El Noi de la Mare

Rodney Waterman elevates recorder music to heavenly and stratospheric levels of artistry, and Doug de Vries follows him up there on equal artistic footing on nylon-string guitar. The particular timbre of the recorder occasionally lends this duet music a medieval and minstrel-like feel ("El Noi de la Mare", "Recercada Primero"), but the raging virtuosity and deftness of speed of these two players can also result in a synergistic blastfurnace of sound out of proportion to the sparse tonal qualities of each instrument alone, most notably on "Ade", "Salvador" and "Frevo". It's not surprising, considering the fiery passion that they evoke, that these last two pieces are Egberto Gismonti compositions as are six of the total 21 tracks on this collection, perhaps qualifying the CD as a Gismonti tribute.

Hirundo Maris is Latin for “sea swallow” and, like that bird’s flight, harpist Arianna Savall’s quintet – part early music ensemble, part folk group – drifts on musical currents between Norway and Catalonia, and adds its own songs, created on the wing. Savall and co-leader Petter Udland Johansen have shaped a band with a bright, glistening timbral blend, capped by Arianna’s ice-clear voice, well-equipped to address songs of the north and the south.

Kathleen Battle initially made her considerable reputation on the operatic stage, but quickly went on to become a premier recitalist and a vibrant interpreter of a wide variety of musical styles. CLASSIC KATHLEEN BATTLE - A PORTRAIT is an overview of the dynamic soprano's career that emphasizes her remarkable versatility. Her extraordinary technical control is shown to great effect in works by Handel and Bach, and her crystal clear readings of Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" and "Alleluja" leave no doubt as to why she's considered one of the leading exponents of his work…