Picks of the Year: 2006

wswebmaster on November 25, 2018

This year I was able to arrive at only four recent releases that met my criteria of great, little-known recent repertoire, beautifully performed, and superbly recorded. However, my abbreviated list is probably limited more by my own insufficient exposure than …

ZIMMERLI: Piano Trios: Nos. 1, 2

wswebmaster on November 25, 2018

ZIMMERLI Piano Trios: Nos. 1, 2 • Scott Yoo (vn), Michael Mermagen (vc), John Novacek (pn) • ARABESQUE Z6785 (62:29) This recent release is my first encounter with the name and music of Patrick Zimmerli. The notes accompanying the recording offer …

Picks of the Year: 2005

wswebmaster on November 24, 2018

As far as I can recall, this is the first year that I actually had difficulty narrowing down my list of most significant new releases to five. I’m not sure how to explain it, but I am certainly glad that …

BLOCH: The Five String Quartets

wswebmaster on November 22, 2018

BLOCH:  The Five String Quartets.   Portland String Quartet. ARABESQUE 6511-3 (digital), 3 LPs. Here, 25 years after the composer’s death, is the first complete recording of Ernest Bloch’s five string quartets, a cycle of works that many have compared in stature to the …

BLOCH: Complete Music for Violin and Piano. Vol 1: Sonata No. 1, suite No. 1 for Solo Violiin, Suite Hebraique, Abodah. Vol II: Sonata No. 2, Suite No. 2 for Solo Violin (“Poeme Mystique”), Baal Shem, Nuit Exotique.

wswebmaster on November 21, 2018

BLOCH: Complete Music for Violin and Piano. Donald Weilerstein, violin; Vivian Homik Weilerstein, piano. ARABESQUE Z6605, Z6606 [DDD]; two separate discs: 55:23, 51:39. Produced by Thomas Mowrey. Volume I: Sonata No. 1. Suite No. 1 for Solo Violin. Suite Hebraique. Abodah. Volume II: Sonata …

ZAIMONT Monarchs. Symphony No. 1. Elegy for Strings

wswebmaster on November 19, 2018

ZAIMONT Monarchs. Symphony No. 1. Elegy for Strings – Leos Svárovský, Doris Lang Kosloff, conds.; Czech Radio SO – ARABESQUE Z6742 (54:56) Judith Lang Zaimont is, along with Christopher Rouse, Arnold Rosner, and Joseph Schwantner, one of the most interesting compositional voices of her …