Richard Strauss: Elektra.
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Ozawa.
Philips 422 574-2 (1988)
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From a review: This concert performance with the Boston Symphony is excellent in many ways. Hildegard Behrens is superb, right-on for those high notes, and I like the way she slides off the final A# – an appropriately maniacal effect. Throughout her characterization is strong, the drama intense. Christa Ludwig… (read more)
Predator II.
Varese: Sarabande.
VSD-5302 (1990)
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From a review: Of course, many soundtrack fans bought this one for the music cues made so famous in the first movie soundtrack (now newly released by Varese Sarabande), but this soundtrack holds its own appeal, with rearranged versions of the main title with the jungle drums and blaring brass passages. The chase… (read more)
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1-4-5-8-9-11
National Symphony Orchestra, Rostropovich.
Teldec Records (1991-1995)
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From a review: Mstislav Rostropovich was a friend of the composer, and his performances of the 15 Shostakovich symphonies are uniquely authoritative. It’s true that as a conductor the great cellist has had his ups and downs, but unlike so many far less musical personalities, he has only recorded the music that he… (read more)
Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem
Choral Arts Society of Washington, Scribner.
Choral Arts 10104 (1995)
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From a review: Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem was recorded live at the Kennedy Center in 1995 under the baton of Norman Scribner. Renowned soloists, soprano Janice Chandler and baritone Richard Zeller are featured. The longest of Brahms’ work in any form, A German Requiem was originally planned to be four… (read more)
Corigliano: Symphony No. 1. Of Rage and Remembrance
National Symphony Orchestra, Slatkin.
RCA Red Seal BMG 09026 68450-2 (1996)
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From a review: 1997 Grammy for Best Classical Album. Corigliano’s most famous piece of music is the score to the film Altered States. Actually, all of his music kind of sounds like that – alternating moments of poignant lyricism with explosions of rhythmic energy. The son of the former concertmaster of the… (read more)
Sing Noel
Oratorio Society of Washington, Shafer.
OSW8595 (1996)
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From a review: Each year, the Grammy® award-winning Washington Chorus presents a series of “Music for Christmas” concerts in the Concert Hall of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This recording, with the National Capital Brass and William Neil, organ, features the most… (read more)
Concerto for Percussion and New Morning for the World
Evelyn Glennie, soloist. National Symphony Orchestra, Slatkin.
RCA Red Seal BMG 09026 68692-2 (1997)
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From a review: This is heavy music. Let me warn you right off the bat. The Percussion Concerto (which I had the opportunity to see spring 1999 with the NSO) is very ‘heavy’ music. The first movement sets the mood right away with it’s loudness and heavyness on… (read more)
Symphony No. 6 and The Love for Three Oranges
National Symphony Orchestra, Slatkin.
RCA Red Seal BMG 09026 68801-2 (1998)
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From the USA Today: Perhaps a bit too tidy. Still, that tidiness helps focus the power and fury of a symphony inspired by Russia’s darkest World War II hours, and Slatkin shows he can wield plenty of symphonic color and humor in the Love for Three Oranges suite. As a program this is an attractive CD… (read more)
Britten: War Requiem
The Washington Chorus, Shafer.
Naxos 3898
Winner of the Grammy® Award for Best Choral Performance
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From a review: Recorded live at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “Shafer’s tempos approximate Britten’s, with never a feeling of rushing or dragging, carefully observing the musical and… (read more)
Ancient Airs for Brass & Organ
Washington Symphonic Brass, Stevens.
Summit Records. DDCD 250. (1999)
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From a review: An elite ensemble of 13 brass, three percussion with organ. Like most brass recordings, Ancient Airs for Brass & Organ contains no works originally done for modern brass instruments. What is unusual about the collection is that none of these works (with the exception of the Bach) were written for any… (read more)
Christmas with the Master Chorale of Washington
Master Chorale of Washington, McCullough.
Gothic Records CD353 (1999)
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From a review: A very good choir and excellent arrangements of interesting Christmas music. I am a big fan of Robert Shaw; this isn’t a Robert Shaw concert but in some ways it is even better. The precision of the choir, plus the excitement they bring to their… (read more)
Melodious Accord
Master Chorale of Washington, McCullough.
Gothic Records CD49129 (1999)
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From American Record Guide: This release… offers a fascinating glimpse into the origins of American choral music, specifically the shape-note tradition. The results are a good bit more refined-sounding than pure shape-note singing, especially with such an accomplished, rich-sounding group as the Master Chorale of… (read more)
The New Moon in the Old Moon’s Arms
National Symphony Orchestra, Slatkin.
Decca 289 467 631-2 (2000)
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From a review: Michael Kamen is a multitalented, multifaceted musician. Though originally classically trained, he soon turned to writing in other styles and is now famous mostly for his film scores, several of which have won prestigious awards and nominations. He has been credited with successfully bridging… (read more)
Stabat Mater
The Washington Chorus, Shafer.
Naxos. (2002)
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From a review: In 50 years of concert-going I’ve never heard a live performance of Dvorak’s Stabat Mater. It is a mystery to me why this lovely piece is not more performed in the U.S. It is in the same mold as the Brahms Requiem which is performed very frequently. Perhaps the difference is that the Dvorak requires a… (read more)
DVD Discography
Piano Grand: A Smithsonian Celebration. Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra (2000)
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From a review: This DVD is one of my all time favorites. As a piano lover myself, this is a real nice treat. You can see many excellent artists perform various genres of piano music ranging from classical to jazz, contemporary, and pop. As a reviewer mentioned, I really like to see the French pianist play the popular classical numbers. Of course, to watch such famous artists as Billy Joel, Diana Krall, Marcus Roberts and Labeque Sisters is true pleasure. You would also be interested in this DVD if you noticed… (read more)
Mephistopheles; Arrigo Boito
San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Arena
Virgin VI: VVD 1089, Pioneer LD: 63707, Pioneer LD: PLMCC 00691, VL Klassik VIDEO: VL 097, Castle RM VI: CV 2823, Arthaus 100414
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From a review: Arrigo Boito’s treatment of the Faust legend has never been as popular as Gounod’s, but Boito was an imaginative composer and a great librettist (he wrote the words for Verdi’s Otello and Falstaff, the two finest librettos in Italian opera). As the title suggests, his Mefistofele puts the spotlight on the diabolical villain of the story at least as much as its hapless… (read more)