Classical Music

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.

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.

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.

Jazz Album Review: Jeff Scott’s “Passion for Bach and Coltrane”

July 29, 2024
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A belated appreciation of one of 2023’s most interesting releases – this Grammy-winning “compendium” may not be a strongly unified work, but its individual parts are eloquent residents of the Place Between classical and jazz.

Jazz Commentary: String Quartet Omnibus, 2024

July 25, 2024
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Here is music of depth, music to hear and to think about in a Time of Troubles. But who will play it again? Who will listen? And who will buy?

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.

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.

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.

Opera Album Review: Meyerbeer’s Disturbing Look at a Demagogue, “Le Prophète” (1849) — at Bard Summer Festival and on a New Recording

July 19, 2024
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Long one of the most-performed French operas, “Le Prophète,” thanks to some splendid performances, feels as vivid and relevant as ever.

Concert Review: A Far Cry — A Compelling Evening of Music about Homecoming

July 18, 2024
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Happily, the string orchestra A Far Cry has the skill to back up its good intentions with good music.

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