Thursday, September 26, 2013

Review of Alison Balsom's Italian Concertos

Artist:  Alison Balsom, trumpet.
Album:  Italian Concertos.
Recording House:  EMI Classics.
Recording Date:  2010.

Antonio Vivaldi, 1678-1741
Violin Concerto in A minor RV356

Benedetto Marcello, 1686-1739
Oboe Concerto in C minor

Tomas Albinoni, 1671-1750
Oboe Concerto in B flat OP. 7 NO. 3

Themes of Domenico Cimarosa, 1749-1801
Oboe Concerto in C minor by Arthur Benjamin, 1893-1960

Antonio Vivaldi, 1678-1741
Violin Concerto in G OP. 3 No. RV310

Giuseppe Tartini, 1692-1770
Concerto in D D53

Tomaso Albinoni, 1671-1739
Violin Sonata Da Chiesa in D minor

Alison Balsom is the type of woman I'd like to marry.  Needless to say, that will never happen.  Her baroque brass work is elegant.  I enjoyed listening to this CD many times.  She is one of the leading classical trumpet players active today.

However, this purchase happened by accident.  I rummaged through a local Borders during their liquidation sale.  I bought the CD on a lark.  I was used to listening to Canadian Brass CD's.  This work is a nice change.  In the future,  I need to be on the lookout for more of Ms. Balsom's work,

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Review of The Tallis Scholars' Requiem

Review of The Tallis Scholars' Requiem

Artist:  The Tallis Scholars.
Album:  Requiem.
Recording Label:  Gimmell.
Recording Date:  2005

Tomas Luis De Victoria (1548-1611)
Requiem
Versa est in luctum

Duarte Lobo (1565-1646)
Requiem for six voices

Manuel Cardoso (1566-1650)
Requiem
Non mortui
Sitivit anima mea
Mulier quae erat
Nos autem gloriari

Alonso Lobo (1555-1617)
Versa est in luctum
Credo quod redemptor
Vivo ego, dicit Dominus
Ave Maria

The Tallis Scholars are professional musicians based in the UK who perform Baroque and Renaissance period music.  I discovered them in the middle 1990s at a public library.  That was when my Latin was still fresh from my undergraduate days.  Now, it's rusted away...

However, the works on this CD are from some underrated Spanish and Portuguese composers.  One composed works for the death of a 16th century pope.  All the music is based for the Roman Catholic Requiem liturgy.  It's a two CD work with nearly 2.5 hours of sacred Latin choral music. 

The music itself is uplifting and enjoyable.  Even if you don't understand Latin.  I appreciate it even more from an artistic standpoint because of my 15 years with an Anglican choir singing Tallis and other Baroque masters.  But what The Tallis Scholars do on a regular basis never ceases to amaze me.