After Nyne Issue 7 2015

After the enormous success of Vivaldi’s earlier collections La Stravaganza and L’Estro Armonico, his publisher Estienne Roger was eager to capitalise on the composer’s soaring popularity. With that in mind, Op.7 was published in 1720 containing 12 new concertos, ten for solo violin and two for solo oboe. However, it seems unlikely Vivaldi either authorised or approved of this publication, and recent research has even discovered that the authenticity of the concertos is doubtful, with at least the two oboe concertos certainly not by Vivaldi. The concertos may not bear the traditional Vivaldian hallmarks, with movements simplified or moved around, but they are still a worthy tribute to the composer, whether penned by the ‘Prete Rosso’ himself or not.

Delfeayo Marsalis - Kalamazoo, an Evening with Delfeayo Marsalis (2017) {Troubadour Jass Records Digital Issue rec 2015}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44.1kHz - Digital Download -> 363 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 172 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 2017 Troubadour Jass Records / Delfeayo Marsalis
Jazz / Post Bop / Straight-Ahead Jazz / Cool / Trombone

Recorded live at the Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University. The stellar band for the occasion was comprised of pianist Ellis Marsalis, bassist Reginald Veal, and drummer Ralph Peterson. From the thrilling opening crawl through 'Tin Roof Blues' to a strutting 'Sesame Street Theme' with some plunger mute magic all the way to the appropriately nostalgic 'Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans' closer, this recording gives the listener a glimpse of the captivating, real and true soul and spirit of Delfeayo Marsalis.

Thomas Søndergård's hybrid SACD of Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 in D major and his Symphony No. 7 in C major is an audiophile showcase that presents two contrasting sides of the composer with optimal clarity. The comparatively lush orchestration of the Symphony No. 2 probably has never sounded better in any recorded format, and the multichannel reproduction of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales brings out its vibrant bass, velvety strings, and sumptuous winds in a resonant acoustic, all of which are essential ingredients in the young Sibelius' post-Romantic sound. Yet the Symphony No. 7 presents the sparer counterpoint and leaner textures of Sibelius' mature phase, so the recording brings out the transparency of the timbres, and the clean separation of parts gives an added spatial dimension. Søndergård's interpretations of both works are wholly sympathetic and masterful, and the orchestra plays with the commitment and vitality that make these symphonies compelling. One hopes this is the first installment of a Sibelius cycle, which would be a great addition to Linn's catalog. Highly recommended.

The seventh release in RCO Live's Horizon series features world premieres recorded during three concert seasons. Magnus Lindberg's sumptuous 'Era' – a birthday present from the Concertgebouw Hall to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - dates from the 2012-2013 season. Both Tan Dun's catchy double bass concerto 'The Wolf' and Richard Rijnvos's 'fuoco e fumo' about the 1996 destruction by fire of the Venetian opera house La Fenice, are from 2015.

Ever since the tenure of its chief conductor Eduard van Beinum (1945–59), the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has cherished one of the greatest Bruckner symphonic traditions in the world. With this release of Bruckner’s Sixth and Seventh Symphonies, Mariss Jansons and his Amsterdam-based orchestra add a new chapter to the RCO’s impressive performance and recording history of Bruckner’s works.