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Windsurfer said:
Getting past the "wishful thinking" recently expressed re Ms. Fischer and Nikolaj Znaider, there is someone, Lara St. John whom on strength of the two Ancalagon releases (that I understand is her own record label) who could make even more wonderful contributions to the catalog. I strongly recommend that each of us who has treasured Julia Fischer's PentaTone Unaccompanied Bach, purchase
Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo - Lara St. John
because it is just as well executed and the interpretations, well they just might be a little better! Support of a product like this and the only other Ancalagon release: the Hindson et al disc, will make further releases possible.
In fact, for those with a more adventurous bent, I strongly recommend:
Hindson, Corigliano, Liszt - Lara St. John
It is splendidly played and recorded extraordinarily well. The music may initially offend the sensibilities of some but it surely will not bore anyone. It is immediate, percussive, and attention grabbing! It should make history as an audiophile super disc!
I would love to see (hear) what Ms. St. John can do with the Bartok and Shostakovtich concertos. But I would settle for any new releases she should choose to make - Mendelssohn?, Dvorak?, Beethoven?, Elgar?, Sibelius?, Schnittke # 4? Vieuxtemps? Yeah, even Wienawski, Saint Saens, or Paganini. But how about Dutilleux: L'Arbre des Songes?
My previous post on this topic (above) should be added to, recommending several possibilities for Lara St. John. To that should be added some disctinct possiblities for Arabella Steinbacher. She has an affinity for 20th century music, Unfortunately her previous contract under Orfeo who did not, curiously see fit to produce these as hybrid SACDs will prohibit re-recording some excellent items such as both Shostakovitch concertos, the Milhaud concertos with La Boeuf sur le Toit and concerto de Printemps. But I think Beethoven, Sibelius, Berg, Bartok, and Schnittke are available as possibilities.
When I spoke with Arabella she was delighted when I said the Schnittke # 4 would make a great companion piece for the Shostakovitch # 1 But then she remembered that her Orfeo Contract forbid rerecording the Shostakovitch until after a several year period elapsed. Alternative to that Shostakovitch / Schnittke coupling I proposed, there are some possibilities, none of which is the obvious fit for the Schnittke as is the above. But perhaps one would work, and would (this is important!) attact buyers. I am thinking of a Mendelssohn/Schnittke pairing. I think it would work because the two works are, in a sense, opposites in emotional content. Would they indeed work? What do you think?
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Gil Shaham
Magdalena Kozena
Gardiner Bach cantata series (notwithstanding that the Fasolis on SACD are outstanding)
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canonical said:
Gil Shaham
Magdalena Kozena
Gardiner Bach cantata series (notwithstanding that the Fasolis on SACD are outstanding)
Here is the website of Canary Classics, owned by Gil Shaham.
http://www.canaryclassics.com/
Write to him (didn't see how on the above website but) maybe through his agent and tell him about it. I was having similar thoughts before your posting above.
Inform him of Ancalagon, violinist Lara St. John's label that has produced 2 outstanding SACDs and has a third due for release this month. Oh and do support Ancalagon because that is a bird in the hand - the canary you pursue may prove elusive.
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Windsurfer said:
Here is the website of Canary Classics, owned by Gil Shaham.
http://www.canaryclassics.com/
Interesting. Thanks - didn't even know he had left DG (even though I have his Faure album, which is Canary Classics - wasn't very impressed by that CD though - sound balance is wrong; piano is overly dominant and other issues). There is an interview with Gil about why he set up Canary, at:
http://blog.naxos.com/2007/10/15/gil-shaham-discusses-his-new-label-canary-classics/
though I suspect the real issues are freedom and royalties. I don't think Kremer is recording for DG anymore?? That leaves DG with Anne-Sophie Mutter and Vadim Repin ... (Hilary Hahn doesn't enter in my book).
==
Sooooooo, the orchestras are making their own labels, the soloists are making their own labels, even the conductors are making their own labels (Gardiner SDG) ... and every dog and their cousin is bringing out their own CD ... the old days were simpler.
Of all of these own-label brands, I think Gardiner's SDG has been most successful: really top-quality production, consistent look-and-feel, and consistent artistry of the highest level throughout. He has actually produced something of a higher standard than he produced under contract with Archiv.
I am a bit more suspect about the orchestra labels, mostly because they are primarily live recordings ... and so, yes you can have a copy of the concert you went to hear, but there must be something to be said for the virtues of editing. In the old days, when recording was expensive, people went to a lot of trouble before making a release ... now it's just the daily performance in Chicago or London. lol.
I certainly wish Gil the best ... having your own label should be all about having the freedom to do interesting projects that the biggies might not care about (and still making them viable) ... but bringing out yet another recording of the Tchaikovsky ... with a decidely average outfit such as the Singapore Symphony ... is a bit suspect. And even the Butterfly Lovers has been overly done. hmmmmmmmmmm. They need to get a marketing guy into Canary and produce a consistent look-and-feel there. It all looks homemade, even if it isn't.
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Post by Edvin April 5, 2009 (96 of 248)
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Shaham's Elgar concerto is one of the best ever. Absolutely wonderful.
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Post by MDuhmer January 14, 2010 (97 of 248)
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Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, King Krimson, Ozzy Osbourne... All classic album`s... And..........
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Loreena McKennitt - discography [hybrid SACD Box set]
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Post by jacek2 January 14, 2010 (99 of 248)
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Vangelis - El Greco
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Post by Claude January 14, 2010 (100 of 248)
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ECM jazz albums from the 1970's and early 80's (the analogue era). Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber, John Surman, Kenny Wheeler etc.
These have been competently mastered for CD in the 1980's, but hearing the original LP pressings makes it obvious how much better they could sound.
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