WCLV staff member’s favorites from 2014!
Robert Conrad, President, Radio Seaway
August 2014: Aranjuez - Milos Karadaglic, guitar; London Philharmonic/Yannick Nézet-Séguin (DeutGram 200390)
Says Robert: “I had the privilege to meet and interview Milos (he now prefers to be known by the solo name of Milos – good choice because his last name is difficult to pronounce) in Miami when WCLV broadcast the Cleveland Orchestra concert that featured the Concierto. He was named by The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as (1) “impossibly suave” and (2) “the best dressed musician of 2014.” In spite of these accolades, he is very approachable and very willing to talk about his career. He was surprised that the Second Movement of the Concierto became a hit years ago as background for a television commercial for the Chrysler Cordoba, during which Ricardo Montalbán intoned about “rich Corinthian leather.” I’m glad to note that Milos has a keen sense of social responsibility. He supports the only orphanage in his home country of Montenegro. His last name, “Karadaglic”, is not Serbian. He noted with pride that it is Turkish, going back to the time when Montenegro was a part of the Ottoman Empire.”
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November 2014: Lorin Maazel: The Cleveland Years (Complete Recordings)
Says Robert: “Nineteen CDs of every Decca recording made by the late maestro here in Cleveland from 1972-1982, many of which have not ever been available on CD. Maazel’s Cleveland career was controversial, beginning with the unhappiness of the Orchestra members, who, in total, preferred another successor to George Szell. However, he quickly demonstrated that he was the best stick technician in the business. He knew how to get what he wanted. You may have not been happy with what he wanted, but he was a singular musician. He opened up the repertoire to many selections that had never been performed by the Orchestra, or at least for a long time. Of special interest are the first complete recordings of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet. A couple of other highlights: the complete score for Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe (with the Orchestra Chorus), the Elgar Cello Concerto with Lynn Harrell, and the Berlioz Requiem. This is an album that documents ten significant years of The Cleveland Orchestra’s life.”
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Jacqueline Gerber “Queen of the Morn”, Host of WCLV’s First Program
June 2014: Broadway to Hollywood: Kaper, Herrmann, Gershwin, Loewe, Weill, Porter, Newman, Warren, Martin, Rodgers, Arlen, Berlin, Lane & Khachaturian - Richard Glazier, piano (Centaur 3347)
Jackie says: “Perhaps as a result of my musical theater background, I gravitate to well-performed collections of show tunes. Recordings of Kurt Weill’s My Ship from Lady in the Dark don’t show up all that often, and neither does Hugh Martin’s The Boy Next Door, unless you’re watching Meet Me in St. Louis. And how often does one hear Irving Berlin’s I Love a Piano anywhere, let alone on a newly-issued disc? Along with the rarities, Glazier includes classic Gershwin and Herrmann.
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February 2014: Ragtime Classics, 1901-1919 - Brian Dykstra, piano (Centaur 3340)
Jackie says: “The only place one regularly encounters rags in 2014 is in the sheet music for sale at the antique store. Nevertheless, rags represent the foundation of much of 20th-century American music, whether classical or pop. This recording is a historical document of the art form and Dykstra has fun with it.”
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Jenny Northern, Station Manager, WCLV
August 2014: Eventide - Voces8 (Decca 20740)
Voces8 is a new ensemble of eight young singers from England who offer here a stunning debut! Their sure expression is given a contemporary edge in original arrangements from plainchant to Saving Private Ryan, as their perfectly blended sound is enhanced by haunting melodies for solo cello, harp and saxophone. The album evokes Eventide, that magical space between day and night, a time for unwinding, for finding the calm and solace. This disc recalls Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble’s chart-topping Officium in the 90’s. The album’s track-list embraces everything from medieval plainsong to a transcription of John Williams’s Hymn to the Fallen, plus exquisite arrangements of Emeli Sandé’s Where I sleep and Second Eve by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo, as well as Morten Lauridsen’s O magnum mysterium and recent scores by Eric Whitacre and Royal Wedding composer Paul Mealor.
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Bill O'Connell, Program Director, WCLV
February 2014: Play - Jason Vieaux, guitar (Azica 71287)
Bill says: “Play celebrates Jason Vieaux’s 20th anniversary as a performer by featuring the Spanish, Mexican, South American, Cuban, French, and American classics that he has found to be universal audience favorites over the past two decades. Congratulations to Jason, Producer/Editor Alan Bise and Recording Engineer Bruce Egre for their 2015 Grammy nomination for Play!” (The link sends you to Jason Vieaux’s website.)
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Mark Satola, Host of WCLV Midday
August 2014: Lars-Erik Larsson Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 - Helsingborg Symphony/Andrew Manze (CPO 777671)
English violinist and conductor Andrew Manze has been Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra in Sweden since 2006. This first volume of orchestral works by Swedish composer Lars-Erik Larsson includes his Symphony No.1 of 1928, music for Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, a three-movement piece from 1949, Music for Orchestra, and the Lyric Fantasy from 1967.
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July 2014: Ives: Symphony No. 2, Elliott Carter: Instances, Gershwin: An American in Paris - Seattle Symphony/Ludovic Morlot (Seattle SM 1003)
In early 2014, the Seattle Symphony and Music Director Ludovic Morlot announced the launch of Seattle Symphony Media, the Symphony’s in-house record label, with its first three recordings. We featured one of those CDs in May and here's another. The Ives Second Symphony was premiered in 1951, a half-century after it was written, but is finally entering the standard repertory. George Gershwin's self-described "rhapsodic ballet" needs no introduction, but Elliott Carter’s last orchestral work, Instances, does. The work had its world premiere in February 2013 in the Seattle Symphony’s Benaroya Hall, a co-commission by the Seattle Symphony and Tanglewood Music Center. The composer dedicated Instances to Ludovic Morlot, who, in his words, “has performed many of my works so beautifully.” All works on this disc were recorded live.
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John Simna, Music Director, WCLV
February 2014: Sempre Espressivo - Massimo La Rosa, trombone; Anita Pontremoli, piano (MLR 2013)
‘Always expressively’ is the accurate title of the second recording by the Cleveland Orchestra’s Principal Trombone, Massimo La Rosa. His technical abilities are of the highest level. His challenging program includes several staples of the trombone repertoire, music originally written for the instrument, including the Saint-Saëns ‘Cavatine,’ Frank Martin’s ‘Ballade’ and Ferdinand David’s Concertino. His beautiful sound is highlighted in ‘Träume’ from Wagner’s Wesendonck songs and in the Intermezzo from Puccini’s ‘Manon Lescaut.’ He also makes you believe in his performance of the first of Bach’s Suites for Solo Cello. Pianist Elizabeth DeMio shows herself to be a sensitive collaborator. There’s also an adaptation of a Sinfonia by Pergolesi, originally for viola da gamba, and most frequently performed as a cello piece, in which Massimo La Rosa is joined by a quartet of strings from the Cleveland Orchestra and Elizabeth DeMio at the harpsichord. –John Simna (The link sends you to bomabrass.com.)
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July 2014: Above and Beyond - ‘The President’s Own’ United States Marine Band/Gerard Schwarz (Naxos 573121)
John Says: “Players in the top service bands are in the same league as major symphonic players.”
Established classics such as Frederick Fennell’s edition of Percy Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy sit alongside Paul Creston’s festive Celebration Overture. Copland’s pungent Emblems evokes ‘Amazing Grace’ in masterly fashion, while Mr. Schwarz himself contributes his own recent composition Above and Beyond, written especially for this band in recognition of its remarkable musicianship. There are also two works by Samuel Barber, Medea’s Dance of Vengeance and Commando March, plus Bernard Rands’ Ceremonial.
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Rob Grier, Host of WCLV All Night
April 2014: Brahms by Heart: String Quartets Nos. 1-3; String Quintet No. 2 - Chiara String Quartet; Roger Tapping, viola (Azica 71289)
The title of this disc means what it says: the Chiara Quartet performs Brahms from memory for this recording and other composers when live in performance. After spending hour upon hour working toward playing ‘by heart,’ the musicians see sheet music now as a distraction instead of an aid! After memorizing a work, each member feels fully present in the moment, they say, truly performing from the heart. The link sends you to the Chiara String Quartet website.
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June 2014: New World Quartets: Dvorák, Copland, Barber, Gershwin & Brubeck - Brodsky Quartet (Chandos 10801)
Classicfm.com: "In their new release, the ever-innovative Brodsky Quartet explores the sound of America through music written for string quartet. Unsurprisingly, it includes a complete performance of Dvorak’s ‘American’ String Quartet, as well as the original string quartet version of Barber’s Adagio for Strings. There’s also a suitably languid and touching performance of Lullaby by Gershwin, and a very playful arrangement by one of the Brodsky's own members of Copland’s famous ‘Hoe Down’ from the ballet Rodeo. A passionate and elegant album, capturing the spirit and pathos of the new world."
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Angela Mitchell, WCLV Producer
February 2014: In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores (DeutGram 19103)
The idea for In 27 Pieces: the Hilary Hahn Encores began to take shape when Hilary noticed that new encore pieces were not being showcased as much as other types of contemporary works. Shorter pieces remain a crucial part of every violinist's education and repertoire, and Hilary believed that potential new favorites should be encouraged and performed as well. What is unique about the project, though, is the incredible depth that Hilary Hahn has gone to discover new works. She explored the music of all the composers before personally contacting them and ran a blind online contest with open submissions to find the 27th composer.
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April 2014: Franz Schubert: Winterreise - Jonas Kaufmann, tenor; Helmut Deutsch, piano (Sony 379563)
Superstar tenor Jonas Kaufmann could easily fill his performance calendar with Verdi, Wagner and Puccini. But for Mr. Kaufmann, interpreting the classical Lieder repertory is the highest order of singing and Schubert’s ‘Winterreise’ is regarded as the composer’s greatest contribution to the repertoire. Schubert’s ‘Winter Journey’ is set to twenty-four poems by Wilhelm Müller and was completed in 1827. After working together closely for more than twenty years and giving a number of recitals of Schubert’s great song cycles, Jonas Kaufmann and Helmut Deutsch make their first recording of ‘Winterreise’ documenting their special partnership. Click here for Jonas Kaufmann’s conversation with WCLV’s Angela Schmidt.
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