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AUGUST 2004

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Dawn Upshaw VOICES OF LIGHT

Lugansky's Prokofiev is a winner: three major works played with virtuosity, power and, where necessary, delicacy, along with scrupulous attention to the score. Well Tempered Clavier Book 1 Sometimes the sound quality of a recording is less important than the performance. That's the case with these two classics of the phonograph, recorded in 1938Gergiev pairs Shostakovich's most popular symphony with one of his wittiestChang, who made her recording debut at age 9, is now a thoroughly mature artistBiss, who has been getting much attention in the American music world, makes his recording debut at the age of 23 with a challenging programIf you want to find out if you'll enjoy this collection of guitar transcriptions, listen to track 7, the

Performer(s): Oborin, Oistrakh, Mravinsky Label: Praga Audio CD (August 10, 2004)Performer(s): Couperin, Jacobs, Concerto Vocale Label: Harmonia Mundi Audio CD (August 10, 2004)Dream of the Orient (Hybr) (Ms) [HYBRID SACD]Yu Qiang Dai, tenor from China, acquits himself well in a dozen popular ariasThis follow up recital by Anna Netrebko is surely pleasent and her lucious voice is just as beautiful on this CD as her recital debutOn Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring by Delius, Lloyd-JonesThe super-super-bargain price of this set is only the beginning of the reasons for recommending itStravinsky: Firebird Ballet, Petroushka Ballet, Symphony in 3 Movements, Scherzo a la Russe, 4 Studies; Sir Simon Rattle [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]Last year EMI started promoting the Capuçon Brothers in collaboration with Martha Argerich and on their ownBernstein is more like a tour guide through the mountainsCliburn Competition medallist Olga Kern plays Rachmaninov as if he wrote this music just for her.This is mellow in the extreme, practically New Age. As a mood album, it's unbeatable--the combination of flute and harp is ethereal and light, yet also oddly warmAnd such a thing should not exist! The opening 2 movements of There is no dearth of recordings of the Bach Orchestral Suites, but this new one goes right to the top of the list of recommended performancesIt's hard not to be impressed by Kissin's immaculate pianism here, his lovely singing tone captivates while the finger-popping pyrotechnics of the Mephisto Waltz are dazzlingThe Michael Tilson Thomas is a world class musician, that he understands Gustav Mahler's intensely personal music (having come from the tutelage of Leonard Bernstein, the conductor most responsible for bringing Mahler to the attention of the concert hall)Angèle Dubeau is a remarkable violinist, and here, she and her all-woman, 12-strong (including herself) group, La Pieta, tackle some of the showiest---and most interesting---virtuoso pieces composed or transposed for solo violin and strings, in various combinationsJennifer Higdon is a masterful colorist whose music is immediately appealing, full of energy and dash, but also with lyrical movements that grab you and hold your interest with their variety and melodic freshnessIn 1785, the Cathedral of Cádiz commissioned Haydn to write seven orchestral interludes, to be performed during Holy Week services between the bishop's recitation of Jesus' seven last words, plus an introduction and an epilogue depicting the earthquake after His deathHere is a CD of chamber works by John Adams: Road Movies is for violin and piano, Hallelujah Junction is for two pianos, and the other three works are for solo pianoIves' Second Sonata is one of the toughest, but it holds no fears for Aimard, a noted interpreter of Messiaen, Ligetti, and other moderns who require virtuoso technique and idiomatic expertiseThe great Yo-Yo Ma has recently (in addition to his world music explorations) moved to the baroque cello, a so-called period instrument, and his transition has been remarkably smooth. Vivaldi's operatic statement of intent gets the fine first recording it deserves Tenor Luciano Pavarotti was born in Modena, Italy, on October 12, 1935


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