Russian DSD Discoveries

Three of my favorite composers are Russian, and they were contemporaries. Sergei Rachmaninov, Sergei Prokofiev, and Igor Stravinsky all left Russia in their younger years, with only Prokofiev returning. Both Rachmaninov and Stravinsky resided in the USA for a long time and eventually became US citizens. They lived in Los Angeles at the same time, […]

Channel Classics Discoveries

This is my 21st post, and I’m really happy that I’ve been able to help people get know about some great music! This time I’ve decided to do something a little different. Many of you know the Channel Classics label for unsurpassed recording quality. That’s a given with all of their releases. The label is […]

Displaced DSD Discoveries

This month I was listening to a couple of composers whose work seems to exist outside of their time and place.   Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) seems startlingly ahead of his time.   While he never reached the heights of Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven, his work seems now to have signaled a seismic shift in music comparable […]

Mahler, Magic and More

Have you heard about it yet? Have you read about it? Ivan Fischer’s new release of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 is garnering raves from everywhere. This is one of the high points of his superb on-going survey of Mahler symphonies. Yes, there are LOTS of fine recordings of this symphony, but this is one you […]

Requiem for Bosch

Detlev Glanert (1960) is a contemporary composer, known for his operas and other works. He was commissioned to write Requiem for Hieronymus Bosch by ‘Hieronymus Bosch 500’ and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Just released, the recording is remarkable!

Stepping off the Merry-go-round

Last year I praised the album of works by “Herbert Howells” performed by Gloriae Dei Cantores which I find myself returning to quite often. This time I’d like to spotlight another set by this wonderful ensemble: “The Chants of the Holy Spirit”. The set opens and concludes with the sound of the bells at the […]

Discovering Wonderful Performances

It’s always a pleasure to discover wonderful performances. But it’s really wonderful to discover unfamiliar composers. Tabea Zimmermann (violin) and Kirill Gerstein (piano) come together in an exquisitely recorded, beautifully played set of Sonatas by Brahms, Vieuxtemps, and a wonderful surprise: Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979). Clarke was born in England, but lived mostly in the US. […]

The Art of the Flute

Bach’s Art of the Fugue! I love this music no matter what instruments are involved. Check out Lynx, a quartet of Japanese flute players, traveling to a church in Germany to record Bach’s The Art Of The Fugue (BWV 1080)! What a delightful discovery this is! The album is called Fuga Lynx. I was totally […]