Review
Classical Album Reviews: Petrenko conducts Elgar, Britten’s “Saint Nicolas,” and “Italian Postcards”
One of Vasily Petrenko’s most successful Elgar releases; there’s an edge to the Crouch End Festival Chorus’ performance of Britten’s Saint Nicolas ; Quartetto di Cremona’s new album is nothing if not overflowing with Mediterranean personality
Nicole Krauss’ new book of short stories generates a curious, understated, but genuinely transporting spirit, pretty much throughout.
Like a day in a Disney dream-land, the “heaven-on-earth” glow of life in The Villages ultimately fades – quicker for some than for others.
Seiji Ozawa’s Symphony no. 7 and Leonore Overture no. 3 offers a memorable blend of color, atmosphere, purpose, and soul; François-Xavier Roth and Les Siècles serve up a satisfactory, period-instrument Symphony no. 5; Thomas Adès’ take on Beethoven is concentrated and energetic, if a bit impersonal.
This novel’s greatest strength is its frank character sketch of Majella. The protagonist is sharply rendered through her observational, sensory navigation of the people and doings in the fictional Northern Ireland town, of Aghybogey.
Mariss Jansons’ ultimate performance, taped live at Carnegie Hall, shows the maestro at the top of his game; François-Xavier Roth’s new recording of pieces by Ravel and Debussy is a bit of a hit-or-miss affair; Diana Damrau’s Tudor Queens, a survey of heroines from three Donizetti operas, is nothing short of terrific.
For fans of Pink Floyd, the book’s first half, with its treasure trove of early Floyd photos, is the main draw; the remastered release of Delicate Sound of Thunder offers a definitive picture of what Pink Floyd actually performed during the 1987 tour.
Nothing to recommend in Daniel Lozakovich’s take on the Beethoven Violin Concerto, but Midori’s performance of the piece is completely unpretentious, natural, and exciting. Gidon Kremer & friends serve up a terrifically flexible version of Carl Reinecke’s adaptation of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.
Those looking to understand why Dolly Parton is such an icon, or searching for a thoughtful and witty alternative to Hillbilly Elegy, would do well to read this book.
Jazz Review/Interview: Duncan Heining Revises His Landmark Biography of Jazz Composer George Russell
If you do not know George Russell, this book will bring you closer to one of the geniuses of American music. Read More about Jazz Review/Interview: Duncan Heining Revises His Landmark Biography of Jazz Composer George Russell