Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 CD

Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 Ten compassionate, but powerful piano composition by Henk Wieman, accompanied by the authentic Belgian String Orchestra. On the first CD "Into Your Heart", only a string quartet could be heard, on this second CD he performs with a string quintet. Also, a contrabass has been added and these warm, low tones accommodate for deep emotions. In this album the warmth and colours of Toscany and Umbria can be felt in the compostions: "Seta Bianca", "Maggio" en "An Evening in Cortona". The song "For You" experienced its premiere during a concert by Henk Wieman in 2006 at the Concert Hall in Amsterdam.

Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 Liner Note Author: James Bagwell. Recording information: St. George's Church, New York, NY (03/06/2009/03/07/2009). Photographer: Flynn Larsen. Personnel: Kristen Gygi, Miriam Lewin, Aleha Aziz, Eileen Stevens, Dana Pogorelec, Christine Hoffman, Christina H. Fairweather, Bonnie French, Amy Foster , Yoonju Hong, Suzanne Perreault, Susan Eddy, Sarah Kaplan, Melanie Zachariades, Luana Lewis, Lily Manshel, Kathryn Partan, Katherine Fox Wolf, Julie Siegmund, Julia Dong, Jocelyn Soffer, Joan Kapfer Jorrin, Jenness Crawford, Jenn Mancini, Jacqueline a. Jones, Erika Rohrbach, Margaret Young (soprano); Daniel O'Brien, Alan Marsh, Douglas Riccardi, Confidence Stimpson, Tansal Arnas, Steven Ostrow, Steven N. Brautigam, Steven D. Stellman, Steve Lanser, Scott Clugstone, Robert Ouellette, Robert Nixon, Mikey Steiger, Jonathan Wind, Steve Kass, Christopher Miller, Noah Beck (tenor); Michael Thaddeus, Dan Schwartz , Chris Destasio, Alex Johnston, Wylie Hembree, Skip-Anthony Galla, Ryan Mesina, Robert P. Rainier, Michael Maizner, Michael Jorrin, Luis J. Ferran, Jr., John Stolen, Jay-Vincent Jones, Eric Hansen , Christopher Platt (bass voice); Steven Ryan (piano); Renée Anne Louprette (organ); Charles Kiger, Rick Herrick (percussion). Audio Mixer: Robert Anderson.

Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 No, to answer the obvious question, Ladies of Show Biz does not present duet performances by Judy Garland and Carol Channing, each of whom is heard separately on alternate tracks. Rather the collection is the work of a creative compiler at Sony Music Special Products. Every major label must house somewhere in its vast collection stray recordings by major artists that do not add up to a full-length album, and here are some examples. Garland, after leaving MGM Records along with the film studio in 1950, had a two-single (i.e., four-song) deal at Columbia in 1953, after which she gave the label the rights to the soundtrack from A Star Is Born (1954) before departing for Capitol. Channing made one single with Mitch Miller at Columbia in 1951 ("Did I Hurtcha, Burn Ya, Cutcha"/"Meany Meany") after having appeared on the original Broadway cast recording of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949 and before appearing on the 1954 studio cast album for Archy and Mehitabel, a show renamed Shinbone Alley when it ran on Broadway briefly in 1957. This material is the source for a compilation that begins with Channing's performance of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and ends with Garland's of "The Man That Got Away" from A Star Is Born, with eight long-forgotten songs in between. Garland does her best with such numbers as "Heartbroken," an early lyric of Fred Ebb, who would go on to Cabaret and Chicago. Channing is well-suited to Miller's typical novelty material (including the previously unreleased "The Hottentot Song"), and the excerpt from Archy and Mehitabel, which pairs her with Eddie Bracken, makes you wish that whole album would be reissued. This is not a great collection, by any means, but it's a real find for fans of Channing and/or Garland. ~ William Ruhlmann

Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50  

Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50  

Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 Track Listing of songs: Concerto, for cello and string orchestra, Op. 61: Movement 1; Concerto, for cello and string orchestra, Op. 61: Movement 2; Concerto, for cello and string orchestra, Op. 61: Movement 3; Concerto, for cello and string orchestra, Op. 61: Movement 4; Sommernacht, pastoral intermezzo for string orchestra, Op. 58: Pastorales intermezzo;

Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50  

Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 Track Listing of songs: Sonate Pour Violon Et Piano: Lent; Assez Animé; Sonate Pour Violon Et Piano: Lent; Sonate Pour Violon Et Piano: Animé; Petite Suite En Fa Pour Basson Et Piano: Gigue; Petite Suite En Fa Pour Basson Et Piano: Aria; Petite Suite En Fa Pour Basson Et Piano: Tambourin; Le Jarden Mouilé Pour Harpe; Le Rêve Du Jeune Faon Pour Cor Et Piano; Scherzetto Pour Cor Et Piano; Orientale Pour Flûte Et Piano; Pièce Brève Pour Basson Et Piano; Chant Triste Pour Violoncelle Et Piano; Pièce De Concert Pour Violoncelle Et Piano; Suite En Sol Pour Quatuor À Cordes: Menuet Pittoresque; Suite En Sol Pour Quatuor À Cordes: Chanson Intime; Suite En Sol Pour Quatuor À Cordes: Fêtes;

Rachmaninov: Trio in G minor, Élgiaque; Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50