Recent Finds No. 49, NativeDSD’s Catalog Continues to Expand Beautifully

View Original NativeDSD’s catalog continues to expand, with new artists and new labels. As I’ve written before, I enjoy recommending new albums from NativeDSD because I trust that the sound quality will be very high, regardless of the format or original recording resolution. Too many times I’ve been disappointed by the sound quality found elsewhere, […]

L’extase: Debussy’s Intimacy, Messiaen’s Vision

Listen and fall in love as two world-class artists make this album of French art songs by Debussy and Messiaen into something magical. Magdalena Kazena’s voice is intimate, sensual, and rich with feeling. Mitsuko Uchida’s accompaniment is a perfect partnership. Together, they make these songs mesmerizing. I was instantly transported to a dreamlike setting. Featured […]

Strauss Reimagined: Honeck’s Riveting Suites from Elektra & Rosenkavalier

Richard Strauss straddled the 19th and 20th centuries and was a towering figure in late romantic and early modern music.  I enjoy his tone poems so I was especially glad to discover these two orchestral suites from Strauss operas, performed by Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.  The Rosenkavalier suite was created by Artur […]

The Gamba Speaks: Lucile Boulanger and the Voice of a Forgotten Instrument

Musical instruments from the Baroque era were often quite different than modern counterparts.  I don’t know why the trombone’s ancestor is called a sackbut, but I don’t know why the modern instrument is called a trombone.  They’re both funny names. But, the viola da gamba is not a funny name!  The family has 7 different […]

I Can’t Stop Listening: Eastern European Cello Sonatas That Sing

You might recall my praise for Martin Helmchen’s recording of Piano Concertos by Dvorak and Schumann a few weeks back.  On this recently released double set, Helmchen is joined by his wife, cellist Marie-Elisabeth Heckler in an album of cello sonatas entitled From Eastern Europe. And what a program it is!  Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, […]

Rachmaninoff 3 and Ravel La Valse Liss

Here’s a delightful discovery from Dmitry Liss and the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra. Ravel’s La Valse starts as a tribute to the Viennese waltz, but by the last few minutes, you know you have fallen into a bad dream.  Liss and his players do a superb job of capturing this feeling.  It’s said that Ravel wanted […]

Recent Finds No. 44 New Releases from NativeDSD

View Original This article of Recent Finds contains a truly disparate array of albums, but all of which I’ve enjoyed immensely. They are all beautifully recorded, supremely well performed, with interesting music that should be heard. I hope you will find something here that tickles your fancy. Mine has been tickled nearly to death listening […]

‘Somnia’ – Denis Kozhukhin – Pentatone

Here’s a discovery from just a few weeks ago that I really wanted to share with you–  Denis Kozhukhin’s Somnia.   The Russian pianist is absolutely marvelous in this exploration of the theme of childhood. These works are charming, yet truthful.  They are involving, yet soothing.  Most importantly, this is music that captures your attention […]