Archive for MusicWeb International – Page 3
New Pittsburgh Symphony Recording is “Stunning”
“Thanks to Strauss’ distinctive sound world, this was the first time in many years that any music had both disturbed and excited me to such a remarkable degree. Both Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier work marvellously in this symphonic suite form. Especially striking in its new guise is Elektra, a work which startles and unsettles with murder, obsession and thirst for revenge pushing harmony and tonality to the edge and sheer barbarity of sound to levels…
More MusicWeb International Praise for Wine Dark Sea
“The University of Texas Wind Ensemble is one of the finest in the country, and its frequent appearances on disc have been cause for celebration…for fans of new music…this has a lot of appeal. I’m especially fond of Frank Ticheli’s clarinet concerto, which is brilliantly crafted. But the symphony reveals new strength over repeated listens, too. As mentioned, Keith Johnson’s recorded sound is exemplary, but turn up the volume to fully realize this disc’s potential.”…
MusicWeb International Rave for Carlisle Floyd: Wuthering Heights!
MusicWeb International offers an in-depth rave review for the Florentine Opera Company’s recording of Carlisle Floyd: Wuthering Heights: “Floyd’s opera is both spectral and emotionally intense; there’s nothing of the musical about it. The writing has about it a florid brilliance entirely in keeping with the themes of love in vain, betrayal and striving for the unattainable. It is by no means a chamber opera and the emotions are played out on a grand scale…
“Thoughtful and Thought-Provoking” Tchaikovsky
John Quinn reviews Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 and Dvořák Rusalka recording in MusicWeb International: “In summary Honeck’s performance of this symphony is a thoughtful and thought-provoking rendition of a score that can suffer from over-familiarity.” —John Quinn, MusicWeb International Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 Dvořák: Rusalka Fantasy (arr. Honeck/Ille) Pittsburgh Symphony OrchestraManfred Honeck, Music DirectorFR-720 Reference Recordings Amazon iTunes Native DSD Arkiv Music
MusicWeb Says Pittsburgh Symphony in “World Class Form”
“Consistently impressive is the ongoing ‘Pittsburgh Live!’ series from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under its music director Manfred Honeck. I made its release of the Beethoven Symphonies No’s 5 and 7 as one of my ‘Records of the Year’ for 2015. Now for the fifth album in this enthusiastically admired series Honeck has turned his attention to Tchaikovsky’s enduringly popular Sixth Symphony ‘Pathétique’ together with the world première recording of the newly arranged ‘Rusalka Fantasy’.…
Wine Dark Sea is “another Rolls-Royce”
MusicWeb reviews Wine Dark Sea: “Dan Welcher, whose Spumante opens with the popping of a cork, is new to me. This engaging piece, commissioned by the Boston Pops, is rather more subtle than its effervescent title might suggest… Welcher casts the net wide… I’ve not encountered the music of Donald Grantham before, but his Louisiana-inspired J’ai été au bal (I went to the dance), with its artful use of Cajun tunes, is an ear-pricking, toe-tapping…
Utah Symphony’s Mahler is “Something Special”
Dave Billinge has a new review for the Utah Symphony and Thierry Fischer’s Mahler: Symphony No. 1 “Titan” recording on MusicWeb International: “It is tempting to dismiss yet another Mahler First entering a crowded market as simply not needed. In this case it would be a mistake because this does offer something special… these players respond with as rhythmically vital a performance as you could wish to hear. … I have one small but significant…
Organ Polychrome a Recording of the Year!
MusicWeb International critic Dan Morgan names Organ Polychrome one of his Recordings of the Year! “This is my top pick for 2015. Reference Recordings have a reputation for top-notch engineering, but that wouldn’t count for much without performances of equal stature. Indeed, Jan Kraybill’s exemplary musicianship and the lovely sound of this noble Kansas City instrument make this one of the finest organ recordings I know. Period.” —Dan Morgan Read Dan Morgan’s original MusicWeb review.…
Pittsburgh Symphony Beethoven a 2015 Recording of the Year!
The Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s new BEETHOVEN: Symphony Nos. 5 & 7 recording has been nominated as a 2015 Recording of the Year by THREE MusicWeb International critics — one of only two recordings to receive such a distinction! Michael Cookson “The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck is on world class form with Beethoven’s Symphonies No’s 5 and 7. This release only arrived a short time ago but its merits were evident immediately.…
Pittsburgh Symphony’s Beethoven A MusicWeb Recording of the Month
Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony’s new Beethoven: Symphony Nos. 5 & 7 gets a second (See the first) nomination for “Recording of the Month” from MusicWeb International! “Using a large orchestra one senses an elevated level of musical intelligence together with an unyielding structural coherence that produces impressively selected tempi, dynamic contrasts and moulding of phrase. These are mightily compelling performances, buoyantly rhythmic with plenty of thrust when required. Striking too is the penetrating…
Manfred Honeck Sets A New Standard
MusicWeb International names Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony’s BEETHOVEN: Symphony Nos. 5 & 7 recording a “Recording of the Month”! “Over the course of 12 pages, conductor Manfred Honeck sets a new standard for excellence in CD booklets. He walks us through these two beloved Beethoven symphonies, moment by moment, pointing out details we may have missed – and indeed, over years of listening, I’d missed quite a few. His notes are personal, explaining…
True Concord Does Stephen Paulus Proud
From MusicWeb International: “This is a fine disc. I appreciated the quality of the performances very much. The documentation is comprehensive and good. The sound quality is very pleasing also. … the sound is clear and pleasing and shows both the performers and the music to good advantage. All concerned, performers and technicians, have done Stephen Paulus proud with this release and I’m sure he was delighted by what he heard at the sessions. It’s…
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…
MusicWeb International Double Review for Kansas City Saint-Saëns
MusicWeb International offers a double-review for our new recording of Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 “Organ” by Jan Kraybill and the Kansas City Symphony: “The recording captures the ravishing timbres of the instruments very well indeed; there’s real personality to the playing of both soloists…Always tasteful, Jan Kraybill certainly adds majesty to the mix as the finale hoves into view…while the bass drum and cymbals are superbly rendered…The closing pages are grand and glorious, the noble…
Pittsburgh Symphony’s Bruckner A New Favorite
MusicWeb International review has third review for the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s new recording of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony: “My keenness to review this release was engendered by the enthusiastic critical acclaim generated by the two previous offerings. … Any newcomer, who sets forth on the well-trodden road of a work such as this, will be expected to bring something new to the score. Honeck succeeds admirably, to my mind, in furnishing his reading with…