• 

  Pletnev Off-The-Cuff

  These Mikhail Pletnev recordings stem from Deutsche Grammophon session breaks and warm-ups, where the pianist spontaneously tossed off whole pieces for his own pleasure, from memory, and with no editi [...]

  Read Review »
• 

  Impressive Sibelius from Spano and Atlanta

  Robert Spano and Atlanta already have delivered a very impressive version of the Kullervo Symphony for Telarc–a work that the conductor championed during his tenure in Brooklyn as well–and [...]

  Read Review »
• 

  Roberto Sierra On Naxos: Original and Approachable

  Roberto Sierra’s music is fun. However self-conscious his Spanishisms may be (he hails from Puerto Rico), he has forged a personal style at once original, and approachable. Fandangos borrows mus [...]

  Read Review »
• 

  Stephen Hough Revisits Brahms Concertos

  Stephen Hough essentially competes with himself in his new recordings of both Brahms piano concertos. On the plus side, Hyperion’s sonics capture a wider dynamic range and closer perspective in comp [...]

  Read Review »
• 

  James Levine’s Triumphant Return

  The MET Orchestra’s Carnegie Hall concert on May 19, 2013 marked James Levine’s return to the podium after a two-year absence due to health issues. Although Levine’s limited mobility made it nec [...]

  Read Review »

Latest Music Reviews

Pletnev Off-The-Cuff

by Jed Distler

These Mikhail Pletnev recordings stem from Deutsche Grammophon session breaks and warm-ups, where the pianist spontaneously tossed off whole pieces for his own pleasure, from memory, and with no editing. Pletnev has authorized some for publication, on condition that listeners take their casual origins and... Continue Reading

Impressive Sibelius from Spano and Atlanta

by David Hurwitz

Robert Spano and Atlanta already have delivered a very impressive version of the Kullervo Symphony for Telarc–a work that the conductor championed during his tenure in Brooklyn as well–and this new disc from the orchestra’s house label confirms his credentials as a convincing Sibelius interpreter.... Continue Reading

Gringolts’ Provocative Paganini Caprices

by Jed Distler

In a booklet interview included with Ilya Gringolts’ recording of Paganini’s 24 Caprices, the violinist explains how he aims to treat these works as music rather than showpieces. Indeed, Gringolts’ heavily italicized phrasings, varied accentuations, wide dynamic contrasts, and avoidance of glitter for glitter’s sake... Continue Reading

Roberto Sierra On Naxos: Original and Approachable

by David Hurwitz

Roberto Sierra’s music is fun. However self-conscious his Spanishisms may be (he hails from Puerto Rico), he has forged a personal style at once original, and approachable. Fandangos borrows music by Boccherini, Soler, and Scarlatti and uses it to create a colorful contemporary take on... Continue Reading

Stephen Hough Revisits Brahms Concertos

by Jed Distler

Stephen Hough essentially competes with himself in his new recordings of both Brahms piano concertos. On the plus side, Hyperion’s sonics capture a wider dynamic range and closer perspective in comparison with the pianist’s late-1990s Virgin Classics versions. The interpretations also have evolved, if not... Continue Reading

James Levine’s Triumphant Return

by Jed Distler

The MET Orchestra’s Carnegie Hall concert on May 19, 2013 marked James Levine’s return to the podium after a two-year absence due to health issues. Although Levine’s limited mobility made it necessary for him to conduct from a wheelchair, he was all there from the... Continue Reading

Delectable Scarlatti Recreations

by Jed Distler

What a wonderful idea: Here’s a program that features transcriptions of Domenico Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas along with original works that use the sonatas as a jumping-off point. Many Classical- and Romantic-period composers and pianists felt the need to update Scarlatti’s keyboard textures by filling in... Continue Reading

Intimate Tristan from Jurowski at Glyndebourne

by Robert Levine

This recording, taken from performances at Glyndebourne in August, 2009, is unique in its scale. Playing in a small house, with what I suspect is a slightly reduced orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski leads more in the Böhm than Karajan or Furtwängler mode, which is to say... Continue Reading

Xiayin Wang’s Depressing “American Piano Concertos”

by David Hurwitz

This is a terrible disc. It is impossible on evidence here to say that Xiayin Wang has any noticeable affinity for this music. Her tone is thin, and she tends to pick at the notes rather than accenting them. The finale of the Barber concerto,... Continue Reading

Koh and Wosner’s Signs, Games + Messages

by David Hurwitz

Some programs, however lovingly put together, are too smart by half. Here is a case in point. Jennifer Koh and Shai Wosner make an extremely impressive duo. The Janácek and Bartók sonatas are magnificently played. In the former, all the music’s passionate intensity and eruptive... Continue Reading

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