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Paul Badura-Skoda plays Franz Schubert (2012)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 02:23:25 minutes | 807 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Source:Q0buz | Digital Booklet , Front cover | @ Genuin Classics
Recorded: Irnberger-Studio, Salzburg by Alfredo Lasheras Hakobian, November 28–December 1, 2011; Vienna by Alexander Grün, April 18–20, 2012; Vienna by Jens Jamin, March 27–28, 2011
Even at a very advanced age, the great pianist Paul Badura-Skoda is always good for a surprise: His new CD recording with GENUIN is perhaps one of the most unusual recordings, one of the most daring tonal experiments seen in recent years. Schubert’s final sonata, the wonderful B-flat major, has been recorded by Badura-Skoda, but not just once: It is heard on three different instruments in interpretations which could not be more distinctive from one another: On an 1826 Graf fortepiano (from when the work was composed), a 1923 Bösendorfer and a 2004 Steinway grand. More history and more vibrancy in its presentation could not be packed into a single disc. Superb!
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Natalie Merchant – Paradise Is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 56:39 minutes | 633 MB | Genre: Rock
Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks.com | Digital booklet | @ Nonesuch
This collection of all-new recordings revisits Merchant’s multi-platinum solo debut, Tigerlily, originally released in 1995 following her departure from 10,000 Maniacs.
Tigerlily was described by the New York Times in 1995 as “an anomaly in a music scene in which reckless female performers reign supreme.” The album sold more than five million copies worldwide and featured the popular hit singles “Carnival,” “Wonder,” and “Jealousy.” Paradise Is There presents the songs as they have evolved over the past two decades of live performance. Joining Merchant on the album, which she produced herself, are her long-time band members Gabriel Gordon (guitar), Jesse Murphy (bass), Uri Sharlin (piano & accordion), and Allison Miller (drums), as well as a string quartet—Scot Moore (violin), Shawn Moore (violin), Marandi Hostetter (viola), and Stanley Moore (cello)—plus Sharel Cassity (saxophone) and guest vocals by Simi Stone, Gail Ann Dorsey, and Elizabeth Mitchell. (more…)
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Natalie Merchant – Tigerlily (1995/2006)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96kHz | Time – 00:50:23 minutes | 977 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: Q0buz | © Elektra Entertainment
Recorded: December 1994-March 1995 at Bearsville Studios, Bearsville, NY
The first solo album from Natalie Merchant, formerly of 10,000 Maniacs, is a nice blend of this beautiful singer’s talents. Starting out with the mellow “San Andreas Fault”, one can see the true talent in her lyrics. The softness of her mesmerizing voice can lead one into a trance. The whole album is very relaxing, with the few more upbeat songs being “Carnival” and Jealousy”.
A fine first solo album, Merchant explores and experiments with various instruments and techniques. The fine percussion work of Adriá n ló pez Guevarra in “Where I Go” adds a soft festivity to the song. Also, the cello in “Seven Years” helps add to the contrasting energy within the final track of the album, leaving the listener with a sense of awe as the album comes to an end.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – The Weber Sisters – Sabine Devieilhe, Pygmalion, Raphael Pichon (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96kHz | Time – 01:12:23 minutes | 1,21 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: Q0buz | © Erato/Parlophone Records
Recording: Notre Dame du Liban, Paris, 12-18 January 2015.
The Weber Sisters is rooted in Mozart’s life story and includes music inspired by Aloysia, Konstanze and Josepha Weber, three soprano sisters whom Mozart first met in the German city of Mannheim in 1777, when he was 21. Though he initially fell in love with Aloysia, who went on to become a celebrated diva, it was Konstanze who became his wife; she outlived him by nearly 50 years and did much to sustain and build his reputation after his death. The programme comprises songs, operatic and concert arias and orchestral numbers, and Sabine Devieilhe’s interpretations are typified by beauty of tone, a penetrating sense of drama and a scrupulous respect for the score and the text. Three of the highlights are: the concert aria ‘Popoli di Tessaglia’ – written for Aloysia – which rises to spectacular heights (specifically, the G two-and-a-half octaves above middle C); the sublime ‘Et incarnatus est’ from the C minor Mass – premiered in Salzburg by Konstanze, and ‘Der Hölle Rache’, written for Josepha as the second fireworks-filled aria of the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, a role that has brought triumphs for Sabine Devieilhe at the opera houses of Lyon and Paris. Her colleagues on this album are the Ensemble Pygmalion, the keyboard player Arnaud de Pasquale and the conductor Raphaël Pichon.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik & Gran Partita – Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwangler (1947/49/2012)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96kHz | Time – 54:25 minutes | 512 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks | © EMI Classics
Recorded: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: 1 April 1949, Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, Austria; Gran Partita: 10, 19, 26 November & 3 December 1947, Brahmsaal, Vienna, Austria
On this phenomenal audiophile download, acclaimed conductor, Wilhelm Furtwangler, leads the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra through Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and his Gran Partita. Furtwangler is widely regarded as one of the leading conductors in Europe and one of the greatest symphonic conductors of the 20th century. Essential to Mozart’s staggering body of work, these beloved masterpieces are performed to perfection.
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Michael Jackson – The Essential Michael Jackson (2005)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 02:37:25 minutes | 3,07 GB | Genre: Pop, R&B
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Source: Q0buz | Label: @ Epic/Legacy
There are several Michael Jackson greatest-hits compilations out there, each one its own take on what should be the definitive portrait of the gloved one’s career. The Ultimate Collection, The Essential Collection (different from the one here), and Number Ones have all surfaced in 2003 and 2004, and HIStory a few years prior. Each one of these collections, while commendable in its attempt to thoroughly document Jackson’s accomplishments, has fallen woefully short in one aspect or another. This has finally been rectified with this installment of Sony’s outstanding Essential collection. Starting with his campaign with his brothers in the Jackson 5, this two-disc set tours through every important single and every important fan favorite short of including his duet with Paul McCartney on “Say Say Say” (the Beatle does, however, make an appearance here on “The Girl Is Mine”). From Off the Wall to Dangerous, it’s all here in one concise package, making it the ideal reference point from which exploration into his deeper catalog can begin. While die-hard fans will already have every single song contained herein and may be weary to purchase another greatest-hits compilation short of a greatest-hits compilation including his backing vocals on Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me,” this may be the only one fans and casual listeners will ever have to purchase to get their fill of the King of Pop’s magic. –AllMusic Review by Rob Theakston
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Felix Mendelssohn – Incidental Music To A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Philharmonia Orchestra And Chorus, Otto Klemperer (1960/2012)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 48:39 minutes | 957 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Source: e-onkyo | @ EMI Classics
Recorded: 1960, EMI Abbey Road Studio No. 1, London
These 1960 performances are classics among the classics, and there is little need to emphasize their qualities. Otto Klemperer conducts the incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream with an audible keenness for this magic music. If the tempos are not the liveliest on disc, the Maestro’s natural aptitude for orchestral balance certainly allows the listener to taste every bit of Mendelssohn’s fairy orchestration, as in the vivid Scherzo or the delicate anxiety of the Intermezzo. Heather Harper and Janet Baker are irresistible in the sung episodes, and so is the Philharmonia Chorus. –Luca Sabbatini, ClassicsToday
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Maribou State – Portraits (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 40:57 minutes | 504 MB | Genre: Electronic
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: Bleep | Artwork: Front/Rear cover | @ Counter Records
London-based musicians Chris Davids and Liam Ivory AKA Maribou State release their debut long-player on Ninja Tune’s sub-label Counter Records. Following a slew of releases on Fatboy Slim’s Southern Fried Records, the pair offer up ten original tracks and collaborations with Pedestrian, Holly Walker, and Jono McCleery. Portraits is set to expand on the instrumentalist nature of their soundscape, illuminating the organic, pleasantly rough textures of their music. (more…)
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Malaysian Philharmonic, Kees Bakels – Kalinnikov: The Two Symphonies (2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 77:28 minutes | 714 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: eClassical | Artwork: Covers & Digital Booklet
These performances are at least as fine as any by Russian ensembles, and they are surely better recorded. Vassily Kalinnikov’s symphonies hover on the edge of the repertoire, but they are very beautiful works–a touch stiff formally, perhaps, but melodically extremely attractive, and very, very Russian. Kees Bakels and the orchestra, as with the Rimsky-Korsakov recordings from these forces, make a wholly positive impression. The strings sing richly in the soaring melodies in the allegros and slow movements; rhythms snap with the requisite tang in the two scherzos. Bakels pays special attention to details of color and balance: listen to how sensitively the ticking harp in the First symphony’s slow movement underpins the musical discourse. It’s truly poetic. If you want these works in modern sound, this is the disc to get. (more…)
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Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel IV (1982/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 00:46:11 minutes | 937 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: realworld.co.uk | @ Charisma Records
Peter Gabriel’s self-titled fourth solo album, also known as SECURITY, will be re-issued on vinyl for the first time since 2002.
The album has been Half-Speed Remastered and cut to lacquers at 45RPM, across 2 x heavyweight LPs, to deliver maximum dynamic range in the sound. Vinyl cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis and overseen by Peter’s main sound engineer Richard Chappell. This album really has never sounded so good! It also looks amazing with the gatefold sleeve utilising imagery from the original LP inner bags and all images are newly re-scanned.
The album comes with a download card with a choice of digital download (Hi-Res 24/96k or 16/44.1k), and is both Numbered and a Limited Edition – 10,000 for the World.
Co-produced by Peter and David Lord this is the first album where Peter really immersed himself in the music of distant lands and cultures. It was also his first fully digital recording. These two elements created a deeply effective soldering-together of futurism and generations-old tradition.
Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel III (1980/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 00:45:41 minutes | 937 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: realworld.co.uk | @ Charisma Records
Peter Gabriel’s self-titled third solo album, affectionately known as MELT due to the iconic Hipgnosis designed cover, will be re-issued on vinyl for the first time since 2002.
The album has been Half-Speed Remastered and cut to lacquers at 45RPM, across 2 x heavyweight LPs, to deliver maximum dynamic range in the sound. Vinyl cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis and overseen by Peter’s main sound engineer Richard Chappell. This album really has never sounded so good! It also looks amazing with the gatefold sleeve utilising imagery from the original LP inner bag and all images are newly re-scanned.
The album comes with a download card with a choice of digital download (Hi-Res 24/96k or 16/44.1k), and is both Numbered and a Limited Edition – 10,000 for the World.
Produced by Steve Lillywhite this third album saw Peter change his writing style; now the rhythm came before the melody and the songs were built up on top of the rhythmic sequences. The album delivered at top 5 UK single in Games Without Frontiers and Peter’s first overtly political song in the shape of totemic closer Biko. It also features notable contributions from Kate Bush, Paul Weller, Phil Collins and David Rhodes.
Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel II (1978/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 00:42:24 minutes | 955 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: realworld.co.uk | @ Charisma Records
Peter Gabriel’s second solo album, affectionately known as SCRATCH, due to the iconic Hipgnosis designed cover, will be re-issued on vinyl for the first time since 2002.
The album has been Half-Speed Remastered and cut to lacquers at 45RPM, across 2 x heavyweight LPs, to deliver maximum dynamic range in the sound. Vinyl cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis and overseen by Peter’s main sound engineer Richard Chappell. This album really has never sounded so good! It also looks amazing with the gatefold sleeve utilising imagery from the original LP inner bag and all images are newly re-scanned.
The album comes with a download card with a choice of digital download (Hi-Res 24/96k or 16/44.1k), and is both Numbered and a Limited Edition – 10,000 for the World.
Recorded in the Netherlands and New York City, Peter’s second solo album saw Robert Fripp promoted to the role of producer. The album was released in June 1978. Fripp continued to feed Peter’s growing fascination with electronics and the resulting album is denser and more experimental than the debut.
Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel I (1977/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 00:41:39 minutes | 898 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: realworld.co.uk | @ Charisma Records
Peter Gabriel’s self-titled debut album, affectionately known as CAR, due to the iconic Hipgnosis designed cover, will be re-issued on vinyl for the first time since 2002.
The album has been Half-Speed Remastered and cut to lacquers at 45RPM, across 2 x heavyweight LPs, to deliver maximum dynamic range in the sound. Vinyl cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis and overseen by Peter’s main sound engineer Richard Chappell. These albums really have never sounded so good! They also look amazing with the gatefold sleeves utilising imagery from the original LP inner bags and all images are newly re-scanned.
The album comes with a download card with a choice of digital download (Hi-Res 24/96k or 16/44.1k), and is both Numbered and a Limited Edition – 10,000 for the World.
Having left Genesis in the summer of 1976, Peter’s first solo album arrived in February 1977. He was 26. With legendary producer Bob Ezrin taking charge, the intention was to make a more direct and tougher record: something different from what had gone before. The record also provided one of Peter’s most recognisable songs in the shape of Solsbury Hill.
Title: 12-12-12
Release Date: 2015
Genre: Documentary
Director: Amir Bar-Lev
Artist: Jon Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Michael Dempsey, James L. Dolan, Dave Grohl, Mick Jagger, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Stipe, John Sykes, Pete Townshend, Eddie Vedder, Alexander J. Vietmeier, Roger Waters, Charlie Watts, Harvey Weinstein, Kanye West and more
Production/Label: Universum Film GmbH/Robin Hood Foundation
Duration: 01:45:53
A mix of live performances and behind-the-scenes footage from the televised benefit concert to raise relief funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. (more…)
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The Clash – From Here To Eternity: Live (1999/2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time – 1:09:50 minutes | 1,6 GB | Genre: Punk
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks | @ Sony Music UK
This live album by The Clash is a compilation of songs from various performances spanning the years 1978 and 1982. Popular titles include: “London Calling,” “Should I Stay or Should I Go” and “The Magnificent Seven.” (more…)
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