Beethoven Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 played by Rudolf Buchbinder in the Mozarteum Großer Saal at the 2014 Salzburg Festival. Here's the program:
Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major
Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major
Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major
Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor
Piano Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major
Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, "Les Adieux"
Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major
Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major "Hammerklavier"
Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major
Directed for video by Frédéric Delesque. Released 2016, music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling and disc has 4.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: D+
Read MoreBeethoven Piano Sonatas Vol. 3 played by Rudolf Buchbinder in the Mozarteum Großer Saal at the 2014 Salzburg Festival. Here's the program:
Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major
Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major
Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major "Pastorale"
Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor "Appassionata"
Piano Sonata No. 11 in B flat major
Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor "Pathetique"
Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major
Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major "Waldstein"
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major
Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor
Directed for video by Frédéric Delesque. Released 2016, music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling and disc has 4.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. The back art on this package is strangely confused speaking of a "DVD 1" and "DVD 2" rather than a single Blu-ray disc. This is just another example of the slovenliness with which this series of 3 discs of Beethoven sonatas was produced and manufactured by C Major. Grade: D+
Read MoreJames Lancelot plays the following selections on the grand organ of the Durham Cathedral:
1. Whitlock "Paean"
2. J. S. Bach "Fantasia and Fugue" in G minor BWV 542
3. Stanley "Andante: Largo" from Trumpet Voluntary (Voluntary in D Op. 6 No.5)
4. F. J. Haydn "Three Pieces for Musical Clocks" Nos. 4, 13 and 25
5. Rheinberger "Sonata No. 7" in F minor Op. 127
6. Stanford "Prelude" Op. 101 No. 5 on St. Columba
7. Stanford "Prelude" Op. 101 No. 5 on Gartan
8. Frank "Piece Heroique"
9. Vierne "Intermezzo" (Symphony No. 3)
10. Dupre "Placare Christe Servulis" Op. 38 No. 16
11. Alain "Deux Dances a Agni Yavishta"
12. Alain "Litanies"
13. Hakim "Mariales"
14. Mulet "Carillon-Sortie"
Priory specializes in church and organ music. This package has a Blu-ray, a DVD, and a CD. Released 2014, recording specs are unclear, and the Blu-ray disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound output. Grade: A
Read MoreLang Lang Live in Versailles, a piano recital by Lang Lang, features the following:
1. Chopin Scherzo No. 1
2. Chopin Scherzo No. 2
3. Chopin Scherzo No. 3
4. Chopin Scherzo No. 4
5. Tchaikovsky The Seasons.
This should have been called The Months. Here are the 12 short pieces in The Seasons:
1. January: "At the Fireside"
2. February: "Carnival"
3. March: "Song of the Lark"
4. April: "Snowdrop"
5. May: "White Nights"
6. June: "Barcarolle"
7. July: "The Reaper's Song"
8. August: "The Harvest"
9. September: "The Hunt"
10. October: "Autumn Song"
11. November: "Troika"
12. December: "Christmas"
Performed 2015 in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. Directed for TV by Andy Sommer; produced by François Duplat. Released 2015, music was recorded at 48kHz/24-bit and the disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: A-
Read MoreStrauss & Ravel Concert. Vladimir Jurowski conducts the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in 2009 in the Richard Strauss Metamorphosen and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Hélène Grimaud joins as soloist in the Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major. TV direction by Louise Narboni; produced by Pierre-Martin Juban. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grades: A- for the Ravel and B- for the two Strauss pieces.
Read MoreDavid Dunnett in 2012 plays the following selections on the grand organ of the Norwich Cathedral:
1. Handel "Coro" from Water Music (arr. Osborne Peasgood)
2. J. S. Bach "Sinfonia on Cantata No. 29" (arr. Marcel Dupré)
3. J. S. Bach "Sheep May Safely Graze"
4. Heathcote Statham "Rhapsody on a Ground"
5. Percy Whitlock "Folk Tune"
6. Handel "Hornpipe" from Water Music (arr. Osborne Peasgood)
7. Saint-Saëns "Fantaisie in E flat"
8. Jehan Alain "Le Jardin suspendu"
9. Alexandre Guilmant "March on a Theme of Handel "
10. William Walond "Voluntary in G"
11. Ronald Watson "Kum ba'yah"
12. Percy Fletcher "Festival Toccata"
13. Elgar "Angel's Farewell" from The Dream of Gerontius (arr. Sir Herbert Brewer)
14. Iain Farrington "Live Wire"
Priory specializes in church and organ music. This package has a Blu-ray, a DVD, and a CD! Recorded and produced by Paul Crichton; filmed and edited by Richard Knight; Associate Producer was Callum Ross; Executive Producer was Neil Collier. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. Grade: A
Read MoreSommernachtskonzert 2015 (2015 Summer Night Concert). On May 14, 2015 Zubin Mehta conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker in the annual Summer Night Concert at the Baroque Park of the Schönbrunn palace in Vienna. Features pianist Rudolf Buchbinder. Sound produced by Raimund Langner; directed for TV by Henning Kasten. Released 2015, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B
Here is the program:
1. Richard Strauss, Fanfare für Wiener Philharmoniker
2. Carl Nielsen, Maskarade: Overture
3. Edvard Grieg, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A Minor (Buchbinder)
4. Alfred Grünfeld, Soirée de Vienne (Buchbinder encore)
5. Christian Sindling, Frühlingsrauschen (Rustle of Spring)
6. Edvard Grieg, Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
7. Jean Sibelius, Finlandia
Encores:
1. Hans Christian Lumbye, Kopenhagener Eisenbahn-Dampf-Galopp
2. Johann Strauss II, Wiener Blut - Walzer
Read MoreAnne-Sophie Mutter Live - The Club Album concert. Anne-Sophie Mutter performs May 7 and 8, 2015 at the Neue Heimat nightclub in Berlin as part of the Yellow Lounge concert series. Features Mutter's long-time accompanist, pianist Lambert Orkis, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, and the Mutter Virtuosi ensemble. Also features a live video installation by VJ (that's video jockey) Philipp Geist. The setlist is as follows:
1. Vivaldi 3. Presto from The Four Seasons - Concerto In G Minor, RV 315, "The Summer"
2. Gershwin Allegro ben ritmato e deciso from Three Preludes
3. Gershwin Andante con moto e poco rubato from Three Preludes
4. Gershwin Allegro ben ritmato e deciso from Three Preludes
5. J.S. Bach. Allegro (3rd movement) from Double Concerto For 2 Violins, Strings, and Basso continuo In D Minor, BWV 1043 (Noa Wildschut, solo violin II)
6. Tchaikovsky "Mélodie" from Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42
7. Vivaldi Allegro non molto from The Four Seasons - Concerto In F Minor, RV 297, "The Winter"
8. J.S. Bach Vivace (1st movement) from Double Concerto For 2 Violins, Strings, And Continuo In D Minor, BWV 1043 (Nancy Zhou solo violin II)
9. Brahms Hungarian Dance No.1 In G Minor
10. Debussy "Golliwogg's Cakewalk" from Children's Corner
11. Saint-Saëns Introduction et Rondo capriccioso
12. Debussy "Clair de lune" from Suite bergamasque
13. Copland "Hoe-Down" from Rodeo
14. J.S. Bach/Gounod "Ave Maria"
15. Arthur Benjamin "Jamaican Rumba"
16. John Williams "Theme from Schindler's List"
Finally, although not a word is said about it in the Blu-ray package or in the PR, this was recorded with 96kHz/24-bit sound sampling (according to my Oppo BDP-93). Released 2015, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+
Read MoreBBC Proms At Royal Albert Hall concert. David Zinman conducts the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. Features violinist Julia Fischer. Video directed by Bridget Caldwell. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: NA
The concert features the following works:
1. Strauss Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche
2. Dvořák Violin Concerto
3. Beethoven Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral"
Read MoreAngels Sing --- Libera in America boys' choir concert. Recorded live in August 2014 at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. Singers are Marc Alvares, Shay Balsekar, Henry Barrington, Anthony Blake, Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, Tiarnan Branson, Gabriel Collins, Kavana Crossley, Thomas Delgado-Little, Ben Fairman, Daniel Fontannaz, Alex Gula, Matthew Jansen, Timothy Lee, Sam Leggett, Isaac London, Matthew Madine, Eoghan McCarthy, Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti, Michael Menezes, Alex Montoro, Sammy Moriarty, Jakub Niedermaier-Reed, Rocco Tesei, Cassius O'Connell-White, Matthew Rangel-Alvares, Bertramo Smart, Camden Stewart, Sam Wiggin, and Lucas Wood. Robert Prizeman directed and conducted the Libera choir and a chamber orchestra assembled for this event. Music produced and mixed by Sam Coates, Ian Tiley, and Robert Prizeman. There is also a short feature about the choir and the trip to America. Produced by Daniel Hart, John Rexroad, and Steven Philipp. There is no credit for the video on the keepcase or in the keepcase booklet. There are no subtitles for the music or for short comments made by the boys during the performance. The music was recorded using 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: D+
Read MoreIn 2014, Kerry Beaumont plays the following selections on the grand organ of the Coventry Cathedral in Coventry, England:
1. Lemmens "Fanfare"
2. Holst "Mars, the Bringer of War" (The Planets)
3. Mendelssohn "Prelude and Fugue" in C minor
4. J. S. Bach "Come Sweetest Death" (Komm, Susser Tod)
5. Handel "For unto us a Child is Born"
6. Walton "Orb and Sceptre"
7. Messiaen "Jesus accepte la souffrance"
8. Boellmann "Toccata" from Suite Gothique
9. Brewer "Triumphant Song"
10. Beethoven "Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement)"
11. Davies "RAF March Past"
12. Durufle "Prelude and Fugue sur le non d'Alain"
13. Cholley "Rumba sur les grands jeux"
The Grand Organ of Coventry Cathedral is an impressive recording package with a Blu-ray video disc, a DVD, and a CD of the music. Each of the 13 musical selections is accompanied with video showing Beaumont playing plus numerous clips of the Cathedral and the town of Coventry with its history and landmarks. There is an excellent keepcase booklet which gives you guidance as to what you see in the video for each musical number. Then in another section of the booklet you get a discussion of the musical aspects of each of the 13 selections. Finally, the booklet has two pages of technical data on the Coventry organ! So far I've covered only the main program. There are also 4 bonus extras, all with Beaumont as docent: (1) a 19-minute narration of the musical program, (2) a 44-minute detailed rundown on the features of the Coventry Grand Organ, (3) an 8-minute explanation of the challenges faced by the organist in playing "Rumba sur les grands jeux", and (4) a 12 minute discussion of two chamber organs that the Cathedral also owns and uses! Recorded and produced by Paul Crichton; filmed and edited by Richard Knight; Associate Producer was Callum Ross; Executive Producer was Neil Collier. Released 2015, Blu-ray disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. Grade: A
Read MoreBeethoven String Quartet No. 16 arranged for string orchestra. Leonard Bernstein conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker in a famous concert. Grade: B
Read More2015 Europakonzert: Sir Simon Rattle conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker this year in its traditional "Europakonzert" on May 1 celebrating the founding of the orchestra on May Day. Normally, this event occurs in a different European city in a beautiful venue of historical significance. For 2015, the concert was held at the Megaron in Athens. Also features violinist Leonidas Kavakos. Directed by Henning Kasten. Here's the program:
1. Rossini,Overture to Semiramide
2. Sibelius, Violin Concerto (Leonidas Kavakos)
3. Bach, "Largo" from Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005
4. Schumann, Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish"
Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBruckner Symphonies 4-9 box set, also called The Bruckner Mature Symphonies series. Daniel Barenboim conducted all 6 symphonies between June 20 and June 27, 2010 with the Staatskapelle Berlin. The total running time is 428 minutes on six discs. Released 2015, each disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound.
Each symphony is available individually and you can use the links below to get for information about each recording:
1. Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (Grade: NA)
2. Bruckner Symphony No. 5 (Grade: NA)
3. Bruckner Symphony No. 6 (Grade: C+)
4. Bruckner Symphony No. 7 (Grade: NA)
5. Bruckner Symphony No. 8 (Grade: NA)
6. Bruckner Symphony No. 9 (Grade: NA)
Read MoreVerdi Messa da Requiem concert. Recorded 2007 at the Basilica di San Marco, Venice. Lorin Maazel conducts the Symphonica Toscanini and Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Chorus Master Piero Monti). Soloists are Norma Fantini (soprano), Anna Smirnova (mezzo-soprano), Francesco Meli (tenor) and Rafał Siwek (bass). Disc is In Memorium marking, in 2007, the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Arturo Toscanini. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Latin. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
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