Boris Giltburg - Piano Recital

Advantages: Fantastic live album
Disadvantages: none

...This live double album is both a fantastic introduction to Boris for the new listener and a treat for the longtime fans. CD1 opens with the drone classic, 'Feedbacker', which effortlessly segues into the rest of the first cd. CD2 contains a number of more recent Boris songs, as well as the epic 'The evilone which sobs', a menacing slab of noise taken from the Dronevil double album. The presence of Merzbow on this release only serves to highlight the power of Boris and the magnificent noise they make. I really cannot recommend this double album highly enough, the sound quality is excellent (which is more than can be said for some live albums) and the selection of songs is varied enough to keep the listener's attention throughout.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Wide range of little-know music played live by world-class pianists
Disadvantages: None for those who enjoy classical Piano Solo music

...For nearly twenty years there has been a festival of piano music at Schloss vor Husum. Over the years, many famous pianists have played there, including the "super-virtuoso" Marc-Andre Hamelin who started playing there before he became world-famous. Each year there is a single CD issued with a selection of performances from the festival. CDs are currently available for most of the festivals. I bought the 1998 one from eBay last year, so I am reviewing it now. It is probably the most wide ranging CD of piano music I have. Six different pianists are featured. The selections are large enough to enjoy in their own right, rather than as samplers, but they are likely to inspire the listener to buy other CDs by the same artists, as I have done. Oleg Marshev Oleg Marshev has recorded the complete works of Emil von Sauer (on... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Beautifully hypnotic music from the master of floating ambient piano
Disadvantages: It is a very short CD indeed

...Effortlessly graceful and dreamlike, Music for 3 Pianos is quintessentially Harold Budd. Admittedly his two partners in music should not be ignored but it is clearly Budd's input that is the greatest: the floating, hauntingly minimalist piano style and lyrical drift is his alone. I have nothing by either Ruben Garcia or Daniel Lentz, though Lentz has recorded on the Cold Blue Music label (as I believe did Budd briefly in the early 80s), the music of which mirrors Budd's slightly in its haunting simplicity and minimalist approach, with soloist often multi-tracking their recordings (similarly they are usually about 20 minutes per CD). In many ways Music for 3 Pianos sounds like a multi-tracked album. The three pianos could often be Budd's playing overlaid on two base recordings to generate additional depth. Thus the sound... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful