CD Reviews

Each week, our professional critics review the latest recording releases, from Bay Area music groups to international releases our editors think deserve your attention.


CD REVIEW
  Joyce Yang: <em>Collage</em> Joyce Yang: Everything Relative
February 3, 2012

The strong-fingered, highly rhythmic, and coolly emotional pianist Joyce Yang chooses a crafty program for her debut disc.

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CD REVIEW
  Pacifica Quartet: <em>The Soviet Experience</em> How to Make Music Out of Misery
January 30, 2012

A magnificent, fantastically controlled string quartet marches up the mountain with four Shostakovich quartets, plus a heartfelt bonus work.

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CD REVIEW
   Masterpiece Recorded by Mackerras, At Last
January 25, 2012

A fascinating, rarely heard Czech symphony by Josef Suk meditates on death, and is well worth a hearing.

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CD REVIEW
  <em>New Babylon</em> Shostakovich, Scores
January 20, 2012

There’s something for everyone in the music on a new two-CD set that explores a hidden (and openly honest) side of Shostakovich: his movie scoring.

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CD REVIEW
  András Schiff: <em>Geistervariationen</em> András Schiff, Ghost Whisperer
January 13, 2012

From butterflies to specters, an esteemed pianist’s rendition of Schumann remains fitfully two-dimensional, respectable but too tame.

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CD REVIEW
  French Impressions Solid Bell: How to Make an Impression
January 9, 2012

Joshua Bell with accompanist Jeremy Denk go for the poetry and beauty in Ravel, Franck, and Saint-Saëns.

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CD REVIEW
  The Callas Effect The Callas Effect: Rebooted
January 3, 2012

Top soprano Angela Gheorghiu records a homage album, while EMI repackages Callas's recorded legacy yet again — this time with a new twist.

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CD REVIEW
  Diana Damrau: Liszt Lieder Damrau and Deutsch Do Liszt Full Justice
December 16, 2011

A CD resplendent with Liszt lieder stands among the finest recorded interpretations available.

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CD REVIEW
  Bartok: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Viola Concerto James Ehnes: Fierce and Impressive
December 13, 2011

An artist who defies the stereotype: To play the violin and then the viola? James Ehnes sounds brilliant on both.

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CD REVIEW
  Lonely Hotel Lost in Steve Mackey's Slippery <em>Slide</em>
December 5, 2011

Although benefitting from the usual excellent performance by eighth blackbird, Rinde Eckert and Steve Mackey’s Slide is still uninvolving.

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