Archive for Review – Page 8
Stereophile Review for Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Stephen Francis gives 4.5 Stars to Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in Stereophile: “From Reference Recordings, we can count on pellucid sonics, including here. You can “hear through” the textures even in the most violent tuttis, with no trace of congestion. In the finale’s “recitatives,” the divided low strings are wonderfully enveloping. The Adagio‘s airy woodwind chorales are almost tangible. …The music, guided by the conductor’s sharp ear, is…
ConcertoNet Review for Last Tango Before Sunrise
Christie Grimstad reviews José Serebrier’s Last Tango Before Sunrise recording for ConcertoNet: “Driven forward with striking acuity in any sort of music he’s conducted, his excellence never fails… Serebrier’s Symphony for Percussion acts like a case study, showing the importance of percussion… It’s best to close the eyes, sit back and soak in the widely wizard remarks. … Pocketed throughout by Stravinsky-esque discords, the Piano Sonata is not without its lighter, genteel lines. … The rollicking “Moto Perpetuo: Presto”…
American Record Guide Review for Beethoven Symphony No. 9
American Record Guide‘s Gil French has a thorough review of his multiple listens through Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9 recording: “the riches, most superbly tuned strings basses I have heard since Joseph Guastafeste led the Chicago Symphony’s string bass section (1961-2011) and better recorded as well! When the entire orchestra joins in [in the Finale], their phrasing reflects the words mentally engrained in anyone familiar with the text. Continue…
Audiophile Audition Gives Five Stars to Beethoven Symphony No. 9
The Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 gets a five-star rave from Audiophile Audition: “This disc should come with a warning label. Why? Because it is easily the most intense Ninth I have ever heard. This is not a criticism, only a fact. … The wonderful last movement gives us a truly joyful and energetic flow of consolation and satisfaction, jam-packed with intensity and far, far away from the “joyful,…
HR Audio Reviews Pittsburgh Symphony’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9
HRaudio.net reviews the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9 recording, giving it 4.5 stars for performance, and 5 stars for sonics! “the brilliance and charisma of Honeck’s conducting, his unique interpretive insights into the works he performs and the manner in which they are realised by the magnificent orchestra of which he has been Music Director for the past ten years, have resulted in each of these recordings moving effortlessly and justifiably…
MusicWeb International Offers a Third Rave for Jonathan Leshnoff’s Symphony No. 3 & Piano Concerto
Following a Recording of the Month distinction and a fantastic new interview, Michael Wilkinson joins the chorus of MusicWeb International critics in praising Jonathan Leshnoff: Symphony No. 3; Piano Concerto recording with the Kansas City Symphony, Michael Stern, Joyce Yang, and Stephen Powell: “When first heard, Leshnoff provides music overwhelmingly tonal, rich in melody, with a confident momentum. It is exciting in both variety of timbres and in its immediacy. Repeated hearings reveal new depths…
Pittsburgh Symphony’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9 is a “Triumph”
Audiophile site, Dagogo, reviews the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck’s recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 9: “The Presto and “Ode to Joy” is among the most purveying and thrilling I’ve heard. Once again, there are goosebumps inducing, spectacular definition and contrasting dynamics, atop a precision in the performance to die for. The Adagio Third Movement opens with such majesty as to usurp the first movement Allegro, although this is also swifter in duration and…
Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9 recording is “essential”
Classical Voice North America calls Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9 an “essential” recording: “Honeck’s riveting new CD of Beethoven’s Ninth with the Pittsburgh Symphony was recorded at Heinz Hall concerts in June 2019. He introduced his swift approach to Beethoven, drawing on the composer’s metronome markings, with stunning performances of the Seventh in 2009. The recording of the Ninth benefits from the experience the orchestra had with Honeck’s interpretation at concerts…
BBC Music Magazine Gives Five Stars to Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9
The April issue of BBC Music Magazine features a Five-Star Review for the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 9: “an impressive account of this huge work that seems bent on marking itself as the unassailable definition of ‘monumental’. In terms of sound and precision, the performance is meticulous, immaculate and even. That’s not to say that Honeck doesn’t occasionally play a little loose. … Honeck choreographs the gradual build of…
Rob Cowan Recommends Manfred Honeck and Pittsburgh Symphony Beethoven No. 9
Critic Rob Cowan adds the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 to his “Spring Collection” of top new releases: “combining explosive climaxes with moments of deep repose. The finale is the highpoint, the angry celli and basses delivering their sermon to the minions – though note the achingly beautiful quiet flutes, oboes and clarinets at around the 2:00 mark – before ushering in the Ode to Joy theme from the…
The Absolute Sound Reviews Fiona Boyes’ Blues In My Heart
Greg Cahill gives Fiona Boyes’ Blues In My Heart: 20th Anniversary Edition a four-star review in The Absolute Sound: “Boyes lends a loose, sassy flair to these songs—check out the defiant attitude she bestows upon Kid Bailey’s “Rowdy Blues.” Boyes’ vocals and picking are the driving force here, and her big Matan dreadnaught is close-miked to accentuate the foot stomps, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and string bends. And she is supported by occasional bandmates Kaz Dalla Rosa…
Manfred Honeck and Pittsburgh Symphony Offer a New Go-To Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Culture Spot LA reviews Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra‘s recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 9: “Getting a CD in the mail from Reference Recordings is always a little like Christmas, especially when the package contains a new release by Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. That’s because I know that there will always be an interesting and often exhilarating interpretation of whatever work(s) Honeck decides to bring the listener. … Right out…
TheaterByte Gives Manfred Honeck’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9 its Highest Recommendation
TheaterByte‘s Lawrence Devoe puts Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9 recording at the top of his list: “A thrilling performance of Beethoven’s crowning symphonic achievement by Manfred Honeck and his Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra that in terms of sound and musical execution goes to the top of my list of recordings of this venerable work. Maestro Manfred Honeck is in his twelfth season as music director of one of America’s top-tier…
Kansas City Symphony’s Leshnoff Album is a MusicWeb International Recording of the Month!
MusicWeb International names the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Jonathan Leshnoff: Piano Concerto; Symphony No. 3 with Joyce Yang and Stephen Powell a February 2021 Recording of the Month! “Both are world-premiere recordings, the symphony set down a week after its premiere performance in 2016, while the Concerto was recorded live at its premiere in November 2019, and both are treated to excellent orchestral playing, as well as superb sonics from Reference Recordings –…
InfoDad Reviews Manfred Honeck’s Beethoven Symphony
The InfoDad Team revels in Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9 recording, giving it their highest rating! “there are near-infinite ways of presenting a symphony as crucial to all of classical music as Beethoven’s Ninth, and any recording that has something new to say is certainly entitled to say it. In the case of the performance led by Manfred Honeck and released by Reference Recordings, it happens that there is much new to…