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THOMAS ADÈS: Asyla; Tevot; Polaris; Brahms – London Sym. Orch./Thomas Adès – LSO Live (Blu-ray & SACD)

THOMAS ADÈS: Asyla; Tevot; Polaris; Brahms – London Sym. Orch./Thomas Adès – LSO Live (Blu-ray & SACD)

by | Apr 8, 2017 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Audiophile quality in these works by this always provocative composer. THOMAS ADÈS: Asyla; Tevot; Polaris; Brahms – London Sym. Orch./Thomas Adès – LSO Live, LSO0798 (Blu-ray audio-only and SACD), 62:55, (3/03/17) ****: Thomas Adès has become, arguably and justifiably, England’s most prominent living composer. His music is regularly very creatively scored, picturesque and frequently a bit thought provoking. This audiophile quality package holds two different discs; a Blu-ray audio and a SACD version. I listened to both versions and they are both very clean, well balanced and “lively.”  I have no clear preference as I didn’t hear a definite difference between the two. They are both very fine iterations of the same live recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra, with the composer conducting. Adès has something in common with America’s John Adams in that they are both excellent and well-known composers who are also very fine conductors, it seems. (I’ve seen Adams and his music live on several occasions. One day I would love to duplicate that experience with Thomas and his work.) To the music itself, these are three of the composer’s most acclaimed works and – to his credit – these pieces have been performed and recorded more […]

“Meanwhile” = MISSY MAZZOLI: Still Life with Avalanche; PHILIPPE HUREL: a mesure; ROSHANNE ETEZADY: from Damaged Goods; STEPHEN HARTKE: Meanwhile: music to imaginary puppet plays; PHILIP GLASS: Music in Similar Motion; THOMAS ADES: Catch – eighth blackbird – Cedille BENJAMIN BROENING: “Trembling Air” = like dreams, statistics are a form of wish fulfillment; Dark Wood; Traces (i); Nocturne/Doubles; Traces (ii); Arioso/Doubles; Changing Light – eighth blackbird – Bridge

“Meanwhile” = MISSY MAZZOLI: Still Life with Avalanche; PHILIPPE HUREL: a mesure; ROSHANNE ETEZADY: from Damaged Goods; STEPHEN HARTKE: Meanwhile: music to imaginary puppet plays; PHILIP GLASS: Music in Similar Motion; THOMAS ADES: Catch – eighth blackbird – Cedille BENJAMIN BROENING: “Trembling Air” = like dreams, statistics are a form of wish fulfillment; Dark Wood; Traces (i); Nocturne/Doubles; Traces (ii); Arioso/Doubles; Changing Light – eighth blackbird – Bridge

by | Jan 2, 2013 | Classical CD Reviews

Two great discs, six amazing musicians, seven interesting composers – eighth blackbird does it again!

Best of the Year Discs for 2010

by | Jan 1, 2011 | Best of the Year

CLASSICAL, incl. Hi-Res, LPs & Classical Reissues THOMAS ADES: Tevot; Violin Concerto; Three Studies from Couperin; Dances from Powder Her Face – Anthony Marwood, violin/ Berlin Philharmonic/Rattle /Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Ades & National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain/Daniel – EMI Geza Anda, piano = HAYDN: Sonata in F Major, Hob.XVI:23; SCHUMANN: Symphonic Etudes; Carnaval; RAVEL: Valses nobles et sentimentales; LIEBERMANN: Klaviersonate; CHOPIN: Ballade in G Minor; 12 Etudes; BRAHMS: Intermezzo in E-flat Major – Hanssler (2 CDs) 94.211 BACH: The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 – The Roth Quartet/Sir Donald Tovey, piano – Divine Art 27804 BACH: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 – Stefan Vladar, piano – Preiser Records PR 90771 BARBER: Violin Concerto in A Minor (rev. edition, 1948); Commando March; Symphony No. 2 (orig. version) – Ruth Posselt, violin/Boston Symphony Orchestra/Serge Koussevitzky – Pristine Audio PASC 217 BEETHOVEN: The ‘Late’ String Quartets (Nos. 12 thru 16) – Tokyo String Quartet – Harmonia mundi multichannel SACD (3 discs) HMU 807481.83 BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 6 – German Chamber Philharmonic, Bremen/ Paavo Jarvi – Sony/RCA Red Seal Multichannel SACD 88697-542542 BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major “Romantic” – Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/ Wilhelm Furtwaengler – Pristine Audio PASC 254 ANTON […]