Romantic Dynamics

G.E.N.E. (Grooving Electronic Natural Environments) is a Canadian New Age instrumental band. The idea of this world-famous project was born in June 1987, during a conversation under the stars around a campfire and tents on the shore of the lake in the Canadian woods. That night, Cleo de Mallio took the first steps in a musical odyssey that is still not completed. The conversation was carried on the nature and technology, the world and machines, the new digital sound and lofty emotions. Father of the project and the producer is Michael Weisser - founding member of the German band Software, one of the disciples of the legendary Klaus Schulze, the founder of the company's IC/Digit music, on which he produced G.E.N.E. and Software…

Pianists Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire are stupendous virtuosos, and there's nothing in this recording of their 2009 Salzburg recital of staggeringly difficult works they cannot play. They know each other so well as old duo piano partners that their playing is stunning in its unity, but their distinctive individuality also comes across. What's most impressive about this recital is how completely Argerich and Freire have made this music their own. Brahms' Haydn Variations sound freer and fresher, more playful, and more profound than ever. Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances are thrillingly rhapsodic, rapturous, and dramatic. Schubert's Grand Rondeau is more lyrical, intimate, and graceful than usual, and Ravel's La Valse more ecstatic and apocalyptically over-the-top frightening than in any comparable recordings, including Argerich's own earlier releases. Captured in wonderfully clear yet wholly present digital sound, the performances on this disc will be compulsory listening for anyone who loves music, any music.

Esteemed for almost 60 years as one of the greatest Chopin interpreters, Maurizio Pollini confirms his preeminence with this 2017 release on Deutsche Grammophon, and offers his first all-Chopin disc since 2012. Chopin's late works were composed between 1845 and 1849, and include the Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op. 60, the 3 Mazurkas, Op. 59, the Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat major, Op. 61, the 2 Nocturnes, Op. 62, the 3 Mazurkas, Op. 63, the 3 Waltzes, Op. 64, and the Mazurka in F minor, Op. Posth. 68, No. 4; they are notable for their harmonic richness and freedom of melodic embellishment, characteristics that made them especially influential among his Romantic contemporaries. Pollini's fluid phrasing and control of expression and dynamics have always given his performances sophistication and a feeling of balance, though these are engaging renditions that are far from cerebral or clinical, claims that critics have sometimes laid at Pollini's door. Yet listeners can hear for themselves how polished and deeply felt these performances are, and appreciate the artistic wholeness of Pollini's conceptions, from the elegance of the "Minute" Waltz to the sublime melancholy of the posthumous Mazurka in F minor. Highly recommended for fans of great piano music.

Franz Schubert - Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9
Swedish Chamber Orchestra - Thomas Dausgaard
SACD ISO (2.0/MCH): 3,82 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 1,29 GB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: BIS # BIS-SACD-1656 | Country/Year: Sweden 2010
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic

…The recorded sound is magnificent! Two different engineers worked these sessions (Martin Nagorni for the "Unfinished" and Andreas Ruge for the "C Major") and they were recorded at the Orebro Concert Hall, Sweden. A near-perfect blend of direct and hall sound - not over-resonant - make for an immediate and satisfying listening experience. If you are curious about how these works sound in chamber orchestra garb, rush out and buy this. You won't be disappointed!

Until the emergence of Mendelssohn and Schumann, the only symphonies to receive regular performances—beyond those of the three Viennese giants Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven—were those by Louis Spohr. In fact Spohr’s symphonies, as well as his overtures, remained staples of the concert repertoire until the general decline of his reputation towards the end of the nineteenth century. His generally acknowledged symphonic masterpiece, the fourth symphony, still cropped up occasionally in concerts well into the 1920s, but even this work soon joined the others in obscurity.
Keith Warsop

Johann Sebastian Bach - Simone Dinnerstein - A Strange Beauty
Kammerorchester der Staatskapelle Dresden - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 247 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Sony Classical # 88697727282 | Country/Year: Germany 2010
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque, Piano

…All in all, a real treat, one that has been thoughtfully programmed and thoughtfully performed. As Dinnerstein tends to prefer a more romantic approach toward Bach, one should be ready for that aspect upon listening. But if one listens with open ears, one will be greatly rewarded. The sound of the recording is clear and vibrant, with almost no reverberation. The sound is perfectly suited to home listening, never too dry. Hats off to the performers and the production team on a successful release.