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Label:
   BIS - http://www.bis.se/
Serial:
   BIS-SACD-1814
Title:
   Both Sides, Now - Håkan Hardenberger
Description:
   Ástor Piazzolla: Oblivión, Joni Mitchell: Both Sides, Now, Richard Rodgers: My Funny Valentine, Saint-Preux: Andante pour trompette, Jan Lundgren: The Seagull, Kurt Weill: Speak Low, Michel Legrand: Sans Toi, Thomas Newman: Angels in America, Ennio Morricone: Gabriel's Oboe from "The Mission", Nino Rota: Waltz and Love Theme from "The Godfather", Rolf Wallin: Elegy


Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet
Roland Pöntinen, piano (Pontinen)
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Kenneth Sillito
Track listing:
  
Genre:
   Classical
Content:
   Stereo/Multichannel
Media:
   Hybrid
Recording type:
  
Recording info:
  
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Related titles: 2
 
Reviews: 1
Review by steviev June 17, 2012 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
You know you're in for a mopefest when the most upbeat cut on a disc is the Waltz and Love Theme from "The Godfather."

Let me set the scene: golden early evening sunlight plays through forest of pine, blackberry tangles, and scotch broom; my day's work is done, and I'm melting deep into my recliner, anticipating 50 soothing minutes of mellow trumpet backstroking in a sea of creamy strings. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Sure, the trumpet is generally mellow and the strings are good and creamy. But there's nothing soothing about this music. In fact, this album joins The Cure's "Disintegration" and Idil Biret's determined mope through Rachmaninoff's Etudes-Tableaux as among the most resigned, wistful, and depressing ever.

That's not to say it's boring. Not at all. From first note to last, Mr. Hardenberger makes his trumpet croon; not by literally singing into his instrument, thank goodness, but with sensitive phrasing, extraordinary breath control, and an inwardness of expression that borders on solopsism -- no audience required. Roland Pontinen contributes some unobtrusive piano on a couple cuts and various strings get solos in here and there, adding attractive bits of textural variety.

Be warned: there is not a single upbeat number on this album. And album it is -- it doesn't really belong in Classical or Easy Listening. Zeus should create a new category for discs like this: Uneasy Listening.

I think Scott Pilgrim said it best:
"We are Sex Bob-Omb and we are here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff."

Yeah, this is a disc that will make you think about death and get sad and stuff. I love it.

Recorded in 96/24 PCM. Discrete multichannel: no rear-channel special effects.

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Works: 11  
Michel Legrand - Sans Toi
Jan Lundgren - The Seagull
Joni Mitchell - Both Sides, Now
Ennio Morricone - Gabriel’s Oboe from ‘The Mission’
Thomas Newman - Angels in America
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion
Richard Rodgers - My Funny Valentine (in memoriam Chet Baker)
Nino Rota - Waltz and Love Theme from ‘The Godfather’
Saint-Preux - Andante pour trompette
Rolf Wallin - Elegy
Kurt Weill - Speak Low