JOACHIM RAFF : Symphony No. 1 "An Das Vaterland" (Rhenish Philharmonic Orchestra · Sam Friedman) (1994) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The Symphony No. 1 in D major, Opus 96, carries the title "An das Vaterland" and opens with an energetic sweep of sound that is a foretaste of Strauss. The first movement develops in more formal terms, with a strongly contrapuntal element in the sequences and thematic references to the Fatherland. The slow movement starts with a strongly felt theme, moving to music that is more gently lyrical in feeling, developed contrapuntally and dramatically, with due reference to material from the preceding movements. The declared drama of the fourth movement leads to an emphatically patriotic statement and in the end to the sombre tread of the final Larghetto sostenuto, that goes on to contrasting moods of patriotism and gentle lyricism before culminating in a spirit of national triumph. In spite of its considerable length and apparent digressions, the symphony is, all in all, remarkably unified in structure, in thematic material and in general intention. naxos

Joachim Raff (1822-1882)
1. Symphony #1 " An Das Vaterland" Op. 96    (1:10:10)
Credits :
Orchestra : Rhenish Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor – Sam Friedman
Painting [Cover] – Chai Ben-Shan

JOACHIM RAFF : Symphony No. 2, Op. 140 · Overtures : Romeo And Juliet · Macbeth (Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Košice) · Urs Schneider) (1994) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The first of Raff’s eleven numbered symphonies, An das Vaterland, was completed in 1861 and was awarded the Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde prize. The second, the Symphony in C major, Opus 140, was written in 1869 and is scored for piccolo and double woodwind, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings. It opens in almost pastoral mood, with a first subject entrusted to clarinets and violas and then by horns, while the first violins add their own embellishments in rapider figuration. This material is developed in a transition that leads to a second subject, heard first in the strings. The central development is followed by a recapitulation and a final coda that allows the principal subject to re-appear in strength.

The slow movement, in E flat major, starts with a deeply felt principal theme, a hymn heard from first violins and horns, before being handed to a solo oboe. A secondary theme is followed by a contrapuntal central section, based on minor key material that bears a strong resemblance to the Kyrie of Mozart’s Requiem. The secondary theme serves as a transition to the returning principal theme, leading to a dynamic climax and a whispered conclusion. The G minor Scherzo carries more weight than Mendelssohn, although Raff’s melodic and harmonic style sometimes suggests his example. The texture is lightened for the Trio, where attention is on the woodwind, followed by a more overtly romantic A flat major passage and a transition that allows the return of the Scherzo once more. The last movement opens in grandiose style, its slow introduction serving as a harmonic bridge to the following Allegro con spirito, a demonstration, if any were needed, of Raff’s technical proficiency and a convincing conclusion to the whole work.

In 1879 Raff composed four Shakespearean overtures. The third of these, Romeo and Juliet, suggests elements of the tragedy, the feud between Montagues and Capulets, the ill-starred lovers, and a final resolution of the conflict, more appropriate musically than dramatically. The Macbeth overture has suggestions of the witches, fresh from a Berlioz sabbath, and curiously eerie passages of chromaticism, contrapuntally treated, while a more positive element seems to suggest Malcolm and the forces of good, finally ushered in by side-drum and trumpets, set against the tyrant and usurper of the title and ensuring his final defeat. These two overtures were first revised and edited for publication by Raff’s distinguished American pupil Edward MacDowell. Keith Anderson

Joachim Raff (1822-1882)
1-4. Symphony No. 2 In C Major, Op. 140
5. Overture: Romeo And Juliet    8:20
6. Overture: Macbeth    11:28
Credits :
Orchestra : Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Košice
Conductor – Urs Schneider
Painting [Cover "Autumn Evening"] – Ferdinand Hodler

JOACHIM RAFF : Symphony No. 5, "Lenore" · Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Košice) · Urs Schneider) (1993) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The first of Raff’s eleven numbered symphonies, An das Vaterland, was completed in 1861 and was awarded the Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde prize. Symphony No. 5 in E major, Op. 177, was completed in 1872 and published the following year. Raff’s division of the work into three Abteilung (sections) does not coincide here with the four movements, two of which form the first section of the symphony, under the title Liebesglück, the happiness of love. The first movement Allegro is in broadly classical form, its exuberant first subject contrasted with the more lyrical second, with suggestions of the tragedy to come. An A flat major Andante quasi larghetto completes the first section. The movement is introduced by the strings, the melody poignantly echoed by the French horn, which then pursues its own operatic theme. A dramatic G sharp minor passage moves into the intense lyricism of a secondary theme, now heard a semitone higher, in E major, before the return of the opening theme, now played by the flutes.

The second part of the symphony has the title Trennung, “Parting”, continuing the implied events that precede those of Bürger’s poem Lenore, on which the symphony is based. The third movement opens as a C major March, with a contrasting minor continuation. This is followed by an F major section, the first violins doubled by the French horns in the march theme. The return of the first march theme leads to an agitated C minor passage in which violins and cellos plead one with the other, before the march again intervenes, disappearing gradually into the distance, as the soldiers march away.

It is the third section of the symphony, the fourth movement Allegro, Wiedervereinigung im Tode, “Reunion in Death”, that is based directly on Bürger’s Kunstballade Lenore in music that follows much of the poetic narrative. Göttfried August Bürger was associated with the group of poets that formed the Göttinger Hainbund and in 1773 wrote his famous poem Lenore, published the following year in the Göttinger Musenalmanach. Based on the Scottish ballad Sweet William’s Ghost, Bürger’s poem tells of the grief of Lenore for her lover Wilhelm, killed in the Seven Years’ War. The girl turns against God in her despair, but at night the sound of a horse is heard outside (“Und außen, horch! ging’s trapp trapp trapp, Ais wie von Roßeshufen”) and Wilhelm calls her down to him. She joins him and the couple ride away together through the night, through the countryside, meeting a funeral procession now bidden to the wedding-feast. The dead ride fast, and the figure before her asks again if she fears the dead, but “Doch lass die Toten”, she replies, “Let the dead be!” On they ride, past the gibbet and through a gate into the graveyard, as dawn approaches, and suddenly the horseman’s uniform drops away, piece by piece, his head becomes a skull, his body a skeleton, with hour-glass and scythe. The poem and the symphony end with the moral, proclaimed by the spirits that had followed the couple, that men must be patient in adversity: “Geduld! Geduld! Wenn’s Herz auch bricht! Mit Gott im Himmel hadre nicht!” (“Patience! Patience! Even if your heart breaks! Do not quarrel with God in Heaven! ”)

Raff’s Overture Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, Opus 127, was written in 1865 and dedicated to Hans von Bülow. It is described as an overture for a drama of the Thirty Years War. The work opens ominously, its slow introduction, Andante religioso, starting with a soft drum-roll, accompanied by muted double basses, before the contrapuntal entry of the first violins, followed by cellos, second violins and violas in turn. The familiar notes of Martin Luther’s most famous hymn appear first in the woodwind, to be joined by other instruments of the orchestra, before the succeeding Allegro eroico, marked non troppo vivo, ma vigoroso. This faster section, changing from the earlier D major to D minor, with its sharply rhythmic string figure, is punctuated by the loud intervention of the wind instruments, introducing music in tripartite sonata-form, derived from the chorale of the title. A passage for solo cello, accompanied only by sustained viola chords, leads to a final Andante, where the lower strings announce again Luther’s famous melody. The overture ends in victory with a final grandiose and triumphant Allegro. Keith Anderson

Joachim Raff (1822-1882)
1-4.     Symphony No. 5 In E Major, Op. 177 'Lenore' (1872)    (51:22)
5. Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott ('A Mighty Fortress Is Our God') – Overture, Op. 127 (1865) 19:02
Credits :
Orchestra : Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Košice
Conductor – Urs Schneider
Cover Painting - Ferdinand Hodler

JOACHIM RAFF : Symphony No. 6 · Jubel-Overtüre · Festmarsch · Overture To Dame Kobold (Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Košice) · Urs Schneider) (1994) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The fifth of Raff’s numbered symphonies, Lenore, was written in 1872. The next year brought Symphony No. 6 in D minor, Op. 189, a work scored for Raff’s usual orchestra of double woodwind, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings and sub-titled, portentously, Gelebt, gestrebt, gelitten, gestritten, gestorben, umworben (“Lived, strove, suffered, fought, died, sought after”), although this programmatic suggestion is omitted from the later published score. The opening figure, played pizzicato, introduces an important element in the principal theme, leading through a more lyrical theme, a triplet pattern and a passage treated sequentially in dotted rhythm descending scale figuration to a second subject proper, marked Unpochettino meno mosso. The transitional material all has some place in the development that follows. The strings introduce the B flat major second movement, a simple folk-dance to all appearance, leading to a passage of rapid embroidery from a solo flute, followed by the strings. There is a lyrical E flat section, a Trio. The dance is syncopated by the woodwind and then accompanied by plucked strings. The original key is restored for the slow movement funeral march, introduced by the strings, followed by oboes and horns, joined by the rest of the woodwind. A long-drawn melody appears in the first violins and clarinets, in the key of B flat, and there is a passage of counterpoint, based on a semiquaver subject, through which the rhythm of the march is maintained. The second theme returns in D major, but is replaced by the more solemn mood of the opening, with an air of sinister suspense continued to the end. The last movement opens dramatically, as the strings build up chords of histrionic suggestion, answered by fragments of the important rhythmic figure of the first subject of the opening movement of the symphony. The principal theme of the movement follows, in D major, succeeded by a fine working out of the material here, in a second subject, and in figuration derived from the first movement, all leading to a triumphant conclusion.

Raff’s Jubel-Overtüre may seem somehow familiar to British audiences, based, as it is, on the British national anthem, God save the Queen. Although written shortly after the jubilee of Queen Victoria, it was in fact designed to mark the twenty-fifth year of the reign of Adolf, Duke of Nassau, a reminder that the anthem had been appropriated by a number of German states, among other countries. The melody is treated in a variety of ways, with interesting counterpoint, entrusted at one time to the French horn and at another to piccolo and flute, with a pizzicato accompaniment. Other suitably jubilant material is introduced, with a lyrical theme, before Raff allows himself a fully contrapuntal treatment of the original theme. The lyrical theme reappears in recapitulation before the final coda, which brings the whole anthem into prominence again.

The comic opera Dame Kobold, based by P. Reber on a work by the Spanish playwright Calderón de la Barca, was staged in Weimar in 1870, a year after its completion. The same subject, La dama duende, was later to be used for operas by the conductor-composers Felix Weingartner and Kurt von Wolfurt. Raff’s treatment of the comedy was unkindly described by Liszt as un salmagondis habillement apprêté. The introduction offers a French horn melody, accompanied by plucked strings, answered lyrically by the violins, which take up the theme. The main section of the overture introduces a greater sense of dramatic urgency, while the whole provides a spirited prelude to the comic opera.

Raff’s Festmarsch, Op. 159, displays again his technical skill in orchestration for a relatively conventional complement of instruments. It shows, too, his fluent command of harmonic and melodic idiom, the celebratory element contrasted with more sentimental material that serves as an admirable foil to the principal theme. Keith Anderson

Joachim Raff (1822-1882)
1-4. Symphony No. 6 In D Minor, Op. 189
5. Jubel-Overtüre In C Major, Op. 103    14:32
6. Dame Kobold, Overture, Op. 154    7:33
7. Festmarsch, Op. 159    6:44
Credits :
Orchestra : Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Košice
Conductor – Urs Schneider
Cover painting: “Dents du Midi in Clouds” by Ferdinand Hodler.

JOACHIM RAFF : Symphony No. 7 "In Den Alpen" · Concert Overture, Op. 123 (Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Košice) · Urs Schneider) (1994) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Raff completed his seventh symphony in 1875 and it was first performed in Wiesbaden on 30 December in the same year. The symphony, In the Alps, makes use of themes he had heard in his childhood in Switzerland. The work was not well received in Germany, with critics now tending to condemn perceived defects in his work as a result of “Vielschreiberei”, writing too much. These aspersions on his ability as a composer, apparently because of his fecundity, brought additional doubts and anxieties at a time when he was troubled by the recent death of his mother in Ravensburg.

Symphony No. 7 in B flat major, Opus 201, is scored for full orchestra, pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons and trumpets, four horns, three trombones, timpani and triangle, and strings. It is a descriptive work, evoking the Swiss Alps of Raff’s early years, and the first movement, Wanderung im Hochgebirge, “Wandering in the High Mountains”, starts with impressive grandeur, then turning in its slow introduction to suggestions of the natural beauty of the landscape, as the horns echo each other. The music is dominated by a familiar melody that returns to end the introduction and will be heard again. The principal theme of the Allegro appears first in the bassoon, followed by the flute. A gentler Alpine melody is entrusted to the horn, followed by the oboe, and this and other thematic material is developed with all the craft at Raff’s disposal, with much use of sequence, before the re-appearance of the principal subject in recapitulation, followed by the themes of the second subject group and a fugal treatment of the main theme of the introduction. The second movement, In der Herberge, “In the Inn”, opens in G minor with a gently lilting theme introduced by the strings, joined by bassoons, with a yodelling cello melody in accompaniment, as the music swells into a major key German dance. There is a modulation into C major and a romantic melody introduced by the violas. Clarinets and flutes sport on the slopes in a cheerful E flat, before the return of the G minor theme of the opening, moving forward to a happier triumphant G major before a G minor coda. There follows a slow movement, Am See, “On the Lake”, with a tranquil C major theme given to violas and bassoon, before emerging from the depths with flutes, oboes and horns adding to the picture, to which the timpani add an occasional menacing dimension. The symphony ends with Beim Schwingfest; Abschied, “At the Festival; Departure”. The Schwingfest is a peculiarly Swiss sport for festival days. Here contestants try to throw each other, using the left hand, with the right hand in the belt. The music represents the sport with cheerful lightheartedness. The first theme is followed by a clod-hopping heavy-footed measure from the bass instruments. The dotted rhythms of a fiercer G minor episode usher in contrapuntal treatment of earlier themes, reminiscences even of the opening of the symphony, before a triumphant and very Swiss conclusion to a work that is further testimony to the technical proficiency of Raff and to his creativity as a symphonist.

Raff completed his F major Concert Overture in 1862 and published it with a dedication to Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Constantin zu Hohenzollern-Hechingen in respectful gratitude. At this period Raff was very much in Wagner’s circle at Biebrich, and his sister-in-law, Emilie Genast, gave the first performance of Wagner’s settings of poems by his beloved Mathilde Wesendonck in the year of the Concert Overture. The work is scored for the usual full orchestra and opens, as overtures should, with a strong call to the listener’s attention, followed by a gentler theme, developed before a more energetic section that continues the material of the opening into a lyrical subsidiary theme. The later treatment of the themes includes contrapuntal display, with the whole overture an example of the composer’s assured technique in handling the orchestra and in the creation of a convincing, unified and effective structure from his material. Keith Anderson

Joachim Raff (1822-1882)
1-4. Symphony No. 7 In B Flat Major, Op. 201 "In Den Alpen"
5. Concert Overture In F Major, Op. 123    9:57
Credits :
Orchestra : Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Košice
Conductor – Urs Schneider
Cover [Painting - The Black Monk and the Bernese Alps] – Ferdinand Hodler

JOACHIM RAFF : Symphonies No. 8 "Frühlingsklänge" · No. 9 "Im Sommer" (Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Košice) · Urs Schneider) (1992) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Joachim Raff was remembered by a generation for his famous Cavatina, a composition that hardly does justice to the extent and quality of the music he wrote. Others may recall Raff as a footnote in the life of Liszt, with whom he was briefly associated in Weimar, charged with the orchestration of the master’s first symphonic poems. Raff was the son of an organist and teacher who had left his native Württemberg to avoid conscription into the French army and had settled in Switzerland. He was born at Lachen, near Zürich, in 1882, and was trained as a teacher at the Jesuit College in Schwyz, where he distinguished himself. In 1840 he began to teach at a primary school in Rapperswil, remaining there until 1844. He had already had instruction in music from his father, whom he had also served as a copyist, and had taught himself what he could in the course of his academic studies. Stimulated by the friends he found in Rapperswil, and in particular by Franz Abt, Kapellmeister in Zürich, he turned his attention to composition, dedicating his Opus 7 Rondo brillant to Abt. In 1844 a group of his piano pieces were published, on the recommendation of Mendelssohn, encouragement that proved decisive in his choice of career. Moving to Zürich, he set about earning a living from music, organising ambitious concerts at the resort of Bad Nuolen, but finding increasing difficulty in supporting himself. The following year he went on foot to Basel to attend a concert by Liszt. Arriving there too late to buy a ticket, he was fortunate enough to meet Liszt’s secretary Belloni, who introduced him to his master. Liszt insisted that Raff should be given a place on the concert platform and afterwards invited him to accompany him on his concert tour from Zürich to Strasburg, Bonn and Cologne, securing for him a place in a music shop in this last city. From there Raff moved to Stuttgart, where he met Hans von Bülow and contemplated lessons with Mendelssohn, a plan frustrated by the latter’s death in 1847. With the further help of Liszt he then moved to Hamburg to work as an arranger for a publisher and in 1850 moved again, joining Liszt in Weimar, assisting him in orchestration, copying and arranging music. He remained in Weimar until 1856, growing increasingly impatient with the perceived jealousy of Liszt’s mistress, the Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein, and with the anomaly of his position. It was in Weimar, however, that he met the daughter of the stage-director of the Court Theatre, Eduard Genast, whose daughter Doris became his wife, once he had moved to Wiesbaden. There he established himself as a composer and musician of importance. In 1877 he was appointed director of the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, remaining there until his death in 1882.

Raff completed twelve symphonies, the first of which, an early work, has been lost. He completed his Eighth Symphony, Frühlingsklänge, in 1876, following it in 1878 with his Ninth, Im Sommer. Two further symphonies, Zur Herbstzeit in 1878 and the earlier composed Der Winter, completed in 1876 but published in 1883, make up the four seasons. The musical celebrations of spring and of summer are written in an immediately attractive and approachable style, scored for a relatively modest orchestra of classical rather than Wagnerian dimensions. The Eighth Symphony opens by welcoming the returning spring, following this with the dance of Walpurgisnacht, the night of 1 May, when witches are about. The first blooms of spring lead to a romantic movement of Wanderlust, evoked by the season when the young may wander to their hearts’ content. The Ninth Symphony opens in the heat of summer, proceeding in its second movement to an elvish hunting-party. A pastoral eclogue then leads to a final celebration of the harvest. Keith Anderson

Joachim Raff (1822-1882)
1-4. Symphony No. 8 In A Major "Frühlingsklänge", Op. 205 
5-8. Symphony No. 9 In E Minor, "Im Sommer", Op. 208
Credits :
Orchestra : Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Košice
Conductor – Urs Schneider
Painting [Cover "Blossoming"] – Ferdinand Hodler

JOACHIM RAFF : Symphony No.3 "In The Forest" · Symphony No.10 "In Autumn" (Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Košice) · Urs Schneider) (1990) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The third of Raff’s eleven symphonies, which bears the title Im Walde (“In the Forest”), was written in 1869 and won its composer considerable success. In Wiesbaden, where he had settled after leaving Weimar, he was eventually free of immediate material worries and could devote himself largely to his work as a composer. The Wald-Symphonie was one of the most significant results of this period of his life and was regarded for long as his masterpiece. The work is in four movements, included in three parts. The first part, Am Tage (“By Day”), like the Tenth Symphony, gives impressions and feelings aroused by the forest. The second part, which includes a slow movement and the counterpart of a Scherzo, moves to evening twilight, In der Dämmerung, with Träumerei (“Dreams”) and a following Tanz der Dryaden (“Dance of the Dryads”), in the spirit of Mendelssohn. The third part, Nachts (“At Night”), has a more explicit programme. The stillness of the night is followed by the wild hunt of Teutonic mythology, led by Wotan (“Odin”) and the wintry Frau Holle. Dawn breaks and the symphony ends in triumph.

The tenth of the symphonies, Zur Herbstzeit (“In Autumn”), was written in 1879, after Raff’s removal to Frankfurt and at a time when he was occupied with a number of larger scale works. Following tradition in its structure, the symphony declares its programme in its general title and in the descriptive titles of the movements. It forms one of a final group of symphonies depicting the four seasons of the year, No. 8, Frühlingsklänge (“Sounds of Spring”); No. 9, Im Sommer (“In Summer”), the present work, and his last symphony, No. 11, Der Winter (“Winter”). The first movement of Symphony No. 10 sets the mood, with its evocation of a season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Phantom drums and double basses introduce the ghostly dance of the second movement, a mysterious waltz dispelled momentarily by a chorale. There follows a sustained elegy for the passing year and a final seasonal hunt, appropriately introduced, but allowing occasional rest from the chase. Keith Anderson

Joachim Raff (1822-1882)
1-4. Symphony #10 in F Minor, Opus 213 "Zur Herbstzeit"
5-8. Symphony #3 In F Major, Opus 153 "Im Walde
Credits :
Orchestra : Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Košice
Conductor – Urs Schneider
Painting – Ferdinand Hodler

JOACHIM RAFF : Symphonies Nos. 4 And 11 "Der Winter" (Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Košice) · Urs Schneider) (1993) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The last of Raff’s symphonies, No. 11 in A minor, Der Winter, was left unfinished at the time of his death, and was later prepared for publication by Max Erdmannsdörfer. The symphony is scored for an orchestra of pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, with four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, triangle and strings. The first movement suggests, in accordance with its programmatic title Der erste Schnee, “The First Snow”, the cold of winter, the delight that snow can bring, as well as its harsher aspect, with hints at times of Russian temperatures. A folk-song-like melody opens the A major second movement. The storms of winter intervene, only partly dispelled by the first appearance of the trumpets. The F major slow movement is spent, very properly, at the fireside, as the plucked strings accompany a melody played by the bassoon, soon joined by horn, then oboe and clarinet, as the music swells. The last movement Karneval opens in a firm A major, a call to celebration, followed by a contrapuntal start to the movement proper, the double basses answered by cellos, violas and second violins in turn, before the entry of the woodwind and music that, as it unfolds, brings a lively procession of characters in cheerful celebration. Keith Anderson

Joachim Raff (1822-1882)
1-4. Symphony No. 4 In G Minor, Op. 167
5-8.Symphony No. 11 In A Minor, Op. 214 "Der Winter"
Credits :
Orchestra : Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Košice
Conductor – Urs Schneider
Painting – Ferdinand Hodler

BÉLA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES — Bela Fleck And The Flecktones (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After disbanding New Grass Revival, Béla Fleck began re-creating the role of the banjo in the same way Charlie Parker redefined the role of the saxophone. But Fleck may be the least innovative member of this quartet: Howard Levy gets chromatics from his blues harp, Victor Wooten picks banjo rolls on his bass, and Roy "Future Man" Wooten plays a Frankenstein-monster drum-machine/guitar synthesizer. For all the flash, there's little pretense; the group's astonishing musicianship keeps an "aw-shucks" accessibility that lets everybody follow the melody while they marvel. Brian Mansfield
Tracklist :
1. Sea Brazil 3:41
 Béla Fleck 
2. Frontiers 6:10
 Béla Fleck 
3. Hurricane Camille 2:34
 Béla Fleck 
4. Half Moon Bay 5:10
 Béla Fleck 
5. The Sinister Minister 4:38
 Béla Fleck 
6. Sunset Road 5:01
 Béla Fleck 
7. Flipper 4:19
 Béla Fleck 
8. Space Is A Lonely Place 4:00
 Béla Fleck 
9. They're Here 4:28
 Béla Fleck 
10. Reflections Of Lucy 3:38
 Béla Fleck / John Lennon / Paul McCartney 
11. Tell It To The Gov'nor 4:06
 Béla Fleck 
Credits :
Banjo – Bela Fleck
Bass – Victor Lemonte Wooten
Electronic Drums [Synth-axe Drumitar] – Roy Wooten
Harmonica, Keyboards, Jew's Harp, Guiro – Howard Levy 

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA — Such Sweet Thunder (1957) Two Version | Jazz Originals Series | MONO | Columbia Jazz, Duke 100 Years | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Such Sweet Thunder is the 1957 album by Duke Ellington. This is taken from the 1999 Legacy edition released by Sony on 27 April, 1999 and features different takes during these sessions, including alternate, preferred, and different outtakes.
The 1999 reissue of this album marks a total reconstruction and rethinking of the original LP, and such a complete break from the original album that its story could fill a book. Such Sweet Thunder was originally announced as a stereo and mono release, but only showed up in mono thanks to the technical problems inherent in early stereo, in creating a concert-like ambience in which the performance seemed continuous. The reissue presents the original album as it was intended, using alternate takes from the original sessions, plus the stereo masters of the takes used on the original album, all rounded out with a mono outtake or two. The music itself counts among Ellington's most well-realized "concept projects," all inspired by Shakespeare's work and filled with memorable melodies and ample opportunities for solos by Cat Anderson, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, and Quentin Jackson. The Ellington-Strayhorn compositions treat their soloists like actors doing scenes and, in effect, playing parts, even quoting lines after a fashion – Clark Terry "plays" Puck in "Up and Down, Up and Down (I Will Lead Them Up and Down)," and Johnny Hodges turns in one of the most sensuous performances of his career for "Half the Fun," from Antony and Cleopatra. These moments more than justify the cost of the CD, and the bonus tracks, many of which are different takes and others are simply material that came from the same sessions, more than double the length of the original LP. The extended notes by Phil Schaap deserve some kind of award for detail and clarity. Bruce Eder
Tracklist :
 1 - Such Sweet Thunder 3:22
  Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
2 - Sonnet For Caesar 3:00
  Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
3 - Sonnet To Hank Cinq 1:24
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
4 - Lady Mac 3:41
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
5 - Sonnet In Search Of A Moor 2:22
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
6 - The Telecasters 3:05
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
7 - Up And Down, Up And Down (I Will Lead Them Up & Down) 3:09
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
8 - Sonnet For Sister Kate 2:24
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
9 - The Star-Crossed Lovers (aka Pretty Girl) 4:00
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
10 - Madness In Great Ones (Hamlet) 3:26
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
11 - Half The Fun (aka Lately) 4:19
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
12 - Circle Of Fourths 1:45
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
13 - The Star-Crossed Lovers (aka Pretty Girl) 4:15
  Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
14 - Circle Of Fourths [stereo LP master] 1:47
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
15 - Suburban Beauty [master take] 2:56
 Duke Ellington
16 - A Flat Minor [preferred take] 2:33
 Duke Ellington 
17 - Cafe Au Lait [preferred take] 2:49
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
18 - Half The Fun (aka Lately) [alternate take] 4:08
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
19 - Suburban Beauty [alternate take] 2:56
 Duke Ellington  
20 - A Flat Minor [outtakes] 3:49
 Duke Ellington 
21 - Cafe Au Lait [outtakes - mono] 6:21
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
22 - Pretty Girl (aka The Star-Crossed Lovers) [first recording] 8:54
 Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn 
23 - [end]
Credits :
Duke Ellington - Piano
Russell Procope - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet
Johnny Hodges - Alto Saxophone
Jimmy Hamilton - Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet
Paul Gonsalves - Tenor Saxophone
Harry Carney - Baritone Saxophone
"Cat" Anderson, Ray Nance, Clark Terry, Willie Cook - Trumpet
John Sanders, Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson - Trombone
Jimmy Woode - Bass
Sam Woodyard - Drums 

JOHN ABERCROMBIE · DON THOMPSON — Witchcraft (1986-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For followers who bemoan guitarist John Abercrombie's tendency to record rather adventurous albums with an often electronically treated tone, Witchcraft will be a delight. On this duo recording with bassist Don Thompson (who also plays piano on three tracks), the guitarists' sound is untreated, and the repertoire is standards. The two play well together, and there are some lovely moments on the record. The title track finds Abercrombie using the differing tonal qualities of his guitar's open strings to give the melody a unique interpretation. The sole original on the record, "Fall Colours" (credited to both writers, although the Canadian spelling may reveal the true author), is based on the standard "Autumn Leaves." Abercrombie sounds fine here, if at times pretty rather than substantial. He prefers to play in long single-note lines, rather than taking the more chordal approach many guitarists attempt in such a stripped-down setting. Thompson is a highly interactive bass player with enviable technique, allowing him to play melodic, fluid solos throughout. There seem to be several sound problems on Witchcraft; the recording level is very low, and a rattling sound often accompanies the musicians' louder notes, which grows to be quite distracting on repeated listenings. Dan Cross  
Tracklist :
1     Ev'rything I Love 5:59
Cole Porter
2     Somethime Ago 5:33
Sergio Mihanovich
3     Witchcraft 6:04
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
4     My Foolish Heart 8:50
Ned Washington / Victor Young
5     Fall Colours 6:11
John Abercrombie / Don Thompson
6     I'm Getting Sentimental over You 5:56
George Bassman / Ned Washington
7     Peace 5:41
Horace Silver
8     You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To 7:00
Cole Porter
9     You Don't Know What Love Is 8:43
Gene DePaul / Don Raye
Credits :
Double Bass, Piano, Engineer, Producer – Don Thompson
Guitar, Producer – John Abercrombie

ROY HARGROVE & ANTONIO HART — The Tokyo Sessions (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Trumpeter Roy Hargrove and alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, two of the finest contemporary hard boppers, made a potent team on this CD featuring sessions recorded in Tokyo during 1991. Hargrove's fierce trumpet solos and Hart's bluesy, equally energetic and accomplished answering alto statements fueled nine excellent reworkings of standards and jazz repertory. The quintet performed such established material as Oscar Pettiford's "Bohemia After Dark," and Thelonious Monk's "Straight No Chaser," and Kenny Dorham's "Lotus Blossom," as well as Cole Porter's "Easy To Love," with confidence and in a smooth yet expressive style. It would still be nice to hear Hart and Hargrove doing their own material rather than simply putting their spin on shopworn, though wonderful, anthems. Ron Wynn
Tracklist : 
1 Bohemia After Dark 5:04
Written-By – Oscar Pettiford
2 Love Your Spell Is Everywhere 6:20
Written-By – Edmund Goulding, Elsie Janis
3 Work Song 6:45
Written-By – Nat Adderly, Oscar Brown Jr.
4 I Remember Clifford 7:00
Written-By – Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks
5 Straight No Chaser 4:46
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
6 But Not For Me 6:05
Written-By – Ira Gershwin - George Gershwin
7 Alone Together 7:33
Written-By – Howard Dietz - Arthur Schwartz
8 Lotus Blossom 5:29
Written-By – Kenny Dorham
9 Easy To Love 6:35
Written-By – Cole Porter
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Antonio Hart
Arranged By – Antonio Hart, Roy Hargrove
 Bass – Tomoyuki Shima
 Drums – Masahiko Osaka
 Piano – Yutaka Shiina
 Trumpet – Roy Hargrove

LUIZ BONFÁ —Jacarandá (1973) Vinyl LP | FLAC (tracks) 24-96Hz

After the initial shockwaves of Miles Davis' seminal fusion recordings began to settle, jazz rock fusion began to become a genre unto itself. What Miles had created as a way of opening both the disciplines up to one another -- in the same manner that bossa nova and rhythm and blues did in the 1960s -- created a slew of musical possibilities before fusion closed in on itself in the later 1970s and became its own restrictive genre, full of sterile, workmanlike chops, and endlessly repetitive rhythmic constructs. But perhaps no one, not even Weather Report's Joe Zawinul or Creed Taylor at CTI realized the full aesthetic and panoramic potential of fusing seemingly disparate elements together in an entirely new tapestry, the way that Brazilian composer and guitarist Luiz Bonfá did on Jacarandá in 1973. His collaborators, producer John Wood and arranger/conductor Eumir Deodato, assembled a huge cast of musicians in both New York and Los Angeles, and came up with nothing short of a grooving, blissed-out masterpiece of fusion exotica. The cast of players is in and of itself dizzying: Airto, Deodato, Bonfá on acoustic guitars, Stanley Clarke, Wood, Mark Drury, Ray Barretto, John Tropea (on electric guitars), Bill Watrous, Randy Brecker, Idris Muhammad, Jerry Dodgion, Sonny Boyer, Phil Bodner, Maria Toledo, and many others -- including full string and horn sections. The ambitious Deodato charts opened up the principals and brought hard Afro-Cuban rhythms, softer Brazilian ones, funky riffing soul and R&B interludes, and classical themes and variations, as well as sophisticated jazz harmonics and syncopation to a collection of tunes by Bonfá and others. Sound like a mess? Hardly. This is one of the most disciplined and ambitions recordings to be issued during that decade. Here Bonfá's gorgeous palette of samba and bossa melodies is married to film score dynamics, lush romantic cadenzas, smoking jazz grooves and cultured extrapolations of folk and popular music schemas. creating a stunning mosaic of color, release, pastoral elegance and bad-ass, intoxicating, polyrhythmic Latin soul vistas. While the entire album flows form front to back with seamless ease, there are a few standouts. The opener, "Apache Talk," features Barretto's congas creating a bottom for Muhammad's brushes and snare, as Clarke's bass plays one note insistently and hypnotically before Wood's Rhodes and finally Bonfá's 12-string come shimmering in with a funky urgency that is underscored by Tropea's bluesy fills. When the horns finally enter, the entire thing is popping and grooving on its own punchy axis. It's a wonder that Gilles Peterson hasn't picked up on this cut yet. Elsewhere, Bonfá's velvety tropical read of Enriqué Granados' "Dance No. 5," with its slippery classical guitar and extended harmonic palette, is a whispering wonder of sensual delight. The minor-key riffing in "Strange Message" that becomes a full-blown soundtrack-esque anthem is a wonder, and the jazzy soul of the title track with Drury's popping stand-up bass playing counterpoint to Bonfá's 12-string before Muhammad and Wood kick it on the funky side is breathtaking (Man, if Ralph Towner could only play 12-string like this, he might have been a contender!). Reissued on the JR label, in magnificent, warm, crystalline, 24-bit remastered sound, the album contains an excellent essay on Bonfá by executive producer Arnaldo DeSouteiro. This is the great fusion album that was never released here in the States, where the full possibilities of the new music were personified. If ever there were a case to order a CD online, this is it. It's so fine it's hardly even believable. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <- 
Tracklist :
1.    Apache Talk 5:21
Written-By – Luiz Bonfá
2.    Empty Room 6:55
Written-By – Luiz Bonfá
3.    The Gentle Rain 5:35
Written-By – Luiz Bonfá
4.    Dance No. 5 6:47
Adapted By – Luiz Bonfá
Written-By – Enrique Granados
5.    Song Thoughts 3:25
Written, Arranged By – Luiz Bonfá 
6.    You Or Not To Be 2:31
Written-By – Octavio Burnier
7.    Don Quijote 3:30
Written, Arranged By – Luiz Bonfá 
8.    Strange Message 3:28
Written-By – Luiz Bonfá
9.    Jacarandá 4:09
Written, Arranged By – Luiz Bonfá 
10.    Sun Flower 5:23
Written-By – Luiz Bonfá
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Mark Drury (tracks: 7, 9)
Acoustic Guitar [6 & 12-String] – Luiz Bonfá
Arco Bass – Alvin Brehm, Russ Savakus
Backing Vocals – Luiz Bonfá, Maria Toledo, Sonia Burnier
Bass Trombone – Tony Studd
Cello – Alan Shulman, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Gloria Lanzarone
Concertmaster, Violin – Harry Lookofsky
Congas – Ray Barretto
Contractor [Strings] – Alfred Brown
Drums – Idris Muhammad, Richard O'Connell (tracks: 9)
Electric Bass – Stanley Clarke
Electric Guitar – John Tropea
Electric Piano – John Wood (tracks: 3, 9)
Flute [Solos], Oboe, Clarinet, English Horn – Phil Bodner
Flute, Alto Saxophone – Jerry Dodgion
Flute, Bass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone – Romeo Penque
French Horn – Jim Buffington, Peter Gordon (8)
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Arranged, Conductor – Eumir Deodato
Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Boyer
Trombone – Bill Watrous, Garnett Brown, Wayne Andre
Trumpet – Burt Collins, John Frosk, Marky Markowitz
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Marvin Stamm, Randy Brecker
Viola – Alfred Brown, Emanuel Vardi, Harold Coletta, Selwart Clarke
Violin – David Nadien, Elliot Rosoff, Gene Orloff, Harold Kohon, Harry Cykman, Harry Katzman, Irving Spice, Joe Malin, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman

BENNY GOLSON — Turning Point (1963-2002) RM | Immortal Jazz On Mercury Series – 20 | FLAC (tracks) 24-44.1Hz

Renamed Turning Point upon one of its reissues, this quartet set for tenor saxophonist Benny Golson was the beginning of the close of an era. Within a year, Golson would be working full-time as a writer in the studios, and he de-emphasized his playing until making a comeback in the late 1970s. Golson is heard on this LP for one of the last times playing in his original Don Byas/Lucky Thompson-influenced style. Joined by pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb, Golson performs two originals, plus five superior standards, including "How Am I To Know," "Three Little Words" and "Alone Together." A rewarding but sadly out-of-print set. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 How Am I To Know 3:47
 (Dorothy Parker / Jack King)
2 (I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over 4:38
 (Herb Magidson / Allie Wrubel)
3 Dear Kathy 4:46
 (Benny Golson) 
4 Three Little Words 4:38
 (Ruby & Kalmer)
5 Turning Point 3:56
 (Benny Golson) 
6 Stella By Starlight 4:50
 (Victor Young / Ned Washington)
7 Alone Together 7:30
 (Dietz & Schwatz)
Credits :
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – Jimmy Cobb
Piano – Wynton Kelly
Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson

THE TOSHIKO TRIO — George Wein Presents Toshiko (1956-2008) Storyville Papersleeve Collection Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Discovered by Oscar Peterson during a Jazz at the Philharmonic tour of Japan, Toshiko Akiyoshi's first recording in the U.S. didn't take place until 1954, though she recorded in Japan for Norman Granz's Norgran label prior to this trio session. Joined by drummer Ed Thigpen, and the young bassist Paul Chambers, the 24-year-old pianist is already an impressive player. This date for George Wein's Storyville label focuses mostly on her originals, which include the dreamy ballad "Kyo-Shu (Nostalgia)," and the intricate bop vehicle "Homework." The two standards include a Bud Powell-influenced arrangement of "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise," and a superb, lush "It Could Happen to You." Long out of print, this highly recommended LP was reissued on vinyl by both Black Lion in Europe and Trio in Japan during the 1970s, but it evidently has not yet appeared on CD. Ken Dryden

Tracklist : 

1 Between Me And Myself 5:15

Written-By – Toshiko

2 It Could Happen To You 3:55

Written-By – Burke-Van Heusen

3 Kyo-Shu (Nostalgia) 3:39

Written-By – Toshiko

4 Homework 3:38

Written-By – Toshiko

5 Manhattan Address 2:43

Written-By – Toshiko

6 Sunday Afternoon 4:15

Written-By – Toshiko

7 Blues For Toshiko 5:10

Written-By – Toshiko

8 Soshu No Yoru 1:35

Written-By [Japanese] – Traditional

9 Softly As In A Morning Sunrise 4:05

Written-By – Hammerstein II, Romberg

Credits :

Bass – Paul Chambers 

Drums – Edmund Thigpen

Piano – Toshiko Akiyoshi 

AL JARREAU — My Old Friend : Celebrating George Duke (2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Al Jarreau got his start playing in a jazz trio led by pianist/keyboardist George Duke, so it is fitting that Jarreau pays tribute to Duke, who passed away in 2013, on his 2014 album My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke. It was while working as a vocal rehab counselor at a hospital in San Francisco in the late '60s that Jarreau began singing with Duke's trio. It was also due in part to the popularity of these early performances that both musicians' storied solo careers were launched. On My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke, Jarreau delves into a batch of Duke compositions with a select group of guest artists, many of whom also had connections to Duke. Joining Jarreau here are such luminaries as Gerald Albright, Lalah Hathaway, Jeffrey Osborne, Dianne Reeves, and others. Similarly, backing Jarreau at various times is a superb ensemble of musicians including bassist Stanley Clarke (who also produced the album), keyboardists John Beasley and Patrice Rushen, guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., and drummer John "J.R." Robinson. In fact, Duke himself makes an appearance here via the wonders of modern technology on the languidly romantic "Bring Me Joy." Elsewhere, Jarreau turns his sonorous, joyful voice to such Duke songs as "Sweet Baby," "No Rhyme, No Reason," "You Touch My Brain," and more. Ultimately, My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke is a heartfelt tribute album that, as with many of Jarreau and Duke's previous albums, feels fresh, warm, and full of love. Matt Collar  
Tracklist :
1 My Old Friend 4:57
Backing Vocals – Jeffrey Osborne, Katriz Trinidad, Patrick Lundquist, Porcha Clay
Bass – Stanley Clarke
Drums – John Robinson
Featuring – Gerald Albright
Guitar – Paul Jackson Jr.
Keyboards, Piano – Patrice Rushen
Producer – John Burk, Stanley Clarke
Saxophone – Gerald Albright
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – John Lang, Richard Page, Steve George
2 Someday 4:21
Bass – Marcus Miller
Drums – John Robinson
Featuring – Dianne Reeves
Guitar – Jubu
Keyboards – John Beasley
Producer – John Burk, Marcus Miller
Vocals – Al Jarreau, Dianne Reeves
Written-By – George Duke
3 Churchyheart (Backyard Ritual) 4:56
Bass, Bass Clarinet, Programmed By – Marcus Miller
Drums – John Robinson
Featuring – Marcus Miller
Guitar – Jubu
Keyboards – John Beasley
Lyrics By – Al Jarreau
Music By – George Duke
Producer – John Burk, Marcus Miller
Trumpet – Mike Cotton
Vocals – Al Jarreau
4 Somebossa (Summer Breezin') 4:41
Backing Vocals – Patrick Lundquist
Bass – Stanley Clarke
Drums – John Robinson
Featuring – Gerald Albright
Guitar – Paul Jackson Jr.
Keyboards – Greg Phillinganes
Lyrics By – Al Jarreau, George Duke, Patrick Lundquist
Music By – George Duke
Percussion – Lenny Castro
Producer – John Burk, Stanley Clarke
Saxophone – Gerald Albright
5 Sweet Baby 4:31
Backing Vocals – Patrick Lundquist
Bass, Backing Vocals – Stanley Clarke
Drums – John Robinson
Featuring – Lalah Hathaway
Guitar – Paul Jackson Jr.
Keyboards, Piano – Greg Phillinganes
Percussion – Lenny Castro
Producer – John Burk, Stanley Clarke
Vocals – Al Jarreau, Lalah Hathaway
Written-By – George Duke
6 Every Reason To Smile / Wings Of Love 3:51
Backing Vocals – Fred Martin, Katriz Trinidad, Patrick Lundquist, Porcha Clay
Bass – Stanley Clarke
Drums – John Robinson
Featuring – Jeffrey Osborne
Guitar – Paul Jackson Jr.
Keyboards, Piano – Patrice Rushen
Producer – John Burk, Stanley Clarke
Vocals – Al Jarreau, Jeffrey Osborne
Written-By – George Duke, Jeffrey Osborne, Peter Schless, Stanley Clarke
7 No Rhyme, No Reason 4:05
Drums – Rob Bacon
Featuring – Kelly Price
Keyboards – Brandon Coleman
Percussion – Lenny Castro
Producer – Boney James
Programmed By – Boney James
Vocals – Al Jarreau, Kelly Price
Written-By – George Duke
8 Bring Me Joy 4:36
Bass – Alex Al
Drums – Omari Williams
Featuring – Boney James, George Duke
Guitar – Rob Bacon
Keyboards – George Duke
Percussion – Lenny Castro
Producer – Boney James
Tenor Saxophone – Boney James
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – George Duke
9 Brazilian Love Affair / Up From The Sea / It Arose And Ate Rio In One Swift Bite 4:46
Backing Vocals – Fred Martin, Katriz Trinidad, Patrick Lundquist, Porcha Clay
Bass – Stanley Clarke
Drums – John Robinson
Featuring – Dianne Reeves
Guitar – Paul Jackson Jr.
Keyboards – Patrice Rushen
Percussion – Lenny Castro
Producer – John Burk, Stanley Clarke
Producer [Additional] – Chris Dunn
Vocals – Al Jarreau, Dianne Reeves
Written-By – George Duke
10 You Touch My Brain 4:44
Backing Vocals – Patrick Lundquist
Bass – Marcus Miller
Drums – John Robinson
Featuring – Dr. John
Guitar – Jubu
Keyboards – John Beasley
Producer – John Burk, Marcus Miller
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Vocals, Piano – Dr. John
Written-By – George Duke

MARTHA ARGERICH — Edition Solos & Duos (2011) 6CD BOX-SET | Martha Argerich Edition Series | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

'Argerich brings to bear qualities that are seldon contained in one person,' wrote Alex Ross in the New Yorker. 'She is a pianist of brainteasing technical agility; she is a charismatic woman with na enigmatic reputation; she is na unaffected interpreter whose native language is music.' Here, Argerich inhabits solo Works by Chopin and Schumann and, in a kaleidoscope of duo repertorie, collaborates with fellow pianists such as Anderszewski, Bronfman, Freire, Kovacevich, Montero, Rabinovitch and Zilberstein.
Tracklist :
CD1. (70:35)
 Chopin : Piano Sonata No. 3 · Mazurkas Op.39
 Schuman : Kinderszenen
CD2. (79:41)
 Schumann : Andante & Variations K501
 Mozart : Andante
 Mozart / Grieg : Piano Sonatas K545
 Mozart / Busoni : Fantasie
 Liszt : Réminiscences de Don Juan · Conerto Pathetique
CD3. (71:41)
 Mendelssohn : A Midsummer Night's Dreams
 Brahms : Sonata in F Minor for two pianos · Haydn Variations
CD4. (70:0+)
 Rachmaninov : Suites 1 & 2 for two pianos · Six Morceaux Op. 11
CD5. (71:57)
 Prokofiev : Symphony No. 1 'Classical'
 Tchaikovsky : The Nutcraker - Suite
 Shostakovich : Concertino for two pianos
 Ravel : Ma Mère l'Oye - Suite
 Lutoslawski : Paganini Variations
CD6. (77:03)
 Messiaen : Visions de l'Amen
 Gustavino : Tres Romances argentinos
 Piazzolla : Three Tangos 
Credits :
Martha Argerich with
Piotr Anderszewski · Yefim Bronfman · Gabriela Montero · Nelson Freire · Lilya Zilberstein · Stephen Kovacevitch · Alexandre Rabinovitch ...

MARTHA ARGERICH — Edition Concertos (2011) 4CD BOX-SET | Martha Argerich Edition Series | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Martha Argerich Edition: Concertos is one of several box sets issued in 2011 in honor of her 70th birthday. These four discs gather ten complete concertos recorded between 1997 and 2009 for EMI. As an artist as well-known for her loyalty to particular repertoire and particular musicians, most of these works have been recorded by Argerich multiple times. Prokofiev's Concerto No. 3, one of the first concertos she ever recorded, is here in a 1997 performance with conductor Charles Dutoit, one of her best collaborators. The two recorded both Chopin concertos the following year, also included here. Others of Argerich's most frequent collaborators are found on Beethoven's Triple Concerto: Renaud Capuçon, Mischa Maisky, and Alexandre Rabinovitch. The recordings of fellow pianist Mikhail Pletnev's Fantasia elvetica and of Falla's Noches en los jardines de España come from her Lugano Festival, an annual event founded in 2002 where Argerich gathers friends -- her familiar collaborators and new, promising, young musicians -- for music-making. The collection unfortunately does not include Ravel's Concerto in G, the other concerto typically noted as one of Argerich's best interpretations. Yet, it should very well satisfy those who want to get to know Argerich's work in the concerto repertoire as a mature musician at the height of her talent. Patsy Morita
Tracklist :
CD1. (69:02)
 Chopin : Piano Concertos 1 & 2 
CD2. (70:10)
 Prokofiev : Piano Concertos 1 & 3
 Bartók : Piano Concerto No.3
CD3. (64:35)
 Beethoven : Triple Concerto
 Schumann : Piano Concerto
CD4. (77:20)
 Shostakovich : Piano Concerto No. 1
 De Falla : Noches em los Jardines de España
 Pletnev : Fantasia elvetica

MARTHA ARGERICH — Edition Chamber Music (2011) 8CD BOX-SET | Martha Argerich Edition Series | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Perhaps the world's most charismatic pianista, Martha Argerich is also a generous and convivial colleage - a virtuoso who eschews solo recitals in favour of chamber music. Indeed, with the Martha Argerich Project in Lugano, she has become the linchpin of a festival devoted to ensemble performance.
This 8-CD set sees Argerich collaborating with na array of colleagues that includes Itzhak Perlman, Maxim Vergerov, Renaud Capuçon, Misha Maisky, Gautier Capuçon, and Micahel Collins.
CD1.
Beethoven : Violin Sonata No.9 “Kreutzer"
Franck : Violin Sonata in A major
CD2.
Beethoven : Piano Quartet in C major WoO36 No.3 · Clarinet Trio, op.11 · Piano Trio in D major, op.70 No.1 “Ghost”
Chopin : Intoduction and Polonaise brillante 
CD3.
Schumann : Violin Sonata No.1 & 2 · Fantasiestücke op.73 · Märchenbilder, op.113
CD4.
Schumann : Piano Quintet · Piano Quartet · Andante and Variations, op.46
CD5.
Haydn : Piano Trio in G major, Hob.XV:25 “Gipsy Trio”
Mendelssohn : Piano Trio No.1 i
Schumann : Fantasiestücke, op.88
Debussy : Cello Sonata · La plus que lente · Minstrels · Prélude No.12
CD6.
Franck : Cello Sonata 
Bartók : Violin Sonata No.1 · Contrasts 
CD7.
Shostakovich : Piano Quintet · Piano trio No.2 in E minor, op.67
Leoš Janáček : Concertino
CD8.
Schumann : Piano Quintet · Violin Sonata No.2 · Fantasiestücke, op.73

GUITARS UNLIMITED — Quiet Nights And Brazilian Guitars (1966-2013) RM | ジャズ＆ボサノバ名盤ベスト＆モア Series | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Yet another record of instrumental hits meant to cash in on the bossa nova craze, or L.A. session musicians at the top of their game? Certainly fans of Howard Roberts, once a recording artist for Verve, will not want to miss this one, as the cool guitarist lends solos to all but one of the tracks here, a usual assortment of Jobim and Gilberto tunes and soundalikes. No strings anywhere on the album, and arranger Jack Marshall keeps things light and lively. Easy to find in cut-out bins and certainly worth the dollar or two price. Ted Mills

Tracklist :

1. The Girl from Ipanema (Jobim) - 2:44
2. Manha de Carnival (Theme from "Black Orpheus") (Bonfa) - 2:42
 3. Meditation (Meditacao) (Jobim) - 3:06
4. Here Lies Love (Marshall-Mosher) - 2:26
5. Ho-Ba-La-La (Gilberto) - 2:18
6. Bim-Bom (Gilberto) - 2:23
7. Desafinado (Jobim) - 2:41
8. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) (Jobim) - 2:03
9. One Note Samba (Samba de Uma Nota So) (Jobim) - 2:34
10. These Are the Ways of Love (Marshall-Mosher) - 2:37
11. O Barquinho (Little Boat) (Menescal-Boscoli) - 2:32
Credits :
Jack Marshall - Conductor, Arranger, Guitar (2, 5, 7, 11)
Howard Roberts, Bob Bain, Tony Rizzo, Al Hendrikson, Tommy Tedesco, Laurindo Almeida (1, 3, 4, 6, 8-10) alternating with Rosinha de Valenca - Guitar
Shelly Manne, Milton Holland - Drums, Percussion
Frank Flynn - Bells (1,3,4,6,8-10)
Joe Mondragon - Bass
Produced by Jack Marshall and David Cavanaugh.