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PORTRAIT IN JAZZ

OJC

Available as Vinyl

$30.49

Sep 16, 2011

PORTRAIT IN JAZZ

PORTRAIT IN JAZZ

$30.49
Vinyl

OJC

Sep 16, 2011

OJC88.1

Weinberg: Symphony No. 17 & Suite for Orchestra / Lande, Siberian State Symphony

Naxos

Available as CD

~~$19.99~~ $9.99

Oct 14, 2016

Mieczys?aw Weinberg – whose music was virtually unknown in the West until quite recently – composed, despite the incredible difficulty of the circumstances of his life, an enormous amount of music, including seventeen string quartets and no less than twenty-six symphonies, which puts him, in sheer prolificity among twentieth century symphonists close to Myaskovsky (27), but lagging somewhat behind Havergal Brian (32). Outstanding among Weinberg’s symphonies is the trilogy made up of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth symphonies, collectively entitled On the Threshold of War. This refers to what is known in Russia as The Great Patriotic War, or, in other words, World War Two.

So here we have no.17, ‘Memory’; it is a four-movement work with what might be thought a relatively conventional profile. But the way Weinberg handles the symphonic form and his material is, in all aspects, highly personal, and it is an unquestionably powerful statement. The movements are: an opening slow movement - Adagio sostenuto - of great intensity; then a fast, furious and lengthy Allegro molto; a much shorter Allegro molto, pesante; and another long movement, marked Andante, to complete the work.

There is, as far as I can ascertain, only one other recording of this symphony, that of a 2013 concert performance by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Fedoseyev. Though that is a committed performance, the sound is rather ‘raw’, and orchestral ensemble is often rough round the edges. The Siberian State Symphony Orchestra, on the Naxos recording, plays well, even if the strings do lack the bloom of a really top-class outfit. The recording is extremely well-balanced, so that wonderful moments, such as the entry of the harpsichord in the second movement, make the maximum impact. In fact, I found this the finest movement of the four; Weinberg constructs the movement so consistently from the various melodic motifs, and the scoring, particularly its use of the two keyboard instruments – piano and harpsichord – is outstandingly atmospheric. The way it eventually resolves into a searing elegy for the high strings is compelling, as is the sense of disintegration at its close.

This is certainly an impressive work, which deserves a distinguished place among the great World War Two symphonies – Vaughan Williams 6, Prokofiev 6, Shostakovich 7 and 8, Copland 3 and Honegger’s Symphonie Liturgique, to name a few of the best known. Inevitably not the most cheerful piece, and some will find it grim. I would prefer the word ‘bracing’, for Weinberg maintains the concentration and the symphonic argument strongly throughout the work’s forty-five minute duration.

But it is demanding, which is why it was such a good idea to begin the CD with something as hugely entertaining as the little Suite for Orchestra of 1950. This is pure delight, and I’d be very surprised if this piece was not now taken up by other orchestras (this is the first recording). The opening Romance has a gorgeously lachrymose theme, first heard in the trumpet, while the Humoresque has deliciously light scoring. The spirit of Shostakovich hovers very close; Weinberg’s third movement recreates perfectly the mood of those haunted and very Russian waltzes found in both of the older composer’s Jazz Suites.

An impressive and enjoyable disc then. And one other thing; we don’t often credit the writers of booklet notes, so I wanted to mention the exemplary notes provided for this issue by Richard Whitehouse. Genuinely helpful and informative, unlike some writers who sometimes appear simply to want to blind us with their musicological ‘insights’. After all, how many of us want - or need – to know what key the music modulates to in bar 63 etcetera, etcetera?

– MusicWeb International (Gwyn Parry-Jones)

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Weinberg: Symphony No. 17 & Suite for Orchestra / Lande, Siberian State Symphony

~~$19.99~~ $9.99
CD

Naxos

Oct 14, 2016

8573565

Imogen Cooper's Chopin

Chandos

Available as CD

~~$21.99~~ $10.99

Jun 24, 2016

British pianist Imogen Cooper has studied with some of the finest in the piano world, including with Kathleen Long in London, with Jacques Fevrier and Yvonne Lefebure in Paris, and with Alfred Brendel, Jorg Demus and Paul Badura-Skoda in Vienna. She is widely recognized for her interpretations of Schubert and Schumann. This release follows her three very successful recordings of Schumann. For this album, Cooper has chosen some of the greatest works of Chopin. The album programme makes up an outstanding recital. Coopers virtuosity and emotional wisdom creates a new lense through which to view this frequently performed repertoire. Following this release, Imogen Cooper will embark on a world tour, performing recitals that will include the repertoire included here, and visiting several of Europe’s most prestigious venues before venturing to other continents.

On Sale

Imogen Cooper's Chopin

~~$21.99~~ $10.99
CD

Chandos

Jun 24, 2016

CHAN 10902

FIRST MEETING: LIVE IN LONDON 1

WHIRLWIND RECORDINGS

Available as CD

$13.49

Jul 08, 2014

FIRST MEETING: LIVE IN LONDON 1

FIRST MEETING: LIVE IN LONDON 1

$13.49
CD

WHIRLWIND RECORDINGS

Jul 08, 2014

WWIR4638.2

Leroux: Nous / Claude Delangle, Odile Catelin-Delangle

BIS

Available as SACD

~~$21.99~~ $10.99

Jan 01, 2021

The collaboration between composer Philippe Leroux and the husband-and-wife team of Claude and Odile Delangle began in the early 1990s and has grown ever closer over the years. In October 2019 the three met up again for a few intense days, in order to record Noûs, a programme of works for soprano saxophone and for solo piano. The album is bookended by two duos for the instruments – the opening SPP a reworking by the composer of an earlier score, and the closing Noûs that Leroux wrote for the Delangles only a few months before the recording. In both of these – albeit in different ways – the composer explores a couple of his favorite principles, namely those of continuity and transformation. Between them we hear works from the past decade, beginning with AMA for solo piano, from 2009. The other two piano works, Répéter… Opposer and Dense… Englouti are both tributes to Claude Debussy, a composer who occupies an important place in the musical universe of Philippe Leroux. At the centre of the disc, finally, is the highly virtuosic Conca Reatina for soprano saxophone. Loosely inspired by the contours of the mountains surrounding the Rieti Valley (Conca reatina), the piece is a dizzying sonic Möbius strip which keeps returning the listener to his point of departure.

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Leroux: Nous / Claude Delangle, Odile Catelin-Delangle

~~$21.99~~ $10.99
SACD

BIS

Jan 01, 2021

BIS-2490

JAZZ GIANTS 58

PHOENIX SPAIN

Available as CD

$11.99

May 14, 2013

Double slimline.

JAZZ GIANTS 58

$11.99
CD

PHOENIX SPAIN

May 14, 2013

PHXS3931123.2

Lindberg: 2017 - The Waves of Wollongong - Liverpool Lullabies / Antwerp Symphony

BIS

Available as SACD

~~$21.99~~ $15.99

Jan 01, 2021

As a performer and conductor, Christian Lindberg has a rare ability to electrify an audience, and as reviewers attest, the same applies to his compositions. Released on disc in 2018, his viola concerto Steppenwolf was described as ‘one of those rare contemporary works that captures the attention from the first notes’ (Fanfare) while the five-star review in BBC Music Magazine spoke of ‘thrilling orchestral storytelling’ and ‘glorious musical cavalcades’. The present album offers further opportunity to acquaint oneself with the unstoppable energy of Lindberg in all of his three incarnations. The album is named after the closing work, 2017, described by Lindberg as his testimony about a year when the world changed, as a result of the US presidential election. Starting work on it on 1st January he followed the news in the media and let it feed his creative process throughout the course of the year. The opening work is an earlier one, commissioned for the nine trombones of The New Trombone Collective, and inspired by the spectacle of great waves rolling in at the beach in Wollongong, Australia. Framed by these two is Liverpool Lullabies, a concertante work for percussion and trombone which Lindberg composed with Evelyn Glennie and himself in mind. They are also the soloists on this recording, supported by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra which also shines in the other two works on the album.

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Lindberg: 2017 - The Waves of Wollongong - Liverpool Lullabies / Antwerp Symphony

~~$21.99~~ $15.99
SACD

BIS

Jan 01, 2021

BIS-2418

BLOW YOUR OWN HORN

HERB ALPERT PRESENTS

Available as CD

$13.99

Feb 24, 2017

3 more classic Herb albums are being reissued! Part of a huge campaign to re-release Herb's classic discography, Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela, Blow Your Own Horn and Bullish and are remastered from their original analog tapes and presented in their original, iconic artwork!

BLOW YOUR OWN HORN

$13.99
CD

HERB ALPERT PRESENTS

Feb 24, 2017

HBAT702160.2

Strauss in St. Petersburg / Jarvi, Estonian National Symphony

Chandos

Available as CD

~~$21.99~~ $10.99

May 19, 2017

This is a double-anniversary release, offering a rare collection of lively works to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra as well as the eightieth birthday of its principal conductor, Neeme Järvi. Cheerful marches and dances here trace the career of Johann Strauss II as it manifested itself in his much acclaimed seasons in St Petersburg, at the ‘Russian summer’ concerts in the Vauxhall pavilion in Pavlovsk, where he appeared for eleven seasons (1856 – 65 and 1869), ten of them consecutively. It is an unmissable start to a year-long celebration for Neeme Jarvi that will include concerts, promotions, and subsequent album releases.

On Sale

Strauss in St. Petersburg / Jarvi, Estonian National Symphony

~~$21.99~~ $10.99
CD

Chandos

May 19, 2017

CHAN 10937

OUT OF THE WOODS / ROOTS IN THE SKY

IMPORTS

Available as CD

$16.99

Mar 24, 2017

Digitally remastered two CD set containing acclaimed jazz group Oregon's first two albums for Elektra Records, dating from 1978 and 1979. Jazz, world music, pop, folk and classical swirl together in elegant fashion as multi-instrumentalists Ralph Towner and Collin Walcott and bassist Glen Moore lead us through "Cane Fields," "Yellow Bell," "Story Telling," "June Bug," "Ogden Road," "Sierra Leone" and more!

OUT OF THE WOODS / ROOTS IN THE SKY

$16.99
CD

IMPORTS

Mar 24, 2017

IMT3533630.2

Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 / Gilbert, New York Philharmonic

Dacapo Classical

Available as SACD

~~$13.99~~ $6.99

Sep 25, 2012

"I’m sure that Nielsen’s time is coming, and I’m looking forward to sharing this wonderful music with the audience." - Alan Gilbert 2011 = "Mr. Gilbert drew colorful, glittering and full-bodied playing from the musicians." - The New York Times, concert review of Nielsen's Symphony No. 3, June 2012 = “Music is life, and like it inextinguishable,” said the Danish composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). With indomitable courage and infinite curiosity Nielsen developed into one of the 20th century’s greatest symphonists, after being raised in the Danish countryside as the son of a poor folk musician. With this new series of recordings, Nielsen crosses the Atlantic as the New York Philharmonic and their Music Director Alan Gilbert shed new light on the composer's uniquely Nordic symphonic sound. = ABOUT THE NIELSEN PROJECT = This is the first volume of the new recording series of Denmark's national composer Carl Nielsen's complete symphonies and concertos by The New York Philharmonic and their chief conductor Alan Gilbert. All works are recorded live during the New York Philharmonic's concert series in Avery Fisher Hall which has already impressed critics and audiences alike.

REVIEW:

As already suggested, Gilbert’s interpretations take no prisoners, and frankly that is just what Nielsen needs. The Allegro collerico opening of “The Four Temperaments” is really ferocious, the finale almost giddy. And yet, Gilbert’s tempos in the Andante pastorale of the “Espansiva”, or the Andante malincolico of the “Temperaments”, are also perfectly judged, sensitive, and expressive. The former, especially, reveals a combination of tranquility and flow unique in the work’s discography. The string playing is particularly beautiful here, and the Philharmonic’s woodwinds, solo oboe especially, do themselves proud in music that often relies on their artistry and character. Gilbert also very convincingly paces the tricky finale of the same work, with its hymn-like main theme that still has to sound “allegro”.

Dacapo, of course, already has an excellent Nielsen cycle—indeed, the reference edition—in its catalog, featuring Michael Schønwandt and the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (also available on Naxos). So the question must be whether or not this newcomer is distinctive enough to warrant the duplication, and the answer is a definite “yes”. Gilbert reveals a genuine affinity for the music, and Nielsen’s athleticism suits the orchestra very well indeed. If this series keeps up as it has begun, it’s going to be stupendous.

-- ClassicsToday.com

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Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 / Gilbert, New York Philharmonic

~~$13.99~~ $6.99
SACD

Dacapo Classical

Sep 25, 2012

6220623

JAZZ & THE MOVIES

GREEN HILL PROD.

Available as CD

$12.99

Apr 24, 2012

Pianist Beegie Adair looks back on the movies and recreates favorite numbers from classics such as Casablanca; the Wizard of Oz; Breakfast at Tiffany's and more.

JAZZ & THE MOVIES

$12.99
CD

GREEN HILL PROD.

Apr 24, 2012

GHIL55837.2

A Bohemian in London: Violin Sonatas by Gottfried Finger / Duo Dorado

Chandos

Available as CD

~~$21.99~~ $10.99

Aug 23, 2019

Gottfried Finger was a Moravian composer and virtuoso viol player. Born in Olomouc, in the modern-day Czech Republic, and arriving in England in 1685, Finger worked for the court of James II before becoming a freelance composer. Hazel Brooks has spent a great deal of time researching the music for this recording, all of which may be found in the British Library manuscript Add. 31466, the single biggest source of violin sonatas by Finger. She writes: ‘Finger’s sonatas contain a quirky mix of styles. Bohemian features from his homeland, simpler Corellian traits, and the occasional nod to the English Purcellian school are fitted together like crazy paving. This is what gives them their unique charm. Many are made up of contrasting short sections rather than separate movements, sometimes linked by short passages for basso continuo alone, both features characteristic of the Biber school. Finger left a large number of sonatas for violin and basso continuo. We performed them all, immersing ourselves in the style, and this recording presents the finest selection from his output. Because he is known principally for his copious published recorder pieces, aimed at the amateur market, Finger has sometimes been dismissed as a composer of trivial, unadventurous music. I hope that this recording will help to change that mindset, so that Finger finally receives the recognition he deserves.’

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REVIEW:

Brooks and her keyboard partner David Pollock provide thoroughly clean and competent performances, respectful of the music and careful of overbearing it with excessive ornamentation and other additions – which is not to say that Pollock’s continuo-playing does not succeed in finding variety from just a harpsichord and a firmly focused chamber organ. Not compulsory listening really, but certainly a well-executed presentation.

– Gramophone

On Sale

A Bohemian in London: Violin Sonatas by Gottfried Finger / Duo Dorado

~~$21.99~~ $10.99
CD

Chandos

Aug 23, 2019

CHAN 0824

The Library, Vol. 3 / The King's Singers

Signum Classics

Available as CD

~~$10.99~~ $5.49

Jul 02, 2021

This is the third volume in the EP series ‘The Library’ – a series that explores both the history, and the new horizons, of The King’s Singers close-harmony repertoire. Close-harmony is the part of their work for which they are best known, and their library of thousands of arrangements is one they’re determined to explore, maintain and develop. The track-listing is designed to celebrate some old favorites from the library alongside brand new arrangements and adaptations, created especially for these recordings, which may perhaps become ‘old favorites’ of the future. The King’s Singers were founded on 1 May 1968 by six choral scholars who had recently graduated from King’s College Cambridge. Their vocal line-up was (by chance) two countertenors, a tenor, two baritones and a bass, and the group has never wavered from this formation since.

On Sale

The Library, Vol. 3 / The King's Singers

~~$10.99~~ $5.49
CD

Signum Classics

Jul 02, 2021

SIGCD678

Bach: Toccatas / Masaaki Suzuki

BIS

Available as SACD

~~$21.99~~ $10.99

Mar 06, 2020

Very little is known about the origin of J. S. Bach’s seven Toccatas (BWV?910–916) or of their use. They are believed to have been written before 1717 or the end of Bach’s Weimar period – but it is quite possible that at least some of them were drafted before he arrived there in 1707, at the age of 22. The Toccatas are usually performed on harpsichord or piano – but even though they are ‘manualiter’ (intended to be played by the hands only) and do not call for pedal parts, they are also occasionally heard on the organ. In terms of style they are examples of the so-called stylus phantasticus – ‘the most free and unfettered method of composition’ – and belong to the North German organ tradition of the late 17th century. Each piece consists of several distinct and contrasting sections, interweaving strict counterpoint and fugal passages with freely rhapsodic material, and as such the toccatas differ from the two-movement prelude-and-fugue format which Bach later would put his own, indelible stamp on. With this disc, Masaaki Suzuki takes on some of the earliest of Bach’s extant harpsichord compositions, after having released acclaimed recordings of a wide range of later works, from the two-part Inventions to the two books of the Well-Tempered Clavier. However, he also brings his experience in performing the music of Bach’s North German predecessors to bear, for instance Buxtehude (BIS-1809) and Nicolaus Bruhns.

REVIEW:

Since completing his Bach cantata cycle, conductor and keyboardist Masaaki Suzuki has turned to Bach's keyboard music. The results have been consistently satisfying, as one would expect from this great contemporary Bach interpreter, but even Suzuki fans might have wondered what he would do with these six rarely played toccatas. There are more purely dramatic readings of these works, mostly played on piano, but Suzuki is attuned to this music, and his performances are not in the least colorless. Bach's intense Adagios, like that of the Toccata in E minor, BWV 914, and the irregular structures of the music have snap and surprise. Suzuki's 1982 harpsichord, based on an enlarged Ruckers instrument, is an excellent choice for the music, and anyone whose Bach collection is missing these remarkable works can do well with this choice.

-- ALlMusic.com (James Manheim)

On Sale

Bach: Toccatas / Masaaki Suzuki

~~$21.99~~ $10.99
SACD

BIS

Mar 06, 2020

BIS-2221

Elgar & Bruch: Violin Concertos / Pine, Litton, BBC Symphony

Avie Records

Available as CD

~~$19.99~~ $9.99

Jan 05, 2018

Billboard chart-topping violinist Rachel Barton Pine releases her 36th album and fourth for AVIE with her first recordings of two repertory staples, violin concertos by Edward Elgar and Max Bruch. The two works – Elgar’s only concerto for violin and Bruch’s first – straddle the turn of the 20th century but have in common a Romantic hue which Rachel probes with her rich, soulful tone.

The album is dedicated to “the memory of a musical hero and generous friend, Sir Neville Marriner,” who was to have reunited with Rachel on this album. She was fortunate to work with him on the scores, with Sir Neville vividly relating accounts of his teacher Billy Reed, former leader of the London Symphony Orchestra, who collaborated with Elgar on the creation of his violin concerto. Grammy Award-winning conductor Andrew Litton brings his own Romantic pedigree to the recording, as does the BBC Symphony Orchestra and celebrated producer Andrew Keener who himself has overseen award winning versions of the Elgar and Bruch concertos.

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REVIEW:

Pine’s interpretation of the Elgar is as emotionally satisfying as it is dazzling. The slow movement is mysteriously veiled and luminous, providing a palpable sense of the music’s darker undercurrents. She is most impressive, perhaps, in the finale, where her easy virtuosity sends sparks flying, though never at the expense of the long line.

Her performance of the Bruch is wholly persuasive in its mittel-European heartiness. The outer movements abound with snap and spice, and the Adagio has a warm solemnity that, one might argue, offers a foretaste of Elgarian nobilmente. The recorded sound is glorious, with a near-ideal balance between soloist and orchestra.

– Gramophone

On Sale

Elgar & Bruch: Violin Concertos / Pine, Litton, BBC Symphony

~~$19.99~~ $9.99
CD

Avie Records

Jan 05, 2018

AV2375

BE STILL

GREEN LEAF MUSIC

Available as CD

$16.49

Sep 25, 2012

Dave Douglas first ever album with vocals featuring Aoife O Donovan (Crooked Still). Recorded & mixed by long time Douglass collaborator Joe Ferla.

BE STILL

$16.49
CD

GREEN LEAF MUSIC

Sep 25, 2012

GRLF1027.2

Lecuona: Piano Music, Songs / Tirino, Farley

BIS

Available as CD

~~$59.99~~ $29.98

Mar 01, 2013

LECUONA TORINO; POLISH RADIO S.O./BARTOS THE PIANO MUSIC

On Sale

Lecuona: Piano Music, Songs / Tirino, Farley

~~$59.99~~ $29.98
CD

BIS

Mar 01, 2013

BIS-1854

TENDERLY

JUSTIN TIME RECORDS

Available as Vinyl

$30.99

Apr 16, 2016

TENDERLY

TENDERLY

$30.99
Vinyl

JUSTIN TIME RECORDS

Apr 16, 2016

JUT449147.1

Mantra

BIS

Available as SACD

~~$21.99~~ $10.99

Nov 02, 2018

On this release, the Trondheim Sinfonietta, founded in 1998, has gathered four works from the three decades encompassing the ensemble’s existence. All four seem to be haunted by an even deeper past: Bent Sørensen’s Minnelieder is the composer’s third version of a work originally sparked-off by a book about the 14th century, while Toshio Hosokawa’s Drawing, from a decade later, was inspired by the very start of life. Kristin Norderval’s Chapel Meditation began its existence as an improvisation, but looks back to music from centuries earlier, while the most recent work, Mantra by Ellen Lindquist, also mines a venerable musical tradition, that of the age-old Indonesian gamelan orchestra that for over 100 years has had an influence on Western composers such as Debussy, Britten, Steve Reich et al. Set for varying forces and numbers of performers, the four works together form a fascinating picture of the kaleidoscopic possibilities open to composers around the turn of the millennium.

On Sale

Mantra

~~$21.99~~ $10.99
SACD

BIS

Nov 02, 2018

BIS-2340

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