Word: sterne
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Sony has released a new recording in its "Artist Laureate" series, this time featuring its premier chamber group--the quartet composed of violinist Isaac Stern, violist Jaime Laredo, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emmanuel Ax. This recording contrasts the piano quartets of Beethoven and Schumann, embracing both the Classical and Romantic periods in music...
...must admit to a certain bias coming to this recording, considering that I intensely disliked an earlier reading of the Brahms Piano Quartets by this same group. In particular, Isaac Stern is showing his age. As a violinist already infamous for his questionable intonation and tone quality, he dooms the ensemble even before recording began...
Although Sony certainly has assembled a prestigious lineup sure to attract attention, the foursome cannot overcome their natural soloistic inclinations. To me, this comes across more as a quadruple concerto than as chamber music. They clearly try to make an effort at ensemble, but Stern refuses to bend his pitches down and to liven his dry tone, Ax hardly ever thinks of balance, Laredo gets lost in the acoustic din when not playing his solos, all while Yo-Yo Ma tries to play down the middle...
Mega-mouth talk show host Howard Stern said he won't run for governor of New York State because he doesn't want to disclose his earnings (as required by law of a candidate). Stern had announced he would be the Libertarian candidate for governor this March. While he was never taken seriously by pundits, the struggling New York Libertarian Party managed to double its membership during Stern's brief candidacy to 800, a party official told TIME Daily. "He gave us the equivalent of millions of dollars of free publicity," says Blay Tarnoff, ballot access coordinater for the Libertarians...
...term of financial clout and big-name draws, it has championed several relatively unknown ensembles which can outplay the competition, big label or not. A good example is the Brahms piano quartet cycle recorded by Domus, which outshines Sony's offering with a super-powerhouse lineup of Isaac Stern, Jaime Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma, and Emanuel...