Reference Recordings

New Kansas City Symphony Recording Available Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 16:21:00 +0000

Now Available!

Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony • Finding Rothko • Picture Studies

Michael Stern, music director; Kansas City Symphony

“I have dreamt of having an orchestral disc of my music since first becoming a composer. This is an extraordinary gift, and I am thrilled to be sharing my music with all of you. The three pieces that you will soon experience embody my growth from student to professional composer. They each explore different styles, but my artistic voice remains consistent throughout.” —Adam Schoenberg

Recently named one of the Top 10 most performed living classical composers by orchestras in the United States, Adam Schoenberg’s (b. November 15, 1980) music is “invigorating” (Los Angeles Times), and full of “mystery and sensuality” (The New York Times). This most recent season included performances and premieres at the Library of Congress, Kennedy Center, New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Hollywood Bowl.

We are proud to present these new works, two of them commissioned by The Kansas City Symphony: American Symphony and Picture Studies. The collaboration between Schoenberg and Michael Stern is extraordinary. Schoenberg states: “He is the first conductor to champion my music. He understands it, embraces it, and gives it an emotional dimension that would otherwise not exist. I also must thank the musicians of the Kansas City Symphony. This is an orchestra that plays with tremendous vigor, spirit, and emotion.” The performances were brilliantly captured by GRAMMY® award winners Keith O. Johnson (engineer), David Frost (producer) and GRAMMY® nominee Sean R. Martin (engineer). The album will be released as a hybrid SACD, compatible with all CD and SACD players; and digitally in standard and high resolution.

Adam Schoenberg's Dream Becomes Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 15:13:00 +0000

Pre-Order

I have dreamt of having an orchestral disc of my music since first becoming a composer. This is an extraordinary gift, and I am thrilled to be sharing my music with all of you. The three pieces that you will soon experience embody my growth from student to professional composer. They each explore different styles, but my artistic voice remains consistent throughout.

Finding Rothko was written during my second year as a doctoral student at Juilliard. I was 25, and studying with John Corigliano. I spent six months writing the piece, and the experience forever shaped me as a composer. I’d show up early in the fall for lessons, wanting to discuss the work and show John material, but I was still grappling with my ideas and how to organize them. I didn’t realize until much later that John was intentionally staying out of my process. I had 2-3 months of lessons that lasted only 15-20 minutes each. We would talk, I would express my frustrations, and he would then tell me to go home and figure it out. It wasn’t until I completed a full draft that John began to weigh in. For four consecutive days, I spent hours in his studio while he asked me endless questions. We went over each measure linearly and vertically, and what I learned was immeasurable. Rothko embodies my first attempt at atmospheric and aleatoric music. The 3rd movement is almost entirely written using graphic notation. It represents an improvisation, as if Rothko himself were spattering the vibrant red paint onto the canvas for the first time, before turning it into his signature multi- form style. The last movement, Wine, represents some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever written.

American Symphony is the first orchestral work I wrote after graduating from Juilliard in 2010. The symphony also represents my first time primarily working with technology as a way of composing. I love to improvise, and I began using a midi-sequencing program called Logic Pro while working on this piece. I improvised movements I and III into Logic, and played every single line on the keyboard that you’ll hear in the orchestra. Once the movement felt complete within Logic, I then orchestrated it in Finale. Movements II and IV were written by hand and/or directly into Finale. The final movement used Logic, pencil and paper, and Finale. The symphony also represents my exploration of layer-oriented music. The first movement has up to eight layers being played simultaneously (it requires multiple hearings in order to discern each one). The piece also embodies my first attempt at writing groove-oriented music (e.g., movements I, III, and parts of V), which is something I have gone on to further explore over the last few years.

Picture Studies is my largest work to date. It showcases many different styles, from groove-oriented to atmospheric music, but also exhibits a new style. “Three Pierrots,” “Kandinsky” and “Miró” contain angular, rigid, jazz-like music. “Kandinsky” in particular, reflects the fastest and most aggressive work I’ve written, while “Miró” has a rambunctious, virtuosic solo (played beautifully by Boris Allakhverdyan on the E-flat clarinet). All of the styles that I had been grappling with in both Finding Rothko and American Symphony are expressed with a greater sense of clarity, from both a structural and orchestrational point of view. Movements like “Kandinsky,” “Calder,” “Pigeons in Flight,” etc. represent a world that I’m now exploring.

My music is deceptively difficult; as a musician once told me, “it’s perfectly off.” On paper it looks relatively straightforward, because it lives in more of a tonal or modal world, but it is extremely challenging rhythmically, technically, and most importantly, musically. It requires more discipline from the performer and conductor, because it demands technical facility and emotional depth. This is especially challenging when rehearsal time is limited. The musicians must get in- side the notes to understand their subtleties as they evolve. They might not fully understand their role until much later in the rehearsal process when the piece comes together as a whole.

With this in mind, I must give a special thank you to Michael Stern. He is the first conductor to champion my music. He understands it, embraces it, and gives it an emotional dimension that would otherwise not exist. I also must thank the musicians of the Kansas City Symphony. This is an orchestra that plays with tremendous vigor, spirit, and emotion. They have patiently watched me grow as a composer, and I could not be more pleased to have them be the first to bring my music to life in a permanent form. Lastly, I would like to thank Frank Byrne, Joan Horan, David Frost, Professor Keith Johnson and the entire Reference Recordings team. Without any of them, this recording would not exist.

My goal as a composer has always been to try and bring more beauty into our conflicted world. I want listeners to momentarily escape, and be transported to a place like no other, before returning to their everyday lives. I hope that you enjoy the journey that you are about to embark upon. Thank you for taking the time to listen.

2017 Blues Music Awards Nominations!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 16:34:00 +0000

The Blues Foundation announced their 2017 Blues Music Awards Nominees, and RR artists Fiona Boyes, Doug MacLeod, and Jimi Bott have all been nominated!

Best Acoustic Album

Eric Bibb – The Happiest Man in the World
Fiona Boyes – Professin’ the Blues
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes – Live at Briggs Farm
John Long – Stand Your Ground
Luther Dickinson – Blues and Ballads (A Folksinger’s Songbook) Vol I and II

Best Acoustic Artist

Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Fiona Boyes
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes
Luther Dickinson

Best Instrumentalist - Drums

Cedric Burnside
Jimi Bott
June Core
Tom Hambridge
Tony Braunagel

Historical Album

Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup - A Music Man Like Nobody Ever Saw
B.B. King - More B.B. King: Here’s One You Haven’t Heard
Bobby Rush - Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush
Doug MacLeod – Live in Europe
Michael Burks - I’m A Bluesman
Pinetop Perkins & Jimmy Rogers - Genuine Blues Legends

Congratulations to all the nominees!

Pre-Order The new Adam Schoenberg Recording!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 17:19:00 +0000

Now Available for Pre-Order!

Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony • Finding Rothko • Picture Studies

Michael Stern, music director; Kansas City Symphony

Pre-Order Pre-Order

Says Schoenberg: “I have dreamt of having an orchestral disc of my music since first becoming a composer. This is an extraordinary gift, and I am thrilled to be sharing my music with all of you. The three pieces that you will soon experience embody my growth from student to professional composer. They each explore different styles, but my artistic voice remains consistent throughout.” Recently named one of the Top 10 most performed living classical composers by orchestras in the United States, Adam Schoenberg’s (b. November 15, 1980) music is “invigorating” (Los Angeles Times), and full of “mystery and sensuality” (The New York Times). This most recent season included performances and premieres at the Library of Congress, Kennedy Center, New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Hollywood Bowl.

We are proud to present these new works, two of them commissioned by the Kansas City Symphony: American Symphony and Picture Studies. The collaboration between Schoenberg and Michael Stern is extraordinary. Schoenberg states: “He is the first conductor to champion my music. He understands it, embraces it, and gives it an emotional dimension that would otherwise not exist. I also must thank the musicians of the Kansas City Symphony. This is an orchestra that plays with tremendous vigor, spirit, and emotion.” The performances were brilliantly captured by GRAMMY® award winners Keith O. Johnson (engineer), David Frost (producer) and GRAMMY® nominee Sean R. Martin (engineer). The album will be released as a hybrid SACD, compatible with all CD and SACD players; and digitally in standard and high resolution.

Blues Music Magazine Reviews Professin’ The Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 15:24:00 +0000

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A fantastic new review for Fiona Boyes' Professin’ The Blues recording in the January 2017 issue of Blues Music Magazine:

“[Fiona Boyes] is simply a great player and gutsy singer who has released one of the finest acoustic blues albums in the past year. …Professin’ The Blues, is a 53-minute, 16-song collection where she plays National Reso-Phonic and Beeton resonator instruments, a standard six-string acoustic and an odd little four-string cigar box guitar that she uses as a lap steel. Backing her with easy-going support are former Mighty Flyers/ Fabulous Thunderbirds drummer Jimi Bott and first-call studio bassist Denny Croy, who also heads the McCabe’s School of Music in what California locals call the People’s Republic of Santa Monica. It’s a relaxed-sounding trio. Boyes’ songs – 14 originals plus covers of Big Joe Williams and Chris Wilson tunes – follow that old Igor Stravinsky rule of not overstaying their welcome (“Too many pieces of music,” he said, “finish too long after the end”). … There’s also a fair amount of up-tempo material where Boyes adds a bit of Borax-like grit to her vocals that may put listeners in mind of Big Mama Thornton and Koko Taylor. An added plus is that Professin’ The Blues is a high-definition compact disc (HDCD), which means it captures her god(dess)-like playing in all its acoustic splendor.” –Bill Wasserzieher, Blues Music Magazine

Read the full review on BluesMusicMagazine.com

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Strauss Opera Suites a Showcase for Pittsburgh Symphony

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 16:18:00 +0000

Gramophone Magazine features the new Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck Strauss: Elektra/Rosenkavaalier recording in the January 2017 issue:

The recording packs a mighty punch from the initial Agamemnon motif, scything brass braying Elektra’s revenge theme. There is percussive glitter for Klytemnestra, whip cracks marking the arrival of her entourage. The full barbarism of Strauss’s score makes a searing impact, Orest’s murder of Klytemnestra especially brutal, yet there are moments of great tenderness too. Reference Recordings affords the Pittsburgh Symphony a weighty sound, strong in bass attack. Honeck provides his own excellent booklet-notes which give the listener a blow-by-blow account of the music, with helpful timings. … A splendid showcase for Honeck's Pittsburgh forces.” —Mark Pullinger, Gramophone

See the full review on www.gramophone.co.uk

Reference Recordings Amazon Native DSD

More Best of 2016 Honors for Fiona Boyes!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 15:07:00 +0000

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The Best of 2016 honors for Fiona Boyes' new Professin’ The Blues release continue to roll in!

The Professor's Honor Roll of 2016

“I hereby dub Fiona Boyes, The Queen of Old School. She has a great sound and manages to pour more blues into her stripped-down approach than just about anybody else. Her guitar work is top notch, and her vocals are dead on. If you like that sound, you will love her. We sure do…” —John Porter, Professor Johnny P's Juke Joint

See the full honor roll

Amazon Apple Music Spotify

Pittsburgh Symphony on Forbes' Best Recordings List!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 15:45:00 +0000

Forbes has released their 10 Best Classical Recordings of 2016 list and the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck Strauss: Elektra/Rosenkavalier recording comes in at #8:

“Manfred Honeck’s ‘Elektra Symphonic Drama’ (co-written by Manfred Honeck and Tomáš Ille) absolutely lifts the lid and shows you how much sensuous and sumptuous music there’s in this opera already, which otherwise looks and sounds, on experiencing in toto or in the opera house, so very, very – indeed totally – different from Strauss’ later operas. Here, Elektra seems like the natural lede for Rosenkavalier – which incidentally, and unfathomably upon first hearing – was the opera that, in 1911, immediately followed Elektra (1909) in Strauss’ operatic output.… And speaking of Rosenkavalier: Honeck and his sublimely playing Pittsburgh band add the Artur Rodzinski arrangement of the Suite from that opera to close out this disc that is a must for any Strauss-lover. Just terrific! The sound on this Reference Recordings SACD is smashingly vivid, something that is true for the whole lot of their wonderful recordings of the last few years.” —Jens F. Laurson, Forbes

Read the full review and list at Forbes.com

Reference Recordings Amazon Native DSD

2016 HDTracks Top Downloads

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 15:29:00 +0000

HDTracks.com is ending the year with collections of their best sellers and audiophile picks for 2016 and there are quite a few RR recordings in the mix!

Top 25 Classical Bestsellers

#12 - Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 & No. 7 - Featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck

Top 100 Recommended Classical

Ebony Concerto - Featuring John Bruce Yeh
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 “Organ” - Featuring the Kansas City Symphony and Michael Stern

Audiophile Picks

John Rutter: Requiem; Five Anthems - Featuring the The Turtle Creek Chorale
Arnold for Band - Featuring the Dallas Wind Symphony
Skrowaczewski: Concerto Nicolò & Concerto for Orchestra - Featuring Gary Graffman, piano and Stanislaw Skrowaczewski conducting the Minnesota Orchestra
Ikon of Eros - Featuring the Minnesota Orchestra
Swing is Here - Featuring Dick Hyman
Stravinsky: The Song of the Nightingale, The Firebird, Rite of Spring - Featuring Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra
HRx Sampler 2011: A Classical and Jazz High Resolution Spectacular!
There's A Time - Featuring Doug MacLeod
Thinking About Bix - Featuring Dick Hyman
Exactly Like This - Featuring Doug MacLeod
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 “Organ” - Featuring the Kansas City Symphony and Michael Stern
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 & No. 7 - Featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck
Wine Dark Sea - Featuring the University of Texas Wind Ensemble and Jerry Junkin

Pittsburgh Symphony Tchaikovsky an American Record Guide Best of 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 15:34:00 +0000

American Record Guide critics have listed their "Critics Choice" recordings for 2016, and editor Donald Vroon has nominated the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck's Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6.

“Here is a symphony that has been recorded a great deal. Even conductors who don't like Tchaikovsky have recorded it, probably because of the challenges it presents. So naturally there have been a great many routine performances under conductors who have no real feeling for it. Manfred Honeck is not among them. I don't know him and have never seen him conduct, but for some reason he knows exactly what can be done—what must be done—with this great piece of music. Every tempo is appropriate; every phrase makes the maximum effect without any distortion. The parts perfectly add up to the whole, and nothing is episodic. lt is rich in feeling, but it is still music above all. The orchestra is gorgeous—to the point where you wonder how they maintain that glorious sound in our world. The strings are lush, and all the soloists are great. The overall feeling is the opposite of routine, as if everyone playing is feeling the pain. A critic just doesn't expect something like this.… This is truly moving, no matter how often you have heard the music.…the sheer richness of such a great orchestra playing so beautifully is enough to bring me to tears.” —Donald Vroon, American Record Guide

Reference Recordings Amazon iTunes Native DSD Arkiv Music

Professin’ The Blues an Iowa Public Radio Best of 2016!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 15:12:00 +0000

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Host Bobb Dorr of Iowa Public Radio has released his “Best New Blues of 2016” list and includes Fiona Boyes' “Devil You Know” track from Professin’ The Blues:

“My pick for acoustic album of the year is also by a woman. Australian Fiona Boyes (who splits her time between Australia and Oregon) was the first woman to win the International Blues Challenge. She plays electric and acoustic guitar and is one of the world's premiere gut-bucket style blues guitar players. Her 2016 release is all acoustic, called Professin' The Blues, she wrote or co-wrote 14 of the 16 songs including ‘The Devil You Know.’” —Bob Dorr

See the list and hear the interview with Bob Dorr on IowaPublicRadio.org

Amazon Apple Music Spotify

Pittsburgh Symphony an ArkivMusic Best of 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 15:06:00 +0000

ArkivMusic.com names Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck's Strauss: Elektra & Der Rosenkavalier their #2 recording of 2016!

This ongoing series from orchestra and conductor goes from strength to strength. Another stunning album, one which should be an essential purchase for devotees of the composer.

See the list on ArkivMusic.com

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Making A Scene on Professin' The Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 16:52:00 +0000

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Making A Scene reviews the new Fiona Boyes release, Professin’ The Blues:

“Fiona Boyes has a new album release, Professin’ The Blues, and on it, she does just that. Produced by the legendary Professor Keith O. Johnson of Reference Records and recorded at Skywalker Sound studios in California, this is a perfect match of space, producer and artist. Also, Boyes is joined by two master musicians, drummer Jim Bott and bassist Danny Croy. Johnson used mostly his own hand-built recording equipment and no effects like overdubbing or monitors. What you hear on the record is what was recorded, plain and simple. This organic approach matches Boyes’ style and her acoustic instruments perfectly. Boyes, a superb guitar picker, uses several different ones on the album, including 2 resonators, one of them a rare National Reso-phonic, and a couple of acoustics plus a four-string cigar box guitar. Drummer Bott makes excellent use of washboard as well and along with Boyes’ scratchy voice, the sound that is created is perfect for the blues.… This album is phenomenal, as Fiona Boyes is phenomenal. If you have not added her to your collection of amazing blues women, it is time to do so with Professin’ The Blues.” —Rhetta Akamatsu, Making A Scene

Read the full review

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Living Blues Reviews Professin' The Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 17:49:00 +0000

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Living Blues Magazine reviews Fiona Boyes' new Professin’ the Blues recording in their latest issue:

“Fiona Boyes continues to make superlative music grounded in the various styles of the blues. … A master of audio engineering, [‘Prof’ Keith O.] Johnson creates a sound that is warm, present and balanced so that the instruments and vocals can be heard clearly and distinctly. Boyes uses four different guitars throughout the album's 16 songs…and she coaxes a kaleidoscope of colors and emotions from each one. … Boyes' throaty vocals are also versatile, veering from low to high on the spare Delta blues of Can't Stay Here No More. The beautiful melodies of Angels and Boats and Face in the Mirror float delicately on the plucked strings of her Maton acoustic; her singing is also at its loveliest on these songs.… Crafted with technical skill, wit and deep feeling, Fiona Boyes' Professin’ the Blues effectively showcases her acoustic mastery.” —Melanie Young

Read the full review in the latest Living Blues issue.

Amazon Apple Music Spotify

Wuthering Heights an Opera News Top 10

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 16:32:00 +0000

Opera News released their Top 10 Opera Recordings of 2016, and coming in at #8 was the Florentine Opera and Milwaukee Symphony recording of Carlisle Floyd's Wuthering Heights!

“It contains some beautiful music that deserves to be heard, as evidenced by this world-premiere recording.” —Rebecca Paller

Florentine Opera Company

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

Joseph Mechavich, conductor

The Florentine Opera Company® brings American opera composer Carlisle Floyd's operatic masterpiece, based on the classic English novel by Emily Brontë, to life. Floyd's score takes you to the heart of Catherine and Heathcliffe's devastating love story.

Reference Recordings Amazon iTunes ArkivMusic

Kansas City Saint-Saëns on Fanfare's Want List

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 15:42:00 +0000

Fanfare critic Andrew Quint has named Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony's Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 “Organ” to his 2016 year-end “Want List”:

“San Francisco’s Reference Recordings, issuing musically worthy recordings in audiophile sound for more than three decades, continues its rewarding relationship with Michael Stern and the over-achieving Kansas City Symphony. This all-Saint-Saëns program is anchored by the well-worn “Organ” Symphony, played here with sure-footed metrical precision plus plenty of cinematic splendor. “Professor” Keith Johnson, RR’s engineering guru for all those years, delivers sonics that are at once transparent and robust.” —Andrew Quint, Fanfare

Now on HDCD, LP and SACD!

ClassicsToday Reviews “Thrilling” Pittsburgh Symphony Recording

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 21:19:00 +0000

“This is juicy. I’m sure that many music lovers have wished that Strauss had made a suite from Elektra. It is, after all, one of his most exciting scores, as well as one of his most symphonically cogent. Well, here it is, courtesy of Manfred Honeck and Tomas Ille, and it’s a doozy. You get all of the major bits: Elektra’s opening monologue, the entry of Klytaemnestra, the recognition scene, the two murders, and of course the final dance of death.… There is absolutely no reason why this arrangement should not become a repertory item forthwith–only it would be hard to imagine a performance played more brilliantly than this one. The Rosenkavalier Suite is the standard one, by Artur Rodzinsky, and it too sounds glorious on this smashingly recorded disc. Coupling the two works makes great sense: you get Strauss at his most expressionistic, and then Strauss in all of his schmaltzy, neoclassical splendor.… I don’t need to say anything more: if a disc like this is not self-recommending, then I don’t know what is.”—David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

Read the full review on ClassicsToday.com

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First Listen - Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 20:57:00 +0000

Coming January 2017 — Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony • Finding Rothko • Picture Studies featuring Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony! Enjoy a first listen on our SoundCloud Channel:

Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony • Finding Rothko • Picture Studies
Kansas City Symphony
Michael Stern
Label: Reference Recordings RR-139
Release Date: January 20, 2017

Pittsburgh Symphony On Fanfare Want Lists!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:03:00 +0000

Three Fanfare Magazine critics have Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's recordings on their 2016 year-end “Want Lists”:

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Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7

“Manfred Honeck's Beethoven… helps you to recapture the shock of the new. There is nothing gimmicky or freakish about it, but I wasn’t 10 seconds into this SACD before I sat up and took notice. The booklet contains Honeck’s almost blow-by-blow description of both symphonies, and it is an opportunity for him to explain the small but often striking ways in which he has departed from tradition—not to be unfaithful to Beethoven, but, if possible, to be more faithful to Beethoven’s intentions.… Even if you have a ton of Beethoven Fives and Sevens, this will not feel like a duplication!” —Raymond Tuttle

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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 & Dvořák: Rusalka Fantasy

“Manfred Honeck’s reading of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra sent shivers down my spine—and it’s accompanied by Honeck’s own 20-minute fantasy on material from Dvořák’s opera Rusalka, which is wholly delightful.” —Martin Anderson

“As he has done so often in the past, Manfred Honeck conducts a revelatory, fresh, and insightful interpretation of a work so familiar as to be too often taken for granted; this time, Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique.” Honeck’s own fantasy from Dvořák’s opera Rusalka is a delicious bonus. The Pittsburgh Symphony once again proves that it can go toe-to-toe with any orchestra in the world.” —Merlin Patterson

Coming in 2017!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 15:00:00 +0000

In October, we spent time with Doug MacLeod at Skywalker gathering songs for his next RR release. Percussionist Oliver Brown, bassist Denny Croy, drummer Jimi Bott and singer/guitarist, Jesse MacLeod, Doug’s son, made musical magic! Coming mid-2017!

Front (L-R): Oliver Brown, Doug MacLeod, Jimi Bott; Back (L-R): Denny Croy, Jesse MacLeod

New Pittsburgh Symphony Recording in Gramophone

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 13:00:00 +0000

Gramophone Magazine's “High Fidelity” section used the new Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck Strauss: Elektra & Der Rosenkavalier as one of their December Test Discs!

“This recording of Manfred Honeck's suite from Strauss's Elektra is a true demonstration-quality set, well up to the Reference label's usual standards.”

Fiona Boyes Will Knock You Off Your Chair

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 16:07:00 +0000

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“Out of Australia comes the devastating, gorgeous acoustic blues of Fiona Boyes, a women who has garnered countless Blues Foundation nominations and now confidently hits us between the ears with her new release, Professin’ the Blues, on the venerable Reference Recordings (“RR”) label.… Fiona’s “Professin’ is nothing short of a sonic spectacular from the Prof and the RR team.… Boyes’ music speaks in tough, switchblade sharp fashion (of craggy hard times in love and life), with comic sly twists that will have you smiling while your toes are tapping to the contagious beat from Boyes’ resonator and cigar box guitars, and the whiplash of Bott’s drums and Croy’s pungent bass.… when you hit that volume just right, you’ll fall off your chair when Boyes strikes her first cords from her “detuned national reso-phonic guitar” and Bott hits his first thunder clap of bass drum on their opening “Can’t Stay Here No More” – a blast of walking-away blues.… Boyes’ voice is the consummate vehicle for her guitar and lyric mastery, delivering its impact with a powerful and sly style.… This one is a powerhouse joy to hear and explore.” —Nelson Brill, Boston Concert Reviews

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GRAMMY Award Nomination Congratulations!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 00:42:00 +0000

Producer Of The Year, Classical Nominees

Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin (Moszkowski: From Foreign Lands)

Blanton Alspaugh (Carlisle Floyd: Wuthering Heights)!

Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin

Congratulations to RR collaborators Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin. With multiple GRAMMY® Award nominations, the Ledins have produced and edited several of Reference Recordings' recent releases, and will contintue in that capacity for the future. Following their nomination for last year's GRAMMY® Awards with a portfolio of three Reference Recordings albums, this year's portfolio includes our new release from Martin West and the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra — Moritz Moszkowski: From Foreign Lands!

Moszkowski: From Foreign Lands

Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925) is most known for his scintillating piano compositions. he also composed an opera, a full-length ballet, three orchestral suites, a symphony (still in manuscript form), songs, concertos, and chamber music—almost all of which remain neglected or forgotten. How unfortunate!

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San Francisco Ballet Orchestra music director and principal conductor, Martin West, approached Reference Recordings with the hope that there were enough orchestral works by Moritz Moszkowski to record a CD-length program. After identifying and locating numerous scores, this project of re-discovering the music of Moritz Moszkowski became a reality. Using From Foreign Lands as a starting point, we were able to assemble an intriguing program of, largely, first recordings of Moszkowski’s most memorable and melodious orchestral compositions. This delightful program is the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra's fourth release with Reference Recordings.

Blanton Alspaugh

Congratulations to Blanton Alspaugh of Soundmirror. Blanton is Soundmirror's senior producer, overseeing recording projects ranging in size from the largest operatic and symphonic productions to solo piano. Blanton won the Grammy Award for Producer of Year, Classical in February 2013. His nominated portfolio this year includes our FRESH! From Reference Recordings release Carlisle Floyd: Wuthering Heights!

Floyd: Wuthering Heights

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Carlisle Floyd's canon of operas is amongst the most performed by any living American opera composer, however four essential operas have never been commercially released. Wuthering Heights was first performed by Santa Fe Opera in 1958, but never recorded until now. With the composer acting as artistic advisor, this Florentine Opera premiere recording was made in January 2015 at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, in Brookfield, Wisconsin. It features conductor Joseph Mechavich, soprano Georgia Jarman (Cathy), baritone Kelly Markgraf (Heathcliff), soprano Heather Buck (Isabella), tenor Vale Rideout (Edgar), tenor Chad Shelton (Hindley), mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer (Nelly), tenor Frank Kelley (Joseph), The Florentine Opera Chorus and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Reference Recordings is proud to release this exceptional recording.

New MusicWeb International Review for Pittsburgh Tchaikovsky/Dvořák

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 18:33:00 +0000

Brian Reinhart pens the third MusicWeb International review for Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 and Dvořák Rusalka Fantasy recording:

“The Pittsburgh Symphony is one of the world’s great orchestras, here displaying rich, lush old-world strings which bring to mind conductor Manfred Honeck’s experience in Vienna. The brass section is thrillingly punchy and forward, as is the timpanist. Honeck has good ideas about the symphony, like occasionally dialing back the loudness of the scherzo-march’s final pages, to avoid monotony and preserve a sense of momentum.… among the very best Tchaikovsky discs ever made available on SACD. … Manfred Honeck again composes his own liner notes and again directs our attention to his favorite details or interpretive choices with bar numbers and exact track timings. He also proudly says that the Pittsburgh Symphony’s concertmaster has departed to take over the First Concertmaster chair at the Berlin Philharmonic. That alone should indicate the extraordinarily high quality of this orchestra. Their discs are always a treat. May many more Pittsburgh/Honeck albums follow.” —Brian Reinhart, MusicWeb International

See the full review

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Celebrate December With Our Spotify Playlist!

noreply@blogger.com (Reference Recordings) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 15:00:00 +0000

Celebrate the start of December with our RR Christmas playlist on Spotify!