Author Archive for Reference Recordings – Page 9
Symphony of a Thousand
Order Now Mahler’s Eighth Symphony– written for a large orchestra, several soloists, and such extensive choral forces as to have earned itself the nickname “Symphony of a Thousand”–was, like most of this composer’s music, the product of a furiously busy holiday. He completed the draft of the enormous work between June and August of 1906 at his summer home in Maiernigg, in Carinthia, and wrote to the conductor Willem Mengelberg: “It is the biggest thing I…
ClassicsToday Review for Compelling Shostakovich
Order Now “Manfred Honeck makes the Shostakovich Fifth sound freshly-composed–quite an accomplishment for this certified warhorse. His scrupulous attention to Shostakovich’s meticulous dynamic markings and instrumental balances–the harp emerging perfectly from the orchestral texture in the first movement, the audible piano at the climax of the adagio, and the brass beautifully sonorous and penetrating throughout–provides much aural delight. Honeck’s interpretation is remarkable for its clean, rhythmically-alert phrasing… The Pittsburgh Symphony plays marvelously, with a bright…
Meet the Utah Symphony Mahler 8 Soloists
Orla Boylan, soprano In recent seasons, Irish soprano Orla Boylan has made a number of important debuts including the roles of Gutrune in Götterdämmerung for Opera North and Chrysothemis in Elektra for West Australian Opera, as well as her house debut at Teatro alla Scala in Giorgio Batistelli’s new commission CO2. Her thrilling performance as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer–where she “commands the stage with her magnificent performance” (The Listener)–brought her notable international success in…
Blues Music Magazine Review for Break The Chain
Order Now What connects the Blues, Star Wars, and “The Golden Record”? Blues Music Magazine makes the connections in Doug MacLeod’s Break The Chain in their October 2017 issue: “Doug MacLeod’s new album — the 17th according to the All Music Guide — has at times…that spatial sound of desert nights in the far Out-Beyond. It’s a world where MacLeod’s array of National Reso-Phonic guitars produce a feeling so haunting you can almost hear the…
The Best Shostakovich 5 of the Century
Order Now Kalman Rubinson has an absolute rave review for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck‘s Shostakovich & Barber recording in the November 2017 issue of Stereophile Magazine: “I eagerly await every new Reference Fresh! release from Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Each has been an artistic and sonic delight, and this one is no exception. The PSO is a magnificent, world-class orchestra, Honeck is a mature and innovative leader, and through…
Doug MacLeod on Blues Radio International
Live Doug MacLeod performance from the 2017 Blues Music Awards on the latest episode of Blues Radio International: Order Now Doug MacLeod: Break The Chain In this release, his third album for Reference Recordings, Doug MacLeod continues to explore the breadth and depth of the human condition. Recorded by Reference’s Grammy-winning engineer ‘Prof.’ Keith O. Johnson at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California, Break The Chain brings twelve new MacLeod originals. Each song is extremely…
Mahler: Symphony No. 8 Available For Pre-Order
New Release from the Utah Symphony, Thierry Fischer and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Now Available for Pre-Order Order Now Utah Symphony Thierry Fischer, Music Director Mormon Tabernacle Choir Available in Hybrid Surround Sound and Stereo 2-Disc SACD and Hi-Res Downloads The Utah Symphony is one of America’s major symphony orchestras and a leading cultural organization in the Intermountain West. It is recognized internationally for its distinctive performances, commitment to music education programs, history and recording…
AllMusic Highly Recommends Shostakovich Barber
Order Now AllMusic rates the new Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio recording a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ rating: “… an excellent contribution to the Shostakovich discography, even in the face of all the other versions of this work on the market. … masterful, deliberate, but never plodding performance by Honeck, with the Pittsburgh brasses sounding as good as they have in years. The Barber Adagio for Strings is an inspired note…
Blues Blast Magazine Reviews Break The Chain
Order Now “Beloved acoustic bluesman Doug MacLeod is an anachronism in the modern world, a troubadour in the songster tradition who delivers extremely personal tunes that vary from insightful and intimate to humorous or soulful, as he proves once again in this 12-tune, all-original collection that feels like he’s playing in your living room and just for you. … His homespun vocal delivery belies his birthplace and hints at other lengthy stops along the way,…
The Guardian Features Fiona Boyes
Order Now Fantastic new feature and interview with Fiona Boyes about her Professin’ The Blues recording in The Guardian! “Fiona Boyes, one of the world’s best fingerpicking blues guitarists, had wanted to record an album with engineer and recording alchemist “Professor” Keith O Johnson for ages. She didn’t expect it would involve rubber chickens. … The result? That album, Professin’ the Blues, has just won best acoustic album for 2017 at the Blues Blast music…
Downbeat Magazine Gives ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to Break The Chain
Order Now Downbeat Magazine gives Doug MacLeod and Break The Chain a four-star rating in the November 2017 Issue! “Doug MacLeod, a craftsman of rare skill and sagacity, share more than a few dramatic affinities with past greats as he offers his own creative parameters to the common 12-bar language. … distinctive, well-regulated singing and note-bending on classic guitars stimulate the keening hopefulness… [performed] with five assured sidemen, including his son Jesse on guitar. One…
Fiona Boyes on Blues Radio International
Live Fiona Boyes performance from the 2017 Blues Music Awards on the latest episode of Blues Radio International: Fiona Boyes: Professin’ The Blues Order Now Professin’ The Blues proclaims Fiona Boyes passion for the Blues as she celebrates the unique contribution of recording and mastering engineer ‘Professor’ Keith O. Johnson, Reference Recording’s Technical Director and audio legend. In her self-penned and illustrated liner notes Fiona makes the declaration, “’Professor’ Keith’s amazing approach to capturing sounds,…
Classical Music Sentinel Highly Recommends Pittsburgh’s Shostakovich
Order Now “But with his Fifth Symphony, which retains [Shostakovich’s] emblematic proclivities but goes straight for the heart, he established his reputation not only in the Soviet Union, but around the world. And straight for the heart is obviously what conductor Manfred Honeck was aiming for in this gripping account. I could enumerate all the distinctive touches that he brings to the score, but then this review would turn into an extra long essay. Let…
Doug MacLeod’s Break The Chain is Topping The Charts!
Doug MacLeod’s Break The Chain is topping the radio airplay charts worldwide! #3 on the UK Independent Blues Broadcasters Association Chart #9 on the Australian International Blues Airplay Chart Order Now Doug MacLeod: Break The Chain In this release, his third album for Reference Recordings, Doug MacLeod continues to explore the breadth and depth of the human condition. Recorded by Reference’s Grammy-winning engineer ‘Prof.’ Keith O. Johnson at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California, Break…
MusicWeb International Reviews ¡Viva Segovia!
Order Now Great breakdown and review of the latest recording in Roberto Moronn Pérez‘s Andrés Segovia Archive Series from Rob Barnett on MusicWeb International: “This is a successor to the two earlier sievings by Roberto Moronn Pérez of works accumulated in the Segovia Archive: works dedicated to Segovia or commissioned by him. There have already been some surprises and this collection serves up some more. … The English-only booklet is very well designed and substantially…