Chip Davis, London Symphony Orchestra – Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8 (2000) [Audio Fidelity 2016] [SACD / Audio Fidelity – AFZ5 238]

Chip Davis, London Symphony Orchestra - Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8 (2000) [Audio Fidelity 2016]

Title: Chip Davis, London Symphony Orchestra – Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8 (2000) [Audio Fidelity 2016]
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Mannheim Steamroller is an American rock band, founded by Chip Davis, that is known primarily for its series of Fresh Aire albums, which blend classical music and rock, and for its modern recordings of Christmas music. The group has sold 28 million albums in the United States alone. Fresh Aire 8 is the final album in the Mannheim Steamroller Fresh Aire series, subtitled as “Eight Topics of Infinity”. Fresh Aire 8 has a full sound that offers a well-balanced blend of synthesizers and orchestra richly augmented by the London Symphony Orchestra. Always thematic affairs, the topic this time is Infinity and how it relates to all facets of human life, love, art, philosophy, mathematics and of course music. This allows for some rather bizarre musical pieces as classic Mannheim Steamroller riffs weave their way through the tapestry of new sounds.

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1 min read

Chip Davis, London Symphony Orchestra – Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8 (2000) [Audio Fidelity 2016] [SACD / Audio Fidelity – AFZ5 238]

Chip Davis, London Symphony Orchestra - Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8 (2000) [Audio Fidelity 2016]

Title: Chip Davis, London Symphony Orchestra – Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8 (2000) [Audio Fidelity 2016]
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Mannheim Steamroller is an American rock band, founded by Chip Davis, that is known primarily for its series of Fresh Aire albums, which blend classical music and rock, and for its modern recordings of Christmas music. The group has sold 28 million albums in the United States alone. Fresh Aire 8 is the final album in the Mannheim Steamroller Fresh Aire series, subtitled as “Eight Topics of Infinity”. Fresh Aire 8 has a full sound that offers a well-balanced blend of synthesizers and orchestra richly augmented by the London Symphony Orchestra. Always thematic affairs, the topic this time is Infinity and how it relates to all facets of human life, love, art, philosophy, mathematics and of course music. This allows for some rather bizarre musical pieces as classic Mannheim Steamroller riffs weave their way through the tapestry of new sounds.

(more…)

1 min read

Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra – Bruckner: Symphony No.4 (2011) [SACD / LSO Live – LSO0716]

Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra - Bruckner: Symphony No.4 (2011)

Title: Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra – Bruckner: Symphony No.4 (2011)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Bernard Haitink & London Symphony Orchestra started their Bruckner cycle with this album. Haitink’s previous releases on LSO Live (Beethoven: Complete Symphonies & Triple Concerto & Strauss: Ein Alpensinfonie) are very good, & now he continues this line. Bernard Haitink is internationally renowned for his interpretations of Bruckner and is widely recognised as the world’s leading Bruckner conductor.

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1 min read

Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra – Brahms: Serenade No.2, Symphony No.3 (2004) [SACD / LSO Live – LSO0547]

Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra - Brahms: Serenade No.2, Symphony No.3 (2004)

Title: Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra – Brahms: Serenade No.2, Symphony No.3 (2004)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Loaded with German Romanticism & including variations on a Bach cantata, Brahms’ final symphony is a remarkable example of his mastery of symphonic composition. A rich, warm work that builds on a sense of movement & intensity right up to the final bars. This release also represents the completion of Bernard Haitink’s celebrated LSO Live Brahms cycle that has included the symphonies, Double Concerto, Tragic Overture & Serenade No 2.

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1 min read

Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra – Brahms: Serenade No.2, Symphony No.3 (2004) [SACD / LSO Live – LSO0544]

Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra – Brahms: Serenade No.2, Symphony No.3 (2004)

Title: Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra – Brahms: Serenade No.2, Symphony No.3 (2004)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The 1st & final movements of Brahms’s 3rd Symphony contain some of the most dramatic music he was to compose, yet both end serenely & enclose 2 beautiful inner movements. The equally exquisite Serenade No 2, unusually scored for wind instruments, violas, cellos & double basses, was 1 of his own personal favourites & both receive superb performances under Bernard Haitink in the 3rd part of his internationally acclaimed LSO Live Brahms cycle.

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1 min read

Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven: Fidelio (2006) [SACD / LSO Live – LSO0593]

Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven: Fidelio (2006)

Title: Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven: Fidelio (2006)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Best of 2007 Classical CDs ‘This thrilling performance was given in the Barbican last May when Sir Colin excelled himself in the power & nobility of his interpretation, with the LSO in terrific form, & the American soprano Christine Brewer sang with gleaming white-hot tone as Leonore. The final paean of joy at liberation is overwhelming. 1st-class recording quality.

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1 min read

London Symphony Orchestra, Krystian Zimerman, Sir Simon Rattle – Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos (2021) [SACD / Universal (Japan) – UCGG-9207]

London Symphony Orchestra, Krystian Zimerman, Sir Simon Rattle - Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos (2021)

Title: London Symphony Orchestra, Krystian Zimerman, Sir Simon Rattle – Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos (2021)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO

Krystian Zimerman, Sir Simon Rattle, and Ludwig van Beethoven: three exceptional musicians and five great piano concertos are brought together for a landmark recording. This release is among the highlights to conclude our Beethoven anniversary celebrations. Over 30 years ago, in 1989, Krystian Zimerman and Leonard Bernstein recorded Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4 and 5. They were united in their total dedication to music – in mind, heart and soul – resulting in an exceptional recording. Sadly, Bernstein died before the cycle was recorded in completion. Zimerman went on to conduct the remaining Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 from the keyboard in 1991. Now, 30 years after his first recordings, Zimerman returns to Beethoven’s Piano Concertos. He offers an exceptional new interpretation recorded with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra. Recording all five of Beethoven’s piano concertos during the pandemic was “like chamber music on a great scale“, as Krystian Zimerman tells Apple Music. Read on in the editor’s notes and listen to this album in Apple Music. The album is available for download & streaming (including in Dolby Atmos), as a 3-CD digipack, 5-LP vinyl box, and as an exclusive and limited edition of the 5-LP vinyl-box with a signed booklet by Krystian Zimerman.

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2 min read

Aaron Copland & London Symphony Orchestra – Copland Conducts Copland (2000) [SACD / Sony Classical – SS 89041]

Aaron Copland & London Symphony Orchestra - Copland Conducts Copland (2000)

Title: Aaron Copland & London Symphony Orchestra – Copland Conducts Copland (2000)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Copland Conducts Copland is a collections of recordings released in the 70s by Aaron Copland conducting The London Symphony Orchestra. This is one of the SACDs that can make anyone a believer in the new format. The performance is top notch to begin with, but it’s the quality of the recording that caught my attention, even though I have other good recordings of these pieces. Instruments truly sounded live and spread across a 3 dimensional space. Hall sounds were distinct from the music – you could tell the hall was empty when the recording was made and you could easily time the primary reverbations. Every instrument and distinct sound seemed to exist in its own space. Only complaints are that overall sound is a bit bright, typical of the era of the recording, and the hall reverb was too strong, probably due to the empty space. — Customer review at amazon.com

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1 min read