The Napster Blog

Denis Matsuev, The Carnegie Hall Concert

Russian pianist Denis Matsuev is known for his thrilling and electric stage performances, and his latest release, a live album from his Nov. 17, 2007 concert at Carnegie Hall, absolutely captures the magic. The Carnegie Hall Concert finds Matsuev passionately bringing to life Schumann, Liszt, Prokofiev, and Scriabin with grace and gusto. The opening piece, "Kinderszenen," is played rather delicately to start, but as the performance continues, off come the gloves, so the speak.

Matsuev's career blossomed in 1998 when, at the young age of 23, he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition. His previous release, 2007's Unknown Rachmaninoff, is also an excellent listen, proving that when Matsuev sinks his fingers into something, it's worth your attention.

Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Michael Nyman: Minimalism

Rather than working in lavish, romantic scales as Fryderyk Chopin or Franz Liszt did generations before them, artists like Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, and John Cage took a very different approach in the 1960s and '70s, focusing on the fundamental tones, shapes, and structures that formed the basis of the minimalism movement. The strikingly simple and stark forms presented by modernist and pop art painters such as Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, Robert Morris had a profound effect on the style, changing the way people thought about "negative space" in both visual art and music. Napster's "minimalism" playlist offers a variety of works from the early innovators, along with notable composers who followed, including Michael Nyman, John Hassell, and Gavin Bryars.

Gonzales, Solo Piano

It's always interesting when an artist known primarily for one genre of music dives into a project of a completely different nature, as did pop-metal-maker Andrew W.K. with his recent collection of piano compositions, 55 Cadillac. In a somewhat parallel case, Gonzales, primarily known for his rapping/MC skills,  production work, and performances with Peaches, Manu Chao, Jane Birkin, and Jamie Lidell, surprised some in 2004 with the release of Solo Piano, a collection of piano pieces that are startlingly sublime for an artist not traditionally trained in jazz or classical music. Glass, Reich, Satie, and Gershwin are likely inspirations, though Gonzales' natural aesthetic and technique create an original sound that is as captivating as it is surprising.

Anna Russell, The Anna Russell Album

Classical pianist turned comedian Anna Russell found her true calling as a musical parodist in the late 1930s after having seriously studied classical piano in France and Belgium. Once she established her gift for making classical music and musicals sound downright silly, she toured successfully, performing at notable venues such as Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall, and even appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show. Like comedic pianist and entertainer Victor Borge, Russell amazed audiences with her combined talents for tickling both the ivories and the funny bone. Her most popular numbers include "How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera" and "The Ring of the Nibelungs," both found on The Anna Russell Album, a live performance from New York that was originally released in 1972.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Soundtrack

Fans have already flooded into theaters to check out the latest film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, to the ridiculous tune of $100 million on its first day. Holy smokes—that's $82 million over the previous record-setting Dark Knight from last summer. That's pretty remarkable, and strongly suggests Prince could eventually become the most successful movie at the box office to date. But when you're an online music service such as Napster, there's a more important question: How's the soundtrack?

British composer Nicholas Hooper was chosen once again by director David Yates to compose the score. Hooper previously scored Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix after having worked with Yates on a made-for-TV movie, The Girl in the Cafe, back in 2005. So far, there have been three composers to score for the Potter series: John Williams, Patrick Doyle, and Hooper—and considering the development of the characters and overall shift in tone from childhood innocence to full-blown apocalyptic sorcery, it makes sense to bring multiple musical personalities to the table. For Prince, Hooper naturally incorporates Williams' well-known magical "Hedwig's Theme" but ventures brilliantly from there, conjuring much-needed darker elements that bring the teen wizards' ever-increasing maturity into musical focus. Throughout the score, Hooper is able to pull off an emotionally stirring and versatile score with fun and spooky cuts such as "Wizard Wheezes" and "The Slug Party," ominously deep tracks "Slughorn's Confession" and "Farewell," and even a beautifully romantic piece—spoiler alert!—"When Ginny Kisses Harry."

Stanley Drucker, New York Philharmonic Clarinetist for 61 years, Retires

A report on NPR's Morning Edition yesterday highlighted musician Stanley Drucker, 80, who at the end of this month is retiring from his post as principal clarinet in the New York Philharmonic after an astounding 61 years with the orchestra. Yes, 61 years—49 of them as principal—which gives him the distinction of playing longer than anyone else in the history of that organization. He auditioned for the legendary Bruno Walter in 1948 and joined the orchestra at just 19. But at that point he was already an orchestral veteran, having taken up his instrument at 10, gone to the Curtis Institute at 15, and become principal clarinet of the Indianapolis Symphony at 16 and the Buffalo Philharmonic at 18. That's some résumé, and it all took place before his 61 years with New York. Sheesh.

Drucker has played under the baton of hundreds of different conductors over the years, but he remembers Leonard Bernstein especially fondly, telling NPR that "his era was one of innovation and a lot of imagination." Of the many recordings Napster has of Bernstein, the New York Philharmonic, and Drucker (both as a soloist and an orchestra member), one of the best is The Americans: The Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, a compilation of Bernstein recordings of music by American composers with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Israel Philharmonic. It includes Drucker's Grammy-nominated performance of Aaron Copland's Concerto for Clarinet, a piece commissioned in the 1940s by Benny Goodman, but which Drucker has made his own, having performed it over 60 times.

Other notable Drucker recordings available on Napster include his album of Brahms chamber music, Drucker Plays Brahms (pictured), his performance of John Corigilano's Concerto for Clarinet with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic (also nominated for a Grammy), and a "Live at the Library of Congress" recording of Brahms' Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B Minor with the Juilliard Quartet. Interesting tidbit: Drucker's son Leon goes by the name of Lee Rocker and is a widely known rockabilly bassist and founding member of the Stray Cats.

The Kronos Quartet, Floodplain

When it comes to small classical ensembles retaining mainstream success in pop culture, The Kronos Quartet have been at the top of the list for nearly four decades. In 1986, cello quartet Apocalyptica drew buzz with their Metallica covers album, and more recently their Billboard-charting single "I Don't Care" featuring Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace, and since then countless string-quartet tribute albums have been released. But no other popular ensemble of its kind—if it even has a kind—has displayed the intensity and diversity The Kronos Quartet has since forming in 1973. Among their impressive achievements are the group's 600-some pieces, 400 of them commissioned from luminaries including minimalist Terry Riley; a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance in '04; revered soundtrack work (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain), and a genre-quilting collection of cover pieces that would even make Mike Patton's head spin (Jimi Hendrix, Television, Sigur Rós). And yet The Kronos Quartet continue to explore.

Their latest, Floodplain (also commissioned), examines ongoing difficulties surrounding Middle Eastern countries situated near rivers; places that once nurtured the beginnings of civilization but now face extreme poverty amid hazardous flooding. Kronos fluidly find a way to represent this turmoil with striking depth and earnest emotionality, all with their usual stunning musicianship. Aside from the genre leap the album represents, it also features some unexpected elements, including guest artists Terry Riley, Wu Man, and The Azerbaijani Alim Qasimov Ensemble, as well as accompanying instrumentation that includes electric sitar, tambura, riq, shruti box, begena, tape, nagara, and additional Serbian folk instruments. Kronos also experimented with instruments specifically built for them; Walter Kitundu, apparently the quartet's "instrument builder in residence," invented a musical device called the Beguèna Maridhia, which was inspired by a begena, and a modified voila.

Kari Kriikku, Bizarre Bizaar

Ready for something really interesting? Give Kari Kriikku's new album, Bizarre Bazaar, a spin and try not to smile. The Finnish clarinet wizard's vivacious personality is evident in everything he plays, as is the inspiration he gains from his travels and experiences as a musician. Presently a leading performer of the clarinet, Kriikku says he "unabashedly adapts works for concert use," and it works brilliantly.

Bazaar is a multicultural concoction, unified by Kriikku's charismatic clarinet and the energy of the accompanying Tapiola Sinfonietta orchestra. The selection of pieces comprises many moods and genres, including klezmer, tango, and fado. The opener by László Draskóczy, "Dances of Kronod," delights with a charming sass; Ora Bat Chaim's "Deine Söhne Seien Gesegnet" creeps with grave beauty; Astor Piazzolla's "Cafe 1930" glows with mystery and intrigue; and the closer, Paulo Abreu Lima's "Feira de Castro," impresses with invigorating percussion. By Kriikku's design, each performance is a modern, refreshing approach to the music, and after even one listen you might just have an entirely new outlook on classical clarinet.

Randy Newman, The Natural

As the world celebrates the start of another season of Major League Baseball, we thought it would be nice to give a listen to Randy Newman's iconic score to Barry Levinson's classic 1984 film adaptation, The Natural. Often compared to the musical style of American classical composer Aaron Copland for its distinguished and proud orchestral statements, Newman's score effectively captures an austerely optimistic American spirit, bursting with spark and nostalgia. Bernard Malamud's story of darkness and greed amidst humility and heroism is finely mirrored by Newman through the use of dissonant swellings countered by heartening themes. And after 25 years, the famous main leitmotif still holds plenty of magic and is frequently heard at baseball-related events and games.

Yuja Wang, Sonatas & Etudes

For a multitude of reasons, young pianist Yuja Wang is currently considered one of the most important figures of her generation in the classical arena, and she continues to develop. With an impressive performance history already behind her at only 22, Wang consistently amazes concertgoers, who have described her at various times as "greatly gifted," a "shooting star on a rapid rise," and "a stylish player." Part of the surrounding excitement comes from her growing reputation as a "clutch" performer when needed to sub at the last minute for other pianists, which she has actually done to rave reviews several times to date. It's also been a widely shared sentiment that—as mind-blowing as her technique and execution have been perceived to be—she's devoid of pretension and rather filled with a captivating, spirited flare. Wang's major label debut on Deutsche Grammophon, Sonatas & Etudes, includes beautifully dark and inventive interpretations of works by Chopin, Ligeti, Scriabin, and Liszt.