#Classial Music Albums

[johnjpuccio]

Review of "Schubert: Unfinished and Great Symphonies." Rene Jacobs, B’Rock Orchestra. Pentatone PTC 5186 894

First, you may ask, How can it be that the combined total of these two performances add up to over eighty-seven minutes, yet a single disc accommodates them? Usually, a conventional CD can only hold about seventy-five or so minutes of content. But this is no conventional CD. It’s an SACD, a Super Audio CD that allows for longer playing times. Moreover, the performances come in two-channel stereo, not in multichannel, so there’s that.

To read the full review, click here:

John J. Puccio, Classical Candor

[johnjpuccio]

Review of "Mahler: Symphony No. 4." Semyon Bychkov, Czech Philharmonic. Pentatone PTC 5186 972

During his career Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) wrote nine symphonies. Or ten if you count his final, unfinished symphony. Or eleven if you count his unnumbered symphony Das Lied von der Erde (“The Song of the Earth”). Whatever, judging by the number of recordings available, Nos. 1 and 4 are among the most popular. They are also his shortest symphonies and some of his most accessible, which could account for their allure, and this is disregarding the unfavorable reception No. 4 had upon its premiere in 1901.

To read the full review, click here:

John J. Puccio, Classical Candor

[johnjpuccio]

Review of "Beving: Hermetism." Joep Beving, piano. Deutsche Grammophon 4862030

Dutch composer and pianist Joep Beving (b. 1976) has released a solo piano albuminspired by an ancient philosophical movement known as Hermetism. Stemming from ancient writings attributed to the legendary Greek author Hermes Trismegistus, at its core are seven universal laws of nature (e.g., the principle of cause and effect and the principle of rhythm) that are said to be concerned with all finding a continuous balance in life and existence. “The teachings around these principles feel so truthful to me and I hope they will inspire others,” says Beving, who adds of his album that he hopes “it will have a comforting and communal effect on listeners.” The music on Hermetism is soothing and comforting, inhabiting a musical space somewhere between classical and New Age. Although the harmonies are relatively simple, the music sounds serious and thoughtfully composed. It is not mindless, nor is it repetitive minimalism.

To read the full review, click here:

Karl W. Nehring, Classical Candor

[johnjpuccio]

Piano Potpourri, No. 6: Reviews of four new piano recordings on CD.

Schubert: Piano Sonata in G major D894; Piano Sonata in E minor D769a (fragment; formerly D994); Piano Sonata in A major D664. Stephen Hough, piano. Hyperion CDA 68370.

The last time British pianist Stephen Hough (b.1961, his name rhymes with “rough”) made an appearance in Classical Candor, it was for reviews of both a recording (Chopin’s complete Nocturnes) and a book (Rough Ideas), which can be found here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/11/piano-potpourri-no-2-cd-reviews.html. Given that the piano music of Schubert is second to none, at least in my humble estimation, I had been looking forward eagerly looking forward to auditioning this new recording and was grateful for its arrival. Not long ago I had it playing on my big system and was sitting in my listening room with my eyes closed, not so much listening critically but just letting myself get lost in the music, when I was startled by a sharp tap on my shoulder. As I turned to see what my wife wanted, I was startled to see that it was not my wife, but rather my Belgian detective friend, whom I had forgotten had said would be in the area in April and would try to stop by for a quick visit. As I scrambled for the remote to turn down the volume, he quickly exclaimed, “No no, mon ami, I am quite enjoying the Schubert most exquisite!” Hearing that, I immediately invited him to take my place in the listening chair. Removing a handkerchief from his pocket, he carefully dusted off the chair before primly sitting himself down. As he settled in to listen more closely, there was at first a look of intense concentration on his face, then a hint of a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. At times, his fingers would twitch as though he were fighting the urge to play the music on some imaginary keyboard. As the music came to an end, he turned to me and said, “Ah, mon ami, that was playing of the kind most exquisite. This fellow, he does to the music of Schubert the great justice, n’cest-pas?” Once again, far be it from me to argue with the world’s greatest detective.

To read the full review, click here:

https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/04/piano-potpourri-no-6-cd-reviews.html

Karl W. Nehring, Classical Candor

[johnjpuccio]

Review: “The Suite.” Music of Telemann, Bach, Elizondo, and Green. Orlando Cela, The Lowell Chamber Orchestra. Navona NV6324

Apparently, the folks at Navona Records want to let you know that the dance suite of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is still alive and well today, and on the current disc they include four composers of dance suites from the past and present. Maestro Orlando Cela conducts The Lowell Chamber Orchestra in suites by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767), Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Jose Elizondo (b. 1972), and Anthony R. Green (b. 1984).

To read the full review, click here:

https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-suite-cd-review.html

John J. Puccio, Classical Candor