Cespo, Gardel, Gardelin & Villoldo: Porteno - Works for Tuba
Haenssler Classic
CD
$10.49$20.99Save 50%Jun 07, 2024
Duo Compagni, comprising of tuba and piano, was established during the course of this CD production and has been touring internationally ever since. The duo performs new compositions and arrangements of works from all over the world. Their focus is on sound design and the musical joy of playing, which unites the pianist Susanne Endres and myself as solo tuba players. The tuba is no longer to be underestimated as a solo instrument. This has also been recognised by the German State Music Councils, who have named the tuba as the instrument of the year 2024, a fact that also inspired me to use this as an opportunity to produce this CD. (Siegfried Jung)
Dusan Bogdanovic, an award-winning guitarist who gave his highly acclaimed debut recital at Carnegie Hall in 1977, has been described by Guitar Review Magazine as 'a composer of masterful craft with a genuine clarity and purity of vision'. Bogdanovic sees this recording as a 'multidimensional diary' of his works from 1977 to 2024, from the Balkan folk influences of the early Sonata No. 1 via the jazz and world music of his middle period, to the emotional and spiritual reconciliation of joy and sorrow in Lux et umbra, a work dedicated to guitarist Daniela Rossi.
This new recording by pianist Matthieu Idmtal shines a fresh light on the piano sonatas of Joseph Haydn, revealing a composer of boundless imagination, wit, warmth and emotional depth. Far from the often predictable image of Classical elegance, these works unfold as vibrant musical conversations filled with surprise, humour, tenderness and dramatic intensity. Especially in the hands of Idmtal who is a refined piano poet! Drawn to Haydn's music during a deeply personal and reflective period, he discovered in these sonatas a source of comfort and renewal - 'a balm for the soul, an antidote to melancholy.' Through four carefully chosen sonatas, he invites listeners into Haydn's endlessly inventive world. Recorded at the outstanding Westvest90 studio in Schiedam, The Netherlands - renowned for it's exceptional acoustics and warm, natural sound - this album captures both the intimacy and theatrical energy of Haydn's music with remarkable clarity and depth. Idmtal's sensitive and deeply personal interpretations bring new life to these masterpieces, from the sparkling wit of the late sonatas to the darker, near-Beethovenian intensity of the Sonata in B minor. The result is a recording that not only celebrates Haydn's genius, but also reaffirms the timeless joy, humanity and emotional richness at the heart of his music.
Offenbach goes Hollywood: Mariame Clement's production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann transforms ist titular character into a storyteller of a different kind. The different acts, which are based on short stories by E.T.A. Hoffmann, take the audience on a journey through the world of cinema, from a 70s sci-fi flick over a costume drama to a feverish experimental sequence. The three love interests Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta are portrayed by American soprano Kathryn Lewek, who "impresses with brilliantly assertive coloratura, melting cantilenas and pulsating drama" (Drehpunktkultur). At the centre of this tragic tale of unrequited love is Hoffmann himself, stepping into the role of a script writer and film director in this production. The incredibly charismatic Benjamin Bernheim "splendidly cele brates the invasive tragedy of his character. Sound, expression and presence could not be better combined" (Der Standard). Kate Lindsey, who portrays the muse disguised as Hoffmann's friend Niklausse is a joy to watch and listen to as she "absorbs Clement's energy of ideas and gilds her vocal tour de force with scenic exuberance" (Der Standard). An opera evening that spans the emotional spectrum from hilarious comedy to deeply felt heartbreak.
Professor Eddie Lusk mastered the keyboards while still in his teens at his father's south side church. That enduring spiritual base remained at the heart of the Professor's blues until his tragic 1992 passing at the age of 43. While he played with numerous blues and soul greats (Junior Wells, Z.Z. Hill, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor, Syl Johnson, the Soul Stirrers), Professor Strut was his only American release under his own leadership. (Previously deleted:6/1/05. Original release date:8/16/93)"Makes US see, even feel, the passion, joy and intensity of the blues. It is these uninhibited images that the unique vitality of the Chicago blues world shines through". - Rolling Stone.
With Roots, his first Warner Classics album, violinist Nemanja Radulovic draws on a diversity of cultures in a musical tour of the world. Roots has it's roots in the pandemic. "Throughout this period I had the time to think profoundly about music... When the lockdown started I tried to create music, tried to practise, but I couldn't." As a listener, the music that really made Serbian-born Nemanja feel alive - in addition to Mozart - was music that reflected the traditions of it's place of origin. "I realised how much music could connect people, through it's sheer joy," he says. "I realised that there was one thing I could offer to a world that lockdowns had forced behind new borders. And that was to reconnect it all through music... through world music, which is the basis of classical music." He takes his journey in the company of his own ensemble, Double Sens, whose members come from both France and the Balkans. "The pieces selected for this album are very personal. My wish is that each of you discovers a world without borders through this music."
Johnathan Blake, one of the most in-demand drummers of his generation, hasdone stellar work as a member of the Tom Harrell Quintet, the Mingus Big Band, the Kenny Barron Trio and many others. Having brought his fire and agility to two Criss Cross sessions by trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, Blake now offers his first Criss Cross album as a leader, Gone, But Not Forgotten.The lineup is sparse but tremendously explosive - how could it not be, with evolving tenor saxophone masters Mark Turner and Chris Potter paired alongside Ben Street on bass.As the title suggests, Gone, But Not Forgotten takes inspiration from greats in the jazz world who are no longer with us. That can be a somber subject, but Blake and his quartet convey a sense of the unbridled joy and invention that marks jazz improvisation at his highest levels. Such is the lesson taught by the departed players Blake has chosen to honor: Charles Fambrough, Trudy Pitts, Sid Simmons, Cedar Walton, Jim Hall, Mulgrew Miller, Paul Motian, Frank Foster, Frank Wess and Eddie Harris.
Step into the world of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's timeless chamber music, masterfully brought to life by the Goldmund Quartet. This album captures the emotional breadth of Mendelssohn's compositions-from the youthful passion of his String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13 to the profound grief of the String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80, written after the loss of his sister. The Goldmund Quartet's nuanced interpretation also shines in their adaptation of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, where joy, reflection, and romantic melancholy are seamlessly expressed through their exquisite string playing. Celebrated for their technical brilliance and heartfelt sensitivity, the Goldmund Quartet invites you to rediscover Mendelssohn's music-a journey through love, loss, and hope that bridges the past and the present.
Viguela have been dedicated to traditional music from the center of the Iberian Peninsula for thirty years. In 2014 Viguela began reviewing their own approach to the interpretation of traditional music, taking a step further in recovering their archaic musical language- focusing on the person's interpretation and musicality rather than techniques taught at academies. They perform not only at renowned festivals such as WOMAD in 2017 but also on the streets of Spain. As a 100% acoustic band, Viguela can bring their street "ronda" to any place and sing to your public face to face. "... one of the greatest folk groups from the heart of Spain... " (World Music Central) "... Filled with creativity, optimism and joy." (Folkways) "... Full of reality, human presence, intensity- musically and technically perfect." (Mazurkas of the World Festival)
Vinyl LP pressing. The legendary NYC jazz club Birdland was sacred ground for drummer Art Blakey who recorded 3 live albums for Blue Note at the venue between 1954-1960: A Night at Birdland, At the Jazz Corner of the World, and Meet You at the Jazz Corner of the World. This last date featured one of the greatest lineups of Blakey's powerhouse outfit The Jazz Messengers with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass.
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in deluxe tip-on jacket. The brilliant arranger, composer, and pianist Gil Evans had already collaborated with Miles Davis on Birth of the Cool and Miles Ahead and made his own debut album Gil Evans & Ten for Prestige when he signed with World Pacific Records in 1958 and made the first of two albums for the label: New Bottle Old Wine with featured soloist Cannonball Adderley. The next year Evans was back in the studio to record the follow-up Great Jazz Standards with two different ensembles featuring the likes of trumpeter Johnny Coles, trombonists Curtis Fuller and Jimmy Cleveland, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy, tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Budd Johnson, guitarist Ray Crawford, drummer Elvin Jones, and others. As the title promises, the album presents a program of great jazz standards leading off with Bix Beiderbecke's "Davenport Blues," a showcase for Coles, before launching into a shimmering version of Thelonious Monk's "Straight No Chaser" where Coles, Lacy, Fuller, and Evans all get the spotlight. A stunning presentation of Fran Landesman and Tommy Wolf's "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" and a no-nonsense take on Clifford Brown's "Joy Spring" close out the first side. On the flipside, John Lewis' "Django" gets an impressionistic arrangement full of surprises, while a modernistic version of Don Redman's "Chant of the Weed" is a solo vehicle for Johnson's clarinet. The album culminates with a soaring performance of the Evans original "Theme," later known as "La Nevada." Mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes.
After receiving four Grammy nominations for his highly successful series of recordings that "latinize" the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Horace Silver, Conrad Herwig turns his attention to the legendary Charles Mingus. An imposing figure in jazz, Mingus was known for being complicated, volatile and a touched-by-genius innovator. As an homage to this influential artist, Conrad Herwig provides a fiery excursion into the world of Afro-Caribbean rhythms skillfully applied to Mingus' wildly imaginative compositions. Joining Herwig is special guest trumpeter Randy Brecker together with long-time "Latin Side" band colleagues pianist Bill O'Connell, reedman Craig Handy and the trumpet/flugelhorn of Alex Sipiagin with the rhythm section of Luques Curtis, Robby Ameen and Camilo Molina. Collectively they bring a vibrant spirit and authority to this repertoire which is unique among today's salsa ensembles. Featured tunes run the gamut from the thoughtful and intimate "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love" to the unbridled joy of "Boogie Stop Shuffle" with the somewhat lop-sided introduction to the opening track, "Gunslinging Bird," being the perfect harbinger of things to come. This latest installment in Conrad Herwig's "Latin Side" series pays tribute to the work of Charles Mingus with progressive arrangements, propulsive rhythms, exciting solos and the consummate musicianship of the leader and his bandmates.
