An evening with Werner Erhard
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As a graduate of the est training (1975), I enjoyed what felt like an evening with Werner Erhard; catching up with an old friend.
If you were left with a bad taste in your mouth, from the 60 Minutes "expos" in the 1990's, you owe it to yourself to watch this video and see what really happened and what he has been up to since then.
1041835
A wonderful selection of interviews with one of the most brilliant composer of the XX century. The mystical and spiritual aspect of Stockhausen is well developed in this book. Recommended and Enlightening
324544
Hip-O Records presents "Pink Floyd:Live at Pompeii", from the concert featuring original cues from the legendary foursome performing classic originals.  Sit back and enjoy the classic performances by one of the great performers of our time.
Entire concert is a standout with the magnum opus "A SAUCEFUL OF SECRETS", "CAREFUL WITH THAT AXE EUGENE" and "SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE SUN".  A few of these "live" renditions are better than their studio predecessors, such as the two part "ECHOES PART II" ~ and the puzzling "MADEMOISELLE NOBS".  This is one of those great things about concert films ~ it allows a band to see how they come off visually, and gives them a chance to improve their appeal. Only with "At Pompeii," Pink Floyd takes that mirror-element and uses it to further display their innovations in music.
Hats off to Adrian Maben (director), Universal Music and all the staff who had a hand in bringing this to the fans.  A must have for all who have followed the careers of each musician that we know as PINK FLOYD!
Total Time: 171 mins ~ Universal Music B0001315 ~ (10/21/2003)
3328079
Stephane Grappelli won me over as a huge fan when he appeared with the equally brilliant Yehudi Menuhin one evening 4 decades ago, on the 'Michael Parkinson Show' (BBC). Their performance that night (they played 'Jealousy') opened my ears to a wider world of music, and I have never forgotten how brilliantly they played. Later I would find out more about Grappelli's equally legendary work with Django Reinhart. This album is from a period of extended silence in the Jazz Great's music life (excellent liner notes). It is a wonderful, wonderful recording (mono) - Stephane Grappelli, like Hank Jones, Charlie Hayden, Ry Cooder, Van Morrison, is an artist of the highest merit. They take you on sonic meditative journeys.
2377845
This book truly is a conversation. You can hear Cronkite's speech cadence as he candidly recalls the events recounted by Carleton. Carleton's knowledge of his subject's life and career is impressive in its attention to detail. My husband and I are reading this book aloud so we can discuss these events and share our own memories of them. It is a delightful experience.
4512411
I can't believe these magnificent well regarded recordings from the mid 1980s by the iconic Soviet pianist Victor Eresko, haven't been reviewed previously.

Well here is my wholehearted recommendations. To a Russian, Rachmaninov is mothers milk. And these are big greedy mouthwatering performances. Technically Eresko is in this work at least, the second concerto, even ahead of Richter in his famous recording for DG. It is a performance to relish, punctuated by violent emotional highs and enough melancholic attention to the long drawn out beautiful melodies and phrases you could wish for. It is a committed and romantic reading that stands comparison with any of your favourites and may well end up being your first choice.

The support given by Eresko's Russian partners displaying their musical pedigree in fine playing (clearly captured in sparkling stereo and exciting sound quality) from the USSR Symphony Orchestra under Provatorov completes a very satisfying release.

And talking about"release" - where did RCA/BMG get this? It must have been originally a Melyodia recording licensed to Eurodisc in the two Germanies, happily now in this super budget CD.

The cost of the Cold War was great - as Eresko was virtually unknown in the West and Eurodisc vinyl was not imported generally apart from special orders - and here you can acquaint yourself with what was missing.

Then, as now, these are gigantic performances from a colossal pianist in a memorable sound record.

Note
This series of CDs are an absolute treasure chest of idiosyncratic and fine performances from yesteryear mostly in fabulous sound. I urge you to investigate the lot! I have without a single disappointment. For example, England/Beecham's strangely monumental Messiah; Spain/Acucarro and Mata's atmospheric sensitive Nights in Garden of Spain; Pennario in Schumann's Piano Concerto...WOW!
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This concert from evening of September 23, 1993, must have been a wonderful event to have experienced...the VHS of it is a polished gem that will never go out of style. The professionalism and musicianship is outstanding, and the setting is magical...with 2000 year old arches surrounding the open air stage, and the amazing structures of ancient Greece lit up against the night sky.
Shardad Rohani conducts the London Royal Pholharmonic Concert Orchestra, as well as doing a terrific violin duet with Karen Briggs, the super violinist member of Yanni's fabulous group. Her solos are a knock-out, as well as those of the rest of the band, among them Charlie Adams on drums, Ric Fierabracci on bass, and Michael "Kalani" Bruno on percussion.
Yanni looks stunning and plays beautifully on a grand piano, as well as an assortment of keyboards...you can tell he is also leading the entire show...and it's quite a show.
There's a touching song he sings for his mother Felitsa, who sits in the audience, next to the gorgeous Linda Evans, both of them glowing with pride.
Directed by George Veras with 14 cameras, the editing is a marvel, a constant flow images that keeps one's interest and works to perfection with the music...the concert is an hour and 35 minutes long, with an added 5 minutes of backstage interviews.
This is one to take out of your tape library once in a while, and wish you'd been there, on this very special night under the Grecian stars.
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This is a live recording from the 1979 Tours Festival, Chateau de Marcilly-sur-Maulne, France.  Though there is not much information about this festival in the booklet, it seems that Richter and Gavrilov alternately performed all of the suites at this event.

These performances are simply superb.  For anyone studying Handel's Keyboard Suites or collecting Richter and Gavrilov, I consider this recording essential.  It is an opportunity to hear Handel's oft-ignored keyboard works performed live.  We are lucky to have this recording.
1323786
This CD was recorded live in a small club in Doylestown Pa.  I was there for the recording and the CD is every bit as good as the concert.  Well worth the money and well worth the listen.  Roger and the band crank out some of their own tunes as well as a couple of covers.
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Though I'm impressed with the recording that David Oberg and the Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra made of my "Desert Light" on this CD, I want to stress that it includes excellent renditions of two important pieces by my mentor, John Donald Robb.  He was a colorful character--composer, educator, conductor, ethnomusicologist (in the tradition of Bartok and Kodaly), author, administrator, soldier and lawyer.

When I was in graduate school at the University of New Mexico, it was an early piano version of his "Scenes From a New Mexico Mountain Village" that moved me to write programmatic music inspired by the magic of New Mexico.  This version, arranged and orchestrated at Robb's request by John J. Mitchell, is performed beautifully by Oberg and the PRNSO.

Robb's "Elegy for Our War Dead" was written shortly after World War II and is the second movement of his "Symphony for Strings."  Often performed independently, the Elegy is a meditative reflection of its time.  It's dedicated to those in the US military who died during the war.
1751233
This disc contains performances from Argerich at her most volatile and inspirational. The Preludes and the Scherzo dates from the 1970s and the remainder of the disc date from the 1960s. The whole program has been remastered and the sound thus achieved is no cause for concern. The performances themselves are from a time when Argerich was still in her youth and they give no quarter in terms of being emotionally super-charged. In the hands of lesser pianists some may describe these types of interpretations as impetuous but that suggests a lack of previous thought. In this case these performances, which are certainly emotionally driven and at white heat, betray no such casualness. Instead the impression gained is that of intense emotionalism intensely controlled.

The Preludes are delivered as if one sustained piece with very little pause between one and the next. Chopin wrote them all as a complete unit which was unusual for him. Most of his collected works as bought today (sets of Scherzi, Nocturnes, Impromptus, Mazurkas etc.) were written individually throughout his life and were never intended to be played as complete sets. The Preludes were different though and that is very much how Argerich plays them - as a stream of continuous inspiration.

In general terms there is an emphasis on forwardly moving tempi, some considerably faster than normal. This is most true when a faster piece follows on without any pause from the previous piece so that they become emotionally joined. This seems perfectly acceptable when so many of these preludes are so fragmentary and benefit by being so joined.

The Scherzo also receives a blistering performance and the Polonaise is played with equal drive but with the repetitive middle section still tightly controlled rhythmically so that there is no sense of destructive 'gabble.' These are fine performances. So too is the flowing performance of the Barcarolle, once more an individually refreshing concept.

This is a thrilling disc with a strong sense of improvisatory drive and displaying highly charged emotional responses. There are equally valid ways of playing this repertoire but none more convincing than this in its own way. Definitely not Chopin playing for the faint hearted!

I would suggest that this disc should be seriously considered as a 'must buy' for all collectors interested in alternative interpretations. Purchasers interested in an 'only' buy may wish to tread more carefully if they are after a representative disc of the Preludes. This one may make all the others seem unjustifiably dull!
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A MEETING PLACE - Munir Nurettin Beken & August Denhard - Sono Luminus

With August Denhard on lute and Munir Nerettin Beker on ud, "A Meeting Place" is an exploration of medieval and Renaissance instrumental music (more than half of it anonymous), with special emphasis given to the historic, improvisatory nature of the different forms.
While the ud is traditionally played with a plectrum and the lute with bare fingers, for this recording Mr. Denhard and Mr. Beken have each employed both techniques on their respective instruments. The results, though sometimes a little uneven, never fail to surprise, especially Mr. Beken's improvisations; his fretless instrument (designed to accommodate the Arabic 16 tone octave scale) allows him to add an element of exoticism to even an overly familiar tune like "Greensleeves".
This east-meets-west, medieval/Renaissance jam session may not suit the tastes of the more traditionally-minded or authenticity-obsessed, but anyone interested in hearing two excellent musicians take a more relaxed and creative approach to ancient music will find "A Meeting Place" both intriguing and fun. Another very cool recording from a company that seems to be making a habit of putting out cool music.
Highly recommended  9  out of 10  Oscar O. Veterano
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Jim Rohn appeared at the Anaheim Convention Center among all of the top 50 greatest speakers in the USA in 1980.  Up until I saw him, my favorite was the great Earl Nightengale.  After I listened to Jim Rohn for 30 minutes - I was amazed at both his story, his soft humor and delivery - and his principles and lifestyle.  I purchased a cassette album that day, and went home to Newport Beach.

A few months later I saw an employment advertisement for applicants to work for Jim Rohn.  I applied and was hired the same day.  Among the other applicants was Tony Robbins (who later changed his name to Anthony Robins and developed his own seminar).

I worked for Jim Rohn for several years.  The DVD BOX SET that is listed here was originally filmed on video in the 1980's and was only available for $2500.00.  The tapes were misplaced for twenty years, and were discovered and reproduced on DVD.  The 18 DVDs are a master of how strong Jim Rohn was back in the 1980's.  Take your time, as I did, and have your journal handy to capture your thoughts and ambitions while listening and enjoying what Jim has to offer.

In recent years there have been other imitators, but they all seem too flashy for me.  Jim Rohn is genuine.

You, your children, your grandchildren - will treasure this rare DVD set for many generations.
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This is one of the treats the EMI shows to its audience. One of the very few sets performed by one of the greatest pianists ever at an affordable price and of an amazing audio quality.
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I would also like to add, that along with Louis Kraner's playing of Berg's Violin Concerto, which he commissioned, we have here a recording featuring the conducting of Berg's close friend and fellow Second Viennese composer Anton Webern.  Here is preserved for following generations a performance of one of the signal moments in 20th-century music.  To hear Webern conduct is a blessing.
The recording of Berg's Lyric Suite for String Quartet is of lesser impression audio-wise than the violin concerto.
Alban Berg is my favorite composer, and I'm excited about traveling to New York to see the Metropolitan Opera performance of his great opera, "Lulu."
Michael
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This Entremont/Bernstein recording has made the rounds on several Sony editions.  It is true that the recorded sound has never been quite as good as one might expect. Still, do not let these remarks put you off. It is still better than many early digital recordings for example.  And as it is such an excellent performance from both artists, it is a very worthwhile listen.
The performance itself is among the handful of really engaging interpretations of the Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto. It will involve you from the very opening chords. Entremont plays with as little pedal as possible and the results are often very thrilling.  Bernstein keeps the New York Philharmonic in total sync. The second movement is perhaps the highlight, with the piano's obligato to the clarinet's theme as close to perfection as it can be.
In the finale, I love the way Entremont expands upon his four bar 'cadenzas' that precede each entrance of the Maestoso theme.
He has a way of making these sections a more perfect transition between the two themes as I have yet yeard.  The soloist is also quite excellent with his own solo of the Maestoso theme, laying back somewhat and simply allowing the music to speak. The third and final time through the cadenza is slightly different, with Entremont rendering a slowly retiring, yet still intense passage that awaits Bernstein's downbeat for the final statement of the Maestoso theme. This doesn't work at all if the conductor is not paying attention to his soloist.
I would certainly give this performance credit for phrasing, passion, and performance.
Recommended particularly for afficionados of this work, but not a bad way to begin it either.
3771386
Saw him live last night, and it was one of the best shows I've ever attended. He played a lot off this album, and all four musicians (Wrembel and his trio) killed every track. Some of the soloing was truly mind-blowing and goes to show it's ALWAYS worth checking out jazz groups live, as you know they will improvise, and not just comp the recorded material. Make it a mission from God to see them if they come to town. He mentioned a huge Django Reinhardt festival at the end of next February in New York, and I think we gotta go.