}Gramophone (2/97, p. 58) "...DePreist gives us a pair of sensible, very well-prepared performances in good, albeit slightly studio-bound sound..."{

“Petrenko and the RLPO have achieved a triumph. The orchestral playing is ripe, detailed, lithe, concentrated and intense.” – The Telegraph on Symphony No. 10

“The final instalment of Petrenko’s remarkable Liverpool Shostakovich cycle is a world-class achievement.” – The Sunday Times on Symphony No. 13

“This is a model of clarity… yet another Petrenko performance to join the greats.” – BBC Music Magazine on Symphony No. 8

Featuring the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra and Choir conducted by Vasily Petrenko
Additional featured choirs:
The Huddersfield Choral Society; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, male section.
Vocal soloists: Gal James, soprano; Alexander Vinogradov, bass.

Despite the fact that his career was curtailed in 1963 by a fatal heart attack when he was only 45, Elmore James was an extremely influential figure in the development of blues guitar, both but virtue of his highly distinctive sound, which he consciously developed by building his own combination of a modified hollow-bodied guitar and custom pick-ups, but also his hit with a version of Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom", which has become one of the most ubiquitously performed and recorded tunes in blues. This 52-track 2-CD collection comprises the A and B sides of every single he released from his debut on the small Trumpet label with the aforementioned classic in 1951 through to a few months before his death, during which time he recorded for the Meteor, Flair, Modern, Chief, Fire and Chess labels. A host of high profile guitarists have readily cited Elmore James as an influence and performed his material over the years, despite his relatively modest body of work, including Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Thorogood. This collection is an ideal introduction to his work.

2016 release from the R&B singer/songwriter. James' sound is reminiscent of the greats (think Prince meets D'Angelo) but the Germany-born, New York-bred crooner pens narratives about love and making it that unfold like a party for the ears. He credits his soulful roots to his father - a military man turned preacher - who raised him on a mix of gospel, Donny Hathaway and Otis Redding. Includes the single 'Already Knew That'.

Original score composed by Terence Blanchard for "Red Tails". Directed by Anthony Hemmingway (The Wire), produced by George Lucas & starring Cuba Gooding Jnr, this is an gripping WWII action movie. Blanchard has previously scored "Malcolm X" & "25th Hour". The soundtrack features jazz soloists Fabian Almazan & Kendrick Scott.

A subscriber to Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts at the turn of the century would have known the name of Arthur Foote. A leading member of the group of composers called the Boston Classicists, Foote's works were programmed regularly in Symphony Hall and one of them, the genial E Major Suite for Strings, was recorded memorably there by Serge Koussevitsky. Derivative in nature, his music evokes comparisons with Mendelssohn, Schumann or Brahms. As Boston Symphony program annotator John Burke wrote: "his art has no concerns to shake the world. It no more than searches the beauties of certain tonal combinations within the suitable confines of an accepted form."
This is one of two discs of Foote's chamber music, part of Naxos' laudable American classics series. It includes his early G Minor String Quartet and C Major Piano Quartet as well as his most popular work, the mildly evocative "Night Piece" which begins his Nocturne and Scherzo for Flute and Strings. The performances feature the Colorado-based Da Vinci Quartet, recorded with varying ambiance at the University of Denver's LaMont School of Music.

Back in 1996, pianist Bob James and saxophonist Kirk Whalum - two of the biggest names in contemporary jazz - combined their talents on the acclaimed Warner Bros. Album, Joined At The Hip, which is now remastered and reissued as a SACD release by evosound. Backed by a slick band comprised of guitarist Jeff Golub, bassist Chris Walker, and drummer, Billy Kilson, the pair served up some fine original material - including Whalum's evocative tone poem, 'Soweto' - and jazzed-up revamps of two big '70s hits: Maria Muldaur's 'Midnight At The Oasis' and Donny Hathaway's 'The Ghetto.' Though it was nominated for a Grammy and peaked at No. 10 in Bill board's jazz charts, Joined At The Hip has often been overlooked and remains an important musical touchstone in both artists' careers. The album's 16-page booklet includes new liner notes featuring reminiscences from James, Whalum, and the session's original sound engineer, Ken Freeman. The original high resolution audio mixes were used for the DSD remastering. This hybrid SACD plays back on both SACD and regular CD players. Bonus tracks (only playable on SACD player) 10. Out of the Cold (Original Full Version) & 11. Deja Blue (Original Full Version).

"The opening "Candide" Overture is particularly poignant, for it reveals a band full of life and spirit eagerly responding to Mr. Judd's forward-leaning and even accelerating tempo. But perhaps the most valuable item here is Bernstein's Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety," a strong work -- alternately atmospheric and excitable, and ultimately carefree -- that is not overrecorded. Jean Louis Steuerman is a deft piano soloist, and the orchestra again does itself proud under Mr. Judd's steady hand." - James Oestreich, NEW YORK TIMES

After finishing the chorus ‘How dark, O Lord, are thy decrees’ in February 1751, Handel noted in the autograph score that he couldn’t continue his work on Jephtha because of eye problems. Later in the year, he regained his eyesight and was able to complete the work in the autumn. The problems returned however, and in January 1753 a London newspaper reported that ‘Mr Handel has at length, unhappily, quite lost his sight’. Jephtha was thus to become Handel's last oratorio, and indeed his last major work. It is nevertheless no less a masterpiece than his earlier works, and contains some of his noblest music.

The plot of this ‘Sacred Drama’ is loosely based on the story of Jephtha in the Old Testament: a father who in order to win the the Israelites’ struggle against the Ammonites makes a rash promise to God, and after his victory is compelled to sacrifice his own daughter. The situation gives rise to music of touching poignancy, as well as great choral set-pieces.

This rousing live performance, recorded in 2008 in the Stavanger Concert Hall, boasts a roster of soloists headed by the fine British tenor James Gilchrist as Jephtha, as well as the eminent Belgian choir Collegium Vocale Gent, all backed up by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. At the helm of these large forces is Fabio Biondi, the Baroque violinist and conductor who since 2005 has been artistic director of the Stavanger orchestra in the baroque and classical repertoires.

The four cantatas of Volume 21 were written earlier in the year––No. 190 for New Year’s Day, No. 65 for Epiphany, No. 81 for the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, and No. 83 for Candelmas (the feast of the Purification of the Virgin). BWV 65 is a splendid cantata, richly scored with pairs of corni da caccia, oboes da caccia, and recorders (in addition to the usual strings and continuo), as befits a commemoration of the arrival of the three kings. In addition to the brilliant opening chorus, there is a memorable aria for tenor. In Cantatas 81 and 83, the chorus is limited to the concluding chorales, the narrative being carried forth in arias for alto, tenor, and bass. The men’s arias in BWV 81 deal with raging waters, but in the bass aria, Jesus’s command for the sea to subside does not result in a corresponding calming of the musical argument. The New Year’s cantata, BWV 190, is––or should be––even more resplendent than No. 65, calling for three trumpets (with kettledrums), three oboes, and an oboe d’amore. Unfortunately, the surviving score is even more compromised than that of BWV 59––to the extent that Harnoncourt and Leonhardt omitted it from their series. For the BIS series, however, Suzuki includes a first movement reconstructed by his son, Masato, and a second movement of his own devising. For interested listeners, a detailed description of the process is included in the notes. Purists, of course, can skip the reconstructed movements, but it seems unlikely that most listeners will want to do so after hearing them.

Some general notes: after Maestro Suzuki himself, the closest thing to a constant in the series remains Peter Kooij’s steady bass. The leading soprano is now Yukari Nonoshita, whose clear, near white tone is entirely appropriate for Bach’s music. Tenors come and go; note that four different tenors, all satisfactory, appear on these four discs. Suzuki continues to alternate between male or female altos depending on the specific task at hand. The soloists participate in the chorus but do not sing alone. Western names have become quite rare in the list of performers, with Japanese musicians handling most parts, vocal and instrumental, with their by-now-accustomed excellence. The notes remain exemplary, but Klaus Hofmann now shares that task with Suzuki, whose function is generally to explain his decisions regarding problems with the performing editions. As always, BIS’s recordings are first-rate.

I thought I detected a hint of fatigue when I got to Cantata 83, but wasn’t sure whether to attribute it to a harried composer or a hyperactive interpreter––or to an ear-weary listener. Frankly, it may well have been the third. At any rate, everyone seemed to have revived by the time I got to Volume 22 and the second cycle. Of course, I’m going to urge interested listeners to acquire [this disc]. Bach and Suzuki are still one of the best tandems going.

-- George Chien, FANFARE - FANFARE

Composers do not usually make conscious choices about the music they write: they write in accordance with the talents given to them. For this reason I do not write complex or experimental music: I have no gift for such things. Instead, my music is lyrical, rhythmic, economical, clear cut in texture and, as far as I can make it, direct of utterance. This incisive assessment by Georffrey Bush of his own output is indicative of his lucidity on the printed page as well as on the stave, both accomplishments the result of a compulsive urge to communicate effectively. (Geoffrey Bush) Though composition was foremost among his many gifts, Bush was something of an all-rounder. He performed as both pianist and organist, made regular broadcasts for the BBC and was also a successful writer. His eminently readable guide to music, Musical Creation and the Listener, first appeared in 1954. His wide-ranging catalogue includes music for the stage, choral works, church music, orchestral pieces, chamber music and songs. Of his two symphonies, the first, which has at its core an elegiac blues in memory of Constant Lambert, was premiered at the Cheltenham Festival in 1954 and performed at the Proms four years later, whilst the second, subtitled "The Guildford", was commissioned for the 700th anniversary of the City of Guildford in 1957. He wrote a number of works for chamber orchestra in which his understanding of the intimacy and inherent reciprocity of the medium resulted in scores that are eloquent and conversational, epitomising his credo quoted at the head of these notes.

Includes waltz(es) by Johannes Brahms.
Includes work(s) by various composers.

Gershwin began work on An American in Paris in the spring of 1928 and it's premi�re by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Walter Damrosch took place later that year on 13 th December in Carnegie Hall (three years earlier in the same venue Damrosch had conducted the first performance of Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F). In this hugely popular one-movement symphonic poem, whose colorful orchestration includes four saxophones and several taxi horns, the composer intended 'to portray the impressions of an American visitor in Paris as he strolls about the city, listens to the various street noises and absorbs the French atmosphere'. The melancholic blues theme announced by the solo trumpet, suggesting a sudden bout of homesickness on the part of the protagonist, is one of the finest Gershwin wrote. Following the premi�re in Boston's Symphony Hall of his Second Rhapsody, conducted by Serge Koussevitsky on 29 th January 1932, Gershwin and several friends took a two-week holiday in Havana. The composer, fascinated by the small Cuban dance orchestras with their novel rhythms and unusual percussion instruments such as guiros, maracas, claves and bongos, was inspired to write the Cuban Overture. He orchestrated the work between 1 st and 9 th August 1932, completing it just a week before the first All-Gershwin Concert at the Lewisohn Stadium in New York, an open-air concert attended by some 18,000 people which was, according to the composer, 'the most exciting night I have ever had'. Cast in Gershwin's characteristic fast-slow-fast form, he wrote that he had 'endeavored to combine the Cuban rhythms with my original thematic material. The result is a symphonic overture which embodies the essence of Cuban dance'. Gershwin's magnum opus, the three-act opera Porgy and Bess, was written to a libretto by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin. Based on Heyward's novel Porgy about life among the black inhabitants of Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, the opera was started in late February 1934 and the seven hundred page full score was completed in September 1935. Heyward memorably described the idiosyncratic working methods of the Gershwin brothers, who 'would get at the piano, pound, wrangle, swear, burst into weird snatches of song, and eventually emerge with a polished lyric'. It numbers amongst it's classic songs 'Summertime', 'I Loves You, Porgy' and 'It Ain't Necessarily So'. The orchestral suite heard on this recording, the Symphonic Picture from Porgy and Bess arranged by Robert Russell Bennett, has become the standard version since it's premi�re in 1943, this despite the fact that Gershwin made his own arrangement in 1936. Evidently long forgotten about by the time Bennett made his arrangement, Gershwin's suite was retitled Catfish Row by Ira when it was rediscovered in 1958. The opera, a commercial and critical failure at the time, is now recognized as one of the greatest achievements of twentieth-century American music.

Following Caesar’s assassination, Mark Antony has reached the heights of power. Now he has neglected his empire for a life of decadent seduction with his mistress, Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. Torn between love and duty, Antony’s military brilliance deserts him, and his passion leads the lovers to their tragic end. This production by the Royal Shakespeare Company, featuring Josette Simon as Cleopatra and Antony Byrne as mark Antony and directed by Iqbal Khan, was greatly praised by critics. “Richly textured, with big saucy acting.” (Daily Mail) “This Antony & Cleopatra is the best I’ve ever seen.” (Evening Standard) Extra features include interviews with Josette Simon, Antony Byrne & Ben Allen, and Laura Mvula's commentary, "Making music for the stage." Director Iqbal Khan also gives commentary.

Bob James-Grammy Award-winning Jazz keyboardist, arranger, record producer, record executive, and founding member of Fourplay, returns with a new album, Espresso, his first solo-led project in 12 years. Album tunes, penned by James, reflect the same inventiveness and musical fluency that persuaded Quincy Joines to become his mentor and champion back in 1963. His expressiveness through both writing and performance permeates the rocking minor-key blues of "Bulgogi," the definitive cool jazz of "Topside," the funk strut of "Submarine," the whispered beauty of "Promenade," the turbulent, more complex yet supremely listenable "Mojito Ride" and every other moment on Espresso. The Bob James Trio is complete with drummer Billy Kilson and bassist Michael Palazzolo. This MQA (Master Quality Authentication) CD plays back on all CD players. When a conventional CD player is connected to an MQA-enabled device, the CD will reveal the original master quality. MQA is an award-winning technology that delivers the sound of the studio. MQA presents music at the original studio performance quality, giving the listener the incredible experience of being right there in the studio.

Born out of a meeting between Philip Glass and flutist James Strauss in 2011, Venezuelan Elegy is a celebration of the artistic sprit. Despite being a flutist by training, Glass has not written extensively for 'his' instrument. Strauss always wanted to perform Glass's music, so he wrote his own arrangements of several Glass compositions. Strauss moved to Venezuela right as political troubles were coming to a head. For him, this recording was a chance showcase great musicians who found themselves in the midst of a collapsing government.

“These heartfelt works are ideally suited to the open, expressive richness of the St John's, Cambridge choir. 'A Sad Pavan for these distracted times' is one of three pieces played by organ scholar Freddie James – a name to watch.” – The Observer (UK)

[T]ruly sumptuous. Although the standout solos sound as young as you would expect from a group of undergraduates, corporately there is the strongly identifiable John's sound of adult professional choir in microcosm. The John's acoustics, too, are particularly good for this music because they buoy up, warm and upholster the sound of the choir.

– Gramophone [10/2014]

A deeply complex character, Booker only released two studio albums in his lifetime. However, Classified-his unintended swan song-offers one of his greatest commercially-released performances. Recorded in 1982, it is primarily the result of a whirlwind, four-hour session. In addition to several originals, the album includes a jaunty repertoire of mainly local fare, including Fats Domino's "One for the Highway" and Lloyd Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy". Remixed and remastered audio. Vinyl housed in single-pocket jacket.

At its première in June 1969 Shostakovich described his Symphony No. 14, in effect a symphonic song cycle, ‘a fight for the liberation of humanity…a great protest against death, a reminder to live one’s life honestly, decently, nobly…’ Originally intending to write an oratorio, Shostakovich set eleven poems on the theme of mortality, and in particular early or unjust death, for two solo singers accompanied by strings and percussion. This is the penultimate release in Vasily Petrenko’s internationally acclaimed symphonic cycle.

Bob James' first "best-of" gets the job done right: 2 CDs with 27 tracks from 17 albums spanning more than 25 years! Disc one includes his 1974 hit Feel Like Making Love; his famous Taxi theme, Angela; funky, much-sampled tracks like Westchester Lady and Night Crawler, and more. Disc two features his collaborations with David Sanborn, Earl Klugh, Grover Washington, Jr. And many others. Pianist-composer Bob James has been a mainstay on the contemporary jazz scene from the early '70s to today. His bell-like electric piano sound made him a radio favorite and a Grammy Award winner. This two-CD set contains James's greatest hits. There are the hip-hop sampled, snappy CTI label smashes like "Nautilus" and "Westchester Lady," as well as the plaintive "Touchdown" and the popular "Angela (The Theme from Taxi)" from his Columbia Records days. But there's also "Hockney" and the classical work, "Farandole," which showcase his beautiful acoustic jazz piano sound and his overlooked arranging skills. This compendium includes a multitude of sideman and collaborators, including Hubert Laws, Jon Faddis, Earl Klugh, Ron Carter, and David Sanborn. "Brighton by the Sea" with Grover Washington Jr. (originally appearing on James's H album), is rhythmically revamped with a zesty 21st-century drum & bass remix, showing that the music of Bob James is melodic, moving, and modern.

This fine disc makes a superb introduction to Frank Bridge's orchestral music. The performance of Enter Spring has greater clarity and rhythmic spring than Richard Hickox's recent Chandos version, and in The Sea, James Judd offers the most exciting finale on CD. In the first movement, though, Charles Groves' interpretation (EMI) remains the most focused and shapely of phrase. The two shorter works, the impressionistic Summer and the charming Two Poems, have plenty of atmosphere and spirit. The New Zealand Symphony's lean sonority suits the music well--Bridge never was much given to Romantic fuzziness--and Naxos provides clean, impactful sonics. If I don't have much else to say it's because there's no need to. This is simply well conducted, well played, and well recorded, and an excellent bargain. [9/9/2004]--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Also available on Blu-ray

World Premiere recording on Video! Church corruption, human violence and a daughter who plots revenge on her abusive father – Goldschmidt’s Beatrice Cenci has every ingredient for a gripping opera. At Bregenz, Johannes Erath brought Beatrice Cenci on stage for the first time. Although written 70 years ago, “one musically quickly associates Puccini or other Romantics“ (Neue Zurcher Zeitung), underlined by Goldschmidt´s own words, saying it became a real “Belcanto-Opera”. “Johannes Debus conducts the Wiener Symphoniker with true feeling for the score“. ”In the title role, Gal James is moving“ and ”the baritone Christoph Pohl has all the vocal charisma.” (The Telegraph). A “brilliantly focused staging of a neglected work“ (The Telegraph), a “great, wonderful evening“ (Deutschlandfunk Kultur).

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REVIEW:

Goldschmidt set out to write a latterday bel canto work, and his vocal lines are certainly always singable, over orchestral writing that references Mahler, Busoni and Schreker as well as standard 19th-century operatic models. The Bregenz cast, led by Gal James as Beatrice, with Dshamilja Kaiser as her stepmother Lucrezia and Christoph Pohl as the swaggering, monstrous Francisco Cenci, complete with diamante codpiece, is a very decent one, and Johannes Debus makes sure that Goldschmidt’s whirling, churning orchestral writing gets the attention it deserves.

– Guardian

LIVE AT THE MET

Lise Davidsen / James Baillieu - "Live at The Met" / On September 14, 2023, Lise Davidsen became one of the youngest singers ever invited to give a solo recital at the Metropolitan Opera, a house with which she has a very special relationship: "I consider the Met my second home, " she says, "but that doesn't mean one will be asked for something so special as this, so I was very touched when Peter asked me." With pianist James Baillieu, Lise performed a program including highlights from her Met roles, as well as a variety of song literature, plus some lighter pieces from the world of operetta and musical theater. Peter Gelb (General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera) believes Lise Davidsen is "the greatest Wagnerian talent since Birgit Nilsson and Kirsten Flagstad. Her voice in the Met's luxurious acoustics sounds extraordinary, with incredible beauty but amazing power." Although still in her thirties, "she's the consummate artist."

Saxophone master James Carter makes his Blue Note debut with James Carter Organ Trio: Live From Newport Jazz-his first new release since 2011. A soulfully robust dispatch from America's most storied jazz festival, it's also a follow-up of sorts to his acclaimed 2000 album Chasin' the Gypsy that The New Yorker called "an alternately reverent and audacious tribute to the Belgian swing-guitar legend Django Reinhardt. It may be the rambunctious saxophone player's recorded masterpiece."