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EMI CLASSICS
ALISON BALSOM/Trumpet Concertos: So EMI Classic moves away from babe piano players to focus on babe trumpet players. There’s a revolution in classical music I tell you and you better pay attention. Balsom is a big fan of Haydn from the sound of things here, and she seems to have a special ear for playing in E flat, and she brings off beat repertoire to life in a way that you haven’t heard in quite a while. Had enough with piano, violin and harp classical babes? With a set of lungs in the spirit of Candy Dulfer or Saskia Laroo, Balsom marks her territory well and delivers the goods. Easily one for the ‘now for something completely different’ column, this is for new ears looking for new sounds that will bring them an audio cocoon to swaddle comfortably in. A fine collection.
16213
HARMONIA MUNDI
COLIN DAVIS-LSO LIVE/Beethoven Mass in C: Beethoven didn’t often write for voices and this work is less ornate than “Misa Solemnis”, but it has no less majesty, particularly in the hands of Davis that almost seems like he never met some Beethoven he didn’t like. Certainly an energetic 80 year old, Davis is in full command, finding nuance in every corner and giving it the proper play. A royally commissioned work originally, this should join Davis’ other well celebrated Beethoven interpretations. A well played master work throughout.
594 (LSO Live)
CSO/Shostakovich 4: The Russia of old was vastly different from the Russia of now. First off, it didn’t have the Internet so there wasn’t great pictures of naked Russian hotties making their way around the world in a flash. No wonder it was such a grim place. Shostakovich’s 4th symphony reflected this harsh reality and the Chicago Symphony knew how it play it big and bold bringing out everything in the composers work. A large work, as big as Russia itself, this is the deep kind of record classic classical fans will salivate for, a real when music was music experience. Included in the package is a behind the score DVD that any true geek will want to savor at least once. This stuff is so on point classical tourists will think this came from a classic cartoon score.
901814 (CSO Resound)
QUEYRAS-THARAUD/Cello Sonata: We’re always impressed when so much music can come from so little instrumentation and the piano/cello duo on display here show that France is doing a better of supporting and encouraging the arts than we are. Pairing cello sonatas from Debussy in a highly creative period with Poulenc in a highly impressionable period, we get a dazzling counterpoint of these two pieces that show just what kind of musical revolution was going in in France a century ago and how it affected musicians at different stages of their development. A first class chamber work throughout by two players scaling the tops of their games, this is a wondrous outing for any one looking for a new piece of sitting room music that also rocks the house.
902012
RHINO
RY COODER/Anthology-The UFO Has Landed: Well, you try boiling an eclectic 40 year career down to two discs. 20 years ago they gave Clapton 4 discs and he only had 25 years to account for at that time. Happily, there’s plenty of room given to Cooder’s early works like “Boomer’s Story”, one of the great early 70s offbeat records that didn’t fit anybodies format. A holdover from when musical adventure, off beat views and killer playing all merged in a time zone of their own and were encouraged, this is a killer collection of one of the great guitarists of our age that has always had the fortitude to follow his muse through the delta, Hawaii, space, TexMex and anywhere else the muse pulled. This is a priceless vestige from a wonderful age.
DVD SUPPLEMENT
FOX HOME VIDEO
FUTURAMA-Bender’s Game: With the third of the four direct to home video “Futurama” pics now in our hands, we find Bender still stealing the show, along with everything else as he usually does. The gang, whether the animated one or the creative one, are delivering the laughs in the classic Groening fashion where the only things you can do with a sacred cow is have some great burgers and filets. The way things are right now, it’s good to know people are laughing in the future. One thing Groening and the gang realize here is that by having this be direct to vid, it’s like we’re all members in a secret club since there’s no way to make this water cooler talk. Of course, if you figure all the geeks that would watch this live on the net anyway…. Fun with sci-fi from a name you can trust. Give it a go, fan boys!
Volume 31/Number 364
October 29, 2008
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
©2008 Midwest Record
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