John Pitman’s CD Reviews blog spotlights recent recordings of classical music. As the music director, John auditions dozens of new releases every month, focusing on titles that stand out in terms of performance, repertoire or recording quality.
January 23, 2020
John Pitman Review: Silenced Voices
String Trio debuts with “Silenced Voices” (Black Oak Ensemble) 2020 (specifically, January 27) marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the WWII concentration camp that is symbolic of the persecution and murder of millions of Jews and other groups by the Nazi regime. In addition to the handful of people who survived the... More
January 10, 2020
John Pitman Review: Sound of Silence, Miloš returns
The Montenegro-born guitarist Miloš has just released his fifth album, and the first in about 3 years. Sound of Silence (Decca) is, in a way, autobiographical: in 2016, just after the release of his Beatles-inspired disc, Blackbird, Miloš began experiencing a tightness in his hand that affected his ability to play. He eventually stepped away... More
December 10, 2019
John Pitman Review: Violinist Margaret Batjer and the LA Philharmonic
Violinist Margaret Batjer has been associated with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a number of years. In their first CD for the Swedish BIS label, Batjer and the LACO begin with a new violin concerto by Quebec-born composer, Pierre Jalbert. With movements titled “Soulful, mysterious”, and “With great energy”, Jalbert’s concerto is in good... More
November 18, 2019
John Pitman Review: Self-titled debut – Pianist Wei Luo
To introduce a pianist saying that he or she started lessons at the age of five is probably not going to raise eyebrows. However, to say that this particular pianist advanced at such a rate that she entered the Curtis Institute at age 13 is something that might catch notice. That’s the first part of... More
November 4, 2019
John Pitman Review: Sharon Isbin’s “Souvenirs”
Guitarist Sharon Isbin has recorded nearly everything in her instrument’s repertoire. Still, it’s refreshing to hear that, when an artist such as Ms. Isbin revisits a work (such as the Vivaldi D Major concerto), she gives us an interpretation with subtle differences from what came before. On “Souvenirs of Spain and Italy”, Isbin partners with... More
October 4, 2019
New York Polyphony’s “Lamentations”
New York Polyphony‘s bass, Craig Phillips, shares the story of how his group rediscovered music of the 16th century composer, Francisco de Peñalosa, and how that composer’s “Lamentations of Jeremiah” are so perfectly suited to his group’s voices, that it seems Peñalosa wrote the work for them. On the recording, New York Polyphony include works... More
September 24, 2019
Augustin Hadelich links Brahms to Ligeti
German-American violinist Augustin Hadelich says that he is attracted to the idea of contrasts in music, and in making choices of repertoire. Mr. Hadelich tells program director John Pitman that despite those contrasts, often similarities arise by putting two disparate works together. In this case, Mr. Hadelich leads with the familiar and beloved concerto by... More
September 10, 2019
Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis: American Rapture
Yolanda Kondonassis is a harpist that may be described as “fearless”, as she enthusiastically takes on any idea that contemporary composers send her way. A while back, Ms. Kondonassis made a wonderful recording of the Ginastera concerto. Now, she shares what may become the first great harp concerto of the 21st century: a commissioned work... More
August 21, 2019
Lara Downes is making “Holes in the Sky”
A few years back, American pianist Lara Downes found a quote by Georgia O’Keefe that stuck in “my head and my heart”, which inspired the title for her new collaboration: “I want real things – live people to take hold of – to see- and talk to – music that makes holes in the sky... More
August 8, 2019
A Korean cellist in Paris (Hee-Young Lim plays French cello concertos)
This is the debut disc by Hee-Young Lim, a Korean-born cellist who started her path in music in her parents’ living room. A neighbor brought over a cello that wasn’t being used, and it remained unplayed until one of Hee-Young’s friends showed interest in it. Hee-Young determined that she would play that cello. Her years... More