recorded Archive
DVORAK: Piano Trio in f; Piano Trio in e, “Dumky” – Trio Wanderer – Harmonia mundi
Splendid renditions of Dvorak’s two late Piano Trios, part of Trio Wanderer’s thirtieth-year offerings. DVORAK: Piano Trio in f, Op. 65; Piano Trio in e, Op. 90 “Dumky” – Trio Wanderer – Harmonia mundi HMM 90228, 65:13 (2/24/17) *****: Recorded January 2016, this fine CD brings together two of Dvorak’s potent piano trios as performed by the sumptuously elegant Trio Wanderer, now celebrating its thirtieth anniversary. More than one commentator has applied the epithet “Brahmsian” to the f minor Trio of 1883, which tends to take its cues from the Brahms Piano Quintet in the same key. The broad opening movement, a powerhouse of musical concision and polyphonic richness, features aggressive ensemble as well individual bravura from all three players, and Raphael Pidoux’s cello sings with especial resonance. Bur no less do the violin parts from Phillips-Varjabedia and the sterling piano playing by Vincent Coq impart a colossal grasp of the music at hand, as intimate as it is dramatic in its dotted rhythms. Dvorak’s capacity to create seamless transitions has already manifested itself in this dark work, akin to elements of the Symphony No. 7. If the urgent stresses and nostalgic moments of conflict betray any precise model, we […]
WEINBERG: Chamber Symphonies 1, 2, 3 & 4; Piano Quintet – Gidon Kremer, v./ Yulianna Avdeeva, p./ Mate Bekavac, clarinet / Kremerata Baltica/Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla – ECM New Series
A major Russian composer emerges in these scintillating chamber works. WEINBERG: Chamber Symphonies 1, 2, 3 & 4; Piano Quintet – Gidon Kremer, v./ Yulianna Avdeeva, p./ Mate Bekavac, clarinet / Kremerata Baltica/Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla – ECM New Series 2538/39, 79:45, 79:40, *****: It’s hard to imagine how difficult it was to be a Polish Jew in the mid-twentieth century. Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996) was an accomplished pianist and had written one string quartet by the age of 20 when Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939 forced him to flee to Minsk, Russia. Two years later he learned that the Nazis had burned his mother and sister. In 1943, the German invasion of Russia forced him to flee to Tashkent, in present day Uzbekistan. He had the confidence to send his First Symphony to Dmitri Shostakovich, who arranged for him to move to Moscow. They became close friends and Weinberg lived there for the rest of his life as a freelance composer and pianist. While he never formally studied with Shostakovich, Weinberg said of his colleague, “I count myself as his pupil, his flesh and blood.” Although Weinberg’s music was known and performed in Russia (Kogan, Oistrakh, Gilels, Rostropovich and the Borodin […]
The Dave Liebman Group – Expansions Live – Whaling City Sound
A double dose of Dave. The Dave Liebman Group – Expansions Live [TrackList follows] – Whaling City Sound WCS 088 (2-CDs), 62:36, 60:22 [Distr. by Naxos] [10/14/16] ****: (Dave Liebman – soprano sax, C flute, co-producer; Matt Vashlishan – alto sax, clarinet, C flute, straw, co-producer, mixer; Bobby Avey – piano, keyboard; Tony Marino – acoustic and electric bass; Alex Ritz – drums, frame drum) Saxophonist Dave Liebman and his quintet bring out the dynamism on the double album, Expansions Live, which has over two hours of music, split between an acoustic side and an electric side, taped at three venues from 2014 through 2016. The personnel on these concert pieces comprises Liebman on soprano sax and flute; longtime collaborator Tony Marino on acoustic and electric bass; Matt Vashlishan on alto saxophone, clarinet and flute; Bobby Avey on piano and electric keyboards; and drummer Alex Ritz. Liebman fans will appreciate the opportunity to contrast and compare the live renditions of tunes from prior Liebman studio releases, plus a few new compositions, as well as the chance to hear the group run through jazz standards by Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron and others. CD 1 has 62 minutes of material […]
SOLER: Con. for Two Harpsichords & CHAMBONNIERES: 8 Harpsichord Suites – both Brilliant
Two harpsichord collections of great note. ANTONIO SOLER: Six Concertos for Two Harpsichords – Agustin Alvarez & Eusebio Fernandez-Villacanas – Brilliant 95327, 57:09 (9/2/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: JACQUES CHAMPION DE CHAMBONNIERES: Eight Harpsichord Suites – Franz Silvestri, harpsichord – Brilliant 95339 (2 CDs) (10/28/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Soler studied with Domenico Scarlatti and is almost as much fun as Scarlatti. They both worked for the Spanish court, though Italian musicians, and in a letter Soler says that he was a scholar of Scarlatti. Soler created many harpsichord sonatas for his royal pupil, just as Scarlatti did. He even dedicated one of these concertos to the Infant of Spain Don Gabriel de Borbon. And what better than a sonata for a single harpsichord than a concerto for two of them! It really sounds great on headphones or in the car, but is still most enjoyable sitting in front of a good system. Despite the “two organs” of the title of these six concertos, there is evidence that they were often done on two harpsichords. The custom of the time was that music for keyed instruments was indistinctively played on whatever instrument with keyboard was available. The form of the […]
The Three Sounds – Groovin’ Hard – Live at the Penthouse, 1964-1968 – Resonance
It’s all good… The Three Sounds – Groovin’ Hard – Live at the Penthouse, 1964-1968 – Resonance, 51:30 (1/13/17) ****: (Gene Harris – piano/ Andy Simpkins – bass/ Bill Dowdy, Kalil Madi, or Carl Burnett – drums) It may come as a surprise to hardcore Blue Note Records fans that the Three Sounds were the best selling artists from the venerable label during the 1958-1962 period that they recorded for Blue Note. Their bluesy soul jazz piano trio recordings were addictive to the public. They recorded seventeen sessions for Blue Note at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio, and backed both Stanley Turrentine and Lou Donaldson, two soul jazz legends. Their music was mainstream jazz with strong blues and gospel influences. It was the blues piano voicings of leader Gene Harris that made the Three Sounds special. Resonance Records has again stepped up in their efforts of issuing significant previously unknown live jazz from well recorded sources. The Penthouse club in Seattle opened in 1962 and was active for seven years. Jim Wilke, a local jazz expert from KING-FM recorded many live Penthouse shows and has assisted Resonance Records honchos, George Klabin and Zev Feldman by providing the tapes from the Three […]
MANU COMTE & Others: “Homilia” – Works by PIAZZOLLA, JEREZ LE CAM, GUBITSCH, GISMONTI & COMTE – Avanti
Striking works for bandoneon, string quintet and guitar. MANU COMTE & Others: “Homilia” – Works by PIAZZOLLA, JEREZ LE CAM, GUBITSCH, GISMONTI & COMTE (TrackList Follows] – Avanti multichannel SACD 5414 706 1046-2 [Distr. by Naxos] (10/14/16) *****: (Manu Comté – bandoneon; B’ Strings Quintet; Tomas Gubitsch – guitar) Bandoneon master Manu Comté is internationally acclaimed and performs with the Soledad Ensemble. This SACD is the first time he has recorded under his own name, and in addition to the terrific B’ Strings Quintet he has added Piazzolla’s last guitarist, Tomas Gubitsch, who also contributes two of the eight selections here. This combination of instruments is truly superb in expressing the exquisite and easily understood music which Taylor intended. The emotional level often gets as high or higher than some of the Piazzolla works. Gubitsche says that the combination of these strings and the bandoneon have immense musical qualities. He also says that the more ethereal sounds of the string quintet seem to him strangely reminiscent of the bandoneon. The construction materials – resonators, metal and wood – are similar. The Piazzolla concerto is lovely and it and all the works are given a separate paragarph of description in the […]
MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde – Kathleen Ferrier, mezzo/ Set Svanholm, tenor/ NY Philharmonic/ Bruno Walter – Pristine Audio
Andrew Rose revives Kathleen Ferrier’s American debut, in her first Bruno Walter-led “Symphony of Songs” by GUSTAV MAHLER. MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde – Kathleen Ferrier, mezzo-soprano/ Set Svanholm, tenor/ New York Philharmonic/ Bruno Walter – Pristine Audio PACO 137, 58:20 (mono) [avail in var. formats from www.pristineclassical.com] ****: In this, Andrew Rose’s restoration of 18 January 1948 performance of Gustav Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde at Carnegie Hall under Bruno Walter, the great Kathleen Ferrier (1912-1953) made her American debut. The tenor solo has Set Svanholm (1904-1964), the Swedish operatic talent who had assumed much of the repertory that was dominated by Lauritz Melchior. Recorded history now has four interpretations of this mighty score with Bruno Walter, who gave the world premiere 20 November 1911. The performance here at Carnegie Hall possesses a decisive urgency, occasionally making Svanholm enter ahead of the beat. What we crave always and forever remain Ferrier’s vocal timbre and lyrical stamina, which appear to gain strength and fervor as this evening’s rendition evolves. The music well-combines the contradictions in Mahler’s character: his cosmopolitanism and complete orchestral mastery and security, even as the otherwise distant, detached nature of the poetry becomes emblazoned in […]
“The Travels of FROBERGER” – Music by FROBERGER and his contemporaries – Magdalena Hasibeder, harpsichords & organ – Raumklang (2 CDs)
“The Travels of FROBERGER” – Music by FROBERGER and his contemporaries – Magdalena Hasibeder, harpsichords and organ – Raumklang (2 CDs) RK 3503, TT: 2:19:13 (6/17/16) [Dist. by Naxos] *****: A magnificent set of keyboard music of Froberger & others. Johann Jacob Froberger’s 400th birthday has inspired a large number of brilliant recorded responses that have both individually and cumulatively brought an immensely influential musical force back into view. Froberger was born in Stuttgart in 1616 and died in 1667 in the service of a widowed Duchess in the House of Württemberg. He traveled extensively and wrote mainly for keyboard instruments and in many forms, so that his influence was felt across the breadth of the burgeoning international (I.e., European) classical music network. He used all the keyboard instruments common at that time; on this recording, the wonderfully expressive Magdalena Hasibeder plays Vienna’s oldest playable organ, built in 1642/43 by Johann Wöckherl and erected in the choir of the Franziskanerkirche. Hasibeder’s harpsichords are an anonymous Italian instrument from the mid-17th century and a two-manual model from Avignon built ca. 1680 and attributed to Claude Labréche, voiced with real quills, and strung in historical iron wire based upon studies of surviving […]
Al Jarreau – Live At Montreux, 1993 – Eagle Records
Al Jarreau – Live At Montreux, 1993 – Eagle Records ER203992, 71:02 ****: A sure-footed musical exploration by Al Jarreau at his peak. (Al Jarreau – vocals; Paulinho Da Costa – percussion; Steve Gadd – drums; Eric Gale – guitar; Marcus Miller – bass; Philippe Saisse – synthesizer; Joe Sample – keyboards; Patches Stewart – horns; Stacy Campbell, Sharon Young, Jeff Ramsey – backing vocals) Early in his career, a jazz critic described Al Jarreau as “a singer with an orchestra in his throat”. When this album, Live At Montreux, was recorded on July 6,1993 at a performance at The Montreux Jazz Festival, Jarreau was 53 years old and in full control of his vocal facilities. The set list was a stroll through material with which Jarreau was fully familiar, yet also had a number of tunes that were new to his repertoire. Additionally the back-up band had a number of stellar and accomplished musicians, including drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Marcus Miller who been an integral part of one of Miles Davis’ groups, and keyboardist Joe Sample who was one of the founding members of the 1960 hard-bop band The Jazz Crusaders. Jarreau persuasively begins the outing with his 1981 […]
Audio News for July 5, 2016
Panasonic Has a $699 UHD Blu-ray Deck – The DMP-UB900 has 60fps playback, HDR support, and can stream UDH content from Netflix and YouTube. Audio specs include hi-res playback of WAV, FLAC, DSD and ALAC files, digital tube-sound with up-sampling, isolated twin HDMI ports for audio and video, and 7.1 analog audio output. Samsung also has one, at about half the price, and the new Xbox One S will support UHD Blu-ray playback for as little as $300 later this year. What Does a Classical Conductor Do? – The Helsinki Conservatory is the unique center for training of classical conductors. In many countries, student conductors rarely get to practice their conducting on professional orchestras, and the Conservatory solves this. To some audiences, orchestral conductors seem to dramatically wave their arms with no discernible effect on the music. In reality, they undergo rigorous conservatory training, followed by further feedback on the job as they move up the career ladder. What they learn, however, remains a mystery to most non-musicians, and what constitutes good conductor training even more so. Students come from all over the world to study at the Helsinki Conservatory. One of them said: “…you have to learn the mechanics, […]
Roy Orbison – One Of The Lonely Ones – Universal – vinyl
Roy Orbison – One Of The Lonely Ones – Universal 00602547233042, 33:43 [12/4/15] stereo vinyl ***: Previously unreleased 1969 album surfaces on vinyl. (Roy Orbison – guitar, vocals; plus many others) Roy Orbison is an intricate part of the original rock and roll landscape. His rockabilly structures share a common bond with Southern-based artists like Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins. His inspiration was drawn from the pathos of country music. Songs like “Only The Lonely”, “Pretty Woman”, “Crying” and “Blue Bayou” were heartfelt revelations with a personal message. Orbison remained vital into the Sixties. But like a lot of American rock and roll stars, the British Invasion pushed them aside. It was more than ironic that the very musicians idolized by British rockers, became its most notable casualties. Orbison, whose “near-operatic” twangy tenor had no equal pushed back on this and continued to record and tour. In 1965, he left Monument Records and signed (an alleged $1M deal) with MGM records. While not as commercially successful, Orbison scored 12 MGM-era singles, 10 studio albums and maintained relevance. There were dark times for the Kentucky singer that included the death of his wife (in a motorcycle accident) and a second tragedy […]
Adam Rudolph, Go: Organic Guitar Orchestra – Turning Towards the Light – Cuneiform Rune
An abundance of unique improvisational music by a profusion of guitarists.
Eight Christmas SACD and CDs of Interest
Eight worthwhile discs of Christmas music to brighten your holidays.
Egon Petri – The Complete Columbia and Electrola Solo and Concerto Recordings, 1929-1951 = Works oF BACH, BEETHOVEN, BRAHMS, BUSONI, FRANCK, CHOPIN, LISZT, SCHUBERT, GLUCK, TCHAIKOVSKY – APR (7 CDS)
Mark Obert-Thorn re-assembles the Egon Petri legacy.
“On With the Dance” = J. STRAUSS II: Artist’s Life Waltz, Op. 316; Wine, Women, and Song, Op. 333; CHOPIN (arr. Sargent): Les Sylphides; ROSSINI (arr. Respighi and Sargent): La Boutique Fantasque – Concert Suite; William Tell: Ballet Music: Passo a tre e Coro Tirolese; SCHUBERT: Rosamunde – Ballet Music No. 2 in G Major – Royal Philharmonic Orch./ Royal Opera House Orch., Covent Garden/ Sir Malcolm Sargent – Guild
A program of gracious light music, mostly from the ballet and the world of dance, led by Sir Malcolm Sargent.
Fiesta a la Española – Eastman-Rochester Pops / Eastman-Rochester Orch.* / Frederick Fennell / Howard Hanson* – HDTT Hi-Res
A highly entertaining, energetic compilation of musical sunshine.
Greg Reitan piano trio – Post No Bills – Sunnyside
With a strong and unhampered style, Greg Reitan deserves to be heard.
Mike Murley Trio – Looking Back – Cornerstone Records
A versatile trio with a firm approach to the material.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
