Fanfare Magazine’s James Altena sees Carlisle Floyd as a leading voice of American Opera and welcomes Wuthering Heights into his collection: “Here is a composer who writes in an accessible but never simplistic or retrograde tonal vocabulary; has a sound grasp of what makes operas work dramatically in terms of subject matter, plotting, and pacing; and crafts compelling music that vividly illustrates his texts (Floyd writes his own librettos) while yet placing them in expressive,…
The Florentine Opera Company and Milwaukee Symphony’s new recording of Carlisle Floyd’s Wuthering Heights gets four stars from BBC Music Magazine in their October 2016 Issue: “In this studio recording following a concert performance by Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, Kelly Markgraf and Georgia Jarman make a powerful impression as the ill-fated couple, and Chad Shelton’s incisive Hindley and Heather Buck’s sweet Isabella also stand out amidst a strong cast. … Under opera specialist Joseph Mechavich,…
Brian Wigman reviews the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck’s Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7 for ClassicalNet: “On a completely subjective note, few releases on the market excite me as much as those from Reference Recordings. Long-known for superlative sound quality and intelligent repertoire selection, they have recently focused on getting the very best from American orchestras. Pittsburgh and Kansas City are similar musically to their baseball counterparts in that they are respected but…
“First off, Moszkowski’s music is delightful. Expertly composed and beautifully arranged for full symphony orchestra. If you like orchestral music with both froth and depth, then this CD’s repertoire is for you. … Percussion is highlighted throughout the CD and the section is spectacularly recorded by Reference. Sure, the loud is good, but the micro dynamics of the cymbals, castanets and bass drum are just brilliant. … As a first class ballet orchestra, the players…
Order Now Love Changing Blues The path of true love is not always smooth. There may be challenges but also unexpected delights and richness. I was single and childless when my husband-to-be came into my life, complete with 5 children and a 3 year-old granddaughter. Taking a twist on some old blues lyrics, this is the story of how I fell in love with the whole package! Love and thanks to the ‘children of my…
“You would expect Honeck to respond to the passion and intensity of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, and so he does. The wild first movement development and exciting scherzo handily capture the music’s dynamism, and the playing is, as usual, terrific. What lingers in the mind most, though, is Honeck’s ability to project the despairing finale in a single arch from start to finish. There’s something about his phrasing that captures the music’s flow with special conviction;…
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WCRB Classical Radio Boston names the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra’s Moszkowski: From Foreign Lands their CD of the Week! “Martin West leads the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra in an eclectic assortment of hidden orchestral gems by the Prussian composer.” —WCRB Moszkowski: From Foreign Lands is Available Today! San Francisco Ballet Orchestra Martin West Reference Recordings Amazon Arkiv Music
Moszkowski: From Foreign Lands is Available Today! San Francisco Ballet Orchestra Martin West Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925) is most known for his scintillating piano compositions. he also composed an opera, a full-length ballet, three orchestral suites, a symphony (still in manuscript form), songs, concertos, and chamber music—almost all of which remain neglected or forgotten. How unfortunate! San Francisco Ballet Orchestra music director and principal conductor, Martin West, approached Reference Recordings with the hope that there were…
“Fairly unknown, except by the most advanced classical listener, this CD has turned out for me to be a real treat. Included in the release are 4 works that are making their premiere release on recording media. Anyone who is familiar with Reference Recordings knows that the recording in 24-Bit is a step above in quality and finer equipment will capture all of the clarity and transparency that are a trademark of Prof. Johnson and…
“I have effusively praised the previous efforts of Manfred Honeck, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Soundmirror recording team, and this is yet another winner.…this one rises to the top in recording quality, and the performance is outstanding. … it’s appropriately dramatic and completely satisfying—and the accompanying Rusalka Fantasy, by Dvorák, is a delight.” —Kalman Rubinson, Stereophile See the full review on Stereophile.com Reference Recordings Amazon iTunes Native DSD Arkiv Music
The Milwaukee Symphony and Florentine Opera Company get a four-star review from Opera Now! “Carlisle Floyd, now 90 years old, is keen for his complete operatic output to be recorded in his lifetime. So Florentine Opera (Milwaukee) has done him proud with Wuthering Heights… Kelly Markgraf makes a suitably dominant Heathciff, Georgia Jarman a vibrant Cathy, Suzanne Mentzer a stalwart Nelly.” —Francis Mizzu, Opera Now See the full review in Opera Now‘s Digital Edition Reference…
ConcertoNet reviews the new San Francisco Ballet Orchestra Moszkowski: From Foreign Lands recording: “Reference Recordings aids in erasing the paucity of collections by introducing us to the delectability of From Foreign Lands. Moszkowski’s mastering of highly ornamental, approachable music without trivial fanfare is securely tethered under the confident leadership of San Francisco Ballet Orchestra’s (SFBO) Martin West…the CD couldn’t be in better hands.… Keith O. Johnson again masters the sound to create a joyful journey…
American Record Guide critic Donald Vroon is moved by the latest Pittsburgh Symphony recording of 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 Honeck is not among them. I don’t know him…
Classical MPR’s YourClassical features the Utah Symphony’s Dawn To Dust recording as the “New Classical Track” and is hosting a giveaway of the recording! “What happens when you combine a level of discovery with familiarity? Thierry Fischer, the music director of the Utah Symphony, says it leads to a larger, younger audience in the concert hall. ‘I do believe that discovery is part of knowing yourself better,” he explains. “There are other things which can…