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GLINKA: An hour of piano works – Ton Nu Nguyet Minh, p. – Capriccio

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 16, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

Pianist Minh and a rich hour of Glinka’s piano music, revealing a lyricist fond of variation form. GLINKA: Variations in e on Alyabyev’s Romance “The Nightingale”; Nocturne in E-flat Major; Variations in a on the Russian song “Down in the Deep Valley”; Nocturne in f, “Le Separation”; A Greeting to My Homeland – Suite; Variations in F Major on an Original Theme; Variations in C Major on a Theme from “I Capuleti e I Montecchi” by Bellini – Ton Nu Nguyet Minh, p. – Capriccio C5285, 71:00 (8/12/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804-1857) was one of the first Russian composers to gain fame within his home country. His works are influential among Russian composers who would follow, especially The Five, who pioneered the distinctive Russian Style. Glinka studied for a brief period under Irish composer John Field. Field’s salon style – as that of Hummel – influenced Glinka throughout his life, evident in the brilliant style of his piano works, though his works no less reveal distinctly Italian elements. Vietnamese artist Ton Nu Nguyet Minh has the credentials to perform Glinka (rec. 28-30 December 2011), having studied with Jakob Flier, Samuel Alumjan, and Tatiana Nikolajeva. The opening […]

CHOPIN: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor; SCHUMANN: Kreisleriana – Jean-Baptiste Mueller, p. – Klavier

by John Sunier | Jun 15, 2015 | Classical Reissue Reviews

The young Swiss pianist Jean-Baptiste Mueller finds kindred spirits in Chopin and Schumann, both of whom he performs stylistically.

BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Bk. 2: Preludes and Fugues, 1-12 – Mordecai Shehori, p. – Cembal d’amour

by John Sunier | May 9, 2015 | Classical CD Reviews

Mordecai Shehori’s latest installment of Bach WTC Book II confirms his thoroughly “singing” approach to this most rigorous of keyboard studies.

“Stella di Napoli” [TrackList follows] – Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-sop./ Orch. and Chorus of the National Opera of Lyon/ Riccardo Minasi – Erato

by John Sunier | Sep 17, 2014 | Classical CD Reviews

The latest from Joyce DiDonato—almost self-recommending.

Editorial for September 2014

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 1, 2014 | Editorial

This month our drawing/giveaway is for a pair of CDs of the finest operatic voices to five AudAud readers: Joyce DiDonato and Maria Callas. First is the new Erato CD by bel canto singer Joyce DiDonato: Stella di Napoli. Second will be a special sampler CD of complete selections from the new 69-CD Maria Callas Remastered Collection on Warner Classics, which was just remastered to 96K/24-bit audio files, and brings out details in her voice which were never heard before outside of the studio. The five winners of this pair of CDs will be chosen from among those AUDIOPHILE AUDITION readers who register this month using our simple form. When you register we don’t share any of your information except your address (used only for mailing the discs), and you won’t be receiving emails from anyone else. The winners’ names will be listed here next month. Here are the winners of our August drawing for the Herbert von Karajan/Richard Strauss Anniversary Set of a Pure Audio Blu-ray and 11 CDs: Frans Coetzee, Potomac, MD; Rich Mays, Savannah, GA. Congrats to both! EDITORIAL AUDIOPHILE AUDITION began as a local program in San Francisco and then in 1985 as a weekly national […]