Concerts

The renowned artists, violinist Jascha Heifetz and cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, joined forces in 1949 at Chicago's Ravinia Festival. Twelve years later, and now good friends, both artists were in semi-retirement from the concert stage, yet enjoyed their evenings of chamber music with friends. This first ever complete collection of The Heifetz-Piatigorsky Concerts includes Dvorak's Piano Quintet No. 2 and Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence. The 21 CDs are packaged in mini-sleeves with the original album artwork and feature a new introduction by Heifetz expert John Maltese.

After the compulsory Gymnopédies, this turns out to be an above average Satie collection. Parade is performed with relish and a healthy dose of anarchy, with no attempt being made to blend the pistol shots into the texture of the orchestra. Rather than the more usual companion pieces of Mercure and Relâche, Yutaka Sado builds the remaining programme around La belle excentrique and Le piège de Méduse, opting for some of the music - hall - inspired works in between. Pieces like Je te veux and Poudre d ’ or are familiar in their piano or vocal versions, but rarely get outings in the arrangements for brasserie orchestra, making this a most desirable disc for Satie devotees.

Wie wundervoll, ja berauschend die Musik Paul Hindemiths sein kann, zeigen seine Kammermusikwerke auf dieser CD. Das Ausdruckspotential der Klarinette wird von dem in Hanau geborenen Komponisten in leidenschaftlicher, tief bewegender und humorvoller Art in jedem Stück mit diesem Soloinstrument ausgeschöpft. Hindemith, dessen Musik von den Nationalsozialisten als entartet verfemt wurde, verließ Deutschland 1938 und ging zunächst in die Schweiz, 1940 übersiedelte er in die USA. Trotz der überaus schwierigen Umstände gelang Hindemith auch in dieser Zeit ein in Quantität und Qualität beeindruckender Output.

Gentle Giant - Out Of The Fire, The BBC Concerts (1973-1978) {2CD Set, Hux Records HUX008 rel 1998}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 628 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 226 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1973-78, 1998 Hux Records | HUX008
Rock / Art Rock / Prog Rock

This 2-CD set contains two BBC live concerts from 1973 and 1978. The 1973 concert is previously unreleased. The 1978 concert is the same one released as In Concert (BBC Radio 1), but it is complete (including Funny Ways) and has the songs in the right order. I find the sound quality very good like most of the BBC recordings. Maybe a little bit dry, but that fits quiet well with GG.

Jordi Savall & Wieland Kuijken - Sieur de Sainte-Colombe: Concerts a deux Violes Esgales (2011) {2CD Set Alia Vox AVSA9885}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 585 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 275 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 67 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2011 Alia Vox | AVSA 9885 A+B
Classical / Baroque / Period Instruments / Chamber Music / Viola da gamba

These albums were recorded in 1976 and 1992 (the latter right after the tremendous success of the movie “Tous les Matins du Monde”. Nevertheless, they are astonishingly consistent in their interpretative flair and enable us to discover 10 of the 67 “Concerts” composed by Mr. de Sainte Colombe. Each ‘Concert’ consists in an average of 4 pieces and last around 10 minutes. The most famous is the Concert: ‘Le Tombeau des Regrets’ and especially ‘Les Pleurs’ (The Tears), a masterpiece of emotion in which every note is essential. Jordi Savall plays alongside with Wieland Kuijken, another great name of Baroque music and Viola.

Couperin’s four concerts royaux were published in 1722 as in a supplement to his third anthology of harpsichord pieces. They sound like a twilight tribute to Sun King’s reign. The score doesn’t mention any instrument but we know the musician envisaged them as ensemble pieces for a mixed consort of instruments. And that was how they were performed at the Sunday concerts at Versailles organized by Mme de Maintenon for Louis XIV between 1714 and 1715.

John Coltrane - Stockholm Concerts, The Complete November 19, 1962 (2011) {3CD Set, Domino Records 891216}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 936 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 475 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 28 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1962, 2011 Domino Records | 891216
Jazz / Modal Music / Hard Bop / Saxophone

Three CD live archive release from the Jazz great. John Coltrane embarked on an ambitious European tour with his classic quartet in 1962. Fortunately, a number of these performances were recorded. This release presents the two complete concerts given by the group at the Konserthuset, in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 19, 1962. This is the first time that these two shows are presented in their entirety and on a single set. The sound quality is good in both sets and, although some titles are repeated, Trane and his band are heard here at the pinnacle of their genius. Includes 16-page booklet.

With the season 2005/06 Deutsche Grammophon launched its visionary initiative for recording and releasing orchestral concert performances - the DG Concerts series collaborates with some of the best orchestras around the globe, making their most acclaimed concert performances available to music lovers worldwide via digital download.