soloist Archive

“Works for Violin & Orchestra” = Music by TCHAIKOVSKY – Moonkyung Lee, v./London Sym. Orch./ Miran Vaupoticthe – Navona

“Works for Violin & Orchestra” = Music by TCHAIKOVSKY – Moonkyung Lee, v./London Sym. Orch./ Miran Vaupoticthe – Navona

“Works for Violin & Orchestra” = Music by TCHAIKOVSKY – Moonkyung Lee, v./London Sym. Orch./ Miran Vaupoticthe – Navona CD NV 6079, 57:40 (2/10/17) * 1/2: Excellent violin performances but with a mediocre recording. Navona Records has given us a very fine performance marred by a substandard recording. Soloist Moonkyung Lee gives her all in […]

HAYDN: Cello Concertos – Pavel Gozmiakov, cello/Orch. Gulbenkian – Onyx

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 […]

Vladimir Soltan – “Clarinet Concertos” by NIELSEN, DEBUSSY & FRANCAIX – MD&G

Vladimir Soltan – “Clarinet Concertos” by NIELSEN, DEBUSSY & FRANCAIX – MD&G

Some very fine playing worth having and comparing. Vladimir Soltan – “Clarinet Concertos” = CARL NIELSEN: Clarinet Concerto, Op.57; CLAUDE DEBUSSY: Premiere Rhapsodie; JEAN FRANÇAIX: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra – Vladimir Soltan, clarinet/Hamburger Symphoniker/Jose Luis Gomez – MD&G multichannel SACD MDG901-1964-6, 57:41 (2+2+2) (8/05/16) [Distr. by E1] ***1/2: This collection of clarinet masterworks is […]

“Fresh Dimensions” = CRAIG MADDEN MORRIS: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; PAUL JOHN STANBERY: Robert McCloskey: The Life for Me – Frank T. Restesan, violin/Hamilton Fairfield Sym. Orch./Paul John Stanberry – Navona

“Fresh Dimensions” = CRAIG MADDEN MORRIS: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; PAUL JOHN STANBERY: Robert McCloskey: The Life for Me – Frank T. Restesan, violin/Hamilton Fairfield Sym. Orch./Paul John Stanberry – Navona

A couple of new names and some very refreshing melodies. “Fresh Dimensions” = CRAIG MADDEN MORRIS: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; PAUL JOHN STANBERY: Robert McCloskey: The Life for Me – Frank T. Restesan, violin/Hamilton Fairfield Sym. Orch./Paul John Stanberry – Navona NV6026 [Distr. by Naxos], 55:48 (2/12/2016) ***1/2: I confess I had not really […]

“Trouvailles” Cello and Piano Sonatas by BOËLLMANN, DOHNÁNYI and BRIDGE – Hannah Holman, cello /Réne Lecuona, p. –  Blue Griffin

“Trouvailles” Cello and Piano Sonatas by BOËLLMANN, DOHNÁNYI and BRIDGE – Hannah Holman, cello /Réne Lecuona, p. – Blue Griffin

A talented piano/cello duo performs sonatas by Boëllmann , Dohnányi and Bridge. “Trouvailles” Cello and Piano Sonatas by BOËLLMANN, DOHNÁNYI and BRIDGE – Hannah Holman, cello /Réne Lecuona, p. –  Blue Griffin BGR 359, 76:24 (Distr. by Albany) *****: The catalogue of works for cello and piano is not extensive, and yet these two musicians, […]

PROKOFIEV: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 – Vadym Kholodenko p./ Fort Worth Sym./ Miguel Harth-Bedoya – Harmonia mundi

PROKOFIEV: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 – Vadym Kholodenko p./ Fort Worth Sym./ Miguel Harth-Bedoya – Harmonia mundi

PROKOFIEV: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 – Vadym Kholodenko p./ Fort Worth Sym./ Miguel Harth-Bedoya – Harmonia mundi multichannel SACD HMU-807631, 57:03 (2/5/16) **** (performance) **1/2 (recording): A dynamic performance of two Prokofiev concertos with disappointing recorded sound. Winner of the gold medal in the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Vadym Kholodenko has […]

BARTÓK: Rhapsody No. 1; Rhapsody No. 2; Violin Concerto No. 2 – Barnabás Kelemen, v. /Hungarian Nat. Philharmonic Orch./Zoltán Kocsis – Hungaraton

BARTÓK: Rhapsody No. 1; Rhapsody No. 2; Violin Concerto No. 2 – Barnabás Kelemen, v. /Hungarian Nat. Philharmonic Orch./Zoltán Kocsis – Hungaraton

BÉLA BARTÓK: Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra; Rhapsody No. 2 for Violin and Orch.; Violin Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Orch. – Barnabás Kelemen, violin/Hungarian Nat. Philharmonic Orch./Zoltán Kocsis – Hungaraton HSACD 32509 multichannel SACD [Distr. by Naxos] (9/11/15) 77:39 ****: Fresh new readings of important Bartok classics. Bartok was not just […]