Mail Archive sponsored by
Chazzanut Online
jewish-music
New Reviews
- From: Renaissance Man <rainlore...>
- Subject: New Reviews
- Date: Sun 08 Feb 2004 03.28 (GMT)
Even if somewhat curtailed, the current site update to Rainlore's World of
Music ( http://www.rainlore.demon.co.uk ) nonetheless includes seven album
reviews.
And an incredible variety there is, too. Two historical albums of classical
music by Jewish composers or on Jewish themes, released back in 1984 on
cassettes, consist of Shostakovich - song Cycle "From Jewish Folk Poetry", Op.
79, here translated back into Yiddish and performed by Helen Lawrence, soprano
(now mezzo), Carole Rosen, mezzo, Louis Garb, tenor, and Antony Saunders,
piano, and the same performers are joined by Louis Berkman, baritone, for
excerpts from Samuel Alman's Yiddish opera King Ahaz; and "in Recital" feat.
Sybil Michelow, soprano and Malcolm Williamson, piano, with a selection of
Yiddish, Hebrew, and Jewish-themed songs. Both of these outstanding recordings,
available from JMD UK, may also be re-issued on CD, so if this would interest
you you are encouraged to voice your support in this list! The reviews are at:
http://www.rainlore.demon.co.uk/Reviews/ShostakovichOp79_AlmanKingAhaz-HelenLawrenceEtAl.html
http://www.rainlore.demon.co.uk/Reviews/InRecital-SybilMichelow_MalcolmWilliamson.html
There's also a fabulous musical travelogue through the worldwide Jewish
musical diaspora in the form of Willy Schwarz's "Jewish Music Around The
World", distributed in the US by Hatikvah Music. One of the best aspects of
this album is also that it presents Ashkenazi as well as Sephardi and Mizrakhi
traditions together and all mixed up nicely. It also highlights the fact that
sadly at present, Sephardi and Mizrakhi traditions are seriously
under-represented in reviews on Rainlore's World of Music. This is by no means
by design or any kind of bias or preference but simply because artists/bands
(and/or their distributors/labels etc.) have been somewhat backward in coming
forward. A very regrettable state of affairs in my opinion. Anyway, the review
of Willy Schwarz's album is at:
http://www.rainlore.demon.co.uk/Reviews/WillySchwarz-JewishMusicAroundTheWorld.html
Lister Andy Rubin's The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band's album "The Rose of
Berezin" is a fab blend of klez, Old Tyme Dance and Irish music and more in
their own highly original style:
http://www.rainlore.demon.co.uk/Reviews/FreilachmakersKlezmerStringBand-Berezin.html
Alexandra Yaron should be familiar from the recent review of her stunning show
at London's The Spitz - here finally is a review of her recent and equally
stunning album, "Irgendwo Auf Der Welt...", featuring cabaret songs by the
leading composers of the genre such as Spoliansky, Hollaender and Heymann, as
well as chansons by Brel and Aznavour:
http://www.rainlore.demon.co.uk/Reviews/AlexandraYaron-Irgendwo.html
Israeli drum genius Asaf Sirkis, best known as the engine of the rhythm section
of Gilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble, has a recently released album with
his own organ trio, Asaf Sirkis & The Inner Noise, reviewed. Titled "Inner
Noise", this work was a project that was originally partly commissioned by the
City of Tel Aviv Arts Department. For more on this monumental fusion for the
21st century see:
http://www.rainlore.demon.co.uk/Reviews/AsafSirkis-InnerNoise.html
Plus there's the usual mix of news and info, including further updates to the
Jewish Music UK Calendar. The latter might be expanded to include gigs in
Western Europe so all info welcome.
Richard
("Renaissance Man")
---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+