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Midweek Virtual Series: Share Your Favorite New Music

Jim Bird | Published on 11/26/2024



As an Audiophile Society we do tend to focus on our gear, but all in the purpose of getting music reproduced in our homes that connects with us and brings us closer to the live event. So in my mind, THE MUSIC is the endpoint...

On Wednesday, November 13, 2024, we held one of our Mid-month Zooms where members shared their favorite new or in rotation albums. While we only had 6 members attend, we had a lovely time hearing what musical delights our fellow music lovers have been listening to of late. I always find something new and exciting to add to my library during these types of events and I hope to revisit this theme from time to time with my fellow AF members.

The following is a list of albums shared by your fellow music lovers during the event.

From Jim Bird

Schumann & Saint-Saëns Cello Concertos • Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations; Antonio Menses, Royal Northern Sinfonia

Excellent Brazilian Cellist. I especially like the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto.


Marice Ravel: Complete Works for Solo Piano; Bertrand Chamayou

French Pianist who beautifully plays Ravel’s works for solo piano. Excellent recording as well.


Portrait; Samara Joy


 

One of my favorite new Jazz vocalists.


Jethro Tull; The String Quartets; Jethro Tull

If you love Tull and are also a classical music fan this album is for you. Very well recorded. Ian Anderson was totally involved with this project and plays on the album.



From Steve Schaffer


In Session (Deluxe Edition); Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan

Recommended by Steve Schaffer who owns EVERYTHING by Stevie Ray Vaughn.



From Antenor A de Carvalho


An Die Musik- Schubert Lieder;  Elly Ameling  and Dalton Baldwin 


Excellent throughout, and the first track (A Die Musik) is a beautiful reflection on the existence of music. Philips 1982


Haydn Songs with Elly Ameling and Jörg Demus. Originally Decca 1980. 3 CDs album from Brilliant Classics 2008.


Steven Wilson; To the Bone. Caroline International 2017

Well, it is Steven Wilson, also known from Porcupine Tree. Well recorded/mixed/mastered. There is a 16/44.1 version, but this album was also released in Blu-ray with higher resolution and 2.0 and 5.1 mixes , and double LP. Recommended tracks: Pariah, Refuge, Song of the unborn.


Respighi: Belkis, Queen of Sheba, Dance of the Gnomes, The Pines of Rome; Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Eiji Oue. Reference Recordings 2001 SACD.

 

Another excellent title with Reference Recordings. Some less known Respighi works alongside The Pines Of Rome (which is superbly rendered).


Grace Mahya - Last Recording at DUG - Sony BMG 2007 SACD

 

One of the best live recording is a small jazz trio I have heard, ultra clean and textured. The singers voice is wonderfully rendered. Its mostly close miked, but the ambience was well captured.

Recommended tracks: Kiss of Life, Moonlight in Vermont, CominHome Baby, The Way We Were.



From Janet Mountjoy


For Opera lovers or those wanting to explore this genre, Janet provided an extensive selection of videos exploring her favorite type of music.

Die Tote STADT! Mariettas Lied, Pilar Lorengar, Soprano



Dvorak, Rusalka, Moon Song, Frederick Von Stade, Mezzo Soprano


Richard Strauss, Morgan, Joyce diDonato, Mezzo soprano


Puccini, Madama Butterfly; Pilar Lorengar with Fritz Wunderlich, Soprano and Tenor duet


Bizet, The Pearl Fishers; Famous duet recorded by Jussi Bjorling and Robert Merrill, Tenor and Baritone


Mozart, Don Giovanni, Il Mio Tesoro, Jerry Hadley, Tenor

Die Tote Stadt: Mein Sehnen, Mein Wähnen, Stephan Ganz, Baritone




Il Trovatore, Il Balen, Dmitri Hvorovstovsky, Baritone


Lakme, The Bell Song, Lily Pons, Coloratura Soprano

Skip to minute 2:56 and minute 4:52 for examples of coloratura singing


Lucia di Lammermoor Mad Scene, Beverly Sills, Soprano


Numerous examples of coloratura (ornamented)  singing



If youve gotten this far, be sure to listen to my favorite soprano, Beverly Sills


And my favorite tenor Jussi Bjorling



From Qua Veda 

  

Classical - Mendelssohn  "Paulus"  oratorio Opus 36. part 2  No.25 Chor "Wie lieblich sind die Boten"   https://open.qobuz.com/track/791417

 

Contemporary, Male vocal - Benjamin Clementine  At Least for Now, "Nemesis".  theme used for AppleTV  'The Morning Show'  https://open.qobuz.com/track/31142082

 

Bonus track - Jacob Collier  - wild sounds !   "Clarity" from Djesse Vol. 3 album

https://open.qobuz.com/track/98439202

CLARITY - Jacob Collier [OFFICIAL AUDIO]



From Bernie Heeder

 

Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops on a Limited Edition Direct to Disc Recording.  Peter Tchaikovsky - Capriccio Italien, Opus 45 and Rimsky Korsakov - Capriccio Espagnol, Opus 34.  Recorded Boston Symphony Hall.  Crystal Clear Records CCS-7003.  (John Curl Console Design).

 

Dance Music from the Time of Praetorius  - Archiv Produktion: 198-166. (Everything on this disk is in German)  Collegium Terpsichore  Conductor:  Fritz Neumeyer  A wonderful recorded and performed early music disk.

 

 Pleasures of the Court:  Angel S-36851 - The Early Music Concert of London & The Morley Consort - Directed by-David Munrow.  Festive Dance Music from the times of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.  This disk is a lot of fun and a very good recording, for the time.

 

Sammy Davis, JR. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays. DCC Compact Classics:  DJZ-627.  This is a great remastered disk by Steve Hoffman in 1999 from the original recording 1966 on Reprise LP RS-6236.  Everything is so natural, great on electrostatic speakers.  The music selection is perfect.

 

A CD for the Holiday.  Praetorius Mass for Christmas Morning.  Archiv Produktion:  4390250-2 -  Conductor - Paul McCreesh - Gabrieli Consort & Players, with large choir and pipe organ.  Recorded Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark.  This a very large production, very well recorded with wonderful soloists and choir.  This is a Lutheran Mass for Christmas Morning.




 



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