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  War and Peace by Villa-Lobos

  These two symphonies were both composed in 1919 and reflect the composer’s response to the First World War. Musically they have a lot in common, save that the “War” Third Symphony fe [...]

  Read Review »
• 

  London Baroque Plays French Trio Sonatas

  London Baroque offers a selection of mostly unfamiliar yet often inspired French baroque trio sonatas. With the exception of François Couperin’s L’Imperiale, the works by Leclair, Boismor [...]

  Read Review »
• 

  Paray’s Rare, Worthwhile Piano Works

  Because of his renown as a conductor, Paul Paray’s compositions are all but unknown, a situation that Grotto Productions has been putting right with a series of CDs surveying Paray’s creative outp [...]

  Read Review »
• 

  Slatkin Aces Late Rachmaninov

  Leonard Slatkin’s Vox Rachmaninov cycle was one of his most successful early series of recordings, and he still has the measure of this music. The key to the Third Symphony lies in not playing i [...]

  Read Review »
• 

  Clean, Clear, Cool Tannhäuser

  Marek Janowski’s projected release of all of Wagner’s operas with the Berlin Radio Orchestra on Pentatone continues apace with this fine new Tannhäuser. As has been the case with the previous ope [...]

  Read Review »

Latest Music Reviews

Tirimo’s Masterful Debussy Available Again

by Jed Distler

Recorded between 1988 and 1991 for Carlton Classics and reissued anew by Alto, Martino Tirimo’s Debussy solo-piano music cycle remains a serious and arguably underappreciated contender. For starters, Tirimo’s warm, beautifully nuanced sonority and the alluring resonance of the Rosslyn Hill Chapel in Hampstead mesh... Continue Reading

War and Peace by Villa-Lobos

by David Hurwitz

These two symphonies were both composed in 1919 and reflect the composer’s response to the First World War. Musically they have a lot in common, save that the “War” Third Symphony features a lengthy funeral march while the “Victory” Fourth Symphony (I know, it’s not... Continue Reading

London Baroque Plays French Trio Sonatas

by John Greene

London Baroque offers a selection of mostly unfamiliar yet often inspired French baroque trio sonatas. With the exception of François Couperin’s L’Imperiale, the works by Leclair, Boismortier, and especially those by Dolle and Guignon are rarely performed, let alone recorded. They do, however, feature many... Continue Reading

Virginia Zeani in Late Donizetti

by Robert Levine

This historical reissue is, by my count, the fifth performance of this opera currently available. The new Opera Rara recording is of Donizetti’s original version; the others, including this one, are of his revision (see my review here for more information on the edition and... Continue Reading

Mariya Kim’s Steel-Edged Schumann

by Jed Distler

Mariya Kim is a pianist from Ukraine who won the 2008 Seoul International Music Competition, one of several career-enhancing events that led to this release. Schumann’s Op. 3 and Op. 10 Paganini Etude sets are difficult to play yet less glittery and scintillating than Liszt’s... Continue Reading

Paray’s Rare, Worthwhile Piano Works

by Jed Distler

Because of his renown as a conductor, Paul Paray’s compositions are all but unknown, a situation that Grotto Productions has been putting right with a series of CDs surveying Paray’s creative output. This two-disc set comprises all of his piano music, along with a Fantaisie... Continue Reading

Slatkin Aces Late Rachmaninov

by David Hurwitz

Leonard Slatkin’s Vox Rachmaninov cycle was one of his most successful early series of recordings, and he still has the measure of this music. The key to the Third Symphony lies in not playing it like the Second. In other words, even though the second... Continue Reading

Clean, Clear, Cool Tannhäuser

by Robert Levine

Marek Janowski’s projected release of all of Wagner’s operas with the Berlin Radio Orchestra on Pentatone continues apace with this fine new Tannhäuser. As has been the case with the previous operas, Janowski and his players and singers are more interested in clarity, fine performances,... Continue Reading

A New Creation Of The World From BIS

by David Hurwitz

Milhaud’s La création du Monde used to be quite popular, at least on disc, but it seems to have vanished from the discography recently, at least until now. Christian Lindberg has assembled a varied and interesting program built around Milhaud’s jazz ballet masterpiece, and featuring... Continue Reading

Egarr’s Excellent English Suites

by Jed Distler

The English Suites constitute Richard Egarr’s most artistically satisfying solo Bach release to date. As always, his playing abounds with rhythmic liberties and agogic phrasings, yet they rarely pull focus from the music’s dance origins. The Fourth suite’s Courante, for example, has a swinging resilience... Continue Reading

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