title: TRANSCENDS YOU TO ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE

text:
After listening to an erhu player at the Huntington Library, I became hooked!  I was looking for music that might include the erhu and came across this CD.

"Flower Goddess" is a beautiful, restful CD, which is composed of 6 tunes, each representing one of the 6 well-loved flowers and the flower gods or goddesses associated with each.  These pieces feature traditional Chinese musical instruments, such as the guzheng (long zither), xiao (end-blown flute),  di (Chinese transverse flute), pipa (Chinese lute), erhu (bowed string instrument) and paixlao (Chinese panpipes).

Even though some of the background music instrumentation is synthesized and seems a little bit "Westernized," the CD on the whole is wonderful and highly recommended.


title: ONE OF THE BEST MUSICAL GUIDES FOR CHILDREN EVER!!

text:
This is one of the best - if not THE best - guides to the orchestra for children that I have ever heard.  Recorded in the mid-50's, I played the 78-rpm records of these musical gems as a little girl until I literally wore them out!  Sadly, they were left behind along with the 78-rpm record player when our family moved to another town.  I wish I had known at the time that the entire set was available on a 33-rpm LP!

With cleverly-named titles (i.e., Bobo the Oboe, Poobah the Tuba, Lady Lynn the Violin, Peter Percussion, etc.), each piece spotlights an instrument of the orchestra, with a professional singer describing the instrument as the instrument plays as part of the background accompaniment.  Not only are the singers and instrumentalists top-notch, but the lyrics are very informative in a fun sort of way. (For instance, one would not know that the clarinet has the most notes of an orchestral instrument if it were not for "Antoinette the Clarinet"!)  The last few minutes of each piece features a solo performance of the just-described instrument.  The very last piece is a theme and variation by the entire orchestra and chorus where the listener is asked to identify the instrument, as well as variations of the theme.  The higher-pitched instruments are sung by a female singer reminiscent of one you'd hear in the 1950's, the medium-pitched instruments sung by an Irish-sounding tenor and the bass instruments sung by an operatic bass, with professional instrumentalists playing the solo parts.  Even though the record lists the solo instrumentalists by name, they do not list the names of the vocalists other than they are part of the "Sandpiper Chorus," which I think is a real shame.

Sadly, this gem has long gone out of print and has never been re-released on CD.  While you can download it as an mp3 from the website "Children's Vinyl Record Series," I would still definitely recommend getting this on LP as well.

Update:  I DID find out the names of the other (vocal) soloists!  (See my Comment below!)


title: "SPIRIT WINGS" WILL LIFT YOU UP!

text: "Spirit Wings" is truly a wonderful, spiritual album. Having met  Joni Eareckson Tada in person at a speaking engagement, I found her to be a very warm and approachable person.  She conveys that same persona in this album.  Besides having a very nice contralto voice and impeccable diction (and - given the nature of her paralysis - it's amazing she can sing to the degree she can!), what really makes this album shine is that she sings from her heart - and you can tell she means every work she sings.  Her cover of the beautiful old hymn, "My Jesus, As Thou Wilt," sends shivers up and down my spine and a lump in my throat every time I hear it.  Other highlights are the up-tempo "When Pretty Things Get Broken," "Heaven" and the title track.  Joni also leaves a brief devotional to the listener on the album.  Highly recommended.


title: BUYER BEWARE!  Wrong album burned onto this set!

text:
I initially bought this CD set at a discount place -- and noticed that the songs played on the CD were not the ones listed on the album cover nor on the CD itself.  When I popped one of the CDs into my Windows Media Player, I discovered that the actual tracks were from "Songs 4 Life - Trust His Plan!"

Thinking it was a fluke, I ordered this same CD set through Amazon.com's Marketplace.  When I received the CDs, I immediately popped one of them into my computer -- only to discover that, once again, the actual tracks burned onto the CD were from "Songs 4 Life - Trust His Plan!"

Even though there is a very good compilation from "Trust His Plan!," at the same time, it's a bit disappointing and disconcerting to expect to hear one set of songs and having them be a totally different set altogether.  I am planning on either returning or reselling this CD set.

Makes me wonder if the "Songs 4 Life - Trust His Plan!" advertised on Amazon.com is really "Songs 4 Life - Light Your Path!"?  Hmmmm....


title: Intelligent, Literal And Spirited!

text:
At the beginning Brendel, unlike Pollini, did not set the concert stages on fire. However he is considered a pianist of the modern style receiving comparison and the devotion paid to such pure musicians of the past as Clara Schumann and Artur Schnabel. On the occasion of one of his Beethoven cycles in London, Brendel even got awed reviews from the "Times", filled with prose normally reserved for the Deity. In this recording, Brendel opens with the Bach "Italian Concerto". The playing is objective and literal in approach with considerable rhythmic vitality and controlled pacing throughout. However, there is an aspect in his playing that creates a "stop-sign" effect (paying too much attention to bar lines) in the ear of the listener, unlike the communication and allure pianist/harpsichordist Vital Julian Frey conveys in his performance of this piece; something which Bach would have admired and wanted. Once Brendel begins the "Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue", the playing immediately takes on the element of command needed to provide an accurate blueprint of the architecture of the music. Brendel shows just how admirable his technical facility is in the opening flying cascades of ascending, descending passages. The character of the playing becomes thrillingly combustible, imaginative and involving. Even more striking is his tendency to vary the pulse. In the more improvisatory cadenza-like section, Brendel is clear-sighted and his musical philosophy is secure. His use of give and take within long phrases is always well measured. The various voices within the fugue are clearly defined but never break the balance within the polyphony. Brendel's use of pedal brings on an atmospheric and imaginative element of grandeur and sensationalism to the finale. Overall the performance is notable for its passion and finesse. If only he had let himself go a little more, this disc would have been outstanding.

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (honorary)


title: Perlemuter's Ability To Conjure Up The Necessary Atmosphere Is Unique!

text:
Volume Two:
Vlado Perlemuter worked on the complete piano music of Ravel with the composer himself, while attending the Paris Conservatoire whose leader at the time was Gabriel Faure.
The Sonatine was written in connection with a competition held by a musical journal and its classroom modulations are a conscious imitation of classical, stylistic patterns. The regular, measured rhythm is a unifying element that goes throught the entire work. Ravel added two movements to complete the sonatina and used the intervals of the 4th and 5th as unifying features.
The opening movement Modere, is in strict sonata form, containing a development section of incredibly compressed excitement. Perlemuter marked the individual movements with a gentle kinetic, a lilting grace and a vibrant finale illuminated by shafts of light and jets of water, and through the harmony of the of the open guitar like strings in the first movement, Perlemuter stirs up a magical undertone to Ravel's diction. The second movement, Mouvt. de Menuet, is again an objective statement, but one that surprisingly flowers in the final bars. Perlemuter plays this gentle moving dance with half shades, but with full sonority and and expressive power in the concluding phrases. The third movement, Anime, is conveyed with the necessary scale of nuances that must go from pianissimo to forte without ever losing the subtley of the harmonies. Perlemuter combines virtuosity and tenderness in the writing, tenderness being more touching for being underplayed.The horn call passage in the left hand contains an element of cellebration without any harshness in attack like Chopin.
Valses Nobles et Sentimentales was written in 1911. Ravel demonstrates his powers as a composer of 'pure music' unconcerned with evoking moods or imitating nature. He wrote this work following the example of Schubert, needless to say they sound rather different from Schubert, indeed rather different from Ravel as he was known at the time. The seven waltzes are not labelled 'noble or sentimental' and some could well be both. They bare out perfectly the implication of the untranslatable phrase, from the symbolist writer, Regnier, which stands at the head of the score;"le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." In general the language has grown tougher since Gaspard. The first wlatz 'Modere-tres francs', has in particular a harshness about it that looks to Ravel's post war style. Even if the textures do soften thereafter, the writing is much sparer and more linear, the outlines of the themes more precisely etched.
This is one of the most difficult of his works to bring off, yet Perlemuter, guided by Ravel, makes use of his virtuosic abilities handling the numerous passages of rubato with the required flexibility of tempo and rubato that nearly always expresses in the actual durations given to each note or chord. The eplilogue which follows the seven waltzes is a particular instance. The themes from the waltzes themselves are heard only as faint memories and all must be fused into a single mood and Perlemuter conveys the inner nostalgia without incoherence, and sentiment without sentimentality. Throughout the waltzes Perlemuter portrays the varying moods. His rhythmic edge, vitality and energy provide 'nobility', grandeur, and when the music demands, a fine legato to maintain the connections between successive chords and to sustain the fluid movement of lines and patterns seen as well in the Prelude from Le Tombeau de Couperin. The Fugue is clearly elineated by Perlemuter with playing that conveys an understanding of the essential structure and cool, clear, quiet counterpoint. In Forlane, the gentle, non-chalant mood created provides a sytlistic awareness of Ravel's aesthetic. The Riguadon is full of rusticity, evoking its dance qualities, rhythmic implusiveness, and reflections from the openings of the waltzes. The Menuet flows serenely with a delicate phrase line enhanced by light ornamentation. Perlemuter's performance of the Toccata is a wonderful show of 'tour de force' containing rhythmic vitality, a brilliant edge, and a crisp freshness. It has the needed grandeur and fleeting antics along with an impressively vibrant dynamic pallet. We are then swept into a tender and ethereal opening of the Prelude, with poetic lyricism and inner felt reflection. On the other hand there is the dance theme with its fushion of noble and sensual elements, of springly resilience and a restrained supple power. What follows is the lusciousness Perlemuter brings to breathtaking sonorities in A la Maniere de Borodine and A la Maniere de Chabrier. The playing is more telling and filled with restrained virtuosity. Menuet Antique is filled with dissonant, rhythmic playfulness and a dry sense of humor. The darker side of the register provides a character much like that of a clumsy, cake walk remenicient of Debussy and Bartok folklore. Yet this is contrasted by the range of color and harmony of a Mussorgsky. The ascending octaves in the bass add drama and intensity. The middle section gravitates towards Spanish themes and habanera rhythms. The CD closes with Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn. Its long flowing phrases are delicately romanticized and poetically conveyed with Perlemuter's emotional tension and the resolution of musical complexity of melody, of rhythm, of harmony, bringing increasing richness overall.
"Having the honor and privilege of studying with Vlado Perlemuter was one of the major highlights in my career.
He became my mentor at the impressionable age of 12. His recordings of all Ravel's piano music is a gift to the world."

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus.(MT) L.R.S.M. Licentiate(honoary)


title: Collard Plays With French Neatness, Precision, And Visionary Elegance!

text:
Those fortunate enough to have been closely acquainted with Faure know to what extent his art reflected his being. Like Chopin before him, Faure had always refused to give his piano works concrete titles, titles suggesting a precise image; for so called "pure" music is resolutely against anecdotes and attempts at description.
The barcarolle was originally a song of the Venetian gondoliers in 6/8 time. Its gentle, swaying of the water caused it to be chosen for purely instrumental pieces and to stylize the genre by only retaining its typical swaying movement.
Collard can be considered the "chosen" pianist to give the absolutely definitive performance of all 13 Barcarolles, which span Faure's entire production giving a faithful picture of his evolution.
The first, Op.26 in A minor, presents Collard to us, creating its delightfully nonchalant, dreamy character. The first is a model of the genre, and Collard gracefully shapes its long, unending phrases, conveying the gentle swaying of the water. Here, as in several of his barcarolles, Faure after having followed his opening theme with a new idea, changes key or mode to announce a third, original theme akin in function to the Trio in a Minuet. The 2nd one, Op.41 in G major, Collard creates the character of impatience, a joyful departure, soon to give way to two melodies, one filled with desire and passion, the other dreamy and very typical of Faure.
The 3rd one, Op.42*G major, is attractively played and filled with rich sonorities in the hands of Collard. But here Faure can't be said to be giving us the best of himself.
The 4th in A flat major,Op.44: Collard characterizes the work with harmonic charm suffusing it entirely. The piece marks the end of Faure's early style. "Up until now the Barcarolles had only sailed on lakes or lagoons".
The 5th, Op.66*F# minor: Collard immediately sweeps us out to sea. (Vuillermoz). This is unquestionably one of Faure's masterpieces, a piece combining a great diversity of effects that become so lyrically and impressively conveyed by Collard. Starting out from a sleepy lagoon the boat heads for the open sea. The swell of the waves and smell of salt and sea breezes are cast into our minds by Collard's building of intensity and spacing. His playing radiates a sturdy, healthy joy and as the harmony turns Collard creates the varying characters moving from suppleness to powerful and lavish. This is one of the most remarkable pieces in pianistic literature.
The 6th*E flat+ Op.70, is yet another sunny departure for Cytherea. Collard magnificently displays the elegance, and the spirited rhythm as the waves wash against the bow, carrying the short motif throughout.
The 7th*D minor, Op.90, heralds the beginning of the stark style characteristic of Faure's last manner. Collard imbuedes the work with a sort of caressing anxiety, characteristic of an evening Barcarolle.
The 8th*D flat major,Op.96. It is the 8th which introduces Faure's 3rd manner. It somewhat abandons the grace so typical of some of its predecessors. Collard exemplifies this new manner with favoring passionate meditation littering its discourse with warm-hearted, persuasive accents.
The 9th*A minor, Op.101. The fairly nostalgic mood of its minor theme fails to lift, suggesting an inward-looking moment, the heart-felt warmth of reminiscing, which Collard respects this character with obvious poetic, inner reflection, and slightly relaxed rubato. He also defines the inner theme found in the middle register.
The 10th*A minor, Op.104. Collard maintains the same melancholy cast in the minor suffuses, the 10th dating back to 1913. Collard treats the monotony of its melodic scheme surprisingly and helps make this solemn, rugged piece quite enigmatic.
The 11th*G minor&12th*E flat major, Op.105, date from the winter of 1914-1915. In the 11th, Collard's virtuosity provides us with the wildness of an ocean swell, and then his manner quickly shifts to conveying the calm after the storm, which ends the 11th. While the 12th affords some easing of tension, Collard gives exactly what it is, a piece that presents itself in a simple, luminous and pleasant way.
The 13th*C major, Op.116. Bringing the collection to a close (dates 1921) is cast in the same mood of serenity and freshness. Collard plays sprightly and melodically revealing its gaiety and freedom from care, with its slight sway, and almost childlike ingenuousness, it definitely ranks among Faure's most original pieces.

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus.(MT) A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (hon.)


title: Absolutely beautiful music!

text: Absolutely beautiful! Reminded me of growing up and listening to this music while my parents had friends over for a party. Grew up on this music and still love it.


title: A Fine-Sounding Recording of the Outdoor Spreckels Organ in San Diego's Balboa Park

text:
When I was living in Los Angeles I had occasion to visit the San Diego area, and in particular the delightful Balboa Park.  But I do not recall, after these many years, whether I saw or heard the organ there.  Still, when I saw this CD featur9ng the Spreckels organ, I snapped it up and have greatly enjoyed listening to it.  My summary assessment of the disk is that it's a unique and excellent recording, and should be a valued item in the collection of any fan of organs and/or their distinctive music.

The CD details are that it is an original digital recording [DDD] made by John Thomas and issued in 1997 by the Spreckels Organ Society as CD SOS-6CD.  It offers 8 pieces of classical music, 5 being written for organ and 3 being transcriptions for the instrument.  All the pieces are performed very well by the regular Spreckels organist, Robert Plimpton, and recorded in fine-sounding digital stereo.

The program features excellent music mostly by well-known classical composers ranging from J.S. Bach in the 18th century to Alexander Russell in the 20th century.  I was especially pleased to find Bach's Toccata in F [Major], a lively and engaging piece which I had not known before.  The transciption of Samuel Barber's hauntingly beautiful Adagio fro Strings was well done by William Strickland.  Franck's Chorale in A Minor is a standard of the organ literature and striking in its richness of imagination.  The Saint-Saëns Marche Héroique comes off very well in famous organist Alexandre Guilmant's transcription.  The pleasant original composition The Bells of St. Anne-de-Beaupré by 20th century Alexander Russell features the chimes in the Spreckels organ's Solo Division.  Giuseppe Vwrdi's Grand Triumphal March from his opera Aïda is a familiar favorite well transcribed by celebrated organist Edwin H. Lemare, whose lovely original Andantino with its ostinato figure accompanying the cherished melody is also included here.  The program which began with a lively toccata, ends with another lively toccata: the ubiquitous but nonetheless much admired one from Charles-Marie Widor's fifth organ symphony.

I expected the recorded sound to be somewhat weak and diffuse owing to the organ's outdoor location, but was pleasantly surprised to find it close, immediate, rich, and full, especially in the low bass provided by the two 32-foot pedal stops: the Contra Magnaton and the Contra Bombarde, in company with the six 16-foot stops in the other divisions.  Built by the Austin organ building company in 1915 as opus #453 and since restored and added to seven times from 1935 through 1996, the organ features 4 manuals and pedal, with a total of six divisions (Great, Swell, Tibia, Choir, Solo, and Pedal), 73 ranks, and 4,518 pipes.  It also includes a recording device which permits the playback of music automatically (without organist).

I heartily recommend this CD to all lovers of organs and organ music, and to lovers of classical music in general.  It lives up to its title "Spreckels Sound Spectacular,"


title: A Seriously Flawed Recording of an Excellent Performer and Instrument

text:
This CD, LIVERPOOL ENCORES, features the English organist Ian Tracey performing a varied program of transcriptions of mostly familiar music on the fine Willis organ of the Liverpool Cathedral.  Although the organ and organist are no doubt excellent, this recording made by Mirabilis Records suffers greatly from too much reverberation.  One cannot appreciate any of the details of the music, but only gain a general idea of it.  The Fauré PAVANE comes off best, being rather soft and slow and thus avoiding the worst of the reverberation, which according to my ears is about 3.5 to 4 seconds.  The Cathedral is cited as being one of the largest enclosed spaces in the world, and this, along with the probably very sound reflective character of the building, causes all the reverb.  I suspect that the Cathedral was mostly empty of people during the recording session, and that would only exacerbate the sonic problem.  Despite the ambient noise of a mass of people, I think it would have been best to pack the space with as many people--preferably wearing their heavy winter coats--as possible.

It is a shame that I have to recommend against this otherwise excellent effort, but I must be honest in my assessment.  I wish the recording engineers had made a more successful effort to minimize the reverb: the quality of the performer and the instrument really merit much kinder treatment by them.


title: Excellent Concert of Music for Trumpet and Organ

text:
This CD, "Sonnez trompette," released by Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal as BND-003, is a stereo recording captured in the basilica by Gilles Poirier in January, 2001.  It offers 59 minutes of music for trumpet and organ,  some notably of French or Canadian provenance, performed by Manon Lafrance, trumpeter, and Jacques Boucher, organist.

The 1891 organ is the first 4-manual product of the well-known Casavant brothers, an instrument of 4 divisions (Grande Orgue, Récit, Positif, Solo) plus pedal.  With 97 speaking stops and 6572 pipes it is one of the largest instruments produced by the French-Canadian firm, taking 5 years to build.  In 1924 the organ was electrified, with a new console added. (The present console was installed in 1962).  In 1991 the organ was completely restored.  The photograph on the back page of the liner notes shows the present organ to be as beautiful to look at as it is to listen to.

The program of music ranges from the 17th century to the 20th, with nearly half from the latter century.  The selection is fairly eclectic, including such standards as Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary and Purcell's Trumpet Tune in addition to lesser-known works such as Bédard's Salve Regina, Bales's Elegy, and Hovhaness's Prayer of Saint Gregory.  Two chorale preludes (BWV 147 and 140) of J.S. Bach add much musical beauty and familiarity to the disk.  Two chorales and a Salve Regina of Langlais bring modern dissonance to the mix.

Overall, the disk gives us a varied and delightful sample of the favored trumpet-organ combination and the excellent performances of two gifted artists.  For lovers of the trumpet or of the organ, I recommend this recording with special plwasure.  And music-lovers in general will likely find it treat for their ears.


title: Some Thoroughly Delightful Operatic Choral Music Here!

text:
This CD appears to be the same recording I have as Philips 422 266-2 "Great Opera Choruses" but the cover design is different from that shown here.  The operas excerpted are the same, though I can't tell if the choruses are, because this listing doesn't give such details.  If they are the same, then I can give additional information about the recording, which may be useful to those considering buying it.

The program of music is:

1 - Vedi!  le fosche notturne  (Verdi: Il Trovatore)
2 -  Squilli, echeggi  (as above)
3 - Va, pensiero, sull' ali dorati (Verdi: Nabucco)
4 - Gli arredi festivi  (as above)
5 - Gerusalem!  (Verdi: I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata)
6 - O Signore, al tetto natio (as above)
7 - Don Din Don  (Leoncavallo: Pagliacci)
8 - Gloire Immortelle (Gounod: Faust)
9 - Steuermann, lass die Wacht!  (Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer)
10 - Treulich geführt  (Wagner: Lohengrin)  [Bridal Chorus]
11 - Beglückt darf nun  (Wagner: Tannhäuser)
12 - Da zu dir der Heiland kam  (Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg)
13 - Patria opressa!  (Verdi: Macbeth)
14 -  Gloria all' Egitto  (Verdi: Aida)
15 - Spuntato ecco il di  (Verdi: Don Carlo)

The original recording's analog sound [ADD] must have been very good, for the CD's digital remastering sounds fine.  The various choruses and orchestras perform very well also.  This music provides a delightful slant on the operas which differs from that offered by the more commonly found disks of arias--and these choruses are truly fine music by any reasonable standard!  I thoroughly enjoyed the disk and heartily recommend it to all lovers of opera and of good music in general.

  .


title: The sound quality is generally excellent, owing to the stature of the performers and ...

text:
This CD "Virginmegamusic Classical" [Virgin 314545921-2) is offered as a kind of introduction to the world of classical music, seemingly aimed particularly at young people (teenagers?) just getting to know about the age-old tradition of music in western civilization.  Appropriately, the disk features some of the most popular and ear-catching pieces in that tradition, the readily accessible and immediately likeable music which we commonly find on disks of "popular favorites" or "best-loved melodies" or something similar.  As such, the CD includes many items which are only excerprts of longer works, and thus of limited value to regular or serious listeners to classical music.  The music is derived from various previously released major-label recordings dating between 1960 and 1990.

As a beginner's introduction, it casts the liner notes--which discuss the music but say little of the performers--into somewhat didactic terms, a minor annoyance to veteran listeners.  A pervasive fault in the notes is the insufficient identification of the artists, for example listing Simon Standage without noting that he is simply the violinist performing with a group (The English Concert, conducted by Trevor Pinnock).  The sound quality is generally excellent, owing to the stature of the performers and recording teams.  Overall, it seems an excellent CD to give to a young person--or even an older person--as a start to his/her career as a classical music listener.

The program of music follows, with recording date and timing listed just after the composer & title.

1 - Khatchaturian/Moffit: Saber Dance, from the ballet Gayane. [1960]  (2:24)  Wm. Moffit arranged this piece, introducing some extra toodling on the flute which I do not recall ever hearing before on performances of this piece.  The performing group is not identified in the notes.
2 - Brahms:Hungarian Dance #5. [1982] (2:16)  Vienna Phil. Orch., Abbado.
3 - Holst: Mars, from The Planets. [1987] (7:09)  Montreal Symph. Orch., Dutoit.
4 - Vivaldi, Spring, from The Four Seasons. [1982] (3:00). The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock.  Simon Standage, violin.
5 - Vivaldi: Winter, from the Four Seasons. [1982] (2:00).  The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock.  Simon Standage, violin.
6 - J.S. Bach: Air for the G String [1968] (5:34). The English Chamber Orch., Raymond Leppard
7 - Beethoven: First movement, Moonlight Sonata. [1962] (6:46). Claudio Arrau, piano.
8 - Beethoven: Für Elise. [1984] (2:59).  Vladimir Ashkenazy,  piano.
9 - Mozart: Elvira Madigan (2nd movement, Piano Concerto #21) [1986] (7:01). English Chamber Orch., Mitsuko Uchida, piano.
10 - Mozart:  Overture to Marriage of Figaro [1971] (4:18).  Vienna Haydn Orch., Istvan Kertesz.
11 - Rossini: Overture to William Tell, End Section. [1991] (0:57). Chamber Orch. of Europe, Abbado.
12- Tchaikowski: Russian Dance (Trepak from the Nutcracker Suite)  [1993] (1:08). Montreal Symph. Orch., Dutoit.
13 - Bizet: March of the Toreadors from Carmen [1988] (2:10).  Montreal Symph. Orch., Dutoit.
14 - Dvorak: 2nd Movement, Symphony No. 9 "New World" [1983] (4:00).  Vienna Phil. Orch., Maazel.
15 - Tchaikowski: End section, Overture of 1812  [1990] (4:12).  Gothenburg Symph. Orch., Jarvi.
(Total duration = 55:54)


title: Very Fine Piano Music from a Rather Neglected Artist

text:
This CD offers a brief, but welcome program of music well played by a pianist whose accomplishments were celebrated in her day, but which have since been largely forgotten.  The disk is "Eileen Joyce plays Debussy, Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt" (Saga Classics SCD 9046) and it includes 11 rather varied selections, totallng a bit less than 50 minutes of music.  Almost no recording details, nor any information about the artist, are given in the liner notes, though brief descriptions of the music do appear.  While the Beethoven "Für Elise" and the Debussy "Clair de Lune" are rather overexposed these days, some of the other items are seldom encountered jewels of the piano literature.  The Schumann Romance is a good example of the composer's lyric piano writing, and the Fauré Impromptu is a real treasure, beautifully played.  Liszt's well-known "Gnommenreigen" receives a wonderful performance with all the puckish wit we could ask for.  Liszt's familiar Étude de Concert "Un Sospiro" reveals the pianist's lightning-fast, clean and precise fingerwork in addition to her ability to sustain a smoothly flowing, lovely melody above an accompaniment of rapid arpeggiated figures.  Debussy's "Clair de Lune" from his Suite Bergamasque is well played, but the "Cathédrale Engloutie" is a genuine stand-out of French Impressionism.  Dohnányi's "Rhapsody" from his early Opus 11 is an unexpected pleasure which deserves more exposure than it currently receives.  Granados's "La Maja y el Ruiseñor" is perhaps the most often played of his Goyescas, but the Allegro de Concierto is a rare treat which we could wish to hear more often.

The complete contents are:

1 - Beethoven:  Für Elise  (3:23)
2 - Schumann:  Romance in F-Sharp Major,  Op.28, No. 2  (3:13)
3 - Schumann-Liszt:  Liebeslied (Widmung)  G. 566  (2:59)
4 - Fauré:  Impromptu No. 2 in F Minor,  Op. 31  (3:59)
5 - Liszt:  Gnommenreigen,  G. 145, No. 2  (2:46)
6 - Liszt:  Étude de Concert in D-Flat Major, G.144, No. 3  (4:50)
7 - Debussy:  Clair de Lune  (Suite Bergamasque)  (4:08)
8 - Dohnányi:  Rhapsody in C Major, Op.11, No. 1  (4:36)
9 - Debussy:  La Cathédrale Engloutie, Prélude No. 10, Book I  (6:42)
10 - Granados:  La Maja y el Ruiseñor  (Goyescas No. 4, Part I  (5:28)
11 - Granados:  Allegro de Concierto  (6:39)

The Tasmanian-born (thus Australian) pianist Eileen Joyce (1908-91) grew up in an impoverished family, but managed to receive piano instruction from the age of 10.  The  remarkable piano-playing talent she soon revealed impressed many in Australia (including Percy Grainger) and various well-wishers saw to it that she obtained the advanced instruction necessary to prepare her for a career.  She studied at the Leipzig Conservatorium and London's Royal College of Music, along with a couple of weeks with Artur Schnabel in Berlin, and made her professional début in England in 1930.  She embarked upon a busy schedule of public performances wherein she became noted for her natural beauty, her frequent and colorful changes of dress, and the deep cleavage she showed, all of which tended to distract critics from her genuinely outstanding playing.  Nonetheless she grew to be very popular in England and Europe through her many concerts, recitals, and recordings, as well as a few film soundtracks.  She retired from playing in the early 1960s and thereafter became rather quickly forgotten.  Today her available recordings are neither large in number nor particularly accessible, but those such as the one reviewed here provide a valuable reminder of her great, though evanescent, fame and her fine pianism.

I heartily recommend this CD for its fine piano music, its rare reminder of an excellent pianist, and its exposure of several very worthy pieces not often encountered in performance or recordings today.  Piano music lovers in particular will be most grateful for it.


title: Excellent, Passionate Performance of Two Much-Loved Piano Concertos

text:
Here we have two piano concertos which have long been favorites with lovers of classical music. Written by Sergei Rachmaninov in 1900-01 (No.2) and 1909 (No. 3), the works have been performed and recorded many times by outstanding artists and thus present a major challenge to any performers who dare to take them on. Rachmaninov was a leading piano virtuoso of his day, with large hands and fast, nimble fingers, a formidable piano technique, excellent compositional skill, imagination and artistry, and a warm and generous heart. Though his feelings were usually concealed by a rather somber and sober appearance, they are expressed unmistakeably in his works. It takes unusually gifted artists with large hands, large technical resources, and large spirits to do justice to these works. Fortunately, the artists here amply fulfill those requirements and present excellent performances, with passion and excitement, but without empty braggadocio or over-sentimentality.

Jorge Luis Prats, a Cuban pianist born in 1956, was only 26 at the time of this recording and he brings youthful enthusiasm and emotion to the works, not to mention a powerful technique and sensitive interpretation. His rare gifts endow the concertos with renewed vitality.

Enrique Bátiz Campbell was born in Mexico City in 1942 and started out as a concert pianist also, but began to take on conducting duties in 1969 with the Xalapa Orchestra, soon becoming much in demand in that capacity, not only in Mexico, but across the globe. Though 14 years older than Prats, he still was only 40 when he led these performances, a young age for a conductor. He, too, brings strong passions and artistic enthusiasm to the works, as well as excellent leadership of the orchestra and empathetic cooperation with the soloist.

The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra rises admirably to the occasion, providing great-sounding music and fine coordination with the soloist.

The recording details are as follows. The works are Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos No. 2 and No.3, in C Minor and D Minor, respectively, opp.18 and 30. They were recorded digitally by Brian Culverhouse in Mexico City's Sala Nezahualcoyotl in 1982 and 1983 and together add up to 74 minutes of music. They appear on the Regis label, # RRC1270.

Even if you already possess one or more fine recordings of these concertos, I recommend you consider adding this CD to your collection and giving it good, careful listen. I can almost guarantee you will come away with with fresh insights into the works and an increased appreciation of their value.


title: Fine-Sounding Collection of Short Baroque Favorites

text:
This CD obviously stems from the earlier days of digital recording, though no recording date is given.  The technology was purely digital (DDD), employing the pioneering but now-defunct Soundstream process developed by Dr. Thomas Stockham, a digital tape recording method taking 16-bit samples at the rate of 50 KHz [50,000 samples per second per channel]. Most of these early recordings, incidentally, were originally distributed on LP records. The ambitious technique was quite successful, but was soon superseded when Sony and Philips introduced optical Compact Discs, which embodied digital recordings with 16-bit samples at 44.1 KHz, for distribution to consumers, who had to purchase special players to play them.  (The CD reviewed here, as all CDs based on original Soundstream recordings, had to be down-sampled from 50 KHz to 44.1 KHz.)  Further evidence of the early 1980s date of this disk is its manufacture in Japan, where most of the early CDs were made prior to the development of CD-pressing plants in the U.S. and elsewhere.  And, finally, the short program length (less than 34 minutes) points to an early date, for most classical CDs today last around an hour.  The original digital recording was done by Soundstream engineers, and the locale was the Corpus Christi Church in Housatonic, Massachusetts.

The disk contains 12 tracks of short Baroque works performed by the Cambridge Chamber Orchestra, made up of members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, or the Empire Brass (quintet).  Six tracks include the solo trumpet playing of Rolf Smedvig. The specific contents are:

1 - Pachelbel: Canon in D Major  (Cambridge Chamber Orchestra [CCO])
2-4  - Albinoni: Concerto in F for Trumpet and Strings (Rolf Smedvig & CCO)
5 - Corelli: Giga from Op. 5 (Empire Brass)
6 - J.S. Bach: Rondeau (Smedvig, CCO)
7 - J.S. Bach: Badinerie (Smedvig, CCO)
8 - Albinoni: Adagio (CCO)
9 - J.S. Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (CCO)
10 - Mouret: Rondeau (Empire Brass)
11 - J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement (Smedvig, CCO)
12 - Händel - Aria (Empire Brass)

The solo group (concertino) in the Brandenburg Concerto (Track #11) includes Emanuel Borok (Violin), Paul Fried (Flute), and Alfred Genovese (oboe) in addition to Rolf Smedvig (trumpet).

All the selections are performed very well.  Rolf Smedvig, in particular, displays great virtuosity and artistry in his handling of the difficult high trumpet part in the Brandenburg.  The various re-arranged pieces sound quite good in their adopted guises.  The Albinoni Adagio seems a little strange with harp & strings, rather than organ & strings, but it mostly works OK.  (As most readers will probably know, this piece is now regarded as the work of 20th century Italian musicologist Remo Giazotto, rather than Albinoni.)

Though the program is quite short by current standards, the disk contains a good variety of mostly popular Baroque tidbits performed by excellent artists and recorded in fine digital sound.  Though many other such collections, usually more generous in content, are available today on various labels in as good--or even better--sound, this disk possesses a kind of historical value as a pioneer in digital recording.  I recommend it to those who may wish to collect a bit of recording history, as well to lovers of these fine pieces of music.


title: Very Fine Music for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra!

text:
This CD offers a somewhat short (49 min.), but rather fine collection of baroque music featuring the excellent trumpet-playing of "Simon Wallace."  (My search of the Internet brought up no information about this Mr. Wallace and I rather suspect that there's a serious error in attribution.  John Wallace is an internationally known trumpet-player who has made a number of great recordings, and I'm inclined to think that he's the actual performer here.  The fact that several other errors occur in the disk's printed material reinforces my doubts about the identification of the trumpeter.)

In any case, the playing presented here is of a pretty high order.  The trumpet-playing is excellent and the accompanying chamber orchestra, organ, and harpsichord are up to the same standard.  The Internet yields very little information about the Royal Promenade Chamber Orchestra, so I can shed no light upon that group, either, other than what might be inferred from its name.

The fact that this is a budget-priced disk perhaps excuses the paucity and inaccuracy of the printed information.  Still, it seems a bit more care could have been taken to document the rather fine music presented.  All we get is identification (or misidentification) of the performers, titles of the pieces and surnames of the composers.  Period.

As to the music, a brief note on each of the pieces follows.

(1)  J.S. Bach (1685-1750) - Brandenburg Concerto No. 2  BWV 1047, third movement (Allegro assai).  This work is so familiar as to need little comment.  The concertino (solo group) consists of a natural trumpet in F, an oboe, a recorder (flute), and violin.  The ripieno (full orchestral group) has 2 violins, viola, violone, and basso continuo including harpsichord.  The brilliance, virtuosity, and refinement of these concertos make them a monument in the annals of instrumental music.  The valveless piccolo trumpet plays in its highest register in order to play all the notes here.  We are not told whether Wallace plays a natural or valved instrument here, but whichever it is, it sounds great.  The accompanying instruments likewise do a very fine job on this excellent and exhilarating music.

(2) Georg Phlipp Telemann (1681-1767) - Three pieces from Heldenmusik (Heroic Music), a set of 12 marches for 2 instruments plus continuo with French titles describing various traits associated with heroism.  The 3 here are:
#3 - La Vaillance (Bravery)
#2 - La Grâce  (Grace)
#5 - L'Armement (Armament)
The set of marches was very popular after its publication by Telemann in 1728, and its pieces were arranged for a wide variety of instruments.  Here it is performed by trumpet and organ, along with a continuo bass.  Although Telemann, like Vivaldi, has been accused of writing too much--and consequently too shallow--music, the charges do not in either case hold up very well.  Bach and Händel, who knew Telemann personally, both ordered scores of his works for their own study.  The pieces here are interesting and well constructed: a pleasure to hear in these fine performances.

(3) John Bennett (1735?-1784) - Trumpet Voluntary.  This distinctively English form of church music with a somewhat improvisatory character was often played before or after the service.  Bennett published 10 voluntaries for organ or harpsichord in 1758.  This is presumably one of them arranged for trumpet and organ.  A church organist in London for over 30 years, Bennett was a very versatile musician and a fine composer, as shown here.  Little is otherwise known of him, however.

(4) Michel-Richard de Lalande (1657-1726) - Fanfare.  This short piece conveys the pomp and ceremony which endeared Lalande to King Louis XIV of France, who employed him not only to make music but also to supervise the musical education of his children. Lalande's greatest compositional contributions were his 77 "grands motets,"  elaborate church works using voices and instruments in complex and often virtuosic textures.  (The program notes misspell the composer's name.)

(5) Johann Baptist Georg Neruda (c. 1707-1780) - Concerto in E-flat. This is a somewhat familiar concerto by a rather unfamiliar composer known in his native Bohemia (Czech Republic) as Jan...Neruda.  Neruda became Konzertmeister of the Dresden court orchestra and in that capacity composed symphonies, concertos, sonatas, sacred works, and one opera.  This concerto was originally written for corno da caccia, a valveless instrument, to be played in the highest register.  The three movements reveal a talented composer able to produce esthetically satisfying music.  (The sleeve notes err in calling this Concerto in D, for it clearly is the E-flat work, played in E-flat.)

(6) J.S. Bach - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring BWV 147.  This lovely choral prelude is so familiar as to require no further comment than to say it is played beautifully by the trumpet and organ.  Thoough we are not told what organ is used, it is obviously a fine instrument with lovely-sounding stops.

(7) J.S. Bach - An aria from the cantata "Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben" BWV 77.  This minor-key arrangement for trumpet and organ again reveals the loveliness of both instruments, as well as the sober beauty of Bach's music.

G.P. Telemann - Concerto in D.  This excellent work is played by the trumpet with chamber orchestra including harpsichord.  The four movements are:
(8) Largo
(9) Vivace
(10) Siciliano
(11) Vivace
The trumpet does not play during the slow Siciliano movement, which is in  a minor key not accessible to a natural trumpet.  The oboe carries the lead instead, to great effect.  Overall this is a very fine work and it is rendered beautifully here, a delight to the ears throughout.

To lovers of baroque and especially trumpet music this budget CD will be worth its cost many times over.  The sound quality is excellent (most likely digital, though we aren't told), the recording locale seems acoustically well-chosen, the performers are fine musicians, blending well together, and the selection of music is choice.

This disk (Quintessence/Intersound CDQ 2038) probably is no longer in the catalog, but might still be obtained and could well be worth the effort to find it.


title: Fine, Eclectic Brass Quintet Music By A Lively Group!

text:
The Dallas Brass is a brass quintet with percussion, a six-member group founded in 1983 by Michael Levine, who also plays trombone.  In 1987 when this first CD was recorded the other members included Wiff Rudd and Tim Andersen (trumpets), Alex Shuhan (French horn), Gary Carper (tuba), and Robert Ward (percussion).  The membership as of 2011 is completely different, except for founder Levine, but the level of performance has remained very high.  To date the Brass has issued 6 CDs, all of which have been received very favorably.  In addition, the group is very active on the concert stage and particularly in public schools, where they offer performance clinics as well as lively concerts--education of young performers being an important part of their mission.  (Several videos of them can be seen on YouTube.)

This CD, digitally recorded in May 1987 in a Dallas church, seems now to be offered by the Brass themselves on their DBI label.  (My copy is on the Resmiranda label, # RES 2019.)  The sound quality is excellent, in well-imaged stereo from an acoustically fine recording locale.  The balance among instruments is without exception very good.

Typically the Brass offer quite eclectic programs designed to entertain and amuse as well as to edify aesthetically.  Classical, pop, broadway, and other genres feature in their concerts and recordings, and this CD is no exception.  The selections are:

1 - American Fanfare, a fine, short piece composed by John Wasson specifically for this album.  (Wasson is also a principal arranger of the group's repertoire.)

2, 3, 4 - Three short fugues by Pachelbel arranged by Kenneth Singleton, very well written, arranged, and performed--individual voices being clearly distinguishable within the contrapuntal texture.  These lively pieces dispel any notion of academic rigor mortis which the listener might have feared.

5 - Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms in a Wasson arrangement which begins with a solo introduction of the first theme played cantabile by the trombone before the dance begins.  Percussion plays an important part in enhancing the rhythmic qualities of the piece.

6 - Choral Prelude by J.S. Bach, arranged by Robert Nagel, a calmer more reflective utterance with contrapuntal voices weaving in imitation.

7 - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, first movement, by W.A. Mozart, as arranged by Michael Levine.  This transfer of a serenade movement from strings to brass comes off better than might be expected.  The clean lines and tuneful motifs make this a very convincing performance of the well-known piece.

8 - Excerpt of Rossini's famous William Tell Overture in a virtuosic arrangement by Levine performed by the group with lots of bravura double-tonguing.  Though it can't quite capture all the spirit and color of the originally orchestral piece it conveys the musical effect pretty well and truly wows us with the brilliance of the goup's playing.  You'll want to back up and hear this again!

9 - March by Gustav Holst, arranged by Levine, is from Suite #2 for Military Band.  It is a characteristically English-sounding piece featuring fine melodies by a composer who was himself a trombonist.  It comes off very well, with percussion emphasizing the rhythm.

10 - Le Picadilly by Erik Satie is another march, though entirely different in character from the preceding.  This one seems more like a bit of ragtime, as the sleeve notes suggest, but if it is indeed a march, then it's a very whimsical one--perhaps a march of clowns--and a very cheerful, cute, and sprightly little piece.

11, 12, 13 - Three tunes make up a Benny Goodman Tribute arranged by Wasson: Let's Dance, Memories of You, and Sing, Sing, Sing.  The character and mood of the songs comes across, though the quintet can heardly match the big band sonorities of the original.  Percussion adds much to the effect, especially in the last song, whose original featured Gene Krupa playing up a storm on the drums.  The set ends with a surprising reference to the Tommy Dorsey theme song Getting Sentimental Over You, by the trombonist, of course.

14 - Back Country Landscape by Wayne Harrison, arranged by Wasson, attempts to convey the spirit of a country ballad with the aid of an invited acoustic guitarist, a piano played by hornist Alex Shuhan, and tambourine manned by the arranger.  Still, it doesn't seem to evoke much of the essential character of country/western music.

15 - An American in Paris by George Gershwin, arranged by Levine, sets itself the mighty challenge of bringing to us the jazzy, bluesy essence of a brilliantly orchestrated original by means of this limited group.  It hardly rivals its orchestral original, but probably was fun to play and is somewhat entertaining to hear, though those familiar with the original piece will not likely be persuaded to abandon it for this pale reflection.

For lovers of brass music this CD will be an enjoyable listen and a very desirable addition to their store of recordings.  For brass players it will present a model of excellent performance and arrangement.  For general listeners it will provide much musical satisfaction and insight into this important family of instruments. I'm pleased to have it and I recommend it to others without reservation.


title: Theater Organ Nostalgia From the Brooklyn Paramount

text:
This CD is a reissue of the 1970 LP  "Big! bold & Billy!" /  Billy Nalle Theatre Organ, and includes all 10 tracks in their original order:

 1 - That's Entertainment, (Arthur Schwartz & Howard Dietz, 1952)  3:15.

 2 - Jalousie, (Jacob T.H. Gade, originally "Tango Tzigane Jalousie," 1925)  2:42.

 3 - Fascinating Rhythm, (George and Ira Gershwin, 1924)  2:15.

 4 - Somewhere, (Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim, 1957)  7:26.

 5 - When Johnny Comes Marching Home, (folk melody; words by Patrick Gilmore, 1863)  5:06.

 6 - Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, (Bob Crewe & Bob Gaudio, 1967)  4:34.

 7 - Lullaby Of Broadway, (Henry Warren & Al Dubin, 1935)  6:09.

 8 - The Man That Got Away, (Harold Arlen & Ira Gershwin, 1953)  5:01.

 9 - Bess, You Is My Woman, (George & Ira Gershwin & Dubose Heywood, 1935)  4:27.

10 - Who?, (Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach, & Oscar Hammerstein II, 1925)  1:59.

The total duration is about 43 minutes.

Billy Nalle, a very capable theater organist (winner of a full Juillard scholarship) with a long and successful career, plays these familiar songs on an organ vaguely described in the notes as "the second largest theatre organ in New York City."  The instrument is in fact the Wurlitzer Opus 1984 (Publix Style #4) organ with two 4-manual consoles, 26 ranks, 257 stops and over 2000 pipes installed in the historic Brooklyn Paramount theater in 1928 and still in place, though its cinema closed in 1962 and was converted into a basketball court of the Long Island University Brooklyn campus.

The recording, made in 1970-style analog stereo, is a pleasant bit of nostalgia for those who may have attended the glorious old palace of entertainment in its heyday, as well as a good general reminder of the theater organ sounds so prevalent in the 1920s and 30s, and still common in the 40s and 50s.  The recorded sound is in pretty well-focused stereo, and even though obviously transferred from an LP disk rather than the presumed original tapes, is of very listenable quality, with only minimal amounts of surface noise.  The Project 3 Records label was the third venture into the recording industry by the famous bandleader Enoch Light and represents a more middle-of-the-road approach following his earlier fascination with extreme fidelity and lively stereo separation effects.

Nalle plays the tunes expertly in good, interesting, and appropriate arrangements displaying many of the rich instrumental colors and effects provided by the Wurlitzer palette.

Though the CD seems no longer to be in production, some copies remain available and would be worth having for listeners still fond of this music from a largely bygone era.  I enjoy listening to this disk occasionally and being reminded of the marvelous old machines and the music they could produce.

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title: Unique Presentation of Popular Classics: Pretty Good--And Fun!

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Who would ever have thought of organizing a "symphony orchestra" of accordions?  Why, the Hohner musical instrument company, of course!  And how seriously did they take this venture?  Very seriously, we should think, for harmonicas and accordions are the very bread and butter of this, by far the largest manufacturer and seller of such instruments in the world! (Hohner's--and the orchestra's--home base is Trossingen, Germany.)

The group of 25 or so players of harmonicas and accordions, along with percussion and a Hohner-invented electronic keyboard, has been around since just after World War II, according to the liner notes, but possibly a good deal longer in some form or other.  In 1961 the group made this recording of popular classics, using current technology--analog magnetic tape in stereo--for issue on the relatively new medium of stereo long-playing vinyl records (stereo LPs).  That LP, which I haven't heard, must have been fairly successful, for 36 years later (1997) the master tape was transferred to a 24-bit digital medium employing Sony's SBM (Super Bit Mapping) to extract all the musical nuance available and then re-issued as a CD by the Omega Record Group on the Vanguard Classics label.  My copy is a Musical Heritage Society re-issue of the latter.

The CD contains 9 tracks and lasts about 54 minutes.  The track listing is:

1 - Johann Strauss, Jr.  Perpetuum Mobile
2 - Franz Liszt.  Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
3 - Rudolph Würthner.  Concert Étude on a Theme of Paganini ("La Campanella")
4 - Carl Maria von Weber.  Invitation to the Waltz [Aufforderung zum Tanz]
5 - Johannes Brahms.  Hungarian Dance No. 5
6 - Johannes Brahms.  Hungarian Dance No. 6
7 - Gioacchino Rossini.  William Tell Overture
8 - Dinicu-Heifetz.  Hora Staccato
9 - Amilcare Ponchielli.  Dance of the Hours, from La Gioconda

The heavyweight items are, of course, the Liszt, von Weber, and Rossini pieces, all of which are performed seriously to concert standards and offer surprisingly complete musical satisfaction in this form.  The lighter items are performed equally well, with brilliant solo presentations on the Würthner and Dinicu-Heifetz tracks.  Overall, the disk gives to fans of the "stomach Steinway," as well as to others open to such transcriptions a very pleasant and unusual listening experience.  Though I've long been familiar with the standard versions of these pieces, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing them in this new guise.  (I have to confess that I own a couple of small accordions and a melodica, which I occasionally play--with more gusto than skill.)

To brass reed music-lovers, as well as to all lovers of popular classics open to novel presentations, I recommend this CD with a (not-too-guilty) smile on my face!

P.S.  If you bought this and liked it, you should know that there's a second volume of Accordiorama currently available here at Amazon.  It features somewhat lighter, but no less enjoyable, music.


title: Dancing With the London Brass: Great Musical Joy!

text:
I guess if I have to find fault with this disk it is solely in its title, which seems to promise contemporary popular-style music. While it's true that Youmans' Tea for Two is present, it's the only item I'd call popular music, and even it is dressed in Shostakovitch's garb. The rest is "classical" I'd say, but not the long-hair stuff many dread. Rather it is some of the best dance music written over the past 400 years or so, played with great musicality, vitality, style and flourish, starting with Praetorius and going on up to Youmans/Shostakovitch, most stemming from the 19th and 20th centuries.

This great 65-minute 1988 digitally recorded disk seems to be deleted now, but some copies are still available, and if you love brass music you should hasten to pick up a copy. It's a truly wonderful recording!


title: First-Rate Triple Concerto and Choral Fantasy!

text:
Though many others have reviewed this CD, I'd like to offer a few remarks from my own perspective. In particular, I want to focus on the Choral Fantasy, because I've recently been comparing my recordings of it to see which, to my ears at least, are the most satisfying.

First, though, a few words about the Triple Concerto. It is easy to see why most reviewers have principally addressed this work. It is a remarkably fine piece of music, impressively and beautifully performed by some of the most talented and celebrated artists of our age. It is hard to speak of Perlman, Ma, or Barenboim in anything but superlatives, and that holds true for the Berlin Philharmonic, as well. The recorded sound is outstanding: vibrant, clear, well-balanced, full-dimensioned, and sensuous. And if the rigorous control of a studio recording is given up in this live concert performance, it seems more than compensated for by the contagious enthusiasm of an admiring audience. The applause at the end is fitting and adds a touch of realism to the recorded experience. (It has to be conceded, though, that no actual seat in the house could offer the closeup detail which the recording engineers, with their skilled use of microphones and mixers, provide us.)

In sum, the Triple Concerto is most handsomely served here. The effect is almost that of a chamber trio with orchestral accompaniment, and like good chamber music players, the three soloists take care not to step on each other's lines, assuming the lead when appropriate and yielding up the spotlight when their turn is over. (Obviously the three, in addition to their solo performances, have had substantial experience playing chamber music.)

As to the Choral Fantasy, in my opinion we have here one of the very best available recordings. In addition to being a top musical artist in general and an extraordinary pianist in particular, Barenboim is also one of the leading Beethoven interpreters of the day. For its part, the venerable Berlin Philharmonic has, from the time of Nikisch, imposed a soloist level of performing artistry upon each of its members, and, since the days of Furtwaengler, developed a special relationship with the music of Beethoven. (The vocal soloists and chorus live up to this standard, as well.) Add to this interpretive authority and performing excellence the high caliber of EMI sound engineering, and you're almost guaranteed a brilliant result.

The composition itself is well thought out and full of excellent writing, the product of mature genius. Though its debut in 1808 was something of a catastrophe, owing to last-minute completion and consequent lack of adequate rehearsal (Beethoven's piano part had not yet even been written out), it was all very carefully re-worked before its publication in 1810. Formally the piece has two movements: Adagio and Finale, but there are altogether seven or so segments with various tempo and style indications. Lasting about 20 minutes altogether, the piece begins with a 4-minute piano introduction and ends with about 4 minutes of combined chorus, orchestra and piano. The intervening 12 minutes or so constitute a dialogue between solo piano and orchestra.

The Fantasy is perhaps unique among Beethoven's works in its obvious emphasis upon unabashed showmanship. It was, from the beginning, intended as a brilliant finale to a long evening of Beethoven's music--both his compositions and his personal performance at the keyboard (and his conducting, too). And though the work has been criticized for its "oddball" format and its presumed artistic shallowness, the fact is that the music has survived for 199 years and shows no signs of being abandoned any time soon. Indeed, it remains a great source of musical excitement and enjoyment, and a favorite of such musical greats as Rudolf Serkin and Daniel Barenboim, both of whom have recorded it multiple times.

In choosing my favorite recordings I have kept in mind the showpiece character of the music, and its growing excitement and brilliance as it comes to a close. Two features in particular add special drama to the coda: the strategically repeated rising scales of triplet thirds with octaves played by the piano and sounding like fireworks blasting off into the sky; and the sudden powerful interjection of a foreign E-flat major chord as the chorus repeats the words "und Kraft" (and power) and then triumphantly forces its resolution back to a grand C major. When these features are well executed the piece takes on an excitement which drives almost inexorably toward an exultantly satisfying ending.

In this recording both features come off pretty well, although the rising piano scales could be better spotlighted and could be more crisply articulated. The E-flat chord is properly strong and grows in intensity as it presses forward to its C major resolution. So I'd give this performance about 1.6 out of 2 on this issue.

By way of comparison, the old Walter Klien performance with the St. Louis Symphony conducted by Jerzy Semkow (a Vox disk no longer in print) gets the full two points: Klien plays the scales with an almost trip-hammer articulation which seizes the ear with its dramatic intensity. The E-flat chord and its resolution are likewise given the powerful treatment which adds so much to the brilliance of the ending. (The Klien disk, though recorded in the 1960s, holds up well on all counts and sounds very good indeed!)

A third fine performance is that of Pierre-Laurent Aimard playing with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt on the Warner Classics label. Aimard's playing is big, powerful, and virtuosic, and the orchestra and chorus (Arnold Schoenberg Chor) are equally fine. On the two features cited above, this recording gets about 1.6 points: the piano scales are crisply articulated, nearly as electrifying as Klien's, but a bit less prominently highlighted. The E-flat chord is strong enough, and the following C major chord is, as well, but there is no growth in intensity as the chord is driven toward its resolution. (To be sure, Beethoven does not indicate a crescendo on the E-flat chord, but instinct suggests that it should be there, and most conductors seem to call for it.) With the above proviso, I still find this recording to be very satisfying overall, leaving little to be desired, with very fine sound and excellent playing.

No discussion of the Choral Fantasy could be complete without mentioning Rudolf Serkin, who harbored a special fondness for it and liked to play it as the closing piece on the final concert of each season of the Marlboro Festival, a rousing ending to the summer's musical activities. Of my in-print Serkin recordings--one at Marlboro on Sony and the other on Telarc--I prefer the latter, a studio recording with the Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa. Although he was 79 at the time of the recording (in 1982) Serkin shows few pianistic deficiencies, and offers up a fully satisfying performance, as do the orchestra and the Tanglewood Festival chorus. On the two showmanship features mentioned above, this recording scores about 1.6, as well. The piano scales are smoothly played and quite well highlighted, but are not so crisply articulated as they might be; the E-flat chord, however, swells very powerfully to its grand resolution. This is thus a very fine recording, with the special quality of the piece's personal relationship to Serkin. The sound is very good, without audience noise, and, in keeping with Telarc's philosophy, the engineers employ only a single stereo pair of microphones and eschew any compression, limiting, or equalization. This results in a quite realistic reconstruction of what one might actually hear in the concert hall, but gives up the ability to focus in on the soloist or a particular section of the orchestra or chorus. (If you can find the out-of-print 1962 recording with the NY Philharmonic under Bernstein, it is worth having: here the 59-year-old Serkin attacks the Fantasy with daredevil élan, playing the opening piano solo in under 3 minutes! Though a finger may occasionally go slightly amiss in this enthusiasm, the bravura of it all really grabs you. And Bernstein, himself a talented pianist, provides excellent direction.)

Two Choral Fantasy recordings which I don't personally prefer are (1) the 1977 Philips disk of Alfred Brendel with the London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir under Bernard Haitink and (2) the Newport Classics disk with Anthony Newman and Philomusica Antiqua, London, under Stephen Simon. The first of these seems to me quite lackluster overall, with not particularly inspired performances by soloist, choir, or orchestra and less than brilliant conducting. The second may be great for purists or fans of period re-creations, but I find the old pianoforte's sound too dry and tinkly for ears accustomed to modern Steinways or Boesendorfers. (And I'm convinced that if Beethoven had access to a modern piano, with its superior power, expressiveness, richness of tone, and sustaining ability, he would have abandoned the pianoforte entirely.)

In summary, as to the Choral Fantasy, the Barenboim/Berlin is an excellent recording, with authoritative performances and especially satisfying sound quality. It clearly merits 5 stars. For an older, but very fine and exciting performance, seek out the Klien/St. Louis version (which will likely be a used copy). The Aimard/Chamber Orchestra of Europe recording features both excellent sound and very fine performances, as does the Serkin/Boston version, with a less closely focussed sound perspective.

The Triple Concerto on this Perlman/Ma/Barenboim/Berlin disk is outstanding and merits 5 stars, as well.


title: Glorious, Triumphant Church Music for Brass & Organ!

text:
This recording presents Tim Zimmerman and his King's Brass, along with organists Rebecca Kleintop and Dan Miller (plus three others on a track or two), in a program of mostly church-related music (consistent with the group's religious mission). The Brass was formed around 1980 or so by Zimmerman, with the aid of his father, the Reverend Enos L. Zimmerman, and numbers around ten players (including percussionist and keyboardist), with occasional assistance from others. They play around 100 concerts a year, including an annual summer tour, and their mastery of brass ensemble playing is evident in the high levels of performance they achieve.

The organ's contribution here is also of very high caliber: Ms. Kleintop plays the excellent 117-rank (6600+ pipes) Ruffati Brothers (Italy) organ of the Coral Ridge (Florida) Presbyterian church (subsequently expanded with electronic ranks) on the first 8 tracks; Mr. Miller plays the huge, 5-manual, 205-rank (about 11,500 pipes) Calvary Church (Charlotte, N.C.) Grand Moller organ on tracks 9-15 and 19.

Overall, the music here is lively, engaging, and imaginative, and is mostly triumphant and celebratory in character, in keeping with the Brass's mission to bring the "good news of salvation through Jesus Christ" to its listeners. People who like the familiar hymns of Christian churches will probably find this music most attractive, for it consists of excellent instrumental arrangements of a good sample of those hymns, with tasteful and vivifying original touches.

The first track, however, is exceptional in that it is not, strictly speaking, church-related (though it does bear philosophical import), being the ubiquitous introductory ("Sunrise") section of Richard Strauss's symphonic poem "Also Sprach Zarathustra," inspired by Richard Nietsche's book of the same name, and made famous by the Stanley Kubrick film "2001: A Space Odyssey." This impressive music is presented quite intact, though relying upon simply brass, organ, and percussion instead of the original full orchestra. In spite of this reduction of forces, the full impact of the portentous fanfare seems to come through undiminished, and the performance leaves nothing to be desired.

"Fanfare and Flourishes," by contemporary Michigan native James Curnow, is exactly what it says and thus suits this ensemble perfectly. It is a fine piece of music by this quite prolific composer of band music, and features here the unexpected sound of the tambourine to season the quieter passages of this otherwise stentorian music for full brass, full organ, and thundering kettledrums. Very nice, indeed!

"And Can it Be" No. 2 seems to be a fairly straightforward presentation of the hymn's music, "Sagina" by 19th century English composer Thomas Campbell. (Sagina is the Latin name of the pearlwort plant.) The 18th century words by Charles Wesley, cofounder of Methodism (with brother John), marvel at the miraculous mystery of salvation. It is a fine, strong presentation of this hymn tune. (We are not told what the "No. 2" designation means, but we can suppose it's the second of two arrangements by Tim Zimmerman.)

"All Glory, Laud and Honor" is the familiar tune by early 17th century German "one-hit wonder" Melchior Teschner to the medieval Latin text "Gloria, Laus et Honor" by Theodulph of Orleans. The English text is a later translation conveying the essential meaning of this hymn of praise and exaltation, and this presentation is equally faithful to its praiseful character.

"All Hail the Power" No. 1 is the very familiar tune "Coronation" written by 18th-19th century American Oliver Holden to words by 18th century Englishman Edward Perronet, a Methodist and sometime friend of the Wesley brothers. It is another hymn of praise. In this arrangement by Dan Marvin the hymn tune is preceded by an energetic brass flourish and similar passages are interjected between the phrases before things calm down to a lovely singing of the tune by a solo trumpet over a meandering figure played by the organ. Then it's back to the high-energy motives again to lead onward toward a triumphant close.

"Abide with Me" is likely the best-known hymn here. The tune was written in 1861 by William H. Monk for the 1847 words by Henry F. Lyte. (Both were essentially English.) This track breaks the mood of celebration, for it is a beatific view of approaching death in the comfort and resignation brought by Christian faith (somewhat reminiscent in character to Stoelzel's "Bist Du Bei Mir," If Thou Art Near). Indeed, Lyte was dying when he wrote the words, and Monk penned the music during great personal sorrow. (Lyte's words, incidentally, refer to Luke 24:29 when the two apostles on the way to Emmaus with Christ say to him, "Abide with us: for it is toward evening and the day is far spent.") Appropriately, the music opens with a sweet, smooth organ passage soon joined by the brass in an unmistakable reference to Pachelbel's famous Canon. Hats off to Dan Marvin for this marvelous and simply gorgeous arrangement! This alone is worth the price of the CD.

The Monteverdi "Deus in adiutorium" section from his 1610 Vespers for the Blessed Virgin is presented musically quite intact, except for the performing "voices." The brief chants are delivered by trombone, rather than human voice, and the brass alone convey the rest of this glorious music possibly written for the vast reaches of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice. (I don't hear the organ distinctly here, though pedal points may be used to fortify the bass.) This performance is very convincing and enjoyable.

"Thine Is the Glory" was written for Händel's Hebrew oratorio "Joshua" and later back-grafted into the likewise Hebrew oratorio "Judas Maccabeus." French Christian words, "À toi la gloire," were supplied by the Swiss E. L. Budry in 1885 and translated in 1923 into English by R. B. Hoyle. Händel's text was "Hail the Conquering Hero" in honor of Judah "the Hammer," the Hebrew warrior-hero who won several great victories to restore religious rights of his people under the Seleucid rulers, who were attempting to assimilate them and suppress their religion. This very popular music brings us back to the triumphant spirit of the CD, and is excellent music, excellently played.

"For Unto Us a Child Is Born," being from Händel's oratorio "The Messiah," needs no introduction. This transcription by Doug Warner for brass, organ, and percussion is surprisingly satisfying, even without the choral words, and is a faithful rendering.

"Simple Gifts" was not written by Aaron Copland, to whom it is attributed here, but used by him famously in his "Appalachian Spring" ballet. The music is an old Shaker hymn which has rightfully enjoyed a huge success (unlike its religious group, which has nearly died out). The piece begins with a simple trumpet solo statement of the theme, which is then taken up and treated in interesting ways by the rest of the brass with percussion embellishments until a final powerful restatement with the added forces of piano and organ bring it to a resounding finish.

Although several of the remaining 9 tracks really deserve detailed comment (especially in light of the skimpy program notes), I don't want to drag this review out to even greater lengths, so I'll just mention titles and authors: "Come Thou Font" (John Wyeth), "America the Beautiful" (Samuel Ward), "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" (Beethoven's 9th Finale), "Canzon Septimi Toni" (Giovanni Gabrieli), "All Hail the Power" No. 2 (Oliver Holden), "Crown Him With Many Crowns" (George Elvey), "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" (Martin Luther), "Holy, Holy, Holy" (Reginald Heber), and "God of Our Fathers" (George Warren).

With 19 tracks (57+ minutes) of music, excellent arrangements, and flawless performances you get your money's worth many times over when you invest in this CD. I recommend it highly to lovers of brass and organ music and to lovers of these wonderful old hymns.


title: Brendel displaying his greatness

text: I've always heard Brendel was a great interpreter of Beethoven, but have not heard his recordings before this work of Schubert.  Brendel is an amazing pianist, and Schubert an inspiring composer.  Some say this work by Brendel doesn't bring out the fullness of Schubert, but if this isn't one of the best recordings of Schubert, I'll eat my hat.


title: del cuore

text: What an amazing new album by an even more amazing new artist. I was so enthralled with this new CD that I have purchased two additional copies as gifts for discriminating music lover friends. I don't think we have necessarily found a replacement for Pavorotti here, but I certainly think we possibly have found someone that could become a replacement for his expansive talent. This young man has a voice that most only dream of - including me, and a range that is quite impressive. This particular CD was exceptionally produced by individuals that were able to showcase Mr. De Antonis' vast talents with wonderful choices of songs and orchestrations. The fact that they mixed English language pieces with other languages, holds the English speaking listener captive.  The duet with Linda Eder is awesome, and sends chills up & down my spine.  The blending of the cut: Mattinata/Oh What a Beautiful Morning was a stroke of pure genius - I have replayed that cut over & over a hundred times already. I can't speak a word of Spanish, and yet I love the cut Nostalgias - it had to be a tongue twister to sing - I'm really impressed!


title: Worth seeking out

text: Great album!


title: From a Sick person

text: This is not music.... is a Nasty Insaine Noise


title: Sigh.

text: Someone gave me this book in a pile of books she no longer wanted. It looked really fun from the outside, but I couldn't make it past the first several pages. The first person narrative is by a woman who is just so...perky...and....chipper...that I couldn't stand it. Gave it to Goodwill!


title: Best Berryz Kōbō album yet.

text:
Berryz Kōbō's producer, Tsunku, has really come up with a fabulous Pop album here, I think he's really coming into his own as a producer and Mansion 9kai is his best work and the best work of the girls to date.
Berryz' line-up hasn't changed since they formed and they are one of the strongest and most disciplined Idol units in Japan. These girls have learnt the Idol craft well.

Berryz Mansion 9kai (it's their 9th studio album) is what good Pop music should be - carefree, breezy, full of melody, a strong sense of fun, entertaining, musically colourful and with some great dance beats.

Listen to track 10, the remix. It will sell you on this one.

1. Succha ka Meccha ka~ (すっちゃかめっちゃか～)
2. WANT!
3. Otokomae (男前) (Tsugunaga Momoko, Kumai Yurina)
4. Nandakanda de Ii Kanji! (なんだかんだで良い感じ！) (Tokunaga Chinami, Sudo Maasa)
5. Koi Itoshiki Kisetsu (恋 いとしき季節) (Shimizu Saki, Natsuyaki Miyabi, Sugaya Risako)
6. Be Genki <Naseba Naru!> (Be 元気<成せば成るっ！>)
7. Massugu na Watashi (まっすぐな私)
8. cha cha SING
9. Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai (2013 Ver.) (あなたなしでは生きてゆけない)
10. Momochi! Yurushite Nyan♡Taisou (Yurusanyai Remix) (ももち！許してにゃん♡体操 (許さにゃい Remix))


title: Lots of "Bam!" to the kilogram from Tomato n' Pine

text:
It has taken a while but it has been worth it. Tomato n' Pine have finally released their first full album, second if one counts "Life Is Beautiful" as an album (it was more of a mini album, to be sure). A number of the songs will be already familiar to fans like myself, but it is nice to see them all gathered up again and served up here with some new material.

The album title means "Pop Song For You" and that is exactly what it is.

I will provide a full review of each song very shortly.

Tracklist:
01. Train Scatting
02. Wanna Dance!ワナダンス！
03. Nanairo☆Namidaなないろ☆ナミダ
04. Nagisa ni matsuwaru etcetra渚にまつわるエトセトラ
05. 10-gatsu no Indian10月のインディアン
06. Captain wa kimi da!キャプテンは君だ!
07. POP SONG 2 U
08. Odore Carnival踊れカルナヴァル
09. Tabidachi Transfer旅立ちトランスファー
10. Single Girl joui jidaiジングルガール上位時代
11. Tameiki wa pinkためいきはピンク
12. Soshite neru mamonaku solitude (SNS)そして寝る間もなくソリチュード（SNS）
13. Daiji na love letter大事なラブレター
14. Yume no kakera...夢ノカケラ・・・
15. Wanna Dance! -strike the pose Remix-ワナダンス!- strike the pose Remix -


title: A very generous "single"

text:
Actually, there is enough material on this single to really call it an album. We are presented with three songs and a 60 minute recording of Base Ball Bear live from there tour in May of 2012. For those who don't know them, Base Ball Bear are a Pop band with a decidedly Rock edge to their sound. Male and female vocals are featured. I've been collecting all the Base Ball Bear recordings and I was delighted to get the live recording featured here and it shows that in a live setting, Base Ball Bear deliver!

Nice balance of Pop, synthesizers, electric guitars and Rock. If you like the idea of that, then Base Ball Bear maybe a group you'll enjoy.


title: Pop as it should be

text:
01. Nanairo Namida - (127 Beats Per Minute) Great melody, rock steady back-beat, bowed and pizzicato strings, piano, kooky synthesizer and some great chorus and harmony singing from the Tomato n' Pine girls. Love it!
02. Nigisa ni Matuwari ETC. - (129 BPM) The greatest song Tomato n' Pine have ever recorded - okay, "Life Is Beautiful" is just as good - and I've endlessly listened to this song at home and on my car CD player. It just GROOVES! This is what Japanese Pop is all about - massive bass beat, luscious instrumental music and girlie vocals. Seriously, this song is good and, okay guys, I am well aware that it is a cover of an old Puffy AmiYumi song. The Puffy version very was nice and sweet but Tomato n' Pine makes this song come alive - Tomapai rocks this song to its foundations. Watch out, Perfume! Tomato n' Pine are coming!
03. FAB (Free As a Bird) - (134 BPM) More bass drum heavy beats from Tomato n' Pine. Seriously, the start of this song sounds like New Order! I am not joking. New Order style electronics and Cocteau Twins style guitars + plus the hot girlie vocals of the Tomapai girls.
04. Tabidachi Transfer -Supersonic Hydro Guitar Remix- (132 BPM) Hard Rock guitar, hard edge synthesizer bassline and choppy drum machines. Sheesh! For a single, this CD has some seriously good music on it and all of it makes you want to dance your bum off.
05. Nanairo Namida (Inst.) - (127 BPM) Even without the voices of the girls, this is a magnificent song. Add your own voice!
06. Nigisa ni Matuwaru ETC. (Inst.) - (129 BPM) Right from the start when the string orchestra is rushing up the octaves, you can hear that this will be a Classic song. Some songs just "groove" in an indefinable way and this is one of them. Songs like this make you feel good to be alive, not just because they are happy, but because they invite you in and seduce you with melodies, harmonies and irresistible rhythms and beats.
07. FAB (Free As a Bird) (Inst.) - (134 BPM) Seriously, if I played this to you and you didn't hear the girls' vocals you would believe me if I told you it was New Order from the 1980s.

I think I have totally fallen head over heals in love with Tomato n' Pine. Their lesbian chic videos and thunderous dance beats have totally bowled me over. They are the Anti-Perfume! And they are going to rule! Well, maybe! I love 'em.


title: Strong musical material and a good balance

text:
I admit that I am not a huge fan of ballads on Pop music albums, I prefer music that has some spirit and energy and for most of this short album this is exactly what Sowelu delivers. This album sees Sowelu move into a slightly harder R'n'B sound with lots of tangy, tasty and colourful electronic timbres and rhythms surrounding her voice. She has a good singing voice and I'd like to hear her live, but I don't think that she's quite in the same league as, say, AZU or Beni or Ms Ooja, yet.
Who would like Sowelu in the West? Well, if you like artists like Janet Jackson (from her Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis days), Goldfrapp, Lady Gaga and maybe Shannon, you may well fall for Sowelu. I've got most of Sowelu's previous recordings and I think that she's taken up the challenge of some of her younger contemporaries and the K-Pop imports flooding Japan this year.

This new album also comes in two versions - one aimed at men and the other aimed at women. Obviously, she's neglected the Thai market by not offering a third alternative. ;-)


title: Japan's besy kept secret?

text:
Beni has a voice that many of her female contemporaries in the West could only dream of having. She sings with great feeling and great style. She delivers her gently RnB flavoured songs with aplomb. Listen to "Yura Yura" ("Swaying") and you'll see what I mean - full marks to her drummer too! The drummer really drives these songs along!
So the whole thing has a very melodic, pretty, feminine and decidedly "groovy" feel to it.

Beni's a very pretty woman too, but she's got some good lungs and good brain and good musical skills and a very pretty voice.

This is the sort of thing Patrice Rushen or Randy Crawford used to do years ago!


title: Beautiful ambient music and dance rhythms

text:
This is a very fresh sounding recording. Much use of space and atmosphere in the recording. The music is almost entirely instrumental in parts and it is very appealingly layered too - lots going on in each song. However, Misswonda adds her characteristic soft breathy voice to the songs in a way that reminscent of 1960s French singers like Jane Birkin or, more recently, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Alison Goldfrapp.

Played quietly, this would make very stylish and agreeable lounge music, but played louder, it could be used in a club or at a party when sophisticated "soft" Techno is required. The remixes featured on the album maintain the mood of quiet but joyful contemplation. The Plus-Tech Squeeze Box remix of one of the songs is very agreeable.

I may add that Misswonda composes some very memorable melodies and uses some rather nice harmonies and key changes in her songs. She writes lovely music that seems to have an inner glow.


title: What a delightful album!

text:
She a bit of a nutter is our Amélie-les-Crayons, but she can sing very well and does so on this fascinating album. Amélie's band features an accordian, a grand piano, a tuba and a double bass viol. She sings with a light voice, a soprano, I imagine. She does a lot with her voice (yes, she does animal noises in one song) and she is very capable of expressing herself and the sentiments of her songs.

I hope that this and other Amélie-Les-Crayons discs and DVDs are made more widely available outside of France. I was lucky to find this disc in Australia.

In a couple of words: highly recommended by me.


title: "Lime, Semen, Chestnut Blossoms"

text:
Yes, that is the translation of the name of the title of this very challenging, cantankerous, difficult, visionary and very rewarding album - "Lime, Semen, Chestnut Blossoms".

Shiina Ringo's voice is very expressive and she does a lot of things with her voice - she is a fragile innocent baby doll and the a demented sex maniac. Contrasts and clashes seems to be pivotal in Ms Shiina Ringo's art.

This album features very edgy and harsh guitar based rock music as well as Jazzy orchestral music and Shiina adapts her voice to suit the musical conditions and parameters of each song. Would I call this Pop music or J-Pop? Well! I don't know! Whatever!

The orchestral "lounge" music of track five gradually dissolves into a harpsichord solo, accompanied by a pianoforte. Track six featured some deep string instruments, violas, 'cellos and basses, and piano and some percussion. I cannot describe the instrumentation and structure of the next song, it is simply "out there"!

Curious? Buy it!


title: A revelation and a beautiful recording

text:
This recording was, in its own way, revolutionary. It was the first time HIP reached so deeply into the 19th century and subjected Romanticist war-horse to the period instrument treatment. The results were stunning. It was as if we were discovering Berlioz for the first time. For Early Music enthusiasts, like myself, that was probably literally true! I, for one, had been put off by stodgy and stuffy performances and recordings of 19th century orchestral "slush" by modern orchestras for many years, hence my interest in earlier periods of musical history.

Sir Roger Norrington and his London Classical Players scraped the dust, grit and grime off this work and presented it to us afresh. We can hear that, yes, Berlioz was connected to earlier forms of music and he still was attached to earlier instruments, like natural trumpets and ophicleïdes (soon to become obsolete), but he was also eager to use new instruments like the cornet à pistons and Eb clarinets.

The clear and clean vibrato-less strings and individualistic woodwind and multi-coloured brass sounds all come together in this fabulous recording and present us with this symphony as the thrilling, original and iconoclastic creation it was when it was first performed.

I have Gardiner's excellent recording of this work, but Sir Roger's recording is still my first choice. Listen to the grace and style with which the LCP play the waltz! The sound of the LCP is more expansive and liberated than that of the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, recorded, slightly claustrophobically, in room in which the Symphonie Fantastique was first performed.


title: I came for the "Unfinished" and stayed for the 5th

text:
I bought this CD some years ago and I was most interested in a recording of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony played on period instruments. Undoubtedly, Sir Roger Norrington's interpretation of this work is very good and I think that the rich colours of his original instrument orchestra, The London Classical Players, are a highlight of this recording.

The music is played with precision, a great sense of style and drama and very lyrically.

What really impressed me with this performance was Norrington's winning and joyful interpretation of the 5th Symphony, which I knew only superficially before I bought this recording. Norrington sometimes works miracles with lesser known or less popular works - his interpretations of Beethoven's 2nd and 8th symphonies are, in some ways, his best in his Beethoven symphonic cycle.

I listened to the 5th yesterday, when I was feeling very low, and it put me in a much better frame of mind. We all need music like this sometimes. I've needed it a lot lately.

Sir Roger Norrington's recordings of the symphonies of Schubert and Schumann with The London Classical Players are all splendid and worth having. I find it hard to listen to the symphonies of these composers played by modern orchestras any more without thinking that they really aren't getting close to this music or even "getting it". Modern orchestras make this music sound so ponderous, heavy and stodgy.

A recording for people who like fresh, crisp Summer salads dressed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, washed down with chilled chardonnay, and are disinclined to accept being served fried fatty meat, stodgy boiled vegetables and warm beer at their table!


title: Music for TV commercials and your granny

text: This is the state of crappy kitsch music in 2005.


title: Minus stars aren't an option...

text:
This is what you get when you get two lame-brains raised on a diet of musical 'junk-food'.

S2S (A.K.A. "Scrubber to Scrubber") are two suburban wannabes with the dullest and most dreary collection of songs ever conceived by any human being. Bad? Bogan? Tacky? Embarrassing? You bet!

S2S are the kind of joke that will linger for a couple of years and then turn up on an episode of 'Kath and Kym' - as something tasteless Kym supposedly listened to at a high school social. S2S make Girlfriend look 'deep', Bardot sound like 'New Order' and Hi-5 sound like sophisticated adult rock music. I am not kidding.

I only hope these two sisters have found a real job - Coles and Safeways are always in need check-out-chicks and MacDonald's will employ just about anyone!

If you are over the age of 10, then you'd better give S2S a big swerve. If you are under 10, know this - there is a world of amazing, enlightening, entertaining, deep, challenging, thoughtful, exciting, intelligent and stylish music out there. Unfortunately, S2S is not part of THAT scene!


title: For Heaven's sake, don't go near this atrocity!

text:
This is truly one of the worst attacks on Classical music ever perpetrated by the philistines of this world.

This is not good music, not a good interpretation and not respectful to the composer or his music.

If you love Soul and Hip-Hop, that's fine. If you like Handel, I respect your good taste. This evil and tasteless recording should never have been made. The whole thing sucks.


title: Lots of Lightening!

text: Very nice reproductions with fine playback beyond what the first editions could have produced.  Terrific low price for such a great collection and you can't go wrong if you want some old time blues!


title: Front Row Seating - Live!

text: I sat on a tall stool at the bar in the Old Rectory for both nights of this very alive show.  An early use of digital recording in this small night club is flawless for the time.  The Jump Boys are mostly university music professors who love to 'gig' with Claudia in the summer time.  The youngest member of the band looked to me to be about 60.  And these old boys do make it jump for Claudia's wonderful voice.  I can't believe this is no longer available except used.  If you like late night bluesy jazz with sweet and mellow to go with the jump, you really want this.


title: Look first

text: Check out music of brazil and vivo mexico-2 latin music recordings  on  1cd-music brazil and shangril-la  for a price you won't believe! Plus you get  only music  latino on the much less expensive cd.


title: Good God a' mighty!

text: That's what  James Brown used to say when he was the "hardest working Man in show business". Point being that if Mick Jagger can do it in his older years, and  Bruce Springfield  can, and Tony Bennett, etc., well you get the point.  K.T. Oslin has done it and she  just kills it with her usual great band of musicians-hey lets not give Rod Stewart a pass-he still does it.  The fact that Ms. Oslin , sexy, gorgeous, sensual  is knock 'em out of the ball part.  This women has a rock, blues talent. No one should be surprised by  way with all kinds of music.  Duke Ellington said-"there are only 2 kinds of music-the Good, or the Bad.  K.T. kicks  out the jams, plus her usual ballads or from the Country side of the town and does it Real Good.


title: Honky Tokin'

text: Freddy was a good guitar  man, great ballad singer, master of early rock'n'roll  and  T ex-Mex-and country singer.  His taste ran to all of these and his country side was really enjoyable. I wish labels included liner notes but the main thing here is just honky tonkin' pleasure.


title: Dance with a mop!

text: All the Pickwick "hits" of Shakin' Stevens are superb!  Stereo-high-fi- arrangments, musicians and back up singers!  Also some rock romantic ballads and some rareties that appear no where else.  Even the back up singers are amazing-as good as the Jordanaires with Elvis.  Yep! I said "STEREO and HI-FI!! If no women are around grab a mop like Fred AstaIre and start dancing.


title: who loves ya' baby?

text: All the Pickwick albums of Shakin' Stevens  hits feature pristine audio, major hits but a surprise cut or two not available otherwise, superb arrangements and terrific musicians and back up singers reminding me of Elvis's Jordanaires.  Unbeatable rock n roll but ballads make you dance with a broom if no women around!


title: Three's the number!

text: Only three recordings so not for beginners but all 3 are marvelous  recordings:acoustic, remastered with  electric guitars, dance remix.  Why Shakin' Stevens [Michael Barrett] is not performing in Las Vegas is a mystery to me!  Rockabilly, ballads, even zydeco and one disco-great arrangments, great musicians!!  Rock on bra!!!!


title: Steel pedal guitar Jazz!

text: Steel pedal guitar has that "twangy" whine sound so fitting country music.  Only a few have ventured to play the instrument as a soloist. Buddy Emmons comes to mind but his work remains in the country genre.  Here we "hear" guitar  jazz played by Bruce Kaphan, an artist with a wide range of musical talent and a talent for different genres of music. Duke Ellington said "there are 2 kinds of music: good or bad."  The free wheeling quartet plays a  very  jazzy jazz. All the members of the quartet are very accomplishe and pianist John R. Burr is always  a welcome addition with his piano artistry.  It's not "Swing" but an exciting  expression of modern jazz and unique it does so with real passion.


title: We luv ya Kevin Spacey!

text: The Darin biopic film was superb.  But, the soundtrack album is also a Must!  Kevin Spacey sings all these songs, and kills them all with a nod to the John Wilson big band swinging hot.  Check out the Tony Bennett 90th Birthday dvd from PBS. Spacey performs 2 signature songs and his version of "If I Ruled the World" is insanely "boffo"!!! Duke Ellington was asked "How would you rate Count Basie?"  The ever brilliant Ellington replied, "You don't rate an artist, you Appreciate an artist" Yeah baby, Darin was a spectacular talent as a vocalist, song writer and actor. Tony B is better and better as he ages, and Spacey-well please Kevin, how about more  music cds cause we love ya and we will buy anything you lay on us. Socko-boffo man!!


title: Dvd not playable in USA.

text: sadly this product is from 1999 and the dvd is pal and won't play on US dvds or even blu-ray.  Fortunately products that are current usually have 0 region coding and play worldwide.  Of course the cd will play but you can buy the cd  title alone and avoid the frustration.


title: Crazy Man, Crazy!

text: This lp, remember records?  You might have to be crazy to even think of wedding boogie woogie piano with a bongo rhytym section.  But, it's wild and crazy like crazy good! Probably recorded in the late 50s the musicians -whoever they are-manage to come up with a very tasty stew.  I imagine that these musicians came out of the Big Band Era and those folks were great.  Could the saxes be from the Will Bradley Band that played boogie woogie  big band style? Could the pianist be piano boogie woogie specialist that came from the Jimmy Dorsey band?  We may never know just who these talents were but brother you ain't lived till you hear Cole Porters "Begin the Bequine" done boogie woogie style!  Oh, yeah the pianist from the Dorsey band was Freddie Slack.  Check out his records if you can, and look for the Will Bradley-Hal Mckinley big band also.


title: Rip off

text: This is the same album as "Cheek to Cheek", music of Fred Astaire. So buy Cheek to Cheek and save a fortune. It's typically terrific as are all Vince Giordano's albums!