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American Psalmody of the 20th Century – Gloriae Dei Cantore/Richard K. Pugsley – Paraclete (3 CD set)

American Psalmody of the 20th Century – Gloriae Dei Cantore/Richard K. Pugsley – Paraclete (3 CD set)

by | Dec 29, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

A fine tour of American choral music on 3 CDs. American Psalmody of the 20th Century – Gloriae Dei Cantore/Richard K. Pugsley – Paraclete Recordings 8999  (3 CD set) TT: 3:11:00 (7/20/16) ****:  This new recording from Paraclete is a pretty complete tour of American Choral music based on Psalms from the Bible. The collection features 20th century music, and 23 of the works contained in this 3 CD set have never been recorded previously, making this set quite a musical treasure. The composers represented include Charles Loeffler, Virgil Thomson, Kent Newbury, Samuel Adler, Charles Ives, Alan Hovhaness and more. The performances are by the Gloriae Dei Cantores, an internationally recognized choir with more than forty members who range in age from seventeen to seventy. This massive collection is conducted by Richard Pugsley. There are also instrumental contributions from brass instruments, a piano and the great organ at Methuen Memorial music Hall at Metheun, MA. The collection is so large you’re not likely to get through all 3 CDs in one sitting, but wherever you dive in I think you’ll be pleased with the level of musicality. Taken together, the collection is moving and they are well performed. It was […]

HINDEMITH: Viola Sonatas – Paul Eurler (viola) Christian Rivinius (piano) / Viola Sonatas Op. 11 & 25; Solo Viola Sonatas – MD&G

HINDEMITH: Viola Sonatas – Paul Eurler (viola) Christian Rivinius (piano) / Viola Sonatas Op. 11 & 25; Solo Viola Sonatas – MD&G

by | Sep 14, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

HINDEMITH: Viola Sonatas – Paul Eurler (viola)/ Christian Rivinius (piano) / Viola Sonatas Op. 11 No. 4 & Op. 25 No. 4; Solo Viola Sonatas Op. 11 No. 5 & Op. 25 No. 1 – MD&G multichannel SACD (2+2+2) 9031952 (5/13/16) TT: 69:00 [Distr. by E1] ***1/2: Hindemith viola sonatas – a first for SACD. Violist Christian Euler’s new SACD recording of two solo sonatas and two duo sonatas with the pianist Paul Rivinius presents Hindemith’s viola works for the first time in high resolution on disc. We don’t usually think of Hindemith’s ‘smaller’ works, but rather his large scale compositions like the Symphonic Metamorphosis and his Mathis der Mahler. In fact, Hindemith had a strong relationship to the stringed instruments. He was taught the violin as a child. He entered the Hochsche Konservatorium in Frankfurt am Main where he studied conducting, composition and violin under Arnold Mendelssohn and Bernhard Sekles, supporting himself by playing in dance bands and musical-comedy outfits. He acted as concertmaster of the Frankfurter Museumsorchester from 1915 to 1923 and played in the Rebner string quartet from 1914 in which he played second violin, and later the viola. In 1921 he founded the Amar Quartet, playing […]

Editorial for April 2014

Editorial for April 2014

by | Apr 1, 2014 | Editorial

Universal and DGG Records have donated six of their new Pure Audio Blu-rays for this month’s drawing. This is the first time these classic symphonic recordings by Karajan, Kleiber and Fricsay have been available in hi-res (96/24), playable on any Blu-ray deck. The four Blu-ray selections you see here and on the Home Page will be random and divided among six AUDIOPHILE AUDITION readers who register this month on our simple form, each receiving two. Here are our reviews of two of them: Carlos Kleiber conducting Beethoven’s Fifth and Seventh, and Herbert von Karajan conducting Mahler’s Fifth. When you register for the drawing we do not share any of your information except your address for shipping. The six winners’ names will appear here next month. Here are the five winners of the 3-CD Bartok & Kodaly Quartets set from Foghorn Records, our March drawing/giveaway. Congrats to all!: Barbara Stenby, Ronkonkoma NY; Theresa Beres, Portales NM; Michael Krukowski, Milwaukee WI; Wally Babcock, Prattsburgh NY; Eric Reiff, Hampton VA. [Guest Editorial by John Siau of Benchmark] What is High-Resolution Audio? There is a raging debate over the definition of “High-Resolution Audio”. The focus of this debate has been misdirected by a lot of […]

Audio News for November 2, 2012

by | Nov 2, 2012 | Audio News

SiriusXM Shows Record Revenues for Q3; New Pioneer Outdoor Wireless Speaker; Pro-SACD Site Changing to High Resolution Digital Blog; Sony Losses; iSimple SwitchPlay Cable for Back Seat Entertainment Systems; Front Projection: Best Value in Large-Screen TV

14 More High-Resolution Stereo Download Reviews

14 More High-Resolution Stereo Download Reviews

by | Jun 13, 2012 | Special Features

MAHLER:  Symphony No. 8 – Heather Harper soprano I (Magna Peccatrix);  Lucia Popp soprano II (Una Poenitentium);  Arleen Auger soprano III (Mater Gloriosa);  Yvonne Minton contralto I (Mulier Samaritana);  Helen Watts contralto II (Maria Aegyptiaca);  René Kollo tenor (Doctor Marianus);   John Shirley-Quirk baritone (Pater Ecstaticus);  Martti Talvela bass (Pater Profundus) /Vienna Staatsopernchor /Vienna Singverein /Vienna Sängerknaben /Chicago Sym. Orch./  Sir Georg Solti – Decca 24/96 download UNI 005 – 80:00 ****: Recorded in the Sofiensaal, Vienna during August and September 1971,  Sir Georg Solti’s orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, together with the various choirs and some of the top soloists of the day were captured in excellent analogue sound.  Conductor and orchestra were on a European tour and it seemed a very good idea to add to Solti’s Mahler cycle a recording made in a venue famed for its sonic splendour.  It’s now over forty years ago that the tapes were running; the problems of getting one and all together for the sessions have been well documented, and were almost as fraught as for Klemperer’s recording of Das Lied von der Erde.  Solti, though not the most loved of conductors in some quarters (including the Vienna Philharmonic’s chairman and committee […]