...A must-have... I implied earlier that very little of Agricola’s sacred music has hitherto been available. In fact, this is the first ever recording to include his Mass music. Under the invented title Missa Guazzabuglio (a word meaning hotchpotch or mishmash) van Nevel has assembled individual movements from different Masses, after the fashion of his ‘La Dissection d’un Homme Arme’...

Van Nevel is easily as eccentric as Agricola ever was, and while the singers of the Huelgas Ensemble cope admirably with even his most bizarre directions, some ideas seem to be almost beyond the pale. He claims that fully vocal performance of the instrumental music is at least plausible. In the case of the six-voice Fortuna desperata (now, with at least four recordings, a staple of the Agricola repertoire) one can hardly disagree, but to hear the soprano clambering up two-and-a-half octaves in semiquavers (Dung aultre amet) forces admiration and disbelief in equal measure... The amazing thing is that the singers’ sheer athleticism and musicality lends such dotty notions an air of plausibility. More than that, they confirm the growing perception of Agricola as a composer of the very first rank. I have no hesitation in singling out [this recording] among this year’s high points.

-- Fabrice Fitch, Gramophone [9/1999}

Westminster Choir 100th Anniversary Recording

Music has the ability to illuminate aspects of the human condition in ways that only sound married to texts can achieve. One of the greatest preachers of the twentieth century, William Sloan Coffin, often remarked that music in most cases was more powerful than the spoken word. This recording represents just that. All the music on this recording reflects, in sound, that serenity (and, yes, beauty) is within all of us if we choose to go there. This recording celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Westminster Choir in 1920 by John Finley Williamson, albeit a bit later.

Sony Music announces the release of A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE: FARMAGEDDON (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK), the soundtrack to the new Shaun the Sheep movie, which will feature songs by KYLIE MINOGUE AND THE VACCINES, JORJA SMITH, KIERAN SHUDALL AND HEATHER SHUDALL, RAT BOY, and a remix of "Shaun the Sheep (Life's a Treat)" by TODDLA T featuring NADIA ROSE and VIC REEVES. The award-winning composer of the score is TOM HOWE, also known for his music for Nick Park and Aardman's Early Man, The Lego Movie 2 and many other film and TV projects. The movie is the second feature-length film to star Shaun the Sheep, the beloved animated star of the children's television series who first appeared in the Wallace & Gromit short film A Close Shave. The first full-length movie, Shaun the Sheep Movie, was released in 2015 to huge popular and critical acclaim, receiving Academy Award® and BAFTA Nominations for Best Animated Feature Film. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is a hilarious tale of friendship and mischief between the world's favorite sheep and an adorable alien, as they embark with the whole flock on an epic and out-of-this-world adventure to send her back home. When an alien with amazing powers crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun the Sheep goes on a mission to shepherd the intergalactic visitor home before a sinister organization can capture her With cross-generational appeal, the new movie has already received 4.8 million trailer views, as well as favorable reviews from it's releases in Italy ("showing an ambition and directorial maturity... that is the envy of many acclaimed colleagues" - Io donna) and Germany ("a clever 85-minute film for all ages, in which not a word is spoken" - Die Zeit).

A brief glance at the list of contents is enough to reveal who the singer is – only Anne Sofie von Otter could have come up with a programme as varied and wide-ranging. And only von Otter could hold it together seamlessly by finding the resonances between these very different pieces, and bringing them out with a rare ability of embracing different singing styles and expressive registers: to paraphrase Bernstein in his A Simple Song, Anne Sofie von Otter never fails to ‘sing like she likes to sing’. From Liszt to Pärt and from Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony to Richard Rodgers’ Sound of Music, von Otter is supported by her long-time accompanist Bengt Forsberg, here at the organ instead of his usual piano. At various points in the programme they are joined by a number of musical friends, in the organ loft of St James’s Church in central Stockholm – the very church where the young von Otter began her singing career as a chorister and, together with Forsberg, gave one of her very first public concerts.

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REVIEW:

A Simple Song’ is a thoughtful, even challenging recital, given extra colour by the fact that Forsberg, her longtime song partner, here swaps his piano for the organ of the Stockholm church where the young von Otter started singing as a teen. This is a delightful, surprising and thought-provoking programme – difficult to classify, perhaps, but very easy to enjoy.

– Gramophone

'A Song in the Wood' takes the listener on a journey through the most diverse aspects of love, loss and loneliness. For this journey, the young Swiss tenor Remy Burnens and his piano accompanist Clemence Hirt have immersed themselves in the, for many, unknown world of songs by British composers in the early 20th century.

It was a matter of concern for the artists not only to record music that they personally like very much and that is close to their hearts, but also to bring composers who have unfortunately fallen into oblivion, such as Roger Quilter (1877-1953), back into the musical consciousness and thus also onto the current programs of the recitals and lieder evenings.

Personnel includes: Jerry Hadley (vocals); Jay Berliner (guitar, mandolin); John Moses (clarinet); Dominic Cortese (accordion); John Beal (bass); Barry Mitterhoff (mandolin).

Recording information: Clinton Recording Studios, Studio A, New York, NY (05/24/1995-09/27/1995); Soundtrack Recording Studios, Studio A, New York, NY (05/24/1995-09/27/1995).

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Paul Taffanel was probably the most influential figure in the world of flute music, as performer and composer, but more so as inspirer, commissioner and supprter of fine works by a multitude of composers; this set contains many of those, most of which, having fallen out of fashion in the modernist 20th century, have never been recorded until now - indeed many have been unperformed for years. A great shame as these are without exception, exquisite and lovely works, beautifully performed. One or two well known pieces are included too. The artists have put an immense amount of dedication into this, their 'magnum opus'. over 76 minutes on each CD all at less than mid price.

Ensuing the highly acclaimed Waiting For The Next Trane (SCCD 33115 on SteepleChase LookOut in 2014, one of NY’s most sought-after bassists Brusger assembled his new quintet with Erik Alexander and Steve Davis to present this invigorating new album which showcases Brusger’s penchant for hardbop tradition as composer and performer. “Brusger has rock-solid time, accurate intonation and formidable technique, all of which serve him well throughout the straight-ahead-set.” (Jim Ferguson – JazzTimes)

Reference Recordings is proud to present our fifth album with the prolific singer, songwriter, engaging storyteller, and masterful guitarist, Doug MacLeod. For "A Soul To Claim," Doug teamed up with legendary producer and engineer Jim Gaines. Through twelve new MacLeod originals, Doug and his trusty Waterloo guitar "P-nut" are joined by Memphis studio veterans Rick Steff/keyboards, Dave Smith/bass, and Steve Potts/drums. A perennial Blues Music Award nominee and multiple Blues Music Award winner including Acoustic Artist of The Year and Acoustic Album of the Year, "A Soul To Claim" is Doug’s 22nd album.

The exhilarating conductor Kristjan Järvi exploits the style and panache of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in a festive programme of works by the American John Philip Sousa, ‘The March King’. This follows the spectacular recording of works by Julius Fu?ík, made by Neeme Järvi, Kristjan’s father. Including such famous pieces as The Stars and Stripes Forever (National March of the USA), Semper Fidelis (Official March of the US Marine Corps), and The Liberty Bell (theme tune for Monty Python's Flying Circus), this album is a celebration in its own right, enhanced by brightly coloured sound captured in high-quality surround-sound.

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REVIEW:

This fun album mixes the familiar — the thunderous trombone scales and tootling piccolo descants of The Liberty Bell (of Monty Python fame), The Washington Post, and The Stars and Stripes Forever — with elegant extracts from such forgotten operettas as The Irish Dragoon and El Capitan. It’s an infectious selection.

– The TImes (U.K.)

Jewels indeed. And the singing ain't bad either. This is another in a very satisfying group of recent Christmas choral discs that strive to offer some terrific, rarely recorded "gems" along with a welcome mix of familiar--but mostly not too familiar--pieces. Beginning with Bach's "Break forth, O beauteous heav'nly light" from the Christmas Oratorio, the program proceeds with hardly a breath to Richard Dirksen's earth-awakening setting of William Austin's poem Chanticleer (why isn't this piece performed more?) and goes on to blend more Bach (Wachet auf) with Howells (A Spotless Rose), Reger (Maria Wiegenlied), more Bach (Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern), Mendelssohn (There shall a star come out of Jacob), and a regular carol arrangement or two--Here We Come a-Wassailing (Rutter), Deck the Hall ( a jazzy 7/8 version by James McKelvy). Well, perhaps Elizabeth Poston's Jesus Christ the Apple Tree is getting a little overworked, but it's beautifully sung and this a cappella setting fits nicely into the overall program, which also includes organ and orchestra. Soprano Janice Chandler sings nice solo versions of He's got the whole world in His hands and Sweet little Jesus boy (with piano accompaniment), and there's a cute little twist on Away in a Manger, written by Edmund Walters--it begins with a countermelody, sung by the women, that's nothing like the original tune, which we don't hear until the end, hummed by the men's voices.


Organist J. Reilly Lewis treats us to a brilliant performance of Bach's chorale prelude BWV 615 (In Dir ist Freude), and another Bach piece, O Jesulein süss (harmonized by Martin Shaw) gets a tender and lovely a cappella rendition by the choir. This is a very well-disciplined ensemble--and it has to be in order for this many voices (around 100) to sing with such precision and clarity. (The liner notes list only sopranos and altos--I swear there are lots of men singing too!) The sound, optimally recorded in an ideal church setting, is excellent. [11/3/2000]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Gold buried deep in the BIS back-catalog since 1980 (but readily available), this CD adds a couple of apt fillers from 1981 to the program of the original analog LP. Larsson’s Pastoral Suite is the best-known music here, and makes a fine overture in its most sprightly recorded chamber performance. The Romance has live intensity, helped by the sound, a classic piece of minimalist work by Bis proprietor, Robert von Bar: just a small Revox half-track reel-to-reel machine, and a couple of mikes above and in front of the conductor. The timbre of the winds is distinctive, thanks to the sound coming off the hard back wall, too, but the small string band has presence-and-a-half. Wedin’s direction is inspired here, and in the four gentle Winter’s Tale fragments. The tearful, moving Andante used to close out the LP, but on CD the spell is broken by the boisterous Alfvén Dance, then cast again for Blomdahl’s heartfelt Adagio.

The real highlights are the modest Atterberg Suite, and the Rosenberg cello miniature. The latter is sadness, packed ready to go, but the violin and viola in the Atterberg spin threads of Romantic ardor that float into the air, and resound in your consciousness forever, like it or not. As do the wonderful tunes. The slow middle movement, Pantomim, really lets Sparf’s artistry and phrasing shine, closely shadowed by Mansnerus. They should have done the Mozart Sinfonia concertante at the same sessions, but this is inspired playing, and arguably Atterberg’s finest 12 minutes. You’re the poorer, if you don’t know it yet. Roman’s 15-minute oboe d’amore concerto represents the Swedish 18th century at its considerable best: a warm contrast with the rest of the program, the soloist sounding rather close, but with memorable invention and interplay in the fast movements.

Fine notes, by the eminent Per Skans. There have been a few digital anthologies rather like this one in the intervening 20 years, but Wedin said it all in 1980. A CD of relaxing Swedish lighter classics might not be anywhere near the top of your Want List, just now. Hidebound Romantics should head straight for the Blomdahl Adagio, but I urge you all to sample the whole recital. BIS CD165 is certainly not one of the structural pillars of the Hall of Fame, but it makes a very attractive Swedish display case, for some little-known, meltingly beautiful music.

Paul Ingram, FANFARE

A Symphonic Journey from Philly to Utopia contains world premiere recordings of some of the works Dirk Brossé has written over the past 10 years. These works reflect the beauty of the world Brossé sees around him; they are a mirror to his soul. For these recordings, Brossé conducted Brussels Philharmonic. Dirk Brossé, an internationally acclaimed conductor and composer, is currently Music Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. He is also Professor of Composition and conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Ghent, Belgium. A highly-regarded, award-winning composer, Brossé’s body of some 400 works encompasses concerti, oratorios, lieder, chamber music and symphonic pieces, as well as scores for cinema, television and stage, including the Emmy-nominated score for the BBC/HBO series, Parade’s End.