Latest Music Reviews
Brian Thornton And Spencer Myer Play Brahms
by Jed Distler
The first thing you notice about these Brahms performances is cellist Brian Thornton’s warm, viola-like sonority, which boasts seamless uniformity between registers, albeit with occasional coarseness when pushing the low C and G into fortissimo territory. The composer’s gnarly keyboard writing poses no problems for... Continue Reading
Muti’s Feel-Good Bruckner Ninth
by Victor Carr Jr
Riccardo Muti prioritizes beauty of sound over all else in this performance, with the result that you pay far more attention to the orchestral playing than to Bruckner’s music. Muti lavishes special care on the woodwinds, revealing much inner detail not usually heard (which is... Continue Reading
Nino Rota: A Franco-Russian Alliance
by James Imam
Nino Rota was a craftsman composer, and he drew his musical raw materials from far and wide. Indeed, elements of baroque music, medieval music, world music, sentimental ballads, the music of Italian village bands, and, after his trips to America in the 1930s, the music... Continue Reading
Odhecaton’s Exemplary Palestrina
by David Vernier
Only heaven (and perhaps the Pope) knows exactly how many recordings there must be of Palestrina’s famed Missa Papae Marcelli, but it’s unusual to find one sung by an all-male adult choir–scored for alto/tenor/baritone/bass (no boy trebles). If you’ve sung these pieces–or are used to... Continue Reading
Floyd’s Susannah From St. Petersburg Opera
by Robert Levine
The story of Susannah and the Elders is from the Book of Daniel: Susannah, the beautiful wife of Jo’akim, is a lovely, innocent, God-fearing woman, whose appealing looks have come to the attention of a pair of lecherous town judges. She loves to stroll and... Continue Reading
Brautigam’s Diabelli Variations: A Crowning Achievement
by Jed Distler
Ronald Brautigam brings his solo Beethoven cycle for BIS to a triumphant conclusion with the long-awaited Diabelli Variations, in one of its finest recordings ever. My late colleague Harris Goldsmith wrote about three basic interpretive approaches to the Diabellis. One is cumulative, by way of... Continue Reading
Davis And Melbourne Impress In Ives, Volume 3
by David Hurwitz
This very generous program upholds the high standards that Andrew Davis and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra have established thus far in their survey of Ives’ orchestral works. The Second Orchestral Set isn’t as popular as the First, perhaps because it lacks an evocative title. Orchestral... Continue Reading
Pizzetti’s Tepid Symphony in A
by David Hurwitz
Pizzetti’s Symphony in A dates from 1940. It’s a substantial work, forty-three minutes long in this performance, with beautiful moments–especially those employing modal harmony. That said, the piece is almost completely tensionless. Yes, the finale contains some strident march episodes, and there’s a swift scherzo,... Continue Reading
Michelle Ross’ Bach Solo CD Debut
by Jed Distler
As with many of today’s young violinists, Michelle Ross pursues a multitude of interests, ranging from traditional repertoire to improvising, as well as composing and multi-media collaborations. She garnered recent attention by performing Bach’s unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas in non-traditional venues. Ross describes her relationship... Continue Reading
World Premiere Of Mercadante’s Francesca–A Nice Find
by Robert Levine
Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870), composer of 60 operas, was once up there with Bellini and Donizetti; his operas have taken longer to find 20th and 21st century champions than those of the others. Being composed, as it was, in 1830 (for Madrid), Francesca da Rimini was... Continue Reading
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