Music from behind a mask: Schell’s picks for 2020
Two years ago, the late Noah Creshevsky said "today's best seats are in our own homes or wherever we may be, listening to music through speakers or headphones, in chairs…
Best of 2020 – Simone Dinnerstein
Best of 2020: Simone Dinnerstein A Character of Quiet Simone Dinnerstein, piano Orange Mountain Music Pianist Simone Dinnerstein has been playing Philip Glass’s music live for the past few years.…
Best of 2020: Ingrid Laubrock
Ingrid Laubrock Dreamt Twice, Twice Dreamt Intakt 2xCD Dreams can be a potent force for creators. Saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock has harnessed her subconscious to make her strongest work yet. Dreamt…
Harold Shapero on BMOP (Best of 2020)
Harold Shapero Orchestral Works Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose, conductor BMOP Sound Composer Harold Shapero (1920-2013) was a central figure during the mid-twentieth century. A member of the Boston…
Not Our First Goat Rodeo (Best of 2020)
Not Our First Goat Rodeo Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile Sony Music Masterworks Not Our First Goat Rodeo, a second album for the grouping of fiddler…
Piano Concertos on DG (Best of 2020)
John Adams Why Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? Yuja Wang, piano; Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor Deutsche Grammophon Thomas Adés Adés Conducts Adés Kirill Gerstein, piano:…
The Fall – Dennis Johnson’s ‘November’ Deconstructed
Lustmord Nicolas Horvath The Fall – Dennis Johnson’s November Deconstructed is a recent vinyl release from the Sub Rosa label featuring the combined talents of Lustmord, the film and video…
Best of 2020: Matthew Shipp
Matthew Shipp The Piano Equation Tao Forms CD Jazz pianist Matthew Shipp turned sixty this year and celebrated in part with the solo release The Piano Equation. Shipp is an…
Scelsi revisited (Best of 2020)
Scelsi Revisited Klangforum Wien, Sylvain Cambreling, Johannes Kalitzke, conductors Kairos 2XCD A number of prominent European composers took part in Scelsi revisited, a festival, documented on this double-CD, celebrating Giacinto…
Best of 2020: Michi Wiancko
(Over the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing some of my favorite recordings of 2020. -CC) Michi Wiancko Planetary Candidate New Amsterdam Violinist-composer Michi Wianko’s recording Planetary Candidate…