Mch Sacd

Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra bring us a remarkable performance of select masterpieces from Tchaikovsky, including the well-known 1812 Overture, complete with live cannon recordings.

Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra bring us a remarkable performance of select masterpieces from Tchaikovsky, including the well-known 1812 Overture, complete with live cannon recordings.

Earth, Wind & Fire hit their peak in 1975 with their multi-platinum album “That's the Way of the World”, excelling the band into absolute stardom with their hit title track and funky “Shining Star”. If you could have only one EWF release, this would be the best choice, and even better yet it has now been released on a quad hybrid SACD that also contains the follow-up 1976 album “Spirit”. Their powerful blend of funk and soul extends to the remainder of the album with no dull moments found within. “That's the Way of the World” can easily be considered one of the strongest albums of the '70s and has been impeccably remastered by Michael J. Dutton for the Dutton Vocallian reissue label.

This is a wonderful, warm-hearted, and effortlessly virtuosic live recording by one of the finest living exponents of pre-bop small-ensemble jazz. With pianist Ray Kennedy and bassist Martin Pizzarelli (and on two songs joined by vocalist Grover Kemble), singer and guitarist John Pizzarelli runs through a generally lightweight but thoroughly charming set of standards, homages, funny stories, and the occasional original tune; the fast tunes are light and frothy, the ballads smooth and gentle, and even the moments that are less than utterly inspired work together with the album's highlights to create a very satisfying whole.

When Sir Colin Davis was asked to select a composer to write a new work for his 80th birthday he chose James MacMillan, about to celebrate his own 50th birthday. MacMillan had previously considered writing a passion and used the opportunity of the commission to produce a setting based on the Gospel of St John.The result is a highly dramatic passion, fusing MacMillan's own Catholic faith, compositional style and musical influences with the long tradition of settings for the passion of Christ in both the Catholic and Lutheran faiths. In addition to the choir and orchestra, MacMillan uses a small choir of professional singers to provide the narration and a solitary baritone soloist to portray Christus.

Bine Bryndorf is one of the finest organists of our time. On this SACD professor Bine Bryndorf performs Nielsen’s organ works on the ideally suited organ at Nikolaj Kunsthal in Copenhagen, adding a selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs with baritone Torsten Nielsen. This album is an indispensable introduction to Nielsen's organ music.

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra boasts long tradition of Bruckner performances. Recorded live in Alte Oper in Frankfurt and edited from multiple performances, this new recording presents new insight into this neglected masterpiece by Bruckner. This is a magnificently recorded performance of a remarkable piece of music. The SACD surround has a sense of space in the mix that allows the beauty of the composition to unfold before your ears. This is music making of the highest quality.

Bine Bryndorf is one of the finest organists of our time. On this SACD professor Bine Bryndorf performs Nielsen’s organ works on the ideally suited organ at Nikolaj Kunsthal in Copenhagen, adding a selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs with baritone Torsten Nielsen. This album is an indispensable introduction to Nielsen's organ music.

Mariss Jansons joins one of the greatest Mahler traditions in the world with his first album leading the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on a Mahler symphony. For this 2005 live recording, Jansons and the RCO provide a superbly impressive performance of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, one of the greatest and most dramatic of Mahler’s works. The programme also includes the world premiere of Hans Werner Henze’s Sebastian im Traum.