Antonio Vivaldi L'arte Dell'arco, Guglielmo Six Violin Concertos For Anna Maria (2005) [hybrid Sacd Eac Rip]

The so-called “Anna Maria Partbook” consists of an elegantly bound volume in red leather containing the violin parts of 31 violin concertos, of which 26 are by Antonio Vivaldi. It was the personal repertoire of Vivaldi's most gifted pupil, the famous “Anna Maria della Pietà”, who played also the viola d'amore, the mandolin, the theorbo, and the harpsichord. Anna Maria's partbook represents an extraordinary collection of violin concerts of high virtuosity.

The presumptuous manner in which Philips proclaims this disc of Vivaldi ‘Concertos for Anna Maria’ as being a world premiere recording is as careless as it is misleading. All six concertos have been previously recorded, some of them several times over. Even more absurdly, though, four of the six are included on a disc, with Shlomo Mintz and the Israel Chamber Orchestra, bearing virtually the same title as this new release, and claiming with greater justification, world premiere status. I reviewed Mintz’s programme very favourably in the pages of Gramophone, so readers who subsequently acquired it should proceed with caution in considering the present one.

Violinist Giuliano Carmignola and the Venice Baroque Orchestra use a slightly different scoring of Vivaldi's masterpiece, the 1996 Ricordi critical edition, and somehow unveil world premieres of three Vivaldi concertos. Their period-instrument performance of The Four Seasons is beautifully played and recorded. Andrea Marcon's conducting stretches the Adagio movements out, but the group makes up for lost time in some feverish Allegro sections.

Richard Wagner - Das Rheingold WWV 86a
Tomasz Konieczny / Christian Elsner / Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin / Marek Janowski
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 628 MB | Full Artwork: 829 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Opera

"…Janowski's pacing and preparation of the orchestra is masterly. Reacting with sensitivity to the score, the tender & reflective scenes are given space to breathe without taxing the singers into strained tone. (…) The more one hears, the more one appreciates the vocal acting as well as the superlative orchestral contribution (make no mistake, there are at least 3 world class orchestras resident in Berlin today). This listener (at least) is eagerly awaiting the next installment of the Ring." ~sa-cd.net

Beoga - Live At Stockfisch Studio
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 282 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Stockfisch Records # SFR 357.4053.2 | Country/Year: Germany 2010
Genre: Rock, Folk, Jazz | Style: Irish Folk, Contemporary Acoustic

"…Stockfisch has reproduced the live feel of this extraordinary group with great precision. The separation of the instrumentation (especially between guitar and violin, and accordions) eliminates the occasional dint of live recording. The balance of the sound seems proportionate. Vocals never impinge on the music, and vice versa. Live At Stockfisch Studio is a towering achievement." ~audiophile-audition

Composed over wide time intervals, Hans Werner Henze's three Violin Concertos represent key stages of his development, and mark his early efforts in twelve-tone composition, his mature phase of experimental political theater, and his late, emotionally charged programmatic style. The Concerto No. 1 (1948) is similar in some respects to Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, particularly in Henze's blending of the row with tonal features; yet in its comparative leanness and transparency, this piece is less like Berg than the complex Concerto No. 3 (1997), which, in its intense evocation of Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus, shares much more of the passionate and disturbing colors and textures of Wozzeck or Lulu.

18 tracks live at the Panama Club 2004. Tracks include 'Angel', 'Turn The World' & 'Sleepwalking'.

Blue Chamber Quartet - Chick Corea: Children's Songs
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 181 MB | Full Artwork: 107 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Stockfisch Records # SFR 357.4067.2 | Country/Year: Germany 2009 | 5% Recovery Info
Genre: Jazz, Classical | Style: Contemporary Jazz, Chamber Music

"…The music works beautifully in this arrangement by group member Thomas Schindl, scored for piano, harp, vibraphone, and double bass, along with a part for guest percussionist Sven von Samson. The colorful and unusual instrumentation creates an even broader expressive palette than the piano version, and the evocative percussion atmospherics that surround some of the pieces add about 10 minutes to the total duration of the suite. The playing is delicate and spirited throughout, and the sound quality of the SACD is balanced and detailed." ~allmusicguide