Rózsa: Three Choral Suites: Ben-Hur, Quo Vadis, King of Kings
Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Cincinnati Pops Orchestra; Erich Kunzel, conductor.
Telarc SACD-60631
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

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In 1995, the year of his death, Miklós Rózsa had begun plans to arrange three of his epic film scores into suites for chorus and orchestra. Now students and disciples of the revered composer have come to the rescue, completing, reconstructing, and arranging the suites heard on this magnificent disc. The original films were all made by MGM during the 1950s and early ’60s, when Rózsa was so highly regarded by the studio that he could get exactly what he wanted. He scored these movies for huge orchestras, including prominent choral parts. The music is handsomely played and sung by all the musicians who participated in these sessions. "Miracles of Christ," from King of Kings, is one of the most moving film cues ever composed, and this performance, complete with full organ, will tingle every nerve-ending in your body. The sound is rich and voluptuous, and the chorus, recorded separately from the orchestra, is often mixed into the surrounds to splendid cinematic effect....Rad Bennett

La Tarantella: Antidotum Tarantulae
Lucilla Galeazzi, Marco Beasley, L’Arpeggiata; Christina Pluhar, director.
Alpha SA 503
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

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The tarantula spider is related to the wolf spider, which is found in Taranto, Italy. This tarantula relative, being bigger, hairier, and more visible, often takes the blame for bites actually caused by a small, Italian widow spider. According to legend and historical accounts, victims of these bites would go nuts, twitching and raving. Their disease came to be called tarantism, and the cure was music therapy. The most famous music associated with the bite was the tarantella, a rapid dance that was thought to drive the venom out of the victim. But there was other music, and much of it has been collected on this fascinating SACD, the most original folk-classical crossover disc in years. The sound is that of a Renaissance band, with overtones of Spanish Sephardic, folk, and Gypsy musics. Playing such exotic folk and period instruments as the chitarra battente, liorne, and various baroque guitars and lutes, the virtuoso playing of the instrumentalists of the ensemble L’Arpeggiata is spirited and often quite subtle, and the singers have a folk-singer timbre that gives the music an appealing earthy quality. The sound is just short of excellent. The center channel in the multichannel mix is merely for reverb, which I find a bit strange yet effective in the overall mix, which is clear and transparent. Thanks to this unique recording, you can experience the remedy for tarantism without having to suffer the bite....Rad Bennett

Jane Monheit: In the Sun
Silverline 284103
Format: DualDisc

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In the Sun was recorded a year before Never Never Land and Come Dream with Me, the two Jane Monheit albums already released in multichannel remixes by Silverline. Here the singer’s voice has not yet fully matured, but has a fresh, unfettered quality that is quite appealing. She does well with songs such as "Once I Walked in the Sun," where her singing partner is the co-composer, Ivan Lins. "Some Other Time" is appropriately wistful, "Cheek to Cheek" nicely playful. But if one did not enjoy Monheit herself, this disc can be listened to for its backup players alone: Michael Kanan, Joe Martin, Rick Montalbano, Ron Carter, Tom Harrell, and Joel Frahm, with string charts expertly scored by Alan Broadbent and Vince Mendoza. The sound is rich, full, and detailed. Except for some occasional drum work in the rear channels, the multichannel mix places singer and instruments up front, a glowing ambience in the sides and rear. The DualDisc functioned perfectly in every DVD-Audio and CD player I own, including the Alpine CD changer in my car. The DVD-Audio side of the disc has lyrics and a photo gallery viewable on screen....Rad Bennett

Diana Krall: Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival
Verve B000378009
Format: DVD-Video

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Diana Krall’s Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival features many songs from her latest album, The Girl in the Other Room. A simple jazz quartet replaces the lush orchestral sound of her previous two albums and the Live in Paris concert DVD. Although Krall sometimes seems inhibited when performing some of the intensely personal songs that she cowrote with her husband, Elvis Costello, her delivery of more upbeat standards, such as "East of the Sun" and "Devil May Care," is spot on. The picture quality is very good for a live concert and is enhanced for widescreen televisions. The audio quality is also good, considering that it’s Dolby Digital for both the two-channel and surround mixes, with clean sound and precise imaging. However, the sound is a bit thin when compared to a good CD or DTS DVD. The scant extras comprise the "Narrow Daylight" video, still photos, and a discography. If you like Diana Krall’s earlier CDs and the new direction she’s taken with The Girl in the Other Room, you’ll like this DVD....Roger Kanno

Elvis Costello: King of America
Rhino R2 74642
Format: CD

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Reviewing King of America on its release in 1986 for Time magazine, Jay Cocks wrote, "It is surely one of [Elvis Costello’s] best." Nearly 20 years later, that verdict stands. Costello had done a few acoustic tours with T Bone Burnett in 1984-85 and wanted to use the acoustic guitar as the foundation for the songs he had written. In place of his band, The Attractions (whom he had intended to use for half the album), Costello and coproducer Burnett brought in a number of American musicians, including James Burton, Jerry Scheff (both from Elvis’s TCB band and countless recording sessions), Jim Keltner, Ray Brown, and Mitchell Froom. The overall feel of the record was more subdued than his work with The Attractions, but Costello’s observations were no less cutting. "Indoor Fireworks" casts a dark eye on love, and "Little Palaces" pours vitriol on Thatcher’s England. Like all of the reissues in Rhino’s Costello series, King of America is accompanied by a second CD; this one contains 21 worthwhile songs, roughly half of them previously unissued. The mastering improves on the very good Rykodisc reissue from 1995 by giving more body and texture to the acoustic instruments, especially the string bass. If you own the Rykodisc or Demon (UK) version, you’ll be pleased to know that the tiny skip on the fadeout of "I’ll Wear It Proudly" has been corrected....Joseph Taylor