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Alfred Deller Never Gets Old

Thursday, 26 March 2009 09:41 Gene Gaudette

Over the past couple of years, I've been working with Musical Concepts' Todd Landor and Greg Barbero…

Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 00:00 Read more...

Another One Bites the Dust: Nocturne

Wednesday, 25 March 2009 19:37 Gene Gaudette

Word has reached this side of the Atlantic that French indie label Nocturne has ceased to be. Their eclectic mix…

Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 00:00 Read more...

Top Ten (+3) Unfair Classical Demonstration Discs

Wednesday, 04 March 2009 17:09 Gene Gaudette

Here commences what I intend to be bimonthly "Top Ten (+3)" lists of favorite media. This first list came about somewhat as a matter of circumstance…

Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 00:15 Read more...

Photoshop Insurgent: Mendelssohn Chain Saw Massacre

Thursday, 12 February 2009 09:31 Gene Gaudette

Photoshop Insurgent: Mendelssohn Chainsaw Massacre

Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 00:15

Mendelssohn Chain Saw Massacre

Thursday, 12 February 2009 09:14 Gene Gaudette

Revised cover art for DG's new recording of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.

Revised cover art courtesy Photohop Insurgent (I should never have told him the anecdote). For enlarged version, click here.

This past Saturday, Anne-Sophie Mutter gave what may be the very worst concerto performance I have ever heard from a ‘front rank’ soloist. After the concert, I ran into a prominent violinist, mentioned that I would have strongly preferred that she had been the soloist (she wisely attended a ballet performance with friends), and – with my usual good taste and restraint – said the Mutter did to the Mendelssohn what Leatherface did to all of those teenagers in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The rest of the concert, thankfully, was far better. My assessment of the New York Philharmonic's concert in honor of Mendelssohn's 200th birthday is up at ClassicalSource.com.

Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 00:16

BSO Jumps into the Live Label Biz

Tuesday, 03 February 2009 11:52 Gene Gaudette

It's about time. And isn't it interesting that the orchestra has chosen to showcase Levine's recording of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloë, a party piece for former BSO maestro Charles Munch? Both of Munch's commercial recordings with the BSO are among the greatest glories of the RCA Red Seal catalogue, and an extraordinary 1962 stereo aircheck from Tanglewood has also circulated among collectors for some time. Full press release below the break…

Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 00:17 Read more...

David Patrick Stearns on RCO Live's SACDs

Wednesday, 14 January 2009 08:44 Gene Gaudette

One of the best music critics in America weighs in on the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra's outstanding SACD series. DPS cites the Debussy/Dutilleux disc conducted by music director Mariss Jansons an all-Berg program conducted by Daniele Gatti, and I'm also mighty impressed…

Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 00:11 Read more...

Some Holiday Cheer...

Sunday, 14 December 2008 00:30 Gene Gaudette

... from the dawn of the electrical recording era: Vaughan Williams's wonderful arrangement of the Gloucestershire Wassail as recorded in 1926 or 1927 by the English Singers, courtesy of Mickey Clark.

UPDATE, 2009:

Looks like the YouTube police pulled it. Good thing I kept the audio track!

Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 00:10

DG Dumps Li

Tuesday, 02 December 2008 09:28 Gene Gaudette

Sybille Werner forwarded Benjamin Ivry's WSJ article reporting Team Yellow's decision to dump arguably their most interesting young artist, Yundi Li. [more]

Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 00:09 Read more...

Why synaphaï?

Wednesday, 27 August 2008 14:10 Gene Gaudette

Xenakis: Synaphaï – Original Decca headline LP cover I've been an enormous fan of Iannis Xenakis and his colorful and complex music since my college years. Among my favorite Xenakis works is Synaphaï, a concertante work for piano and orchestra.