Archive for Michael Stern – Page 4
ClassicalNet Says Miraculous Metamorphoses is Christmas in March!
Classical.net‘s Brian Wigman says Miraculous Metamorphoses is like Christmas in March: “Reference Recordings is kind of like the musical equivalent to Santa Claus, in that you realistically don’t know when a nice surprise is going to show up at your door, and you also have no real idea how they did what they did. Hot on the heels of a fabulous Strauss disc with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the label triumphs again with a well-themed, superbly…
New Release — Miraculous Metamorphoses
Now Available! Miraculous Metamorphoses Michael Stern, conductor; Kansas City Symphony Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges—Suite Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin—Suite A SUPERB NEW ORCHESTRAL RELEASE This magnificent new symphonic recording with the Kansas City Symphony contains three classic modern masterpieces. It is also the premiere recording made in the orchestra’s new home, Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City,…
Elgar/Vaughan Williams Review in MusicWeb International
John Quinn of MusicWeb International reflects on his introduction to the Kansas City Symphony in our Elgar & Vaughan Williams recording: “This is my first encounter with the Kansas City Symphony…it is clear that under Stern’s leadership they have been presenting very enticing seasons for several years now. … These seem to be exciting days for the music lovers of Kansas City “…engineer Keith O. Johnson has presented these performances in exceptionally fine sound. In…
Enjoy The Music reviews Kansas City Symphony Elgar Vaughan Williams Recording
Our latest Kansas City Symphony recording reviewed by EnjoytheMusic.com’s Joe Milicia “…the Enigma Variations, completing the program, is something else. In a field with many formidable entries, not least the various renditions of Sir Adrian Boult and Sir John Barbirolli, not to mention Pierre Monteux with the LSO, Stern offers a striking performance, its many memorable details enriched by the sound engineering. … these Enigma Variations are well worth hearing, especially as realized by RR’s…
The ArtsDesk Praises Kansas City Symphony Elgar/Vaughan Williams
Kansas City Symphony’s Elgar/Vaughan Williams recording continues to bring in rave reviews! The ArtsDesk‘s Graham Rickson has a new review and places the recording in his end-of-year Top 10 list: “This is an exceptional disc in so many ways. The Kansas orchestral playing is flamboyant, assured, but always affectionate, and the recorded sound is possibly the most realistic I’ve come across. “The engineering really does serve the music, lending additional colour and warmth to Michael…
Kansas City Symphony Elgar/Vaughan Williams Recording featured in Gramophone
The newly available May 2013 issue of Gramophone Magazine features a wonderful interview with conductor Michael stern about the Kansas City Symphony’s latest recording of Elgar and Vaughan Williams, and also includes a new review for the release! “…the Kansas City Symphony sets its sights on another with a second all-English concert for multiple Grammy-winner Reference Recordings, featuring a revelatory Enigma Variations. From the outset, Michael Stern and his world-class band bypass the riddle by…
Classical.net Reviews Kansas City Elgar – Vaughan Williams Recording
Brian Wigman of Classical.net says the new Kansas City Symphony recording of Elgar and Vaughan Williams is “about as good as it gets“! “This very fine CD is about as good as it gets. Reference Recordings has long made some of the finest sounding records in the business, and this recent release is no exception. None of that would matter if the music making wasn’t exceptional, but it is. These wonderfully played, entirely convincing performances…
Classical Candor with High Praise for New Kansas City Symphony Elgar/Vaughan Williams CD
Critic, John J. Puccio offers high praise on his Classical Candor blog for our latest Kansas City Symphony recording: “Although one can certainly find a multitude of other available recordings of these pieces, few of them combine the expert performances and audiophile sound we find here. “The Wasps…Maestro Michael Stern and his Kansas City Symphony play with high good spirits. It’s fun stuff, especially the overture, which begins with sounds of a swarm of wasps.…
New Release: Elgar Enigma Variations Vaughan Williams: The Wasps/Greensleeves
ELGAR Enigma Variations VAUGHAN WILLIAMSThe Wasps / Greensleeves RR-129HDCD Kansas City SymphonyMichael Stern A Magnificent New Symphonic Recording A new symphonic tour-de-force from the Kansas City Symphony! This colorful, beloved English music has been captured in brilliant HDCD sound by GRAMMY®-winning engineer Keith O. Johnson The Kansas City Symphony garnered tremendous critical acclaim for their first project on Reference Recordings, incidental music for The Tempest by Sullivan and Sibelius (Shakespeare’s Tempest, RR-115). Their second release…
We wanted to share this outstanding review from EnjoytheMusic.com of our most recent release Britten’s Orchestra: “Britten’s Orchestra”Benjamin BrittenThe Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra; Sinfonia da Requiem;Four Sea Interludes & Passacaglia from Peter GrimesReview by Wayne Donnelly This is the second Reference Recordings orchestral release from the Kansas City Symphony, now the label’s “house band” replacing the Minnesota Orchestra. Minnesota Music Director Osmo Vanska is under exclusive contract to the Scandinavian BIS label, which…
Britten’s Orchestra Review – Ultra High Fidelity (Canada)
Here is another great review excerpt for “Britten’s Orchestra” performed by the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Stern: “The (Guide) is a delight, a voyage of discovery through the resources marshalled by a modern symphony orchestra. . . The Kansas City Symphony…is pretty much flawless in its execution of music which depends so much on the beauty of the instruments… The sound is of great help as well… more than once…
Britten’s Orchestra Goes Global!
Our recent release Britten’s Orchestra featuring Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony is getting great reviews across the country, but today we also got a short review internationally! Check out the quick feature in the Yorkshire Post Album Reviews! And don’t forget we are still having a 20% off everything sale at ReferenceRecordings.com
Britten’s Orchestra Review – Audiophilia
Today we would like to share a review of Britten’s Orchestra from Anthony Kershaw at Audiohilia: the Online Journal for the Serious Audiophile: Britten’s Orchestra — Stern/Kansas City Symphony/Reference Recordingsby Anthony Kershaw Its fourth music director, Michael Stern (son of violinist, Issac), has secured the recording services of Reference Recordings and the amazing recording engineer, Prof. Keith Johnson. Johnson’s recordings with Reference are legendary. Audiophiles know and love them, the mainstream should follow suit. The…
Britten’s Orchestra Audio Preview – HDtracks.com
We know that some people just don’t believe anything until they see it, and when it comes to music, they don’t believe anything until they hear it! So, today we’d like to direct you over to our friends at HDtracks.com who currently have an 88khz/24bit downloadable version of Britten’s Orchestra (HRx is coming VERY soon, we will let you know so you can get them in time for Christmas). The reason we are directing you…
Britten’s Orchestra Release Day!!!!!
Britten’s Orchestra Michael Stern Kansas City Symphony The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is a symphonic tour-de-force and audio spectacular, featuring all sections of the symphony, separately and together. Based on a famous theme by Henry Purcell, Britten writes in essence his “Concerto for Orchestra,” taking the ensemble apart, then reassembling it in a grand and jubilant finale. Dynamic range is extreme. Britten was a dedicated pacifist, and the Sinfonia da requiem from 1940…