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Schoenberg: Violin Concerto, A Survivor From Warsaw, Etc / Craft, Schulte
Naxos · Oct 2008CD$19.99 -
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- Roswell Rudd: Keep Your Heart Right
- Ray Anderson: Marching on, Blues for John Lewis
- Ellington: Just Squeeze Me
- Ray Anderson: Early Morning in the Andersonorious Jungle
- Coltrane: Equinox
- Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain, Pierre Norman: You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
- Ray Anderson: Choppers
- Ray Anderson: The Sisyphus Effect
- Mancini, H: Moon River
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![Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](//arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1745613.jpg?v=1790028221&width=800)
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![Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](//arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/512sqm_Ro6L.jpg?v=1790028221&width=800)
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![Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](//arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1745613.jpg?v=1790028221&width=400)
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Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Bruckner & Debussy / Klemperer
ICA Classics · Nov 2017CD$44.99 -
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Malipiero: Violin Concertos & Per una favola cavalleresca / Symphonic Orchestra of Rome
Naxos · Jun 2022CD$19.99 -
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Reznicek: Symphony No 1 "tragic", Etc / Beerman, Prudenskaja, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt
CPO · Jan 2009CD$18.99 -
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Schoenberg: Violin Concerto, A Survivor From Warsaw, Etc / Craft, Schulte
Naxos
CD
$19.99
Oct 28, 2008
A fascinating collection of music by one of the 20th century greats.
This latest instalment in the Naxos Robert Craft series contains a mixture of newly recorded items and one work, the Violin Concerto, that has already appeared on Koch Classics in 2000. Comprising largely music composed during the last ten years of Schoenberg’s life, the disc also reflects to a large extent the émigré composer’s preoccupation with his Jewish heritage as his life drew to a close.
The disc opens with the powerful Survivor from Warsaw, Schoenberg’s moving response to a Nazi atrocity in the Second World War. Schoenberg gave this a universal significance by playing down the Warsaw location and concentrating instead on the atrocity itself, an incident in which weak, elderly and starved Jews were systematically liquidated by the Nazi cohorts, and one that was repeated time and again throughout the war. This work had huge personal significance to the composer, as he wrote in 1948:
“Now, what the text of the Survivor means to me: it means at first a warning to all Jews, never to forget what has been done to us, never to forget that even people who did not do it themselves, agreed with them and many of them found it necessary to treat us this way. We should never forget this, even such things have not been done in the manner in which I describe in the Survivor. This does not matter. The main thing is, that I saw it in my imagination.”
If memory serves, Craft has recorded this before, with Simon Callow as narrator, but this is a new version with David Wilson-Johnson and the Philharmonia. While the choral and orchestral contribution make their mark under Craft’s watchful baton, I have heard performances of the narration which were more vividly re-enacted than that by Wilson-Johnson. In particular the delineation of the different episodes in the story and of its various characters, from the prisoners to the German sergeant, could have been more sharply defined. This is a work which demands commitment and involvement over accuracy to the score. However the final chorus makes an overwhelming effect. In the same 1948 letter Schoenberg wrote. “The Shema Jisroel at the end has a special meaning to me. I think, the Shema Jisroel is the ‘Glaubensbekenntnis,’ the confession of the Jew. It is our thinking of the one, eternal, God who is invisible, who forbids imitation, who forbids to make a picture and all these things, which you perhaps have realised when you read my Moses und Aron und Der biblische Weg [Moses and Aaron and the Biblical Way]. The miracle is, to me, that all these people who might have forgotten, for years, that they are Jews, suddenly facing death, remember who they are.”
The Prelude to Genesis was written as part of the same commission from the composer and publisher Nathaniel Shilkret that resulted in Stravinsky’s miniature cantata Babel. Schoenberg’s was one of a series of works written to reflect various events in the Book of Genesis. Other music featured in this unusual project included Cain and Abel by Milhaud; The Flood by Castelnuovo-Tedesco and The Covenant by Ernst Toch. Bartok, Hindemith and Prokofiev were also approached but did not contribute in the event. Schoenberg’s Prelude, a twentieth-century “Representation of Chaos”, begins with fugal entries representing the moment of creation itself and includes a wordless chorus whose unaccompanied vocalise brings the piece to a rather unexpected conclusion. (See reviews of the complete composite work by Jonathan Woolf and Rob Barnett).
Dreimal Tausend Jahre and Psalm 130 are Schoenberg’s final works. Providing a further reminder of his Jewish faith, here the music represents a distillation of his life’s work. Passages of quasi-tonality alternate with angular 12-tone themes and sprechgesang. Excellent performances and recordings.
We move to New York briefly for the recording of Ode to Napoleon, in which David Wilson-Johnson is joined by the Fred Sherry Quartet and pianist Jeremy Denk. This setting of Byron, whose poem pulled no punches in its condemnation of the French emperor, also served as a pertinent condemnation of Hitler during the Second World War. Of his decision to compose the piece, Schoenberg wrote: “I knew it was the moral duty of intelligentsia to take a stand against tyranny.” First performed at Carnegie Hall by Mack Harrell and Rodzinski in an orchestral version which was later abandoned, Schoenberg attempted to ensure the dramatic values of the work were given full rein by notating precisely the rhythms and dynamic of the spoken text. The performance is first-rate.
Finally, to the main work on the disc, the 1936 Violin Concerto. On its original appearance Rolf Schulte’s coolly accurate performance of Schoenberg’s work was generally much admired, supported as it was by the analytical clarity of Craft’s conducting and the well-balanced sound. Accurate and involved in the opening movement, Schulte is affectionate in the central Andante grazioso, and he and Craft even manage to create genuine Brahmsian warmth as the movement progresses, followed by exuberance in the closing Alla Marcia. However Hilary Hahn’s recent performances and recording have added a new dimension to our understanding of this challenging piece. Hahn brings a warmth and romanticism to the concerto, and perhaps ultimately a sheer love of the music, which Shulte and Craft do not quite match. But it’s a close run thing, and some may prefer the cooler approach on this disc. Certainly in terms of sound there’s not much to choose between them.
A fascinating collection of music by one of the twentieth century greats, performed by one of his most eloquent advocates. Don’t miss it.
Ewan McCormick, MusicWeb International
Marching On / Ray Anderson
Double Moon Records
CD
$16.99
Oct 28, 2022
A trombone solo album is not exactly an everyday commodity, because the instrument is considered somewhat bulky, unwieldy and grumpy. In the hand of a master like Ray Anderson, however, one wonders how these prejudices could have come about, because he simply makes music with the trombone. "I've had this idea in my head since I started playing solo concerts in 1982," Ray Anderson recalled. "Anthony Braxton recorded the solo record ‘For Alto’ in 1969, where the challenge of playing an instrument alone without accompaniment is particularly interesting. So why not on the trombone too? Albert Mangelsdorff has recorded beautiful solo albums, and that by George Lewis is also very inspiring.”
CONTENTS:
REVIEW:
Trombonist Ray Anderson draws on New Orleans parade traditions, Chicago street smarts, New York assertiveness and a lifetime of often challenging experiences to provide this enriching album.
-- Downbeat
Lord: Durham Concerto / Damev, Lord, Et Al
Avie Records
CD
$19.99
Jan 01, 2008
The playing throughout is sensitive and glowing in this meditative and glistening work that recalls Vaughan Williams and Hovhaness.
The composer Jon Lord rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of Deep Purple. Celebrity collaborations between the group and Malcolm Arnold included Concerto for Group and Orchestra written and scored by John Lord and conducted by Malcolm Arnold. Lord has over the intervening years increasingly extended his reputation into the classical field. The Durham Concerto is the latest and most ambitious example to date. In this he is not alone, witness the various classical pieces by Paul McCartney - the latest being Ecce Cor Meum and the orchestral work Seven by Tony Banks of Genesis – a work recorded on Naxos. All are individual in their own way but a sign that some musicians with a rock-popular reputation felt the siren call of classical eternity even if we ignore the blurring of ‘boundaries’ represented by the work of Frank Zappa, Soft Machine and Tangerine Dream.
At the most meagre level this is a beautifully packaged delightful musical souvenir of Durham University's 175th anniversary in 2007. The concept might remind you of John Scott’s Colchester Symphony but this is in fact a seriously-intentioned extended orchestral suite of six movements grouped in pairs.
At the start long-held Tallis-like string chords speak out of the mists of antiquity. This is music that takes a slow-shifting shading from Hovhaness. The glistening murmur forms a backdrop to meditative solos from the wind instruments. Then at 3.10 comes Ruth Palmer's Lark-like violin solo speaking as a fragile human voice against the downward remorseless tread of time. Given the accent of this first movement it is some surprise that Lord was not among those pop-contemporary world musicians interviewed for Tony Palmer’s recent RVW film-biography. As this movement, entitled Cathedral at Dawn, rises to its peak it is the notable ecstasy of Vaughan Williams that is most closely echoed.
The composer's Hammond organ is featured in four of the six movements. It ushers in the second (Durham Awakes) with its atmospheric solo for Northumbrian Pipes. The pipes are played by that doyenne of the instrument Kathryn Tickell. Matthew Barley's solo cello acts as orator and encourager in this Copland-inflected music but ancient and melancholically serene voices from the Pipes – unable to escape celtic connections - and the solo violin are there too. The Hammond also intercedes at several points. This movement proves a fine example of the successful interweave of pipes, cello and violin.
Those first two movements form Part 1: Morning. Then comes Afternoon in the shape of another two movements. The first reflects the spiritual journey of St Cuthbert and the physical journey of his mortal remains to interment in the Cathedral. It communicates as a slow revelatory sunset much in the same atmosphere as the Dawn. This is followed by the equally introspective, cello-led From Prebends Bridge. Here the composer had in mind the view from the Bridge and the innumerable people who have stood and taken in that view down a thousand years.
The cello solo once or twice seems rather meandering before it gathers itself for a more direct and emotionally hard-hitting address. The music here reminded me of the Elgar concerto, Rubbra's Soliloquy and Holst's Invocation. Then comes a much needed rowdy movement in which students on a rag day and a miners gala meet head on. The brassy whoops here reminded me of Arnold. Again Lord's Hammond is to the fore, lending dynamism to its usual watery discourse - it's the nature of the instrument. There's plenty of forward pulse here and the orchestra have fun with the pizzicato writing. The Arnold accent appears strongly at 4:12 onwards with something of the Commonwealth Christmas Overture to be heard as well as a nicely burred and brassy Gaudeamus Igitur at 6:21. History takes hold again at the end of the movement and those sustained string chords reassert the long view. The Pipes invoke the sorrowing melancholy of heritage morphing without break into the long meditative finale: Durham Nocturne.
I hope we will hear more of Lord's classical compositions including the suite for strings, Disguises (2004) and the piano concerto Boom of the Tingling Strings (2003). Both are due out from EMI later in 2008. What else remains to be recorded?
The concept of the present piece and the use of an 'ethnic' instrument recall, as an idea, Shaun Davey's works – especially The Relief of Derry Symphony and The Brendan Voyage.
The playing throughout the Durham Concerto is sensitive and glowing with much accomplished and thoughtful work for the solo instruments. The recording produces an almost tangible effect without embracing an in-your-face pop balance.
Here is an extended work of continuity across six substantial movements. The predominant meditative character will instantly mesh with those who love John Barry’s Beyondness of Things, Tavener and Vaughan Williams.
-- Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International
The composer Jon Lord rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of Deep Purple. Celebrity collaborations between the group and Malcolm Arnold included Concerto for Group and Orchestra written and scored by John Lord and conducted by Malcolm Arnold. Lord has over the intervening years increasingly extended his reputation into the classical field. The Durham Concerto is the latest and most ambitious example to date. In this he is not alone, witness the various classical pieces by Paul McCartney - the latest being Ecce Cor Meum and the orchestral work Seven by Tony Banks of Genesis – a work recorded on Naxos. All are individual in their own way but a sign that some musicians with a rock-popular reputation felt the siren call of classical eternity even if we ignore the blurring of ‘boundaries’ represented by the work of Frank Zappa, Soft Machine and Tangerine Dream.
At the most meagre level this is a beautifully packaged delightful musical souvenir of Durham University's 175th anniversary in 2007. The concept might remind you of John Scott’s Colchester Symphony but this is in fact a seriously-intentioned extended orchestral suite of six movements grouped in pairs.
At the start long-held Tallis-like string chords speak out of the mists of antiquity. This is music that takes a slow-shifting shading from Hovhaness. The glistening murmur forms a backdrop to meditative solos from the wind instruments. Then at 3.10 comes Ruth Palmer's Lark-like violin solo speaking as a fragile human voice against the downward remorseless tread of time. Given the accent of this first movement it is some surprise that Lord was not among those pop-contemporary world musicians interviewed for Tony Palmer’s recent RVW film-biography. As this movement, entitled Cathedral at Dawn, rises to its peak it is the notable ecstasy of Vaughan Williams that is most closely echoed.
The composer's Hammond organ is featured in four of the six movements. It ushers in the second (Durham Awakes) with its atmospheric solo for Northumbrian Pipes. The pipes are played by that doyenne of the instrument Kathryn Tickell. Matthew Barley's solo cello acts as orator and encourager in this Copland-inflected music but ancient and melancholically serene voices from the Pipes – unable to escape celtic connections - and the solo violin are there too. The Hammond also intercedes at several points. This movement proves a fine example of the successful interweave of pipes, cello and violin.
Those first two movements form Part 1: Morning. Then comes Afternoon in the shape of another two movements. The first reflects the spiritual journey of St Cuthbert and the physical journey of his mortal remains to interment in the Cathedral. It communicates as a slow revelatory sunset much in the same atmosphere as the Dawn. This is followed by the equally introspective, cello-led From Prebends Bridge. Here the composer had in mind the view from the Bridge and the innumerable people who have stood and taken in that view down a thousand years.
The cello solo once or twice seems rather meandering before it gathers itself for a more direct and emotionally hard-hitting address. The music here reminded me of the Elgar concerto, Rubbra's Soliloquy and Holst's Invocation. Then comes a much needed rowdy movement in which students on a rag day and a miners gala meet head on. The brassy whoops here reminded me of Arnold. Again Lord's Hammond is to the fore, lending dynamism to its usual watery discourse - it's the nature of the instrument. There's plenty of forward pulse here and the orchestra have fun with the pizzicato writing. The Arnold accent appears strongly at 4:12 onwards with something of the Commonwealth Christmas Overture to be heard as well as a nicely burred and brassy Gaudeamus Igitur at 6:21. History takes hold again at the end of the movement and those sustained string chords reassert the long view. The Pipes invoke the sorrowing melancholy of heritage morphing without break into the long meditative finale: Durham Nocturne.
I hope we will hear more of Lord's classical compositions including the suite for strings, Disguises (2004) and the piano concerto Boom of the Tingling Strings (2003). Both are due out from EMI later in 2008. What else remains to be recorded?
The concept of the present piece and the use of an 'ethnic' instrument recall, as an idea, Shaun Davey's works – especially The Relief of Derry Symphony and The Brendan Voyage.
The playing throughout the Durham Concerto is sensitive and glowing with much accomplished and thoughtful work for the solo instruments. The recording produces an almost tangible effect without embracing an in-your-face pop balance.
Here is an extended work of continuity across six substantial movements. The predominant meditative character will instantly mesh with those who love John Barry’s Beyondness of Things, Tavener and Vaughan Williams.
-- Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International
LITTLE BROTHER MONTGOMERY
GHB JAZZ FOUNDATION
CD
$13.86
Jun 17, 2008
A solo studio session recorded during a 1972 European tour by Blues/Jazz pianist Little Brother. In between songs he talks about his life, music and the tunes he plays on this release. Brother was a notable influence to the likes of Sunnyland Slim and Otis Spann. Tracks are: Elementary Blues, Crescent City Blues, No Special Rider, Muleface, Someday You'll Be Sorry, Someday You'll Be Sorry (reprise), Medley: (Mood Indigo, Solitude, Satin Doll, Squeeze Me), London Shout, Your Love Is So Incredible, Memories of You, Little Brother's Little Boogie.
Anton Bruckner: Symphonie No. 5 in B-flat Major arranged for
Profil
CD
$20.99
May 01, 2026
Bruckner 5 for Organ "Bruckner is most enthusiastic about the instruments built by Cavaillé-Coll. This enthusiasm is something I share without reservation. The impressively monumental sound, the vast colour spectrum and diversity of the stops and, what is more, the simply unlimited qualities of sound that distinguish the Cavaillé-Coll organs - all this enthralled Anton Bruckner then, and it is these same characteristics that fascinate me now. When you play on such an instrument, you revive the sound world of the 19th century." Gerd Schaller
Pizzetti: Liriche - Complete Songs for Voice & Piano
Brilliant Classics
CD
$14.99
$18.99
Save 20%
Apr 25, 2025
Featuring several world-premiere recordings, the most comprehensive set ever released of Pizzetti's song output. Art song occupies a substantial space in Pizzetti's oeuvre, with over 40 pieces, and yet the composer is still remembered mostly for his opera Murder in the Cathedral, and more tangentially for chamber and choral pieces such as the Cello Sonata and Requiem. Pizzetti composed songs for almost his entire life as a composer, starting with Nuvole (1899), a romanza still unpublished, up to the Tre canti d'amore, which belong to the group of his last works, from the second half of the 1950s. Pizzetti wished to distance himself from the Italian tradition of song writing for the salon of salon writing: in 1914 he wrote that 'a new period for vocal chamber music in our country is about to begin.' His choice of authors is singular, and serious: Petrarch, Michelangelo, Victor Hugo, as well as contemporary Italian versions of Greek lyrics by Sappho and the classical-era tragedians. Another running thread is nature, and a love for his native region of Parma. Pizzetti often set poets from the region such as Mario Silvani's Sera d'inverno (1907), an evocative winter landscape, and a set of three 'tragic sonnets' by Alfredo Zerbini. Alas, like other songs here, they were never published, despite the poet's entreaty to the composer: 'I ask you to do it for our beloved dialect, if you do not want to do it for me. Through the music of a great musician, who knows, even our poor dialect may aim high!' Alfredo Blessano's booklet essay gives invaluable context to this absorbing and richly varied collection of 20th-century song. Performing together as the 'Vansisiem Lied Duo', Paola Camponovo and Alfredo Blessano have previously recorded the complete songs of Gian Francesco Malipiero (96153). 'The songs are lovely, and the performances excellent. They are strongly closely attuned to each other, and their committed performances here are much more than readings.' (Fanfare) - The Complete Songs (Liriche) by Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968) form a significant portion of his vocal output, bearing witness to his deep connection with Italian literary traditions and his ability to translate poetry into expressive music. As one of the leading Italian composers of the early 20th century, Pizzetti was known for his lyrical style, drawing inspiration from both the past and the modern era. His songs often set texts by prominent Italian poets such as Gabriele D'Annunzio, who shared Pizzetti's interest in themes of nature, mysticism, and the Italian cultural heritage. - Pizzetti's liriche demonstrate his skillful blend of text and music, characterized by a refined melodic line that closely follows the natural inflection of the language. His approach to vocal writing is often declamatory, allowing the poetry's meaning to guide the musical expression. Harmonically, the songs exhibit a rich, modal language influenced by Renaissance and early Baroque music. The thematic variety in his Complete Songs ranges from intimate, introspective reflections to more dramatic, impassioned expressions, always maintaining a close relationship between word and sound. - Sung by the Vansisiem Lied Duo: Paola Camponovo and Alfredo Blessano. This duo already showed their affinity with the idiom in their much praised recording of the complete songs by Malipiero on Brilliant Classics (BC 96153).
![Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1745613.jpg?v=1790028221&width=800)
![Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/512sqm_Ro6L.jpg?v=1790028221&width=800)
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]
Opus Arte
Blu-Ray
$39.99
Oct 26, 2010
Note: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.
Also available on standard DVD
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
THE NUTCRACKER
The Sugar Plum Fairy – Miyako Yoshida
Nephew / Nutcracker – Ricardo Cervera / Steven McRae
The Prince – Steven McRae
Drosselmeyer – Gary Avis
The Royal Ballet
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Koen Kessels, conductor
Peter Wright, choreographer and director
(after Lev Ivanov)
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, November and December 2009.
Bonus:
- Cast gallery
- Rehearsing at White Lodge
- Peter Wright tells the story of The Nutcracker
Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: LPCM Stereo 2.0 / DTS 5.0
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Menu language: English
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish
Running time: 127 mins
No. of Discs: 1 (BD 50)
R E V I E W:
3444070.az_TCHAIKOVSKY_Nutcracker_Koen_Kessels.html
TCHAIKOVSKY The Nutcracker • Koen Kessels, cond; Iohna Loots ( Clara ); Ricardo Cervera ( Nutcracker ); Gary Avis ( Drosselmeyer ); Genesia Rosato ( Dancing Mistress ); David Pickering ( Mouse King ); Miyako Yoshida ( Sugar Plum Fairy ); Steven McRae ( Prince ); Royal Op O • OPUS ARTE 1036 (DVD); OA BD7072D (Blu-ray) (127:00 Text and Translation) Live: Covent Garden 11/26 and 12/2/2009
& Rehearsing at White Lodge (10:12); Peter Wright tells the Nutcracker story (8:56)
If you are one of those who think there’s nothing new under the sun, particularly so far as The Nutcracker goes, this production will turn your world on its ear. Moreover, it is the very best Nutcracker production, and performance, I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve seen some good ones (Cincinnati Ballet’s classic 1970s production, elements of which were “borrowed” by ballet companies around the country; Balanchine’s not-so-classic New York production of the same decade; and Baryshnikov’s unusual but ultimately failed attempt at it in the 1980s).
Choreographer Peter Wright, now 81, has first and foremost revamped the narrative of the plot to make it more sensible and, in both plot restructuring and staging, managed to make the usually fragmented and boring act II more continuous with act I. Second, it is, in costuming and set design, both lavish and traditional, yet with numerous little touches that clearly point to an updating. And third, it is so well cast, from the principal roles down to the very last flower, mirliton, mouse, and child dancer, that it is almost mind-boggling. In short, this is as close to a perfect Nutcracker as you are likely to see in your lifetime.
It’s so good, in fact, that I must say this, it was not merely a pleasure but a privilege for me to review it. If it weren’t so obvious that every single cast member is really enjoying himself or herself in addition to being brilliant onstage, it might have been one of those cold-but-perfect experiences that continue to crop up on video, but everyone certainly looks as if they enjoy giving this performance as much as the audience enjoys watching it.
Pride of place goes to Miyako Yoshida as the Sugar Plum Fairy rather than Iohna Loots as Clara, but only because Yoshida is jaw-droppingly stunning whereas Loots is “merely” fabulous. Principal ballerina of the Royal Ballet for at least a decade, Yoshida gives here a performance on par with late-period Margot Fonteyn. There are a few very tiny breaks in form, but otherwise, she is perfect. And I mean PERFECT. I even get the impression that Loots herself enjoys watching this performance—how could she not? Yet Loots is an exceptional dancer, with outstanding entrechats and excellent form. It also helps, from the believability standpoint, that she is a very small woman with a youthful face, so it is quite easy for her to play a 14-years-old without the audience thinking, “14, my eye.” Ricardo Cervera, as her nutcracker and, later, prince, is equally outstanding. He’s the best I’ve seen in many a year, capable of extraordinary leaps, fancy footwork, and spins that put me in mind of Roman Jasinski. In the second act, he even joins the Russian dancers and takes center stage during the kazatsky!
Wright’s genius is in rethinking the entire Nutcracker plot, divorcing the first act from the shattered remnants of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s story (which had been thoroughly diluted by Marius Petipa in the first place) and creating a new narrative structure into which everything fits. In Wright’s Nutcracker, Drosselmeyer had previously invented a trap for a royal household that killed off half the mouse population. In revenge, the wicked Mouse Queen cast a spell over his nephew, Hans-Peter, turning him into an ugly nutcracker doll. The only way to break the spell is for a young girl to love and care for him despite his awful appearance, and have him slay the Mouse King. In this context, Wright creates a prelude scene played out during the overture, showing Drosselmeyer in his study, looking longingly at a portrait of his cursed nephew and wrapping up the “nutcracker” as a Christmas gift for his favorite niece, Clara. In this production, Drosselmeyer forsakes the usual grotesque makeup and costuming borrowed from Hoffmann; he is older but distinguished-looking, wearing a flowing cape (which Gary Avis really knows how to throw around the stage!), performing numerous magic tricks for his family at the Christmas party (and which he pulls off splendidly), and continuing his appearance after most Drosselmeyers have disappeared for the duration. He comes out of the standing “owl clock” to direct the scene during the growing of the tree, sprinkles glitter across the stage to presage the appearance of angels (who really do appear to be floating across the stage … watch their controlled positions in these and other scenes!), and brings in the magic carriage that takes Clara and the now-transformed Hans-Peter to the second act, where Drosselmeyer puts on an entertainment to salute both of them for their bravery.
This new scenario works brilliantly and, as I said, it establishes continuity in the second act by having Cervera and Loots participate in some of the dances. Costuming and lighting are flawless, and the entire production has the quality of a dream. Not just the angels, but everyone else as well, appears to be literally floating across the stage as they move with the gossamer lighting effects and their controlled body positioning. Mother Goose is dispensed with (thank goodness). At the end, Hans-Peter puts his cloak over Clara’s bare shoulders as a keepsake, then returns to his uncle’s study—the very scene of the opening—to be embraced by the older man and bring closure to the entire production.
If you are a Nutcracker fan, or know someone who is, you MUST buy this DVD. If you are a choreographer or set designer, you must see how Wright and set designer Julia Oman work hand-in-glove to produce a masterpiece. And if you’re a dancer, you need to have this disc in your collection to watch, over and over and over again. You won’t believe your eyes at the sheer perfection of it all. Your jaw will drop, too, and you’ll understand how the usually staid Covent Garden audience goes absolutely berserk, screaming and applauding this Nutcracker —and particularly Yoshida—in a way British audiences rarely do. The bonus rehearsal sequence shows, as usual, some of the hard work behind the perfection, but also shows how Wright prods, cajoles, and encourages the children into giving their best—and, as he puts it, “for heaven’s sake, enjoy yourself!”
FANFARE: Lynn René Bayley
Also available on standard DVD
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
THE NUTCRACKER
The Sugar Plum Fairy – Miyako Yoshida
Nephew / Nutcracker – Ricardo Cervera / Steven McRae
The Prince – Steven McRae
Drosselmeyer – Gary Avis
The Royal Ballet
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Koen Kessels, conductor
Peter Wright, choreographer and director
(after Lev Ivanov)
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, November and December 2009.
Bonus:
- Cast gallery
- Rehearsing at White Lodge
- Peter Wright tells the story of The Nutcracker
Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: LPCM Stereo 2.0 / DTS 5.0
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Menu language: English
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish
Running time: 127 mins
No. of Discs: 1 (BD 50)
R E V I E W:
TCHAIKOVSKY The Nutcracker • Koen Kessels, cond; Iohna Loots ( Clara ); Ricardo Cervera ( Nutcracker ); Gary Avis ( Drosselmeyer ); Genesia Rosato ( Dancing Mistress ); David Pickering ( Mouse King ); Miyako Yoshida ( Sugar Plum Fairy ); Steven McRae ( Prince ); Royal Op O • OPUS ARTE 1036 (DVD); OA BD7072D (Blu-ray) (127:00 Text and Translation) Live: Covent Garden 11/26 and 12/2/2009
& Rehearsing at White Lodge (10:12); Peter Wright tells the Nutcracker story (8:56)
If you are one of those who think there’s nothing new under the sun, particularly so far as The Nutcracker goes, this production will turn your world on its ear. Moreover, it is the very best Nutcracker production, and performance, I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve seen some good ones (Cincinnati Ballet’s classic 1970s production, elements of which were “borrowed” by ballet companies around the country; Balanchine’s not-so-classic New York production of the same decade; and Baryshnikov’s unusual but ultimately failed attempt at it in the 1980s).
Choreographer Peter Wright, now 81, has first and foremost revamped the narrative of the plot to make it more sensible and, in both plot restructuring and staging, managed to make the usually fragmented and boring act II more continuous with act I. Second, it is, in costuming and set design, both lavish and traditional, yet with numerous little touches that clearly point to an updating. And third, it is so well cast, from the principal roles down to the very last flower, mirliton, mouse, and child dancer, that it is almost mind-boggling. In short, this is as close to a perfect Nutcracker as you are likely to see in your lifetime.
It’s so good, in fact, that I must say this, it was not merely a pleasure but a privilege for me to review it. If it weren’t so obvious that every single cast member is really enjoying himself or herself in addition to being brilliant onstage, it might have been one of those cold-but-perfect experiences that continue to crop up on video, but everyone certainly looks as if they enjoy giving this performance as much as the audience enjoys watching it.
Pride of place goes to Miyako Yoshida as the Sugar Plum Fairy rather than Iohna Loots as Clara, but only because Yoshida is jaw-droppingly stunning whereas Loots is “merely” fabulous. Principal ballerina of the Royal Ballet for at least a decade, Yoshida gives here a performance on par with late-period Margot Fonteyn. There are a few very tiny breaks in form, but otherwise, she is perfect. And I mean PERFECT. I even get the impression that Loots herself enjoys watching this performance—how could she not? Yet Loots is an exceptional dancer, with outstanding entrechats and excellent form. It also helps, from the believability standpoint, that she is a very small woman with a youthful face, so it is quite easy for her to play a 14-years-old without the audience thinking, “14, my eye.” Ricardo Cervera, as her nutcracker and, later, prince, is equally outstanding. He’s the best I’ve seen in many a year, capable of extraordinary leaps, fancy footwork, and spins that put me in mind of Roman Jasinski. In the second act, he even joins the Russian dancers and takes center stage during the kazatsky!
Wright’s genius is in rethinking the entire Nutcracker plot, divorcing the first act from the shattered remnants of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s story (which had been thoroughly diluted by Marius Petipa in the first place) and creating a new narrative structure into which everything fits. In Wright’s Nutcracker, Drosselmeyer had previously invented a trap for a royal household that killed off half the mouse population. In revenge, the wicked Mouse Queen cast a spell over his nephew, Hans-Peter, turning him into an ugly nutcracker doll. The only way to break the spell is for a young girl to love and care for him despite his awful appearance, and have him slay the Mouse King. In this context, Wright creates a prelude scene played out during the overture, showing Drosselmeyer in his study, looking longingly at a portrait of his cursed nephew and wrapping up the “nutcracker” as a Christmas gift for his favorite niece, Clara. In this production, Drosselmeyer forsakes the usual grotesque makeup and costuming borrowed from Hoffmann; he is older but distinguished-looking, wearing a flowing cape (which Gary Avis really knows how to throw around the stage!), performing numerous magic tricks for his family at the Christmas party (and which he pulls off splendidly), and continuing his appearance after most Drosselmeyers have disappeared for the duration. He comes out of the standing “owl clock” to direct the scene during the growing of the tree, sprinkles glitter across the stage to presage the appearance of angels (who really do appear to be floating across the stage … watch their controlled positions in these and other scenes!), and brings in the magic carriage that takes Clara and the now-transformed Hans-Peter to the second act, where Drosselmeyer puts on an entertainment to salute both of them for their bravery.
This new scenario works brilliantly and, as I said, it establishes continuity in the second act by having Cervera and Loots participate in some of the dances. Costuming and lighting are flawless, and the entire production has the quality of a dream. Not just the angels, but everyone else as well, appears to be literally floating across the stage as they move with the gossamer lighting effects and their controlled body positioning. Mother Goose is dispensed with (thank goodness). At the end, Hans-Peter puts his cloak over Clara’s bare shoulders as a keepsake, then returns to his uncle’s study—the very scene of the opening—to be embraced by the older man and bring closure to the entire production.
If you are a Nutcracker fan, or know someone who is, you MUST buy this DVD. If you are a choreographer or set designer, you must see how Wright and set designer Julia Oman work hand-in-glove to produce a masterpiece. And if you’re a dancer, you need to have this disc in your collection to watch, over and over and over again. You won’t believe your eyes at the sheer perfection of it all. Your jaw will drop, too, and you’ll understand how the usually staid Covent Garden audience goes absolutely berserk, screaming and applauding this Nutcracker —and particularly Yoshida—in a way British audiences rarely do. The bonus rehearsal sequence shows, as usual, some of the hard work behind the perfection, but also shows how Wright prods, cajoles, and encourages the children into giving their best—and, as he puts it, “for heaven’s sake, enjoy yourself!”
FANFARE: Lynn René Bayley
![Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1745613.jpg?v=1790028221&width=400)
Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Bruckner & Debussy / Klemperer
ICA Classics
CD
$44.99
Nov 17, 2017
This release has been sourced from the Richard Itter archive. After twelve years of negotiation, ICA Classics has signed an exclusive long term agreement with the Lyrita Recorded Edition who are responsible for Richard Itter Trust. The collection is very important for collectors because it has never before been released. Despite there being a large number of Otto Klemperer recordings on the market, these Richard Itter tapes of live broadcasts from the Royal Festival Hall and the BBC’s Studios in Maida Vale between 1955 and 1956 have never, as far as is known, been released before. Klemperer was always more exciting when caught live and had added urgency as compared to his studio accounts, particularly at this time before his health deteriorated in later years. His Philharmonia concerts were hugely successful in the mid 50s when Walter Legge was looking to replace Herbert von Karajan who was in the process of leaving for the Berlin Philharmonic. As Richard Osborne states in his notes: “The winter of 1955-56 marked a new dawn for Klemperer.”
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REVIEWS:
Klemperer’s Mozart may sound a bit heavy-handed and brusque. On the other hand, the performances are refreshingly direct, projecting exemplary clarity of texture with the wind instruments really cutting through the orchestral tuttis to impressive effect. Likewise, the performance of Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 is really compelling, a good sense of structural cohesion working in tandem with great expressivity and rhythmic precision.
– BBC Music Magazine
Viewed overall, what we have here is the Klemperer we already know and love but granted wings and, trust me, you can tell the difference almost straight away.
– Gramophone
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REVIEWS:
Klemperer’s Mozart may sound a bit heavy-handed and brusque. On the other hand, the performances are refreshingly direct, projecting exemplary clarity of texture with the wind instruments really cutting through the orchestral tuttis to impressive effect. Likewise, the performance of Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 is really compelling, a good sense of structural cohesion working in tandem with great expressivity and rhythmic precision.
– BBC Music Magazine
Viewed overall, what we have here is the Klemperer we already know and love but granted wings and, trust me, you can tell the difference almost straight away.
– Gramophone
Evgeni Kissin In Tokyo
Sony Masterworks
CD
$17.99
Feb 25, 2011
An astonishing live performance by the 15-year-old Kissin, with a sense of danger courted and triumphantly surmounted.
Kissin's generous lyricism and lovely rubato in Rachmaninov's Lilacs make a distinguished prelude to this recital; but they are only a hint of the revelations to come. The big E flat minor Etude tableau drenches the listener in an extraordinary welter of sound, at once free and controlled, sensitive to harmonic nuance and yet to broader undercurrents as well. And it is followed by a phenomenally articulate C minor, swirling and crackling like a force of nature (with just a couple of accidents on the last page as a brief reminder of human frailty).
The apex of the recital is a colossal account of the Prokofiev Sixth Sonata. Pianistically it has everything—tremendous force, tremendous resonance, wonderful sensitivity to texture and colour, inspired pedalling, fantastic rhythmic grasp, supreme control whatever the extremes of tempo or dynamic. And all these are at the service of a vision which penetrates to the essence of Prokofiev's art—the subdued half-lights and obsessive drive of the first movement, the deadly serious clowning of the second, the stoical suffering of the third, and above all the appalling despair at the heart of the finale. Please don't think I've taken leave of my critical senses—I noted in passing that the rhythm in the last three bars of the first movement is wrong and that Kissin nearly burns himself out before the tumultous last page of the finale. But if this doesn't qualify as a great performance I don't know what does.
So far I've managed to avoid mentioning that Kissin was aged just 15 and seven months at the time of this recital. In his Rachmaninov and Prokofiev it never occurred to me to think about that, either as a plus or a minus. The remaining pieces do perhaps fall into a less exalted category—they are merely astonishing considering his youth. The Liszt studies are seductive, poetic and rhetorical but not yet entirely settled; the Chopin Nocturne could breathe more freely and has a nasty mannerism of right hand before left, a reversal of bad habits of olden days; the Polonaise sacrifices pride and grace for allpurpose grandeur, unimaginatively driving home every first beat in the bar. For all their finesse, I can imagine the Scriabin pieces reaching further out into the unreal and the ecstatic; and the Japanese encores are wholly trivial and forgettable.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of all is the ultraclose microphone placement. But Kissin is one of the select few whose playing can withstand such clinical scrutiny; and such is the electricity he generates, so strong his empathy with Rachrnaninov and Prokofiev, that you feel inside the music both spiritually and acoustically. I suppose it is conceivable Kissin will one day make an even finer studio recording of the Prokofiev; but I would not bank on it re-creating the magic, the sense of danger courted and triumphantly surmounted, of this astonishing live performance.
-- Gramophone [11/1990]
Note: According to the CD packaging, Kissin plays Liszt's Un Sospiro, S 144 no 3 when in fact the piece he performs is Liszt's Waldesrauschen, S 145 no 1.
Kissin's generous lyricism and lovely rubato in Rachmaninov's Lilacs make a distinguished prelude to this recital; but they are only a hint of the revelations to come. The big E flat minor Etude tableau drenches the listener in an extraordinary welter of sound, at once free and controlled, sensitive to harmonic nuance and yet to broader undercurrents as well. And it is followed by a phenomenally articulate C minor, swirling and crackling like a force of nature (with just a couple of accidents on the last page as a brief reminder of human frailty).
The apex of the recital is a colossal account of the Prokofiev Sixth Sonata. Pianistically it has everything—tremendous force, tremendous resonance, wonderful sensitivity to texture and colour, inspired pedalling, fantastic rhythmic grasp, supreme control whatever the extremes of tempo or dynamic. And all these are at the service of a vision which penetrates to the essence of Prokofiev's art—the subdued half-lights and obsessive drive of the first movement, the deadly serious clowning of the second, the stoical suffering of the third, and above all the appalling despair at the heart of the finale. Please don't think I've taken leave of my critical senses—I noted in passing that the rhythm in the last three bars of the first movement is wrong and that Kissin nearly burns himself out before the tumultous last page of the finale. But if this doesn't qualify as a great performance I don't know what does.
So far I've managed to avoid mentioning that Kissin was aged just 15 and seven months at the time of this recital. In his Rachmaninov and Prokofiev it never occurred to me to think about that, either as a plus or a minus. The remaining pieces do perhaps fall into a less exalted category—they are merely astonishing considering his youth. The Liszt studies are seductive, poetic and rhetorical but not yet entirely settled; the Chopin Nocturne could breathe more freely and has a nasty mannerism of right hand before left, a reversal of bad habits of olden days; the Polonaise sacrifices pride and grace for allpurpose grandeur, unimaginatively driving home every first beat in the bar. For all their finesse, I can imagine the Scriabin pieces reaching further out into the unreal and the ecstatic; and the Japanese encores are wholly trivial and forgettable.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of all is the ultraclose microphone placement. But Kissin is one of the select few whose playing can withstand such clinical scrutiny; and such is the electricity he generates, so strong his empathy with Rachrnaninov and Prokofiev, that you feel inside the music both spiritually and acoustically. I suppose it is conceivable Kissin will one day make an even finer studio recording of the Prokofiev; but I would not bank on it re-creating the magic, the sense of danger courted and triumphantly surmounted, of this astonishing live performance.
-- Gramophone [11/1990]
Note: According to the CD packaging, Kissin plays Liszt's Un Sospiro, S 144 no 3 when in fact the piece he performs is Liszt's Waldesrauschen, S 145 no 1.
Malipiero: Violin Concertos & Per una favola cavalleresca / Symphonic Orchestra of Rome
Naxos
CD
$19.99
Jun 10, 2022
This release couples Gian Francesco Malipiero’s two contrasting violin concertos with the world premiere recording of his kaleidoscopic orchestral work Per una favola cavalleresca, evoking legendary scenes of love, tournaments, battles, moonbeams and heroes. Malipiero’s First Violin Concerto is one of his most beautiful and joyful works, a remarkable achievement for a composer who is said to have played the violin badly in his youth. His Second Violin Concerto, written 30 years later, sounds astonishingly different on a first hearing, but reveals itself to be inspired by the same lyrical impulse as the earlier concerto.
Review
Naxos/Marco Polo have been staunch allies of Malipiero of yore. Their example has been all the more admirable since their advocacy dates from a decade or more after the composer’s death. First, they recorded all the symphonies - and there are lots of them - in Russia on Marco Polo. These were done largely with the far too easily overlooked Antonio de Almeida (1928-1997). That multiple-CD series has been reissued on Naxos.
His First Violin Concerto (1932) is in the accustomed furiously confident three movements. There’s no hint of neo-classicism or museum-rigid “Alte Stil”. This is fast-flowing music where the orchestra keep pace with the ardent solo, here played with unblinking skill by Paolo Chiavacci. The writing is juicy and its probing ardour continues into the central Lento and the nicely rounded finale. This is a work and performance that, for me, never descends into tedium.
Per una favola cavalleresca (For a chivalric tale) is in four movements and is the earliest piece here. It is claimed to be inspired by legendary scenes of love, tournaments, battles, moon-beams and burials of heroes, possibly with links to a Malipero opera Lancelotto del Lago. It’s the longest work here, in four unnamed movements, across half an hour. It’s masterfully orchestrated with no strata of the orchestra wasted. Romantic to the hilt and occasionally voluptuous in the familiar manner of Respighi, as in his Ballad of the Gnomes. Even within these bounds it is a full-lipped piece yet with plenty of nocturnal facets as in parts of the third movement. Written at about the same time as Sibelius’s Suite mignonne which, at least in its titles, has its chivalric overtones, it is a very different. The Malipiero is more head-on and drips with juice as you can hear with the no-holds-barred brass fanfaring of the highly coloured finale. One can easily read into this the betrayal of Arthur and his anger, even if the work and the movement does end in a romantic glow.
Malipero wastes nothing - no time beating of useless filler material - both this and the second concerto are over and done with in about twenty minutes. The second - quite a short piece at 19:35 - is cooler. It was written a decade before the composer’s death and confronts a very different world order from the First. It is by no means devoid of passion. Even so, darker emotions are in play. The soloist has to make speedy headway. Disillusion inflects the central non troppo lento which is lichen-hung. The finale is another work of testing virtuosity, but brusque.
Another point to make is that these works, especially the First concerto and the Cavalleresca at times seem wrung from the same harmonic material as Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending but always stand in their own right.
A Malipiero genre admirably tackled by the familiar La Vecchia and his orchestra. They have been most agreeably performed and recorded.
--MusicWeb International (Rob Barnett)
Haydn: The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 10 / Bavouzet
Chandos
CD
$21.99
Mar 04, 2022
"Bavouzet’s Haydn is unmatched in its zest and its wit. But it is also substantial, informed and deeply rewarding."
--The New York Times on Bavouzet's Haydn Sonatas cycle, 2022
His multi-award-winning recordings and dazzling concert performances have long established Jean-Efflam Bavouzet as one of the most outstanding pianists of his generation. This latest album – the tenth – in his cycle of the complete Haydn sonatas is built around the Grand Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI: 50, a late work the first movement of which is one of the most highly developed that Haydn ever conceived for the keyboard. Bavouzet has surrounded this with less well-known works: Two very early sonatas (Nos. 3 & 4) provide a stark contrast to the later works (Nos. 28 & 45). The album ends with the Arietta con 12 Variazioni.
Bavouzet notes: ‘The Variations in E flat major and the Sonata in A major, Hob. XVI: 30, were for me the marvelous revelations of this program. In the E flat major Variations (the lovely theme of which Mozart borrowed in his Sonata, KV 282!). The chief question was to know whether to repeat the theme at the end, as certain editions recommend. After several experiments, I finally opted for a solution perhaps a little anachronistic, by construing the entire last variation as a long, gradual crescendo which takes us from the somber and serious atmosphere of the preceding variation towards the brilliant light of the unadorned chords that conclude this magnificent cycle.’
REVIEW:
There’s one masterpiece on this CD: Sonata 60. From Jean-Efflam Bavouzet comes an almost furtively soft beginning to the first theme, a pondering pause, then loud arpeggiated affirmation, jubilation unleashed as ideas crowd in on one another and repeat gleefully. Second prize on this CD goes to Sonata 45, composed 20 years earlier, Haydn’s only piano sonata played without a break. As in previous volumes, Bavouzet mixes sonatas from various periods, backtracking 14 years earlier for Sonatas 3 and 4. So you experience the learning curve through which Haydn achieved his mature works. In Sonata 3, despite its relative simplicity, Bavouzet brings elegance and chipper, assertive bounce to the opening Allegro and you’ll relish his extra ornamentation in the repeat of the Scherzo’s final strain. In Sonata 4 his neatness and propriety in the opening movement is delightfully offset by the impropriety of repeats’ extra ornamentation[.]
--MusicWeb International (Michael Greenhalgh)
Earthworks
Sono Luminus
CD
$16.99
Apr 25, 2025
Look around at the place you are right now - yes, now. Apartment, house, subway car, tool shed, office, wherever. Now imagine this place, with all it's material elements and constituent parts, intertwined as they are, as living, with a circulatory system and a pulse. With an inner life, a memory, experiences and a story of itself to tell. Now listen. Nathan Davis's Earthworks is a unique acousmatic piece, a 40-minute conceptual and musical love child of land art, environmental activism and music concrete in which the composer orchestrates the sonic outcome of the extraction, processing and use of common commercial materials of our contemporary built environment. It is an audio tapestry of drilling, fracking, stirring, slurring, scraping, cracking, popping and hammering, with the bright thread of one very intimate human voice woven through it. This particular iteration of Earthworks, originally produced as a sound installation for the exhibit "Planetary Home Improvement: From Just-in-time to Geological Time", is immersive in nature - both a recording and a full-body experience, primordial and post-industrial. Davis collected field recordings of the raw materials and created a multi-channel sound environment using the materials themselves as speakers, soundboards, and resonators. It is musique concrete as composed through a big box store, and the effect it had on me was mysterious - compelling and even dreamy. A few times I pictured Morton Feldman walking through the enormous back aisles of a Home Depot - the "modern quarry" from which this work is drawn - with an Earthworks-like soundtrack running through his celestial head. In experiencing Davis's work I often find that in addition to composing in the traditional sense, he is also coaxing and conjuring, often in nature, and often with the most basic elements - minerals, metals, stones, water, air. Much of the power of Earthworks derives from what the exhibition artists describe as "collapsing the ancient and the instant." Of it's audience Earthworks demands close attention and attunement to the elements from which it arises. I fully understand that there is a conceptual sophistication and technological mastery at work in pieces like this - it is experimental music for grown ups - but I think I'd do Earthworks a disservice by overintellectualizing the pleasures inherent in it. By this I mean that there is something childlike about the work. At least, this is least one of the responses it summoned in me. I experience these "lifeless" materials both talking amongst themselves and speaking to me. When Sylvia Milo begins the piece by intoning the names of these orchestral instruments - Galvanized steel sheet. Foam insulation. Polycarbonate panel... - each one followed by the sounding of it's characteristic voice, I'm transported back to my early listening to Peter and the Wolf, when I first heard Boris Karloff introducing the cast of the tale by way of their instrumental voices. As a percussionist Davis possesses a deep attunement to materials and their sonic characteristics. But there are non-material aspects embedded here as well. In this case the political context of the work: it is a response to the industrial plunder of the planet. The experience of listening to these materials speak, hearing their breath and pulses, move us closer to an understanding of this, and to a relationship of awareness and reciprocity with the Earth, whose body we tear apart in order to achieve shelter or convenience, and whose riches we violently transmute into material for use. Ever since the story of Adam and Eve's ejection from the Garden, and certainly before, our human alienation from Nature has been the source of existential grief. Part of the task of poets, artists, philosophers, filmmakers, musicians is to restore us to this Edenic state, in which we are again in peaceful harmony with the Earth and it's elements.
Quartet Integra
Yarlung Records
CD
$21.99
Nov 21, 2025
... four of the brightest young stars in classical music today. We are enjoying another golden era thanks to Quartet Integra. -Martin Beaver, First Violin, Tokyo String Quartet Producer's notes: Yarlung Records returned to Zipper Hall at Colburn School in April, 2025 to record the debut album for Quartet Integra toward the end of the quartet's 3-year residency in Los Angeles. They had just returned from acclaimed performances in Wigmore Hall in London. The quartet left again after our recording for summer concerts (and a little bit of family time) in Asia before moving to Paris and Hannover in the autumn. Quartet Integra begins a two year residency in Paris at the Centre Europeen de Musique de Chambre and will continue study with Oliver Wille at the Hochschule fur Musik, Theater, und Medien in Hannover. We will miss the Quartet badly in Los Angeles and hope they return soon. This extraordinary young ensemble, Kyoka Misawa and Rintaro Kikuno on violins, Itsuki Yamamoto on viola, and cellist Ye Un Park play Classical, Romantic, Contemporary and Renaissance music equally well. In fact, we explore all four eras in this recording. We begin with Beethoven's last published work, String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Opus 135, written in 1826. Beethoven wrote this piece at the height of his Romantic powers, but the quartet looks back with irony and nostalgia to his classical period. Next, Quartet Integra tackles Ligeti's 1968 ground-breaking Sonata No. 2, which they played for me at their audition and which won me over immediately. Kyoka, Rintaro, Itsuki and Ye Un find beauty and repose in this seat-belts-required 25-minute work full of extended techniques and mid-20th-Century sound world while communicating humor and transcendent energy. Kyoka said "When people hear the name Ligeti, many tend to associate it with contemporary music and assume it will be difficult to listen to. But in reality, that's not the case. Especially the String Quartet No. 2, which we're performing this time - it's wild and destructive, yet it holds a kind of breathtaking beauty. It feels almost like watching a movie." Mike Wechsberg, an audience member at our special live concert recording session commented heartily how "Ligeti is not the sort of music I normally like, but THIS was magnificent! Bravo Quartet Integra!" We ended the concert with Green Mountains, Now Black, a new piece by David S. Lefkowitz which he completed in the spring of 2025. Donna Morton commissioned David's piece for Yarlung Artists and Quartet Integra through Yarlung's sister organization Coretet. Donna and her group have steadfastly supported new chamber music including from composers Caroline Shaw, Diego Schissi (who won a Latin GRAMMY® nomination for Nene, which he wrote for Yarlung's Sibelius Piano Trio), Jamie Thierman, Eric Nathan and Benjamin Taylor among others. Donna serves on the boards of both Yarlung Artists and Coretet, and we relished the opportunity to collaborate again as Coretet celebrates it's 10th Anniversary and Yarlung celebrates it's 20th. Beethoven wrote his last major composition, String Quartet Op. 135, in 1826. This was his final statement in his groundbreaking series. Opus 135 premiered in 1828, performed by Ignaz Schuppanzigh and his famous ensemble, a year after Beethoven died. When the members of Quartet Integra suggested we record this work on their debut album instead of Schubert's "Rosamunda" Quartet written only two years earlier, I initially demurred. Who needs yet another superb performance of Beethoven's final masterpiece?" I complained. "Who needs yet another Rosamunda?" Quartet Integra 'cellist Ye Un Park responded within milliseconds. She had a point, and I'm glad we recorded the Beethoven instead, at least on Quartet Integra's first Yarlung album! The ensemble had just performed Beethoven's first string quartet in London's Wigmore Hall in London, as well as "Rosamunda, " and they were game to expand their horizons and capitalize on their "Beethoven High." They also wanted to utilize the superb acoustics at Colburn School while the quartet was still living in Los Angeles, and we knew Zipper Hall would do the Beethoven special justice. Our recording concludes with David S. Lefkowitz' Green Mountains, Now Black. David's piece offers quotations from Monteverdi's earliest extant opera Orfeo (one of my favorites in the operatic literature) and additional quotations from Monteverdi's final opera The Coronation of Poppea, including it's magical and ever-so recognizable love duet between Poppea and the emperor Nero at the end of the opera. Instead of merely transposing my favorite arias, choral passages and this famous duet for string quartet, David wrote a work that explores the very nature of what it means to be a string quartet. And he experiments with the genre, pushes boundaries, and incorporates his own despair witnessing the burning of much of Los Angeles in the spring of 2025. David and his wife Laurie could see flames and smoke not too far away from their home as he composed this work. Nero himself famously allowed a good chunk of downtown Rome to burn, exercising (and bragging about) his dubious leadership in the process. David layers Octavia's farewell to her beloved city with the giddy love duet between Octavia's husband, the emperor, and his mistress Poppea, to tell the story of David's own distress while writing the piece. Green Mountains, Now Black not only refer to Monteverdi himself (Green Mountain) but the fire which turned so many of our spring green mountains to char in Los Angeles. Despite David's gloom and worry during our fires, his iridescent string writing shows itself proudly and his many glorious and lyrical passages outnumber the darker ones. As musicians, the members of Quartet Integra communicate superbly with audiences and with each other as they explore the depths and details of these musical scores. With generous support from Sel, Nick and Martin at Colburn School, we worked with Quartet Integra on April 13-15, 2025 and ended our recording session with a live concert for invited guests from the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society on April 15th. You can enjoy videos of this concert on YouTube's YarlungChannel. Fellow recording engineer and equipment designer Arian Jansen and I used SonoruS Holographic Imaging technology in the analog domain to refine the stereo image, Yarlung's SonoruS ATR12 to record Agfa-formula 468 analog tape, the Merging Technologies HAPI to record 256fs DSD in stereo and surround sound and the SonoruS ADC to record PCM. We used our friend Ted Ancona's AKG C24 microphone previously owned by Frank Sinatra, and Yarlung Audio vacuum tube microphone amplification designed and built by Elliot Midwood. In closing, it was Donna Morton and Martin Beaver who suggested Yarlung support Quartet Integra and Martin coordinated their audition. The Quartet has been lauded as the most exciting ensemble to emerge from Japan (and Ye Un from Korea) since the famous Tokyo String Quartet formed in 1969 at Juilliard. I love a certain symmetry here: two of the non-Japanese born musicians playing as members of the Tokyo String Quartet were Yarlung Special Advisor Martin Beaver, who became principal violin in 2002, and Clive Greensmith, who joined Tokyo as cellist in 1999. Both Martin and Clive performed with the Tokyo Quartet until the ensemble gave their final concerts in 2013, and now Martin and Clive co-direct Chamber Music at Colburn School and have mentored the four members of Quartet Integra. Before their Colburn residency, Quartet Integra won a four-year fellowship with Suntory Hall's Chamber Music Academy where they were coached by Tokyo Quartet members Koichiro Harada, Kikuei Ikeda and Kazuhide Isomura. This is generational integrity and communication worthy of Kyoka, Rintaro, Itsuki and Ye Un. As we celebrate Yarlung's 20th Anniversary, we are enjoying thinking back to our original inspiration. We began working with young musicians starting international concert careers and sharing their transformative performances with the world. Yarlung Records takes it's name from the Yarlung Valley in Central Tibet, which legend holds as a meeting place between heaven and earth. It is in this valley, at the site of Yambulakhang Castle in our Yarlung Records logo, where Heaven and Earth touched in order to transform humanity. What could be a better metaphor for the transformative power of great music? I feel a deep connection between this mythical name for our record label and Quartet Integra. Hearing them play and working with these four good-natured and talented people reminded me why we created Yarlung Records in the first place. Despite my earlier comment, Quartet Integra is not a Japanese ensemble. Three of their members come from Japan and one from Korea, but they are inherently international. Quartet Integra lived in California these past years, and as indicated will spend the next several years in France and Germany. Their ties to the famous Tokyo String Quartet increase the Japanese-ness of Quartet Integra, but Tokyo String Quartet was actually founded in 1969 at Juilliard in New York City, not Japan. In planning their album cover, this image of the Toyosaki Kompira Shrine Torii Gate on the west coast of Hokkaido jumped out at us, and reflected Quartet Integra's refreshing vitality. As does the inspiration for the name of Yarlung Records, a Torii gate symbolizes a portal to the sacred in Shintoism connecting everyday reality with transcendence. -Bob Attiyeh, producer
Reznicek: Symphony No 1 "tragic", Etc / Beerman, Prudenskaja, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt
CPO
CD
$18.99
Jan 27, 2009
REZNICEK Symphony No. 1, “Tragic.” 4 Songs of Prayer and Repentance 1 • Frank Beermann, cond; Marina Prudenskaja (mez); 1 Brandenburg St O Frankfurt • cpo 777 223 (68:50)
In some ways, Reznicek might be described as the poor man’s Richard Strauss. Cpo, which is engaged in a project to record Reznicek’s orchestral output, has already released the composer’s Second and Fifth Symphonies and two tone-poems, Schlemihl and Raskolnikoff , reviewed by Henry Fogel in 28:2. Schlemihl has been dismissed in some quarters as the effort of a jealous and bitter Reznicek to parody and deflate the puffed up ego of Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, schlemihl being Yiddish for an unlucky, incompetent boob upon whose head every manner of misfortune falls—in effect, the anti-hero to Strauss’s Übermensch . But the non-Jewish Reznicek, as Fogel pointed out, may have misconstrued the caustic connotation of the word, which imparts the flavor of not just a pitiable sad sack, but of a fool who invites bad luck and ridicule; for Reznicek’s trials and tribulations—the deaths of two children and his first wife—were real and indeed heartbreaking.
Like Brahms, who didn’t complete his First Symphony until he was 43, Reznicek was 41 in 1901 when he wrote his Symphony No. 1 in D Major. The original booklet essay written in German by Eckhardt van den Hoogen is, in translation at least, incomprehensible gibberish. I was unable to make heads or tails of its mishmash of arcane literary references and absurdist metaphors—“the Criminal Tango of the first movement and the Jesus Christ Superstar of the last movement”—not to mention the mental imagery of “pulling on the pigtails of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto,” and the depiction of Reznicek’s beard as a “foot muff” that put me off my dinner. From what I was able to glean, it seems that the only “tragedy” that led the composer to subtitle the work “Tragic” was a ride on a crowded city train in which a pretty young girl who caught Reznicek’s eye got up and offered the “old man” her seat.
So what does this “tragic” concoction sound like? Well, a bit like Strauss being badgered by Pauline to go to his room and compose something. Then, beginning at 12:08 in the first movement, a sequence that seems to mimic the development section in the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” makes a discomfiting appearance. Here comes a snippet of Schumann, there a scrap of Brahms, and everywhere the oddments and leftovers of Liszt. This symphony would be a piece of utter trash were it not for the twofold fact that it was obviously written by a master orchestral craftsman of the first order, and that it buys one entrance to a musical circus of clowns dressed up as Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Wagner, and Liszt somersaulting around the ring. I defy anyone to listen to Reznicek’s Symphony No. 1 and not laugh out loud as the parade of jesters passes by. If the piece had been written after Schlemihl instead of before it, a more appropriate subtitle might have been Schlamazel.
Having had my say on the Symphony, let me turn now to the Four Songs of Prayer and Repentance after words of the Holy Scriptures. Reznicek really ought not to be judged by his First Symphony, which has got to be either an aberration or some sort of off-color, politically incorrect joke. He was a serious composer with a quite significant catalog of works to his credit: five symphonies, a dozen operas, numerous orchestral and concerted compositions, at least five string quartets, two piano trios, and a considerable volume of solo piano and organ pieces. Very little of it has been recorded; and, except for the Donna Diana Overture, I’ve no recollection of hearing any of it performed live—which is a shame, because the Four Songs are gorgeous.
Written in 1913, long before Strauss said sayonara with his Four Last Songs , Reznicek’s songs take their cue from Brahms’s Four Serious Songs , though they are not nearly as reverential and austere. Where Brahms chose Biblical texts that reflect the fatalism of his last years—“for that which befalls man befalls beasts”—Reznicek selected verses from Ecclesiastes and The Book of Sirach that focus on comforting, acceptance, and the beauty that is to be found in wisdom—“The pipe and the psaltery make sweet melody, but a pleasant tongue is above them both.” Reznicek’s songs are supple and sensuous, but not sensual in that steamy, erotic way that many of Strauss’s songs are. The orchestral accompaniments caress the words with an angelic tenderness.
Marina Prudenskaja, who is identified as a mezzo-soprano, actually has more of a dark-hued contralto quality to her voice that reminded me a bit of Rita Gorr. She has the right timbre and range, I think, to be an ideal candidate for Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody.
Despite what you may have concluded from my opinion of the Symphony, this disc comes with a hearty endorsement, and not just for the Four Songs , which are lovely beyond description, but yes, for the Symphony, too, which is a laugh-a-minute Hooterville riot. Performances and recording are first-class.
FANFARE: Jerry Dubins
I WISH YOU LOVE: MORE FROM THE BODYGUARD
ARISTA
CD
$14.57
Nov 17, 2017
2017 release. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the iconic film The Bodyguard, Legacy Recordings, is celebrating it's legacy with the release of a collection of Whitney Houston live and studio recordings entitled I Wish You Love: More From The Bodyguard. This is an essential new Whitney Houston collection bringing together a variety of live and studio recordings from The Bodyguard (many previously unreleased or unavailable), including an alternate mix of "I Will Always Love You," which features a spoken word intro of Whitney as Rachel Marron, an A Capella version of "Jesus Loves Me," which has never been released before and a live recording from The Bodyguard World Tour 1993-1995 of "Run To You," which Whitney rarely performed. Also included are film and live versions of "I Will Always Love" You," "I Have Nothing," "Queen of The Night" and more.
LOVE YOU MADLY LIVE AT BUBBA'S
2XHD
Vinyl
$107.49
Mar 07, 2025
This 2021 winner of Postive Feedback's Writer's Choice Award for it's reel-to-reel edition, recorded in 1982 by the legendary Mack Emerman, documents an underrepresented chapter of Monty Alexander's recording output, live at Fort Lauderdale's Club Bubba. It's Monty at his best, with a great band and incredibly high-energy performance! Now available as a 200-gram 45 RPM double LP set! Recorded live at Bubba's Jazz Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on August 6, 1982. 'The more of these albums the 2xHD label uncovers, remasters and releases, the more you appreciate the work it's doing in letting us rediscover superb performances. These live recordings, taken from pianist Monty Alexander's own collection and made in August 1982 at a Florida 'Jazz Restaurant', were captured by engineer Mack Emerman, founder of Criteria Studios - home of many a big-selling recording. Here we find a tight quartet featuring bassist Paul Berner, Duffy Jackson on drums and extra percussion from Robert Thomas, Jr. Performing truly spirited, generous 92 minutes of an exceptionally well-recorded and finely remastered performance. You really don't have to be a beard stroking Jazzer to enjoy this. An ear for a great recording of fine performances will do.' - 5/5 stars, Andre Everard, Hi-Fi News & Review Monty Alexander - Love You Madly 200-gram 45 RPM double LP set 2xHD mastering on Nagra equipment by Rene Laflamme Lacquers cut all-analog at Bernie Grundman Mastering on tube cutting equipment Tracklist: Side A Arthur's Theme Blues For Edith Side B Love You Madly Samba de Orfeu Side C Reggae Later SKJ Side D Fungii Mama
SINGS THE RODGERS AND HART SONG BOOK
VERVE
Vinyl
$58.99
Mar 27, 2026
Ella Fitzgerald -"Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)" The second of her celebrated song book albums and heralded as one of the best vocal jazz albums ever made, Ella and arranger/conductor Buddy Bregman began work on the Rodgers and Hart sessions three months after the release of her Cole Porter Song Book. Like it's predecessor, it features the cream of West Coast session musicians, many of whom graced the fabulous recordings that Frank Sinatra was making around the same time in the same studio. Maynard Ferguson (trumpet), Milt Bernhart (trombone), Herb Geller, Ted Nash & Bud Shank (reeds), Barney Kessel (guitar), and Alvin Stoller (drums). The album is full of standards that everyone knows and loves, but in Ella's hands these songs become even more special. Standouts include "There's a Small Hotel," "You Took Advantage of Me," and the perennial, "My Funny Valentine." Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180g vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
NOW YEARBOOK 1997 / VARIOUS
UNIVERSAL UK
CD
$22.49
Jul 04, 2025
Step back into one of the most exciting years in pop history - a time when boundary-pushing alternative anthems, flawless dancefloor fillers, global megastars and fresh faces all collided on the charts. NOW - Yearbook 1997 celebrates an unforgettable year of hits with 78 massive tracks across 4 CDs. CD1 kicks off in style, with the stunning jazz-drenched ballad from legend George Michael, 'Older', before Natalie Imbruglia's huge debut single 'Torn'. Texas scored a UK top 5 with 'Say What You Want' and Hanson hit the US & UK #1 with 'MMMBop'. 'Barbie Girl' from Aqua and the Spice Girls' anthemic 'Spice Up Your Life' were both #1s and lead a run of pure pop including Boyzone ('Picture Of You'), Louise ('Arms Around The World'), 911 ('Bodyshakin') and Backstreet Boys ('Everybody (Backstreet's Back)') alongside Steps with their debut '5, 6, 7, 8', and Ricky Martin's global smash 'Maria'. Up next is Elton John's superb 'Something About The Way You Look Tonight' - one half of the biggest selling single of all time. Eternal feat. Bebe Winans hit #1 with 'I Wanna Be The Only One' and All Saints made their debut with 'I Know Where It's At'. en Vogue's powerful 'Don't Let Go (Love)' and Gabrielle's remake of 'Walk On By' lead into the discs closing trio: - the atmospheric 'Out Of My Mind' from Duran Duran, the genre-blending #1 'Your Woman' from White Town, and Pet Shop Boys' brilliant version of the musical classic 'Somewhere'. CD2 opens with another George Michael classic from his 'Older' album, the beautiful 'You Have Been Loved', ahead of a second contemporary masterpiece 'Secret Garden' from Bruce Springsteen. Next Up, Paul McCartney's 'Young Boy' and Sheryl Crow's top 10 hit 'A Change Would Do You Good'. Meredith Brooks makes her debut with 'Bitch' and Robbie Williams' 'Old Before I Die', became his second smash as a solo artist. Different styles of dance pop are celebrated in a run of floor fillers including Jamiroquai's groovy 'Alright', and from Tina Moore ('Never Gonna Let You Go (Kelly G. Bump-N-Go Vocal Mix)'), Whitney Houston ('Step By Step') and Lutricia McNeal ('Ain't That Just The Way'). Finley Quaye and Ginuwine feature before rap from LL COOL J enjoying his first UK #1 with 'Ain't Nobody', and Coolio with the ear-worm 'C U When U Get There'. Soulful vocals close this disc with Mary J. Blige's 'Everything', ahead of great covers from Shola Ama with You Might Need Somebody', and 'Wonderful Tonight' from Damage. CD3 kicks off with Radiohead's defining 'Paranoid Android', and Oasis's huge #1 'D'You Know What I Mean?' - the lead single from their third album 'Be Here Now'. Indie-pop anthems follow from The Seahorses ('Love Is The Law'), Supergrass ('Richard III'), The Charlatans ('North Country Boy') and Ocean Colour Scene ('Hundred Mile High City'). 90s alt-pop continues with Cast's 'Free Me', Kula Shaker's hit cover of 'Hush' and Embrace's 'All You Good Good People'. Echo & The Bunnymen returned in '97 with 'Nothing Lasts Forever', and James also scored a Top 10 hit with 'She's A Star'. The Cardigans had a #2 smash with 'Lovefool' and 'Ready To Go' gave Republica a Top 20 chart debut. Next up, some of the years' electronic dance music highlights: - The Chemical Brothers with the massive 'Block Rockin' Beats' ahead of Moby with his re-imagining of the classic film-series theme: 'James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-Version)'. Orbital provided the theme to the remake of 'The Saint' and Smoke City provide trip-hop brilliance with 'Underwater Love', ahead of the disc finishing with the atmospheric version of 'You Showed Me' by The Lightning Seeds' and Suede's plaintive 'Saturday Night'. The final disc opens with a stellar run of 1997's dancefloor gold. Opening with the club juggernaut and #1 'Professional Widow' from Tori Amos, remixed for single release by Armand Van Helden, ahead of the collaboration between Lisa Stansfield and The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on the remix of 'People Hold On', Olive's UK #1 'You're Not Alone', the huge '97 'Now Voyager' remix of 'You Got The Love' from The Source feat. Candi Staton, and 'Remember Me' from Blue Boy. Ultra Nate and Dannii Minogue had euphoric dance-pop smashes with 'Free' and 'All I Wanna Do', which are featured before pan-European hits from Sash! ('Encore Une Fois') and Dario G ('Sunchyme'). Eurovision glory happened for the UK in 1997, and winners Katrina And The Waves with 'Love Shine A Light' are up next before gems from Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys and the second solo #1 for Gary Barlow with 'Love Won't Wait'. Gina G keeps things 'Fresh', No Mercy hit #2 with the infectious 'Where Do You Go', and N-Trance (featuring Rod Stewart) reimagined the classic: 'Da y Think I'm Sexy'. Five achieved a Top 10 debut with 'Slam Dunk (Da Funk)', East 17 enjoyed their 11th visit to the Top 10 with 'Hey Child', and Wet Wet Wet's 'If I Never See You Again' was another Top 5 hit for the enduringly popular band celebrating their 10th anniversary. The journey back to 1997 closes with the huge #1 ballad from the Spice Girls - 'Too Much' - the year's Christmas #1 and their 6th chart-topper in an unbroken run to date... which ends the collection on a perfect pop high. NOW - Yearbook 1997: A celebration of the diversity and creativity in the charts of a truly magical year in pop.
NOW YEARBOOK 1997 / VARIOUS
UNIVERSAL UK
CD
$25.99
Jul 04, 2025
Step back into one of the most exciting years in pop history - a time when boundary-pushing alternative anthems, flawless dancefloor fillers, global megastars and fresh faces all collided on the charts. NOW - Yearbook 1997 celebrates an unforgettable year of hits and this deluxe format features 78 massive tracks across 4 CDs - housed in 'hard-back-book' packaging, including a 28-page booklet featuring a summary of the year and a track-by-track guide. CD1 kicks off in style, with the stunning jazz-drenched ballad from legend George Michael, 'Older', before Natalie Imbruglia's huge debut single 'Torn'. Texas scored a UK top 5 with 'Say What You Want' and Hanson hit the US & UK #1 with 'MMMBop'. 'Barbie Girl' from Aqua and the Spice Girls' anthemic 'Spice Up Your Life' were both #1s and lead a run of pure pop including Boyzone ('Picture Of You'), Louise ('Arms Around The World'), 911 ('Bodyshakin') and Backstreet Boys ('Everybody (Backstreet's Back)') alongside Steps with their debut '5, 6, 7, 8', and Ricky Martin's global smash 'Maria'. Up next is Elton John's superb 'Something About The Way You Look Tonight' - one half of the biggest selling single of all time. Eternal feat. Bebe Winans hit #1 with 'I Wanna Be The Only One' and All Saints made their debut with 'I Know Where It's At'. en Vogue's powerful 'Don't Let Go (Love)' and Gabrielle's remake of 'Walk On By' lead into the discs closing trio: - the atmospheric 'Out Of My Mind' from Duran Duran, the genre-blending #1 'Your Woman' from White Town, and Pet Shop Boys' brilliant version of the musical classic 'Somewhere'. CD2 opens with another George Michael classic from his 'Older' album, the beautiful 'You Have Been Loved', ahead of a second contemporary masterpiece 'Secret Garden' from Bruce Springsteen. Next Up, Paul McCartney's 'Young Boy' and Sheryl Crow's top 10 hit 'A Change Would Do You Good'. Meredith Brooks makes her debut with 'Bitch' and Robbie Williams' 'Old Before I Die', became his second smash as a solo artist. Different styles of dance pop are celebrated in a run of floor fillers including Jamiroquai's groovy 'Alright', and from Tina Moore ('Never Gonna Let You Go (Kelly G. Bump-N-Go Vocal Mix)'), Whitney Houston ('Step By Step') and Lutricia McNeal ('Ain't That Just The Way'). Finley Quaye and Ginuwine feature before rap from LL COOL J enjoying his first UK #1 with 'Ain't Nobody', and Coolio with the ear-worm 'C U When U Get There'. Soulful vocals close this disc with Mary J. Blige's 'Everything', ahead of great covers from Shola Ama with You Might Need Somebody', and 'Wonderful Tonight' from Damage. CD3 kicks off with Radiohead's defining 'Paranoid Android', and Oasis's huge #1 'D'You Know What I Mean?' - the lead single from their third album 'Be Here Now'. Indie-pop anthems follow from The Seahorses ('Love Is The Law'), Supergrass ('Richard III'), The Charlatans ('North Country Boy') and Ocean Colour Scene ('Hundred Mile High City'). 90s alt-pop continues with Cast's 'Free Me', Kula Shaker's hit cover of 'Hush' and Embrace's 'All You Good Good People'. Echo & The Bunnymen returned in '97 with 'Nothing Lasts Forever', and James also scored a Top 10 hit with 'She's A Star'. The Cardigans had a #2 smash with 'Lovefool' and 'Ready To Go' gave Republica a Top 20 chart debut. Next up, some of the years' electronic dance music highlights: - The Chemical Brothers with the massive 'Block Rockin' Beats' ahead of Moby with his re-imagining of the classic film-series theme: 'James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-Version)'. Orbital provided the theme to the remake of 'The Saint' and Smoke City provide trip-hop brilliance with 'Underwater Love', ahead of the disc finishing with the atmospheric version of 'You Showed Me' by The Lightning Seeds' and Suede's plaintive 'Saturday Night'. The final disc opens with a stellar run of 1997's dancefloor gold. Opening with the club juggernaut and #1 'Professional Widow' from Tori Amos, remixed for single release by Armand Van Helden, ahead of the collaboration between Lisa Stansfield and The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on the remix of 'People Hold On', Olive's UK #1 'You're Not Alone', the huge '97 'Now Voyager' remix of 'You Got The Love' from The Source feat. Candi Staton, and 'Remember Me' from Blue Boy. Ultra Nate and Dannii Minogue had euphoric dance-pop smashes with 'Free' and 'All I Wanna Do', which are featured before pan-European hits from Sash! ('Encore Une Fois') and Dario G ('Sunchyme'). Eurovision glory happened for the UK in 1997, and winners Katrina And The Waves with 'Love Shine A Light' are up next before gems from Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys and the second solo #1 for Gary Barlow with 'Love Won't Wait'. Gina G keeps things 'Fresh', No Mercy hit #2 with the infectious 'Where Do You Go', and N-Trance (featuring Rod Stewart) reimagined the classic: 'Da y Think I'm Sexy'. Five achieved a Top 10 debut with 'Slam Dunk (Da Funk)', East 17 enjoyed their 11th visit to the Top 10 with 'Hey Child', and Wet Wet Wet's 'If I Never See You Again' was another Top 5 hit for the enduringly popular band celebrating their 10th anniversary. The journey back to 1997 closes with the huge #1 ballad from the Spice Girls - 'Too Much' - the year's Christmas #1 and their 6th chart-topper in an unbroken run to date... which ends the collection on a perfect pop high. NOW - Yearbook 1997: A celebration of the diversity and creativity in the charts of a truly magical year in pop.
I MISS YOU / BLACK & BLUE / TO BE TRUE / WAKE UP
BGO - BEAT GOES ON
CD
$18.31
May 01, 2026
Two CDs. Harold Melvin's four albums for Philly International Records, dating from 1972, '73 and '75. All four albums were Billboard Top 100 with 'To Be True' and 'Wake Up Everybody' No. 1 RnB albums. These recordings produced the huge hits of 'If You Don't Know Me By Now', 'Bad Luck', 'The Love I Lost', 'Wake Up Everybody' and 'Don't Leave Me This Way', When Melvin left Philly, and with Teddy Pendergrass also going solo, the band were unable to replicate their earlier success; however, these recordings are some of the finest black music ever. Digitally remastered and slipcased, and with extensive new notes.
NOW PRESENTS 12 INCH 80S: VOL 2 1983-1984 / VAR
UNIVERSAL UK
Vinyl
$160.49
Oct 24, 2025
Now Music is proud to announce the second of this vinyl series, 'NOW Presents. 12-inch 80s: Volume Two: 1983-1984', as a stunning 5-LP boxset. Kicking off in 1983 with Wham and the 12-inch version of their #2 smash 'Bad Boys' ahead of the massive collaboration between Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson on 'Say Say Say' in it's extended version. Spandau Ballet, Eurythmics and The Cure with the extended version of 'The Lovecats' complete the first side, and Tears For Fears open the flip side with 'Change' ahead of some of the best extended pop from '83, including from Altered Images, Haysi Fantayzee, Men Without Hats, and finishing with the extended version of the debut hit for Marilyn 'Calling Your Name'. LP2's first side is a celebration of 1983's fusion of synth-pop, electronic beats and hip-hop influence and vocals. First up, the most successful 12-inch single of the decade; 'Blue Monday' from New Order, alongside the massive 'I.O.U' (Megamix) from Freeez, Rock Steady Crew's extended version of '(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew' and the genre-melding 'Double Dutch' from Malcolm McLaren - while over on Side B, huge floor-fillers from Lionel Richie with the 12-inch Version of 'All Night Long (All Night)', KC & The Sunshine Band with the #1 'Give It Up', here in it's 'John Luongo Disco Mix', plus Donna Summer, Laura Branigan and Matthew Wilder's enduringly popular 'Break My Stride'. LP3 contains a mixture of essential 12-inches from both '83 and '84, with a trio of iconic tracks opening; extended mixes of Heaven 17's 'Temptation' and The Human League's '(Keep Feeling) Fascination', along with the first Top 10 hit 'Love On Your Side', the 'Rap Boy Rap' version from Thompson Twins. More peerless pop from Bananarama and Adam Ant finish side A - whilst side B celebrates Hi-Energy gold from Frankie Goes To Hollywood with the 'New York Mix' of 'Relax', Evelyn Thomas and the extended anthemic 'High Energy' alongside Bronski Beat with 'Why' and Dead Or Alive's breakthrough chart hit 'That's The Way (I Like It)' in it's extended version. LP4 opens with a side of massive chart hits from Culture Club with their mash-up US 12-inch mix of 'It's A Miracle' and 'Miss Me Blind' and Tina Turner with her signature 'What's Love Got To Do With It' (Extended 12-inch Remix), 'I Feel For You' hit the top spot for Chaka Khan, and Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel had a massive hit with 'White Lines (Don't Do It)' - the 12-inch Long Version is included here. Flip the LP over for more essential h-energy from Hazell Dean and Divine, plus '80s disco favourites from The Pointer Sisters and Miami Sound Machine. The final LP kicks off with the 'Dance Mix' of Duran Duran's huge #1 'The Reflex' ahead of extended versions of 1984's sophisticated synth pop from Nik Kershaw and Howard Jones, plus Scritti Politti with their sublime 'Absolute' (Version), before the side closes with the 12-inch Version of 'Pearly Dewdrops' Drops' - a timeless gem from the Cocteau Twins and over on the last side three incredible 12-inches: 'The Killing Moon' gave Echo & The Bunnymen their second Top 10 single and has become a contemporary classic - featured here as the 12-inch 'Up All Night Version' - Propaganda made their debut with 'Dr Mabuse' and 'Das Testament Des Dr Mabuse' (12-inch Edit for Germany) still sounds as breathtaking 40 years on - and to close this amazing collection, a second appearance from Frankie Goes To Hollywood: 'Two Tribes', was not only their second single in the decade end Top 5, but also spent longer - 9 weeks - at #1 than any other song - and the legendary 'Annihilation' mix is the perfect way to sign off on this stunning collection, bringing 44 essential 12-inch versions together on one vinyl set.
LAST DANCE
ECM RECORDS
Vinyl
$44.49
Nov 10, 2014
2014 2X vinyl LP pressing. Jarrett & Haden broaden the scope of their duo project to showcase jazz classics like Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight and Bud Powell's spritely Dance of the Infidels. Love songs, however, are to the fore in this selection, with tender versions of My Old Flame, My Ship, It Might As Well Be Spring, Everything Happens to Me, & Every Time We Say Goodbye as well as alternate takes of Where Can I Go Without You and Goodbye, every bit as touching as the Jasmine renditions. 'When we play together it's like two people singing', said Jarrett of his reunion with Haden. The intentions of the song are honored, the shades of meaning in a melody or a lyric explored instrumentally. As Charlie Haden put it, 'Keith really listens, and I listen'. That's the secret. It's about listening'. The music of Last Dance was recorded at Keith Jarrett's home studio.
COZY YOU (AND OTHER NICE SONGS)
VERVE
Vinyl
$21.49
Jun 06, 2025
Vinyl LP pressing. 2025 release. Aron!'s debut EP 'cozy you (and other nice songs)' is a collection of timeless pop jazz songs touching on romance, heartbreak, and life's complexities- all with an inviting warmth and charm. His memorable voice and clever songwriting bring a decidedly modern perspective to jazz that is somehow simultaneously classic and fresh. 'It's singer-songwriter jazz. I've always resonated with the real romantics from the old school. I realized people are going through the same things now as they were back then. Heartbreak is heartbreak, and love is love. We're all humans. I'm doing what feels authentic to me'. - aron!
SINGULAR SIMONE: THE CHRONOLOGICAL 45S 1959-1962
JASMINE RECORDS
CD
$11.99
Sep 19, 2025
One of the highest profile names in black American music, the iconic Nina Simone is worthy of all the praise that has been showered on her across the past six-and-a-bit decades. An earlier 2CD set from Jasmine showcasing Nina's first LPs has been a consistent seller for Jasmine for a few years, and we are now complementing with a single CD that brings together the a sides of her first dozen singles for Bethlehem and Colpix records, plus a handful of selected B sides, for what we believe is the first multi-label overview of her earliest 45s. Several of our featured selections would go on to be associated with her for her entire career, including her first hit 'I Loves You Porgy', 'Work Song', 'Trouble In Mind' and her greatly belated 80s hit 'My Baby Just Cares For Me'. All tracks are featured in their singles versions, and are presented in the order in which they were originally released. Even with an abundance of Nina on the market, we feel there's always going to be room for one that showcases only her early 45s, and that's the raison d'etre behind our release of "Singular Simone" Handsomely presented, with a cover that pays homage to her early albums, this is the perfect introduction to the genuine musical legend that is Nina Simone
