Archive for Kansas City Symphony – Page 5
Kansas City Symphony Saint-Saëns a Gramophone Editor’s Choice!
Gramophone Magazine names the new Kansas City Symphony Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 “Organ” recording a September Editor’s Choice! “…the crucial test is not so much the volume of the organ but the way in which the orchestral context of the symphony as a whole is established. Here Michael Stern impressively injects impetus into the first section’s sinewy fabric, alert to instrumental colour and the contrapuntal discipline and intrigue of the writing. The organ, making its…
The Arts Desk Recommends Kansas City Symphony’s Saint-Saëns
Graham Rickson of The Arts Desk listens to the new Kansas City Symphony Saint-Saëns recording: “Saint-Saëns’s La Muse et le Poéte is the rarity here, a 15-minute piece for violin, cello and orchestra. A mixture of symphonic poem and concerto, it’s a real find. Muse and poet are represented by rhapsodic violin solo and an earthier cello, and the two voices slowly find a way to work together. It’s impeccably structured, brilliantly orchestrated and highly…
Kansas City Symphony to Open Chiefs 2015 Season
The Kansas City Symphony will follow up their 2014 World Series National Anthem performance by leading The Star-Spangled Banner at the Kansas City Chiefs home opener on September 17! From the KC Star: The Kansas City Symphony has played at a number of venues, but this fall it will perform at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time. On Sept. 17, the KC Symphony will perform the national anthem for the Chiefs home opener against the Denver…
Five Star Kansas City Saint-Saëns Reviews
Amazon listeners are weighing in on The Kansas City Symphony’s Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 “Organ” recording: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best recording of Saint-Saen’s “Organ” Symphony I’ve heard so far. The dynamics are so amazing, especially in the last movement, that it gives me goosebumps listening to it. My listening equipment isn’t top end, so I can’t really hear the absolute low notes from the organ, but it’s still amazing. I can’t wait to hear this on a…
More Coming From the Kansas City Symphony
Raves for the Kansas City Symphony’s Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 “Organ” are rolling in, but there’s more to be excited about with the Kansas City Symphony as The Kansas City Star explains: “Reference Recordings is not one of the larger classical recording labels, but to cognoscenti it’s one of the finest. Founded in 1976 by John “Tam” Henderson and Keith O. Johnson, the label is devoted to quality, not quantity. Many of them have been…
“Make Room” for Kansas City Symphony’s Saint-Saëns
ClassicalNet critic Brian Wigman reviews the new Kansas City Symphony Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 “Organ” recording: “Are we having fun yet? This is yet another fantastic disc. The Kansas City Symphony is one of America’s finest ensembles…And Michael Stern is one of America’s finest conductors…Stern gives his excellent first-desk soloists a chance to shine. The Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso sparkles here, and in outstanding sound.… The orchestra plays with total commitment and real power.… The…
Five Stars for Kansas City Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3
Kansas City Symphony’s new Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 “Organ” recording gets a new Five Star review from an Amazon reviewer: “Beautiful recording. I have quite a few recordings of this Symphony and have actually played this myself in college days. I wanted this recording because the Kansas City Symphony is such an amazing “young” symphony. But, I’ll have to be honest, I wanted the recording to hear the organ in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman…
Kansas City Star Recommends Saint-Saëns
The Kansas City Star‘s Patrick Neas makes his suggestions for music to listen to this summer and the Kansas City Symphony’s Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 “Organ” is on the top of his list: “There are many recordings of Camille Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony on the market, but Reference Recordings has just released a CD by the Kansas City Symphony that can take its place with the best of them. The KC Symphony, with superb direction from…
Kansas City Saint-Saëns “A Pleasure To Own”
MusicWeb International critic Michael Cookson recounts a live Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony performance while reviewing our new Kansas City Symphony recording: In the Adagio – Allegro moderato Michael Stern’s well balanced opening soon increases in weight and volume. The efforts of the Kansas orchestra are thrilling. Stern engenders a sense of steely determination. The low growling entry of organ in the Poco adagio is notable and the dialogue between organ and strings is delightfully reflective. Conversely…
Specs for the The Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ, Opus 3875
In David Hurwitz’s fantastic new review of the Kansas City Symphony’s Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony recording, he states “I do wish, though, that Reference Recordings had included a stop list in the booklet. The instrument has some interesting timbres and I would have liked to know what resources it calls upon to make them.” Unfortunately these specs were not able to fit in the included liner notes, but in case anyone else might be curious, we…
ClassicsToday: A “Remarkably Good” Saint-Saëns from Kansas City
ClassicsToday‘s David Horowitz reviews the “remarkably good” Kansas City Symphony recording of Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3: “…this is an unusually vivacious and texturally transparent reading, recorded with welcome clarity in an acoustic that never permits detail to get obscured by excessive reverberation. The balance between organ and orchestra in the finale, even when everyone is blasting away, could not be more perfect. In the serene Adagio too, which flows with impressive poise, the soft tones…
Kansas City Symphony Saint-Saens an AllMusic Editor’s Choice
AllMusic names Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony’s Saint-Saëns recording an Editor’s Choice! “Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony deliver this celebrated Romantic symphony with extraordinary vitality, crisp articulation, and brilliant sonorities, and their performances of the two filler pieces are equally vivid and exciting. Of special note are the soloists, organist Jan Kraybill in the symphony, violinist Noah Geller in the Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, and the duo of Geller and cellist…
Audiophile Audition Reviews Kansas City Symphony Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3
Audiophile Audition‘s Mel Martin reviews the new Michael Stern and Kansas City Symphony recording of Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3: “It’s a gigantic work, with organ, a large orchestra and two pianos. For years it’s been a favorite demonstration disc for audiophiles, and no wonder with it’s aggressive playing and wide dynamics.… Reference Recordings has long been a leader in high quality releases, so this is no ordinary recording. …The Organ Symphony was quite spectacular sounding…this…
Kansas City Symphony’s Saint-Saëns “Organ” is “One of the Best”
Audiophile critic Rad Bennett (Stereo Review, The Absolute Sound, Sound and Vision, Sound Stage! and more) weighs in on the new Kansas City Symphony Saint-Saëns recording, saying “There can be no doubt that this is one of the best recorded versions around…”. Bennett lists his top five recordings of Symphony No. 3, which now includes Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony and ranks it #1 in terms of sound, adding that what makes this…
“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…