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SACD

Arabella Steinbacher & Robert Kulek – Cesar Franck & Richard Strauss (2014) [SACD / PentaTone – PTC 5186 470]

adminMay 26, 2025 339 Views

Title: Arabella Steinbacher & Robert Kulek – Cesar Franck & Richard Strauss (2014)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Violinist Arabella Steinbacher and pianist Robert Kulek continue their great collaboration with a new PENTATONE release, the recording of Cesar Franck’s Sonata for Piano and Violin in A, which joins Richard Strauss’ Sonata for Violin and Piano in E-flat, Op. 18. While Franck’s violin sonata is epic in character, Strauss’ work is full of jovial energy, hope and anticipation. This fusion of elements brilliantly demonstrates the synergy between Steinbacher and Kulek, something we have witnessed during their recital performances over the past few years.

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SACD

Aphrodite’s Child – 666 (1972) [Japanese SHM-SACD 2014] [SACD / Vertigo / Universal (Japan) – UIGY-9561]

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Title: Aphrodite’s Child – 666 (1972) [Japanese SHM-SACD 2014]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

666 (The Apocalypse of John, 13/18) is a double album by psychedelic/progressive art rock group Aphrodite’s Child. It was released in 1972, and was the primary vehicle/effort for the Vangelis project. It had a minor Album Oriented Radio hit in “The Four Horsemen”, and the song “Break” was also released. The album was ostensibly an adaptation of Biblical passages from the book of the same name, but was also very experimental in lyrics and composition.
An amazingly bombastic concept album about the Apocalypse of St. John seen as a rock spectacle. Demis Roussos wails the lyrics in a frantically operatic falsetto, while the band pound fiercely through Vangelis’ furiously complex music. It certainly has its moments, but the entire set eventually becomes too overwhelming to sit through.

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SACD

SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, Marcus Creed – Anton Bruckner – Mass in E Minor / Motets (2008) [SACD / Hänssler Classic – SACD 93.199]

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Title: SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, Marcus Creed – Anton Bruckner – Mass in E Minor / Motets (2008)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Marcus Creed’s recording of Anton Bruckner’s sacred music, featuring the SWR Stuttgart Vokalensemble performing seven motets and the E minor Mass (1882 revised version), is a blessing for fans of the Austrian composer’s deeply devotional and inspired works. Creed, known for his skillful choral conducting, crafts musically balanced yet emotionally affecting performances, sculpting warm-hearted a cappella motets and a flowing, monumental Mass accompanied by wind band, rivaling his acclaimed Brahms recordings. While some may miss the intense spiritual passion of Eugen Jochum’s classic Deutsche Grammophon recordings, Creed’s smoother approach, paired with Hänssler’s pristine digital sound, offers a fresh perspective that highlights Bruckner’s timeless sacred music. Blending influences from medieval mysticism, Renaissance, and Baroque traditions with romantic expressiveness, as noted by biographer Ernst Kurth, Bruckner’s church music feels eternal, and the Stuttgart ensemble’s tonal balance creates a Super Audio CD of rare musical significance, making this a summit in the composer’s discography.

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SACD

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck – Dvorak: Symphony No. 8 in E Minor, op. 88; Leos Janacek: Symphonic Suite from “Jenufa” (2014) [SACD / Reference Recordings – FR-710SACD]

adminMay 26, 2025 261 Views

Title: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck – Dvorak: Symphony No. 8 in E Minor, op. 88; Leos Janacek: Symphonic Suite from “Jenufa” (2014)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

The second release in Reference Recordings’ “Pittsburgh Live!” series, a multi-channel hybrid SACD from the FRESH! series, showcases the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO), renowned for its 116-year legacy of artistic excellence under legendary conductors like Reiner, Steinberg, Previn, Maazel, and, since 2008, Manfred Honeck. Critically acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest orchestras, the PSO has completed over 36 international tours, including a historic 2004 Vatican performance for Pope John Paul II’s Silver Jubilee. With a rich recording history since 1936, including coast-to-coast broadcasts and ongoing PRI radio series on WQED-FM 89.3, the PSO’s recordings remain widely available and award-winning. This release, recorded and mastered by Soundmirror—a team with over 70 GRAMMY nominations and awards—highlights the PSO’s brilliance, supporting Reference Recordings’ mission to promote exceptional artists globally.

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SACD

Staatsphilharmonie Nurnberg, Marcus Bosch – Antonin Dvorak – Symphony No. 6; Vodnik op. 107 “The Water Goblin” (2013) [SACD / Coviello Classics – COV 31316]

adminMay 26, 2025 292 Views

Title: Staatsphilharmonie Nurnberg, Marcus Bosch – Antonin Dvorak – Symphony No. 6; Vodnik op. 107 “The Water Goblin” (2013)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Marcus Bosch and the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg continue their ambitious project to record all nine of Antonín Dvořák’s symphonies, with this vibrant concert recording of the Sixth Symphony and the symphonic poem Der Wassermann, following their earlier recordings of Symphonies Nos. 3 and 7. Performed in May, the 65-minute program explores Dvořák’s Bohemian essence, blending nature mysticism and ballad-like storytelling reminiscent of Smetana, Liszt, and Strauss. Bosch’s interpretation of the Sixth Symphony highlights elegantly warm woodwinds, sensual string melodies, refined dialog passages, and a lively folk tone, with the Scherzo’s Furiant rhythm vividly evoking a Bohemian village festival’s exuberant dance floor energy. This exhilarating recording captures Dvořák’s magical interplay of passion and joy, transporting listeners to a vibrant, festive world.

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SACD

Zemlinsky Quartet – Antonin Dvorak: String Quartet No.9 Op.34, String Quartet No.13 Op.106 (2012) [SACD / Praga Digitals – PRD/DSD 250 292]

adminMay 26, 2025 239 Views

Title: Zemlinsky Quartet – Antonin Dvorak: String Quartet No.9 Op.34, String Quartet No.13 Op.106 (2012)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

Two scores that frame the period when the composer of the famous ‘American’ Quartet (No.12) was in his prime. Combining rhythmic invention, which ennobles the natural vigour of a reinvented folklore, bright colors shaded by the importance of the viola part, and a spontaneous melodic outpouring that contrasts with the absorbing melancholy of the slow movements (sublimation of the dumka), they give voice to an astonishing feeling of love and plenitude despite a number of personal dramas that the composer had undergone. It is as though their irresistible animation formed the image of a people that was going to become a nation once again in 1918.

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SACD

Zemlinsky Quartet – Antonin Dvorak: String Quartet No.8 in E major Op.80 B 57, DROBNOSTI (Miniatures), CYPRESSES (2013) [SACD / Praga Digitals – PRD/DSD 250 303]

adminMay 26, 2025 321 Views

Title: Zemlinsky Quartet – Antonin Dvorak: String Quartet No.8 in E major Op.80 B 57, DROBNOSTI (Miniatures), CYPRESSES (2013)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

An anthology of chamber music by the author of the New World Symphony, which gathers lesser known pieces, mostly intimate, from a very ancient cultural background. They combine invention and also melancholy passages from a master of Czech chamber music. The Zemlinsky Quartet, like their elders, today the Pra áks, yesterday the Smetana Quartet, all from the City of Prague, sing ‘in their tree’.

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SACD

Antonio Carlos Jobim – The Composer Of Desafinado Plays (1963) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011] [SACD / Verve Records – UCGU-9021]

adminMay 26, 2025 329 Views

Title: Antonio Carlos Jobim – The Composer Of Desafinado Plays (1963) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Antonio Carlos Jobim’s first American album features a dozen songs, all destined to become standards, showcasing his remarkable compositional talent. Despite being out of practice, Jobim plays piano with minimalistic single notes and occasional chords, weaving long, undulating melodies with touches of jazz improvisation, executed with exquisite economy. Claus Ogerman’s arrangements introduce signature elements later prominent in their Creed Taylor-produced collaborations, including soaring solo flutes, sparse unison string lines blooming into lush harmonies, and flutes doubling Jobim’s piano chords with delicate precision. The album includes iconic tracks like “Desafinado,” “Corcovado,” “Chega de Saudade,” “The Girl From Ipanema,” “Meditation,” and “One Note Samba,” all of which appear in The Man From Ipanema set, making this a defining bossa nova masterpiece.

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SACD

Anton Heiller – J.S. Bach. Organ Works (2004) [SACD / Vanguard Classics – ATM-SC 1554]

adminMay 26, 2025 335 Views

Title: Anton Heiller – J.S. Bach. Organ Works (2004)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Anton Heiller (1923-1979) was one of the great organists of his time. He was also renowned as a keyboard improviser in the tradition of Bach himself, as evidenced in many of the recordings he made for Vanguard Classics. Vanguard Classics remade this collection of organ warhorses from J.S. Bach (1675-1750) in 2004, redoing their earlier failed stereo collection that originally included the Bach warhorse of all warhorses, the Tocatta and Fuuge in D minor BWV 565. Thankfully, Vangauard left it out of this collection. The Austrian organist Anton Heiller made this recording on Vangaurd HM 73 and it was also issued as Bach Guild BGS-70675. For the performance on this recording, he selected the organ at the St. Mary Church in Helsingborg in Sweden. It was previously available on CD in the Organ Works by Bach and other recordings of variable quality. This version is the best-sounding one yet, produced by Artemus Records, which purchased the Vanguard Classics line from Omega Records in 2003. A lengthy discussion on this is included in the well-written but difficult to read seven pages of notes that accompany this issue.

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SACD

Wiener Philharmoniker & Carl Schuricht – Anton Bruckner – Symphony No. 8 & Symphony No. 9 (2012) [SACD / EMI Classics – 5 099995 598420]

adminMay 26, 2025 259 Views

Title: Wiener Philharmoniker & Carl Schuricht – Anton Bruckner – Symphony No. 8 & Symphony No. 9 (2012) {2x Hybrid-SACD}
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

As a passionate listener rather than a musician, I value music for the pleasure it brings, believing listeners are as vital as performers, and I find overly technical reviews by scholars less relevant than the emotional impact of a performance. This SACD, featuring Carl Schuricht conducting Bruckner’s Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 with the Vienna Philharmonic, is a miracle of EMI’s remastering from 1961 and 1963 recordings, showcasing astonishing clarity despite the era’s razor-blade editing techniques. Schuricht, an old-fashioned conductor like Furtwängler or Klemperer, brings mastery to the Nowak Edition of the Eighth, taking liberties that enhance the performance, with fast yet detailed scherzos and deeply beautiful adagios. The Vienna Philharmonic performs at its peak, making this a must-have for Bruckner fans, whose music—far from the “symphonic boa-constrictor” Brahms criticized—is essential to understanding late 19th-century composers like Mahler and Sibelius.

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