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 

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 […]

Sound Prints – Scandal – Greenleaf Music

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 […]

Renee Fleming in Concert – Salzburg Festival 2011-12 – Strauss/Wolf/Bruckner – Blu-ray – Opus Arte 

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 […]

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: 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 […]

Schnittke: Psalms of Repentance; Pärt: Magnificat & Nunc dimittis / Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir / Kaspars Putniņš / BIS

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 […]

20th Century Masterpieces for 2 pianos and orchestra – Pierce and Jonas Piano Duo/David Amos / Carlos Piantini – MSR Classics 

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 […]

BUSONI: Elegies; An die jugend – Carlo Grante, piano – Music&Arts 

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) […]

BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 2; Piano Sonata No. 1 – Norman Krieger, piano/ London Symphony Orchestra/ Philip Ryan Mann – Decca 

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. […]

Steve Cardenas – Charlie and Paul – Newvelle Records 

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 […]

Monty Alexander – Here Comes the Sun – MPS/Edel 

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 […]

HAYDN: Piano Sonata; RACHMANINOV: Variations on a Theme of Corelli; LISZT: Paganini Etudes – Jooyoung Kim, piano – MSR 

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 […]

Monika Herzig – Monika Herzig’s Sheroes – Whaling City Sound 

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 […]

Copland Conducts Copland – Los Angeles Philharmonic and Benny Goodman – Naxos Blu-ray 

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 […]