Glory (original motion picture soundtrack)

$74.95

The Royal Ballet has historically been the most highly sought after of the RCA Living Stereo releases. Recorded in Kingsway Hall by the legendary Kenneth Wilkinson, this title features selections from The Nutcracker Suite, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty among others. The performances are conducted by Ernest Ansermet directing the Royal Opera House Orchestra and the sonics are incomparable.

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$40.95

At first sight Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas appear to occupy only a subordinate role when placed alongside his great symphonic works and the piano sonatas. While the earlier works in the genre were viewed in their time with skepticism due to the rare difficulty and learnedness of their piano part, the later sonatas however display an increasingly marked independence of the violin part. For this reason, the A major Violin Sonata (which was dedicated to the French violinist Rodolph Kreutzer), and the so-called Spring Sonata soon became two of the most famous representatives of their genre. David Oistrakh, the brilliant violinist in this Philips re-release, certainly needs no further introduction. All the more attention, therefore, should be given to the great achievement of the less well-known pianist, Lev Oborin, a frequent chamber-music partner of Oistrakh’s. Every possible facet of the instrumental dialogue is captured in Oborin’s performance. He is restrained in passages where the melody is given over to the violin; he and his partner toss the motifs back and forth between them; and he takes the reins firmly into his hands when the music demands it. All this takes place with the precision of a Swiss clock but by no means with mere mechanical virtuosity.

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$37.95

The title notwithstanding, this debut from the former Faithless singer is pretty angelic-sounding stuff. You're bound to think of Sinead O'Connor, but the comparison is as misleading as it is inevitable. Granted, Dido's ethereal vocals here frequently recall O'Connor; but Dido's music, while inventively augmented with electronics, is generally less adventurous. Ditto No Angel's lyrics, which focus almost exclusively on love, lust, and relationships. That said, the fact remains that this is an auspicious and highly listenable album; atmospheric, seductive, and beautifully produced and sequenced. - Jeff Burger
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