LEES: Piano Sonata No. 4. Fantasy Variations. Mirrors

wswebmaster on November 18, 2018

LEES  Piano Sonata No. 4.  Fantasy Variations.  Mirrors · Ian Hobson (pn) ·ALBANY TROY-227 (65:15) I recently (Fanfare 20:5, pp. 179-80)reviewed a disc (Albany TROY-138) featuring Benjamin Lees’s three violin sonatas.  There I expressed a certain ambivalence about the composer, asserting that he “has written some truly fine, …

LEES: Symphony No. 4, “Memorial Candles”

wswebmaster on November 17, 2018

LEES Symphony No. 4, “Memorial Candles” – Theodor Kuchar, cond; National SO of the Ukraine; Kimball Wheeler (mez); James Buswell (vn) – NAXOS 8.559002 (61:42) Naxos continues its ambitious and promising “American Classics” series with a new release devoted entirely to Benjamin …

KHRENNIKOV: Napoleon Bonaparte (Ballet)

wswebmaster on November 17, 2018

KHRENNIKOV Napoleon Bonaparte (Ballet) – Pavel Ovsyannikov, cond; Presidential Orchestra of the Russian Federation – RUSSIAN DISC  10 070 (69:08) For many years Tikhon Khrennikov was known in the West only as First Secretary of the Composers Union under Joseph Stalin, a position for which he …

KABELÁC: Fated Dramas of Man. Eight Inventions. Eight Ricercari

wswebmaster on November 17, 2018

KABELÁC  Fated Dramas of Man. Eight Inventions.  Eight Ricercari – Alfréd Strejcek (spkr); Miroslav Kejmar (tpt); Frantisek Maxián (pn); Vladimir Vlasák (perc); Prague Percussion Ensemble; Vladimir Vlasák (cond) Ÿ PANTON 81 1146-2931 (64:00) I  have been fascinated with the music of Miloslav Kabelác since the early …

IVANOVS: Symphonies: No. 5; No. 12, “Sinfonia Energica.”

wswebmaster on November 17, 2018

IVANOVS:  Symphonies:  No. 5; No. 12, “Sinfonia Energica.”  Dmitry Yablonsky conducting the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra.  MARCO POLO 8.223332 [DDD]; 66:13.  Produced by Victor and Marina A. Ledin. It seems to me that the “CD revolution” and Fanfare were made for each other.  While the past twelve years …

G. WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 2. Ballads for Orchestra. Fairest of Stars

wswebmaster on November 17, 2018

G. WILLIAMS:  Symphony No. 2.  Ballads for Orchestra.  Fairest of Stars.  Vernon Handley conducting the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra.  Sir Charles Groves conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.  Janet Price, soprano.  LYRITA SRCD-327 [ADD]; 69:15.  Produced by Bob Auger and John Willan. This is a most welcome release, providing …