Used Bin Troll Tweets Y.

Ethelbert Nevin

[April 2017.]

Erik SATIE: Socrate (1919; arr. John CAGE, 1944). Ferenc LISZT: Via Crucis (1876-78). Dezső Ránki, Edit Klukon (pno). Budapest Music Center Records BMC CD 100 (1 CD) (http://www.bmcrecords.hu/).

This duo piano release crafts a universe where Liszt, Satie and Cage blur. Is Via Crucis colorless and ephemeral? Is Socrate religious? YES.

“Erik Satie: Avant-dernières Pensées.” Erik SATIE: Var. comps. Alexandre Tharaud, Éric Le Sage (pno), Juliette (voice), Jean Delescluse (ten), Isabelle Faust (vln), David Guerrier (tpt). Harmonia Mundi HMC 902017.18 (2 CDs) (http://www.harmoniamundi.com/).

A first disc of solos, a second of duos. Solid concept, all good players, but way too much rubato. Satie was hardly a reluctant Romantic. NO.

Ned ROREM: Pilgrims (1958); Flute Concerto (2002); Violin Concerto (1985). Jeffrey Khaner (fl), Philippe Quint (vln), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, José Serebrier (cond.). Naxos 8.559278 (1 CD) (http://www.naxos.com/).

Rorem aficionados must already have this. The rest of us should be able to get past the lyric sheen and admire the orchestral palette. MAYBE.

“Piccolo XX.” Leos JANÁČEK: Pochod Modrácku (1924)*. Niccolò CASTIGLIONI: Musica Vneukokvahja (1965-81). Franco DONATONI: Nidi (1979). Brian FERNEYHOUGH: Superscriptio (1981). Jacques CASTÉRÈDE: La Belle Epoque (1984)*. David LOEB: Six Preludes (1982). Isang YUN: Allegro (1974). Camillo TOGNI: Tre Preludi (1978-81). Karlheinz STOCKHAUSEN: Tierkreis, Op. 41 (1975). Valentino BUCCHI: Piccolo Concerto (1973)**. Roberto Fabbriciani (picc), Massimiliano Damerini* (pno), Orchestra da Camera “I Solisti di Fiesole,”** Nicola Paszkowski** (cond.). ARTS 47557-2 (1 CD) (http://www.artsmusic.de/).

Part of a hard-to-find series, Fabbriciani’s piccolo entertains from goofy Castérède to doctrinaire Stockhausen and astonishing Bucchi. YES.

“The Links Series of Vibraphone Essays.” Stuart Saunders SMITH: Links (1974)¹; Links No. 2 (1975)²; Links No. 3 (1975)³; Links No. 4, “Monk” (1982)⁴; Links No. 5, “Sitting on the Edge of Nothing” (1987)⁵; Links No. 6, “Song Interiors” (1989)⁶; Links No. 7, “New England Night Weave” (1989)⁷; Links No. 8, “Confessions—Witness to 48 Things” (1990)⁸; Links No. 9, “Mosque” (1992)⁹; Links No. 10, “Who are we? Where are we?” (1993)¹⁰; Links No. 11, “Regions I-XXI” (1994)¹¹. Masako Kunimoto¹, Steven Sehman², Bill Sallak³, Steven Schick⁴, Aiyun Huang⁵, Fabio Oliviera⁵, Justin DeHart^6,9, Jude Traxler⁷, Berndt Thurner⁸, Ayano Kataoka¹⁰, Chris Leonard¹¹, Dale Speicher¹¹, Matthew Apanius¹¹ (vibr), Katalin Lukács⁶ (pno), Gisela Mashayekhi-Beer⁸ (fl). New World Records 80690-2 (2 CDs) (http://www.newworldrecords.org/).

Smith’s “autobiographical” style spans decades, embracing various influences for an interlocked collection of mostly vibraphone solos. MAYBE.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 4 in E flat, Op. 7 (1796); Sonata No. 15 in D, Op. 28, “Pastoral” (1801); Sonata No. 20 in G, Op. 49, No. 2 (1795-96). Alfred Brendel (pno). Philips 446 624-2 (1 CD) (http://www.deccaclassics.com/).

Perhaps Brendel was caught on an off day back in June 1994, or perhaps these three sonatas flesh out the better parts of a complete set. NO.