What NEW discs/music are you adding to your collection?

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Feb 15, 2016 12:36 pm

Casella's music is kind to the ear, composed roughly 100 years ago, and it holds your interest. Not pretentious, his works are accessible, particularly the First Symphony, here with the BBC Philharmonic ably led by Gianandrea Noseda on Chandos. A worthy addition to the library of early XXth Century music, this is, while not great music, satisfying listening. Four 1/2 stars. I look forward to hearing more in this series.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 12:20 pm

What a joyous CD! Robin Johannsen is the featured soloist in a Handel cantata (Dietro l'orme fugaci) and she has a clear understanding of the style of the piece, thanks I'm sure to the able coaching of conductor Meret Luthi. Other worthy repertoire on this excellent disc include pieces by Francesco Geminiani, such as La Follia, The Enchanted Forest Parts I & II. Superb recording both in sound and playing, for fans of the baroque, one cannot ask for better.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Tue Feb 23, 2016 11:18 am

This music needs imagination, fantasy and as Garcia Lorca used to say, "duende", and this is what we get from Roberta Invernizzi and harpist Margret Köll.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Tue Feb 23, 2016 11:25 am

Lent always brings interesting offerings from the record labels. A beautiful Stabat Mater in the Pergolesi mould, but for 4 voices. Beautiful recording.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Feb 29, 2016 5:54 pm

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 1:01 pm

Alisa Weilerstein has been thrust into the recording studio with good reason: she's a great musician, with sensitivity and good judgment in her music making that literally makes my heart stop. Her recordings of Elgar and Dvorak are first-rate, as is this follow-on of the rarely-performed Rachmaninoff and Chopin cello sonatas, brilliantly partnered by Inon Barnatan, a pianist new to me. This is a first-rate disc and I give it five stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sun Mar 20, 2016 12:50 pm

Bach played on the modern piano is not a rare event these days, but this album certainly is a rare experience. Every note has meaning, every tempo feels right. Anderszewski plays Bach with a depth of understanding that rises to the top like cream on milk. Every emotion is here: tenderness, happiness, energetic propulsion, all kept in check by a rare good taste that leaves one satisfied with each experience. This excellent disc will remain on my playlist for years to come: the English Suites have never sounded so alive. Five stars.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Fri Mar 25, 2016 6:52 pm

Quite a discovery, hugely enjoyable. I don´t know if we should call L´ Aiglon an operetta, though every now and then it sounds like Chabrier, based on the short life of Napoleon´s son, it is well crafted, elegant and very French, considering that it was composed in tandem by Honegger and Ibert. The recording is excellent, the voices are well chosen and they seem to be enjoying themselves, as surely was Kent Nagano and his orchestra. Recommended.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:22 am

There's been a lot of Nielsen in my player recently: Rozhdestvensky's recent set passed muster (4 1/2 stars), and now along comes Sakari Oramo's new set with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, which I enjoyed as well. Oramo takes the repeats in the First Symphony, which pleased this reviewer, and the others are played with verve and energy. I especially liked the disc of I & III pictured above, but all of these are worthy. Still, I recommend Bernstein as the place to start collecting these symphonies: that set includes Ornandy's punchy I, my first exposure to Nielsen. Both sets are highly recommended. Four 1/2 stars for Oramo.

Edit: This disc won orchestral disc of the year award from BBC Magazine for 2015, high honors indeed!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 12:38 pm

This could be the finest Dvorak Cello
Concerto I've heard, yet it's from an unknown orchestra and a new cellist who's
headed for the heights. Bravos are due to all participants: orchestra, soloist
and conductor. Johannes Moser is, along with Weilerstein, one of the finest modern
players I've heard, and the recently formed Prague Philharmonic plays every bit
as well as the Czech Philharmonic, just beautiful! Conductor Jakub Hrusa has a
keen feel for the music's ebb and flow: I'm astounded at his ability to be
flexible at just the right places in just the right way. The Lalo is also very fine.

Can't wait to hear more from these musicians.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:59 am

Nojima Plays Liszt, and Ravel in the companion disc to this one, shows a pianist with a keen ear, fine touch, an overall great level of sensitivity. Why he chose not to record more than these two discs is a mystery to me, he should have had a performing career at the top of his profession. Every note he plays delights the ear. Thanks are due both to jserraglio and chalkie who recommended these fine recordings.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 11:23 am

More great Bach from Piotr Anderszewski: this time in the French Style (Suite No. 5 and the Ouverture). I continue to be impressed with this great musician. He knows what to do with every note and every phrase to bring out the meaning of the music. This disc will stay on my regular playlist for a long time to come.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Apr 19, 2016 12:31 pm

An early work by Mozart, Il re pastore features a tenor role that just won't quit, and makes for delightful listening. Performed by a group founded by Ian Page (a conductor new to me), each cast member sang perfectly well, and the recorded sound was kind to the ear. A true gem.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:37 pm

Gold Medalist in the most recent Van Cliburn competition, Vadym Kholodenko's debut disc speaks volumes of great things to come. He even finds the few lyric moments in Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka and sails through Liszt's Transcendental Etudes without touching the ground once. Tempi and rubati are all spot-on: this is the live performance from the Competition itself. Truly great playing: I can't wait for more from this great artist! Five enthusiastic stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 11:41 am

This recording is an odd duck indeed. Conductor Teodor Currentzis and Sony give us only 35 minutes of music on this eccentric disc, interpreting Stravinsky's Rite of Spring with slower tempi than usual in the introductions, while speeding up certain sections for effect. On first hearing, the performance underwhelmed me: perhaps I'll soften my reaction upon future listenings. Certainly, Stravinsky would not approve (we've all heard his 1961 stereo take), and Muti's grand gesture with Philadelphia gives us much more great music (Petrushka), as does Ozawa. Save your money.

John F · Post by **John F** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:13 pm

Out of curiosity, how did you come to acquire this disc. Unheard, it would seem to have nothing to recommend it, and having heard it you don't recommend it. Or did you borrow it from a library or somewhere on spec?

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 6:11 pm

Currentzis can afford the luxury of over extended rehearsal time recording in the middle of the Urals to get everything as he likes it. That said, I didn´t love his Mozart and was not interested in his Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.

Len_Z · Post by **Len_Z** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 2:46 am

maestrob wrote:Gold Medalist in the most recent Van Cliburn competition, Vadym Kholodenko's debut disc speaks volumes of great things to come. He even finds the few lyric moments in Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka and sails through Liszt's Transcendental Etudes without touching the ground once. Tempi and rubati are all spot-on: this is the live performance from the Competition itself. Truly great playing: I can't wait for more from this great artist! Five enthusiastic stars.

I am afraid that after the tragedy that struck Kholodenko's family his career may be on hold for a while. Huge loss.

Len_Z · Post by **Len_Z** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 2:51 am

josé echenique wrote:Currentzis can afford the luxury of over extended rehearsal time recording in the middle of the Urals to get everything as he likes it. That said, I didn´t love his Mozart and was not interested in his Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.

He's very popular among Russian snobs, so I had the displeasure of hearing several of his recordings, the latest being the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Kopachinskaya and Stravinsky's Les noces.

IMNSHO, they are just as ghastly as all his previous efforts.

Currentzis' main objective seems to be to butcher the music he is performing (apparently, to make it 'new again', 'relevant to the modern world', etc.) and I simply cannot stand it.

Len_Z · Post by **Len_Z** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 2:57 am

As for me, I am in the middle of obsession with Max Reger and simply cannot get enough of him.

Many thanks to everybody who offered recommendations of his recordings - I am truly grateful, as the discovery of his music is one of the major events of my recent life.

I've been especially impressed with his Violin Sonatas, Lieder (as sung by Iris Vermillion) and his Piano Concerto performed by R.Serkin

Who would've thought I was going to like it so much?

Thanks again everybody! You're an amazing bunch!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 11:14 am

John F wrote:Out of curiosity, how did you come to acquire this disc. Unheard, it would seem to have nothing to recommend it, and having heard it you don't recommend it. Or did you borrow it from a library or somewhere on spec?

Lent it by a good friend: for laughs, apparently.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Apr 27, 2016 1:30 pm

Star-studded chamber music combos have a mixed history of success, but Martha Argerich has an instinct for making great music with diverse ensembles, and this disc is no exception. Spot-on tempi and clear-cut lines strip away all mush, leaving us with transparency and a feeling of rightness with every note. I've hesitated for several years or more about opening this excellent disc, now I regret not having done so sooner. Deeply satisfying, the rare Schumann piece turns out to be a rare gem, while the Brahms Piano Quartet fulfills all expectations. Just wonderful! Five stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon May 02, 2016 1:32 pm

Emanuel Ax and Yefim Bronfman are both electrifying in this stunning release of two-piano works by Rachmanninoff (Symphonic Dances & Suites for 2 Pianos). Somehow they magically co-ordinate and sweep through the most difficult passages without losing a note. Atmospheric and deeply impressive playing characterizes their performances, this is true winner of a disc. Outstanding! Five stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon May 02, 2016 1:42 pm

Paavo Jarvi's Bruckner VI makes for excellent listening here, and the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra is well up to the demands of this score. My preference for this Symphony is Solti/Chicago, whose brass outshines the Frankfurt section, but this new release is well worth having. Details abound, the playing is well-disciplined, and the sound is glorious. Five stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue May 03, 2016 12:39 pm

Sir Mark Elder and soloists Katherine Broderick and Roderick Williams here give us a rare treat in a perfectly outstanding version of Ralph Vaughan-Williams's Sea Symphony. Williams is a sensitive standout as soloist, especially in On the Beach at Night Alone, while both soloists and choir bring a deep mysticism to the finale. This is a fine version, fully able to stand next to Sir Adrian Boult's compelling stereo version. Five stars.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Tue May 03, 2016 8:31 pm

Not much new these days worth mentioning, but this late Baroque Te Deum is a worthy successor to Charpentier´s. Henry Madin only has a handful of CDs to his credit, including smaller scaled motets, but this festive and large scaled Te Deum is surely going to get some attention. Recorded live, with fine orchestra and chorus, it´s warmly recommended.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed May 04, 2016 12:52 pm

Thanks, Pepe. It's now on my birthday want-list......

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Thu May 05, 2016 6:57 pm

maestrob wrote:Thanks, Pepe. It's now on my birthday want-list......

Very enjoyable and very well done, I´ll be surprised if you don´t love it.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon May 09, 2016 10:36 am

Fucik lived until 1906, so he just missed the great wars that would tear Europe to shreds in the XXth Century. This is a joyous CD, celebrating the pomp and circumstance of Royal Europe before it all disappeared in one giant hellish war. This is happy, sparkling music, filled with self-confidence that it would all last forever. Neeme Jarvi has a talent for finding unplayed music and making it his own, something he does here in spades. The music itself in inconsequential occasional music, but the reminder of old times is priceless. Four stars.

karlhenning · Post by **karlhenning** » Mon May 09, 2016 12:31 pm

Len_Z wrote:
josé echenique wrote:Currentzis can afford the luxury of over extended rehearsal time recording in the middle of the Urals to get everything as he likes it. That said, I didn´t love his Mozart and was not interested in his Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.
He's very popular among Russian snobs, so I had the displeasure of hearing several of his recordings, the latest being the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Kopachinskaya and Stravinsky's Les noces.

IMNSHO, they are just as ghastly as all his previous efforts.

Currentzis' main objective seems to be to butcher the music he is performing (apparently, to make it 'new again', 'relevant to the modern world', etc.) and I simply cannot stand it.

His recording of the Shostakovich Fourteenth is excellent.

Cheers,
~k.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon May 16, 2016 1:24 pm

I've had this disc in my unopened pile since it was issued in 2002, and wow have I been missing a winner! Robert Spano had me on the edge of my seat throughout this glorious performance, truly equal to Sir Adrian Boult's stereo version, which has been my benchmark since college days. The soloists here (Christine Goerke soprano and Bret Polegato) blend perfectly to my ears. An astonishing feat, this recording stands at the head of the class, with zero flaws. It's still available on Amazon: if you love this work as I do, grab it for a few $$$$ while you can.....five enhusiastic stars!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue May 17, 2016 12:27 pm

This is a powerful, electric reading of Nielsen's 2nd, coupled with an excellent in-depth interpretation of the Sixth. Both readings left me breathless: Sakari Oramo has a full understanding of these scores, indeed of the full cycle. He beats out our own recent NY Philharmonic recordings with Alan Gilbert by a mile. My hope is that this set stays in print as long as Bernstein/Ormandy. Oramo and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra are surely their equal in this repertoire.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon May 23, 2016 10:46 am

Boulez was always at his best in French music, as this Cleveland Orchestra release that's been languishing unopened on my shelves since 2002 shows. I've never heard of soprano Alison Hagley, but she does a tremendous job with Debussy's Ballades de Villon, and is fully the equal of Anne Sofie von Otter in Ravel's sensuous Sheherezade. The orchestral pieces are fine too: they sound as if Boulez actually cared about the music. Lovely music making, earning an easy five star rating.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon May 23, 2016 11:54 am

Yuja Wang is sensational in whatever repertoire she chooses to play, and this superb disc is no exception. Wang digs into both concerti's depths, bringing out details in each phrase without sounding precious or unmusical. The Faure Ballade in F# Major provides welcome respite from the intensity of the Ravel, without sacrificing depth or meaning. Five enthusiastic stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon May 30, 2016 12:24 pm

Jaap van Zweden is the new conductor soon to take over the NY Philharmonic, and I thought it might be interesting to buy his extensive CD output from the Netherlands, where he has made a good reputation, enough to influence NY's Board at least. Judging by my first listen to Brahms I, here is a man who's definitely in control and knows what he wants. The performance is tasteful and energetic; very satisfying to these ears. Van Zweden takes the traditional slowdown at the horn chorale in the finale, and makes it work smoothly without losing energy in the process: nicely handled.

The Brahms II is the least difficult for the conductor, yet I'm surprised how many get it wrong.Van Zweden gives us an egergetic yet lyrical performance that ranks up there with my own personal favorite (Solti/Chicago). III & IV were on the same disc (It's a 3-disc set, for some reason.), and they both went well. Van Zweden knows how to make music with energy and enthusiasm, like Bernstein did in his New York years. The orchestras involved (Netherlands Philharmonic & Netherlands Radio) play splendidly. Five enthusiastic stars!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 11:53 am

This disc is a must-have! Edward Gardner has an electrifying feel for Poulenc's quirky music, and the two pianists (Louis Lortie and Helene Mercier) successfully convey Pouenc's sense of humor in this fine disc of knowns and unknowns. The pacing is just right, and the repertoire includes gems that I've not heard before for piano(s) alone. Well thought-out. Five enthusiastic stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 1:00 pm

Belshazzar's Feast was the only music on this disc of Sibelius rarities that was familiar to me. The other material (listed above) was uniformly interesting, and well-played by the Turku Philharmonic under the deservedly well-known Leif Segerstram. Sibelius wrote much interesting music besides his Symphonies, including the early Overture (1891) that opens this disc. Five stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 11:23 am

Delightful recording! Segerstram obviously loves Sibelius's music, and it shows here in every bar. The Pelleas & Melisande is among the best I've heard, and the additional short pieces are ripe for the plucking. Bravo to the Turku Philharmonic, for they play with precision and grace. The sound of this recording has just the right balance between sections. Four 1/2 stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 12:42 pm

Jonas Kaufmann is perhaps the world's most sought after tenor these days, and deservedly so. The above album is indeed the real article, a new recording, as opposed to Decca's re-release of previous tracks under the heading "The Age of Puccini." Kaufmann has such a refreshingly individual technique, able to sing softly for special effects that tug at the heart, yet sing out at full blast without a hint of strain in the very next bar: a magnificent instrument used with intelligence and deep musicality.

Pappano obviously has a deep working relationship with Kaufmann, as shown by the detailed preparation of even the more obscure selections on this album from Le Villi and Edgar. Kristine Opolais, Massimo Simeoli, and Antonio Pirozzi all are excellent partners in the scenes and duets. Deeply satisfying, this disc deserves at least five stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:52 am

This disc of French gems hits the target squarely in the center. Veronique Gens is an exquisite singer, and her pianist partner Susan Manoff collaborates on an equally high level. Hahn, Duparc, and Chausson are each represented with fine cycles. Very moving, with sound to match. For a Francophile like yours truly, this disc is welcomed with open arms: none better. Sound quality and balance between singer and pianist couldn't be better. Five enthusiastic stars!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Jun 24, 2016 12:56 pm

Daniel Barenboim has matured into one of the finest conductors in the world, as recently illustrated by his Bruckner DVD series, and now by his fine recordings of Elgar's two symphonies with, of all things, the Staatskapelle Berlin. By turns electrifying and magnificently played, this recent release of the First Symphony puts all others, including Elgar's own, in their place: Elgar himself might just as well have led this extraordinary performance. Bravo to both the Maestro and to the stunningly idiomatic playing of the orchestra. Five enthusiastic stars.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Jun 27, 2016 12:08 pm

Angela Meade (one of my favorite up and coming singers today) and tenor Michael Spyres make for an exciting couple in this first recording of Donizetti's incomplete "Le Duc d'Albe." The conducting, by experienced maestro Mark Elder, and the Halle orchestra are first-rate. The supporting cast and enthusiastic chorus obviously love this gem. Five stars. Too bad Donizetti never finished the work. I would have loved to have a third act of such excellent material.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 11:29 am

I Fagiolini is a horse of a different color, in entirely a different setting. Nothing you've heard before will prepare you for this unique disc.
Each gem, while some may be dissonant to the ear, is filled with a delicate,
almost ethereal beauty by this extraordinarily sensitive chamber group. These
rarities have never before received such tender attentions, I'm sure, and only
the obscurity of the repertoire will hold back sales of this inspired recording.
A delight from beginning to end for lovers of Poulenc, Francaix, Satie, Milhaud & Ravel, in a stunning arrangement of the middle movement of the latter's G major piano concerto.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 1:14 pm

Martinu is one of my favorite XXth Century composers. His music, while not always inspirational, has such individuality that it stands out from the crowd and is inventive and pleasing to the ear. Martinu developed his own signature style and stuck to it (Of his symphonies, IV is the most interesting.). This new disc of previously unrecorded material shows Neeme Jarvi at his best, with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra recorded in their acoustically sumptuous new hall. Jarvi features violist Mikhail Zemtsov in the lovely Rhapsody-Concerto for viola and orchestra, a 3-movement work. The blockbuster Suites from the ballet Spalicek perked my ears up nicely as well. Five enthusiastic stars!

John F · Post by **John F** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 1:58 am

Count on Järvi to bring us unfamiliar but worthwhile music. By the way, I hear at least two different styles in Martinu's music - neoclassicism earlier, then neoromantic nationalism. The 6th symphony is in the latter vein, and it's my favorite of his symphonies; other favorites are the opera "Julieta" and the orchestral suite "Frescos," a gorgeous piece that's never performed here but should be.

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:47 am

Morton Gould - Chicago Recordings RCA Sony 6cd set

https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Symphony ... B017E52YWA

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 12:00 pm

jserraglio wrote:Morton Gould - Chicago Recordings RCA Sony 6cd set

https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Symphony ... B017E52YWA

I have that set on my shelf to be opened soon as we speak. Can't wait!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 1:17 pm

Violinist Vilde Frang is a new artist to me, although she has several previous recordings. Her partnership here with conductor James Gaffigan in concertos by Korngold and Britten is stunning in its accuracy, discipline and emotional content: I cannot think of a more perfect rendition of these works, including Heifetz (Korngold) and Britten's own recording of his Violin Concerto with Mark Lubotsky. The Frankfurt Radio Symphony plays with grace and panache, deftly negotiating even the most difficult passages. Five enthusiastic stars!

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 2:03 pm

Ginastera: Bomarzo. 2 copies en route from MDT

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 2:09 pm

John F wrote:Count on Järvi to bring us unfamiliar but worthwhile music. By the way, I hear at least two different styles in Martinu's music - neoclassicism earlier, then neoromantic nationalism. The 6th symphony is in the latter vein, and it's my favorite of his symphonies; other favorites are the opera "Julieta" and the orchestral suite "Frescos," a gorgeous piece that's never performed here but should be.

Yes, John, that's an excellent work: I have it on CD somewhere, but I forget by whom. Thanks for the listen.

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