WAGNER-DE VLIEGER: The Ring
Royal Swedish Orch/ Lawrence Renes, cond.
BIS SACD 2052 TT: 65:35
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TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36. Capriccio italien, Op. 45.
Gürzenich Orchester Köln/Dmitri Kitajenko, cond.
OEHMS SACD OC 671 TT: 62:12
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KORNGOLD: String Sextet in D, Op. 10. Piano Quintet in E, Op. 15
Camerata Freden
TACET SACD B 198 TT: 68:14
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About five years ago this site mentioned a fine Chandos SACD of Henk de Vilieer's arrangement of music from Wagner's Ring (REVIEW). Please check that review about a previous issue of this arragement. While the Neemi Järvi recording was superb, this new BIS SACD is even better. The Swedish Orchestra has never sounded better. Under Lawrence Renes's dynamic direction, they play brilliantly with virtuoso brass and rich strings. The grandeur of Wagner's music is ever apparent, and the BIS engineers have outdone themselves in capturing a rich Wagnerian sound. This is a treat for audiophiles. Don't miss it.

Dmitri Kitajenko concludes his fine Tchaikovsky symphony on Oehms with this splendid performance of Symphony No. 4. Solid musical values here, superb playing and pleasing audio, although not particularly "surround." The SACD is filled with with one of the best—and longest (16:42) performances— of Capriccio italien you'll ever hear. Tchaikovsky's imaginative fantasy on five Italian folk songs (including a military fanfare at the beginning), here begins stately indeed, but powerfully, with much attenton to detail. Even the final tarantella is perhaps a bit a touch sedate, but the approach works. A worthy issue to the Tchaikovsky catalog.

Tacet again gives us a perfect and intriguing example of true "surround sound." The German company has led the field in mult-channel sound, and I treasure many of their superbly ealistic recordingsm, particularly the Beethoven symphonies. Here is another outstnding issue, two major chamber works by Erich Wolfgang Korngold performed by camerata freden , with musicians from an ensemble that plays at the International Freden Music Festival (they write their name in lower case to to separate themselves from the festival). Players are violinists Edward Daniel. and Adrian Adlam, violists Tetsuumi Nagata and Grace Lee, and cellists Bartholomew LaFollette and Lionel Handy,with pianist Thomas Hell in the Piano Quintet. Diagrams show specific placement of each instrument, and this is what we hear—the listener is in the center of the performing group, a most engrossing place to be! Performers are excellent, and their sounds have been perfectly capured by the engineers. These performances are issued in three formats: Blu Ray DVD, DVD and CD. In playing the DVD versions you can select 5,1 surround or stereo. To select whichever you want, on your playback remote control there is a red button (5.1) and a yellow button.(stereo). This method makes it possible for those without the video element, as well as those who do, to select format they wish.

R.E.B. (January 2014)

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