Pentatone

Classical Album Reviews: Dvorak’s “Legends & Rhapsodies” and Stewart Goodyear plays Prokofiev

December 3, 2024
Posted in , , ,

Wow. Stewart Goodyear can play Prokofiev. The Czech Philharmonic and Tomás Netopil are compelling advocates, playing Dvořák with plenty of rhythmic zest and tonal warmth.

Read More

Classical Album Reviews: Dvorak Symphonies from Atlanta and Prague

November 2, 2024
Posted in , , ,

Not all of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conductor Nathalie Stutzmann’s ideas about Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony add up, but there is not much to argue with in Czech Philharmonic Orchestra director Semyon Bychkov’s take on Dvorak’s Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Symphonies. 

Read More

Classical Album Review: “Grace” — The Music of Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas

September 17, 2024
Posted in , , ,

This album fills out Michael Tilson Thomas’s compositional catalogue, deepening our appreciation of it. More fundamentally, it adds meaningfully to the story of American concert music.

Read More

Classical Album Reviews: James Ehnes plays Bernstein and Williams and ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Does “City Noir”

May 16, 2024
Posted in , , ,

The performance of John Adams’s “City Noir” is swift and characterful, though sometimes pushed perhaps a bit too hard for its own good. The rendition of Leonard Bernstein’s “Serenade” is clear but a bit too safe.

Read More

September Short Fuses — Materia Critica

September 4, 2023
Posted in ,

Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, television, film, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.

Read More

Classical Album Review: Pierre-Laurent Aimard Plays Bartók’s Piano Concertos

August 27, 2023
Posted in , , ,

Ultimately, then, we’ve got something special here: a fresh take on some canonic works by a conductor and soloist whose bread-and-butter is this very fare.

Read More

Classic Music Album: Quatuor Diotima — György Ligeti’s “Metamorphosis”

March 8, 2023
Posted in , , ,

Quatuor Diotima evince a thorough command of György Ligeti’s style, as well as a breathtaking grasp of the demands he makes on the instruments.

Read More

Classic Music Album Review: Quatuor Diotima — György Ligeti’s “Metamorphosis”

March 8, 2023
Posted in , , ,

Quatuor Diotima evince a thorough command of György Ligeti’s style, as well as a breathtaking grasp of the demands he makes on the instruments.

Read More

Classical Album Review: The Late Pianist Lars Vogt — A Brilliant and Immensely Loved Musician

November 10, 2022
Posted in , , ,

I feel that I have lost a dear friend whom I met through profoundly heartfelt recordings and, in the form of interviews, inspiring self-portraits.

Read More

August Short Fuses – Materia Critica

August 5, 2022
Posted in , ,

Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, television, film, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.

Read More

Recent Posts