Ivan Ilic - Reicha Rediscovered 3 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The Serbian-American Paris-based pianist Ivan Ilic has signed a new multi-album recording contract with Chandos Records, following internationally acclaimed recordings of works by Godowsky and Feldman. His first project on the tag is a series devoted to the solo piano works of the Czech composer Antoine Reicha, a contemporary and lifelong friend of Beethoven. Although best known for his contributions to the repertoire for wind quintet, Reicha wrote vast quantities of solo piano music, most of which has never been recorded. The manuscripts, preserved in the Bibliotheque nationale de France, were published only recently. Offering premiere recordings of the Grande Sonate in C major, the Sonata in F major, and three excerpts from Practische Beispiele, this first volume confirms Reicha as an authoritative, singular voice, whose piano works complement and enrich our understnanding of Haydn and Beethoven. Volume 1 is a coproduction of Chandos, RTS (Swiss Radio), and the Palazzetto Bru Zane- Centre de Musique Romantique Francaise in Venice.

Born in Liège, Belgium, in 1873, Joseph Jongen showed an outstanding precocity for music from a very early age, and was admitted to the Liège Conservatoire at the extraordinarily young age of seven. He won a First Prize for fugue in 1895 and honours diplomas in piano and organ the next year. In 1897, he won the Belgian Prix de Rome, which allowed him to travel to Italy, Germany, and France, where he experienced the music of Brahms and Richard Strauss, Fauré, Debussy, and Ravel, all of which would exert an influence on the young composer. Although he composed in numerous genres, including the symphony and concerto, as well as chamber music, instrumental pieces, and choral works, it is his output for the organ for which he is now best known. The Serbian-American pianist Ivan Ilic helps to redress the balance with this new recording of two of Jongen's substantial sets of Préludes for piano. The 13 Préludes, Op. 69 are expansive in nature and extremely poetic - each bears an evocative title. They are dedicated to Émile Bosquet who gave their première, in 1923. The 24 Petits Préludes dans tous les tons were begun in 1940 and (like Bach's preludes and fugues) circle through each and every key, major and minor. Arranged in twelve pairs, the minor key following the major on the same tonic note, these works reflect Jongen's affinity for (and mastery of) their free form, as well as demonstrating his mature compositional style.

New Numbered Edition Mini-LP-Style Packaging. Doobie Brothers' Most Diverse Record Includes #1 Smash 'Black Water'. What could The Doobie Brothers possibly do to follow-up the excellent The Captain and Me? Plenty. They started by inviting the Memphis Horns to inject more soul into their trademark, Southern-styled boogie rock. Next, they secured the services of Steely Dan virtuoso Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter to supply guitar and pedal-steel parts. And for extra spice, the band recruitedArlo Guthrie to play autoharp. The results? What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, the group's most diverse album to date. It's just one reason Mobile Fidelity is proud to include the 1974 effort in it's phenomenal Doobie Brothers catalog restoration series. Of course, no record is worth it's salt without sharp songwriting. Fret not. What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits overflows with one memorable tune after another. It's a true collective effort, with the material reflecting the musical strengths of each of the members. Picking up where the disbanded Creedence Clearwater Revival had left off, Tom Johnston contributes the rousing 'Pursuit on 53rd Street' and 'Down in the Track. ' Patrick Simmons Black Water' advances swamp rock, and gave the band it's first Number One hit. The Doobies also mine the country-rock vein like nobody's business. 'Tell Me What You Want (And I'll Give You What You Need)' and 'Another Park, Another Sunday' cross roots rhythms with edgy melodies. And the instrumental 'Flying Cloud,' contributed by bassist Tiran Porter, finds the Doobies further expanding their sonic palette while remaining faithful to their loose, good-time themes. By every stretch, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits defies easy categorization yet soars on amiable vibes designed to satisfy the listener. Having reached #4 on the Billboard Album charts, it's safe to say the public was indeed impressed. Our e