orchestra Archive
HOLST: The Planets; R. STRAUSS: Also sprach Zarathustra – National Youth Orch. of Great Britain; CBSO Youth Chor./ Edward Gardner – Chandos
HOLST: The Planets; R. STRAUSS: Also sprach Zarathustra – National Youth Orch. of Great Britain; CBSO Youth Chor./ Edward Gardner – Chandos multichannel SACD Chan 5179, 79:53 (2/17/17) ****: A fresh look at two popular works, in a superb, life-like recording. One is never quite sure what to expect when one hears a ‘youth orchestra’. Often it’s effort over musical proficiency. Not so in this new thrilling recording from Chandos, which features The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the CBSO Youth Chorus, under the baton of Edward Gardner. The disc contains fine renditions of Also sprach Zarathustra and The Planets by Gustav Holst. You might say it is a ‘space age pairing’ because the Strauss has been permanently branded as sci-fi music due to its inclusion in 2001- A Space Odyssey. The Strauss opens with a very deep bass of the C Major chord from a pipe organ, and as the opening unfolds the sound is excellent, as good a Zarathustra as I’ve heard in terms of audio quality. With all that praise, I have to say the Holst is even better. It’s an exciting and detailed performance of The Planets, and the young players negotiate this difficult […]
Tango Under the Stars, Blu-ray (2016)
A wonderful evening of tango-related works in the Hollywood Bowl. Tango Under the Stars, Blu-ray (2016) Performers: Gustavo Dudamel and the Hollywood Bowl Orch./ Angel Romero, guitar/Lalo Schifrin/ Tango Buenos Aires Dancers/ Seth Asarnow, bandoneon Director: Michael Beyer Studio: C Major (Distr. by Naxos) [3/24/17] Program: LALO SCHIFRIN: Concerto for Guitar and Orch. No. 2; Concierto de la Amistad; GINASTERA: Four Dances from Estancia; PIAZZOLLA: Tangaso, La Muerte del Angel; Adios Nonino; Oblivion; Libertango Video: 1080i for 16:9 screens, HD colorAudio: DTS 5.1 Language: English, German, French, Spanish Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish All regions Extras: Featurettes on Dudamel, Schifrin & Romero (19 min.) Length: 83 min. (total 102 min.) Rating: ***** This was a most invigorating evening at the Hollywood Bowl. Gustavo Dudamel is perfect as the conductor of the orchestra and the assemblage of this evening, which accents the colors, rhythms and passion of music by Piazzolla – the master of The New Tango – composer Lalo Schifrin, composer Ginastera, noted guitarist Angel Romero and the dancers of the authentic tango from Buenos Aires. Alberto Ginastera was Dudamel’s first teacher, and he has become an important 20th century classical composer of the Americas. Four of his exciting dances […]
Audio News for March 10, 2017
How Contemporary Composers Are Reinventing Classical Music – Composing classical music in 2017 is similar to how it was in 1817: You create a piece and hand it to someone else to play, often a large number of people you probably have never met. But audiences are increasing – a Canadian festival curator said “It seems to me more people are going to the orchestra now than 20 years ago, and new music concerts seem more popular – perhaps as a response to a desire for living arts…” A handful of composers have a foot in the pop music world and one in classical. The Canadian Symphony Orchestra performed with Inuit throat-singer/composer Tanja Tagaq a harrowing work titled Qiksaaktuq, about murdered and missing indigenous women. She straddles her own “punk/metal/experimental/strange” music and the classical realm. Members of the orchestra find entirely new ways to play their instruments, making sounds inspired by her uncommon range of singing tones and vocal effects. The CSO has create the New Creations Festival to give second performances of such worthy compositions, and more are sought by performers eager to tour them. New Rosewill Hi-Res Headphone Series – Their EX-500 ($60 retail) and EX-700 ($70 retail) […]
The Music of HARL MCDONALD Volume 3 = var. orch. & cond. – Pristine Audio
A series of non-commercial releases graces Vol. 3, devoted to the works of Harl McDonald. The Music of HARL MCDONALD Volume 3 = Violin Concerto; Elegy and Battle Hymn; Symphony No. 3 “A Tragic Cycle”; Builders of America (Washington and Lincoln) – Alexander Hilsberg, v./ Philadelphia Orch./ Eugene Ormandy/ Geroge Newton, bass-bar./ Indianapolis Sym. Orch./ Fabien Sevitzky (Elegy and Battle Hymn)/ Emelina De Vita. sop./ Philadelphia Orch. Chorus/ Musical Art Society of Camden/ Eugene Ormandy (Symphony)/ Claude Rains, narr./ Columbia Ch. Orch. and Chorus/ Harl McDonald (Builders of America) – Pristine Audio PASC 491, 79:13 [avail. in various formats from www.pristineclassical.com] *****: Whether the music of American composer, pianist, conductor, and administrator Harl McDonald (1899-1955) will endure remains debatable, but given his service to the Philadelphia Orchestra (1939-1955) and his devotion to the patriotic fervor of the period subsequent to Pearl Harbor, his work remains with us through the efforts of Pristine and audio restoration engineer Mark Obert-Thorn. Excepted from the 1953 studio session with actor Claude Rains from 26 April 1953, all of the performances on this disc derive from live broadcast performances. The Violin Concerto (1943) certainly warrants more frequent performances, given the virtuosic and ardently arioso reading […]
SHOSTAKOVICH: “The Jazz Album” – Ronald Brautigam, p./ Peter Masseurs, trumpet/ Royal Concertgebouw Orch./ Riccardo Chailly – Decca vinyl
A terrific orchestral version of some of Shostakovich’s jazziest works, on remastered vinyl! SHOSTAKOVICH: “The Jazz Album” – Ronald Brautigam, p./ Peter Masseurs, trumpet/ Royal Concertgebouw Orch./ Riccardo Chailly (TrackList follows) – Decca vinyl 483 0960 (12/23/16): Shostakovich had a constantly changing relationship with jazz during his composing years in the Soviet Union. His famous “Tahiti Trot,” (which is really an arrangement for “Tea for Two,” came about as a challenge by conductor Nicolai Malko to orchestrate Youman’s “Tea for Two” in the space of an hour. Shostakovich did it in 40 minutes, and the resultant work has been a big hit in Russia. In his student years, Shostakovich visited jazz musicians and performances with reported his delight at jazz bands, but later jazz was regarded with suspicion and hostility in certain quarters as a residue of bourgeois culture and decadence. In 1934, however, he participated in a jazz competition whose aim was to raise the level of Soviet jazz from “cafe” music to music with a professional status. He then wrote his three-movement Jazz Suite No. 1. During the early 1930s Shostakovich wished to get back to concert tours with himself at the piano and wrote this Piano Concerto […]
Russian Ballet Transcriptions for 2 Pianos = STRAVINSKY, BORODIN, TCHAIKOVSKY, KHACHATURIAN – Piano 21
Cyrpien Katsaris and Etsuko Hirose provide fingers and firepower to a compilation of Russian ballet favorites. Russian Ballet Transcriptions = STRAVINSKY: The Firebird – Suite No. 2; BORODIN: Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, Act II; TCHAIKOVSKY: Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66: Adagio; The Nutcracker – Suite, Op. 71a; Swan Lake, Op. 20: 3 Dances; KHACHATURIAN: Gayaneh: Sabre Dance and Lezginka – Cyprien Katsaris and Etsuko Hirose, pianos – Piano 21 P 21 056-N, 76:06 (1/20/17) [www.cyprienkatsaris.net] ****: Hearing this 2016 performance of Stravinsky’s The Firebird – Suite (1919) in Achilleas Wastor’s 2-piano arrangement, I could well recall director Jan Kounen’s 2010 Stravinsky & Coco Chanel and its dramatized (and apocryphal) evolution of the ballet music for Le Sacre du Printemps. We feel through the excellent ensemble of Katsaris and Hirose – in this world premier recording – the evocation of those colors the orchestra will realize, along with Stravinsky’s use of the 50 Russian Folksongs that aided Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, especially in the latter’s Op. 31 Sinfonietta on Russian Themes. The two keyboards literally purr in the Ronde des princesses and then explode with flatulent fire in the Danse infernale du roi Kastchei. Though I miss the ineffable harp’s entry for […]
ELGAR & TCHAIKOVSKY: Cello Concerto; Variations on a Rococo Theme – Johannes Moser, cello/ Orch. de la Suisse Romande/ Andrew Manze – Pentatone
ELGAR & TCHAIKOVSKY: Cello Concerto; Variations on a Rococo Theme – Johannes Moser, cello/ Orch. de la Suisse Romande/ Andrew Manze – Pentatone multichannel SACD 5186 570, 64:46 (2/3/17) *****: A compelling pairing of two works by like-minded composers, delivered in stunning super-audio format. With a little imagination and modest time travel, it is possible to witness the following encounter. A man, elegantly dressed with cane and boater, enters a pub. His rigid posture of self-composure contrasts with the look of utter despondency on his face. Peering about, he spies a solitary figure in a shadowy corner. The beard looks familiar and upon approach, it turns out to be Peter Tchaikovsky, slumped over a pint of ale, his face a picture of forlorn melancholy. Sir Edward acknowledges the fellow sufferer and takes a seat. Soon the two composers are commiserating over their personal troubles, their shared feeling of grief and disillusionment. Edward, recently widowed, finds himself in artistic doldrums, unable to stir the sources of his once fertile creativity. His wider points of reference include the ruin of the Great War, which has cast every human value into doubt. Peter, for his part, has a litany of complaints: fractured relationships, […]
ELGAR: Enigma Variations; In the South, Carillon; etc. – BBC Scottish Sym. /Brabbins – Hyperion
Need another Enigma Variations? Listen to this one. ELGAR: Enigma Variations, Op. 36; In the South “Alassio”, Op. 50; Carillon, Op. 75; Une voix dans le desert, Op. 77; Le drapeau belge, Op. 79; Pleading, Op. 48 – Florence Daguerre de Hureaux, narrator/ Kate Royal, sop./ Yann Ghiro, clar./ BBC Scottish Sym. Orch./ Martyn Brabbins – Hyperion CDA68101, 81:57 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: When an English orchestra takes up the Enigma Variations, the record company must have put a great deal of thought behind it. After all, this venerable piece has been carved out (and up) by virtually every British conductor and orchestra for the last 80 years. Toscanini had the first really great one years ago with the BBC, and there is a special pride that comes with being the only nation qualified to accurately interpret this work. Maybe. Leonard Bernstein came up with one for the ages, and they hated him for it. Slatkin they loved. Sargent, in my opinion, still has the best one on record. But one of two things has to be English—the orchestra, or the conductor. Here we have both, sort of. Since the Scottish attempt at independence failed, I guess we can […]
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition; A Night on Bald Mountain; TCHAIKOVSKY: Set. fr. Swan Lake – Vienna Philharmonic/ Dudamel – DGG
Dudamel traverses familiar Russian territory, convincing and affectionate, but rarely with new insight. MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition; A Night on Bald Mountain; TCHAIKOVSKY: Waltz from Swan Lake, Op. 20 – Vienna Philharmonic Orch./ Gustavo Dudamel – DGG 479 6297, 50:51 (12/2/16) [Distr. by Universal] ***: Whenever a new recording emerges of an old chestnut, my hackles rise, assuming the performance to be guilty until it proves itself innocent. So be it. Gustavo Dudamel – a protégé of another literalist conductor, Claudio Abbado – has taken on the Mussorgsky 1874 Pictures as orchestrated by Maurice Ravel (rec. April 2016) partially to give exposure to the “Superar” Project, which provides free music lessons for children from Vienna’s Tenth District. Pictures of the children grace the album insert cover and booklet. While I cannot deny the instrumental versatility of the Vienna Philharmonic players and the pungent acoustical resonance captured by Recording Engineer Rene Moeller and Teldex Studio, Berlin, I am not sufficiently overwhelmed to recommend this performance over my perennial favorites Bernstein, Reiner, and Toscanini. Certainly the individual colors in this performance, as in the Vienna Philharmonic’s excellent bassoon solos, captivate my ear. The bass fiddles in Bydlo have rarely resonated so […]
MENDELSSOHN: Syms. Nos. 1 & 4 – London Sym./Gardiner – LSO Live
A vigorous and incisive Italian, with a fresh and even more exhilarating “First”. MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 1 in c, Op. 11; No. 4 in A, Op. 90 “Italian” (1833 version) – London Sym. Orch./ John Eliot Gardiner – LSO Live multichannel Pure Audio Blu-ray & SACD LSO0765 (2 discs, on audio-only Blu-ray), 62:11 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: Mendelssohn’s tour of Europe from 1829-31 ended with a sojourn in Italy, where the 22-year-old immediately began writing a symphony that would reflect his experiences. It is easily the sunniest of all his compositions, though it did cause him heartache, so much so that he decided to revise it in 1834. But since it was never published in his lifetime, it is the earlier version commonly played today, and so Gardiner offers it here. I expected something rather on the quick side, and he does not disappoint. What is most surprising is the ability of the LSO to articulate some of the fast triplet passages in the first and last movements as clearly and cleanly as they do, a real tribute to the virtuosity of the orchestra. This is an exciting if predictable performance (there have been others in this mold as […]
BEETHOVEN & BRUCH Violin Concertos – Accardo & Masur – Pentatone
Accardo and Masur combine for splendid work in pillars of the violin concerto repertory. BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61; BRUCH: Violin Concerto No. 1 in g, Op. 26 – Salvatore Accardo, violin/ Gewandhausorchester Leipzig/ Kurt Masur – Pentatone RQR multichannel (4.0) SACD PTC 5186 237, 71:22 (10/21/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Italian virtuoso violinist Salvatore Accardo (b. 1941) still reigns as a recognized “heir” to Niccolo Paganni, especially given his recorded survey of the six Paganini concertos with Charles Dutoit. Accardo and Kurt Masur recorded the present (Philips) coupling of the Beethoven Concerto and the First Bruch Concerto in 1977-1978, the latter a particularly happy rendition since conductor Masur (1927-2015) had immersed himself in much of Bruch’s symphonic repertory, besides. The Beethoven Concerto receives a gentle, lyric, Apollinian approach, to my mind much in the tradition of splendid rendition Oistrakh and Cluytens made for EMI. Nothing of the expansive, first movement Allegro ma non troppo feels rushed: the phrase arches evolve lustrously, with seamless attention to the rhythmic pulse over which the violin weaves its beguiling tapestry, sempre perdendosi, forgetting itself. When Masur requires a more monolithic effect, the Gewandhaus certainly swells to the occasion, but without […]
Kenny Burrell And The Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited – Unlimited 1 – HighNote
Kenny Burrell And The Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited – Unlimited 1 – (Live At Catalina’s) – HighNote HCD7298 ****: This is a big band that has a sense of swing and plays with a brawny professionalism. (Kenny Burrell – electric guitar, vocals; Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited; Special guest: Barbara Morrison – vocal on track 16) The guitarists who were the natural successors to Charlie Christian, such as Wes Montgomery, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow and Jimmy Raney are all now deceased. The lone “soul” survivor, is the 85 year old Kenny Burrell. However age has not dimmed his capacity for tasks that are devoted to expanding the appreciation of big band music, all the while continuing to perform at the highest level. This live recording from Catalina’s Jazz club in Hollywood California, took place over several dates in 2015 and 2016. The Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited for which Kenny Burrell is the Artistic Director, is made up of top-shelf professional musicians, who work in the recording, movie, and TV industry based in LA. The band is devoted to performing compositions from jazz’s vast repertoire, and assisting in developing new ideas in jazz music. The program that […]
Nadia Reisenberg, piano – Live Ch. Recitals and Home Solo Performances = Works of WEBER, MOZART, BEETHOVEN, LISZT & Others – Romeo (2 discs)
Piano virtuoso Nadia Reisenberg’s “personal elation” in making chamber music with gifted friends and colleagues. Nadia Reisenberg – Live Chamber Recitals and Home Solo Performances = WEBER: Grand Duo Concertante, Op. 48; MOZART: Piano Trio in E-flat Major, K. 498 “Kegelstatt”; BEETHOVEN: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11 “Gassenhauer”; Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 16; MOZART: Pastorale Variee; LISZT: Spanish Rhapsody; DVORAK: Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81; GLAZUNOV: Valse Allegretto in D, Op. 42, No. 3; CHOPIN: Waltz in A-flat Major, Op. 42; Nocturne No. 20 in c-sharp minor, Op. Posth. – David Glazer, clarinet/ The Galimir String Q. (Dvorak)/ Members of the Budapest String Q. (Beethoven Op. 16)/ David Glazer, clar./ David Soyer, cello (Mozart, Beethoven, Op. 11)/ Nadia Reisenberg, p. – Romeo 7318/19 (2 CDs) 78:20, 74:50 [Distr. by Albany] ****: Despite having virtually “retired” from the active concert stage in 1947 in order to fulfill her teaching duties and her parenting role, Nadia Reisenberg (1904-1983) once more commands our attention in a series of chamber (and solo) works organized by her son, producer and commentator Robert Sherman. With the help of archivist Donald Manildi and engineer Seth Winner, these concerts receive a new […]
BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique – Royal Concertgebouw Orch./ Daniele Gatti – RCO/ Avotros 45rpm vinyl (2)
Amazing fidelity in this 45 rpm vinyl, though perhaps not the best performance. HECTOR BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Daniele Gatti – RCO/ Avotros 45 RPM vinyl (2 discs) ****1/2: Gatti is the seventh conductor of the famed Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amserdam, and takes an unconventional version of the score which has astonished audience since its premiere in 1830. He has a sense of surprise and freshness based on the thorough knowledge of Berlioz’ score, and the joy of making music with the RCO member players who choose Gatti as their new chief conductor. This a masterful job of remastering at 45 rpm. Unfortunately, the performance – while excellent – doesn’t seem to find anything new in this extraordinary work of Berlioz. It is also available on a fine RCO multichannel SACD (which I have not heard) but using the pseudo-surround feature on most preamps creates an absolutely enveloping music in surround effect with this magnificent 45 rpm remastering. One writer compared the SACD sonics to the SACDs of the ten Mahler Symphonies released a few years ago by the Concertgebouw. The warmth and ambiance of the acoustically-perfect concert hall come thru either way. You would have to […]
HAYDN: Cello Concertos – Pavel Gozmiakov, cello/Orch. Gulbenkian – Onyx
HAYDN: Cello Concertos – Pavel Gozmiakov, cello/Orch. Gulbenkian – Onyx 4151, 59:55 (6/17/16) *****: The legendary King of Portugal 1725 Stradivarius makes police-escorted journey from museum to concert hall where it dazzles in two Haydn concertos. In some endeavors, say bird-watching, novelty is the desideratum. Last year a Siberian Bunting (sp. vlasowae) with a faulty compass created quite a stir as a rare guest from another continent. In other experiences, say having some dental work done, surprises and experimentation are not what we are looking for. Listening to two cello concertos by Joseph Haydn falls somewhere in the middle. These works top the list for both the genre and the composer’s oeuvre and are thus exceedingly familiar. A new wrinkle would not come amiss. On the other hand, we don’t wish for major tinkering or indulgent extravagances that would mar the perfect design of these works. The Haydn recital begins with a cello adaptation of the adagio from the violin Concerto in C. The sound of Pavel Gomziakov’s cello is astonishingly beautiful on the simple melodies of what is rare in Haydn, a true adagio. Behind the cellist and quite recessed at that, the Gulbenkian orchestra mostly stands quietly in […]
BELLINI: I Capuleti e i Montecchi (2016)
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 […]
PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 5 – NY Philharmonic/ Leonard Bernstein (Columbia LP, 1966) – Speakers Corner vinyl
A great remastering of a truly excellent work and performance. SERGEI PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 5 – NY Philharmonic/ Leonard Bernstein (Columbia LP, 1966, MS 7005) – Speakers Corner vinyl (2016) *****: The Fifth is probably the most-performed of the seven symphonies penned by Prokofiev for its many lovely melodies and its development work being of a nature that makes it more immediately accessible to the unsophisticated listener. I’m thoroughly familiar with the symphony because in the university I played the bass drum in a performance of it, and there is plenty of bass drum here – especially in the concluding movement. Somehow after Prokofiev moved back to the Soviet Union in 1933, he failed to have the many problems with the party which his colleague Shostakovich had. He somehow toed the party line and became highly privileged. In this symphony he had a general air of cheerfulness, and saw it as a “hymn to free and happy Man.” This is especially noted in the theme heard on the clarinet in the second movement. The first movement is full of orchestral radiance and a host of great melodies. In this symphony, Prokofiev wanted to get away from the idea most listeners had […]
BERLIOZ: Roméo et Juliette ‒ Soloists/ Valery Gergiev on London Sym. Live SACD & Soloists/Robin Ticciati on Linn CD
BERLIOZ: Roméo et Juliette ‒ Olga Borodina, mezzo-sop. / Kenneth Tarver, tenor / Evgeny Nikitin, bass-bari. / Guildhall School Singers / London Sym. Chorus / London Sym. Orch. / Valery Gergiev ‒ London Symphony Live 2SACD LSO0762 (2 SACDs), 57:06, 33:19 (7/8/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ***: BERLIOZ: Roméo et Juliette ‒ Katija Dragojevic, mezzo-sop. / Andrew Staples, tenor / Alastair Miles, bass / Swedish Radio Choir / Swedish Radio Sym. Orch. / Robin Ticciati ‒ Linn CKD 521 (2 CDs), TT: 94:00 (10/14/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Two approaches to a Berlioz classic; one SACD and one CD. Berlioz’s hybrid masterwork, dubbed by the composer a symphonie dramatique, could be considered an advance on Beethoven’s Choral Symphony. Like Beethoven’s final symphony, it includes among its forces vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra. But whereas Beethoven’s work is a symphony with an uncommon choral finale (and some boneheaded commentators still take the composer to task for daring to tinker with the basic tenets of symphonic construction), Berlioz’s conception is more radical, incorporating as it does set pieces that could only be considered orchestral tone poems (before the fact) along with lengthy narrative-dramatic sections delivered by the soloists and orchestra. Perhaps the only genuinely symphonic […]
2016 Soundtrack CD Reviews – 21 total
HOWARD SHORE: Denial – Howe Records HWR-1022 (9/30/16) This film was based on the book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier. It recounts the legal battle Deborah E. Lipstadt (played by Rachel Weisz) had to fight against David Irving (well-played by Tomothy Spall), who had accused her of libeling him when she said he was a Holocaust denier. Shore not only composed and orchestrated the effective score but he also conducted the Royal Philharmonic and pianist Simon Chamberlain in it. Very moving music for a very moving motion picture. HOWARE SHORE: Spotlight – Howe Records HWR-1021 (11/6/15) “Break the Story, Break the Silence” is the subtitle of this film, which deals with the many offenses of Catholic priests against young people. Not as much time spent in court as in Denial – most of it is researching the evidence. A piano-fronted orchestral sound sets the tone for the picture. The music well conveys the sense of dread waiting that nobody wants to acknowledge until the last moment when they win out. 18 cues from the film are presented, and James Sizemore arranged and co-produced the film score material by Shore. HOWARD SHORE: Seven (Collector’s Edition […]
HAYDN: Piano Sonatas and Variations = Lars Haugbro, fortepiano ‒ LAWO
HAYDN: Piano Sonatas and Variations = Sonata in F Major, Hob. XVI:29; Andante and Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVII:6; Sonata in C Minor, Hob. XVI:20; Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50 ‒ Lars Haugbro, fortepiano ‒ LAWO LWC1094; 67:46 (5/6/16) *****: A nicely-varied recital from a Scandinavian Haydn specialist. B01AB6UNWM Despite the highly evocative cover photo, this album is not all storms-a-brewing. However, two of the works on this varied program tap into the darker side of Haydn, one not often encountered since his latest, greatest works are usually in a sunny major mode. Of Haydn’s late large-scale compositions, consider that his greatest symphonic creations, the twelve London Symphonies, include only one work in a minor key, Symphony No. 95 in c. It is perhaps the least admired of the twelve, and as to its key signature, critics generally conclude that here Haydn is more interested in the minor key as a matter of sonority than as a matter of spiritual-emotional context, as it was in the great c minor works of Mozart and Beethoven. Then again, in that same decade we have the marvelous Lord Nelson Mass, or Missa in Angustiis, written during the frightening early years of […]
GRANADOS: March of the Defeated; Torrijos; Suite on Galician Songs – Barcelona Sym. Orch. & Chorus/ Pablo Gonzalez – NaxosGRANADOS: Concerto in c “Patetico”; ALBENIZ: Concierto fantastico; Rapsodia espanola – Melani Mestre, p./ BBC Scottish Sym. Orch./ Martyn Brabbins – Hyperion
Two CDs involving Enrique Granados. GRANADOS: March of the Defeated (1899); Torrijos (1894); Suite on Galician Songs (1899) – Barcelona Sym. Orch. & Chorus/ Pablo Gonzalez – Naxos 8.573263, 54:47 (4/4/16) ****: GRANADOS: Concerto in c “Patetico”; ALBENIZ: Concierto fantastico in a, Op. 78; Rapsodia espanola – Melani Mestre, p./ BBC Scottish Sym. Orch./ Martyn Brabbins – Hyperion CDA67918, 76:58 (4/4/16) (Distr. by HM/PIAS) ****: All of these works are getting their first recording (partly in observance of the centenary of his death), and although Granados is known mainly for his solo piano music, these two CDs show off some of his orchestral music. The painful march of the defeated is not identified as to what battle this is from, and the composer’s talent for lyrical writing is shown in his incidental music for the play Torrijos. The suite on folk songs uses Galician melodies and dance rhythms in an effort to reflect the landscapes of this region. Barcelona is a wonderful city, and its symphony orchestra is excellent in these world premiere recordings. The Cor Madrigal choir is heard only in three of the five sections of the Torrijos incidental music. Sonics are fine for the standard CD format. […]
TCHAIKOVSKY: Serenade melancolique; Valse-Scherzo; Violin Con. in D; Souvenir d’un lieu cher – Jennifer Koh, v./ Odense SO/ Alexander Vedernikov – Cedille
A great bargain to have the complete violin and orchestra pieces on one disc! TCHAIKOVSKY: Serenade melancolique, Op. 26; Valse-Scherzo, Op. 34; Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35; Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42 – Jennifer Koh, violin/ Odense SO/ Alexander Vedernikov – Cedille CDR 90000 166, 74:20 [Distr. by Albany] ****: Jennifer Koh is a terrific violinist. Since her debut twenty-odd years ago, she has gradually ascended in the public and critical eye as one of the most astute, intelligent, and boldly provocative artists around. Her contract with Cedille has been a godsend, as they have allowed her a lot of latitude in putting together thought-provoking and cleverly significant programs. Any one of them is rewarding, so you can hardly go wrong by simply tossing a coin and picking. Here she returns to some of her roots, telling us in the notes that Tchaikovsky has been part and parcel of her musical existence since a very early age, and her relationship with conductor Alexander Vedernikov is also time-tested and long-standing. Tchaikovsky had only a short relationship himself with the violin, all of his works for the instrument being completed within a three-year time span. None of them, including the […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
