With his symphonies the Danish composer Rued Langgaard offered 16 vastly different versions of what a symphony can be. His captivating, complex genius made room for all conceivable idioms and a wealth of styles ranging from the grandiosely Late Romantic to the purest Absurdism. This box is the first collected recording of Langgaard's 16 symphonies based on the critical edition of the scores; recordings which demonstrate, with spectacular sound quality, Langgaards masterly grasp of the orchestra and his ecstatic view of art: "Mr. Dausgaard's keen advocacy elicits polished, persuasive accounts that live up to Langgaard's motto: 'Long Live Beauty'", wrote The New York Times.
The listener wishing to get acquainted with Astor Piazzolla's tangos has many options to choose from: the composer's own recordings, adaptations for classical ensembles, and various more arcane versions. This release features a young Armenian group of classically trained musicians, but the performances don't quite fit under the classical umbrella. Instead they offer a way of playing tango music that would have been familiar three-quarters of a century ago, but isn't heard much these days: you might call it sentimental salon tango…
During his long and fruitful career, pianist Michael Jefry Stevens has spanned the range of music from commercial rock and funk to mainstream jazz, and the modern creative improvised style. This recording was in the can for some 13 years before seeing the light of day. It showcases the quartet of Stevens while he was living in New York City, teamed with the mighty bassist Dominic Duval, drummer Jay Rosen, and ex-Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers tenor saxophonist David Schnitter. The music reflects on a certain hard- to post bop esthetic, ballads for old flames, and a solid metropolitan edge that neither boils over, nor secedes to any pressure, expectation or self-doubt. In many ways a robust session due to Schnitter's expressive playing, it also marks this rhythm section as a driving force that can also play tender and restrained, but no less potent jazz.
Cellist Jacqueline du Pré needs little introduction to most listeners. Whether as a result of being perhaps the most prominent female cellist in the last century, her meteoric rise to fame at a young age, the equally rapid decline of her career at the hands of multiple sclerosis, or simply the incredible passion with which she performed, du Pré possessed a singular capacity to make an impression on her audiences. She was single-handedly responsible for reviving the long-dormant Elgar concerto that was to become one of her trademark pieces.