# New Releases Only



## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Let me suggest a thread to highlight the latest releases. Therefore, please, *no* reissues.

How "new" is new? Let's say anything released in 2013 or 2014.

Why such a thread? There is a tendency among many CM listeners to focus on (and buy) only classic recordings of the past. Record companies have been playing to that tendency with the constant stream of reissues and remasters, especially of all those giant box sets. I would like to draw attention to current performers, to the latest interpretations. I personally think it's important to support in whatever small way we can the effort of current performers.

It would be helpful to give a review or a link to a review. A lead-off review:

*Denis Matsuev / Valery Gergiev / Mariinsky Orchestra
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto #1 & #2 (Mariinsky, 2014)*










_Gramophone_ (April issue) chose this as their "Disc of the Month". Excerpts from the review:



> The B flat minor Concerto has been recorded so many times that you may justifiably ask if we really need another. For an answer, listen to this newcomer. There have been many very great accounts of it - Horowitz / Szell, Argerich / Abbado, Gilels / Mehta among them - but I doubt if you will ever hear it more viscerally thrilling and sumptuously engineered than here ... Gergiev, sometimes routine in concerto recordings, is here fiercely energised - giving as good as he gets, as it were, from his soloist - to the point after the orchestral tutti at 10'55" that you wonder how Matsuev is going to match him. But of course he does, and to hair-raising effect.
> ... there is a sense of occasion and a burning purpose here that is missing from so many recordings of this work and which merely adds to the excitement of a conception that builds so inexorably to the work's peroration that I guarantee, no matter how familiar you are with the concerto, it will make your eyes burn. If this isn't the greatest performance on disc, it is certainly now my personal benchmark ... Matsuev and Gergiev give a similarly blistering account of the G major Concerto.


Link to full review: 
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/tchaikovsky-piano-concertos-nos-1-2

I've been on the lookout for a new performance for a while, one that combined a great performance and great recording quality. I do have a great version of the Tchaikovsky PC #1 with Martha Argerich from the 1970s. This new one, as the review highlights, is unique in having great performance of both the First and the Second. It also has great sound. It doesn't open with quite the bang (in the horns) that the Argerich / Abbado does but its power emerges more slowly. The lyricism of the 2nd movement is greater, and the climax of the 3rd movement is remarkable.


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## Guest (Apr 16, 2014)

I am eagerly awaiting the release of the premiere recording of Norgard 8. It keeps getting pushed back a bit, but given they have cover art and all now, I'm hopeful that June is the final date.


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

Great idea for a thread!

Here is one that's been getting a lot of talk around here lately, which I'll endorse:

Igor Levit's new(ish) recording of Beethoven's Late Piano Sonatas:


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

A bunch of new releases I've been enjoying lately:








Mendelssohn: Symphonies 4 & 5 - CBSO/Gardner (Chandos)








CPE Bach: Magnificat - AAM Berlin/Rademann (Harmonia Mundi)








Handel: "Your Tuneful Voice" - Iestyn Davies; King's Consort/King (Vivat)








Michael Gordon: Rushes (Cantaloupe)








"Chansonnettes frisquettes, joliettes et godinettes" - Doulce Mémoire/Dadre (Zig-Zag Territoires)


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

"Exploring time with my piano" - Sergei Kasprov (Alpha)








Shostakovich: Songs with orchestra - Gerald Finley; Helsinki PO/Sanderling (Ondine)








"America" - SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart/Creed (Hänssler)


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Browsing through Presto Classical future releases, I came across the following that may require further examination. Maybe you, too. :tiphat:

*CPE Bach*: Die letzten Leiden des Erlosers, w. CPE Bach CO/Haenchen

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Berlin+Classics/0300575BC

*Martinu, Sibelius, Mustonen*: Recital, w. Isserlis & Mustonen

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/BIS/BIS2042

*Lalo*: Chamber music for piano and strings, w. Dumont et al

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Continuo+Classics/CC777706

*Corelli*: Church Sonatas, Opp. 1 & 3, w. Avison Ensemble

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Linn/CKD414


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Vaneyes said:


> Browsing through Presto Classical future releases, I came across the following that may require further examination. Maybe you, too. :tiphat:
> 
> *CPE Bach*: Die letzten Leiden des Erlosers, w. CPE Bach CO/Haenchen
> 
> ...


Vaneyes, If you get a chance, say a few words about the Martinu / Sibelius / Mustonen. I gather this Mustonen acting as composer rather than simply as performer. I very much enjoy his Scriabin from a couple of years ago. Also a little about the Corelli. I have Corelli's Concerti Grossi, op. 6, but I don't know those works. I enjoyed the Avison Ensemble's performance Handel's own op. 6. So that looks interesting.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Nereffid said:


> A bunch of new releases I've been enjoying lately:
> 
> View attachment 39622
> 
> ...


Nereffid, Thanks for these. Could you comment on the Michael Gordon? I have other releases from Cantaloupe. This looks intriguing (as do others you highlighted).


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Alypius said:


> Vaneyes, If you get a chance, say a few words about the Martinu / Sibelius / Mustonen. I gather this Mustonen acting as composer rather than simply as performer. I very much enjoy his Scriabin from a couple of years ago. Also a little about the Corelli. I have Corelli's Concerti Grossi, op. 6, but I don't know those works. I enjoyed the Avison Ensemble's performance Handel's own op. 6. So that looks interesting.


I only had time to sample a couple of minutes at Presto, the Isserlis & Mustonen *Martinu*, and the Avison *Corelli*.

I know the Martinu from my Starker & Firkusny RCA CD, so I doubt I would get the newbie for composers Mustonen and Sibelius. Amen to the Mustonen Scriabin, and Shostakovich/Alkan CDs.

I have the Avison Corelli Op. 5, and it's excellent. Whether or not I need Opp. 1 & 3....I'm new to them, also.

Haenchen, and Dumont et al remain to be heard. The Lalo chamber would be of more interest to me than CPE's vocal work.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

*Edward Gardner / BBC Symphony / Louis Lortie
Szymanowski: Symphonies #2 & #4 ("Symphonie Concertante") (Chandos, 2013)*










Over the last few years Edward Gardner and the BBC Symphony explored the music of the Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski, a 4-volume set, his complete orchestral works. All four volumes were superb. This release followed on its heels, a continuation of this series on Polish composers, this time, the turn-of-the-century Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937). I was won over to Szymanowski by his two dazzling string quartets. Szymanowski is a fascinating (and rather tragic) figure. His music is full of shifts in style. He was very attuned to movements of the day. He starts in a late romantic style and that plays itself out here in his lush Symphony 2. At the time, he was in the thrall of Richard Strauss. As he went forward, he absorbed certain modernist trends -- very evident in his string quartets. His Symphony #4 is referred to as a "symphonie concertante" because the piano plays a sizeable role. (Szymanowski himself was a fine pianist and wrote this as a piece that he himself could go on the road and play). Actually one could call it a virtual piano concerto. The 2nd movement opens with a haunting duet between the piano and a flute, reminiscent of Debussy; the intensity mounts in swirling ways until the mid-point where it thunders, and then quiets back down and return to the flute / piano duet. The 3rd movement is stylistically reminiscent of Prokofiev, rhythmically potent. Both symphonies are new to me. Symphony #4 in particular has been getting regular rotation in my listening over the last few weeks and has become a new-found favorite. As for Symphony #2, one reviewer notes:



> Szymanowski is one of those composers who can 'turn' those resistant to high romanticism in music and, spellbound by that opening violin solo, if you allow it to envelop you further, the Symphony No. 2 will carry you away in a bubble of orchestral sensuousness and transport you to lost worlds.


This record was named as "Orchestral Finalist" in _BBC Music Magazine_'s recent "Awards Issue." It was also named as an "Editor's Choice" by _Gramophone_.

Here's the dazzling final movement of Symphony #4 (with Lortie on piano):


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

Three new releases I've just acquired are
View attachment 39637

View attachment 39638

View attachment 39639


I've enjoyed all of them. My favourite might be Tasmin Little, it's very good. And there are three new arrangements and premier recordings of Elgar, which I prefer to the original.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Alypius said:


> Nereffid, Thanks for these. Could you comment on the Michael Gordon? I have other releases from Cantaloupe. This looks intriguing (as do others you highlighted).


The only other Gordon work I know is Yo Shakespeare, and Rushes is much more laid-back than that. If I were to liken it to something else I'd say it reminds me a little of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, though Rushes is written for 7 bassoons so it has a very different texture, a lovely one at that. It's a kind of "waves washing gently over you" sort of piece.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Nereffid said:


> The only other Gordon work I know is Yo Shakespeare, and Rushes is much more laid-back than that. If I were to liken it to something else I'd say it reminds me a little of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, though Rushes is written for 7 bassoons so it has a very different texture, a lovely one at that. It's a kind of "waves washing gently over you" sort of piece.


Nereffid, Thanks for that. I look forward to exploring his work.


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

A stunning release of the Diabelli Variations, Andras Schiff playing both fortepiano and pianoforte.









Interesting to listen to the two readings, which are very different from each other.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

*Dante Quartet, Kodaly: String Quartets nos. 1 & 2 (Hyperion, 2014)*










Kodaly and Bartok were close friends, and worked together in pioneering ethnomusicology. Those folk researches are on display here, though Kodaly's quartets are much less rambunctious than the later ones by Bartok. The dates actually match those of Bartok's #1 and #2, and here stylistically there is a similarity. This was my first time to hear Kodaly's pair. I'm especially impressed by the 2nd. The Dante Quartet gives a superb reading of these (and it's typical high-quality recording from Hyperion).

Review from _BBC Music Magazine_ (March, 2014):


> "Kodaly may not have transformed 20th-century music in the manner of his friend Bartok, but his influence on the culture of his native Hungary was enormous. In his long life Kodaly immeasurably enriched the understanding of folksong in his homeland ... And then there is the music. Invariably approachable, it is welcoming without avoiding complexity. A good example of this is his first String Quartet of 1909; the passion of its opening sets the tone, but this alternates with an almost neo-classical quality. Folksong shadows much of the work, but does not drive it. ... [O]ne of the great qualities of these compelling performances by the Dante Quartet is to play [certain repetitions] down wihtout robbing the music of impetus. Their command of rhetoric in the musically somewhat more abstract Second Quartet of 1918 is as impressive as in the first. If anything, this work is more volatile... Superbly played and recorded, these readings are of the highest order."-Jan Smaczny. Rating: ***** (of 5 for performance) / ***** (of 5 for recording).


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Schnittke - 2-disc set of the complete piano music (Simon Smith on the Delphian label - released this year).


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

GioCar said:


> A stunning release of the Diabelli Variations, Andras Schiff playing both fortepiano and pianoforte.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This will be a must-buy for me. thanks!


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

*Dmitry Sinkovsky / Il Pomo d'Oro, 
Vivaldi: Concerti per violino V "Per Pisendel" 
(Naive, 2013)*










I've just begun to explore what has now become a massive series, the Naive Vivaldi Edition. The series began in 2000 after the discovery of a huge collection of Vivaldi's autograph manuscripts, now held in the Biblioteca Nazionale in Turin. It was, I gather, Vivaldi's private library of scores that he had with him in Vienna at the time of his death. Many of these have never been recorded before. This recent volume is about the 50th release in what will be a 100-some records total. And this latest volume is breathtaking.

Over the last 15 years or so, original-instruments ensembles, especially from Italy, have embarked on an unusually thunderous and wonderfully vivacious performance style in the way they do Vivaldi. I first encountered it in the playing of Giuliano Carmignola, Andrea Marcon and the Venice Baroque Orchestra, most notably in their landmark performance of Vivaldi's _Four Seasons_. Well, this new Naive edition has surfaced all sorts of enormously talented early music ensembles. And Il Pomo d'Oro is a new one and extraordinarily talented. Russian violinist Dmitry Sinkovsky is simply dazzling. There are runs and cadenzas throughout this record have to be heard to be believed, both for their speed and clarity. I've played Vivaldi over the years, and am in awe of their interpretative and performance skills.

From a recent review:


> "Somehow my review assignment has become a never-ending stack of vigorously-played period-instrument albums of highly dramatic Vivaldi violin concertos ... I'm a happy Vivaldi fan trapped in paradise. Last year there was Rachel Podger's stunning two-CD set of the "La Cetra" concertos. Then came "Nuove Stagioni", from Amandine Beyer and Gli Incogniti. "Vivaldi Con Moto" from Giuliano Carmignola was recently my Recording of the Month. Now Naïve's edition of the composer's complete works has arrived at an album which begins so thunderously, so excitingly, that you'll swear there are percussion players in the band. It was only founded in 2012, but the Il Pomo d'Oro ensemble is clearly one to hear. They're joined by Dmitry Sinkovsky... Half the concertos here are dedicated to Johann Georg Pisendel, a stern German soloist who led the Dresden court orchestra and was close friends with J.S. Bach, Telemann and Zelenka, all of whose music he often performed or even premiered. Pisendel adopted the other Vivaldi concertos on this CD into his repertoire, too - copying them out in his own hand from the originals. This theme does not mean that Vivaldi writes in a Germanic way: he's still his usual fiercely lively self. Surprises and delights abound. Aside from that startling, percussive opening, there's the concerto RV 212a, which, unusually for Vivaldi, contains two long and highly virtuosic solo cadenzas. That said, the first movement's cadenza was apparently not written out: if Sinkovsky wrote or improvised it, I am very, very, very impressed with the result....Also notable are the very prominent allusions to the Four Seasons' "Spring" in RV 379's opening movement and the vigour of its finale.... Vibrant, very forward sound captures the ensemble well, though you needn't turn the volume up all the way. The booklet essay is as comprehensive as any other in this series, and includes notes on every single concerto. Truly, Naïve's complete Vivaldi series continues in great form - certainly in finer fashion than the album's cover model is wearing."-Brian Reinhart (MusicWeb International).


I should add that the Naive Vivaldi series has embraced a very distinctive and often very unusual cover design -- very mannered in conception, models wearing all sorts of strange headgear and clothing. Ignore the odd cover on this one and enjoy the music.

Someone has posted the entire record on YouTube:


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

*Pacifica Quartet: The Soviet Experience, Vol. 3: String Quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich and His Contemporaries - Shostakovich: Quartets nos. 9-12 & Weinberg: Quartet no. 6 (Cedille, 2013)*










A pair of reviews of Volume 3:


> "There's a great quote in Wendy Lesser's excellent book, Music for Silenced Voices: Shostakovich and his Fifteen Quartets, that describes the composer's unique relationship with his quartets: "He could toy with cacophony, immerse himself in irony, indulge in all his darkest, least acceptable moods, and not be called unpatriotic, because nobody who cared about such labels [the Soviet censors] was listening to these compositions." That's why these works are so great: they represent the unbridled creative powers of one of the twentieth century's great composers. This is the third of four releases that pair the complete cycle of the Shostakovich Quartets with other notable Soviet-era composers - previously Miaskovsky's Quartet No. 13, Prokofiev's String Quartet No. 2 and here, Weinberg's Quartet No. 6. The previous two releases in this series have been superb, and this release continues the high level of recording and performing excellence that makes the Pacifica Quartet's renditions of Shostakovich's quartets one of the best available today... The Pacifica Quartet plays these works like the symphonic quartets they are: emotionally expressive, brilliantly executed with a wide, close but reverberant soundstage that communicates the feelings in the music. I can't wait for their final installation in this series."-Robert Moon (Audiophile Audition). Rating: *****





> "the Pacificas demonstrate strong empathy with the contrasting emotional narratives of each work and probe well beneath the surface simplicity of some of the writing...The Pacifica Quartet brilliantly negotiates [the Weinberg's] considerable technical hurdles, investing the music with conviction and blazing emotional intensity."-BBC Music Magazine (August, 2013). Rating: *****


*********************

*Pacifica Quartet: The Soviet Experience, Vol. 4: String Quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich and His Contemporaries - Shostakovich: Quartets nos. 13-15 & Schnittke: Quartet no. 3 (Cedille, 2013)*










Review of Volume 4: 


> "This is the last installment of the Pacifica Quartet's Shostakovich cycle named "The Soviet Experience" because it adds one quartet by other Russian composers (Miaskovsky, Prokofiev, Weinberg, and Schnittke) to each release. Although there are many performances of the complete Shostakovich quartets available, the Pacifica Quartet's traversal of these masterpieces is one of the best. Their sheer brilliance of execution, the emotional depth of their interpretation and the stunning sound make this a most desirable set. While Shostakovich's 15 symphonies were his public statements restricted by Soviet political and musical demands, his 15 string quartets and their under-the-radar premieres by his close friends-Beethoven Quartet-gave him a chance to freely express his emotional and musical soul. Shostakovich lived a tortured life, escaping the horrors of World War II, barely surviving the creative restrictions and death threats of authoritarian Soviet regimes, only to live his last years-two heart attacks, a broken leg and lung cancer-in physical pain. His last three quartets speak eloquently about his journey from life to death. They are profound expressions of a great composer who bares his inner psyche at the highest level of musical excellence ... The Pacifica Quartet plays the works on these CDs with passion and impeccable balance, plumbing the depths of the Russian soul. This is a fitting conclusion to a great set of Shostakovich Quartets and their Russian companions that reveal the essence of Soviet music in the mid and late 20th-century."-Robert Moon (Audiophile Audition, Dec. 23, 2013). Rating: *****


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

I was never thrilled about the initial Pacifica Shostakovich announcement, and the eventual results. We have enough excellent recs of. Some may consider that blasphemy, but I suspect there are more like me, who are just a little too weary to follow yet another Shostakovich String Quartet journey.

I would've rather had Pacifica concentrate on the composers they chose to fill their four Shosty volumes with. There's keen opportunity there to set the bar higher.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Vaneyes said:


> I was never thrilled about the initial Pacifica Shostakovich announcement, and the eventual results. We have enough excellent recs of. Some may consider that blasphemy, but I suspect there are more like me, who are just a little too weary to follow yet another Shostakovich String Quartet journey.
> 
> I would've rather had Pacifica concentrate on the composers they chose to fill their four Shosty volumes with. There's keen opportunity there to set the bar higher.


I wasn't surprised they tried to distinguish themselves in a household name--at least they didn't do a Beethoven cycle :lol: I see that their next recordings will be of Mozart and Brahms clarinet quintets, and perhaps eventually a new work by Shulamit Ran, which they'll be premiering.

http://www.pacificaquartet.com/news.php


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Two recent and excellent releases from Hyperion:

*Takacs Quartet & Lawrence Power (viola): Brahms: String Quintets (Hyperion, 2014)*










An early review:


> "The performance by the Hungarian-American Takács Quartet, whose Brahms performances have been uniquely well thought out and executed, strike a balance between the Viennese lyricism of the thematic material and its mind-boggling development. With the participation of violist Lawrence Power, these are performances of great clarity and at the same time great warmth, all rendered in sterling detail by Hyperion's team of engineers at Britain's Wyastone Estate. An exceptional Brahms recording."--James Mannheim (_All Music Guide_. Rating: ****1/2 (of 5)


*************

*Cedric Tiberghien, Szymanowski: Masques, Metopes, Etudes (Hyperion, 2014)*












> 'Few players of this music combine quite such clarity and articulation with shimmering sparkle and virtuosic flair: this is sophisticated pianism … The most famous of these Scriabinesque pieces, the sorrowful and haunting No 3 in B flat minor, was made popular by Paderewski, and Tiberghien's performance explains its enduring appeal … you will be left wanting to listen again'--_BBC Music Magazine_. Rating: ***** (performance) / ***** (sound quality).


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Alypius said:


> Two recent and excellent releases from Hyperion:
> 
> *Takacs Quartet & Lawrence Power (viola): Brahms: String Quintets (Hyperion, 2014)*


The Takacs Quartet also has a new, well-reviewed recording of Britten's string quartets out. Not sure I need an upgrade from the Maggini SQ myself, but I'll give it a try when it appears on spotify before making up my mind.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

*Ensemble Resonanz / Jean-Guihen Queyras, Berg: Lyric Suite / Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht (Harmonia mundi, 2014)*










*Jerusalem Quartet, Janacek: String Quartets no. 1 and 2 / Smetana: String Quartet no. 1 "From My Life" (Harmonia mundi, 2014)*












> "There is much to admire here from the excellent Jerusalem Quartet. In Smetana's First Quartet there is the fine opening viola melody...The slow movements of the Janacek quartets are also carefully and thoughtfully played."--Gramophone (March 2014)


Anyone heard either of these?

As for the first, the pairing looks attractive, and Harmonia mundi's acoustics are generally superb. As for the second, I have the Pavel Haas Quartet's performances of the Janacek, and thus am somewhat hesitant here. But I don't have a version of Smetana, which makes this intriguing.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

*Schumann*: Symphonies 1 - 4, w. COE/YNS (rec. 2012).











Interps aside, lean and underpowered. Not my cup o' tea. :tiphat:

Review:

http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_cd_review.php?id=11919

YT availability:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVfEItA1-VYxbrezgXShkLqJpaneFcA5


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Due out Tuesday, Apr. 29:

*Vasily Petrenko / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Shostakovich: Symphony no. 14 (Naxos)*










I have enjoyed a number of these performances by Petrenko and the RVP, esp. Symphony no. 4 (from 2013 -- which senza sordino cited earlier) and no. 10 (from 2010):


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Nonesuch will be releasing a John Adams recording with his new Saxophone Concerto on May 6. No picture yet!


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I listened to this last night, a new release this year.
Kreisler
View attachment 40028
View attachment 40029


Well played and well recorded, a thoroughly enjoyable disk that I'll listen to a lot over the years to come. I also have the sheet music for most of these pieces, so I can learn from this recording.

Good liner notes also, which describe the story of the eventual attribution of these pieces to Kreisler.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

senza sordino said:


> I listened to this last night, a new release this year.
> Kreisler
> View attachment 40028
> View attachment 40029
> ...


Senza, Thanks for the comments on that. Would you look on the record and see if it says who did that painting on the cover? It's a remarkable still life. I'm a fan of many of the covers of Hyperion's recordings.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

By the way, does everyone here know that Hyperion's web site provides a free download sampler for each month's releases (new and reissues)?


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

Alypius said:


> Senza, Thanks for the comments on that. Would you look on the record and see if it says who did that painting on the cover? It's a remarkable still life. I'm a fan of many of the covers of Hyperion's recordings.


From the liner notes.

The Violin Case (1923) by Marie Clementine (Suzanne) Valadon (1865-1938)
Musee d'Art Moderne de la ville de Paris / Giraudon / The Bridgeman Art Library London

A terrific cover and very apt for this music. I frequently associate art and music, this seems a perfect match.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

senza sordino said:


> From the liner notes.
> 
> The Violin Case (1923) by Marie Clementine (Suzanne) Valadon (1865-1938)
> Musee d'Art Moderne de la ville de Paris / Giraudon / The Bridgeman Art Library London
> ...


Senza, Thanks for the quick reply. I need to find a copy of that image.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

*Mahler*: DLVDE, w. Graham/Elsner/TOZ/Zinman. This may go on to be the highlight of the Zinman Mahler-lite series. Well-performed, well-recorded.










Production info (YT):






*Birtwistle*: Chamber Music, w. Batiashvili (violin), Tellner (piano), Brendel (cello), Freston (soprano), Williams (baritone). This is a bleak atonal journey. Unless you're a seasoned tightroper, do audition before considering a pulling of the trigger.










ECM info:

http://player.ecmrecords.com/harrison-birtwistle--chamber-music


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## udscbt (Nov 14, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Nonesuch will be releasing a John Adams recording with his new Saxophone Concerto on May 6. No picture yet!


His "The Gospel According to the Other Mary" was released a month ago. Looking forward to the saxophone concerto!


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Just got the latest Hilary Hahn album - newly commissioned encores:








I was shocked to read recently (via Norman Lebrecht, so maybe it's wrong!) that it topped the US classical charts in mid-January with sales of just 341.
Haven't listened to it properly yet, but I like what I've heard so far.


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

Nereffid - the album considered here by one of the better critics writing today: http://www.talkclassical.com/31696-new-releases-only-3.html#post648903


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

dgee said:


> Nereffid - the album considered here by one of the better critics writing today: http://www.talkclassical.com/31696-new-releases-only-3.html#post648903


I think you linked to the wrong tab!


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

science said:


> I think you linked to the wrong tab!


Unless _I'm_ one of the better critics writing today?


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Nereffid said:


> Unless _I'm_ one of the better critics writing today?


Wow. Well-dang-done, friend. Your joke was up here.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

But my comprehension was way down here.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

*Petra Mullejans / Gottfried von der Goltz / Freiburger Barockorchester, Bach: Violin Concertos  (Harmonia mundi, 2013)*










Reviews:



> "Is there ever a wrong time to listen to the Bach violin concertos? There are no more immediately ingratiating works in Bach's oeuvre, which easily explains the number of recordings in the CD catalog: more than 150 for each concerto. Although today the "big three"-in A minor, E major, and D minor (for two violins)-tend to be regarded more as advanced student works than as significant concert pieces, violinists know that, while certainly "playable" by competent youngsters, each of these works offers sufficient technical challenges and reams of material, both spirited and lyrical, to engage the virtuoso as well. Here we have a couple of virtuosos ..., who with their expert ensemble colleagues treat us to Bach as it should be done: straightforward, no mussing and fussing with stylistic mannerisms and extremes of tempo, and a magnetic attraction and keen ability to exploit the particular features of each work's rhythmic/thematic signature, features that are immediately evident from the very first measure. The bold, dynamic opening of the A minor requires a matching confidence and assertiveness from the soloist (and orchestra), and a similar approach to the unbridled, straight-out-of-the-gate surge at the beginning of the D minor that leaves no doubt where it's headed, unstopped, to the finish. Similar attributes mark the themes and rhythmic character of the E major and the three-violin D major concerto realization. These are period-instrument performances that make their point simply by reveling in the instruments' natural resonance and color and attending to the details of clean articulation and rhythm that enliven each movement,... Here's another sure-fire entry whose performances and production values make it an easy choice among the dozens of contenders."-David Vernier, (ClassicsToday.com). Rating: 10 (of 10) Artistic Quality / 10 (of 10) Sound Quality.





> "Müllejans and Von der Goltz, accompanied by their colleagues in the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, capture the music's dance-like, improvisational spirit in performances that are expressively accented and stylish"-Financial Times (May 2013)





> "The 15 strings of the Freiburger Barockorchester...create a fine, clean sound as they share and alternative fragmentary motifs...The sheer energy of the playing is gripping...[the Triple] is stunning...I'd buy the disc for this alone - and the rest will still be a splendid bonus."-_BBC Music Magazine_ (July 2013). Rating: ****


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

New arrival, another of Naive's superb "Vivaldi Edition" series (with the often weird covers -- though this one isn't):

*Dmitry Sinkovsky / Riccardo Minasi /Il Pomo d'Oro
Vivaldi: Concerti per due violini e arch I (Naive, 2013)*










I find Sinkovsky's playing a revelation. So too his backing group, Il Pomo d'Oro. They are, to my ear, part of a recent and extraordinary wave of inventive and thrilling recreations of baroque performance practice (other favorites: Arte dei Suonatori, Freiburger Barockorchester, Concerto Italiano, Accademia Bizantina, Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin, Holland Baroque Society, Venice Baroque Orchestra). There is a level not only of instrumental mastery, but of commitment and fire (and, I should add, scholarship) that makes even fine period performances from a generation ago sound placid and clunky. I copied a review of the earlier Sinkovsky / Il Pomo d'Oro - _Vivaldi: Concerti per violini V_ above, which discusses their abilities. Review here:



> "These are live-wire performances that would make even the likes of Il Giardino Armonico blush (both soloists are alumni)...the full-blooded articulation from the small orchestra, virile sparring from the soloists and ringing continuo upon the final chord typify these high-voltage performances."-Gramophone Magazine (February 2014)


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

*Janine Jansen (violin) / Maxim Ryasanov (conductor, viola) / Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra
Dobrinka Tabakova: String Paths (ECM, "New Series", 2013)*










Dobrinka Tabakova (b. 1980) is a Bulgarian-born, British-based composer. I ended up picking this up after SimonMZ's notice of it on the "New Generations" thread (where we are exploring new young composers). A review here:

"Bulgarian-British composer Dobrinka Tabakova was impressed during her studies by such figures as Sofia Gubaidulina, Giya Kancheli, and perhaps Alfred Schnittke. Yet the music on this collection doesn't follow any of those examples slavishly. The Baroque elements of Schnittke's music are present in the _Suite in Old Style_ for viola, harpsichord, and strings, but there is nothing neo-classic about the work. Instead, Tabakova extends the massed sound of Baroque music into a series of abstract planes, ornamented with other small details of Baroque concerto style. The effect is completely individual, and so it goes through the rest of the program, with references to traditional styles that seem at once completely natural and thoroughly decontextualized. Frozen River Flows, for violin, accordion, and double bass, seems inevitably to refer to Schubert's cycle _Die Winterreise_, yet it captures the tension of that work in an entirely different way from the original. The string septet _Such Different Paths_, written for and performed here by violinist Janine Jansen, has a violin part that disassociates itself from the rest of the septet and rises into the stratosphere; the configuration resembles, among other works, _The Lark Ascending_, yet the music shares a certain tension with the rest of the program. Although the mood is sensuous rather than challenging or violent, the tight writing for the instrumental ensembles and the difficulty of the individual parts adds a rigor to the whole that makes a fascinating contrast with the various familiar bits that go by. The various combinations of top-flight mostly Eastern European players could hardly be improved upon; they have clearly found in Tabakova composer who can furnish them with absolutely contemporary ideas that do not discard the training that shaped them. The music is likewise perfectly suited to ECM's hyperclarity of engineering. A fine release for those interested in the current manifestations of the broadly neo-traditional music developed in the old East Bloc."-James Manheim (All Music Guide). Rating: ****½ (of possible 5)​
An extended review from Fanfare here:
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=975115

Here's a live performance one of the works on the album: _Suite in Old Style_






I should add that the quality of this recording is extraordinary. ECM's Manfred Eicher was nominated for the Grammy award as "Producer of the Year" and this record was one of the records cited in the nomination.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Yes, I like that Tabakova album.

Manheim's comment about "absolutely contemporary ideas that do not discard the training that shaped them" and Robert Carl's statement "Tabakova is obviously a natural; the music is quite free in its openness to varied sources of influence and inspiration" sum the music up well, I think. It's got that instantly-familiar-but-still-new-sounding feel to it.


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

Agreed. I'll also speak for the Tabakova album. I instantly fell in love with it, but tried to not extend my praise into hyperbole. Now that I've listened to the concerto 10 or 15-ish times I am very willing to say it competes with the best in the genre.

I could not recommend that album enough. It goes alongside recent releases by Palomo, Dennehy, Massoli, and Lang; spellbinding, original classical music recently composed. It feels like an exciting time for contemporary classical music.

It makes me miss Hovhaness and Takemitsu a little bit less


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Just out today:

*David Robertson / St. Louis Symphony, John Adams: City Noir (Nonesuch, 2014)*










Here's the blurb on Amazon:



> City Noir "is a symphony inspired by the peculiar ambience and mood of Los Angeles noir films, especially those produced in the late 40s and early 50," says Adams in his notes on the piece. "My music is an homage not necessarily to the film music of that period but rather to the overall aesthetic of the era." Following The Dharma at Big Sur and El Dorado, City Noir "becomes the third in a triptych of orchestral works that have as their theme the California experience, its landscape and its culture," explains the composer. In its review of the piece, the New York Times said that Adams "has become a master at piling up materials in thick yet lucid layers. Moment to moment the music is riveting."
> 
> Adams Saxophone Concerto was composed for McAllister, whom the composer described as "a fearless musician and risk taker" after the musician s performance of what Adams calls a "fiendishly difficult" alto sax solo part in City Noir. The composer explains, also in his notes, that he grew up "hearing the sound of the saxophone virtually every day my father had played alto in swing bands during the 1930s and our family record collection was well stocked with albums by the great jazz masters I never considered the saxophone an alien instrument." Adams continues, While the concerto is not meant to sound jazzy per se, its jazz influences lie only slightly below the surface. The Australian noted of its world premiere performance that in the relentless, bebop-like figurations stunningly executed it recalled the frenetic solos of Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane. This is the first recording of the work.


Coming out next week:

*Paul Lewis, Schubert: The Late Piano Sonatas: D784, D958, D599 & D960 (Harmonia mundi, 2014)*










I have much enjoyed Lewis' two previous volumes (both 2 CD sets) of Schubert's piano sonatas. Back around 2000, Lewis had previously recorded Schubert's late sonatas. So this marks his second recording. I have to say that his recent Schubert marks a considerable advance on his performances from a decade ago. So I look forward to this.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

FJ Haydn, Lord Nelson Mass and Symphony #102

Boston Baroque, Martin Pearlman.

Excellent recent performances.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I bought these two new releases yesterday. 
View attachment 42208

Terrific recorded sound and playing. Considering how prominent ASM is it's surprising this is only my second CD of her playing.

View attachment 42209

This is a new orchestration of Grieg's violin sonatas. This is lovely, I enjoy the new sound created, they've made something that sounds so much like Grieg. I hope he's smiling.


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## Dirge (Apr 10, 2012)

Franz SCHUBERT: _Winterreise_
:: Jan Kobow & Christoph Hammer [ATMA]

There have been a fair number of new recordings of Schubert's _Winterreise_ released in the past year or so, including the highly touted Prégardien/Gees [Challenge], Finley/Drake [Hyperion], and Kaufmann/Deutsch [Sony], but my favorite of the bunch comes from tenor Jan Kobow and fortepianist Christoph Hammer. Theirs is a historically informed performance, in the original keys, and employing a very period-sounding period fortepiano -- it's tuned to A=425 Hz using an unequal temperament scheme "after Kirnberger" in use in early 19th-century Vienna, so there's a lot of key color to be found here. The pace is fairly brisk from a duration standpoint, with the performance taking only 63 minutes, but it never sounds rushed or too fast in actual listening (after one has gotten used to it, that is).

Kobow is best known as a Baroque tenor, and he has a clean, polished, well-rounded, low-vibrato tone that's well-suited to the task (he'd be an ideal Bach Evangelist, I suspect) and decidedly easy on the ear. He sings in a very poetic and untheatrical way, being keenly responsive to the text while maintaining a smooth-flowing lyricality (without compromising rhythmic goings-on). His phrasing is fluent and naturally inflected (rather than neurotically contorted and hyper-inflected), but he might be accused of understatement in the more distressed and/or dramatic music, as he never pushes his voice beyond its limits -- that is, he never stresses his voice to convey distress. Instead, he relies on deft inflection and pointed delivery to suggest the same, making the most of his vocal-acting and storytelling skills. The constant beauty of his tone (he does vary his tone for expressive purposes, but it never sounds less than beautiful somehow) might seem to be at odds with that what's being expressed in the text, but the incongruity works to his advantage to the extent that the beauty of his tone tends to disarm you and leave you all the more vulnerable to that what's being expressed in the text. Beautiful tone aside, tension is well sustained throughout, and the performance has an insidious sort of hypnotic continuity and dramatic narrative that eventually draws you in if you stick with it long enough -- this is key, sticking with it long enough, as this is not a performance that immediately grabs you by the collar and compels you to listen from the git-go; it's a performance that grows on you and gradually wins you over, slowly but surely gaining in cumulative impact as it goes.

The fortepiano, an 1810 Brodmann from Vienna, allows for great variety of tone, including, unfortunately, an almost harpsichord-like buzz in the lower registers. I normally loathe fortepianos, but I kind of like this one; indeed, it sounds so good in the middle and upper registers that I'm almost able to rationalize the low-end buzz as being "characterful." The subtly complex resonances and the gentle earthiness/woodiness of the instrument make for the perfect sonic foil/complement to Kobow's comparatively smooth, clean-toned voice. Hammer's playing of it is much to my liking, being quite pointed and imaginative and slyly varied, and he has an ever so slightly wry/diabolical temporal and rhythmic sense that keeps me on my listening toes. He also demonstrates excellent rhetorical instincts in the way that he deftly varies repeated material. His playing would perhaps be too active and varied were he partnered with a decidedly neurotic and hyperactive singer, but Kobow's relatively smooth and composed manner allows, even invites, more active participation from the pianist, and Hammer obliges without overdoing it. Indeed, the musical balance and rapport between singer and fortepianist is one of the most satisfying aspects of the performance, with a palpable sense of challenge and reply, give and take, between them, and together they generate an inner energy and frisson that brings the performance to life from within.

While my taste generally gravitates toward a more blatantly stressed-out, angst-ridden, tensely dramatic _Winterreise_ that relentlessly beats me into submission with its unbearable miserableness, I nevertheless appreciate Kobow & Hammer's more poetic and composed, almost philosophical, approach to the work, and I think that they produce what may be the most disarmingly beautiful and insidiously seductive account of _Winterreise_ on record -- not that that's what many listeners are looking for in a _Winterreise_ performance ... not that that's what I'm looking for in a _Winterreise_ performance. While it doesn't challenge Anders/Rauscheisen [DG, 1945] as my favorite recording of _Winterreise,_ it's proving to be a confoundingly interesting and compelling (I shouldn't like it, and yet I do) modern alternative. The recorded sound is nicely judged in all respects, being just slightly more distant and atmospheric than usual.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Just out today:

*Marc-Andre Hamelin, 
Schumann: Kinderszenen & Waldszenen / Janacek: On the Overgrown Path
(Hyperion, 2014)*










Review:



> Marc-André Hamelin's normally genial features cloud at the description of him as a 'super virtuoso'. For him such apparent praise implies limitation rather than virtue. But here, in his latest disc of music by Janáček and Schumann, he shows himself a virtuoso in a deeper sense, a virtuoso in sound, colour and poetic empathy, one who, to quote Liszt, 'breathes the breath of life'. Using his prodigious command in music of a transcendental difficulty-the Chopin-Godowsky Études, the major works of Alkan, Albéniz's Iberia, etc-he displays gifts which show him as first and foremost a musician's musician. In music of an elusive rather than flamboyant challenge he is a master of simplicity, of music which, in Goethe's words, proves that it is when working within limits that man creates his greatest work. The fewer the notes, the more subtle and exposed the task. Certainly you could never align Hamelin with, say, Horowitz's teasing, lavishly tinted sophistication or Cziffra's hysterical bravura. He is a virtuoso in another sense.
> 
> Linking Janáček and Schumann is both a natural and an enterprising choice. The seeds of Schumann's final collapse are already present in Waldszenen's 'Verrufene Stelle' ('Place of evil fame', where flowers are nourished by human blood rather than the sun's rays) or in 'Fürchtenmachen' ('Frightening') from Kinderszenen. Such things lead to a more oblique sense of desolation in Janáček's On the overgrown path, the very title evocative of the past, of a time long eclipsed by bitter adult experience; reflections of despair rather than tranquillity. Janáček's failed marriage, his unrequited passion for a younger woman and the death of his daughter Olga at the age of 20 are all mirrored in music of the darkest introspection. ... Turning to Schumann, Hamelin is no less illuminating than in his previous recordings of music where poetry and introspection are combined ....
> 
> Writing to his beloved Clara regarding Kinderszenen, Schumann told her, 'you will have to forget you are a virtuoso'. On the contrary, and returning to my opening proposition, Hamelin shows that he is a virtuoso in another and richly inclusive sense."--_Gramophone_


Samples here:

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA68030


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

A sizable portion of my collection is comprised of older recordings... but this does not mean I avoid recent releases. Looking at the past couple years of purchases I find the above recordings... all released within the last 3 years. If I were to expand the definition of "recent releases" to the last 10 years or so, my list would expand to hundreds of recordings. There are a number of singers, performers, and ensembles whose recent releases I am always looking for (Rene Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Anne Sofie Mutter, Andrew Manze, Jordi Savall, The Hilliard Ensemble, The Anonymous 4, Anna Netrebko, Kristine Opolais, Philippe Jaroussky, William Christie, Rene Jacobs, John Eliot Gardiner, Andreas Scholl, Joyce Di Donato, etc...)


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> A sizable portion of my collection is comprised of older recordings... but this does not mean I avoid recent releases. Looking at the past couple years of purchases I find the above recordings... all released within the last 3 years. If I were to expand the definition of "recent releases" to the last 10 years or so, my list would expand to hundreds of recordings. There are a number of singers, performers, and ensembles whose recent releases I am always looking for (Rene Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Anne Sofie Mutter, Andrew Manze, Jordi Savall, The Hilliard Ensemble, The Anonymous 4, Anna Netrebko, Kristine Opolais, Philippe Jaroussky, William Christie, Rene Jacobs, John Eliot Gardiner, Andreas Scholl, Joyce Di Donato, etc...)


And which of these do you enjoy most? Which have you listened to the most times?


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Christophe Rousset
_J.S. Bach: Das wohltemperierte [Well-Tempered Clavier], Book 2_
2 discs (Aparte, 2013)










A friend of mine had strongly recommended this. After listening to this several times on Spotify, I pulled the trigger and look forward to its arrival. One oddity: He hasn't recorded Book 1 yet. I presume that's to follow, but Book 2 is packed with gems and is somewhat less celebrated. I appreciate the unusual tack. Here's excerpts from recent reviews:



> "He combines virtuoso technique and sharp intellect, underscoring the extremes of freedom and rigour that lie at the heart of these works, and the playing is by turns pliant, controlled, spartan, ornate...Rousset's instrument of choice is the noble 1628 Ruckers double-manual harpsichord of the Palace of Versailles, its sound as glimmering and mature as a vintage claret."--_BBC Music Magazine_, February 2014 ****





> "Rousset's harpsichord, a 1628 Ruckers ravelement, is an equal collaborator (enjoy particularly its bell-like sonorities in G major or the slightly astringent sound of the theme in the F sharp minor fugue)...He is one of the finest harpsichordists working today and these readings, while never pedantic or ponderous, feel fully studied and assimilated."--_Gramophone Magazine_, March 2014





> "Rousset has something special to offer here -a gorgeous Ruckers instrument of 1628 which has an ideal resonance and crispness. He understands perfectly how to use overlapping notes and phrases to create an expressiveness you might not suspect possible...a world of inspiration."--_The Observer_, 26th January 2014 ****


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Some highlights from my recent purchases:








Bruckner: Symphony no.2, arr Payne - cond. Trevor Pinnock (Linn)
A chamber reduction that I find really charming.








Jane Antonia Cornish: "Duende" (Delos)
Three chamber works. If I hadn't known she's mainly a film composer I might have gussed it; the music is in what you might call the "romantic minimalist" style. I like it.








A Purcell Collection - Voces8 & Les Inventions (Signum)
An impressive selection of choral and solo music, some fairly well known, some not.








Weinberg: Orchestral and chamber works - Gidon Kremer (ECM New Series)








Weinberg: Symphony no.18 & Trumpet concerto - cond. Vladimir Lande (Naxos)
I've got quite a few of the Weinberg releases from the last few years, and the great discoveries keep coming.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

(continued)








"In Dance and Song" - Tom Poster (Champs Hill)
A nicely played and put together recital of piano music by the likes of Grieg, Bartók, Kurtág, Ravel, Stravinsky, and Gershwin.








"Solitude" - Michal Stahel (Gramola)
Baroque music for solo cello, with a few of the performer's own baroque-inflected compositions. Very much a melancholic, minor-key album.








Crumb: Voices from the Heartland (American Songbook 7) & Sun and Shadow (Spanish Songbook 2) - Ann Crumb (Bridge)
If you don't know Crumb's weird and unsettling song settings you're in for a treat. Also true if you _do_ know them!


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Oh, also I want to mention something I haven't bought yet, from a "local" ensemble:








Dublin Guitar Quartet plays Philip Glass.

These are the quartet's own arrangements of his string quartets nos.2-5, and I think they've found some great things in there. The album's on Glass's own label, Orange Mountain Music, so he clearly approves. 
You can listen to the whole set on soundcloud, at

__
https://soundcloud.com/dublin-guitar-quartet%2Fsets


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

And which of these do you enjoy most? Which have you listened to the most times?

Difficult question. A lot of these discs are recent releases by favorite singers: Netrebko, Hvorostovsky, Dessay, Fleming, Di Donato, Fink, Goerne, Opolais, etc... If I had to choose a single favorite among these I would probably go with the Boccherini _Stabat Mater_ which is a beautiful and surprisingly intimate chamber-like setting of the Stabat Mater... marvelously performed and sung. After that? I love the Opolais/Puccini, Goerne's Schubert, Hvorostovsky's Rachmaninoff, the Hilliard's Gesualdo, the Anonymous 4, Di Donato, Netrebko, and Fink's _Slovenija!_ I greatly enjoy the recent compositions by Schwantner, Heggie, and Lang. The Mahler 5th is quite fine... but my favorite remains Barbirolli's. I have yet to really digest Shostakovitch' or Nielsen's symphonies... I'm far more familiar with Shosty's quartets, preludes, cello works, etc... so I'd reserve judgment on these... although they sound fine to my ear. The two works by two of Bach's children are both more than surprisingly good. The more I hear by the other Bachs, the more amazed I am at the musical brilliance of the family as a whole.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> And which of these do you enjoy most? Which have you listened to the most times?
> 
> Difficult question. A lot of these discs are recent releases by favorite singers: Netrebko, Hvorostovsky, Dessay, Fleming, Di Donato, Fink, Goerne, Opolais, etc... If I had to choose a single favorite among these I would probably go with the Boccherini _Stabat Mater_ which is a beautiful and surprisingly intimate chamber-like setting of the Stabat Mater... marvelously performed and sung. After that? I love the Opolais/Puccini, Goerne's Schubert, Hvorostovsky's Rachmaninoff, the Hilliard's Gesualdo, the Anonymous 4, Di Donato, Netrebko, and Fink's _Slovenija!_ I greatly enjoy the recent compositions by Schwantner, Heggie, and Lang. The Mahler 5th is quite fine... but my favorite remains Barbirolli's. I have yet to really digest Shostakovitch' or Nielsen's symphonies... I'm far more familiar with Shosty's quartets, preludes, cello works, etc... so I'd reserve judgment on these... although they sound fine to my ear. The two works by two of Bach's children are both more than surprisingly good. The more I hear by the other Bachs, the more amazed I am at the musical brilliance of the family as a whole.


Thank you for the sustained response. I rather like it when people use their words._ ;D_


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

senza sordino said:


> I bought these two new releases yesterday.
> View attachment 42208
> 
> Terrific recorded sound and playing. Considering how prominent ASM is it's surprising this is only my second CD of her playing.
> ...


Bought the some time ago. Terrific performance.

Pity Heifetz never recorded the Dvorak. Would seem to have been made for him.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Bought the latest Argerich Lugano 2013

Great! The festival for a tenner. Wonder how much it would have cost to have attended? Thank goodness for CD


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## Dirge (Apr 10, 2012)

Arcangelo CORELLI: Concerti grossi, Op. 6
:: Beyer/Gli Incogniti [Zig Zag]

Corelli's Op. 6 has always been one of those seminal opuses that I dutifully respect more than wholeheartedly embrace; indeed, I rarely make it all the way through a single concerto before my mind wanders and I forget that I'm listening to it at all. So it is with little enthusiasm and low expectations that I listen to new recordings of the venerable opus. As for this new recording in particular, I can't say that it completely changes all that, but it partly changes all that, as I'm able to keep my mind from wandering a good deal longer than I usually do.

To an extent, these concerti grossi might be thought of as trio sonatas on steroids, with the concertino of two violins and cello presenting the pith of each work and the ripieno strings and continuo more or less fleshing it out to add sonic weight and bulk and textural variety. That's an oversimplification, but not an egregious one, as the works' structures could, in a pinch, be reasonably presented by the concertino alone. The concertino, ripieno strings, and continuo roles are here variously fulfilled by Gli Incogniti's 18 members. Beyer herself always takes one of the violin concertino parts, while the other is taken in turn by one of four other violinists. The ripieno strings are drawn from a pool of six violins, two violas, two cellos, and one double bass, but I don't know how many are actually used in any given concerto. Beyer assigns continuo duty to various combinations of harpsichord, organ, archlute, theorbo, cello, and violone. Although a great variety of continuo instruments/instrument combinations are used throughout this set, the playing is consistently impressive no matter who's playing, and the choice of instruments is always convincing.

Instrumental balances are uncommonly even/democratic throughout, allowing the concertino soloists to seamlessly merge into and emerge out of the ripieno strings and giving the continuo players more presence than usual. The continuo players take advantage of this elevation in status by playing with much rhythmic savvy and a sneaky amount of spontaneity in addition to fulfilling their usual role of fleshing out harmonies; indeed, the extra rhythmic punch that they provide is one of the most distinctive aspects of these performances -- and they provide it without unduly calling attention to themselves or diverting focus away from the concertino or whatever it is you're focusing on at any given moment. In other words, instrumental balances are such that whatever you decide to focus on is what comes into focus. It's to Beyer's teamwork credit that she allows such balances -- I mean, how many "star" violinists are okay with _not _being spotlit/to the fore? -- and it's to her musical credit that she manages to stand out anyhow through the sheer quality and personality of her playing.

The pace is moderate to fairly brisk to brisk, but owing to the always alert and buoyant playing, it never sounds rushed or too brisk. This, combined with the excellent energy all around and the extra rhythmic reinforcement provided by the continuo, lends the performances a fresh and vigorous feel. Execution is as proficient and polished as you'd expect from a top-notch HIP ensemble these days, and the playing in general is notable for the chamber-like interaction among the group's members and for the earthy and unassuming (but undeniable) virtuosity that they display. All this goes to serve interpretations that are at once vital and slightly rustic in a HIP sort of way (especially in the fast music) yet stylish and elegant in a traditional/I Musici sort of way (especially in the slow music) -- not that you'll mistake Gli Incogniti for I Musici, but neither will you mistake it for, say, Europa Galante or Il Giardino Armonico. The performances strike me as being historically informed but not historically constrained, with Beyer and her merry little bande assimilating and subsuming what historical information is available and then letting their musical instincts guide them rather than trusting in some dubious presumption of authenticity. (In the case of these works, it's believed that they were variously performed by as few as 10 and as many as 100 or more players in their day, so authenticity would seem to be a matter of expediency in any event.)

The phrasing and characterization found here is pretty hard not to like, but the general approach is just a touch too flexible and relaxed/at ease to my ear -- a bit more "classical" discipline/inflexibility and inner tension would be my preference, but I'm a known tension junkie with flexibility issues. No matter, this is a top-drawer set of performances, the most convincing I've heard of this music. The only listeners that I would warn off are those for whom continuo should be seen and not heard (to exaggerate slightly for dramatic effect).

The live recordings (only the applause after the last performance on each CD gives it away) were taken from two concerts and from a few "patch" sessions done right afterwards. The sound is excellent in all respects, allowing you to hear the inner goings-on as well as the deftly blended whole, depending on how you focus your listening.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

*James Ehnes (violin) and others, Bartok: Chamber Works for Violin: 44 Duos / Contrasts / Sonatina (Chandos, 2014)*










To be released Tuesday, June 24th. I have his performance of Bartok's Violin Concertos (also his Viola Concerto), as well as the first volume of his Bartok Chamber Works (with the 2 violin sonatas and the 2 rhapsodies). Both are excellent. And so this jumps to the top of my wishlist.


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

*Maxwell Davies & Panufnik Tenth Symphonies *

http://lsolive.lso.co.uk/products/maxwell-davies-symphony-no-10


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