Michael Gielen Edition Vol. 10 (CD Review)
Michael Gielen Edition Volume 10: Music After 1945 SWR Sinfonieorchester, Michael Gielen conductor SWR 6xCD boxed set The tenth and final boxed set in SWR’s Michael Gielen Edition spotlights his…
Best of 2021: New/Experimental Recordings
Best New/Experimental Recordings Trio IX and Exercises Christian Wolff Trio Accanto Nicholas Hodges, piano; Marcus Weiss, saxophone; Christian Dierstein, percussion Wergo CD Three String Quartets Christian Wolff Quatuor Bozzini New…
Best of 2021: ECM Recordings
Parker Quartet; Kim Kashkashian, viola György Kurtág: Six moments musicaux; Officium breve Antonin Dvořák: String Quintet op. 97 ECM Records The Czech composer Antonin Dvořák (1844-1901) and Hungarian composer György…
Best of 2021: Recording of the Year
Number Pieces John Cage Apartment House Another Timbre 4XCD boxed set John Cage’s Number Pieces, late compositions (from 1987-1992) are given two designations, a number indicating the size of the…
Best of 2021: Holiday Music
Hodie Christus Natus Est Boston Camerata, Anne Azéma Harmonia Mundi CD A trio of female singers accompanied by hurdy gurdy, harp, rebec, and bells present a diverse program of medieval…
Best of 2021: Electronic
Supermundane John Thayer Self-released Far In Helado Negro 4AD Weightless (10 hour version) Signals Marconi Union Just Music Changing Landscapes (Isle of Eigg) Arthur King AKP Fast Idol Black Marble…
Best of 2021 – Burned into the Orange by Peter Gilbert (CD Review)
Burned into the Orange Music of Peter Gilbert Arditti String Quartet; Iridium Quartet, Emmanuele Arciuli, piano; et al. New Focus Records CD/DL This is composer Peter Gilbert’s second recording for…
Josquin 500 Part Two
Josquin 500 Part Two The Josquin Legacy Gesualdo Six Harmonia Mundi CD In Principio De Labyrintho, Walter Tesolin Baryton CD Josquin Desprez The Renaissance Master – Sacred Music and Chansons…
Best of 2021: Philip Blackburn and Chris Campbell (CD Review)
Best of 2021: Recordings by Philip Blackburn and Chris Campbell Philip Blackburn Justinian Intonations Neuma CD Chris Campbell Orison Innova LP Both Philip Blackburn and Chris Campbell are poly-artists, sitting…
Best of 2021 – Craig Taborn on ECM (CD Review)
Sequenza 21 Best of 2021 Craig Taborn Shadowplay ECM Records I first became aware of pianist Craig Taborn in the early aughts, writing about him for (dearly departed) Copper Press…