Germany Archive
Elliot Galvin Trio – Punch – Edition
Elliot Galvin Trio – Punch – Edition 1076, 38:14 (7/29/16) ****: (Elliot Galvin; piano, kalimba, accordion, cassette player, melodica, stylophone/ Tom McCredie; double bass/ Simon Roth; drums, percussion and glockenspiel) Technically dazzling, wildly innovative trio music well outside the normal jazz trio in terms of conception and theatricality. I would think that the jazz piano […]
********* Multichannel Disc of the Month *********** COUPERIN: Trois Lecons de Tenebres; SEBASTIEN DE BROSSARD: Trio Sonatas in c and a; Stabat Mater – Soloists/La Nuova Music – HM
A beautiful excursion into the world of Parisian devotional music. COUPERIN: Trois Lecons de Tenebres; SEBASTIEN DE BROSSARD: Trio Sonatas in c and a; Stabat Mater – Lucy Crowe/ Elizabeth Watts, sop./ La Nuova Musica/ David Bates – Harmonia mundi multichannel SACD HMU 807659, 70:32 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] *****: The Lamentations of the Prophet […]
Audio News for November 4, 2016
Classical Music Can Be Your Best Friend in This Political Turmoil – Research suggests that classical music could be just the thing to calm you down. Sort of like Vivaldi replacing Valium. Recent Research in Bochum, Germany had 120 participants in which half lay down in silence while the other half listened to classical music. […]
Comparison of two Beethoven Ninths, both on SACD
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] […]
The Modern Jazz Quartet, Germany 1957-1958 “Lost Tapes” – SWR>>Music, Jazz Haus
These 19556-58 German recordings show the outstanding performances of the early MJQ. The Modern Jazz Quartet, Germany 1957-1958 “Lost Tapes” [TrackList follows] – SWR>>Music, Jazz Haus mono 101 731 *****: Pianist-composer John Lewis, in these early recordings, turns the four musicians of the quartet into a sensitive instrument which vibrates in the same universe of […]
Freddie Hubbard, trumpet – The Hub of Hubbard – MPS vinyl
The Hub of Hubbard- prime time Freddie… Freddie Hubbard, trumpet – The Hub of Hubbard – MPS 0210991MSW (vinyl) 1969 ****: (Freddie Hubbard – trumpet; Eddie Daniels – tenor sax; Roland Hanna – piano; Richard Davis – bass; Louis Hayes – drums) Freddie Hubbard’s quintet was touring Europe in the winter of 1969 when Joachim […]
BACH: St. John Passion (A ritualisation by Peter Sellars) – DVDs & Blu-ray (2014/16)
An unsettling visual version of questionable value, but high musical marks. BACH: St. John Passion (A ritualisation by Peter Sellars) – DVDs & Blu-ray (2014/16) Performers: Mark Padmore (Evangelist)/ Camilla Tilling (sop.)/ Magdalena Kožená (mezzo)/ Topi Lehtipuu (tenor)/ Christian Gerhaher (bari.)/ Roderick Williams (Jesus)/ Berliner Philharmoniker/ Rundfunkchor Berlin/ Simon Rattle Director: Peter Sellars Studio: Berliner […]
SCHUBERT: Impromptu in A-flat Major; Sonata in c minor – Luisa Guembes-Buchanan, p. – Del Aguila
A much-respected pedagogue performs Schubert in a manner thoroughly sympathetic to the Viennese style. SCHUBERT: Impromptu in A-flat Major, D. 899, No. 4; Sonata in c minor, D. 958 – Luisa Guembes-Buchanan, p. – Del Aguila DA 55312, 40:00 [L4muse@comcast.net] ****: Pianist Luisa Guembes-Buchanan enjoys a reputation as an able pedagogue and Professor of Piano […]
Woody Shaw – Louis Hayes The Tour, Vol. One – HighNote
Woody Shaw – Louis Hayes The Tour, Vol. One – HighNote HCD7291, 62:56 ****: This is a standout band doing creative and modern playing. (Woody Shaw – trumpet; Junior Cook – tenor saxophone; Ronnie Mathews – piano; Stafford James – bass; Louis Hayes – drums) Michael J. West, writing a blog for NPR Jazz said […]
Quincy Jones And His Orchestra, Live In Ludwigshafen 1961 – SWR Jazzhaus
Quincy Jones And His Orchestra, Live In Ludwigshafen 1961 – SWR Jazzhaus JAH-455, 75:49 ****: A treasure-trove of superb big-band playing. (Quincy Jones and His Orchestra featuring Benny Bailey; Freddie Hubbard; Melba Liston; Curtis Fuller; Ake Persson; Eric Dixon; Phil Woods; Sahib Shihab; Les Spann; Stu Martin; Carlos ‘Patato’ Valdes) Before Quincy Jones morphed into […]
HERBERT: Cello Concerto No. 1 in D Major; Cello Con. No. 2 in minor; Irish Rhapsody – Mark Kosower, cello/ Ulster Orch./ JoAnn Falletta – Naxos
The joys of Irish melody and German music discipline combine nicely in Victor Herbert’s music. HERBERT: Cello Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 8; Cello Concerto No. 2 in minor, Op. 30; Irish Rhapsody for Grand Orchestra – Mark Kosower, cello/ Ulster Orch./ JoAnn Falletta – Naxos 8.573517, 64:00 (4/8/16) ****: Recorded 27-29 […]
Florian Hoefner Group – Luminosity – Origin
Musical storytelling which mixes compositional originality with instrumental brilliance. Florian Hoefner Group – Luminosity [TrackList follows] – Origin 82706, 54:28 [1/15/16] ****: (Seamus Blake – tenor and soprano saxophone; Florian Hoefner – piano; Sam Anning – bass; Peter Kronreif – drums) Stepping outside one’s comfort zone is a time-honored tradition in jazz. Pianist Florian Hoefner—born […]
“Cesko” – Works of SCHULHOFF, & DVORAK – Ragazze Q. – Channel Classics
“Česko” = ERWIN SCHULHOFF: String Quartet No. 1; DVOŘÁK: String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, Op. 106; SCHULHOFF: Esquisses de jazz (arr. Leonard Evers) – Ragazze Quartet – Channel Classics multichannel SACD CCS SA 36815, 65:00 [Distr. Harmonia mundi] (5/15/15) ****: A very attractive program of Bohemian yin and yang. The “young Dutch/British” Ragzze […]
Shura Cherkassky, piano = Works of HAYDN, CHOPIN, CHASINS, POULENC & RACHMANINOFF – MeloClassic
Cherkassky’s appearances in Germany in the 1950s confirm his status as a master colorist. Shura Cherkassky, piano = HAYDN: Piano Sonata No. 34 in e minor; CHOPIN: Ballade No. 1 in g minor, Op. 23; Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat Major, Op. 51; Fantasie-Impromptu in c-sharp minor, Op. 66; Scherzo No. 1 in b minor, […]
Cultural Death: Music under Tyranny = Works ov BEETHOVEN, BRAHMS, BERLIOZ – Munich Philharmonic & USSR Sym. – Arbiter
Arbiter celebrates three musical personalities who flourished, then perished within the autocratic bounds of fascism. Cultural Death: Music under Tyranny = BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 2; BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83: Allegro non troppo; BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique, OP. 14a – Munich Philharmonic/ Oswald Kabasta (Beethoven)/ Alfred Hohn, p./ Leipzig Radio […]
Bruce Hungerford: The Last Recital = MOZART: Sonata in A Major; March in C Major; SCHUBERT: Waltzes and Laendler; Impromptu in A-flat Major; BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 5 in c minor; Piano Sonata No. 32 in c minor; BACH (arr. Hess): Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – Bruce Hungerford, piano – KASP (2 CDs)
KASP issues a marvelous tribute to Bruce Hungerford: his last solo recital.
FRANZ WAXMAN = The Classic Film Scores of Franz Waxman – Nat. Philharmonic Orch. / Charles Gerhardt – HDTT
A highly recommended part of the cream of Hollywood music history.
RACHMANINOV: 24 Preludes = Dmitri Levkovich, p. – Piano Classics
Virtuoso Dmitri Levkovich renders a most convincing set of Rachmaninov Preludes, masterly in poise, poetry, and drama.
R. STRAUSS: – At the End of the Rainbow, Blu-ray (2015)
An in-depth look at Strauss with terrific archival films of the composer conducting.
LOUIS SPOHR: Symphony No. 7 in C major & No. 9 in b minor; Erinnerung an Marienbad – NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover/ Howard Griffiths – CPO
Certainly the market here is for curiosity seekers but there is no reason to not be one and listen.
Monty Alexander – Rass! – featuring Ernest Ranglin, guitar – MPS
“dats some funky music, mon.”
HINDEMITH: Piano Sonatas 1 – 3; Suite “1922” – David Korevaar, p. – MSR Classics
Ecstatic Hindemith worth every penny.