Month: August 2013

2004, Music

Berlioz: Les Nuits d’Ete; Faure; Ravel (2004, Virgin Classics) by David Daniels, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris conducted by John Nelson, et al

I have always sort of been annoyed by our collective obsession with vocalists. The human voice is indeed a powerful instrument, but it is hardly the only instrument out there. And I always am mystified when I see releases credited to vocalists when that vocalist isn’t even present on every track.

1863, 1875, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1888, 1889, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1898, 1902, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1913, 1915, 1919, 1921, 2006, Music

Faure: Complete Piano Works (2006 compilation) performed by Jean-Philippe Collard

Faure’s music seems to my uneducated ears to be the missing link between composers like Chopin and Liszt and composers like Debussy and Satie. That’s really the best way I can size it up: this music often possesses the technical demands of Chopin, Debussy or Liszt, but it also often possesses the sense of momentness, …

2013, Music

Wolfe Island Music Festival 2013

This was my third year attending the Wolfe Island Music Festival (WIMF) and though I can’t say that I found it as musically entertaining as previous years I had a good time as always at pretty much the only festival I manage to get my ass too.