Brahms/Franck: Violin Sonatas

Advantages: Thrilling, daredevil chamber music performances from the legendary Martha Argerich and partner-in-crime Gidon Kremer.
Disadvantages: Violinist Kremer occasionally on the mannered, spastic side; only forty-three minutes of music.

...piece, in my unenlightened hierarchy of classical music preferences. To me, the performers are having more fun than the listeners (me, specifically) when it comes to chamber music. Well, leave it to Martha to upset another bias of mine. Here she teams up with her good friend, Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer, to play a couple of sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). (The CD represents only part of their recordings of Beethoven’s sonata cycle for piano and violin.) Once again, Argerich’s formidable talent is in full display. Violinist Kremer, a frequent chamber music partner of hers, proves an able and equal partner. The Sonatas for Piano and Violin. The works on review are the Sonata no. 4 in A minor, and the Sonata no. 5 in F major ("Frühlings-Sonate" ["Spring"]) for Piano and Violin. For comparison, I chose the Anne... Read review

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Advantages: It is Sonata Arctica.......just
Disadvantages: Changed their style for this album, what a shame

...UNIA- A REVIEW BY ADDY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPECS Released May 25, 2007 Recorded December 2006-January 2007 Genre Power metal Length 58:34 Label Nuclear Blast THE BAND NAME: Tony Kakko INSTRUMENT: Vocals, Keyboards DATE OF BIRTH: May 16th 1975 PRESENTLY LIVING IN: Finland JOINED SONATA ARCTICA: 1996 NAME: Tommy Portimo INSTRUMENT: Drums DATE OF BIRTH: September 5th 1981 PRESENTLY LIVING IN: Kemi JOINED SONATA ARCTICA: Original member NAME: Marko Paasikoski INSTRUMENT: Bass DATE OF BIRTH: June 10th 1978 PRESENTLY LIVING IN: Kemi, Finland JOINED SONATA ARCTICA: Summer 2000 NAME: Henrik "Lance" Klingenberg INSTRUMENT: Keyboards DATE OF BIRTH: October 21st 1978 PRESENTLY LIVING IN: Kokkola NAME: Elias "E.Vil" Viljanen INSTRUMENT: Guitar DATE OF BIRTH: 8th of July 1975... Read review

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Advantages: Superb Finnish Powermetal
Disadvantages: Not quite as vocally sound as their newer efforts

...The first album from modern-day Powermetal legends Sonata Arctica is an absolutely stunning debut step into the musical world. If you're a fan of the genre of metal yet haven't heard any of their music, they could be classed as a modern version of Iron Maiden, though more technical, and with a far superior set of songs. Hailing from Finland, the European country with the reputation for producing the best Powermetal sounds, they are friends and contemporaries with such musical luminaries as Nightwish and Stratovarius. Though they play the same style as these bands, they do so on this album with a youthful exhuberance not matched by the aforementioned artists. The music is laced with a rare energy, and Sonata Arctica also appear to be able to create quality riffs for fun, just check out Kingdom for a Heart and My Land... Read review

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