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“Trumpet Combinations” = Works of GARDNER, JELICH, FRANCESCINI, PINO, HANDLE, BLACHER, BUSSER & TOTH – baritone/brass trio/ pipe organ – MD&G

“Trumpet Combinations” = Works of GARDNER, JELICH, FRANCESCINI, PINO, HANDLE, BLACHER, BUSSER & TOTH – baritone/brass trio/ pipe organ – MD&G

by | Nov 11, 2016 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews, SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

“Trumpet Combinations” = JOHN GARDNER: Sonata da Chiesa sopra un tema di Claudio Monteverdi, Op. 136; VINCENT JELICH: Ricercare; PETRONIO FRANCESCINI: Sonata in D; J.S. BACH: Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren; ANTONIO PINO: Laudate pueri Dominum; HANDEL: The Entrance of the Queen of Sheba from “Solomon”; HANDEL: Revenge, Timotheus Cries from “Alexander’s Feast”; BORIS BLACHER: Divertimento 1946; HENRI BUSSER: Andante et Scherzo; PÉTER TÓTH: Sonata da Chiesa ‒ Joachim Pliquett & Matthias Kühnle, trumpet / Klaus Mertens, baritone / András Fejér, trombone / Arvid Gast, organ ‒ MD&G multichannel SACD Audiomax 906 1930-6 (also 2+2+2); 71:18 ****: Trumpets and friends in appealing surround sound. A bland title, perhaps, but a forthright one. Here we have the trumpet in combination with several old friends, namely trombone, baritone voice, and organ. In fact, this recording showcases the organs of St. Jakobi Church in Lübeck. Note that I say organs, because for the older works on the program, Arvid Gast plays the Renaissance Stellwagen organ, while in the modern pieces he holds forth on the church’s impressive great organ. One musical breadcrumb trail that the performers pursue is the sonata da chiesa, or church sonata, a genre that flourished throughout the Baroque […]

SMETANA: Ma Vlast – Evelinde Trenker and Sontraud Speidel, pianos – MD&G Gold

SMETANA: Ma Vlast – Evelinde Trenker and Sontraud Speidel, pianos – MD&G Gold

by | Aug 10, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

SMETANA: Ma Vlast – Evelinde Trenker and Sontraud Speidel, pianos – MD&G Gold Records MD&G 930 1960-6 multi-channel SACD with additional 2+2+2 80:00 (8/5/16) [Distr. by eOne] ****: A unique transcription of the Smetana classic arranged for two pianos. Smetana’s Ma Vlast is a standard part of the concert repertoire. It was the composer’s manifesto of national destiny for Czech listeners and it went on to worldwide acclaim. Smetana debuted the piece in 1882, and by that time the composer was almost completely deaf. In structure, it is similar to Lizst’s symphonic poems. Heard with a full orchestra it’s a thrilling piece. Here we get something a little different, with a performance for duo pianos by Eveline Trencher and Sontraud Speidel. The two virtuosi have toured the world in concert, playing acclaimed transcriptions of Mahler and Bruckner at Lincoln Center and at various venues and festivals around Europe. I can’t say I prefer the Smetana for two pianos, but it is a captivating listen. The use of two pianos provides a tonal depth that one piano would not, and the pianists preserve the emotion and lush dynamics of the piece. It’s a surprisingly good listen. The 5.1 channel SACD is […]

REGER: Organ Works performed by Christoph Schoener – MD&G

REGER: Organ Works performed by Christoph Schoener – MD&G

by | Jul 15, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

REGER: Organ Works performed by Christoph Schoener (TrackList follows) MD&G 949 1919-6 multichannel SACD with 2+2+2 option (see below) TT: 63:43 (10/30/15) [Distr. by E1] ****:   Recording and performance should please audiophiles as well as organ fans. Christoph Schoener is the organist in this fine collection of organ works by Max Reger. Reger, who died in 1916, wrote a large amount of music for organ, the most popular being his Fantasy and Fugue on BACH, Op. 46 and the Toccata and Fugue in D minor from the collection Op. 129. While a student under Hugo Riemann in Wiesbaden, Reger met the German organist Karl Straube; they became friends and Straube premiered many of Reger’s organ works.  This disc has a large selection of Reger’s output. A track list follows at the end of this review. Besides the music, this disc will appeal to the audiophile, as it is a full 5.1 channel SACD with extremely wide dynamic range and very low noise. The recording is designed to capture the acoustics at St. Michaels Church in Hamburg, which it does well. The surround channels are filled with the  gentle decay of the recording venue. The subwoofer also gets a workout from the […]