Steve Lin, guitar

Steve Lin, one of the winners of the Boston GuitarFest, releases his first solo CD, "Imagen." As you might expect from this young performer, it's a guitar recital full of energy and excitement.

Lin plays works by the composers who most inspired him: Benito Canonigos, Antonio Lauro, and the great Agustin Barrios Mangore.

Look for this VGo recording on our website!

- Ralph

Part 2 of the DCD Holiday Special Podcast Posted

Today we posted Part 2 of our holiday special -- and that wraps up our podcasting for the year. We'll return in January with some fresh new music.

I can't give away all the details as yet, but Troubadisc will be sending us their latest SACD project, and it represents a major step forward in the development of the label.

We also should have several new releases coming in from Sweden, courtesy of Musica Rediviva. And with any luck, we'll see the rerelease of an old favorite.

What's in store for DCD Records in 2008? We'll find out together!

- Ralph

Part 1 of the DCD Holiday Special Podcast Posted

Today we finished recording both parts of the DCD Holiday Special podcast. Part 1 has been posted to the web, and we should have Part 2 ready within the next few days.

This program's all about singing. We play two seasonal selections from the Seattle Pro Musica, as well as a Charpentier work performed by the Convivium Vocale.

Look for Part 2, and if you still want more, remember that last year's holiday episodes (DCD 015 and 016 respectively) are also available to download.

Happy Holidays!

- Ralph

Episode #34 posted

I just posted Episode #34 of the DCD Classical 'Cast. When we received the new CD by Grisha, I knew we had to do a feature on this remarkable artist. This podcast we play selections from Grisha's two recordings on the VGo label. It was a fun show to put together, and Grisha's performances kept the energy level high throughout the program.

And we've put together a special package of Grisha's two albums. Purchase them together, and you can save 20%. We want to help this young man continue to be successful!

- Ralph

Episode #32 of the DCD Classical Cast Posted

Episode #31 of the DCD Classical 'Cast was all about the new releases from Con Brio. This time, it's all about Laurel Records. Three new titles, all featuring chamber works by Ernest Bloch came in, and so -- just like the last episode -- the programming seemed obvious.

This time I borrowed a page from Top 40 radio -- less talk, more music. In order to really do justice to Bloch's compositions, I decided to go with two large, substantial movements rather than a bunch of shorter excerpts to fit in all three recordings.

So this time round, you'll hear a movement from Bloch's first string quartet, as well as a one from his first piano quintet.

We'll save the disc of his violoncello music for the next podcast -- along with the Con Brio recording and the John Biggs work that got bumped to make room for Bloch's chamber works.

- Ralph

A Special Offer From DCD

Now that Laurel Records has completed their cycle of Ernest Bloch string quartets (and piano quintets), I thought it only fitting to offer all four volumes at a special price.

Each disc can be purchased separately, of course, but if you don't have any of these recordings its a great way to get them all at once.

I'll be featuring some samples from this collection in the next podcast.

- Ralph

New Podcast Episode Posted

With the plethora of new releases arriving from Con Brio, Episode #31 of the DCD Classical Cast practically programmed itself. And I found that there was even some music left over. So this edition will have selections from most of Con Brio's new releases. We'll have to catch the rest next time.

It's a fairly eclectic mix of contemporary music. We start out with a work for cello and piano, move to a rhapsody for tuba and band, and finish with a little Third Stream jazz.

I enjoyed putting the program together -- I hope you enjoy listening to it.

- Ralph

New Podcast Episode Posted

Tonight I finished and posted Episode #30 of the "DCD Classical 'Cast." The program features selections from Troubadisc's latest SACD release, "Violin Solo, Volume 3." In addition to this new solo recording by Renate Eggebrecht, I also included some of her ensemble work.

You'll hear her performing with her husband, cellist Friedemann Kupsa in a Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel piano trio. And I end the podcast with this husband and wife duo as half of the Fanny Mendelssohn Quartet performing Arthur Bliss' second string quartet.

And I've created a special offer. While all three discs in the "Violin Solo" series are available for sale separately, I've put them together in a set at a special 20% discount.

- Ralph

New Release from Troubadisc

We just received the latest SACD release from Troubadisc. It's "Violin Solo, Volume 3," performed by Renate Eggebrecht. Like the previous two volumes, Eggebrecht builds a program around a theme, and then expands on it.

This release presents the solo violin music of Paul Hindemith. Eggebrecht plays three of his sonatas, as well as two previously unrecorded works. She then includes works by two more contemporary composers: Romanian Anatol Vieru, and Russian minimalist Vladimir Martynov.

As with Volume 2 (also an SACD release), the recording is impeccable -- as is the playing. We're happy to add this exciting release to our catalog.

- Ralph

Podcast episode #29 now available

I just posted epispode #29 of the DCD Classical 'Cast. The title is "Summertime Fare." All of the selections have a light texture, which is the common theme.

We start with a Baroque lute duet performed by John Schneiderman, and then sample some short piano works of Brahms ably played by Vera Breheda.

The final selection is a concerto for double bass. The title may suggest a heavy work, but it's actually a short early classical composition for double bass and harpsichord. And so the podcast ends on a light (but very low) note.

- Ralph

20,000 Downloads

An amazing thing happened today -- the DCD Classical 'Cast passed the 20,000 download mark. Yes, I know. There are far more popular podcasts than our modest effort who boast 20,000 downloads a month -- or sometimes even a day!

Nevertheless, for a program dedicated to classical music, and one further limited to independent labels that we carry, I think this is an important milestone to achieve.

The artists and labels that give us permission to use their material are grateful for your attention -- and we certainly are, too. While most of our listeners are here in the States, we have goodly number of international listeners. Spain, Singapore, the Netherlands, Thailand, the Czech Republic, Australia -- it's an impressive list.

We'll do our best to continue delivering the best podcast we can. Thank you for listening.

Let's see how long it takes us to double that number....

- Ralph

August Heat

We're pulling together tracks for the next installment of the DCD Records Podcast. It's pretty hot in Central Virginia right now -- in fact, local authorities are considering water restrictions (we've still not fully recovered from the draught five years ago).

With a heat index of 105 degrees, I'm interested in keeping everything light -- clothing, food, drink, and music. Look for a program of chamber music for DCD Classical 'Cast #29. I should have the selections finalized later today, and we should be ready to product the episode later this week.

- Ralph

And podcast #28 is out now, too.

I've been doing a pretty good job of maintaining our schedule for the DCD Classical 'Cast, and getting two podcasts posted each month. A business trip and some last-minute projects have put me seriously behind, though.

Yesterday I pulled together the material, wrote the script, cut the vocal tracks, mastered and posted Episode #28, collapsing a two-week production cycle down to 24 hours.

It's a simple program -- just a selection of Mozart for a summer's evening, courtesy of Laurel Records, Gary Levinson, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music.

And it features something my old bosses at WJMA would appreciate -- less talk, and more music.

I hope you enjoy it!

- Ralph

Podcast Episode #27 posted

DCD Classical 'Cast #027 has just been posted to the web. The episode, titled "Biggs, Beethoven and the Barber" features a selection from one of our newest labels -- Consort Press. California-based composer and conductor John Biggs leads a performance of his "Mass for Our Time."

We also continue our survey of Monument Records, this time presenting a world premier recording of a Beethoven string quartert.

And it all starts with probably the most unusual recording heard yet on the DCD Classical 'Cast -- an occarina ensemble performing Rossini. It's not as strange as it might sound, though. The Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese as an organization has been around since the late 19th century, and they're performing arrangements made for the ensemble in 1901.

- Ralph

Podcast #26 posted

Early this morning I uploaded the DCD Classical 'Cast #026. The title of the episode is "Some American Classics," but its something of a cheat. Two of the three works are by Americans -- the other is a composition by a relatively unknown composer of the classical era, Christian Gottlieb Neefe.

I usually come up with the title for the episode after I've programmed all the works. I'll take a step back and see what patterns emerge. In this case, there wasn't one unifying theme -- just a two-thirds majority of American composers.

I hope you enjoy the program.

- Ralph

Welcome Consort Press!

I'm pleased to announce that Consort Press recordings are now carried by DCD Records. Consort Press is the publishing house and record label for American composer and conductor John Biggs. The two releases we'll be carrying are collections of his choral and vocal music.

In addition to his compositional efforts, Biggs also founded and conducts the John Biggs Consort, and regularly performs music ranging from the Middle Ages throught present. It's no accident that his music for the human voice works is so effective in expression and beauty of line.

I'll be featuring music from these recordings in our next few podcasts. The first step, though is to get these titles online!

- Ralph

When is Beethoven not Beethoven?

It's a question that continually plagues classical music lovers. How much (or how little) of an incompleted work be finished by someone else and still be considered a valid composition by the primary composer?

As I've been pulling together pieces for our next podcast, its something I've thought about. Probably the most famous example is Derryk Cook's completion of Mahler's 10th Symphony, which some consider an acceptable addition to Mahler's catalog and others do not.

For our next program of the DCD Classical 'Cast, we'll be playing an excerpt from a Sonata quasi una fantasia by Beethoven. The work was sketched out around 1792, but left incomplete at the time of his death.

The melody was completely written out, and a good deal of the left hand filled in as well. Beethoven left notes that the final movement, the least complete of the three, recapped large sections of the opening movement. Noted Beethoven scholar and composer A. Willem Holsbergen completed the work, using his knowledge of Beethoven's style to basically "connect the dots."

While we can debate whether the finished work is as Beethoven would have done it, I think it's well worth hearing. I'm certainly no Beethoven expert, but I didn't hear anything that sounded out of place. And more importantly, I didn't hear anything that sounded like dry academic writing -- anyone should be able to enjoy this sonata on its own merits even without knowing the backstory.

I'll be recording the vocal track for the podcast within the next day or so, so you'll soon be able to judge for yourself.

- Ralph

We Love Belgium!

There's been a noticable upswing in visits to the DCD Records site from Belgium -- as well as a substantial amount of downloads of our podcast from that country as well.

I have no idea why, but I'm excited about it. I think DCD Records offers a unique offering of classical titles, and I'm happy that we're apparently appealing to folks outside the continental United States.

Our next podcast will feature something by a Belgian composer -- we just happen to have an excellent recording by DTR of the Joseph Jongen Symphonie Concertante for Organ and Orchestra. Listen for it!

- Ralph

Podcast #24 posted

I spent this past weekend recording and editing the DCD Classical 'Cast episode #24. With everything else going on, it can be difficult sticking to a twice monthly podcasting schedule! I feel this one snuck in just under the wire.

The program continues our survey Beethoven on Monument Records. We also feature a selection from the latest release of guitar music from VGo Recordings, and finish with a sampling from the Ineditia catalog.

- Ralph

American Portrait - new release from Con Brio

We add a new release from Con Brio Recordings to our catalog. "American Portraits" is an exciting piano recital of American music. Pianist Noelle Compinksy Tinturin plays with real conviction, and has chosen a program that does more than just rehash the same basic repertoire.

George Gershwin and Louis Moreau Gottschalk, two composers who normally show up on American collections are represented, but then there's the rest of the CD. Tinturin plays selections by Chick Corea's "Children's Songs" which sound very much like Bartok minatures in this context. And other composers such as William Bolcolm and John Novacek. There's even something from Peter Tinturin, a well-respected Russian emigre composer (and Tinturin's father-in-law).

- Ralph

Inedita of Italy

We are now carrying the Inedita label of Italy. Inedita specialises in under-recorded and previously undiscovered repertoire, which are two areas of classical music I'm always interested in.

The label has a close working relationship with Monument Records, which has a similar recording philosphy. Now begins the grinding work of getting their extensive catalog of recordings processed and entered, but its a task I'm looking forward to.

Be sure to keep watching the website!

- Ralph

Podcast #23 posted

I recorded the DCD Classical 'Cast, episode 23 on Monday, and finished editing and production earlier today.

This time around we feature music by Allegri and Mozart, two composers related to each other in a very unusual fashion (you'll have to listen to the podcast to find out more). We also resume our look at the Monument Records catalog.

- Ralph

When 2 and 2 make 3 -- sort of

I'm predisposed to make connections -- which turns out to be a good thing for DCD's customers. When a label has two or more releases with related repertoire, I'll more often than not group them together and sell them for a reduced price.

The Monument Records titles are now posted on the site, and in the catalog are two CDs devoted to Beethoven's dance music for piano. Both feature pianist Stephen Beck, and there's no duplication of repertoire.

Therefore, I've created a new listing offering both of these releases together for a special price that's about 20% less than the cost of purchasing them individually.

Just part of the service here at DCD -- and one of the advantages to reading this blog. I'll be creating a special banner for the home page soon which will run about a month, but the offer itself will remain good as long as the product is available (as only you, dear reader will know).

- Ralph

Beethoven String Quartet Music

Today I completed the final entry of the Monument Records catalog -- sort of. I still need to post some audio samples, but that's a much more involved process than clacking away at a keyboard, so it will take a little while.

This release collects various string quartet fragments and sketches from Beethoven's notebooks, and gives us a fascinating hint of what might have been. The centerpiece of the album is the "Brilliant" String Quartet, which gets it name not from the quality of the music itself, but as a dedication to noted Beethoven scholar Ira F. Brilliant. The quartet was realized by Giovanni Biamanti, and is decidedly more successful and closer to the spirit of Beethoven than most posthumous collaborations I've heard.

- Ralph

Beethoven -- And More!

If you've been following the most recent posts, then you know I've been working on processing the Monument Records catalog -- a catalog centered around Beethoven's under-performed and under-recorded repertoire.

While "Masters of the Classical Keyboard" does have some Beethoven (and another world premiere recording at that), pianist Stephen Beck explores other composers active at the time. Haydn and Mozart, the composers most closely associated with Beethoven are respresented, but so are some others. Beethoven's publisher, Diabelli has a work on this disc, as does Czech composer Jan Ladislav Dussek, Carl Phillip Emmanual Bach (J.S. Bach's son, and considered at the time the more famous Bach of the two), and more.

The result is an interesting collection that puts Beethoven in perspective with his contemporaries.

- Ralph

Beethoven's Military Music

We now have another release from Monument Records posted on our website, complete with track listings. This time around, its a collection of "military" piano music by Beethoven.

Some of these selections, such as the March from "The Ruins of Athens" may be familiar, but many will not. In addition to Beethoven's variations on "Rule Britannia" and "God Save the King," there are several world premiere recordings mixed into this recital.

A very interesting collection, and one that shows how the times colors the arts -- many of these works were written during the Napoleonic Wars.

- Ralph

More Beethoven; More Dance Music

We now have Monument Records' second collection of Beethoven's dance music posted on our website. This disc, like the release "Early Dance Music of Beethoven," contains a number of world premiere recordings.

The sound quality -- and the performance -- holds to the same high standards as the rest of the Monument catalog. Once I get through posting all the individual titles, I'll explore the possibility of offering both CDs of Beethoven's dance music for piano at a special price. Stay tuned!

- Ralph

Fantasies for Piano by Beethoven

Today I was able to post another Monument release. The Fantasies for Piano album features three of Beethoven's "Sonatas quasi una fantasia." It includes the two published as Beethoven's Op. 27 (No. 2 is the "Moonlight" sonata). And it features a finished version of a sonata that survived in sketch form. That sonata in D major (Biamonti 213) received its world premiere recording with this release.

Great stuff!

- Ralph

Early Dance Music

Another Monument release has been posted. Beethoven: Early Dance Music provides an illuminating glimpse at the stylistic development of the young composer. And it features two world premiere recordings.

You'll be hearing some of these works in future podcasts.

- Ralph

Beethoven Cameos

Today I finished the webpage for Beethoven: Cameos for Piano
from Monument Records. As I said last time, entering all those track listing can take a while -- especially when it has to take a back seat to other aspects of running a record label!

Nevertheless, if you look over the selections, I hope you'll agree it was worth the effort. There's a lot of seldom-heard Beethoven on this recording waiting for you to explore.

- Ralph

A Monumental Task

Posting a new product is always an involved process. Although we use templates to streamline the process, in the end pages only go up as fast as the data can be entered.

I finally got the first of the Monument's releases posted, and there's more to come. Today I finished the recording of Beethoven's piano arrangement of his "Creatures of Prometheus."

The track listings are quite extensive on some of Monument's recordings, which really slows the process down. With so many world premier recordings and under-represented works, though, I think its important to provide as much information as possible.

Now adding soundbites to a release with 32 tracks is another story.....

Ralph

Milhaud Podcast Posted

We've put the finishing touches on our Milhaud special podcast, and posted it to the site. Troubadisc's 3-CD set presents an interested profile of this French composer. Although we could have given each of the three discs their own podcast episode, I thought that holding the set to a single episode let the listener get an overview of the series.

Hope you enjoy it!

- Ralph

Milhaud Special

We're putting the finishing touches on our next podcast. It's centered around a three-CD set released by Troubadisc featuring the early string quartets and chamber music of Darius Milhaud. We should have it ready and posted sometime over the weekend.

- Ralph

Out with the old

Today we "soft-launched" our revamped website. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, it simply means that the new website replaced the old without any fanfare. Folks will discover the new look as they visit the site. We're still checking links and tweaking images, so we decided to put it out there without making a lot of fuss about it.

We've come a little ways over the past few years. Here's a look at our old website, courtesy of Archive.org.

If you have any suggestions for ways to improve the site, please let us know.

- Ralph

Beethoven and beyond

Our 21st podcast is finally posted, and ready for your listening pleasure. I wanted to make sure we included something from Monument Records, which is why the podcast was delayed.

There was a lot of material to choose from. This program you'll hear the first act to Beethoven's "Creatures of Prometheus," for solo piano. Stephen Beck performs from Beethoven's own transcription of this orchestral work.

DCD 021 -- Beethoven and beyond

- Ralph

Up and running

Our 20th podcast is now posted and ready for your listening pleasure. You can find it either on our website, or here.

http://dcdrecords.blogspot.com

- Ralph

Please stand by

Our twentieth podcast was in the can, edited and (I thought) ready to go, until I auditioned the final mix. Something mysterious had happened to the voice track, making it almost inaudible. While some might say that's a good thing, I nevertheless rerecorded it.

The remixing has delayed the posting by a few days, but look for it soon. I promise the music -- not the narration -- will be worth the wait!

- Ralph

Treasures from the Philippines

Back in 2002 VGo Recordings released "Philippine Treasures." Guitarist Angelo Favis played traditional and composed music from his native islands. The second volume is finally available, and we got it on the website post haste.

Volume 2 is a nice companion to the original release. Some of the works move from the traditional to the classical realm, and many of the composers are from the mid- rather than early-twentieth century.

While we've catagorised these two releases as "world music," they would not be out of place on the shelf of any collector of classical guitar recordings.

Here's a sampling of this remarkable collection.

Sampaguita

- Ralph

Another day, another podcast

Well, it seems that way sometimes. For DCD Records, creating a podcast is something that takes place over the course of several weeks. I usually break it down like this:

Pre-production: This phase includes selecting the tracks, and deciding on the sequence. This then dictates the flow of the script, and what I need to research in order to write said script.

The tracks are then flown into the computer, in preparation for --

Production: This is actually the shortest part of the process for me. I can usually cut all the voice tracks in about a half an hour, even with multiple takes (I credit my radio background). The tracks are moved into the editing program, and then its just a matter of editing down the raw voice tracks, and equalizing the levels throughout the podcast. If only this were all! But then there's --

Post-production: Easily the longest part of the project. Currently, I take the tracks used in the podcast and create one-minute sound samples for the DCD website. I also create the graphics and special pages for any special offers associated with the podcast during this phase.

I'll create the podcast post and add the relevant links, and do a final test to make sure the download works. At that point, the podcast is ready to be released to the world.

And its an ongoing process. While one podcast may be in post-production, I may be preparing to record another, and doing pre-production music selection for a third. Of course, there's always a possibility of a last-minute substitution for a new release -- but that's the kind of problem I like to have!

Our nineteenth podcast is now completed and posted, ready for your audition. I welcome your thoughts on our little production.

- Ralph

New Audio Adventures

Today I've posted a new DCD Classical 'Cast podcast. To the left is the new artwork for the podcast, which is (IMHO) a little more dynamic than just using our logo.

We're also in the process of creating enhanced podcasts. If you're not familiar with the format, it's an audio podcast with chapters. Each chapter can have a different image, and a hotlink as well.

For our podcasts, it means you'll be able to see the album cover of each work as it starts, and click on the image to go to our website for additional information -- or to purchase it if you're so inclined.

I hope to have the enhanced version available by next week. The podcast itself is done -- I just have to build the infrastructure for the feed.

- Ralph

An unusual debut

Normally, a young classical tenor's first album will be a recital of their core repertoire. After a few albums of opera arias, the artist may eventually release a "crossover" disc of popular music.
New England-based Stanley Wilson cuts to the chase. His first release from Con Brio is a collection of Cole Porter songs.

It's a smart move. His clear tenor shines on these selections, and he stands a chance of connecting with a much larger audience right out of the box. In the works is a follow-up disc of lieder, which we're also looking forward to.

Check out this sample from this unusual debut album.

All of You

- Ralph