Archive for Classical Music Sentinel
Classical Music Sentinel Review for Pittsburgh Symphony’s Beethoven and Stucky Recording
Jean-Yves Duperron reviews the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck’s Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 and Stucky: Silent Spring recording on Classical Music Sentinel: “This ‘live’ performance by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Manfred Honeck of the iconic Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, “Pastoral” by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), is nothing if not light-footed and yet muscular, airy and yet intricately detailed, naïvely good-natured and yet deeply expressive. Could it be that they’ve hit upon its spiritual…
Pittsburgh Symphony’s Brahms & MacMillan is “Top Notch”
The Classical Music Sentinel reviews Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s Brahms: Symphony No. 4 & James MacMillan: Larghetto for Orchestra recording: “In the beautiful [Symphony No. 4] Andante moderato… Honeck’s focus and attention are diverted to the charm of the orchestration. The lush string writing around the 8:00 minute mark, and the many fine moments in which the Pittsburgh woodwind section shines through. The boisterous and ebullient character of the following movement is well projected in…
An 11 out of 10 for Kansas City Symphony’s One Movement Symphonies release!
Jean-Yves Duperron reviews Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony’s new recording of One Movement Symphonies for the Classical Music Sentinel: “The audio engineers over at the Reference Recordings label, and Keith O. Johnson in particular, one of the label’s founders, have always prided themselves on the high definition, “realistic” quality of their music recordings. You know, that just like being there type of sonic experience. And this one, like many others, is a case in point… in this…
Classical Music Sentinel Reviews the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Tchaikovsky & Leshnoff Recording
Classical Music Sentinel reviews the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 & Jonathan Leshnoff Double Concerto recording: “As in his famous ballets, Tchaikovsky’s affinity for irresistible melodies comes to the fore in this symphony’s slow movement, and conductor Honeck and the musicians of the orchestra well project it’s idyllic charm. And as far as thrills are concerned, nothing quite matches this symphony’s final movement. With a momentum more manic than the 1812 Overture it…
Classical Music Sentinel Review for Pittsburgh Symphony’s Bruckner: Symphony No. 9
Jean-Yves Duperron reviews Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra‘s Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 recording in Classical Music Sentinel: “As if a call from the beyond, the magnificent horns of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra infuse a profound sense of eerie and yet powerful stillness within the opening pages. … this account is highly gripping. … a Bruckner symphony is ‘absolute’ music. You can’t evince a different outcome from a harmonic progression or a sequence of chords. It’s sound…
Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s “Game Changer” Eroica
Classical Music Sentinel‘s Jean-Yves Duperron reviews Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra‘s recording of Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” & Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 1: “ Symphony No. 3, Op. 55 “Eroica” is loaded with quirks, most particularly the Scherzo, with all of its twists and turns, and constantly shifting accents. And lo and behold did I notice when reading the booklet notes that conductor Manfred Honeck points out that rhythm is one of the key factors…
Classical Music Sentinel Review for John Williams At The Movies
Jean-Yves Duperron of Classical Music Sentinel reviews the Dallas Winds and Jerry Junkin’s new John Williams At The Movies recording: “Regardless of who you are, your age, where you live or what you do, at some point in your life you’ve had a close encounter (pun intended) with the music of John Williams. …it may not be “classical”, “symphonic” or “art” music, but rather written for “commercial” purposes as pointed out in the liner notes,…
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…
Pittsburgh Symphony Tchaikovsky/Dvořák is “electrifying”
“I believe most of you would agree that not many composers quite match Tchaikovsky when it comes to conjuring up a sense of ‘drama’ in music. And especially the way he applies some of the most beautiful melodies to emotionally passionate moments is quite gripping. Include his preponderance for extensive tension escalation and perfectly timed release, and you have the perfect recipe for electrifying music. He certainly knew how to create vivid images in music.…
“Glorious” and “Stupendous” Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 from Kansas City
Classical Music Sentinel composer Jean-Yves Duperron offers advice for how to challenge the top Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 recordings and says Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony have it “down and then some.” “I’ve never heard such a well-rounded account of this impressive symphonic work. Under Michael Stern’s direction, the slow movement glows with expressive touches and the final movement blows everyone else out of the water. The impressive Casavant pipe organ which has…
Classical Music Sentinel Gives Organ Polychrome a Rave!
Fantastic new review for Jan … Organ Polychrome recording in the Classical Music Sentinel: “In this day and age of bits and bytes, midi files, miniaturization, computerization, digital sound creation and manipulation, and everything synthetic and disposable, it certainly is comforting to know that magnificent pipe organs like this Casavant Frères Opus 3875, 2011 located in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Missouri, are still being built. … if you have…
Classical Music Sentinel
Canada’s Classical Music Sentinel has a new rave for the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Dvořák & Janáček SACD: “…the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra members clearly project their enjoyment of the music through their individual instruments and in doing so, generate impressive sonics. And once again, the recording engineers have captured these sonics as naturally as possible. From the sweetness of the solo flute ushering in the symphony’s main idea at the 45 second mark of the opening movement,…
Classical Music Sentinel Raves for Miraculous Mandarin
Classical Music Sentinel with an absolute rave for the Kansas City Symphony, Michael Stern, and the new Miraculous Metamorphoses recording: “Rarely have I heard the multiple and varied orchestral colours of Paul Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber exposed and exhibited as well as they are in this new recording by the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Michael Stern. … It’s just that in this particular case,…
Classical Music Sentinel Reviews Strauss
Classical Music Sentinel is excited about the new partnership with the Pittsburgh Symphony! “As if to emulate the protagonist portrayed in Don Juan, Op. 20, conductor Manfred Honeck delivers the opening pages of this orchestral masterpiece with a swift, impulsive, impetuous and almost arrogant demeanor, true and relevant to the character. The members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra respond with aplomb and sparkle… Whereas the opening minute impresses by its bravura, the final closing minute,…