These are indeed times that can try our collective…, and with that, I am taking this special downtime to listen even more critically to the music I list, even if that means not agreeing with critics and public opinion.
The John Adams “Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes” really struck a chord, not just the music, but the title and the album cover artwork as well. A total package as they say.
An unabashed Dusty Springfield fan, Shelby Lynne came to my attention with her 2008 tribute to Dusty: Just a Little Lovin’ and this week she treats to her latest eponymous release entitled — wait for it, Shelby Lynne.
Making no bones about it, a man of many musical predilections, I’m hooked on Beethoven Transcriptions whether it be the Contiguglia Brothers’ recording for Liszt’s transcription of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony for two pianos or this week, Mari Kodama’s Kaleidoscope album.
Thomas Adès always manages to bring something new and different, especially with the Britten Sinfonia (chamber orchestra) and the decision, to couple Beethoven’s Symphonies 1 & 3 with Gerald Barry’s 2008 “Beethoven” Concerto is pure Adès.
At the venerable age of 92, Herbert Blomstedt, the illustrious conductor is still with us and this week’s re-issue of his complete Beethoven Symphonies Cycle from the 70’s on the Berlin Classics label reminds us/me of his statue and why he is such a treasure.
My closing mea culpa — I am a sucker for any recording of Ferde Grofe’s Grand Canyon and this re-issue/re-master of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic put me in a really happy place this weekend.
New Releases
Bruno Cocset – Ortiz: Trattado de Glosas
David Bromberg Band – Big Road
Harmonieuses Dissonances – Eric Montalbetti: Chamber Music
John Adams: Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes
Jory Vinikour – L’Unique – Harpsichord music of François Couperin
Karina Gauvin – Nuits Blanches
Mari Kodama – Kaleidoscope (Beethoven Transcriptions)
Martin Helmchen, Andrew Manze – Beethoven: Pianos concertos 1 & 4
Peter Donohoe – Mozart: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3
Shelby Lynne – Shelby Lynne
Soul Asylum – Hurry up and Wait
Tabea Zimmermann & Javier Perianes – Cantilena
Tasmin Little & Piers Lane – British Violin Sonatas, Vol 3
Thomas Adès & Britten Sinfonia – Beethoven – Symphonies Nos. 1-3
Wolfgang Rübsam – Widor Organ Symphonies, Vol. 2
ReIssues & ReMasters & Miscellany
Ayers Rock – Hot Spell
Erroll Garner – Gemini
Frank Zappa – Austin
Herbert Blomstedt, Staatskapelle Dresden – Beethoven – Complete Symphonies
Leonard Bernstein – Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris
Paul McCartney & Wings – Wings Greatest
Toto – Toto
- (Page 1 of 1)
