“Eternal Remont writes on a new Russian movie whose “fictional” hero resembles Vladimir Putin a lot: “The film was completed 5 years ago, but there has been speculation that the Kremlin delayed its release until now, weeks before Putin leaves office”.” – GlobalVoicesOnline.com

“If you're new to Garnet Crow: I can't even recount how many times I've listened to this CD!! I love every song on it, because every song is unique, yet every song is pleasantly similar. The melodies are all catchy and different, but it seems Nakamura Yuri's voice binds the whole song together into a soothing Garnet Crow song. When I'm sad, happy, or I just casually want to listen to good music, this one comes out. At first I didn't appreciate the subtle beauty of Garnet Crow, but once I've listened to it the second time... then the third time... it just got better and better. The lyrics are deep and thought provoking and simply beautiful. The writer of the lyrics isn't the singer, but Azuki Nana.

If this is your next album of Garnet Crow: Two words: BUY IT. If you love Garnet Crow, loved the previous album/s you've got, you're sure to love this one. I can't really point out which songs I liked, liked more, or liked the most. If you know their songs, it's quite difficult to rank them as your favorite. I just think, “Yay! More Garnet Crow songs!”, and don't really consider whether one will be better than the other. That's another thing great about Garnet Crow, their consistency. I don't mean that their songs are repetitive or boring, because that is totally not true. But trust me when I say this is another spectacular Garnet Crow CD. And so are all the others. Really, that's all there is to it.” – Customer Review on YesAsia.com

“If you like classic Rock music, and sometimes get a little tired of Pop music, then try Nanase on for size! She is GREAT! She has a great, tough voice that can turn gentle in a second. I have all of her albums, and this is her BEST album, in my opinion. Each song after the next has a new style that is addicting. This is a perfect CD!” – Customer Review on YesAsia.com

“This CD unites two sets of classic performances: The Franck and Debussy Violin Sonatas by Kyung Wha Chung and Radu Lupu, dating from 1977, and two 1962 recordings by the Melos Ensemble (Ravel's Introduction and Allegro and Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp). At the time of thisreview,it is listed Kyung Wha Chung as a performer on the latter Debussy Sonata, which is not the case, though the fault probably lies with the way the disc is labelled and documented (you have to read the fine print to see exactly who is performing what). But all four of these are classic performances, with excellent sound (though analogue recordings), and there is no better buy in the catalog than this disc for chamber music lovers!” – Customer Review on Amazon.com

“What about “American Doll Posse”? Is it a sprawling mess of an album? Arguably yes, although any sense of excess is helped by regarding it as a 20-track album, with 3 bonus tracks that just happen to be riding on the same physical disc. But it's a GLORIOUS, exhilarating mess. The album starts deceptively with Yo George which, while lyrically pointed, is musically very reserved and almost polite. It gives no hint of the sudden burst of energy that unleashes Big Wheel, Bouncing Off Clouds and (after briefly lulling the listener into a false sense of security) the aggressive Teenage Hustling. Amos hasn't sounded this animated for close to a decade.
After that the tempo settles down a bit, but the energy level stays high. Part of that is because she sounds like she's having FUN. She clearly relishes throwing herself into forceful numbers like Teenage Hustling and Body and Soul, or the blatant swagger of You Can Bring Your Dog. There's plenty of humour in that track, Big Wheel and Mr. Bad Man, if only you're willing to hear it. This isn't the coolly analytical Amos that brought us the Strange Little Girls cover album. More than ever before, this is Amos the entertainer, urging us to get caught up in the moment. There are moments of seriousness and repose as well, such as Father's Son and Girl Disappearing, the latter featuring a beautiful string quartet accompaniment. And Amos has included a fair number of lyrics referring to wars and bombs, especially in the songs that are credited to “Isabel”.
Ah yes, the concept. It seems that no Tori Amos album is allowed to go without one these days. In this case, it's best to regard it as a “take it or leave it” deal. If it helps you, use it, and if it doesn't then it can be quite safely put to one side. Amos has confessed in at least one interview that this time around, the songs came first. Really, the concept of five different singers is best regarded as a kind of acknowledgment that ADP covers a number of diverse styles, and a guide through the maze. And there does seem to be a degree of legitimacy in Amos' decision to demarcate the different approaches. For instance, there's a noticeable contrast between the dark aggressive singing of “Pip” and the higher-pitched, slightly pained emotionalism of “Clyde”. As different members of the posse enter and leave the stage, the album sometimes changes tack quite dramatically.
It's the sheer diversity of ADP that's likely to make it a hit-and-miss affair for a lot of listeners. Some people know what they like, style-wise, and what they DON'T like, and never the twain shall meet. You can lead a horse to water, so to speak. But if you're the kind of person who enjoys a sense of restless exploration; if part of why you're even interested in a Tori Amos album is because she's refused to stick with the “girl and a piano” label she was so unfairly slapped with by lazy journalists and fans; if you can cope with jumbled yet inspired kaleidoscopes that hearken back to the Beatles' White Album, then “American Doll Posse” is going to give you quite a ride.” – Customer Review on Amazon.com

Великий русский поэт Александр Пушкин не любил самодержавия. Каждый раз, проезжая в тряских дрожках мимо монархических жилищных комплексов он вскакивал, и с трудом сохраняя равновесие, с горящими глазами обличал его, выкрикивая “душители свободы!” и “кровавая гэбня!”. В ответ из окон неслось “демшиза”, “либераст” и даже иногда “чурка”, но Пушкин не падал духом, но напротив – свирепо хохотал и яростно плевался в сторону дворцов, давно уже зная, что цивилизованный диалог с их низкими обитателями абсолютно невозможен. И в самом деле – с ними всё было абсолютно ясно; волновало же поэта другое, а именно – широкая народная поддержка ненавистного царского режима. Этого Пушкин не понимал совершенно. В его представлении все безобразия и пороки самодержавия были настолько выпукло-очевидны, что оставалось положительно непонятным, как с ними столь легко умудряется мирится такое огромное количество людей. ...

“Fans of Lang Lang will undoubtedly be pleased with this CD, his Deutsche Grammophon debut recording. But others should be intrigued too, since it is an excellent demonstration of his dramatic, often intense, keyboard pyrotechnics and subtle, lyrical playing. In Lang Lang's hands, both concerti are given splendid performances which should be regarded as first rank (though I have a stronger preference for Thibaudet's rhapsodic playing of the Mendelssohn concerto in his recent Decca recording.). His performance of the 1st Tchaikovsky piano concerto is especially noteworthy, since it is replete with keyboard pyrotechnics and subtle, lyrical playing, especially in the second movement. In both works he is well supported by Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who are sympathetic accompanists to Lang's playing. Deutsche Grammophon's sound engineers have done a fine job creating a well balanced recording. Again, while this is not my primary recommendation for either concerti, this CD is still worth acquiring for Lang Lang's superb, often spellbinding, playing.” – Customer Review on Amazon.com

“Andre Previn and Kyung-Wha Chung have that special magic which sparkles in the Tchaikovsky and notably the fabulous Chung performance of the Sibelius. There are so many versions of these to choose from nowadays, and I have many of them, but I keep coming back to this performance of both concerti. An excellent analogue recording from the mid-70s superbly remastered. The Mendelssohn is fine, and if only the set included the later Chung version of the Beethoven it would be a 5 gold stars set.
Of course, the Sibelius and Tchaikovsy are available on one CD released separately, if you wish to fork out more for separates... I preferred to buy this set, which is one of my more frequently visited recordings, and then get the later Chung Beethoven recording coupled with the Bruch. Now there's the thing, you get to compare the early Chung with her later maturity in the great late Ludwig's masterpiece, along with outstanding concerti played with accuracy, character, and purity of tone and interpretation. Chung has all the style and character in such demand after the middle 20th century post-Heifetz, plus all the purity and accuracy expected at the end of the century. Enjoy.” – Customer Review on Amazon.com

“Whenever I purchase a new album by Nakajima Miyuki (and this, I believe, is my eleventh), I always make sure not to pass any judgments on it until I have listened to it at least four times and paid close attention to its lyrics. It takes time to unpack Miss Nakajima's little works of art and it usually is time well spent. “Lullaby Singer” is no exception. I was unimpressed upon first hearing the album; now I love it.
Track 1 is a nicely crafted mid-tempo pop tale of yearning. It blends seamlessly into track 2, another mid-tempo pop song with finely etched lyrics (“Even through days so hard that I couldn't speak without crying, I felt I would be saved if I could whisper your name”). Nakajima-san's well-modulated singing perfectly suits these two numbers. With track 3, Miyuki parks modulation at the door; here she appears in her strident, growling rock chick persona. As you might expect, she follows her hard-driving rock song with the album's loveliest and most tender ballad (“Let's say goodbye to that goodbye; There's no time for regret anyway”). Track 5 is a mid-tempo rocker, perhaps the album's most rhythmically interesting song. Track 6 is a beautiful, dreamlike number whose abstract lyrics seem to describe a search for faith. The seventh song is the kind of old-fashioned rollicking rocker that Miss Nakajima has been effortlessly tossing off for the last thirty years. The eighth cut is a memorable slow, sad, stripped-down melody about confusion over social obligations. It is followed by the album's most upbeat, catchy, just plain fun tune, sung in the voice of an overburdened child. Track 11 is a song I will turn to again and again when I'm feeling down. It is an inspiring number about bearing up under heavy burdens. Ganbatte! The closing song is a tuneful waltz that describes how we are both haunted and sustained by our memories.
When listening to “Lullaby Singer”, the word “exquisite” keeps coming to mind. This is the work of a mature artist at the top of her game. There is no one quite like Nakajima Miyuki!” – Customer Review on YesAsia.com

“For some reason, perhaps because the publicity surrounding Lang Lang verges on hype, his Carnegie Hall recital has not been accorded universal approval. And yet, if one ignores the publicity and listens to the music, it is a remarkable display, not merely of technical brilliance but of subtle musicianship. His Schumann is exciting, vibrant and never muddy. His rendering of the Haydn Sonata in C Major is restrained and makes it sound like early Beethoven, just as it ought. His Wanderer Fantasia is not as lyrical as Rubenstein's version but its delicate articulation brings out the family resemblance with Schubert's Impromptus and the Schumann Fantasie, a category of dreamy Romanticism rather than clangorous virtuosity. The Chopin nocturne is thoroughly balanced, the rubato never obtrusive; the Liszt is suitably inspiring, giving Lang Lang a chance to show that his technique really does bear comparison with the incredible Marc Andre Hamelin. But the real pinnacle is a set of 8 gems by Tan Dun. These Memories in Watercolor by the composer of the music in Crouching Tiger deserve to be better known, and Lang Lang's is the definitive recording, receiving praise from the composer himself.” – Customer Review on Amazon.com

“I was hesitant to buy this DVD after so many complaints about the editing. Personally I think the camera work is great. There is so much more to watch in a Lang Lang performance than his hands, and you want to see it all in detail. Lang Lang likes to give a physical as well as musical presentation of the emotion he finds in the music. It could be he needs to do this to focus, or perhaps it is pure showmanship. It doesn't matter. At first I raised an eyebrow at his mugging, but quickly became enchanted with his innate charm and sincerity and of course with his enormous talent and skill. Yes the camera is constantly on the move and there are constant cuts from hands to face to long shot etc. But Lang Lang loves the camera, and vice versa; it works.” – Customer Review on Amazon.com

“If you're lucky enough to find this Japanese pressing you'll hear the best Heifitz had to offer late in his career. His performances of the Bruch Violin Concerto No.1, Scottish Fantasy and Vieuxtemps' Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor are all exquisitely performed with muscular accompaniment led by the much underrated Malcolm Sargent. Heifitz could be a machine late in his career and, in concert, could give the impression he could care less whether you liked what he was doing. I once heard him play Bach sonata where he seemed to sleepwalk through the whole thing. His flabby face rested on the violin like his head would on a pillow! No such malaise exists in this fine recording that mates three Romantic era concertos on a fine CD in good sound for its era (the 1960s). Heifitz seems engaged with both the technical and emotional demands of the music at all times. I've always had good results in CDs by Malcolm Sargent, whether it was his wonderful & witty Shostakovich Symphony No. 9, his strong but wiry recording of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony, or his work in those busybodies of his homeland, Gilbert & Sullivan. I'm pleased to say he does equally well here supporting Heifitz searing tone. This CD is a great winner in this repertoire and sounds very good for its recording date.” – Customer Review on Amazon.com

“Lang Lang has nothing to prove to the public, who have embraced him worldwide as a megastar. But critics are another matter. HIs meteoric rise came too fast for them, and they doubt his maturity, taste, even his sincerity. I for one am a fan, despite hearing one disappointing live recital in Boston, so I was eager to hear great things in this pairing of Beethoven's Piano Concertos 1 and 4. To begin with, we get excellent sound from DG for both piano and orchestra, and Eschenbach leads the Orchestre de Paris in clean striaghtforward accompaniments. From the first entry of the piano, however, the spotlight is on Lang Lang. He shows a happy affinity for the First Concerto, keeping the rhythms light and springy; he punctuates a bit sharply at times but overall conveys buoyant cheer. The long, lovely melodic line in the Largo sounds as edelicate and refined as Mozart in Lang Lang's hands. The finale could show more brio but is fine. Is this a reading for the ages? No. One can think of several others, from Fleisher, ARgerich, Michelangeli, and Richter in particular, that scale the heights, while Lang Lang remains in the middle distance.
His real challenge comes in the great Fourth Concerto, a much deeper work and one suited to Lang Lang's sensitive touch. Despite his reputation for keyboard wizardry, this pianist tends toward poise and luricism. Here he gets a chance to shine, which he does – within limits. The recorded history of the Fourth contains great readings from Gieseking, Edwin Fischer, Rudolf Serkin, Fleisher, and Kempff, just to mention a few favorites. Lang Lang plays very well, and he is never less than fine, but I don't hear enough individual personality. Marvelous as his technique and phrasing can be, he needs a decade more maturity. Overall, the musicality of these performances should quiet the critics if they are willing to listen honestly and not through preconceived notions. The fingerwork in the first movement dazzles, the hushed bridge between the slow movement and the finale brings a shiver, and the finale itself, if not up to Serkin's blazing standard, shows many nice touches. (I only wish Lang Lang had let himself go; the rhythms are a little cautious and foursquare.) Four stars are well deserved.” – Customer Review on Amazon.com