Monthly Archive: April 2018
WALTON: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra; Sonata for String Orchestra; Partita for Orchestra – James Ehnes, viola/ BBC Symphony Orchestra/ Edward Gardner – Chandos
James Ehnes and Edward Gardner collaborate in virtuosic, colorful scores from William Walton. WALTON: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra; Sonata for String Orchestra; Partita for Orchestra – James Ehnes, viola/ BBC Symphony Orchestra/ Edward Gardner – Chandos CHSA 5210, 65:50 (4/6/18) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: William Walton (1902-1983) composed his Viola Concerto in A minor in 1929, originally for the instrumentalist Lionel Tertis, at the suggestion of conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. Though Tertis declined the premiere, the work had its debut with Paul Hindemith and the composer at London Promenade concert. The structure of the work follows the design of Prokofiev’s D Major Violin Concerto, with its moderately paced opening movement, followed by an E minor Scherzo, and concluding with a fast-paced ending that quotes from the first movement. The leisurely, walking pace of the first movement, Andante comodo, soon reveals the viola’s sumptuous power of expression in double stops, accompanied by minor and major thirds. The grand melody line comes to us courtesy of Ehnes’ 1740 Bergonzi viola. Syncopations follow that direct us to a faster tempo and its central, developmental section, the whole marked inquietamente (“restless”) that only through jaunty, circuitous routes will finally settle comfortably on E. […]
Sound Prints – Scandal – Greenleaf Music
Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas echo Wayne Shorter’s spirit and inventiveness. Sound Prints – Scandal [TrackList follows] – Greenleaf Music GRE-CD-1065, 66:32 [4/6/18] ****: (Joe Lovano – tenor saxophone, G mezzo soprano saxophone (track 10), co-producer; Dave Douglas – trumpet, co-producer, executive producer; Lawrence Fields – piano; Joey Baron – drums; Linda May Han Oh – bass) Saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas are both forward-thinkers. So, it should not be a surprise that as co-leaders of the quintet Sound Prints they have put together an original-leaning tribute to Wayne Shorter. The 66-minute Scandal is not a covers album. In fact, there are only two Shorter compositions among the 11 tracks. Douglas explains, “We’re not playing by the traditional, or school-taught, rules of jazz.” The CD’s title refers to “our questioning of everything about the assumptions made in improvisation.” The band’s name is inspired by Shorter’s piece, “Footprints,” and Shorter’s ongoing influence is the guidepost behind Sound Prints’ music. More than just music emanates through the material. Lovano says, “Sound Prints is a free-flowing, joyous expression of music in the social environment we live in today.” Scandal is the group’s first studio output. Their self-titled 2015 live debut was […]
ANGELUS – Zvonimir Nagy Organist and composer – Ravello Records
Contemporary organ music that makes a deep impression in its range and ambition. ANGELUS – Zvonimir Nagy Organist and composer – Ravello Records CD – Catalog #: RR7987 (4/13/18) ****: Angelus is a refreshing exercise in melody and minimalism from Croatian-born American musician Zvonimir Nagy, both a music composer and scholar. He resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he is an Associate Professor of Music at Duquesne University. He is also an active performer with interests in contemporary music and improvisation. The album features music for contemplation, using a solo organ to create what Nagy calls a “delicate space for inner exploration throughout the life of the album.” I can’t help but agree. The album starts meditatively but by the final compositions is full of dynamism and exuberance. Nagy’s performance is impeccable, and each piece is moving and memorable. The sound is fine on the disc, but I long to hear a work like this in higher than CD resolution and multiple channels. I got a little help from my pre-amp giving me a faux surround sound, but that’s never the same as true multichannel music. The recording was made at the Chapel of Holy Spirit at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh […]
Renee Fleming in Concert – Salzburg Festival 2011-12 – Strauss/Wolf/Bruckner – Blu-ray – Opus Arte
A reissue of 2 terrific concerts in a 2 disc set of dazzling video and audio. Renee Fleming in Concert – Salzburg Festival 2011-12 – Strauss/Wolf/Bruckner – A 2 Blu-ray disc set in 1080i video, DTS 5.1 sound – Opus Arte OA BD7235- TT: 190 minutes (1/26/18) *** 1/2: This new release is actually a two disc repackaging of a 2012 release of 2 concerts from 2011 and 2012 with Renee Fleming and Christian Thielemann the Vienna Philharmonic and the Staatskapelle Dresden. There’s a generous amount of music, more than 3 hours worth, and a good portion of the music on offer is bereft of Ms. Fleming. So it’s a bit odd to call this set Renee Fleming in Concert. The purely orchestral works are excellent, both the Strauss Alpine Symphony and the Bruckner Symphony # 7. The vocal programs feature five lieder by the prolific Austrian songsmith Hugo Wolf in addition to four of Strauss’s finest and an opera scene featuring Fleming in one of her career-defining roles, Arabella. The orchestral works are brilliantly performed and recorded. The 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio is thrilling to experience. The rest of the disc gives us Ms. Fleming in her usual […]
Kavakos: Virtuoso = Works for Violin and Piano by STRAVINSKY; SARASATE; TARREGA; FALLA; PAGANINI; WIENIAWSKI; R. STRAUSS; DOHNANYI; ELGAR; TCHAIKOVSKY; DVORAK – Leonidas Kavakos, violin/ Enrico Pace, piano – Decca
Kavakos and Pace deliver alternately fiery and sweetly crisp renditions of virtuoso staples from diverse national styles. Kavakos: Virtuoso = Works for Violin and Piano by STRAVINSKY; SARASATE; TARREGA; FALLA; PAGANINI; WIENIAWSKI; R. STRAUSS; DOHNANYI; ELGAR; TCHAIKOVSKY; DVORAK [Complete list of compositions below] – Leonidas Kavakos, violin/ Enrico Pace, piano – Decca 478 9377, 78:47 (4/8/16) [Distr. by Universal] ****: Greek violin virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos (b. 1967) indulges us in his spectacular talent, often tailored to echo much of the bravura we once associated with the late Ruggiero Ricci (1918-2012). Sporting his 1724 Abergavenny Stradivarius, Kavakos raises the same gypsy sparks we know from Ricci in the Sarasate pieces, the 1881 Caprice basque and lyrical Romanza andaluza. The former, set in ¾ and 6/8, capitalizes on the Spanish zortzico tradition, often sizzling in explosive gestures. The latter exploits double stops as a means of intensifying its melodic content. Using Ricci’s transcription of the 1896 Tarrega guitar piece, Recuerdos de la Alhambra, the song becomes a study for tremolo bow control. While Ricci remained typecast as a Paganini specialist, so too Zino Francescatti (1902-1991) could explore the virtuosic side of the violin solo repertory, and his arrangement of Paganini’s 1821 Variations […]
Carla Thomas – The Queen Alone – Stax/Speakers Corner
Queen of Memphis Soul… Carla Thomas – The Queen Alone – Stax/Speakers Corner #S718 – 180 gm audiophile LP – 1967 ***: (Carla Thomas – vocals: with backing from Booker T and the MGs, and unknown backing roster of horns and strings ) Carla Thomas was Stax Records answer to the much more heralded crew of Motown female stars. Stax had Carla record with Otis Redding and she had hits as well with Rufus Thomas, her father. She deserved the moniker as the Queen of Memphis Soul. Carla had the proper blend of sweetness and sass to fit right in with the funky groove of Stax releases. Speakers Corner, earlier this year, re-released, The Queen Alone, from 1967. With backing from Booker T and the Mgs, the Stax house band, and brass and string accompaniment, Thomas explores a mix of gospel influenced and pop fare of the period. Six of the tracks were written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter of the Stax team. I found the Side B material to be more assertive and less of an attempt to channel traditional Motown than the Side A material. Her soulfulness is more effective without cloying strings that are utilized to […]
G. P. Telemann: Essercizii Musici – Florilegium – Channel Classics
G. P. Telemann: (sections from) Essercizii Musici – Florilegium (dir. Ashley Solomon, flute) – Channel Classics CCS 40118—119:30, ****1/2 Telemann, a contemporary of Handel and Bach, is remembered best today for being a prolific composer. Trained as a lawyer, he took extraordinary means to pursue music and later promote his music, in a variety of genres and by incorporating a number of regional styles. Most notably, Telemann integrated French and Polish elements into his music. Among the collections he took to publishing was a collection he entitled Essercizii Musici, trio sonatas and solo sonatas in four movements, for a variety of instruments. The title of the work itself is interesting. When composers used the word “exercises” in their pieces, they almost seemed destined to an amateur audience. In some cases, these solo sonatas could be played by just two players; the trio sonatas, by three. The use of Italian in the title, I am guessing, was to impart another regional connotation to the works. Some years ago I became acquainted with this collection, which takes the space of four CDs, performed by Camerata Köln on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi. I soon learned the pieces weren’t overly simple; they no doubt presented […]
Schnittke: Psalms of Repentance; Pärt: Magnificat & Nunc dimittis / Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir / Kaspars Putniņš / BIS
An intense and emotional performance and recording of these contemporary Russian works. Schnittke: Psalms of Repentance; Pärt: Magnificat & Nunc dimittis / Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir / Conductor Kaspars Putniņš / BIS Hybrid SACD 2292 TT: 59:51 (1/5/2018) BIS have given us a wonderful pairing of works by two contemporary Russian composer; Alfred Schnittke and Arvo Pärt. Schnittke and Pärt lived through times of remarkable change in the last decades of the Soviet Union. From the 1970s, state restrictions on religion were gradually relaxed and this was reflected in the arts and especially in music. Schnittke’s adoption of Christianity was triggered by the death of his mother in 1972, and culminated in his later conversion to Catholicism. Pärt was from a nominally Lutheran background in Estonia, but embraced the Orthodox faith in the 1970s, following intensive study of liturgical music. Both composers began to incorporate religious themes into their work, moving away from the modernist abstraction that had characterized their early careers. This hybrid SACD offers Schnittke’s Psalms of Repentance and Pärt’s Magnificat & Nunc dimittis. Although the two works were written about a decade apart, they are an excellent choice for a listening session. Performed by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber […]
VERDI: Requiem in Memory of Manzoni – World Premiere Recording – Carlo Sabajno – Pristine Audio
Pristine and Mark Obert-Thorn restore the premiere recording of the Verdi Requiem, whose might and majesty resound stylistically.
Fred Hersch Trio – Live In Europe – Palmetto Records
Fred Hersch Trio – Live In Europe – Palmetto Records PM2192 63:51 ****: A top notch performing jazz trio like a bottle of fine wine ( Fred Hersch – piano; John Hébert – bass; Eric McPherson – drums) A top notch performing jazz trio is like a bottle of fine wine. Upon opening, it offers a bouquet of distinctive bell-hued tones, and then provides a long finish of dynamic harmonies beneath the tightly channelled lead lines. Such is the Fred Hersch Trio in their latest release Live In Europe. In a session that was recorded live at Flagey Studio 4 in Brussels, Belgium on November 24, 2017, the trio delivers a flexible and declarative recital of six Hersch originals, and four other compositions from a couple of jazz originals Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter. Beginning with Monk’s “We See” which comes from the composer’s 1954 recording entitled Monk, the trio embarks on a sparkling musical banter of the number evidencing their strong interplay. The musical core of the album are the six original compositions by Hersch which are offered in consecutive tracks. While each one provides interesting improvisational opportunities, the numbers that have dedications are somewhat more charming. The ballad […]
Shorty Rogers & His Giants – Jazz Waltz – Reprise/PurePleasure
West Coast Jazz in waltz time… Shorty Rogers & His Giants – Jazz Waltz – Reprise/PurePleasure PPAN R9-6060 – Audiophile stereo 180 gm LP ****: (Shorty Rogers – flugelhorn; Bud Shank – alto sax and flute; Joe Maini – alto sax; Paul Horn – alto sax and flute; Bill Hood – baritone sax; Bill Perkins and Bob Cooper – tenor sax; Harry Betts, Milt Bernhardt – trombone; George Rogers and Kenny Shroyer – bass trombone; Al Porcino and Ray Triscari – trumpet; Joe Burnett and Ollie Mitchell – trumpet and flugelhorn; Emil Richards and Larry Bunker – vibraphone; Lou Levy – piano; Joe Mondragon – bass; Mel Lewis – drums) Shorty Rogers was a master bandleader for showcasing the strengths of West Coast jazz—cool counterpoint and a gentle yet insistent swing, blending a strong ensemble mix with catchy melody that went well with the warm beach breezes in southern California. Shorty was also a risk taker, incorporating Latin rhythms along with movie theme soundtracks. On Jazz Waltz, Rogers uses waltz time to explore a bit of gospel, folk melody, Ellington, as well as well known movie themes and standards. At this time (1962), Rogers had his pick of West Coast […]
20th Century Masterpieces for 2 pianos and orchestra – Pierce and Jonas Piano Duo/David Amos / Carlos Piantini – MSR Classics
Seven 20th century neo-classical concertos for two pianos and orchestra 20th Century Masterpieces for 2 pianos and orchestra: Works by LOPATNIKOFF; TANSMAN; MALPIERO; BEREZOVSKY; POULENC; STARER; CRESTON [complete list of compositions below] – Pierce and Jonas Piano Duo / Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra & National Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio and Television/David Amos – Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra/Carlos Piantini, MSR Classics MS 1651, 62:53, 63:37, ****: These works for two pianos and orchestra represent a generous survey the neo-classical two-piano-and orchestra revival of the mid-twentieth century. The emergence of duo piano teams (Vronsky & Babin, Gold & Fizale, Whittemore & Lowe, Luboshutz & Nemenoff and others) created a demand for contemporary works they could perform. Beginning in the 1980’s, Joshua Pierce and Dorothy Jonas have continued reviving these neglected works and added new ones. These reissued recordings were made in the 1990’s and this is the first of two Volumes. When completed, there will be recordings of 13 two-piano concertos. The extensive essay by composer, author and critic Eric Salzman, who passed away last year, is a valuable addition to these recordings and the history of the genre these works represent. The neo-classical movement started in the 1920’s and 1930’s […]
BUSONI: Elegies; An die jugend – Carlo Grante, piano – Music&Arts
Ever challenging and knotty, the often academic figures in Busoni retain their experimental vigor in Grante’s powerful realization. BUSONI: Elegies; An die jugend – Carlo Grante, piano – Music&Arts CD-1290, 61:43 (4/20/18) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Recorded December 2013 on a Boesendorfer instrument, the Seven Elegies (1908) and the four-movement An die Jugend suite (1909) of Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) by Carlo Grante still startle with their advanced harmonic syntax and post-Romantic sensibility. Busoni, rather than rejecting traditional harmony in the manner of Schoenberg, turned to various polyphonic techniques taken directly from ancient music—the madrigals and motets of the Renaissance—to layer his unorthodox chordal progressions with inversion, dissonant modulations, and eccentric combinations of major and minor thirds. Traditional tonality, then, assumes a greater and more chromatic flexibility, altering the sound world in ways that suggest Liszt, Debussy, and Scriabin without having become merely imitative of their efforts. Busoni felt that the Elegies express his new, creative manifesto, a turning point in music that well conforms to Leonard Bernstein’s assessment of 1908 as decisive for the aesthetic evolution of expressive means. The opening Elegy No. 1 Nach der Wendung (“After the Turning”) exploits the idea of mutatio toni, changing modes, a procedure […]
The Music Treasury for 22 April – The Rare Václav Talich
The Rare Václav Talich: The Czech conductor Vaclav Talich had a highly respected career in the first half of the 1900s in the concert halls of Europe. He held the baton before orchestra and opera houses in Berlin, Odessa, Odessa , Prague, and Ljubljana. He is particularly noted for his interpretations of Czech composers such as Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, and Josef Suk. Talich also did much to bring the operas of Leoš Janáček into the standard repertoire. In addition to conducting, Talich was also accomplished violinist, and taught a good deal, with Karel Ančerl, Jaroslav Krombholc, Charles Mackerras, Ladislav Slovák, Ivan Romanoff, and Milan Munclinger among his pupils. In 1957, he was awarded the title of a National Artist, the highest artistic title of Czechoslovakia. Václav Talich Photo by Hugo Boettinger The Music Treasury is airing this show at its usual time of 19:00 to 21:00, PDT, hosted by Dr Gary Lemco. The show will feature compositions by Suk, Janacek, Dvorak, Smetana, Tchaikovsky, and Blodeck, and includes orchestral as well as operatic works. It can be heard from the host station KZSU in the Bay Area, or streaming on the ‘Net at kzsu.stanford.edu. The Music Treasury is a unique and […]
Dave Zinno Unisphere – River of January – Whaling City Sound
Dave Zinno Unisphere – River of January – Whaling City Sound Bassist Dave Zinno takes us on a musical journey from Kansas to Brazil and stops in between. Dave Zinno Unisphere – River of January [TrackList follows] – Whaling City Sound [Dist. by Naxos] WCS101, 68:37 [10/6/17] ****: (Dave Zinno – double bass, producer; Mike Tucker – tenor saxophone; Leo Genovese – piano, melodica; Rafael Barata – drums; Eric “Benny” Bloom – trumpet (tracks 8-10)) It makes sense bassist Dave Zinno named his group Dave Zinno Unisphere. The Unisphere is a spherical stainless-steel representation of the Earth created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair dedicated to “Man’s Achievements on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe.” Zinno uses many facets of jazz including a large dose of Latin jazz, jazz arrangements of pop material and straightforward jazz. He utilizes them all on his latest ten-track outing, River of January. Zinno—a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island—has previously backed vocalist Dianne Schuur and has performed with Jimmy Cobb, Junior Cook, Jimmy Heath, John Hicks, John Medeski and others. He’s spent much time in Brazil and has extensively studied Latin jazz. Zinno’s band also has tenor saxophonist Mike Tucker. […]
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 2; Piano Sonata No. 1 – Norman Krieger, piano/ London Symphony Orchestra/ Philip Ryan Mann – Decca
Norman Krieger brings some old-world Brahms playing to his grand readings of the Second Concerto and the First Sonata. BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83; Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 1 – Norman Krieger, piano/ London Symphony Orchestra/ Philip Ryan Mann – Decca DD41142/481 4871, 80:10 (2/3/17) [Distr. by Universal] ****: Norman Krieger explores (rec. 2014-15) two Brahms works separated by twenty-five years, his Op. 1 Sonata in C Major and the Concerto no. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 of 1878. Each composition, in its own way, testifies to the grand canvas that typifies the Brahms keyboard ethos. The Sonata in C Major vacillates between mammoth and intimate gestures, opening with an almost direct reference to Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata and then gravitates to a melancholy theme that traverses minor keys in D, E, and A, and whose marking sospirando, suggests a kinship with idol Schumann. The development releases an arsenal of classical procedures, including canons, rolling octaves, and sweeping arpeggios, trills (some in seven notes), and triplet figures. There occur moments in which the gravitas lightens, even while the music passes into minor modes in C and F. Both before and during […]
Steve Cardenas – Charlie and Paul – Newvelle Records
Showing the love for Haden and Motian… Steve Cardenas – Charlie and Paul – Newvelle Records NV013LP – audiophile LP ****1/2: (Steve Cardenas – guitars; Loren Stillman – saxophones; Thomas Morgan – bass; Matt Wilson – drums) After appearing as a sideman on previous Newvelle Records releases, Steve Cardenas now steps into the role as leader on the initial LP of the third season of Newvelle’s well received subscription series. On Charlie and Paul, he honors two iconic jazz masters with whom he was honored to contribute to their legacy, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer, Paul Motian. Both Haden and Motian cherished melody and yet could (and did!) enter more adventurous avenues of expression. Cardenas chose as band mates, musicians who also played with Charlie and Paul. Saxist, Loren Stillman appeared on Carla Bley and Charlie Haden’s Liberation Orchestra’s final release, and recorded with Motian in 2009. Bassist,Thomas Morgan, was with Motian on the Windmills of Your Mind issue. Drummer, Matt Wilson, goes back to 2005 with Cardenas on the Liberation Orchestra’s Not in Our Name (which would be apropos to the present political environment). Steve, himself, was an integral part of both the Orchestra as well as Motian’s Electric […]
Monty Alexander – Here Comes the Sun – MPS/Edel
Alexander takes listeners from Uruguay to England and other places, with touches of pop, calypso and lots of jazz. Monty Alexander – Here Comes the Sun [TrackList follows] – MPS/Edel 0212406MSW, 40:14 [11/17/17] ****: (Monty Alexander – piano; Eugene Wright – bass; Duffy Jackson – drums; Montego Joe – conga drums) By 1971 Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander had half a dozen releases under his belt. That year Alexander began a fruitful relationship with MPS, the German jazz record company. His first MPS album was the 40-minute, seven-track Here Comes the Sun. In late 2017 it was reissued on CD and on 180-gram vinyl LP. This review refers to the compact disc digipak version. The reissue features high-quality analog remastering; a new foreword; and Down Beat then-editor Dan Morgenstern’s original liner notes. All notes are printed in German and English. Alexander had a top-notch quartet for this project. Bassist Eugene Wright (best remembered for his tenure in Dave Brubeck’s band) had been with Alexander for two years. Eighteen-year-old Duffy Jackson fills the drum kit (he subsequently backed Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Lena Horne, Milt Jackson and more). Roger “Montego Joe” Sanders (conga drums) completes the line-up. Alexander put together an interesting […]
SHOSTAKOVICH: Leningrad Symphony – NBC Symphony Orchestra/ Leopold Stokowski – Pristine
Pristine well restores the historical context for the Stokowski 1942 broadcast of the Shostakovich 7th Symphony.
HAYDN: Piano Sonata; RACHMANINOV: Variations on a Theme of Corelli; LISZT: Paganini Etudes – Jooyoung Kim, piano – MSR
Jooyoung Kim delivers an audacious program of both Classical and Romantic repertory that exhibits polish and fiery bravura at once. HAYDN: Piano Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:48; RACHMANINOV: Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42; LISZT: 6 Grandes Etudes de Paganini, S. 141 – Jooyoung Kim, piano – MSR Classics MS 1636, 56:52 Distr. by Albany] ****: Recorded 14-18 January 2017, these polished performances of music by Haydn, Rachmaninov, and Liszt show off an active recitalist and pedagogue, Jooyoung Kim, who currently serves on the faculty of Indiana University. Kim opens with Haydn’s sprightly 1789 Piano Sonata in C Major, a two-movement work that dispenses with certain, usual formalities. It begins Andante con espressione, in a two-bar theme that suffices in variation for the whole movement. Each phrase from the evolving melody adds another note to the accompanying chord. The C Major antics find response in the parallel minor, and Haydn develops the material in the form of an ongoing improvisation. The charming Rondo: Presto conforms to sonata-form, the secondary tune evolving from the opening motif. There comes a diversion into C minor, but this episode yields to the joyous impulse of the main idea. Kim plays […]
Monika Herzig – Monika Herzig’s Sheroes – Whaling City Sound
Support, confidence and empowerment from an all-woman band. Monika Herzig – Monika Herzig’s Sheroes [TrackList follows] – Whaling City Sound [Dist. by Naxos] wcs106, 58:27 [3/23/18] ****: (Monika Herzig – piano, Fender Rhodes (track 3), composer, arranger; Ingrid Jensen – trumpet; Jennifer Vincent – bass; Ada Rovatti – tenor saxophone; Jamie Baum – flute; Reut Regev – trombone; Leni Stern – guitar; Mayra Casales – percussion; Rosa Avila – drums) Being a professional musician is no easy task. Musicians often balance family life, concerts and touring, and finding the time to write music and record material. Being a woman in jazz is also a struggle. Jazz can be like other entertainment and business arenas. There can be fewer opportunities for women. Less female mentors. And sexism can be as much a problem as in other work areas. Which brings us to Monika Herzig’s Sheroes, an ensemble which came together for Herzig’s 2014 release, The Whole World in Her Hands. The ongoing Sheroes project is an indication of better consideration for women in jazz. In the CD liner notes, Howard Mandel explains, “That’s exactly what Monika and company does: present a model of empowerment with results that are good for everyone. […]
Copland Conducts Copland – Los Angeles Philharmonic and Benny Goodman – Naxos Blu-ray
It’s a thrill to see Copland conducting his own works, even if the audio and video are not up to modern standards Copland Conducts Copland (1976) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Benny Goodman / This concert was filmed in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles/ Naxos Blu-ray NBD0068V Stereo Tracks and an upscaled NTSC video recording. TT: 58:44 (3/18/18) ****: When I saw this disc arrive in the mail I was wondering how I could see the great Aaron Copland conducting in high resolution video from a concert in 1976. Alas, it wasn’t possible, but there aren’t a lot of video tapes of Copland conducting his own works, so this disc, with compromised video (by modern standards) and a rather thin stereo recording is still a treat, and something that lovers of American music and Copland in particular will cherish. It’s fair to say that Copland is the best interpreter of his own works as anyone, although there is much from Leonard Bernstein and a few others to be admired. The disc contains the Copland we might expect: Fanfare for the Common Man El Salon Mexico Clarinet Concerto (with Benny Goodman) Hoe-Down from Rodeo Suite from The Tender Land […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
