Artists: Empire Brass Quintet.
Album: Royal Brass - Music from the Renaissance and Baroque.
Recording House: Telarc.
Recording Date: 1990.
Mouret (1682-1738) - Rondeau
Holborne (d. 1602) - Five Pieces
- Elizabethan Dance Suite
Palestrina (1525-1594) - Riceracr del primo tuono
Scheidt (1586-1654) - Canzona bergamasca
Anonymous - Two 15th Century Fanfares
J.S. Bach (1685-1750) - March from Cantata 207a
- Trio Sonata in G major
- Fugue from Trio Sonata in C major
Albinoni (1671-1751) - Suite in G major
Handel (1685-1759) - Aria
Froberger (1616-1667) - Toccata
Pezel (1639 - 1694) - Sarabande
D. Scarlatti (1685-1757) - Sonata No. 49
Overview: This is a glorious CD of Baroque and Renaissance brass by the Dallas based Empire Brass Quintet. They are as good as the Canadian Brass CD I own. It's a good sampling of the Renaissance and Baroque composers. Highly recommended.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Sarah Chang/Vivaldi/The Four Seasons
Artist: Sarah Chang.
Album: The Four Seasons.
Recording Studio: EMI Classics.
Recording Date: 2007.
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto No. 1 in E
Concerto No. 2 in G minor
Concerto No. 3 in F
Concerto No. 4 in F minor
Concerto in G minor
Sarah Chang recorded Vivaldi's The Four Seasons with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 2007. The production is a bright, crisp recording. Though The Four Seasons have been recording many times by different artists, I enjoyed Ms. Chang's rendition of it. I got a chance to see her live once. And I've followed her career since.
Recommended.
Album: The Four Seasons.
Recording Studio: EMI Classics.
Recording Date: 2007.
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto No. 1 in E
Concerto No. 2 in G minor
Concerto No. 3 in F
Concerto No. 4 in F minor
Concerto in G minor
Sarah Chang recorded Vivaldi's The Four Seasons with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 2007. The production is a bright, crisp recording. Though The Four Seasons have been recording many times by different artists, I enjoyed Ms. Chang's rendition of it. I got a chance to see her live once. And I've followed her career since.
Recommended.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Classical Music in St. Louis Metro Area
There are several opportunities for listeners of classical music in the St. Louis metro area. The first station is 90.7 FM KWMU HD-3. You can listen on your computer if you don't have an HD radio. I've been doing that when I have my computer on. A play listing can be seen on the KWMU 90.7 FM HD-3 website.
The second opportunity is 107.3 FM courtesy of the Radio Arts Foundation. Some of the old hands from Classical 99.1 FM are now back on the air. However, the station range is limited to the immediate St. Louis metro area. You can find an online broadcast on the Radio Arts Foundation website, too.
90.7 FM HD-3 has Saturday Metropolitan Opera broadcasts on Saturday mornings. 107.3 has Houston Grand Opera, too. Give both of these stations a whirl. You'll be glad you did...
The second opportunity is 107.3 FM courtesy of the Radio Arts Foundation. Some of the old hands from Classical 99.1 FM are now back on the air. However, the station range is limited to the immediate St. Louis metro area. You can find an online broadcast on the Radio Arts Foundation website, too.
90.7 FM HD-3 has Saturday Metropolitan Opera broadcasts on Saturday mornings. 107.3 has Houston Grand Opera, too. Give both of these stations a whirl. You'll be glad you did...
Monday, December 16, 2013
Review of Violetta/Anna Netrebko/Rolando Villazon/Thomas Hampson
Artists: Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon, and Thomas Hampson.
Album: Violetta: Arias and Duets from Verdi's La Traviata.
Recording Company: Deutsche Grammaphon.
Recording Date: 2005.
Anna Netrebko, Violetta.
Rolando Villazon, Alfredo.
Thomas Hampson, Germount.
Weiner Staatsopernchor, Weiner Philharmoniker, Carlo Rizzi.
This is an issue from the 2005 Salzburg Festival. It's a production of Verdi's La Traviata by Carlo Rizzi and Weiner Philharmoniker. Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon, and Thomas Hampson star in the leads. The story is simple. It's about a fallen women who prostitutes herself out for money. She's forced to chose to between true love and financial gain. She eventually chooses true love but dies from her consumption (TB).
Verdi's La Traviata is the basis for the movie Moulin Rouge. The production is excellent. The singing is first class. Granted. Verdi isn't everyone's cup of tea. But whenever I get in the mood for opera, I'll put this CD on for a spin. Recommended for Xmas.
Album: Violetta: Arias and Duets from Verdi's La Traviata.
Recording Company: Deutsche Grammaphon.
Recording Date: 2005.
Anna Netrebko, Violetta.
Rolando Villazon, Alfredo.
Thomas Hampson, Germount.
Weiner Staatsopernchor, Weiner Philharmoniker, Carlo Rizzi.
This is an issue from the 2005 Salzburg Festival. It's a production of Verdi's La Traviata by Carlo Rizzi and Weiner Philharmoniker. Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon, and Thomas Hampson star in the leads. The story is simple. It's about a fallen women who prostitutes herself out for money. She's forced to chose to between true love and financial gain. She eventually chooses true love but dies from her consumption (TB).
Verdi's La Traviata is the basis for the movie Moulin Rouge. The production is excellent. The singing is first class. Granted. Verdi isn't everyone's cup of tea. But whenever I get in the mood for opera, I'll put this CD on for a spin. Recommended for Xmas.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Review of Mozart Arias by Cecilia Bartoli
Artist: Cecilia Bartoli.
Album: Mozart Arias.
Recording Company: Erato.
Recording Date: 1992.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Lugio Silla K 135
Le Nozze Di Figaro K 492
Cosi Fan Tutte K 588
I learned to love opera when I listened to Saturday Afternoons at the Met on Classic 99.1 FM here in St. Louis when it was still on the air. Fortunately, a new classical radio station is back on the air in the form of 107.3 FM.
But listening to the Met introduced me to the world of opera. And one who ranks as a rock star is Cecilia Bartoli. She is one of the few people to upstage a Metropolitan Opera projection by not showing up for it! However, her voice is an awesome sound to behold. I have some of her earlier albums. One of them is her Mozart Arias. They are three of Mozart's Italian operas, namely Lugio Silla, Le Nozze di Figaro and Cosi Fan Tutte.
This album shows Bartoli coming into her power as a soprano. And it's a good way to get introduced to classical Italian opera, too. Recommended for the holidays.
Album: Mozart Arias.
Recording Company: Erato.
Recording Date: 1992.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Lugio Silla K 135
Le Nozze Di Figaro K 492
Cosi Fan Tutte K 588
I learned to love opera when I listened to Saturday Afternoons at the Met on Classic 99.1 FM here in St. Louis when it was still on the air. Fortunately, a new classical radio station is back on the air in the form of 107.3 FM.
But listening to the Met introduced me to the world of opera. And one who ranks as a rock star is Cecilia Bartoli. She is one of the few people to upstage a Metropolitan Opera projection by not showing up for it! However, her voice is an awesome sound to behold. I have some of her earlier albums. One of them is her Mozart Arias. They are three of Mozart's Italian operas, namely Lugio Silla, Le Nozze di Figaro and Cosi Fan Tutte.
This album shows Bartoli coming into her power as a soprano. And it's a good way to get introduced to classical Italian opera, too. Recommended for the holidays.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Review of Joshua Bell's Voice of the Violin
Artist: Joshua Bell.
Album: Voice of the Violin.
Recording Company: Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Recording Date: 2006.
Rachmaninoff Vocalise
Schubert Ave Maria
Faure Apres un reve
Dvorak Song of the Moon
Mozart Laudate Dominum
Donizetti Una furtiva lagrima
Orff In trutina
Mendelsohn May Breezes
Debussy Beau soir
Ponce Estrellita
De Falla Nana
Bizet Je crois entendre encore
R. Strauss Morgen!
I've heard Joshau Bell in concert before at Powell Hall. I bought one of his CD's last Xmas, Voice of the Violin, at Barnes & Noble. I enjoyed the works on this album. Anna Netrebko is also on the last song, Morgen! by Strauss. The songs are so idyllic, I could fall asleep listening to them. Recommended.
Album: Voice of the Violin.
Recording Company: Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Recording Date: 2006.
Rachmaninoff Vocalise
Schubert Ave Maria
Faure Apres un reve
Dvorak Song of the Moon
Mozart Laudate Dominum
Donizetti Una furtiva lagrima
Orff In trutina
Mendelsohn May Breezes
Debussy Beau soir
Ponce Estrellita
De Falla Nana
Bizet Je crois entendre encore
R. Strauss Morgen!
I've heard Joshau Bell in concert before at Powell Hall. I bought one of his CD's last Xmas, Voice of the Violin, at Barnes & Noble. I enjoyed the works on this album. Anna Netrebko is also on the last song, Morgen! by Strauss. The songs are so idyllic, I could fall asleep listening to them. Recommended.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Review of Anna Netrebko's Russian Album
Artist: Anna Netrebko.
Album: Russian Album.
Recording Studio: Deutsche Grammophon.
Recording Date: 2006.
Tchaikovsky:
Iolanta Airos No. 1
Romance Op. 38 No. 6
Eugene Onegin Letter Scene from Act I
Rachmaninov:
Song Op. 21 No. 7
Song Op. 4 No. 4
Francesca da Rimini Excerpt from Tableau II
Rimsky-Korsakov:
Tales from the Tsar Saltan from Act IV
The Snow Maiden Scene and Aria from Prologue
The Snow Maiden Finale from Act IV
The Tsar's Bride Scene and Aria from Act IV
Glinka:
A Life for the Tsar Cavitina and Rondo from Act I
Prokofiev:
War and Peace Exerpt from Act I
This was Anna Netrebko's fourth or fifth album for Deutsche Grammophon. It's entirely in Russian with 19th and early 20th century Russian composers. The works of the mighty five play prominently in this work. Much of this I hadn't heard before. But Russian music has become more mainstream within the classical music repartee.
But the "miracle from Saint Petersburg" does her magic with this album. Recommended as a birthday or Xmas present for the discerning opera lover.
Album: Russian Album.
Recording Studio: Deutsche Grammophon.
Recording Date: 2006.
Tchaikovsky:
Iolanta Airos No. 1
Romance Op. 38 No. 6
Eugene Onegin Letter Scene from Act I
Rachmaninov:
Song Op. 21 No. 7
Song Op. 4 No. 4
Francesca da Rimini Excerpt from Tableau II
Rimsky-Korsakov:
Tales from the Tsar Saltan from Act IV
The Snow Maiden Scene and Aria from Prologue
The Snow Maiden Finale from Act IV
The Tsar's Bride Scene and Aria from Act IV
Glinka:
A Life for the Tsar Cavitina and Rondo from Act I
Prokofiev:
War and Peace Exerpt from Act I
This was Anna Netrebko's fourth or fifth album for Deutsche Grammophon. It's entirely in Russian with 19th and early 20th century Russian composers. The works of the mighty five play prominently in this work. Much of this I hadn't heard before. But Russian music has become more mainstream within the classical music repartee.
But the "miracle from Saint Petersburg" does her magic with this album. Recommended as a birthday or Xmas present for the discerning opera lover.
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