:03 (6/2/17) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: The French and Spanish virtuoso works recorded here by Steven Osborne vibrate with […]
Milstein Rarities = LALO: Symphonie espagnole; MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto; DVORAK: Violin Concerto – Nathan Milstein (vln.) / Philadelphia Orch. / Eugene Ormandy / Phil.-Symph. of NY/ Arturo Toscanini / Leopold Stokowski – Pristine Audio
Milstein Rarities = LALO: Symphonie espagnole in d minor, Op. 21; MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto in e minor: Andante & Allegro non troppo; Allegro molto vivace; DVORAK: Violin Concerto in a minor, Op. 53 – Nathan Milstein, violin/ Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy (Lalo)/ Philharmonic-Symphony of New York/ Arturo Toscanini (Mendelssohn)/ Leopold Stokowski (Dvorak) – Pristine Audio […]
Alex Goodman – Second Act – Lyte Records
Alex Goodman – Second Act – Lyte Records LR040 73:00 ***: An appealing sample of Goodman’s goodies ( Alex Goodman – guitar; Matt Marantz – saxophone; Eden Ladin – piano/Fender Rhodes; Rick Rosato – bass; Jimmy MacBride – drums; Felicity Williams & Alex Samaras – vocals tracks 5-8, 10,11 ) Guitarist Alex Goodman is a […]
Vadim NESELOVSKYI Trio – Get Up and Go – BluJazz
Vadim NESELOVSKYI Trio – Get Up and Go – BluJazz 3449 – 61:00, (1/20/17) ****½ : Terrific compositions which span jazz and classical sensibilities played by a first rate trio. (Vadim Neselovskyi; piano, melodica/ Ronen Itzik; drums, percussion/ Dan Loomis; bass/ Sara Serpa; voice (4,11)) The title of the Vadim Neselovskyi trio debut release “Get […]
BACH: St. John Passion – 3 Releases: Academy of Ancient Music/ Crouch End Festival Chorus & Bach Camerata / Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben – Naxos, MDG
BACH: St. John Passion – James Gilchrist (Evangelista)/ Neal Davies (Christus)/ Sophie Bevan (soprano)/ Iestyn Davies (Alto)/ Ed Lyon (Tenor)/ Rodererick Williams (Bass)/ Benedict Kearns (Petrus)/ Tony Ward (Servus)/ Choir of King’s College, Cambridge/ Academy of Ancient Music/ Stephen Cleobury – King’s College multichannel SACD KGS0018 (2 discs), 109:23 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: BACH: Johannes-Passion […]