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Candy Is Dandy, But Richter Is Quicker, Budapest Edition

Tuesday, 06 July 2010 15:21 Gene Gaudette

I'm about halfway through listening to Budapest Music Center Records' marvelous 14-disc collection of live recordings by piano titan Sviatoslav Richter. A couple of reviewers have not been too kind to this set, and I think they need to clean out their ears.

On the CD Player: Roy Harris, American Symphonist

Monday, 05 July 2010 10:08 Gene Gaudette

In celebration of the American Independence Day weekend — and because it was toward the top of the massive "yet-to-be-played" pile — I fired up a Naxos CD release of symphonic music by Roy Harris played by the Bournemouth Symphony conducted by Marin Alsop (catalogue number 8.559609).

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 July 2010 15:38 Read more...

The kids are alright — okay, they're stupendous!

Sunday, 30 May 2010 12:45 Gene Gaudette

Just over a month ago, amidst a wave of upheaval that had disrupted (and continues to wreak small waves of havoc with) my life and work, I received a package containing a couple of CDs and a cover letter.

Last Updated on Monday, 31 May 2010 13:34 Read more...

Superb Solo Cello Music

Sunday, 02 May 2010 08:57 Gene Gaudette

The NY Times' Vivien Schweitzer likes the new recording of Michael Hersch's solo cello music played by Daniel Gaisford. I agree completely. Hats off to Vanguard Classics (and my friends at Musical Concepts) for issuing the set and getting this excellent music the exposure it deserves. And there's more on the way: Vanguard will be issuing more of Hersch's chamber music, including works for violin played by Miranda Cuckson.

On Robert Schumann | To Robert Schumann

Friday, 16 April 2010 09:14 Gene Gaudette

Robert Schumann's piano music never made much of an impression on me when I was in high school or college; it wasn't until I began to delve into the music of Johannes Brahms as a student and listener that I began to work my way back to the music of his mentor and take a careful listen.

Last Updated on Friday, 16 April 2010 14:08 Read more...

Orchestras Become Record Labels...

Thursday, 01 April 2010 13:50 Gene Gaudette

... and the Internet becomes a virtual concert hall. Daniel Wakin has the story and the links.

Apologies for the dearth of posts in the last two weeks; back up to speed soon.

Back to Mono: Petri on the CD Player

Friday, 05 March 2010 21:54 Gene Gaudette

It must be nearly a decade since I've popped any of pianist Egon Petri's recordings into the CD player. I'm very pleased to have made his reacquaintance.

Last Updated on Friday, 05 March 2010 23:22 Read more...

Passionato.com Blogs, Tweets, Rocks On

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 14:31 Gene Gaudette

If you like classical music and care about quality, you should check out Passionato.com (full disclosure: I'm helping them with Web presence expansion).

Cheap Thrills: Outstanding Recent Budget CDs

Tuesday, 09 February 2010 13:08 Gene Gaudette

I know, I know -- the market for music recordings is in flux if not chaos, and there are growing indications that downloads are finally starting to hit the head of a "tipping point" among the non-teen-and-college-age demographic. And yes, a growing share of my own acquisitions are file downloads. But for the most part I remain an unreconstructed consumer knuckledragger who orders finished product online, bids on scarce audio gratification in disc formaat on eBay, and frequents the handful of well-stocked "record stores" left in Manhattan.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 February 2010 13:51 Read more...