December 30, 2012

Beethoven for All
Decca B0016999-00 (16 CDs)

Beethoven: Symphony #6 in F major, Op 68, Pastoral: I, Allegro ma non troppo (10:40)

West-Eastern Divan Orchestra / Daniel Barenboim

In three installments through 2012, Decca released “Beethoven for All,” a major series of recordings of Beethoven’s complete symphonies, piano concertos and piano sonatas with conductor-pianist Daniel Barenboim. The complete set also includes a DVD documentary and a 64-page hardback book.

Twilight of the Gods
Deutsche Grammophon B0017249-02 (2 CDs)

Wagner: Das Rheingold: Entry of the Gods into Valhalla (11:09)

Soloists; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra / James Levine

Wagner’s Ring Cycle presents the ultimate challenge for any opera company, and the Metropolitan Opera’s new production, unveiled between 2010 and 2012 and starring some of the greatest Wagnerian singers of today, is among the most ambitious stagings ever mounted. This 2-CD compilation features highlights from all four operas.

Something Almost Being Said
Sony Classical 98943-2

Schubert: Four Impromptus, D 899: #4 in A-flat major (8:36)

Simone Dinnerstein, piano

Simone Dinnerstein’s album combines Bach’s Partitas Nos. 1 and 2 with Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D 899. She says, “Bach and Schubert, to my ears, share a distinctive quality. Their non-vocal music has a powerful narrative, a vocal element. The effect is that of wordless voices singing textless melodies.”

Music@Menlo: Through Brahms
Music@Menlo Live 2011 (7 CDs)

Brahms: String Sextet in B-flat major, Op 18: Finale, Rondo (10:05)

Yehonatan Berick & Arnaud Sussmann, violins; Yura Lee & Paul Neubauer, violas; Eric Kim & Laurence Lesser, cellos

This set commemorates Music@Menlo’s 2011 season, which surveyed and illuminated the historical legacy of Johannes Brahms. The performances explore centuries of music through the lens of Brahms’ art, showcasing his works alongside those of composers from Bach and Mozart to Schoenberg and John Harbison.

Tune thy Musicke to thy Hart
Harmonia Mundi HMU-807554

Amner: O ye little flock (7:06)

Stile Antico; Fretwork

Stile Antico and the instrumental group Fretwork explore a long-neglected repertory – the wealth of Tudor and Jacobean sacred music written for domestic devotion, rather than for church worship. Pieces by Tomkins, Campion, Byrd, Tallis, Dowland, Gibbons and others have been culled from collections intended for use in private homes.

Requiem for a Pink Moon
Harmonia Mundi HMC-902111

Dowland: Rest awhile, you cruel cares (1:44)
Drake: From the morning (3:28)

Ensemble Phoenix Munich / Joel Frederiksen, bass

Joel Frederiksen and Ensemble Phoenix Munich pay tribute to one of the great singer/songwriters of the past 50 years — Nick Drake (1948-74). Under fine melodic lines is a rhythmically driving guitar part which Frederiksen has arranged for Renaissance instruments. Parts of the plainsong Requiem Mass interweave with Drake’s finely crafted songs and music of composers from the Renaissance.

The Knights: A Second of Silence
Ancalagon ANC-137

Satie, arr Debussy: Gymnopédie II (2:46)
Schubert: Symphony #3 in D major, D 200: I, Adagio maestoso – Allegro con brio (8:34)

The Knights / Eric Jacobsen

The Knights are an orchestra of friends from a broad spectrum of the New York music world. The celebrated ensemble, under the direction of Eric Jacobsen, presents a program juxtaposing works of Schubert with examples of minimalism from Satie, Feldman and Glass. This release marks the group’s second appearance on the Ancalagon label.

Blue Moth: Music of Anna Clyne
Tzadik TZ-8084

Clyne: Fits + Starts (6:16)

Benjamin Capps, cello; Anna Clyne, tape

CSO composer-in-residence Anna Clyne is a writer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music that blends ambient soundscapes with sonic gestures that morph and collide in ever changing patterns. Her work includes collaborative projects with cutting-edge choreographers, filmmakers, visual artists and musicians. This debut CD includes works for a variety of acoustic instruments and tape, and showcases Clyne’s unique approach to sound, structure and time.

Valentina Lisitsa: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Decca B0017091-02

Liszt: Étude de concert #3 in D-flat major, Un sospiro (5:38)

Valentina Lisitsa, piano

Valentina Lisitsa, the most viewed classical musician on YouTube, made her solo debut at London’s Royal Albert Hall on June 19, 2012. Streamed live, the concert received more than 74,000 views. Originally from Ukraine but now a resident in the United States, Lisitsa is known for performances balancing virtuosity with spontaneous and poetic communication.