Archive for Uncategorized
RR Spotlights — Janáček Orchestral Works
Reference Recordings has been producing albums with rich histories for almost 50 years now. Some albums were successful when they were new but are unknown to our recent customers. Some are evergreen titles, continuing to sell long after they originally came out. We’ve even had some commercial flops. As time marches on, some fantastic titles are ripe to be rediscovered by a new generation of audiophiles. And now RR would like to shine a Spotlight…
Vote for Pittsburgh Symphony for Gramophone Orchestra of the Year!
Gramophone Magazine has announced its 10 finalists for the 2022 Orchestra of the Year — the only one of its prestigious awards decided by the public — and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has made the list! “Nomination comes as a result of each ensemble impressing Gramophone’s editors and reviewers through its work on record, and all ten have released magnificent and often thought-provoking new albums over the past 12 months.” Vote now through Monday, September 7!…
Five Stars from AllMusic for the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Beethoven Symphony No. 9
AllMusic‘s James Manheim gives five stars to Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra‘s recording of Beethoven: Symphony No. 9! “His reading is fast, blazing, kinetic, with moments of high contrast, such as the ethereal third movement in its entirety, giving the listener breathing space. The first movement is quick, but Honeck relaxes the tempo just slightly as things proceed, making room for the brass to give their stentorian statements. The scherzo is very fast throughout, which…
Pittsburgh Symphony’s Tchaikovsky & Leshnoff is BBC Music Magazine Best of 2020!
BBC Music Magazine’s critics have selected their favorite recordings of 2020 and the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s recording of Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 and Jonathan Leshnoff: Double Concerto for Clarinet and Bassoon is a best orchestral recording! “Tchaikovsky’s Fourth is a work of inspired structural ingenuity, as is clear both from Manfred Honeck’s insightful and extensive notes and this fine recording by the Pittsburgh Symphony on the kind of commanding form older collectors may…
Rafael’s Music Notes’s Reviews the Utah Symphony’s “Outstanding” Prokofiev Recording!
Rafael de Acha reviews the Utah Symphony and Thierry Fischer’s Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky – Lieutenant Kijé Suite recording: “Augmenting its chorus by the addition of two fine choral ensembles from the University of Utah, the orchestra, led by Thierry Fischer delivers a powerful performance of two Prokofiev compositions originally created for the screen. The score of Alexander Nevsky… gets an enthralling performance by Maestro Thierry and his forces, with the exceptional mezzo-soprano Alisa Kolosova contributing her…
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on PSO’s Bruckner Symphony No. 9 : “a masterpiece”
Jeremy Reynolds reviews Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s new Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 recording in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “To get right to it, it’s a masterpiece. Music director Manfred Honeck and the orchestra recorded the symphony last year during three live concerts — reviewed here — and again partnered with recording engineers from Soundmirror of Boston. Bruckner’s ninth is a beast. Even in its unfinished, three-movement state, the symphony runs just over an hour. The…
Pittsburgh’s Tribune-Review Reviews PSO and Manfred Honeck’s Bruckner: Symphony No. 9
“The spiritual richness of Bruckner’s symphonies is unmistakable, yet Honeck’s interpretation breaks new ground in understanding the specific connection between musical ideas and religious meaning. His program notes for the new CD are a practical guide to the music which make it easy to correlate his words with his performance. … The proof of Honeck’s verbal interpretation is the enthralling performance he leads. It is a bold performance marked in part by extremes – the…
Fanfare Reviews The Pittsburgh Symphony’s Vivid and Exciting Eroica
Steven Kruger reviews Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 and Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 1 recording in the January/February 2019 issue: “Manfred Honeck certainly knows how to make a good record. … [this] new release from Reference Recordings demonstrates again how reliably Honeck supplies us with a vibrant performance and the most interesting liner notes you will read anywhere. … This is the most vivid modern ‘Eroica’ I know… It’s…
The Morton Report on Fiona Boyes’ “Powerful” Voodoo In The Shadows
The Morton Report Columnist Bill Bentley has a new review for 2019 Blues Music Award nominee Fiona Boyes’ Voodoo In The Shadows recording in his December 2018 “Bentley’s Bandstand” column: “Australian musician Fiona Boyes has dedicated her life to the music, and that intensity can be heard in everything she sings and plays. Her guitar work puts her in the top class for modern blues people, especially the way the sound seems to sing coming…
Exotic Dances from the Opera Featured on Performance Today
Order Now Minnesota Public Radio’s Performance Today is highlighting Dvořák and featuring his Polonaise from Rusalka from our Minnesota Orchestra recording of Exotic Dances from the Opera! Listen Now Exotic Dances from the Opera Minnesota Orchestra and Eiji Oue Favorites and rarities, including Saint-Saëns: Bacchanale, Strauss: Dance of the Seven Veils, and Rabaud: Dances from Marouf. Available for purchase as HDCD, SACD, LP, and Hi-Res Downloads
Blues Music Magazine Reviews Professin’ The Blues
Order Now A fantastic new review for Fiona Boyes’ Professin’ The Blues recording in the January 2017 issue of Blues Music Magazine: “[Fiona Boyes] is simply a great player and gutsy singer who has released one of the finest acoustic blues albums in the past year. …Professin’ The Blues, is a 53-minute, 16-song collection where she plays National Reso-Phonic and Beeton resonator instruments, a standard six-string acoustic and an odd little four-string cigar box guitar…
Strauss Opera Suites a Showcase for Pittsburgh Symphony
Gramophone Magazine features the new Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck Strauss: Elektra/Rosenkavaalier recording in the January 2017 issue: The recording packs a mighty punch from the initial Agamemnon motif, scything brass braying Elektra’s revenge theme. There is percussive glitter for Klytemnestra, whip cracks marking the arrival of her entourage. The full barbarism of Strauss’s score makes a searing impact, Orest’s murder of Klytemnestra especially brutal, yet there are moments of great tenderness too. Reference…
More Best of 2016 Honors for Fiona Boyes!
Order Now The Best of 2016 honors for Fiona Boyes’ new Professin’ The Blues release continue to roll in! The Professor’s Honor Roll of 2016 “I hereby dub Fiona Boyes, The Queen of Old School. She has a great sound and manages to pour more blues into her stripped-down approach than just about anybody else. Her guitar work is top notch, and her vocals are dead on. If you like that sound, you will love…
2016 HDTracks Top Downloads
HDTracks.com is ending the year with collections of their best sellers and audiophile picks for 2016 and there are quite a few RR recordings in the mix! Top 25 Classical Bestsellers #12 – Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 & No. 7 – Featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck Top 100 Recommended Classical Ebony Concerto – Featuring John Bruce Yeh Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 “Organ” – Featuring the Kansas City Symphony and Michael Stern Audiophile Picks…
Pittsburgh Symphony Tchaikovsky an American Record Guide Best of 2016
American Record Guide critics have listed their “Critics Choice” recordings for 2016, and editor Donald Vroon has nominated the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6. “Here is a symphony that has been recorded a great deal. Even conductors who don’t like Tchaikovsky have recorded it, probably because of the challenges it presents. So naturally there have been a great many routine performances under conductors who have no real feeling for it. Manfred…