The quartets are pretty standard Haydn works but the cool part about this CD is that this recording is played by the Daedalus Quartet. The Daedalus Quartet is considered a leader among the newest generation of string ensembles. The members of this string quartet hold degrees from the Julliard School, Curtis Institute, Cleveland Institute, and Harvard University. Min-Young Kim and Matilda Kaul play violin, Jessica Thompson plays the viola, and Thomas Kraines plays the ‘cello. This CD was released in 2009.
eighth blackbird “combines the finesse of a string quartet, the energy of a rock band and the audacity of a storefront theater company.” The members of the ensemble “hail from America’s Great Lakes, Keystone, Golden and Bay States, and Australia’s Sunshine State. There are four foodies, three beer snobs and one exercise junkie.” It seems like it would be fun to hang with these folks. Tim Munro plays the flutes, Michael J. Maccaferri the clarinets, Yvonne Lam the violin & viola, Nicholas Photinos the ‘cello, Matthew Dunvall percussion, and Lisa Kaplan the piano. This CD was released in 2012.
John Adams
I often reference works by John Adams in my Staff Picks, and I honestly don’t think I could ever forget to mention him. Adams is a North American based new music composer. Once again, the symphonic version of my favorite opera, CD 9695 — Doctor Atomic / Guide to Strange Places. This CD was released in 2009.
Do you like Arvo Pärt as much as Ethan Hicks? I doubt it, but you should still take a listen to this fantastic Pärt CD that explores many of his works including, but not limited to: Adam’s Lament, Beaatus Petronius, Salve Regina, and Estonian lullaby. This CD was released in 2012.
It’s been over a year since we started writing up staff picks and with over a hundred CDs have been recommended. Therefore, one might think that we would be running out of recommendations.
Not so!
For my sixth staff picks post, I have a nice collection of awesome CDs including one of my favorite recordings
I first took out this CD two years ago on a whim. The name was really cool, and I had heard good things about this “Arvo Pärt” person. I then promptly forgot about it. A week later I drove up to Massachusetts overnight (to avoid the traffic from a few major cities) and discovered it on the seat next to me. It was something about the desolation of Interstate 84 in Connecticut at 4 a.m. mixed with the distant lamentations of the CD that stays with me to this day. I can’t really describe it any other way, this is one of my favorite recordings.
I don’t think there is ground left to tread that the Kronos Quartet has not already stomped all over. Anyway, get ready for this; Kronos Quartet collaborates with Finnish composers Samuli Kosminen and Kimmo Pohjonen to create a studio album that blends a string quartet with electronics and accordion. Yeah, I thought so too…
This CD is worth picking up for Lincoln Portrait alone. It’s perhaps one of the most famous recordings of the work and features Henry Fonda as the narrator. However, you also throw in Billy the Kid and the original Appalachian Spring ballet edition…
As we dive deeper into the Holiday season live music events continue to ramp up throughout the city. Here are some awesome events in the coming days (free & very cheap) that you shouldn’t miss!
American University Chorus: Sing a New Song
with Laura M. Petravage, conductor
Dana Scott, piano
Friday November 30th and Saturday December, 8 pm
Abramson Family Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center, American University
$10 for AU Community, seniors; $15 general admission
The AU Chorus will give you a guided tour of American choral literature with their eclectic and nostalgic Fall program. It includes arrangements of folk-favorites “Bile them cabbage down” and “Cindy”, spirituals, classic Copland settings and more.
The highlight of the program is Samuel Barber’s Reincarnations for a capella chorus.The Reincarnations are rarely performed in their entirety as they are both complex and demanding. In their rendition the AU Chorus proves their remarkable musicianship and attention to detail under Laura Petravage’s brave leadership. Their enthusiasm is a rare treat and this weekend’s performances will not disappoint!
Jake Shimabukoro, ukulele virtuoso
Screening of “Life on Four Strings” and personal appearance by Mr. Shimabukoro
Monday December 3, 6:30 – 8:30 pm * FREE
Rasmuson Theater, National Museum of the American Indian
4th Street and Independence Ave SW, Washington DC 20024
This FREE event is presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and promises to be a great time. “Life on four strings” is a documentary about Jake Shimabukoro, a ukulele-virtuoso who was recently declared a musical “hero” by Rolling Stone. Shimabukoro is truly an amazing musician.
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Now that you’ve sworn off of turkey and pie (Ha!) and you’re realizing just how much work you have to do in the last few weeks of the semester (a lot), take some much-needed “me-time” and kick back with some staff picks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Samuel Barber loves singers. I would argue that he is the most influential American art-song composer.
The Songs. – Cheryl Studer, soprano; Thomas Hampson, baritone; John Browning, piano; Emerson String Quartet – CD 1325/6353
Ligeti is just really cool. I don’t think this would be good study-music during the Finals period…it could be more like a soundtrack to your feelings?
Gyorgy Ligeti: A Capella Choral Works – London Sinfonetta Voices; Terry Edwards, Conductor – CD 9541
‘Tis the season! Oh, and Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto is outstanding….Martha Argerich is okay, I guess (kidding, she’s magnificent).
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 1 Op. 23/The Nutcracker: Suite, Op. 71a - Martha Argerich, piano; Berliner Philharmoniker; Claudio Abbado, conductor; Nicholas Economou, piano (2nd work) – CD 7653
As you very well know, the Music Library regularly acquires new items that help expand our collection! CD 9956 - Aural Borealis — Baroque Choral & Instrumental Music for the Christmas Season
CD 9957 – American Breeze — Musical Arts Woodwind Quintet
CD 9958 – Song Cycles with Double Bass and Piano — Allan Blank
CD 9959 – Little Heaven — Songs of Lowell Libermann
As we begin the long slide from the bright optimism of summer towards the brutal gloom of winter, here are some CDs to extend that summer feeling as long as possible, or to bring on an early onset of winter. Pick your poison.
Haitian singer and guitarist, André Toussaint, performed in the Bahamas for most of his career, singing for tourists in French, Haitian, English, Italian, and Spanish. This CD features his laid-back, light and breezy calypso, just perfect for laying around in the sun, not doing whatever it is that you’re supposed to be doing. If there was a genre called ‘hammock music’ this disc would be a shining example.
Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers – Natural Boogie (CD 6820)
As far as I know, they have not yet outlawed cookouts after Labor Day, so there’s still time to break out the coals, throw on some weenies, grab an orange Crush and relax with some friends and some of the rawest, roughest, good-time blues ever set down on tape.
Southern Journey Vo. 9: Harp of a Thousand Strings – All Day Singing from the Sacred Harp (CD 1909)
There’s something about these shape note singing field recordings (made by Alan Lomax during a trip to the 1959 United Sacred Harp Musical Convention in Flyffe, Alabama) that always seems autumnal to me. It’s easy to imagine these Southern congregations gathered outside as the leaves turn, singing all dang day. And if you want to check out a shape note hymnal, we have thosetoo.
Eduard Tubin – Requiem for Fallen Soldiers / Symphony No. 10 (CD 4869)
It doesn’t get much wintrier than this requiem by Eduard Tubin of icy Estonia. I think you’re actually required to put on a heavy, ankle-length winter coat before the disc will even play. This is the premiere recording of the piece, which was begun in 1950, and not completed until nineteen years later. You can hear from the first movement below that the instrumentation is spare – a choir accompanied only by an organ and tympani – the mood is funerary, and the effect is intense. Perfect for those frozen nights when your blinds are drawn, snow mutes any sounds of life outdoors, and you feel like you may be the only person left in the world.
I like Steve Reich’s music. This box set is a collection of Reich’s music spanning a 30 year period featuring the Steve Reich Ensemble among many other esteemed groups. Its a great collection.
This nifty little box set off the the RCA label is a really well put together compilation of what are arguably some of the biggest, longest and most complex symphonies in the major Western repertoire. The cycle was recorded in the 70′s by the Gewandhausorchester of Leipzig under the baton of Kurt Masur. Its powerful where it needs to be powerful, which is important with Bruckner. Even the slower tempos don’t seem as drawn out as other recordings of Bruckner, although I would not say Masur zips through them. Overall, if you like Bruckner, this is a good box to look at.
I like Copland. I especially like his Third Symphony. It represents a culmination of his Americana-esque sound now associated with Western Soundtracks. I also like it because the orchestration is incredibly well done. Chief among this, in my opinion is the way he handles the Brass. I know I am a bit biased towards Brass (was the Bruckner a clue at all?), but this is one of those pieces that is made for the brass section, taking advantage of everything it does well. But enough about the piece, lets talk about this recording.
Usually when people talk about a recording of Copland’s Third Symphony, they talk about the New York Philharmonic recording from 1986 under Bernstein’s Baton. Actually, with so much attention on that recording, people tend to forget that there are other great recordings out there. This is one of them. Yoel Levi conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in a great performance that reminds you that you can find a nice recording outside of the Big Five.
Sporting more than just a cool picture, this collection of Prokofiev conducted by Abbado is seriously heavy. Alexander Nevsky and Lieutenant Kije is as big as anything gets these days. However, Scythian Suite is something that just takes that extra excessive step. This was my first recording of the piece and as a brass player, the second movement holds a special place in my heart. Take a listen and see why.
If you asked me which Pianist I would want to hear play something Russian, it would be Alexander Toradze. Then if you asked me who I would want to conduct, it would be Valery Gergiev. So it only makes sense that this recording be in my list of recommendations. Toradze is powerful on the keys, yet sensitive to the frenetic changes in mood common in Prokofiev. Add to this the long years of collaboration between him and Gergiev and you have a match made in heaven.
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