AcoustiCDigest
newCDnews
MUSIClassical.com
NEW AND NOTABLE RELEASES
************************
"Dvorak: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat, Op. 87; Sonatina in
G, Op. 100"
Emanuel Ax and Robert McDonald, pianos; Isaac Stern, violin;
Jaime Laredo, viola; Yo-Yo Ma, cello
CD on Sale
Recorded in 1996, this disc captures an all-star quartet
performing one of Dvorak's best chamber pieces, the Piano
Quartet No. 2. Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma steal the show on
this brooding but beautiful work. On "Sonatina in G Major,"
Stern gets his time in the spotlight, performing the work in
a highly stylized and sophisticated fashion along with
pianist Robert McDonald.
"Gershwin"
Fazil Say, piano; Kurt Masur, cond.; New York Philharmonic
CD on Sale
Fazil Say's take on the music of George Gershwin is not for
the faint of heart, but it is engrossing. On Gershwin's
piano miniatures, Say proves he can improvise as well as any
jazz musician, and on the two longer works--"Rhapsody in
Blue" and "I Got Rhythm Variations"--the pianist and the New
York Philharmonic breathe new life into these warhorses. His
side-by-side takes of "Summertime"--one reflective, one
dizzying--are a highlight.
"Mendelssohn: String Quintets No. 1 & 2"
L'Archibudelli
CD on Sale
Felix Mendelssohn's string quintets are sadly overlooked,
but this new disc by period instrument group L'Archibudelli
sheds plenty of light on these graceful works. Though 20
years separate the two string quintets, there's no denying
that they're both beautiful masterpieces--the first is
melodic and warm, while the second is energetic and more
complex. Great playing and a perfect balance between the
instruments make this CD a must-have for Mendelssohn lovers.
"Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3: Gift of Dreams;" "Autumn
Gardens"
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano and cond.; Helsinki Philharmonic
Orchestra
CD on Sale
With his "Gift of Dreams" piano concerto--commissioned by
Vladimir Ashkenazy under the guideline that he wanted to
both conduct and play on the piece--Finn Einojuhani
Rautavaara asserts himself as no less than one of the most
gifted composers alive today. Engrossing, atmospheric, and
exciting, Rautavaara created what may be the 21st century's
"Rhapsody in Blue"--a thoroughly original composition filled
with intense passages that slowly unfold over time. A soon-
to-be classic!
"Satie: The 4 Handed Piano"
Pascal Roge and Jean-Philippe Collard, pianos; Chantal
Juillet, violin
CD on Sale
French pianists Roge and Collard deliver one of the more
interesting discs of Erik Satie available, bypassing the
flowery sentimentality that flaws so many Satie discs. Here
they perform "Parade" without the orchestra or pyrotechnics
(no gunshots or sirens) to reveal the piece's inner beauty--
tempo changes, mood swings, and all. Lesser-heard gem
"Things Seen to the Right and Left (Without Eyeglasses)" is
Satie's only work for violin and piano; it's a short work
filled with charm. ("Fumbling fugue," anyone?)
WORD FOR WORD: HELENE GRIMAUD
*****************************
"[The late piano sonatas] are where you really encounter the
substance of Beethoven. For a long time I believed tradition
in the form was an impediment to what he had to offer. As
his compositions evolved, this organic element comes to the
fore. It's as if all of a sudden what's expressed in these
sonatas really has nothing to do with the piano--has nothing
to do with the interpreter, but becomes something that is
totally free from any vehicle or form. The content takes
center stage over form and tradition, even over the
sonority. How could that not be more attractive?" --Pianist
Helene Grimaud on the art of interpreting Beethoven
Read our interview with Grimaud...
..here!
You can find Helene Grimaud's recording of Beethoven's Piano
Concerto No. 4 at
CD on Sale
ADVENTUROUS NEW MUSIC
*********************
Sometimes tried-and-true just won't work. Here's a look at
some recommended music from the cutting edge.
"Steve Reich: New York Counterpoint; Eight Lines; Four
Organs/Bang on a Can"
CD on Sale
Gathering three 1970s works originally found on the 10-CD
Steve Reich box set "1965-1995," this disc captures some of
the minimalist composer's most eclectic works (no small
feat!). "New York Counterpoint" requires a lone clarinetist
(in this case B.O.C.'s Evan Ziporyn) to play against
prerecorded clarinet passages of himself; "Four Organs"
follows the simple, subtle chord progressions of four
Farfisa keyboards. "Eight Lines" is the CD's most complex
piece, where the eight melodic lines of an octet interweave
with fascinating results.
"Caravan"
Kronos Quartet
CD on Sale
On "Caravan," Kronos enters world music territory with a
disc that incorporates music from Eastern Europe, India, the
Middle East, Argentina, and the U.S. They perform these
gypsy-inspired compositions with plenty of spirit and
intensity, as well as the usual Kronos Quartet creativity.
As an album closer, Kronos even performs "Miserlou Twist"
(made famous by surf rock pioneer Dick Dale), proving they
still haven't forgotten their rock, er, classical roots.
"Home Grown"
New Century Saxophone Quartet
CD on Sale
Granted, saxophone quartets are an acquired taste, but on
"Home Grown"--a collection of original commissions for the
New Century Saxophone Quartet--the ensemble works wonders.
Lenny Pickett's "Saxophone Quartet No. 2" is indebted to the
blues and jazz; Ken Valitsky's "Saxomaphone" incorporates
all the cliches of bop into one short dance piece; and
Thomas Massella's "Three Lyrics for Saxophone Quartet" is
earthy and poetic. In short, there's something for everyone
here.
Brian Asawa : More Than A Day, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
J.S. Bach : Cants (4)/Christmas Oratorio/&, Jun 08 CD Sale Price
J.S. Bach : Ascension Cantatas, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J.S. Bach : Toccata/Partita/English Ste, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J.S. Bach : Essential Bach, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Thomas Beecham : Conducts Haydn/Dvorak/Berlioz/, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Beethoven/Brahms : Son Vc 1/2/Son Vc, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
L.V. Beethoven : Qts Str-Vol. 1, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
L.V. Beethoven : Qts Str-Vol. 6, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
L.V. Beethoven : Qts Str-Vol. 8, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
A. Berg : Con Chbr/Son Pno Op. 1/Qt Str, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Brahms : Sym 1/Alto Rhaps, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Brahms : Trio Hn Op. 40/Ser Op. 11, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
F. Bridge : Phantasy Trio/Trio Pno 2/Minia, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
A. Bruckner : Sym 8, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
John Cage : Seasons, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Sergiu Celibidache : Conducts Mussorgsky/Stravinsky, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Sergiu Celibidache : Conducts Bruckner-Sym 7-9, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Sergiu Celibidache : Conducts Brahms-Sym 1-4, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
A. Corelli : Con Grossi (6), Jun 06 CD Sale Price
C. Debussy : Nocturnes/Iberia/Faun/Claire D, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
Paul Derenne : Rare French Songs, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Jacqueline Du Pre : Concerto Collection, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
G. Dufay : O Gemma Lux, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
E. Elgar : Barbirolli Elgar Album, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
M. Feldman : For Samuel Beckett, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau : Edition, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
George Gershwin : Rhaps In Blue/American In Pari, Jun 01 CD Sale Price
Angela Gheorghiu : Verdi Heroines, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Emil Gilels : Giant, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
G.F. Handel : Israel In Egypt, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Haydn : Qts Str Op. 76, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Haydn : Qts Str (6) Op. 33, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Haydn : Qts (6) Op. 20, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Haydn : Seven Last Words Of Christ, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Haydn : Qts Str Op. 77, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Christopher Herrick : Organ Dreams-2, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
P. Hindemith : Sym Serena/Harmonie Der Welt, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Vladimir Horowitz : Plays Rachmaninoff-Con 3/Son 2, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
Josquin Desprez : Missa Pange Lingua/Motets, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Kim Kashkashian : Bartok/Eotvos/Kurtag, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
I. Khandoshkin : Folk Songs In The Russian Salo, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Z. Kodaly : Son Vc Op. 4/8/Duo Vn/Vc Op.7, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
F. Lehar : World Of Operetta, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
Listen Learn & Grow : Lullabies, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
G. Mahler : Sym 10, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
G. Mahler : Sym 10, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
G. Mahler : Sym 2, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
F. Mendelssohn : Sym 3/4, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
F. Mendelssohn : Sym 3/Midsummer, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Nathan Milstein : Plays Handel/Mozart/Prokofiev, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
Mozart/Haydn : Great Mass/Te Deum, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
W.A. Mozart : Late Qts Str (4), Jun 13 CD Sale Price
W.A. Mozart : Don Gionvanni-Comp Opera, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
C. Orff : Carmina Burana, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
Z. Preisner : 10easy Pieces For Piano, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
S. Prokofiev : Con Vn 1/2/5/Ste Romeo & Julie, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Psalms From St. Paul's : Vol. 11-Psalms 119/136-38, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
G. Puccini : Tosco-Comp Opera, Jun 02 CD Sale Price
M. Ravel : Rhaps Espagnole/Mother Goose S, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
M. Ravel : Bolero, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
Rimsky-Korsakov/Debussy : Scheherazade/Russian Easter Ov, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
Scott Ross : Tribute To Scott Ross, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Sanctus : Aeon Sky, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
Andreas Scholl : Sings Vivaldi, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
R. Schumann : Sym 3/4, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
R. Schumann : Sym 1/2, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
R. Schumann : Songs-Vol. 4, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Peter Serkin : Plays Beethoven Sons, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
D. Shostakovich : Sym 1-15/Orchestral Works, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
Shostakovich/Schnittke : Chbr Sym/Con Pno 1/Con Pno, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
I. Stravinsky : Shadow Dances, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
B. Strozzi : Cantatas, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
T. Takemitsu : I Hear The Water Dreaming, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Taverner : Missa O Michael, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Taverner : Missa Sancti Wilhelmi, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
J. Taverner : Western Wynde Mass, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
P.I. Tchaikovsky : Seasons/Theme & Vars/Dumka, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
Tokyo Phil Orch : Ste White Haired Girl/Ovt Spri, Jun 01 CD Sale Price
Mitsuko Uchida : Plays Schubert-Son 14/17, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
A. Vivaldi : Concerti Della Natura, Jun 06 CD Sale Price
A. Vivaldi : Cons Fl Op. 10, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
K. Volans : Cicada Duets, Jun 13 CD Sale Price
