It is unbelievable that such a popular work in the current repertoire as Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto Op. 61 only conquered the concert hall around three to four decades after its composition. The work ultimately gained its popularity through two revised printed versions published in Vienna and in London, which both reveal substantial revisions in the solo parts. The quest for Beethoven’s “original version” proves to be extremely complicated, as Beethoven himself offered up to four alternatives to the soloists in some spots of the manuscript. A study of the different inks and quills used in that autograph has allowed the violinist Anton Steck to propose the new und unusual version recorded here, which thanks also to the use of historical instruments results in a tangible and transparent rendering of a very well-known piece.
Matthew Gee (1925-1979), who belatedly had the opportunity to record this album, “Jazz by Gee!,” his first and only one as a leader, in 1956, was one of many talented jazzmen who earned the solid and lasting respect of his peers without ever achieving the public recognition they clearly deserved. Leonard Feather described Gee as one of the “best and most underrated of bop-influenced trombonists.”
Russia’s rich tradition of art song began with early 19th-century salon pieces: lyrical ‘romances’ that evolved to embrace grander themes yet never lost their intimacy. This selection explores some fascinating but less-trodden paths through this repertoire, inspired by the theme of distant lands and encompassing the enduring themes of travel, romantic landscapes, love and loss, life and death. In this recital, Borodin meets Taneyev, a Moscow composition professor from the next generation; Shostakovich stands alongside another major symphonist, his Moscow colleague Myaskovsky, and Shostakovich’s student Boris Tchaikovsky, a prodigy widely known for his film music, passes the baton to Elena Firsova, a post-Soviet émigré to England and a distinctive lyrical voice of today. Inspired by the songs of Taneyev, Myaskovksy and Firsova, countertenor Hamish McLaren embarked on distant travels of his own, journeying to Russia where he found two previously unreleased film songs by Shostakovich, heard here in their world-premiere recordings.
This is Therion's perhaps most essential release other than their brilliant 2004 releases of Lemuria/Sirius B. This live dvd consists of over 4 dvds and the live audio cds of the main live performance which was shot in Mexico City in 2004…
Extremely limited box set containing the expanded two CD edition of the Layla… album, the remastered double disc edition of Derek And The Dominos: In Concert, an audio-only DVD featuring DTS 5.1 and Dolby Surround 5.1 versions of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, mixed by legendary engineer Elliot Scheiner, a double 180gm vinyl reproduction of the original album, a hardcover book, artfully designed with rare and never-seen photographs, and featuring four meticulously researched essays and facsimiles of Derek And The Dominos concert tickets and various promotional items, including the famous "Derek is Eric" button…
Coming off the surprise new studio album Somewhere to Elsewhere in 2000 Kansas seemed to have a bit of a resurgence in popularity, with an increased tour schedule that hasn't let up yet, and a rapid-fire series of reengineered back-catalog albums, compilations, and reissued live releases. In the summer of 2002 the band auctioned off several hundred premium tickets for this concert at Earthlink Live in Atlanta, and drummer Phil Ehart realized a long-time desire to record a full-length concert of the band in a small-venue setting. The result was the two-disc "Device - Voice - Drum", released with little fanfare by Compendium Music Group…