Monthly Archive: July 2018
Lionel LOUEKE: Close Your Eyes – Newvelle Records
Lionel LOUEKE: Close Your Eyes – Newvelle Records 015 – 45:46 (June 2018): ****: (Lionel Loueke; guitar, Ruben Rogers;bass, Eric Harland; drums) State of the art vinyl release by Newvelle Records which maintains the high musical standards of its predecessors. Newvelle Records is in its third season of a unique project of producing new music, […]
Music Treasury for 29 July 2018
On Sunday, The Music Treasury is presenting cellist Dmitri Atapine. While Dr Gary Lemco oft-times presents recordings of artists, this week he will have Dmitri Atapine live in the studio at Stanford. More details of Atapine can be found below. The show can be heard between 19:00 and 21:00 PDT on KZSU in the Bay Area, […]
Cello Sonatas by CHOPIN; SCHUMANN; GRIEG – Inbal Segev, cello/ Juho Pohjonen, piano – Avie
A truly elegant “hour” of Romantic cello music comes to us via two instrumentalists in spirited kinship. CHOPIN: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65; SCHUMANN: 3 Fantasiestuecke, Op. 73; GRIEG: Cello Sonata in A minor, Op. 36 – Inbal Segev, cello/ Juho Pohjonen, piano – Avie AV2389, 70:13 (7/20/18) [Distr. by Naxos] *****: This […]
Sir Dan Godfrey: A Sesquicentennial Salute – Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra/ Sir Dan Godfrey – Pristine Classical
For Godfrey’s 150th anniversary, Mark Obert-Thorn supplies us a generous bounty of classic recordings, immaculate in their restored sound. Sir Dan Godfrey: A Sesquicentennial Salute = MOZART: Syphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 555 “Jupiter”; HANDEL: Largo from Xerxes; MEYERBEER: Coronation March from Le Prophete; WAGNER: Homage March; GERMAN: Three Dances from Henry VIII: […]
J.S. Bach: Sonatas for Flute and Harpsichord – Stephen Schultz, Jory Vinikour – Music and Arts
The best performances of these works of the new millenium. J.S. Bach: Sonatas for Flute and Harpsichord – Stephen Schultz (flute) Jory Vinikour (Harpsichord) – Music and Arts 1295 55:18, (3/2/18) *****: This writer subscribes to the view that the Sonatas BWV 1017-1023 for violin and harpsichord obbligato by Bach are his finest chamber works. […]
Erroll Garner – Nightconcert – Octave Music/Mack Avenue Records
More than five decades later, a live concert of a jazz legend is released. Erroll Garner – Nightconcert – Octave Music/Mack Avenue Records MAC1142LP [7/13/2018] double vinyl, 79:34 *****: (Erroll Garner – piano; Eddie Calhoun – double bass; Kelly Martin – drums) Coming from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it was understandable that Erroll Garner would be compared […]
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony Nos. 4 & 11 – Boston Symphony Orchestra/ Andris Nelsons – DGG
A Shostakovich cycle of special merit, the Nelsons performances of symphonies 4 and 11 bring the BSO to fever pitch. SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43; Symphony No. 11 in G minor, Op. 103 “The Year 1905” – Boston Symphony Orchestra/ Andris Nelsons – DGG B0028595-02 (2 CDs) 64:24; 62:59 (7/6/18) [Distr. […]
Jascha Spivakovsky: Bach to Bloch, Volume VI – Jascha Spivakovsky, piano – Pristine Audio
The sixth volume in the Spivakovsky legacy adds virtuoso color to an already seamless stylistic presence.
The Music Treasury for Sunday evening, 22 July 22 2018 – Henry Swoboda, Conductor
This week, The Music Treasury will be presenting works by Czech conductor Henry Swoboda. An active performer on various stages in Europe and the United States, he was also involved in the recording industry, capturing performances of many musicians now of historic value. Dr Gary Lemco will be hosting the show, airing from 19:00 to […]
Johann Sebastian BACH. The sonatas for violin and harpsichord—Rachael Barton Pine, Jory Vinikour —Cedille Records
Johann Sebastian BACH. The sonatas for violin and harpsichord—Rachael Barton Pine (violin), Jory Vinikour (harpsichord)—Cedille Records CDR 900000 177—99:45, **** : While we can’t afford Bach the title as inventor of the sonata for violin and continuo, he did provide us examples of the first concertos for keyboard and orchestra. And in a form that would be […]
Pat Metheny Group – Travels – ECM Records
ECM reissues a brilliant Pat Metheny live concert album on vinyl. Pat Metheny Group – Travels – ECM Records ECM 1252/53 (1983/2018) 180-gram stereo double vinyl (distr. by Universal Music Group), 96:28 ****1/2: (Pat Metheny – guitar, guitar synthesizer; Lyle Mays – piano, synthesizer, organ, autoharp, synclavier; Steve Rodby – acoustic bass, electric bass, bass […]
SCRIABIN: Preludes, Etudes, Sonatas – Vadym Kholodenko, piano – Harmonia mundi
SCRIABIN: Preludes, Etudes, Sonatas, and other works = 6 Preludes, Op. 13; 5 Preludes, Op. 16; Sonata No. 4, Op. 30; Sonata No. 5, Op. 53; Poeme tragique, Op. 34; Poeme satanique, Op. 36; Eight Etudes, Op. 42; Vers la flamme, Op. 72 – Vadym Kholodenko, piano – Harmonia mundi HMM 902255, 72:01 (7/13/18) [Dist. […]
Rachmaninov: Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 33 and Op. 39 – Steven Osborne, piano – Hyperion
Steven Osborne extends his prodigious gifts into the two sets of Etudes-Tableaux of Rachmaninov. Rachmaninov: Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 33 and Op. 39 – Steven Osborne, piano – Hyperion CDA68188, 61:39 (7/27/18) [Distr. Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: When Rachmaninov composed his first set of Etudes-Tableaux in 1911, he still felt the influences of Chopin, Schumann and Liszt, especially […]
The Django Festival AllStars – Attitude Manouche – Resilience Music Alliance
An up to date version of gypsy jazz The Django Festival AllStars – Attitude Manouche – Resilience Music Alliance 54:18****: (Samson Schmitt – lead guitar; Pierre Blanchard – violin, string arrangements; Ludovic Beier – accordion, accordina; Philippe “Doudou”Cuilerier – rhythm guitar, vocals; Antonio Licusati – double bass) In the book Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated […]
Steve Hobbs – Tribute to Bobby – Challenge
More than just tribute. Steve Hobbs – Tribute to Bobby [TrackList follows] – Challenge CR73433, 65:10 [1/5/18] ****: (Steve Hobbs – marimba, vibes; Adam Kolker – tenor and soprano saxophone; Bill O’Connell – piano; Peter Washington – bass; John Riley – drums) Vibraphonist Steve Hobbs’ 65-minute album Tribute to Bobby did not start out as […]
Life Force – Peter Moore, Trombone – Rubicon
In a brilliantly clean recording featuring trombone and piano, Peter Moore and James Baillieu make beautiful music. Life Force — Peter Moore (trombone), James Baillieu (piano)—Rubicon Classics RCD1028—66:31, ****1/2 : The trombone speaks by amplifying the buzzing of the player’s lips into a small, diminutive cup. Notes are differentiated by either extending the length of […]
The Music Treasury for 15 July 2018 — Tatiana Petrofina Nikolayeva, Pianist
This week, The Music Treasury will present piano music performed by Tatiana Petrofina Nikolayeva. Nikolayeva was raised in a musical family—her father a string player, her mother a professional pianist. Tatiana Nikolayeva was particularly noted for her interpretation of works by Bach; her performance inspired Shostakovich to write his own set of preludes and fugues […]
SUK: Piano Music – Jonathan Plowright, piano – Hyperion
The neo-Romantic piano music of Josef Suk has an ardent acolyte in Jonathan Plowright. SUK: Spring – Suite, Op. 22a; Summer Impressions, Op. 22b; Piano Pieces, Op. 7; Moods, Op. 10 – Jonathan Plowright, piano – Hyperion CDA68198, 76:38 (6/29/18) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: Like most auditors of Czech music after Smetana and Dvorak, […]
Eddie Henderson – Be Cool – Smoke Session Records
The many dimensions of cool explored with elegant style Eddie Henderson – Be Cool – Smoke Session Records SSR-1802 76:56****: (Eddie Henderson – trumpet; Donald Henderson – alto saxophone; Kenny Barron – piano; Essiet Essiet – bass; Mike Clark – drums) The 77-year old trumpeter Eddie Henderson, has a backstory quite unlike most jazz musicians […]
John Abercrombie – Timeless – ECM Records
Vinyl reissue of jazz guitarist landmark ECM debut is terrific! John Abercrombie – Timeless – ECM Records ECM 1047 (1974/2018) 180-gram vinyl (distr. by Universal Music Group) 43:36 ****1/2: (John Abercrombie – guitar; Jan Hammer – organ, synthesizer, piano; Jack DeJohnette – drums) John Abercrombie approached his life as a jazz guitarist like many of […]
Franz Josef HAYDN: Piano Sonatas — Anne-Marie McDermott, piano — Bridge
Franz Josef HAYDN: Piano Sonatas, Volume 2 — Anne-Marie McDermott, piano — Bridge 9497, 69:00, (5/27/18) ****1/2: The love comes across in this recital of Haydn sonatas by an experienced artist Anne-Marie McDermott presents four sonatas by Haydn in her second volume of his piano sonatas: numbers 48, 39, 46, and 37. I already knew […]
David Ake – Humanities – Posi-Tone
Jazz with significant subtext. David Ake – Humanities [TrackList follows] – Posi-Tone PR8180, 60:29 [3/16/18] ****: (David Ake – piano; Ralph Alessi – trumpet; Ben Monder – guitar; Drew Gress – bass; Mark Ferber – drums) Humanities are academic disciplines which study aspects of human society and culture. The humanities include ancient and modern languages, […]