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

[maestrob]

My town library has a book sale twice a year, which also includes CDs. So I wandered over there last Friday with the intention of finding one or two CDs and ended up buying five--couldn't resist when the price was $2 per CD (plus three paperbacks @ $1 each). This was the first album I listened to and confirmed my impression from years ago that Tamas Vasary was a superb pianist. I was particularly interested in his rendition of Liszt's Sposalizio since that is a piece I am trying to play again. Emphasis on "trying." I'm not what I was at 18, at the keyboard or elsewhere.

Hank, I've been a subscriber to BBC Magazine since forever, but I never saw that wonderful CD! Congratulations on a find!

I've three CDs by Vasary, a Chopin that includes some Mazurkas & the Piano Sonata #2, as well as another with the 2 Concerti, then a Liszt collection. He also plays some Martinu on another CD. Very fine, one and all. Would certainly welcome a box from DGG for sure!

[maestrob]

This CD may be the finest Dvorak recording of the two trios I have ever heard. Christian Tetzlaff and his partner Sonja have produced with pianist Lars Vogt a CD of the highest quality possible in this day and age, both from a musical and a sonic standpoint. I cannot praise this recording highly enough. The Trio No. 3 is played to perfection, with its dedication to Brahms on the death of his mother in 1883 fully evident in the soulful passages throughout. My benchmark for the "Dumky" has always been the Firkusny on Sony, yet this present rendition has even more depth of feeling and sheer authority in the commitment of the players. Crystal-clear recording technology helps, of course, but a great recording like this is produced only by great musicians in full cry. This is a prime example why I continue to pay attention to new releases. Congratulations all! Five gold stars!

[maestrob]

Violinist Alena Baeva and pianist Vadim Kholodenko have been in my radar ever since they made their debuts, Baeva with Gergiev playing Shostakovich's fiendishly difficult Violin Concerto No. 2, and Kholodenko with his win in the Cliburn Competition and subsequent recording of Prokofiev. Neither artist has risen to the level of international fame and fortune, but judging by this recording, they both deserve that level of recognition. Here we are presented with stunning artistry in their realization of Karol Szymanowski's Violin Sonata No. 1 & his Op. 30 "Mythes," along with Paderewski's rarely heard Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 13. No more needs to be said here. Beautifully recorded, every note on this disc is brilliantly performed and captured in superb sound issued by the Frederick Chopin Institute in Warsaw, Poland. Five gold stars!

[Febnyc]

Violinist Alena Baeva and pianist Vadim Kholodenko have been in my radar ever since they made their debuts, Baeva with Gergiev playing Shostakovich's fiendishly difficult Violin Concerto No. 2, and Kholodenko with his win in the Cliburn Competition and subsequent recording of Prokofiev. Neither artist has risen to the level of international fame and fortune, but judging by this recording, they both deserve that level of recognition. Here we are presented with stunning artistry in their realization of Karol Szymanowski's Violin Sonata No. 1 & his Op. 30 "Mythes," along with Paderewski's rarely heard Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 13. No more needs to be said here. Beautifully recorded, every note on this disc is brilliantly performed and captured in superb sound issued by the Frederick Chopin Institute in Warsaw, Poland. Five gold stars!

What a stunning recommendation!

I'm almost sorry I already have two recordings of the Szymanowski Sonata and one of the Paderewski. It's tempting...

[Lance]

A bunch of good stuff arrived today - been waiting patiently for it:

•Toccata N0031 - "Four Hands at Home" w/McCallum/Helyard, 4-hands 1853 Erard piano
•Erato 78798 - "In the Shadows" opera arias w/Michael Spyres
•Erato 71968 - Berlioz: Les Nuit d'ete (Spyres) * Harold in Italy w/Ridout, viola
•DGG 486 4842 - Brahms/Reger song transcriptions (27) w/Buchbinder, piano
•Hyperion 68428 - "Russian Variations" of Field, Glazunov, Tchaikovsky, Rachmainoff Piers Lane, piano
•DGG 496 4935 - Rudolf Serkin: "The Lost Tapes" Beethoven Sonatas 21 and 23
•Appian 5639: - Elly Ney, piano: Brahms 2nd PC; Schubert Wanderer Fantasy (1940s)
•Regent 443: - "A Year at Manchester" chorus, piano, organ (religious pieces by a wide variety of composers w/Murray McLachlan, piano, another pianist and organ, chorus
•Toccata 0582 - Volume 4, John Thomas Complete Duos for Harp and Piano
Duo Praxedis, mother/daughter, harp and piano
•Frederic Chopin Institute 148 - Cyprien Katsaris, piano - unknown Polish polonaises
composers include Zarebski, Kosciuszko, Szymanowska, Kurpinski, Noskowski and Makomaski, and J. Wieniawski

Been a long time since I've had a decent order or new releases. Will always get anything with Elly Ney, Serkin, Katsaris, Pradexis Duo, so historical stuff still looms large with moi, but also interested in American tenor Michael Spyres and others shown above. I'm trying to keep things to as normal as possible, avoid too much replication, and there's just so much time to spend listening and being inspired by great music and its performers.

[maestrob]

This rarity by Claudio Abbado and the Boston Symphony Orchestra was recorded by DGG in 1974. I say rarity because it is now only available as a used CD on Amazon, even though it is deservedly graced with a perfect 5-star rating there, and must be ordered as an individual burn from Presto. The disc includes Debussy's Nocturnes, Ravel's second suite from Daphnis & Chloe & Pavane, along with Scriabin's brilliant Poeme of Ecstasy. Abbado was just beginning his career when he was invited to record this magical music, and his enthusiasm with the project spills over into every note, every carefully considered detail, without marring the results with fussiness. This is a "relax and enjoy the ride" CD, chock full of wonderfully magic moments, including a perfectly balanced orchestra and chorus in the Ravel and Debussy. The French horn solo in Ravel's Pavane brought a tear to my eyes. Five gold stars.

[maestrob]

Katharine Dain's new album has finally brought this great recitalist to my attention. She floats, she soars, in the longest lines possible, injecting her sensitive and profound style into early XXth century songs by Lili Boulanger, Bacewicz and Szymanowski, all sung impeccably in their original languages. Pianist Sam Armstrong partners her on this rarefied wavelength, providing gentle support or strong bass whenever called for. What a fine team they make! The highlight of the album is Lili Boulanger's cycle Clairieres dans le Ciel, but don't pass over the Szymanowski gems too quickly, as they too deserve study. Sound quality is much more than acceptable, highlighting the ethereal qualities in Dain's exquisite tone production. Five stars, well-earned for this generous disc.

[Febnyc]

Found this on eBay - repertoire of Reinecke's (1824-1910) with which I'm not at all familiar. I listened to some very short samples on the Naxos site and wound up owning the CD for about two bucks.

It's certainly worth a try for clarinet chamber music.

Clarinet Trio in A Major
Fantasiestücke Op.22
Clarinet Sonata "Undine"
Introduction and Allegro Op.256

Anyone know these?

[Lance]

I never got that one, but thought enough of the great Abbado (who is sorely missed) that he was one of the conductors of my time that I invested in heavily as much as the wallet could stand. I have the 39 CD set of all his RCA and Sony recordings [04505] and his 41 CD set on DGG [479 1046], but oddly, the 1974 DGG recording was not included in their set as was much else not included. His early recordings appeared on Decca 7 CD set [478 5365] and his EMI disc [54164] of his early recordings The man recorded prolifically, and I centered on his singles with among the world's finest collaborators outside of those boxed sets. The beauty of having all this covers his entire career from beginning to end - and all in excellent sound. I am tempted to get this 1974 recording based on what you have stated - and it is the BSO - one of my fav orchestras (along with Chicago in the Reiner days).

This rarity by Claudio Abbado and the Boston Symphony Orchestra was recorded by DGG in 1974. I say rarity because it is now only available as a used CD on Amazon, even though it is deservedly graced with a perfect 5-star rating there, and must be ordered as an individual burn from Presto. The disc includes Debussy's Nocturnes, Ravel's second suite from Daphnis & Chloe & Pavane, along with Scriabin's brilliant Poeme of Ecstasy. Abbado was just beginning his career when he was invited to record this magical music, and his enthusiasm with the project spills over into every note, every carefully considered detail, without marring the results with fussiness. This is a "relax and enjoy the ride" CD, chock full of wonderfully magic moments, including a perfectly balanced orchestra and chorus in the Ravel and Debussy. The French horn solo in Ravel's Pavane brought a tear to my eyes. Five gold stars.

[Ricordanza]

Another one of my $2 purchases from the library. I thought this would be good because it's core repertory for Muti and this was recorded when he was music director of the Philadelphians. Listened to it yesterday and turned out I was right--these works are rendered with all the orchestral color one could hope for.

[maestrob]

Haochin Zhang's 2022 youtube video (posted earlier) was obviously the inspiration behind this recording. Here we have Zhang's trademark virtuosity, yet he never sacrifices the poetic element in Liszt harmonic writing. This may now be my preferred contemporary traversal of these most demanding works, even when compared to Trifonov for example. What maturity of phrasing, and never too much pedal so that inner voices are heard with the utmost clarity. Truly, Zhang leaves others I have heard in the dust! Warm but never too resonate sound, with a solid bass evident throughout. Five gold stars!