SPOTLIGHT The classical music general discussion thread

[humprof]

Another reason to to be loyal to Presto Music (in addition to their huge selection, great prices & sales, good writing & curation, and quick shipping at reasonable prices). Now, like Bandcamp, they've added free streaming for everything you've ever purchased from them:

Introducing My Library

Here's an update on the latest feature we added to the site: a new web player to explore and listen to your CDs and download collections online.

www.prestomusic.com

 

[windhoek]

Another reason to to be loyal to Presto Music (in addition to their huge selection, great prices & sales, good writing & curation, and quick shipping at reasonable prices. Now, like Bandcamp, they've added free streaming for everything you've ever purchased from them:

Introducing My Library

Here's an update on the latest feature we added to the site: a new web player to explore and listen to your CDs and download collections online.

www.prestomusic.com

Now that's what I call a customer-first business model!

 

[humprof]

Surround recordings recommended by the New York Times:

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra's latest, Occurrence (Sono Luminus, with an excellent Atmos mix), is in this batch:

5 Classical Albums to Hear Right Now

A Salieri opera, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the pianist Stephen Hough are among the highlights.

www.nytimes.com

And the BMOP's latest, Robert Carl's White Heron (BMOP/sound, with a "meh" hall-ambient 5.0 mix) in this one:

5 Classical Albums to Hear Right Now

Bach, Brahms and new works by George Lewis are among the highlights.

www.nytimes.com

I don't actually have White Heron, but do own two other releases on BMOP, so I'm speculating about the mix. (Here's the label's order page and a pdf of the booklet.) I do have Occurrence, however, and can confirm that the mix is wonderfully immersive.

 

[mkt]

Thanks for sharing. I'm always looking for interesting classical surround options. I note that the BMOP SACDs are cheaper on Presto.

 

[humprof]

Ralph just posted about this in one of the "Listening" threads. I guess this is another reissue of the 1996 recording--released on SACD in 2004? I'm assuming the SACD had a 5.0 or 5.1 mix, although I can't find any reviews that comment on it. This one has Atmos--upmixed?

Amazon.com

 

[4-earredwonder]

Ralph just posted about this in one of the "Listening" threads. I guess this is another reissue of the 1996 recording--released on SACD in 2004? I'm assuming the SACD had a 5.0 or 5.1 mix, although I can't find any reviews that comment on it. This one has Atmos--upmixed?

Amazon.com

Most unfortunately, humprof and to be taken with a 'grain of salt' the 5 mini reviews at AmazonUS are DISMAL. As I've never owned the 3 disc SACD of Archiv's MESSIAH, for what it's worth you can peruse these subjective' reviews and perhaps obtain a 'glimpse' of what to expect:

\https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00022URKY?tag=hraudio-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

 

[humprof]

Another Mahler 10th (Vanska & Minnesota, Deryck Cooke performing version). Newly released & on sale this week at eClassical:

eClassical - Mahler - Symphony No. 10

Left unfinished at the death of the composer, Gustav Mahler's Tenth Symphony has exerted an enormous fascination on musicologists as well as musicians – a kind of Holy

www.eclassical.com

No longer on sale, but now available on SACD. Presto Classical thinks it's the "high point" of Vänskä's cycle:

Osmo Vänskä conducts Mahler's Tenth Symphony

The Minnesota Orchestra and their Music Director give a tumultuous, emotional account of Mahler's final, unfinished symphony, in the performing version by Deryck Cooke.

www.prestomusic.com

 

[ubertrout]

For those who enjoy David Hurwitz's scurrilous pontifications (which I do), this rundown of Paavo Jarvi's Telarc recordings is a good reminder of how much good stuff he did on MCH SACD. Everything but the Shostakovich 10th and Planets is on SACD, it would be nice if NativeDSD could pick them up.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I'm listening to the sumptuous Fritz Reiner AP 3 Channel SACD Remaster of Respighi's Pines of Rome/Fountains of Rome and Debussy's La Mer but lament the fact that there is no discrete Multi~CH version of La Mer, AFAIK. BIS did release Respighi's Roman Trilogy on a fairly discrete Multi~CH SACD a few years ago and it is gorgeous but what gives with La Mer?

 

[ubertrout]

Looks like Universal is releasing two more DG issues in CD/BD with Atmos. One is the Salonen/LA recording of The Rite of Spring etc which has long been on SACD, but the other seems new.

 

[ubertrout]

I'm listening to the sumptuous Fritz Reiner AP 3 Channel SACD Remaster of Respighi's Pines of Rome/Fountains of Rome and Debussy's La Mer but lament the fact that there is no discrete Multi~CH version of La Mer, AFAIK. BIS did release Respighi's Roman Trilogy on a fairly discrete Multi~CH SACD a few years ago and it is gorgeous but what gives with La Mer?

La Mer has been issued a few times on SACD - the BIS recording is with Lan Shui in Singapore and it's good. But IMHO this is the best one-stop for all of Debussy's orchestral works on 2 SACDs.

 

[4-earredwonder]

La Mer has been issued a few times on SACD - the BIS recording is with Lan Shui in Singapore and it's good. But IMHO this is the best one-stop for all of Debussy's orchestral works on 2 SACDs.

Totally agree, ubertrout. A sumptuous 2 disc SACD in stunning sonics: Review and Ordering Links:

HRAudio.net - Stéphane Denève conducts Debussy

High Resolution Audio

www.hraudio.net

 

[humprof]

For those who enjoy David Hurwitz's scurrilous pontifications (which I do), this rundown of Paavo Jarvi's Telarc recordings is a good reminder of how much good stuff he did on MCH SACD. Everything but the Shostakovich 10th and Planets is on SACD, it would be nice if NativeDSD could pick them up.

Or better yet (considering NativeDSD's prices): if Membran would just license the MCh SACDs and do a box set of those, too! (But Hurwitz is right: 52 bucks for 16 top-notch CDs--that's something!)

 

[humprof]

I'm listening to the sumptuous Fritz Reiner AP 3 Channel SACD Remaster of Respighi's Pines of Rome/Fountains of Rome and Debussy's La Mer but lament the fact that there is no discrete Multi~CH version of La Mer, AFAIK. BIS did release Respighi's Roman Trilogy on a fairly discrete Multi~CH SACD a few years ago and it is gorgeous but what gives with La Mer?

Hopefully DV will get around to Ormandy's Debussy quad, originally on RCA Red Seal:

Debussy / Ravel – La Mer / Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun · Daphnis And Chloe: Suite No. 2 (1973, Reel-To-Reel)

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1973 Reel-To-Reel release of "La Mer / Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun · Daphnis And Chloe: Suite No. 2" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

 

[4-earredwonder]

Hopefully DV will get around to Ormandy's Debussy quad, originally on RCA Red Seal:

Debussy / Ravel – La Mer / Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun · Daphnis And Chloe: Suite No. 2 (1973, Reel-To-Reel)

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1973 Reel-To-Reel release of "La Mer / Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun · Daphnis And Chloe: Suite No. 2" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

View attachment 64201

What humprof, NO DOLBY b encoding!!!!!!!! That would be EXCEPTIONAL!

 

[humprof]

A new Atmos Blu-Ray on Sono Luminus up for pre-order today:

Moonbow — Sono Luminus | Recording Studio & Record Label

Artist: CAPUT Ensemble, Siggi String Quartet, Duo Harpverk Composer: Gunnar Andreas Kristinsson Format: 1 CD & 1 Bluray DSL-92246 Available April 23rd, 2021 Pre-order Now!

www.sonoluminus.com

I found CAPUT's previous Atmos release, Atonement, rather challenging, though I've liked everything I've heard by the Siggi String Quartet, including the Blu-Ray Stara.

 

[4-earredwonder]

A new Atmos Blu-Ray on Sono Luminus up for pre-order today:

Moonbow — Sono Luminus | Recording Studio & Record Label

Artist: CAPUT Ensemble, Siggi String Quartet, Duo Harpverk Composer: Gunnar Andreas Kristinsson Format: 1 CD & 1 Bluray DSL-92246 Available April 23rd, 2021 Pre-order Now!

www.sonoluminus.com

I found CAPUT's previous Atmos release, Atonement, rather challenging, though I've liked everything I've heard by the Siggi String Quartet, including the Blu-Ray Stara.

I still find it amazing in this day and age that a small independent label like Sono Luminus continues to release [as you state] challenging contemporary music on Pure BD~A and CD for such amazing prices. And in Dolby ATMOS [for those so equipped] to boot!

And their SUPERB remastering of the now nascent DORIAN catalogue on RBCD is likewise commendable! And check out those prices!

Dorian Catalog — Sono Luminus | Recording Studio & Record Label

www.sonoluminus.com

 

[humprof]

I still find it amazing in this day and age that a small independent label like Sono Luminus continues to release [as you state] challenging contemporary music on Pure BD~A and CD for such amazing prices. And in Dolby ATMOS [for those so equipped] to boot!

I think they have some foundation support, though I'm not sure where I got that impression, and I could be wrong...

 

[4-earredwonder]

I think they have some foundation support, though I'm not sure where I got that impression, and I could be wrong...

History — Sono Luminus | Recording Studio & Record Label

www.sonoluminus.com

About — Sono Luminus | Recording Studio & Record Label

www.sonoluminus.com

 

[4-earredwonder]

And NOW for something completely different and on sale NOW @ Sono Luminus [highly recommended]

Poems and Prayers — Sono Luminus | Recording Studio & Record Label

Artists: University of California Philharmonia, University of California Chorale, University of California Chorus, Neal Stulberg (conductor); Sasha Cooke (mezzo-soprano), David Krakauer (clarinet), David Kravitz (baritone), Yehudi Amichai (lyricist), Mahmoud Darwish (lyricist), Mohammed Fairouz (lyr

www.sonoluminus.com