Jonathan Blumhofer

Classical Album Reviews: Two Pianists — George Li’s “Movements” and Bruce Liu’s “Waves”

August 7, 2024
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George Li’s latest release showcases a budding artist with a growing command of musical structure, technique, and character; Bruce Liu’s got the measure of Erik Satie’s music — next time, perhaps, he can take on more of it.

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Classical Album Reviews: Manfred Honeck Conducts Bruckner and Janine Jansen Plays Prokofiev & Sibelius

August 6, 2024
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Conductor Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony deliver a conspicuously satisfying and fluent Bruckner Seventh. Dutch violinist Janine Jansen also possesses an uncommon ability to enliven the familiar.

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Classical Album Reviews: Eric Coates Orchestral Works, Vol. 4, and Prokofiev Orchestral Works

August 5, 2024
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John Wilson and his players clearly have the measure of Eric Coates’ tuneful, often clever, style and deliver it to the hilt; Aziz Shokhakimov and the Strasbourgers, though still on a learning curve, have a bright future ahead of them.

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Classical Music Album Reviews: “Brahms Reimagined Orchestrations” and Shani conducts Bruckner

July 23, 2024
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The Kansas City Symphony’s new Brahms album with outgoing music director Michael Stern showcases three of his works with keyboard in arrangements for orchestra; Lahav Shani’s  cycle of Bruckner symphonies with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra continues with a sterling account of the Fifth.

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Classical Music Album Reviews: Rattle conducts Mahler and “Vienna: Joyful Apocalypse”

July 22, 2024
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Sir Simon Rattle’s latest traversal of Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony is something special; Pianist Aurélien Pontier’s stylish disc is a celebration of the music of fin de siècle Vienna.

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Classical Album Reviews: Elder conducts Elgar and Pappano conducts Rimsky-Korsakov and Mussorgsky

July 20, 2024
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Sir Mark Elder’s latest traversal of Edward Elgar’s two symphonies supplies orchestral playing of the highest level; Sir Antonio Pappano provides plenty of electrifying moments in a pairing of orchestral favorites.

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Classical Album Reviews: Avalon String Quartet and Decoda

July 1, 2024
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The debut album of Decoda, the first – and, so far, only – affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall, and a disc featuring a trio of works by two mid-century Chicago-based composers, Florence Price and Leo Sowerby.

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Classical Album Review: Alive and Conversational Performances of Mozart Symphonies

June 30, 2024
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Some solidly impressive Mozart — aside from the filler, fifteen minutes of mono-dynamic, schlocky medleys.

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Classical Album Reviews: Jordan Bak’s “Cantabile: Anthems for Viola” and Charles Martin Loeffler’s “Forgotten Sounds”

June 29, 2024
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 Two discs: Jamaican-American musician Jordan Bak celebrates music for the viola and a reconstruction of Charles Martin Loeffler’s abandoned Octet.

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Classical Album Review: Experiential Orchestra’s “American Counterpoints” — Fine Music Hiding in Plain Sight

June 1, 2024
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There’s no question that either the violinist or the orchestra are completely at home with Julia Perry’s larger style or the notes: this is about as confident and secure a first recording as they come.

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