New in Music This Week: July 24th is truly a mix of genres. From an exploration of America today in relation to the Weimar Republic to a loving tribute to a tabla master to The Lost Boys, you’re bound to find something you’ll enjoy.
My top pick this week is:
CLASSICAL/JAZZ: AMERICA IN WEIMAR: ON THE MARGINS – American Composers Orchestra – Platoon
This album came from American Composers Orchestra’s 2024 Carnegie Hall concert of the same name. This isn’t a live recording, but documents that show’s program.
The album opens with the 1955 revised version of George Antheil’s A Jazz Symphony. Pianist Rei Hotoda is the soloist.
Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady follows with Pirate Jenny from Kurt Weill & Bertol Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera follows. Chrystal E. Williams sings with Felipe Hostins on accordion.
The world premiere of John Glover and Kelley Rourke’s Right Now follows. It’s a 19-minute, four-movement work. Williams and Hostins appear here, too.
Duke Ellington’s Solitude sets up the final two works: Her Land, Expanded by Tonia Ko (another world premiere) and Clans from Lawak Shoppala’ by Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate.
Lawak Shoppala’ is inspired by Linda Hogan’s poem Fire and Light. Along with Right Now and Her Land, Expanded, this trio of works offers a powerful commentary on our world today, particularly when viewed in relation to what was going on during the Weimar Republic.
America in Weimar isn’t an album you go to for easy listening or necessarily for pleasure. Though pleasures and delights abound, this album speaks to our current moment in ways that transcend the need for pleasures. It’s a rallying cry for a country desperately needing to pay more attention.
Here are the other fine new recordings that are New in Music This Week: July 24th:
CLASSICAL: ZWIELICHT – Matthias Goerne / Markus Hinterhäuser – Deutsche Grammophon
Baritone Goerne and pianist Hinterhäuser bring one of Schumann’s greatest song cycles to glorious life on Zwielicht. The is the composer’s 12-song Liederkreis which uses the poetry of Joseph von Eichendorff for its text.
This all-Schumann album continues with Gesänge des Harfners aus op. 98a and condlucdes with Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart, op. 135. The former uses text from Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister. The latter uses poetry that was supposedly written by Mary, Queen of Scots. It was Schumann’s final song cycle.
This is a beautiful and deeply personal album that fans of lieder will certainly enjoy.
CLASSICAL: BEETHOVEN: THE LAST THREE SONATAS – Mitsuko Uchida – Decca Classics
In 2006 pianist Uchida released a studio album of Beethoven’s final three piano sonatas. This live recording from Tokyo’s Suntory Hall comes from performances there in October of 2025.
The studio album is considered one of the finest ever. The live recording reinforces Uchida’s ideas without making radical changes in her approach. There are subtle differences in tempos and the phrasing isn’t as strict as on the 2006 album.
What it offers if an incredible artist giving a thoughtful and even more mature interpretation of these sonatas. As with all of us, twenty years offers a lot of perspective, insight and introspection. That comes through quietly and beautifully in this 73-minute performance.
CLASSICAL: PROKOFIEV MINIATURES – Brian Woods – Navona
Going into this new album by pianist Brian Woods, I was very optimistic. I’ve long been a fan of Prokofiev’s work, particularly for the piano, but hadn’t heard the three works on this album.
Those works are Visions fugitives, Op. 22, twenty miniature pieces that are part of a cycle that had their world premiere in 1918. Tales of an Old Grandmother, Op. 31 is next and was composed in 1918 and debuted in early 1919. Sarcasms. Op. 17 is a five-movement suite from 1914. The album concludes with the first short piece from Four Pieces for Piano, Op. 4 – Reminiscences.
I can’t think of a better introduction of these pieces by one of my favorite composers. Nor can I think of a better introduction to Woods.
Even if you aren’t as big a fan of Prokofiev’s works as I am, this delightful collection of 30 miniatures just might inspire you to check out more of his work.
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL: HEARTLAND POEM – James Viggo Poulsen / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Geoffrey Paterson / Robert Thies – MSR Classics
In a week with a few discoveries, here’s one I enjoyed immensely. Composer James Viggo Poulsen is not someone I’ve heard before. Now he’s someone I want to hear much more.
This album is anchored by his three-movement piano concerto played by Robert Thies. He’s studied the form and has written a contemporary piano concerto that knows the work that preceded it but remains unequivocably its own.
The concerto had its premiere in 2002 with the Des Moines Symphony. This appears to be its first recording.
The title track closes the album and it’s a nearly 11-minute symphonic poem that had its premiere with Des Moines Symphony in 2008.
America and its sensibilities are front center on Poulsen’s mind. Heartland Poem is an entertaining album that fans of Aaron Copland’s music will likely enjoy most.
JAZZ: SANGAM & FRIENDS – Charles Lloyd – Blue Note
In 2009 saxophonist/flutist Lloyd went into the studio to record an album with Zakir Hussain, the beloved Indian tabla player and composer.
Joining them for this session were Ranjit Barot on keyboard, Rakesh Chaurasia on bansuri, Eric Harland on drums (he completed the Sangam trio with Hussain and Lloyd), Sabir Khan on sarangi, Niladri Kumar on sitar and vocalist Vijay Prakash.
The album was never completed. Thankfully Lloyd took it upon himself to dig up those tapes and release Sangam & Friends as a tribute to Hussain.
The loss of Hussain makes this album more poignant that it perhaps was intended to be. That poignancy is added by Lloyd’s devotion to getting this music released. Theirs was a collaboration that deserves to be head and celebrated.
One only wonders with such glorious music what the album would have been like had they recorded more music.
MUSICALS: THE LOST BOYS – Original Broadway Cast Recording – Atlantic Records
I haven’t yet seen The Lost Boys. I saw the performance on the Tony Awards and thought there had to be something more to the show than that performance revealed.
Indeed, there is. Of course, Shoshana Bean sings her heart out on this album. From that alone I understand how and why she won the Tony Award. Ali Louis Bourzgui, who exuded equal parts charm and menace in the performance, reveals shades of vulnerability in the OBCR.
I’ve been curious about the musical but haven’t felt compelled to necessarily go to the show. With this recording, my level of interest has elevated significantly. I like many of the songs, the performances are uniformly good. Now it’s time to see how it all comes together on stage.
In the meantime, The Lost Boys recording has won me over.
VINYL RELEASES OF NOTE:
CABARET: IF THE STARS WERE MINE – Claybourne Elder – Center Stage Records
I reviewed this album when it was first released on April 3rd of this year. It was my top pick that week. You can read what I wrote here.
For fans of Elder’s and/or this album, just wanted you vinyl enthusiasts to know.
You can watch my interview from last year with Claybourne Elder about his show that inspired this album HERE.
That’s all for New in Music This Week: July 24th.
Enjoy the music!
Enjoy your weekend!
Main Photo: Part of the album art for Charles Lloyd’s Sangam & Friends (Courtesy Blue Note Records)