|
Post by erik on Apr 24, 2009 18:33:01 GMT -5
A great recording of two relatively unknown Debussy pieces strung alongside the much better known "Nocturnes", with the L.A. Philharmonic led by its (now) outgoing Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. Look for a spotlight review of "Nocturnes" tomorrow here.
|
|
|
Post by egoodstein on Apr 24, 2009 20:34:43 GMT -5
That's a beautiful recording-- I look forward to your review.
Today/yesterday I've been listening to:
POP: Jim White's offbeat folk/country/alternative 'Transnormal Skipperoo' which is cool IMO.
kinda pop/cabaret new one from Portland OR singer Susannah Mars, 'Call It Home-- songs of Richard Gray'-- a bit sentimental at times but very nice/very clever lyrics often.
JAZZ: New album from Swiss group I like very much, 'Objets Trouves,' feat. pianist Gabriela Friedli and vet saxophonist Co Strieff, 'This Side Up'-- it's great IMO.
Also some of new one from Fred Hersch's Pocket Orchestra-- 'Live at jazz Standard.' Digesting-- impressive in that only 2nd time they'd played together!!
Very interesting jazz guitarist Miles Okazaki's 'Generations' w. voice from Jen Shyu-- I really like this one. Kinship w. John Aberchrombie-- but very distinctive too.
CLASSICAL: some of new (I think 1st complete) recording of Vivaldi's late opera (1732 or so) 'La Fida Ninfa' w. Jean-Christophe Spinosi cond. Ensemble Matheus w. fine 'Baroque' specialists like Sandrine Piau/Veronica Camge,o/Philippe Jaroussky/Marie-Nicole Lemieux.
Camilla Wicks & Bruno Walter/Arthur Fiedler/John Barnett var. Orchestras-- Beethoven/Sibelius//Bloch 'Baal Shem: 3 Pictures of Hasidic Life'/Tschaikovsky Violin Concertos. Drawn from live on radio performances & a few sound issues, but still lovely-- early '50's recordings. A very nice violinist who retired fairly young from performing.
& George Szell/Cleveland Orch., Prokofiev Symp. 5/Bartok Concerto for Orchestra. Great-- not stuff he's usually known for. '60's recordings.
Ed
|
|
|
Post by erik on May 1, 2009 22:03:51 GMT -5
Quote by egoodstein re. Szell/Bartok/Prokofiev: I agree. Pity, though (he did record a live version of Prokofiev's Classical Symphony with the Cleveland Orchestra in October 1968, but that was only released on the orchestra's 75th anniversary box set). In the meantime: This is the first U.S. recording of the Shostakovich 11th, made in that most unusual of cities (Houston). But give credit to Stokowski; in his career as a conductor, he introduced America and/or the world to no fewer than 2,000 new works like it.
|
|
|
Post by Antonio on May 14, 2009 16:13:56 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by erik on May 15, 2009 18:09:49 GMT -5
A pair of EMI recordings featuring the Dresden State Orchestra: A 2-CD set featuring four of Franz Joseph Haydn's settings of the Latin Mass (7, 10, 11, 12), featuring Barbara Hendricks, Carol Vanness, Doris Soffell, Petteri Salomaa, Keith Lewis, Margaret Marshall, Carolyn Watkinson, and Robert Hall, with the Leipzig Radio Choir. Sir Neville Marriner conducts in these recordings made between 1985 and 1989. One of EMI's Great Recordings Of The Century, and rightly so--a superb recording of W.A. Mozart's beloved Clarinet Concerto, featuring Sabine Meyer as soloist; the other work is the Sinfonia-Concertante For Winds, and features Meyer and members of her own Wind Ensemble. The late Hans Vonk conducts in this recording made in June 1990.
|
|
|
Post by egoodstein on May 15, 2009 23:49:25 GMT -5
I love the Sabine Meyer clarinet concerto/sinfonia concertante one too . Last few days I've been listening: JAZZ: new one from Swiss quartet Objets Trouvés which features vet sax player Co Stieff and pianist Gabriela Friedli. Very cool avant but still lyrical . Info: www.intaktrec.ch . Also one I haven't heard in awhile, double album on one CD of 1974 album 'Johnny Mercer Sings Johnny Mercer' (reissued '96). Very fine-- inspired by nice new album by NYC singer Daryl Sherman & her new 'Johnny Mercer-- A Centenary Celebration' I've also been listening to. That one info www.arborsjazz.com . Also just today new album by Maria Pia De Vito, 'Mind the Gap'-- a bit more fusion than some with some pop rearrangements, even Hendrix's 'If 6 Were 9' & Bjork's 'Hidden Place' as well as jazzier choices & some originals. She has myspace.com site-- not yet updated w. this one though. POP: Nice new album 'Never Just a Dream' from alt. country/pop/roots Canadian singer Emma-Lee (kinda shades of Patsy Cline, a bit Rickie Lee Jones/Madeleine Payoux/kd lang & bluesier side); and also fromToronto Melissa McClelland's 'Victoria Day,' a rootsier effort from her-- a little like Shelby Lynne. Cool songs/arrangements. www.emma-lee.com and www.melissamclelland.com . Also very much digging one I just got by Tim Easton (Nashville singer/songwriter alt. country with a lotta pop/blues elements), 'Porcupine.' www.timeaston.com . CLASSICAL: a lot of piano music . Richard Goode w. Budapest Philharmonic conducted by Ivan Fischer box set of the Beethoven Piano Concertos. Really good if live, so some moments of sound unbalance & concert hall echo-- really though not a problem IMO. Also a beautiful IMO recording by Taiwanese pianist Jenny Lin of Shostokovich's 'Preludes and Fugues' (2 CD's). Very lyrical touch. I've also been enjoying a CD-R a friend sent of songs by American composer Lee Hoiby, w. soprano Ursula Kleinecke-Boyer and pianist Maira Perez-Goodman. Akin to Ned Rorem, but with also a more lyrical/sentimental side. Ed
|
|
|
Post by arjan on May 16, 2009 7:24:37 GMT -5
Olivia Ruiz - Miss MétéoresFrom France, Olivia Ruiz is a singer who combines rock with more traditional chanson, say the electric guitar is as important as clarinet or accordeon. Her 3rd album was released recently and it's probably her best yet. On it is a song where the music is played by punkband Noisettes and also one where she duets with jazz trio Lonely Drifter Karen.
|
|
|
Post by Antonio on May 25, 2009 14:40:53 GMT -5
Beatrice Kateme-Byakika - Asante
|
|
|
Post by erik on May 26, 2009 12:25:50 GMT -5
A pair of soundtrack scores from the 70s: Lalo Schifrin's score to the terribly underrated 1977 suspense thriller ROLLERCOASTER. Pino Donnagio's score to the 1976 horror/suspense classic CARRIE.
|
|
|
Post by egoodstein on May 27, 2009 10:16:25 GMT -5
Currently listening to new rerelease of George Szell and Cleveland Orch. of Haydn Early London Symphonies (93-98). Great . Yesterday-- new album of Brahms 1st String Quartet/Piano Quartet with Arcanto Quartet and pianist Silke Avenhaus (they're from Stuttgart area-- feature well known young cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras). Also yesterday: Catching up with Washington DC/No. VA singer/songwriter Shannon Worrell's latest albums, 'The Moviegoer' (recent rerelease of '00 album) & even better, from late '08, 'The Honey Guide.' She's sorta like a cross between Aimée Mann and Nanci Griffith. Jazz-- Liam Noble Trio's new inventive tribute to Dave Brubeck, 'Brubeck' with several of DB's works & a couple tunes associated with him. Also from early '09, 'The Refuge Trio'-- fine trio of voice guy Theo Bleckmann, pianist-accordionist Gary Versace, and drummer John Hollenbeck. Ed
|
|
|
Post by erik on May 28, 2009 12:19:29 GMT -5
Quote by egoodstein re. Haydn's early "London" symphonies by Szell/Cleveland O.:
I have a recording by the same conductor/orchestra pair of nos. 97, 98, & 99 that was released for only a brief time a couple of years ago. The recording of the 98th is notable for being the last Haydn recording Szell made as a conductor (it was recorded in October 1969, just nine months before he passed away).
|
|
|
Post by erik on Jul 29, 2009 13:11:43 GMT -5
As of very recently: Brooke finished fifth on the 2008 season of American Idol; this album shows her strengths of the singer/songwriter era of the 70s from a modern perspective. As on Idol, there's an occasional channeling of Carly Simon. Works by early 20th century Austrian masters Alban Berg and Alexander von Zemlinsky are given solid performances by the Houston Symphony under their current music director Hans Graf, who, like Christoph Eschenbach, Andre Previn, and Leopold Stokowski before him, is not above presenting challenging material to what seems to be a conservative town, and doing it successfully (IMO).
|
|
|
Post by egoodstein on Jul 29, 2009 20:23:52 GMT -5
I like Zemlinsky (and Berg for that matter) a lot often. It's nice that he has become better known the last 20 years ago-- his vocal work too much of which is great IMO. Interesting 'bridge' between say, Debussy and Mahler and the 'new Vienna School' of Berg/Schoenberg/Webern/Hindemith etc.
Ed
|
|
|
Post by egoodstein on Jul 29, 2009 20:35:45 GMT -5
Today/Yesterday: Listening to The Kills, 'Midnight Boom' ('08), which I think is my fave of theirs. Like the slightly 'brighter pop' side of it. Fiery Furnaces new one 'I'm Going Away'-- quite 'pop' for them but quirky cool as ever/different . Also that Sarah Jarosz 'Song Up in Her Head' album I mentioned; and new solo one just got by jazz pianist Fred Hersch, 'Fred Hersch Plays Jobim'-- I'm listening now in fact: seems really excellent interpretations/improv . Classical: Joyce De Donato's solo album of Handel arias, 'Furore' and violinist Jack Liebeck w. pianist Katya Apekisheva works by Prokofiev/Ysaye/Chausson/Saint-Saens. Also yesterday some of Pacifica Quartet fine album 'Declarations'-- music between the wars (Hindemith/Ruth Crawfod Seeger/Janacek). Interesting programs on all those. Ed
|
|
|
Post by Antonio on Aug 2, 2009 5:55:47 GMT -5
Whitney Houston - I look to you
Finally the first single fom her upcoming new album! I was almost crying, when I listened again to her voice on the radio.
|
|
|
Post by Antonio on Aug 8, 2009 14:53:07 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by erik on Aug 20, 2009 12:26:16 GMT -5
Three big ones: A live recording, made December 31, 1991 in Berlin, of four works of Ludwig van: the complete incidental music for Goethe's "Egmont"; the concert aria "Ah! Perifdo!"; the Leonora Overture No. 3; and the increasingly popular Choral Fantasy. Soprano Cheryl Studer and pianist Evgeny Kissin are featured, with the RIAS Chamber Choir, and the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado. Three "first" symphonies: Bizet's Symphony In C (his only one); Haydn's Symphony No. 1 (the first of 104!); and Prokofiev's celebrated Classical Symphony, with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Hugh Wolff. Pity that the S.F.S.O. and Blomstedt didn't traverse the entire Beethoven symphony cycle, but this recording is still impressive: a fine performance of the Haydn/Mozart-influenced First, and the epic splendor of the "Eroica" is given one of its best recordings ever (IMHO).
|
|
|
Post by egoodstein on Aug 20, 2009 19:29:13 GMT -5
Today-- listening to new (1st) rerelease of Bellini opera 'Norma,' feat. Beverly Sills/Shirley Verrett/Paul Plishka & New Philharmonia Orch./John Alldis Choir conducted by James Levine. From '73. Good remastering by DGG as orig. ABC/Westminster sound had problems. I like it-- very exciting.
Also, album of Late Piano Pieces (solo) by Brahms, played by Russian pianist Anna Gourari. Very introspective but beautiful once you get on her 'wavelength.'
Earlier-- listened a bit to some stuff from Cleveland roots/alt. country band Rosavelt & their 'leader' Chris Allen's recent ('08) solo 'Things Unbroken.' Pretty good-- a bit like Ryan Adams, Todd Snider or Hayes Carll w. more pop than country twists. Also recent album I really love by SF Bay Area 'avant' singer Amy X. Neuburg and the Cello Chixtet (a cello trio): 'The Secret Language of Subways'-- kinship w. Bjork and Nellie McKay, but also 'classical/'Broadway art song.'
Ed
|
|
|
Post by Antonio on Aug 23, 2009 8:33:30 GMT -5
Juliana Kanyomozi - Kanyimbe
|
|
|
Post by erik on Sept 22, 2009 12:27:40 GMT -5
Though you might not believe it, given its stature as one of the great "blue-eyed soul" albums of its time, Dusty In Memphis only charted at #99 on the Billboard Album Chart. Still, it is perhaps the finest achievement of the woman regarded by many as the finest British female artist of the rock era. A landmark R&B album, this 1969 classic features Isaac's extended versions of both "Walk On By" (the Dionne Warwick hit from 1964) and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" (the Jimmy Webb-penned classic made famous by Glen Campbell in 1967).
|
|
|
Post by egoodstein on Sept 24, 2009 11:09:39 GMT -5
Last week or so: The new Big Star box set 'Keep An Eye on the Sky' (comments posted here soon). Also new live one 'Live from Nowhere, vol. 4' from Over the Rhine: a reunion of the original band covering earlier stuff-- very nice!! Also a few days ago finally caught up with '05 Sleater-Kenney album 'The Woods,' which I like a lot-- maybe my fave of theirs really. Just got yesterday the new Tom Russell 'Blood and Candle Smoke.' 1st impression: ambitious/serious, and impressive with Tex-Mex vibe and nice backing from Calexico. jazz: New John Abercrombie Quartet one 'Wait 'til You See Her'-- very pretty and nice contrib. from violinist Mark Feldman. Also great new duo from pianist Aki Takase/clarinetist Louis Sclavis, 'Yokohama'-- on border of jazz/contemporary classical music in sound. Complex and virtuoso improv. Classical last few days: Handel duet one from Sara Mingardo and Sandrine Piau-- pretty interesting; also piano solo pieces one from Angela Hewitt of Haydn/Handel works. Beautiful-- stressing the counterpoint element of Haydn more than some but valid IMO. Also today-- some of Decca compil. 'Mirella Freni-- A Celebration' mostly Puccini Ed
|
|
|
Post by erik on Sept 28, 2009 12:23:04 GMT -5
The Seventh of nine very large symphonies from Anton Bruckner, given a great treatment by a very underrated American orchestra and its music director in this 1989 Telarc recording (reviewed in my Classical Works Spotlight #39 in this section).
|
|
|
Post by Antonio on Oct 24, 2009 13:01:02 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Antonio on Nov 6, 2009 16:57:40 GMT -5
Juliana Kanyomozi - Nabikoowa
|
|
|
Post by erik on Nov 6, 2009 19:41:49 GMT -5
"Jazz" might be a relative term for Shostakovich, as the closest thing approximating the form in Stalinist Russia was salon music. Still, there's enough "jazz" in here, via the two Jazz Suites, the Tahiti Trot, and the Piano Concerto No. 1. The second waltz in the Jazz Suite No. 2 has engendered a significant amount of attention through its use in director Stanley Kubrick's final film EYES WIDE SHUT. In fact, the exact recording of this waltz used in Kubrick's film is on this London/Decca release, performed by the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam under the direction of Riccardo Chailly.
|
|