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RICHARD DANIELPOUR: Songs of Solitude; War Songs; Toward the Splendid City – Thomas Hampson, bari./Nashville Sym. Orch./ Giancarlo Guerrero – Naxos

RICHARD DANIELPOUR: Songs of Solitude; War Songs; Toward the Splendid City – Thomas Hampson, bari./Nashville Sym. Orch./ Giancarlo Guerrero – Naxos

by | Feb 23, 2017 | Classical CD Reviews

Some very moving and well-written songs on topics of war. RICHARD DANIELPOUR: Songs of Solitude; War Songs; Toward the Splendid City – Thomas Hampson, bari./Nashville Sym. Orch./Giancarlo Guerrero – Naxos 8.559792, 60:48, (10/14/16) ****: For people who follow American contemporary classical music only casually composer Richard Danielpour might not be one of the first names they would manage to mention. However, he has for quite some time now been writing emotional and deeply attractive music and should definitely be thought of as one of our greatest living composers. He also has the gift and talent for being able to write well; technically proficient, well structured and very accessibly for the solo voice and/or chorus. This in indeed not easy to do. A very good example can be found by listening to Danielpour’s Ancient Voices, composed for soprano Hila Plitmann. Here we have two more splendid song cycles for solo voice and orchestra (in this case the soloist is the amazing Thomas Hampson.) Both Songs of Solitude as well as War Songs are written on themes of loss and war. Songs of Solitude uses poetry by William Butler Yeats to reflect on the moods very shortly after the “9-11” attack on […]

Aretha Franklin – Yeah!!! – Columbia LP /Pure Pleasure vinyl

Aretha Franklin – Yeah!!! – Columbia LP /Pure Pleasure vinyl

by | Feb 6, 2017 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Aretha Franklin – Yeah!!! – Columbia CS 9151 (1965)/Pure Pleasure vinyl (2016) PPAN CS9151, 35:23 ****: This vinyl re-master captures the early career of an iconic artist! (Aretha Franklin – vocals, piano; Teddy Harris – piano; Kenny Burrell – guitar; James “Beans Richardson – doublebass; Hindell Butts – drums) She was known as The Queen Of Soul. But that moniker does not begin to assess the musical force that is Aretha Franklin. As a young girl, she became a gospel recording star with a traditional, limited audience. That changed when she was signed to Columbia Records by none other than John Hammond. The label attempted to find a way to market Franklin. Her versatility was unusual. The mezzo-soprano was comfortable singing rhythm and blues, jazz, rock, pop and soul. The Queen never hit her stride at Columbia. However, at Atlantic Records, she became the greatest singer of all time, winning 18 Grammys. Aretha was the first woman inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. A lot of the Columbia sessions are becoming available once again. Pure Pleasure Records has released a 180-gram vinyl reissue of Aretha Franklin – Yeah!!!. This album reflects the label’s attempt to showcase Aretha […]

BELLINI: I Capuleti e i Montecchi (2016)

BELLINI: I Capuleti e i Montecchi (2016)

by | Dec 15, 2016 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

BELLINI: I Capuleti e i Montecchi (2016)  You might want to pass this one up… Performers: Chorus & Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House/  Joyce DiDonato, Olga Kulchynska, Benjamin Bernheim, Roberto Lorenzi/ Fabio Luisi (cond.)/ Christof Loy (stage director)/ Franck Evin (lighting designer) Studio: Accentus Music [9/30/16] Length: 139 min. Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9 screens, color Audio: DTS-HD 5.1, PCM Stereo Subtitles: English, German, French, Japanese Ratings: Audio: ***    Video: ***  One hopes the best for productions of Vincenzo Bellini’s operas, especially—unlike his Norma and il Puritani—the ones out of the repertoire. They still have marvelous music in them. I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1830) is his take on the famous story of Romeo and Juliet, quite different in plotting from Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette (1867). (A contemporary reviewer called Gounod’s opera “always pleasing, though seldom impressive.”) Bellini’s version shimmers like a silver medallion given at an opera-writing competition. Bellini was just establishing his bel canto style and it shines on through. Cast as a “trouser role,” mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato does a splendid job as an indignant and feisty Romeo, more acting than acted upon (unlike Gounod’s Romeo). Olga Kulchynska’s Giulietta is marvelous in several notable arias: her […]

JENKINS: Cantata Memoria – For the Children – Bryn Terfel, bass-bar./ Elin Manahan Thomas, sop./ Cywair and CF1 Chorus/ Sinfonia Cymru/ Karl Jenkins – DGG

JENKINS: Cantata Memoria – For the Children – Bryn Terfel, bass-bar./ Elin Manahan Thomas, sop./ Cywair and CF1 Chorus/ Sinfonia Cymru/ Karl Jenkins – DGG

by | Nov 14, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

JENKINS: Cantata Memoria – For the Children (In Memory of Aberfan 1966) Bryn Terfel, bass-bar./ Elin Manahan Thomas, sop./ Cywair and CF1 Chorus/ Sinfonia Cymru/ Karl Jenkins – DGG 4796486, 56:00 (10/7/16) ****: A magnificent cantata that will leave the listener moved. This piece was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the disaster on October  21,1966 when a coal spoil tip enveloped a school and houses in the South Wales village of Aberfan, killing 116 children and 28 adults. Cantata Memoria bears the subtitle For the Children and, as well as remembering the tragic Welsh catastrophe and its aftermath, mourns the loss of children in universal terms, as witnessed in the Dunblane shooting (1996), the Beslan school siege (2004), the Korean ferry disaster (2014) and the Peshawar School massacre (2014). Cantata Memoria is scored for chorus – both mixed and young voices,  baritone and soprano vocalists, orchestra with prominent solos for violin, euphonium and harp, and sets a libretto by poet Mererid Hopwood. The work is sung in English, Welsh and Latin. This is a magnificent and moving work. Beautiful, yet horrific in its rendering of this tragedy. The soloists, orchestra, and the conducting by Jenkins are all first rate. If you […]

Comparison of two Beethoven Ninths, both on SACD

Comparison of two Beethoven Ninths, both on SACD

by | Sep 9, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 – Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orch. -/Wojciech Rajski – Tacet multichannel SACD in “Real Surround Sound” – TACET S 219 5.1  61:00 (8/12/16)  [Distr. by Naxos] ****: BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 – Beethoven Orch. of Bonn/ Stefan Blunier – DGG Gold multichannel SACD 5.1 MDQ 937 1899-6 67:44 [Distr. by Ent. One] *** 1/2: A tale of two Beethoven recordings – one very unique. The Beethoven Symphony No. 9 is one of the most often played symphonies. Many would say the 9th is the composers crowning achievement, and I would not disagree. As a result of its acclaim, I think most of our readers have a copy in their own libraries. So it’s my task to review two new recordings of the 9th, one quite competent and well recorded, the other a radical departure from the usual recording style, but one that is of interest and merit. Let’s start with the more unique approach. It has been recorded by Tacet in Germany, and as is their custom of late, it’s recorded in  what they call Real Surround Sound. This is not the usual method of instruments up front with ambiance to the rear. In this 9th, performed […]

RACHMANINOV: All-Night Vigil – London Sym. Chorus/ Simon Halsey – LSO Sing

RACHMANINOV: All-Night Vigil – London Sym. Chorus/ Simon Halsey – LSO Sing

by | Aug 30, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

LSC enters the fray with a release of highly competitive value. RACHMANINOV: All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 – London Symphony Chorus/ Simon Halsey – LSO Sing multichannel SACD LSO0781, 53:28 [Distr. by Naxos] (6/10/16) *****: If there is any work of Rachmaninov’s that has benefitted from the surround sound revolution, it is certainly his seminal All-Night Vigil, sometimes incorrectly labeled Vespers. (The piece is actually a compendium of selections from the Orthodox Vespers and Matins services often served together as one.) I think we are now at the point of admitting that no one need sacrifice great sound, meaning SACD or Blu-ray sound, in this work for want of great interpretations. Nearly every Super Audio disc of this piece I have reviewed—around five—offers quality presentations in superior, glorious sound. So why this one? Honestly, I can’t think of a reason. There are recordings where the all-important basses are given more presence, and spiritually it is hard to forget Rostropovich and his Washington Chorus. The aforementioned basses are nicely present in the Shaw recording (Telarc), but both of these are stereo versions, but all of the surround recordings sport fine choirs with deep, spacious sound. I can only say, with respect to […]

“Tapestries” = Choral works of DAN LOCKLAIR – soloists/The Choral Art Society/ Robert Russell – MSR Classics

“Tapestries” = Choral works of DAN LOCKLAIR – soloists/The Choral Art Society/ Robert Russell – MSR Classics

by | Jun 22, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

A wonderful and generous sampling of some of the finest choral music written today. “Tapestries” = DAN LOCKLAIR: Holy Canticles; Alleluia Dialogues; Instant Culture; On Cats; Break Away!; Dona Nobis Pacem; Proclaim The Lord; A Christmas Carol; Three Christmas Motets; Windswept (The Trees); For Amber Waves; Tapestries; Brief Mass; Changing Perceptions; Epitaph – Ann Doyle, p./ Bel Canto Company/ David Pegg/ Prometheus Ch. Players/ Shirley Curry, p./ The Choral Art Society/ Robert Russell – MSR Classics MS 1463 (2 CDs), 61:46, 70:26 [Distr. by Albany] ****: Few contemporary composers have been as successful as Dan Locklair; his prolific music is performed widely, even world-widely, in many genres. It’s not difficult; it doesn’t have even the slightest pretense towards aphoristic complexities or trendy associations. What it does have is heart, lots of heart, sincerity, craft, and communicativeness. And best of all, none of these characteristics are in the slightest way condescending toward we listeners. Everything Locklair declaims is honest, forthright, and moving. This generous two-CD set covers a lot of his choral output from 1981-96, and the consistency and quality are remarkable, and the excellent mix of sacred and secular provides a fine overview of the man’s intents and interests. Especially […]

JANACEK: Glagolitic Mass – Soloists/Evard Grieg & Bergen Cath.Choir – Chandos

JANACEK: Glagolitic Mass – Soloists/Evard Grieg & Bergen Cath.Choir – Chandos

by | May 24, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

JANACEK: Glagolitic Mass – Sara Jakubiak (sop.)/ Susan Bickley (mezzo)/ Stuart Skelton (tenor)/ Gábor Bretz (bass)/ Thomas Trotter (organ)/ Edward Gardner cond. Bergen Philharmonic Orch./ Bergen Philharmonic Choir & Choir of Collegiûm Mûsicûm; Adagio for Orch. – Bergen Philharmonic Orch./ Zdravas Maria, – Sara Jakubiak (sop.)/ David Stewart (violin)/ Karstein Askeland (organ)/ Edvard Grieg Chorus & Bergen Cathedral Choir; Otcenáš (Our Father) for four-part choir, tenor soloist, organ and harp – Stuart Skelton (tenor)/ Johannes Wik (harp)/ Karstein Askeland (organ)/ Edvard Grieg Choir & Bergen Cathedral Choir – Chandos multichannel SACD CHSA 5165 TT: 64:30 (3/25/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: A superb recording and performance of Janacek’s epic Mass. I’ve always had an affinity for Janacek’s music, and his Sinfonietta is a piece I listen to at least once every few weeks. When I first heard the the Glagolitic Mass some years ago, I wasn’t sure what I would hear, but Janacek’s style that I knew so well from the Sinfonietta was clearly there, and most welcome. The Glagolitic Mass is considered Janacek’s finest non-operatic work. It was premiered a year after the Sinfonietta to critical acclaim. This impressive piece makes full use of the orchestra and chorus, with virtuosic […]

HANDEL: Messiah at Grace Cathedral – audio-only Blu-ray (2015)

HANDEL: Messiah at Grace Cathedral – audio-only Blu-ray (2015)

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

Rather laidback for my taste. HANDEL: Messiah at Grace Cathedral (1753 Foundling Hospital Version) – audio-only Blu-ray (2015) Mary Wilson, sop./ Eric Jurenas, countertenor/ Kyle Stegall, tenor/ Jesse Blumberg, bar./ John Thiessen, trumpet/ American Bach Soloists/ American Bach Ch./ Jeffrey Thomas (Live from Grace Cathedral, San Francisco 2014) Producer: Abigail McKee Director: Frank Zamacona Studio: American Bach Soloists (1 Blu-Ray Disc) Video: Full HD 1920 X 1080i 16:9 color Audio: PCM Stereo 2.0, DTS-HD MA 5.1 Length: 147 min., 31 min. (doc.) 
Extras: Welcome to Grace Cathedral, About Handel’s Messiah Rating: *** Grace Cathedral presents a music series every year, and of course Messiah is a perennial favorite, as it is at almost every music series in the country. This year the American Bach Soloists decided to grace the cathedral with their take on this most popular piece of music in the world, the sterling Jeffrey Thomas leading the pack. I have always been a fan of Thomas and his ABS, but I must say that this release is a major disappointment. First the visuals: Aside from the over-reliance on camera pans to the various pieces of artwork in the cathedral, and the extraordinarily superfluous twenty miles of streamers from […]

DVORAK: Stabat Mater – Soloists/Radio Sym. & Choir of Bavarian Radio/ Mariss Janssons – BR Klassik

DVORAK: Stabat Mater – Soloists/Radio Sym. & Choir of Bavarian Radio/ Mariss Janssons – BR Klassik

by | Mar 12, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

This live performance maintains an air of piety and devotion requisite to its powerful musical occasion. DVORAK: Stabat Mater, Op. 58 – Erin Wall, sop./ Minoko Fujimura, mezzo-sop./ Christian Elsner, tenor/ Liang Li, bass/ Choir of the Bavarian Radio/ Bavarian Radio Sym. Orch./ Mariss Janssons – BR Klassik 900142, 77:55 [Distr. by Naxos] (1/8/16) *****:  When discussing Dvorak’s epic 1876-80 Stabat Mater (in b minor) with the late choral conductor David Randolph, I came to realize the innate difficulty of sustaining the musical tension of “a work consisting of basically ten adagios,” in Randolph’s words. Indeed, only one movement, the fifth, indicates a tempo that includes quasi allegretto. A series of personal tragedies – especially among his children – may have triggered Dvorak’s fascination with texts illustrating the pain of Mary in the face of her son’s crucifixion. Pietistic and emotionally introverted, the score embraces a deep sense of lamentation and tragic loss, colored only occasionally by moments of grudging optimism.  My first recording of the work, led by the venerable Dvorak master, Vaclav Talich, projected a staid dignity and breadth of conception, and the present realization (rec. 24-26 March 2015) from Munich makes a worthy successor. From the expansive […]