Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber - Fidicinium Sacro-Profanum (1683)
Classical, Baroque | 1 CD | EAC | FLAC, CUE, LOG | Scans | 391 MB | Rapidshare
Recorded: 3-7 Sept. 2007, Volkshaus, Basel | Released: 2008 | Label: ZIG-ZAG 800701 | TT: 71:47
Les Plaisirs du Parnasse (David Plantier - violin & direction | Eva Bohri - violin | Peter Barczi, Patricia Gagnon - altos | Maya Amrein - cello | Andrea Marchiol - organ | Shiruko Noiri - archlute)

Biber's Fidicinum sacro-profanum … attempts a synthesis of sacred and profane, combining dances and contrapuntal rigor, if not artifice, under the umbrella of Biber's musical personality. These 12 sonatas … suggest Purcell's chunky vigor and exploratory fancy more distinctly than Corelli's elegantly restrained and serenely logical Fortspinnung. … Les Plaisirs du Parnasse … has tapped Biber's ingenious combinations of sounds, as rich and diverse in its own way as Vivaldi's. But rhythms assume an equal - and at times, even greater - significance. The detailed recorded sound possesses a winning depth and richness. Enthusiastically recommended to the ever-growing number of Biber's admirers as well as to more general listeners. (Robert Maxham, Fanfare, Jan/Feb 2009)

"The most commanding pianist and composer to emerge in recent years…" –The Village Voice

"One of the most important jazz pianists of his generation…" –The Boston Globe

"One of the most promising voices in jazz today." –The Chicago Tribune

One of the busiest and most dependable musicians of the '90s, pianist Fred Hersch delivers another strong performance with Point in Time, mixing standards, choice jazz classics, and his own creative originals. His trio with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Tom Rainey is featured on four tracks; highlights include his moving rendition of "The Peacocks" and a driving original, "Cat's Paws," dedicated to the late promising pianist Dave Catney who died a few months before these sessions.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Ballet Op. 71 (excerpts); Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Polonaise from Christmas Eve Suite;
“Dance of the Tumblers” from The Snow Maiden, etc. – The Philhadelphia Orchestra; Eugene Ormandy, conductor
Classical | 1 CD | EAC Rip | 324 Mb | FLAC+LOG+Cue | Full scans | RS links & 4shared links
Publisher: Sony Classical

Eugene Ormandy's disc of Nutcracker excerpts, including the entire "suite" plus a good bit of additional music (Act 1's journey through the snow and Waltz of the Snowflakes, along with some more Act 2 dances, including the Final Waltz and Apotheosis) must be one of the biggest selling records of all time… Sounding better than ever, and at a budget price, this disc deserves to sell another few million copies. [11/8/2003]
–David Hurwitz

To me the design of the sound was most important...“ (Alex Gunia) The musical presence of Nils Petter Molvaer and Bugge Wesseltoft on 9866 is a part of the whole thing and snugly fits into the entire concept of the whole production.

Original Review
Red Heat is quite possible the most peculiar score James Horner has ever written, drawing on influences as diverse as Russian Opera and Starsky and Hutch. The Main and End Titles are probably the best cues on the album: strong, string and percussion based marches (with an element of Glory in there somewhere) with a mixed-voice choir singing in Russian over the music. The effect is rather unusual, but works well in the context of the film. Russian Streets is an interesting action cue, using what I can only assume to be a balalaika to add an eastern touch to standard action fare: dissonant chords on strings, blaring trumpets, an extremely rapid percussion element and tolling bells and a glissando. This then goes into Cleanhead Bust, which starts off rather well: a funky disco beat and a solo saxophone with different synth sound effects here and there, (…)