Philadelphia Woodwind 12 cd

Nielsen composed most of his wind chamber music towards the latter part of his career, when his interests moved from strings to wind instruments. The disc includes the most familiar and widely recorded specimen of Nielsen’s chamber writing, the 1922 Wind Quintet, coupled with lesser known works such as Serenata in Vano, Two Fantasies Op.2 and Canto Serioso. “Both major and minor works are wonderfully played… One can urge immediate acquisition of this disc,” wrote Fanfare. Although, now longer performing publicly, the Athena Ensemble had an excellent career and reputation, “The music is expertly performed with charm, sensitivity and imagination by the Athena Ensemble” said Classic CD (on the Elgar Wind Quintet recording, CHAN 241-33) and this disc is sure to remind listeners of their back catalogue with Chandos.

Two of vibraphonist Gary Burton's albums from 1969-1970 are reissued in full on this single CD. Burton teams up with pianist Keith Jarrett for five numbers (including four of Jarrett's originals) in 1970, using a quintet that also features guitarist Sam Brown, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Bill Goodwin. The other session has more of an avant-country flavor, with Burton, Swallow, and Goodwin joined by guitarist Jerry Hahn and violinist Richard Greene; Michael Gibbs and Swallow contributed most of the obscurities. Burton was at his most explorative during this period, which is why he can be considered one of the pioneers of fusion (although his music never really fit into a tight category). This is excellent music that mostly still sounds fresh.

Charles-Marie Widor - Organ Symphony No. 5 in F minor Op. 42, Sinfonia sacra Op. 81
Bamberger Symphoniker / Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie / Stefan Solyom / Christian Schmitt (organ)
SACD ISO (2.0/MCH): 2,57 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 877 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: CPO # 777 443-2 | Country/Year: Germany 2009
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Early 20th Century, Organ

"…CPO's production is exemplary; informative and detailed notes on the organ and music are given in German, English and French, and the cover reproduces an attractive landscape painting. A most enjoyable recording of two excellent but rarely-performed Widor works, which will delight organ and orchestral lovers in equal measure." ~sa-cd.net

A beautifully lyrical, mellow and atmospheric performance, recorded with outstanding clarity and fiedlity and clearly benefiting from having been recorded ''live''. Inbal's interpretation comes close to Solti's in its happy blending of the symphony's poetry and drama. Of course, the Chicago Symphony's playing for Solti (Decca), and for Abbado's rather more impersonal approach (DG), is in a class of its own, as is the Decca recording, but the Frankfurt strings have a lovely sheen and the woodwind and brass are superb—many Mahlerians may prefer, as I do, the sound of this fine orchestra in this music to the spotlit brilliance of Muti's Philadelphia (EMI) and the sometimes insensitive though highly-dramatic New Yorkers under Mehta (CBS).

Charles-Marie Widor - Organ Symphony No. 5 in F minor Op. 42, Sinfonia sacra Op. 81
Bamberger Symphoniker / Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie / Stefan Solyom / Christian Schmitt (organ)
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 230 MB | Full Artwork: 118 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: CPO # 777 443-2 | Country/Year: Germany 2009
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Early 20th Century, Organ

"…CPO's production is exemplary; informative and detailed notes on the organ and music are given in German, English and French, and the cover reproduces an attractive landscape painting. A most enjoyable recording of two excellent but rarely-performed Widor works, which will delight organ and orchestral lovers in equal measure." ~sa-cd.net