In retrospect, I’m glad I procrastinated.
Continue reading Review: HiFiMan HM-801 Portable Digital Player
Pascal Rogé et al @ New York Chamber Music Festival
The “official” music season usually does not start in New York until a couple of weeks after Labor Day, but there is still plenty to see and hear — and one of the best places to jump the gun is at Symphony Space, where the New York Chamber Music Festival has already launched their second season. Continue reading Pascal Rogé et al @ New York Chamber Music Festival
Maurizio Pollini wins 2010 Praemium Imperiale Arts Award
Blast from the Past: Henry Hadley Conducts Wagner
Henry Hadley, remembered today as a late Romantic composer, leads the New York Philharmonic in Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture, minus a huge cut in the introduction (hat tip: Richard Schneider). Keep in mind that at the time Willem Mengelberg was well into his tenure as the orchestra’s music director. Here is yet more evidence that puts the lie to the assertion that Toscanini built the Philharmonic into a virtuoso orchestra.
“These days”?
Alex Ross snarks Deutsche Grammophon in his latest New Yorker essay:
Recommended Not-so-casual Weekend Reading
The Baltimore Sun‘s Tim Smith comments on Donald Rosenberg’s lawsuit against the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Musical Arts Association, which is now being heard in court. Rosenberg rested his case earlier this week; the judge has dismissed one of of two complaints brought by Rosenberg; and the defense is now mounting their case. [Hat tip: Tim Page]
Verdi: Requiem. Toscanini. Carnegie Hall. 1950. In REAL Stereo.
I’d heard rumblings about this recording a few months ago. Andrew Rose makes it official — and issues it! I’m not a huge fan of Toscanini, but this recording is particularly excellent (Carlos Païta is IMNSHO Toscanini’s only competition in this work).
Busy Busy Busy
… as my blogger pal Scoobie Davis would say. The light at the end of the tunnel is visible at last, and within the next couple of weeks you can expect to read my reviews of:
• a significant Sviatoslav Richter release from Budapest Music Centre (plus another coming from Musical Concepts [full disclosure: yes, I’m the reissue producer]);
• the first installment of an important reissue series focusing on the “New York School” from Wergo; and
• the best no-holds-barred portable digital audio player I’ve yet heard.
Aw, Heck — Sir Charles Mackerras, 1925-2010
I’ve just learned via Stephen Baggaley, a Facebook friend in Australia, that one of my favorite conductors, Sir Charles Mackerras, died a few days ago. I have a pile of his recordings on Vanguard, Hyperion, Telarc, RCA, and at least a dozen permutations of EMI, but the sole concert I saw him conduct was memorable — an incandescent performance of Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (the soloists included the incomparable and still sorely missed Lorraine Hunt Lieberson). Australian ABC will be broadcasting a tribute to the maestro Saturday (late Friday in North America — link to their mp3/m3u stream here).
Candy Is Dandy, But Richter Is Quicker, Budapest Edition
I’m about halfway through listening to Budapest Music Center Records’ marvelous 14-disc collection of live recordings by piano titan Sviatoslav Richter. A couple of reviewers have not been too kind to this set, and I think they need to clean out their ears. Continue reading Candy Is Dandy, But Richter Is Quicker, Budapest Edition