search supported by:
E-Pledge
July 06, 2008 | 73°F Broken clouds

Soundcheck

Soundcheck's CD Picks of the Week

Huong Thanh and Nguyen Le, "Fragile Beauty" (ACT)

In this globalized world, the most unexpected encounters happen in music. Take this one: Vietnamese songs, jazz guitar, a Japanese koto and African drums. And it works! At least for us, Soundcheckers. The album is “Fragile Beauty” and it features singer and composer Huong Thanh, who was born in Saigon, Vietnam, but has been living in France for more than 20 years. --Picked by Gisele Regatao

Johann Sebastian Bach: Six Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, transcribed and performed by Winsome Evans, harpsichord (Celestial Harmonies)

Whose crazy idea was this? Taking the Bach Sonatas and Partitas, works that form the pinnacle of the solo violin repertoire, and arranging them for harpsichord? Who thought that would work? Turns out, it was Bach himself. Bach would often play his solo string works on the keyboard, so armed with that knowledge, Australian harpsichordist Winsome Evans decided to transcribe all 6 solo violin suites, embellishing as needed to make them genuinely work as keyboard pieces. --Picked by John Schaefer

Hot Chip, "Made in the Dark" (Astralwerks)

the British electronic quintet Hot Chip. Two years ago, the progressive, practically irresistible dance music on their album “The Warning” helped Hot Chip join the ranks of LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk. Now, the group is back with “Made in the Dark.” Over 13 tracks, Hot Chip turns in plenty of catchy synthesizer-melters, but the group also wanders – compellingly – into piano ballads and even R&B slow-jams.--Picked by Joel Meyer

Kronos Quartet, "The Cusp of Magic" (Nonesuch)

Few composers could write a string quartet that features the squeaking of a rubber duck and seriously get away with it. But that’s one of the sounds woven into “The Cusp of Magic” a rambling, six-movement work that composer Terry Riley wrote for the Kronos Quartet in 2004. Just out on a CD by Kronos, the piece also incorporates various percussion and synthesizer effects, plus the contributions of Wun Han, who plays the pipa, or Chinese lute. --Picked by Brian Wise


Listener Comments Comment | Refresh | Back to Episode
[1]
Posted by: Lance Stern
February 20, 2008 - 04:17PM
Wyckoff, New Jersey

I am very intrigued by your recommendation of Winsome Evens' new transcriptions and recordings of the Bach Violin Sonatas and Partitas. However there is no mention of the record or distribution company, and I can not find it, can you please help.

Thanks,

Lance Stern

Leave a Comment

Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. WNYC reserves the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the WNYC.org Comment Guidelines before posting.

Your comment


* required
The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party.
 
Back to Episode

Web tools supported by
Print friendly format
supported by
Listen Live
FM 93.9 Windows 20k
MP3 32k 128k
On Air: Evening Music
AM 820 Windows 20k
MP3 32k
On Air: Speaking of Faith
Shopping Online?
Start your Amazon shopping on WNYC.org and a portion of your total purchase goes to WNYC.


Audio Search

Search current and archival WNYC broadcasts. More

In The Spotlight
Soundcheck on Facebook
Check out our *new* Facebook page for more about the show!
More
Blog Heaven
Soundcheck's Travels around the Globe
John Schaefer goes to North Korea; Soundcheck goes to Austin and to Berlin.

Soundcheck CD Picks of the Week
Each week, the Soundcheck staff digs through their in-boxes for the best, catchiest, or strangest music they can find.
More
Most Emailed