Favorites 2022: Louis Armstrong – “A Cool Yule”
Louis Armstrong Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule Verve It is hard to believe that the late Armstrong never put out a Christmas album. He did, however, record a…
Favorites of 2022: Heiner Goebbels and Ensemble Modern – A House of Call
A House of Call. My Imaginary Notebook. Heiner Goebbels Ensemble Modern, Vimbayi Kaziboni, conductor ECM Records Heiner Goebbels’ A House of Call is an evening length collaboration with Ensemble Modern,…
File Under Favorites 2022: Alsop Conducts Henze
Hans Werner Henze Nachtstücke und Arien (1957) Los Caprichos (1963) Englische Liebeslieder (1984-5) Juliane Banse, soprano; Narek Kakhnazaryan, cello; ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, conductor NAXOS 8.574181 Hans…
Favorites 2022: Canti di guerra, di lavoro e d’amore
File Under Favorites 2022 Canti di guerra, di lavoro e d’amore Silvia Tarozzi and Deborah Walker Unseen Worlds Violinist/vocalist Silvia Tarozzi and cellist/vocalist Deborah Walker have collaborated on projects…
Synchromy – Play Nice: An Evening of Two Harps
Elizabeth Huston and Catherine Litaker were the featured performers for Play Nice – An Evening of Two Harps, a concert presented by Synchromy and held on a rainy December 1,…
Favorites 2022: The Blue Hour
The Blue Hour Shara Nova, voice A Far Cry Nonesuch Records Where once only one composer would create a work, creative collaborations are gaining a presence in contemporary classical music.…
File Under Favorites 2022: Richard Causton on NMC
Richard Causton La Terra Impareggiabile Michael Farnsworth, baritone; Huw Watkins, piano BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo, conductor NMC Recordings Richard Causton teaches at the University of Cambridge. His latest…
File Under Favorites 2022: Hugi Guðmundsson’s Windbells (Recording review)
Hugi Guðmundsson Windbells Reykjavik Chamber Orchestra Asbørn Ibsen Bruun, conductor Ashildur Haraldsdóttir, flute; Hildigunnur Einarsdóttir, mezzo-soprano Sono Luminus CD Icelandic composer Hugi Guðmundsson has crafted an idiom combining neo-tonality and…
File Under Favorites 2022 – Cupertinos Perform Pedro de Cristo
Pedro de Cristo Magnificat Cupertinos, Luís Toscano, director https://www.cupertinos.pt/en/presentation/ Hyperion Records During the “Golden Age” of Portuguese Polyphony, the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, composers on the…
Lovely tribute to American composer Ned Rorem who died a couple of weeks ago at 99.
The dean of art songs left behind a treasure trove of great melodies.