Messiaen-ic Music From The Canyons To The Stars
By Paul E. Robinson
DIGITAL REVIEW - Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park inspired the French composer's colorful work, which is replete with birdsongs and spiritual imagery. Christoph Eschenbach leads a striking new recording.
American Classics Resound On Fine CD From Oregon
By Paul Robinson
DIGITAL REVIEW - Carlos Kalmar and the Oregon Symphony continue the ensemble's tradition of focusing on American music with a program of music by Walter Piston, George Antheil, and Aaron Copland.
Hovhaness’ Image Of Andromeda Has Aspect Of Far East
By Richard s. Ginell
DIGITAL REVIEW - Prolific beyond understanding, Alan Hovhaness died in 2000 with many works left unrecorded, among them his "Vision of Andromeda," the 48th of 67 symphonies. The 1982 opus makes its disc debut at last.
Partch Advocates’ Sensibility Makes Sense Of Bizarre
By Richard S. Ginell
DIGITAL REVIEW - The word on Harry Partch (1901-1974) is spreading slowly, thanks to latter-day disciples like the ensemble simply called Partch. Its second Partchmusik album actually won a Grammy Award a few weeks ago.
Abbado Celebrated In Music Recalling Beloved Conductor
By Paul E. Robinson
DIGITAL REVIEW - When the late Claudio Abbado's health began to interfere with his ability to function, the Lucerne Festival gathered musicians around Europe into a summer orchestra just for him. Their memorial tribute is on Blu-ray.
2 Recordings Pull Composers From History’s Shadow
By Paul E. Robinson
Clara Schumann's half-brother Woldemar Bargiel, well-known in his time, is one of two composers whose music has been rescued on recent recordings. The other taught Bernstein, Sessions and Carter as his own music lay silent.
In Recaptured 7th, Echo Of Great One That Got Away
By Richard S. Ginell
DIGITAL REVIEW - Dudamel’s recording from Caracas, with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, has many of the qualities that made their Los Angeles performance something to savor, but not the same electrifying intensity.
Stellar DVD Set Offers Cavalcade Of Strauss Operas
By Paul E. Robinson
DIGITAL REVIEW - As part of the 150th Richard Strauss birthday celebrations in 2014, descendants selected seven of his operas captured on video from as early as 1965 for an impressive compilation that would enhance any collection.
Chailly’s Brahms Redux: Luminous Via Blu-ray Audio
By Lawrence B. Johnson
DIGITAL REVIEW - How could anyone be blasé about holding a substantial chunk of Brahms' life’s work on one little disc? Yet these Leipzig Gewandhaus performances with Riccardo Chailly transcend by far the slim form of the medium.
In Piano Duets, Schubert Sings, ‘Rite’ Isn’t Quite
By Robert Battey
DIGITAL REVIEW - Former Buenos Aires child prodigies Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim often collaborate as soloist and conductor, but before a concert caught on DG they had played duo pianos together only once.
Stunning ‘Babi Yar’ Caps Shostakovich Cycle By Petrenko
By Richard S. Ginell
DIGITAL REVIEW - Once a rarity, complete recordings of Shostakovich’s 15 symphonies now number well over a dozen. One of the best has just reached its conclusion with a powerful rendering of the choral Symphony No. 13.
Bartoli Rekindles Trove Of Arias From Old Russia
By Paul E. Robinson
DIGITAL REVIEW - France was the model for Russia's tsaritsas, but not in musical matters. Italian composers beat a path to St. Petersburg in the 18th century. In her CD research pilgrimage, Cecilia Bartoli uncovered real gems.
‘Ring’ In Seattle: ‘Echt’ Wagner From Spirited Ensemble
By Richard S. Ginell
DIGITAL REVIEW — Against all odds, the upstart Seattle Opera made Wagner’s Ring its signature achievement in 1975, and just as astonishingly kept at it. Now the company is taking its 2013 Ring to the world in a CD box from Avie.
Lost Swedish Epic ‘The Jewish Song’ Reprinted On CD
By Paul E. Robinson
DIGITAL REVIEW - There is really no excuse for Moses Pergament's magnum opus to languish in obscurity. The new CD incarnation of a notable 1974 LP may help to bring overdue attention to the late Finnish-Swedish composer.
Andriessen Opera Makes Impact In Audio And Video
By Richard S. Ginell
DIGITAL REVIEW -- The inventive Dutch composer's La Commedia is a burst of audacious and eclectic ideas — based on Dante's The Divine Comedy — in its CD/DVD debut. Expect equal helpings of shock tactics and lyricism.
Crumb’s Spanish, American Songs Make CD Debuts
By Richard S. Ginell
DIGITAL REVIEW - Before long, it seems, the words of Federico García Lorca will be set almost as many times as those of Shakespeare. For George Crumb, Sun and Shadow (2009) is his eleventh go at the Spanish poet.
Stravinsky’s Dim Hollywood Years Conjured on DVD
By Richard S. Ginell
DIGITAL REVIEW – In just 52 minutes, Marco Capalbo's new film summarizes how Stravinsky's stay in Southern California prompted a rebirth of his creative energies even though he was rejected by the Hollywood movie industry.
Swinging, Soulful B’way Cast Clicks In ‘West Side Story’
By Richard S. Ginell
Rejecting Leonard Bernstein's disjointed operatic approach, Michael Tilson Thomas' new recording is all of a piece, the sound of 1957 Broadway stretching confidently into fresh, tragic territory instead of a work at war with itself.
Nézet-Séguin CDs Display Schumann In Classical Light
By Paul Hyde
DIGITAL REVIEW – Working with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads streamlined readings of Schumann's four symphonies that bring out considerable detail often lost in a thicker orchestral sound.
