Sono Luminus Label Does It Again…

CD featuring violinist Irina Muresanu as eclectic as it gets   In the space of less than two years, the recording company Sono Luminus (distributed by Naxos) has proven to be the go-to label if you’re looking to break out of a listening rut. One of their latest releases features a violinist few are familiar…

Bach Would Have Loved This!

Richard Narroway’s new release of the Bach Cello Suites gives us the best of both worlds   Every cellist since Casals (and many before), see the monument staring them in the face: the six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello of Johann Sebastian Bach. Thanks to Pablo Casals’ artistic pioneering over a century ago, the world of…

A Whole New Holiday Playlist for 2017

3 new CDs to break out of a December listening rut   Over nearly three decades of reviewing, I feel like I have almost heard it all when it comes to Christmas fare: more Messiahs, more Nutcrackers, and endless re-packagings of the tried-and-true…not to mention the better-off-left-alone. Ah, but things brightened considerably this year, when…

Laura Metcalf Returns—with Her Soulmate

Cellist’s second CD pairs her with guitartist/spouse Rupert Boyd   A year ago or so I concluded my review of Laura Metcalf’s debut CD, “First Day,” with the lines: “Is there anything Metcalf can’t do well? A better question is: What will she do next?” As of a couple of months ago we received our…

Spread Wings…Soar…Repeat.

Cellist Laura Metcalf’s debut solo CD impresses on several levels The old saw “safety in numbers” is as true in the classical music world as anywhere. Even the most dazzling track record of success in ensembles is no guarantee of capturing audiences when one makes that initial launch into the crowded world of solo artist.…