Spotlight (einfach Englisch) Magazin Oktober No 10 2014

The instrumental concerto occupies a very prominent place in the music of Krzysztof Penderecki. This fact is related to the great life force exhibited by this genre in twentieth century and in contemporary music. It is stimulated by commissions from virtuosos and by audience expectations; also favourable is the composers’ flexibility in approaching the form, whose chief idea continues to be the juxtaposition of the solo instrument and the orchestra. The violin and viola works presented on this CD are not only interesting, concrete realizations of the concertare idea in Penderecki’s music, but also examples of this composer’s sonic language and style in the period of his creativity which Mieczyslaw Tomaszewski called a "time of dialogue with the regained past".

Explodes with fresh, inspired takes on lowdown juke joint romps, gut-wrenching blues, tear-jerking soul and modern blues rock. Birchwood’s raw, urgent vocals and sparkling guitar and lap steel playing drive the music, and the songs are simultaneously fun and thought-provoking. "Don’t Call No Ambulance is the remarkable debut album by young guitarist/singer Birchwood. He is a powerhouse player and emotive performer whose work respects blues tradition but could not be more contemporary. His band, his material, and both his skilled guitaring and soulful vocals are the essence of fully-formed; Birchwood is a major player.

In Anton Bruckner’s 7th Symphony, the listener encounters a music characterized by great spaciousness and profound solemnity, a music which speaks of grief and lamentation, but also of their transcendence. With its monumental architecture and intensity of sound, the symphony has moved listeners ever since its triumphal premiere in 1884. The Guardian calls Daniel Barenboim’s London interpretation “Tremendous … Barenboim and the Staatskapelle seem to have this work in their systems, and the overall impression was of music unfolding organically at its own pace rather than of a work being self-consciously interpreted or led.”