Nonetheless

Frédéric Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1 / Grand Valse / Variations on 'Là ci darem la mano'
Emanuel Ax / Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment – Sir Charles Mackerras
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 239 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Sony Classical # SK 60771 | Country/Year: Europe 1998
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Piano

…As a soloist Ax has demonstrated a particular affinity for the Romantics; nonetheless, his repertoire is among the most diverse of any pianist on the scene today and ranges from the music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven to important twentieth century figures like Tippett, Henze, and Hindemith. He is also a particular champion of contemporary music, and has played and commissioned works from such composers as Joseph Schwantner, John Adams, and Christopher Rouse. He is considered by players and audiences alike to be a chamber musician par excellence; his frequent partners in this endeavor include Isaac Stern, Jaime Laredo, and Richard Stolzman…

American expatriate Joe Dassin was one of France's most popular singers during the late '60s and '70s, initially building his name with stylized adaptations of folk and country material from his birthplace. As his career blossomed, Dassin turned increasingly to traditional-style chansons penned by some of the genre's best writers, scoring an all-time classic with his 1975 smash "L'Eté Indien." Notorious for his perfectionism, Dassin could play the introverted romantic, but his persona also played off of American archetypes and imagery.

On May 12, 1960, Elvis Presley made his first TV appearance after his two-year U.S. Army stint concluded. For a princely sum of $125,000, Presley returned to the limelight via Frank Sinatra’s TV variety show. While Sinatra was at the peak of his career during this time, his TV program was widely regarded as a mediocrity unworthy of his talents. Nonetheless, Sinatra hosted Presley’s return to the entertainment industry in what could charitably be described as one of the most fucked up shows in the history of television.

A sketchy and underfocused debut, Rocka Rolla nonetheless begins to delineate the musical territory Judas Priest would explore over the remainder of the decade: frighteningly dark in its effect, tight in its grooves, and capable of expanding to epic song lengths…

This release presents music associated with the Renaissance master Josquin Des Prez, a composer who towers above all others in the first part of the sixteenth century. Numerous works were attributed to him that have now been proven to be by his contemporaries and successors, including the central work on this recording, Jean Richafort’s expansive and beautiful Requiem. It is performed with affecting clarity by the all-male vocal group Cinquecento, whose many previous discs of Renaissance repertoire for Hyperion have garnered the highest critical praise.