Arnis Balgalvis
I feel that only five recordings are not enough to give the reader a fair shot at the reviewer's choices. It would have been better to list more selections, say ten, and cut the comments in half. Just in case, here are my other five recommendations: The Power of the Orchestra, Chesky LP RC30; Ahmad Jamal's Rossiter Road, Atlantic 7 81645-2 (CD); Dick Hyman Plays Fats Waller, RR-33DCD (CD); Trio, by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, Warner Bros. 9 25491-2 (CD); and John Pizzarelli's My Blue Heaven, Chesky JD38 (CD). LAURINDO ALMEIDA/CHARLIE BYRD: Tango
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Kevin Conklin
BEETHOVEN: Symphony 3
Lovro von Matacic
Quintessence PMC-7089 (LP). Miloslav Kulhan, eng.; Miloslav Kuba, prod. AAA. Not at all an eccentric performance, just an excellent one, which a Gramophone reviewer rightly compared to Weingartner's. Playing is fleet and graceful. Centerpiece of the performance is a lacerating funeral march, as concentrated a stretch of music as the underrated Matacic ever recorded.
BEETHOVEN: Symphony 3
Lovro von Matacic
Quintessence PMC-7089 (LP). Miloslav Kulhan, eng.; Miloslav Kuba, prod. AAA. Not at all an eccentric performance, just an excellent one, which a Gramophone reviewer rightly compared to Weingartner's. Playing is fleet and graceful. Centerpiece of the performance is a lacerating funeral march, as concentrated a stretch of music as the underrated Matacic ever recorded.
Recording is a model of naturalness, recovering hall ambience, subtle dynamic shading, and a ravishing midrange. Easy to find in the used-LP bins, but beware…
Mortimer H. Frank
BACH: Cantata BWV 79, "Gott der Herr, ist Sonn und Schild"
(with Cantatas BWV 76-78)
Paul Esswood, countertenor; Max van Egmond, bass; Gustav Leonhardt
Teldec 35362 EX (2 CDs only). ADD. TT: 16:32 Composed to celebrate the Protestant Reformation, this cantata stands as one of the peaks of the Bach canon. Its opening chorus is grandly festive and features virtuosic writing for horns and a richly textured fugue. Its chorales, with their accompanying timpani and horns, echo this spirit and serve as apt foils for two gorgeous arias. Directing period instruments…
BACH: Cantata BWV 79, "Gott der Herr, ist Sonn und Schild"
(with Cantatas BWV 76-78)
Paul Esswood, countertenor; Max van Egmond, bass; Gustav Leonhardt
Teldec 35362 EX (2 CDs only). ADD. TT: 16:32 Composed to celebrate the Protestant Reformation, this cantata stands as one of the peaks of the Bach canon. Its opening chorus is grandly festive and features virtuosic writing for horns and a richly textured fugue. Its chorales, with their accompanying timpani and horns, echo this spirit and serve as apt foils for two gorgeous arias. Directing period instruments…
Robert Harley
CHICK COREA: Akoustic Band
Chick Corea, piano; John Patitucci, bass; Dave Weckl, drums
GRP 838 396-2 (CD only). Chick Corea, prod.; Bernie Kirsh, eng. ADD. TT: 61:10 Long an innovator in jazz fusion, pianist and composer Chick Corea returns to acoustic instruments and jazz standards for this outing with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl. The trio works out on such standards as Cole Porter's "So in Love," Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady," and Corea's own "Spain," now itself a standard. These classic tunes are infused with new life and vitality by…
CHICK COREA: Akoustic Band
Chick Corea, piano; John Patitucci, bass; Dave Weckl, drums
GRP 838 396-2 (CD only). Chick Corea, prod.; Bernie Kirsh, eng. ADD. TT: 61:10 Long an innovator in jazz fusion, pianist and composer Chick Corea returns to acoustic instruments and jazz standards for this outing with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl. The trio works out on such standards as Cole Porter's "So in Love," Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady," and Corea's own "Spain," now itself a standard. These classic tunes are infused with new life and vitality by…
Beth Jacques
MARIANNE FAITHFULL: Broken English
Island 842 355-1 (LP), -2 (CD). Mark Miller Mundy, prod. AAA/AAD. TT: 32:48
Produced by then-contemporary punker Mark Mundy, Broken English exemplifies what simple analog production, acoustic instruments, and committed, no-frills vocal interpretation can deliver. Anyone who's been around can identify with Faithfull's stark interpretation of material from Shel Silverstein ("The Ballad of Lucy Jordan") and John Lennon ("Working Class Hero") to her own bitter pills arguing for better communication between classes, countries, sexes,…
MARIANNE FAITHFULL: Broken English
Island 842 355-1 (LP), -2 (CD). Mark Miller Mundy, prod. AAA/AAD. TT: 32:48
Produced by then-contemporary punker Mark Mundy, Broken English exemplifies what simple analog production, acoustic instruments, and committed, no-frills vocal interpretation can deliver. Anyone who's been around can identify with Faithfull's stark interpretation of material from Shel Silverstein ("The Ballad of Lucy Jordan") and John Lennon ("Working Class Hero") to her own bitter pills arguing for better communication between classes, countries, sexes,…
Igor Kipnis
BRITISH MUSIC FOR CONCERT BAND
Music by Holst, Vaughan Williams, Grainger Wing Commander Eric Banks, Central Band of the Royal Air Force
EMI CDC 7 49608 2 (CD only). Brian B. Culverhouse, eng. & prod. DDD. TT: 71:31 This thoroughly rousing compilation of British Music for Concert Band (the album title) contains some extremely popular pieces, notably the Vaughan Williams English Folk Song Suite and the majority of the exuberant Grainger works, of which the latter take about half of the playing time. Planets aficionados will without doubt be delighted to meet…
BRITISH MUSIC FOR CONCERT BAND
Music by Holst, Vaughan Williams, Grainger Wing Commander Eric Banks, Central Band of the Royal Air Force
EMI CDC 7 49608 2 (CD only). Brian B. Culverhouse, eng. & prod. DDD. TT: 71:31 This thoroughly rousing compilation of British Music for Concert Band (the album title) contains some extremely popular pieces, notably the Vaughan Williams English Folk Song Suite and the majority of the exuberant Grainger works, of which the latter take about half of the playing time. Planets aficionados will without doubt be delighted to meet…
Robert Levine
BARTÓK: Bluebeard's Castle
Walter Berry, Bluebeard; Christa Ludwig, Judith; London Symphony Orchestra, Istvan Kertész
London 414 167-2 (CD only). Erik Smith, prod. ADD. TT: 59:30 This fills the bill. The recording has such depth that it actually scares the listener---there are groans and sighs which come from somewhere evil, and the terrifying and majestic C-major pull-out-the-stops chord with organ at the opening of the fifth door will blow you away. The singing by the two leads is unparalleled; I doubt whether they've ever sounded better. Ludwig's Judith has…
BARTÓK: Bluebeard's Castle
Walter Berry, Bluebeard; Christa Ludwig, Judith; London Symphony Orchestra, Istvan Kertész
London 414 167-2 (CD only). Erik Smith, prod. ADD. TT: 59:30 This fills the bill. The recording has such depth that it actually scares the listener---there are groans and sighs which come from somewhere evil, and the terrifying and majestic C-major pull-out-the-stops chord with organ at the opening of the fifth door will blow you away. The singing by the two leads is unparalleled; I doubt whether they've ever sounded better. Ludwig's Judith has…
Thomas J. Norton
"Five top recordings, no more than 100 words on each, must be impeccable both sonically and musically."
"Five top recordings, no more than 100 words on each, must be impeccable both sonically and musically."
The words jumped off the page. A great idea, I thought, as I perused Richard Lehnert's letter. But RL couldn't be serious about the length.
He was. This wasn't going to be easy. And the more I thought about it, the more difficult it became. I suspect my consternation was shared by most of the writers. Not only were they restricted to an unconscionable length---100 words is, after all, cruel and unusual punishment for writers who love to ruminate at the…
Michael Ross
There's a quote on a King Crimson album that says "Discipline is never an end in itself, only a means to an end." In drawing up a list such as this (arbitrary at best), it should be remembered that neither are "great highs," "tight low end," or "virtually no distortion" ends in themselves---they exist only to serve the music and the vision of the artist. There are probably many albums that make the ones that I have chosen sound primitive by comparison---hiss-free, distortionless, broad-banded marvels of digital technology. But, as we all know, in many cases they are more…
There's a quote on a King Crimson album that says "Discipline is never an end in itself, only a means to an end." In drawing up a list such as this (arbitrary at best), it should be remembered that neither are "great highs," "tight low end," or "virtually no distortion" ends in themselves---they exist only to serve the music and the vision of the artist. There are probably many albums that make the ones that I have chosen sound primitive by comparison---hiss-free, distortionless, broad-banded marvels of digital technology. But, as we all know, in many cases they are more…
Bill Sommerwerck
I really ought to boycott this feature. I care more about the music and the performance than the sound. Case in point: about 12 years ago, when I lived down the road from JGH, he and Polly came for dinner. I played several of my favorite pieces. (Yes, I had surround-sound even then.) After one piece, Gordon looked me straight in the eye.
I really ought to boycott this feature. I care more about the music and the performance than the sound. Case in point: about 12 years ago, when I lived down the road from JGH, he and Polly came for dinner. I played several of my favorite pieces. (Yes, I had surround-sound even then.) After one piece, Gordon looked me straight in the eye.
"You're not an audiophile."
"Howzat?"
"You're playing the selections all the way through!"
Well, Gordon said it, I didn't. But it's the nicest insult I ever received.
I'd rather this were a list of my 25…