Once again, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe’s music works its magic. Fearing neither expression nor a wide vibrato (which is never too methodical or simply there for decoration), Susie Napper and Margaret Little offer a selection of pieces taken from the complete recording of Concerts à deux violes esgales, recorded in Quebec City in 2003 and 2004. Le changé, Le tendre, L'attentif, Le Tombeau des regrets and L'estourdy are all like insights into the soul.Found post-mortem in the papers of pianist Alfred Cortot, the manuscript of these sixty-seven concerts is a balanced dialogue between the two instruments, almost like a conversation between cultured friends philosophising about existentialism. The fascinating music ranges from deep introspection to dance, all the while retaining a certain spontaneity.This psychological musical portrait, like an equivalent to a painter’s portrait, is perceptible throughout and perfectly illustrates the personality traits - and probably the physical traits too - of the characters illustrated here. © François Hudry/Qobuz

The popularity of the film Tous les matins du monde (All the Mornings of the World) has revived the fortunes of the shadowy composer named Sainte-Colombe, who was active in the late seventeenth century. The film was largely fictitious, but subsequent research, much of it nicely summarized in the notes to this disc, has shed light on who Sainte-Colombe might have been, and has shown that the filmmakers, and the novelist (Pascal Quignard) who wrote the novel on which Tous les matins du monde was based, made some good guesses about him. Some of the world's top players have recorded his music for the viols that figured so heavily in the film, and this two-disc set, by the Canadian bass-viol pair of Susie Napper and Margaret Little, is part of a series covering all of Sainte-Colombe's compositions for "deux violes esgales," two equal viols. It's a fine performance, and an informative presentation of the music. Napper and Little don't have the shimmering, ecstatic feeling that is Savall's specialty, and that he revealed on the film's soundtrack. But they approach the music differently, and cogently. Sainte-Colombe's "concerts," having between one and five movements, open with a descriptive Ouverture that is often as long as the rest of the movements, usually short dances, put together. Each piece takes its name from this opening movement, which, unlike the descriptive pieces of Couperin or Rameau, often has an abstract title referring indirectly to the structure of the music itself -- often, what the title putatively describes is the kind of conversation represented by the music. Thus the first work on the disc is subtitled "L'attentif," The Attentive One. In this work, one viol is silent for much of the work, as if listening to the comments of the other. An early manuscript copy actually explains the meanings of the titles: one work is called "Les récits" because "each part takes turns reciting." Other titles may describe a work's mood, but all of them have the flavor of a unique conversation between two individuals. It is this quality that Napper and Little capture effectively. Their tempos are generally brisk, but each player emerges as a lively individual. Anyone intrigued by Sainte-Colombe should check this set out, for it introduces the composer in detail and offers a sympathetic performance of his music.© TiVo

When is a Radiohead record not a Radiohead record? That's a fair question when listening to the debut from The Smile—which includes most prominent Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood and is produced by Nigel Godrich, who has worked on every Radiohead album since OK Computer. They're even recycling bits and bobs of old songs that never made the permanent Radiohead roster, like "Skrting on the Surface" which has roots going back to that band's In Rainbows era as well as Yorke's Atoms for Peace side project. Here, it's served as an ambient moment—as much a mood as a song. Greenwood's jazz guitar arpeggios dress things up while soft brass fades in and out and Yorke vocalizes like flotsam drifting through the ether. In other words, the song plays it cool: a good simmer that doesn't need to overdo it as a full-on boil. "Open the Floodgates" started as a Radiohead track back in 2006, when it was known as "Porous," and also got revived for live gigs with Atoms for Peace. It sure sounds like a frustrated commentary on concert fans: "Don't bore us/ Get to the chorus/ And open the floodgates/ We want the good bits/ Without your bullshit." (Pretty perfect for a band named after the Ted Hughes poem "The Smile," with its ominous warning about hungry fakers consuming purity.) Joining the band is jazz drummer Tom Skinner, also of Sons of Kemet, who lays down a busy, jittery rhythm that matches the oddly charming funk-to-post-punk-siren path of "The Opposite." The drums pace like a caged tiger on the big, festival-ready "You Will Never Work in Television Again," and it's a wow moment to hear Yorke singing like he's in the Wipers or Mission of Burma. He hits his famed upper register on "Pana-vision," a moody, fog-at-the-seaside piano track with strings conducted by Hugh Brunt, who has worked with both Radiohead and Greenwood on his film scores. "Thin Thing" thrives on math-rock tension. "Speech Bubbles" is a graceful, if morose crawl. "The Same" delivers great washes of uneasy noise. "Waving a White Flag" brainwashes with sterile, spacey synth followed by drawling strings, like a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. And "Free in the Knowledge," with its catchy vocal melody, could be Radiohead circa The Bends. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

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Doja Cat's fourth album Scarlet marks one of the most exciting eras for femcees since Cardi B. Hot off the back of much media and fan speculation, Doja isn't afraid to speak out this time around, and no one is safe. Earlier in 2023, the pop superstar was losing followers by the boatload stating "seeing these people unfollow me makes me feel like I've defeated a large beast that's been holding me down for so long… now I can reconnect with people who really matter and love me for who I am." This "large beast" is most clearly addressed on the hard-hitting track "Demons," a Doja-fied version of something you may have found on Tyler the Creator's revolutionary 2011 album Goblin: "Lots of people that were sleeping say I rap now/ Lots of people's hopes and dreams are finally trashed now." And rap she does.Proudly boasting "no features" on her social media, this album is 100% Doja Cat; she didn't come to play and she has a lot to say. From her laid-back flow on "Balut" where she addresses her amateur contemporaries to "Wet Vagina" where she points out her newfound status in the fashion world, it is always great to see a female artist who unashamedly backs herself like no other. Even on "Attention" she brings up the fact that the media tried to pin her against fellow rap icon and personal influence Nicki Minaj ("'Why she think she Nicki M? She think she hot shit'/ Huh, I never gave a F, go stir the pot bitch").Beyond her protean flow, Doja's knack for writing flaming hot bars really shines on Scarlet. She is a master of the metaphor and the double entendre. On "Balut" she raps "Make the hoe kneel/ She kill it like an O'Neal," using "she kill it" as a homophone for Shaquille (O'Neal). The production also speaks for the album's versatility, with credits including hip-hop producer legend Rogét Chahayed, London on Da Track, Beat Butcha, Jay Versace and f a l l e n. Scarlet was written between Doja's regular writing schedule and a 10 day Malibu treat.  As a result, half of the album has a different aura and message from the other. Tracks like "Attention" and "Paint the Town Red" have an ultra cool laissez-faire Doja is known for and "Demons," "Wet Vagina," "Fuck the Girls FTG" and "Balut" all have a certain bite recalling her early SoundCloud rap days. The vibe completely switches to something more relaxed and "sing-songy" (think her previous album) on tracks like "Gun" and "Go Off" (produced by  f a l l e n, who also worked on Planet Her), and can also be felt on "97," "Agora Hills," "Can't Wait" and "Love Life." Whilst this album has a lot to offer and there is something for everyone, one might experience a little less whiplash if a few songs were dropped from the 15-deep tracklist.  Regardless, Doja Cat has certainly earned the title of the Princess of Rap and is deserving of the recognition as a truly talented multi-faceted artist and pop-culture icon. To quote Princess Doja one last time, "Is it coke? Is it crack? Is it meth?/ What the fuck do she put in them hits!?" © Jessica Porter-Langson/Qobuz

The extent of the 2015 Weeknd commercial rebound, symbolized by platinum certifications for Beauty Behind the Madness and all four of its singles, didn't merely embolden Abel Tesfaye. On this follow-up's fourth track, a blithe midtempo cut where Tesfaye takes a swipe at pretenders while boasting about drinking codeine out of one of his trophies, the level of success is a source of amusement. He notes the absurdity in taking a "kids' show" award for "Can't Feel My Face," in which he was "talkin' 'bout a face numbin' off a bag of blow." The track actually lost to Adele's "Hello," but it clearly, somewhat comically, reached an unintended demographic. It comes as no surprise that Tesfaye, on his third proper album, doesn't attempt to optimize the reach of his biggest hit by consciously targeting youngsters. He sings of being a "Starboy" with access to a fleet of sports cars, but he's a "motherfuckin' starboy," one who is 26 years old and proud to observe his woman snort cocaine off his fancy table. While Starboy often reflects an increased opulence in the personal and professional aspects of Tesfaye's life -- from more upscale pronouns to expensive collaborations with the likes of Daft Punk (two) and "Can't Feel My Face" producers Max Martin and Ali Payami (four) -- the dark moments of vulnerability are pitch black. Lines like "I switch up my cup, I kill any pain" could have come from Tesfaye's mixtape debut, yet there are new levels of torment. In "Ordinary Life," he considers driving off a Mulholland Drive cliff, James Dean style, wishing he could swap everything for angel status. It's followed with "Nothing Without You," a ballad of toxic dysfunction. He asks his lover if she'd feel guilty for not answering his call if he happened to die that night. It's not all dread and depravity. There's some sense of joy in a one-night stand, and an echo of "Say Say Say" Michael Jackson, on the Luomo-ish house track "Rockin'." Contrition is shown in the slick retro-modern disco-funk of "A Lonely Night." Ironically enough, in the aching "True Colors," Tesfaye sounds a little insecure about a lover's past. The album's lighter, comparatively sweeter parts -- the Tears for Fears-sampling/Romantics-referencing "Secrets" and the breezy and only slightly devilish "I Feel It Coming" among them -- are all welcome highlights. When pared down to its ten best songs, Starboy sounds like Tesfaye's most accomplished work.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

Superunknown was a breakthrough in many ways. Not only did the album bring Soundgarden a new audience, it dramatically expanded their vision, as well as their accomplishments. If Down on the Upside initially seems a retreat from the grand, layered textures of Superunknown, let it sink in. The sound of Down on the Upside is certainly more immediate, but the band hasn't returned to the monstrous, unfocused wailing of Louder Than Love. Instead, they've retained their ambitious song structures, neo-psychedelic guitar textures, and winding melodies but haven't dressed them up with detailed production. Consequently, Down on the Upside is visceral as well as cerebral -- "Rhinosaur" goes for the gut, while "Pretty Noose" is updated, muscular prog rock. Down on the Upside is a deceptive album -- it might seem like nothing more than heavy metal, but a closer listen reveals that Soundgarden haven't tempered their ambitions at all.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Doja Cat's fourth album Scarlet marks one of the most exciting eras for femcees since Cardi B. Hot off the back of much media and fan speculation, Doja isn't afraid to speak out this time around, and no one is safe.Earlier in 2023, the pop superstar was losing followers by the boatload stating "seeing these people unfollow me makes me feel like I've defeated a large beast that's been holding me down for so long… now I can reconnect with people who really matter and love me for who I am." This "large beast" is most clearly addressed on the hard-hitting track "Demons," a Doja-fied version of something you may have found on Tyler the Creator's revolutionary 2011 album Goblin: "Lots of people that were sleeping say I rap now/ Lots of people's hopes and dreams are finally trashed now." And rap she does.Proudly boasting "no features" on her social media, this album is 100% Doja Cat; she didn't come to play and she has a lot to say. From her laid-back flow on "Balut" where she addresses her amateur contemporaries to "Wet Vagina" where she points out her newfound status in the fashion world, it is always great to see a female artist who unashamedly backs herself like no other. Even on "Attention" she brings up the fact that the media tried to pin her against fellow rap icon and personal influence Nicki Minaj ("'Why she think she Nicki M? She think she hot shit'/ Huh, I never gave a F, go stir the pot bitch").Beyond her protean flow, Doja's knack for writing flaming hot bars really shines on Scarlet. She is a master of the metaphor and the double entendre. On "Balut" she raps "Make the hoe kneel/ She kill it like an O'Neal," using "she kill it" as a homophone for Shaquille (O'Neal). The production also speaks for the album's versatility, with credits including hip-hop producer legend Rogét Chahayed, London on Da Track, Beat Butcha, Jay Versace and f a l l e n.Scarlet was written between Doja's regular writing schedule and a 10 day Malibu treat.  As a result, half of the album has a different aura and message from the other. Tracks like "Attention" and "Paint the Town Red" have an ultra cool laissez-faire Doja is known for and "Demons," "Wet Vagina," "Fuck the Girls FTG" and "Balut" all have a certain bite recalling her early SoundCloud rap days. The vibe completely switches to something more relaxed and "sing-songy" (think her previous album) on tracks like "Gun" and "Go Off" (produced by  f a l l e n, who also worked on Planet Her), and can also be felt on "97," "Agora Hills," "Can't Wait" and "Love Life."Whilst this album has a lot to offer and there is something for everyone, one might experience a little less whiplash if a few songs were dropped from the 15-deep tracklist.  Regardless, Doja Cat has certainly earned the title of the Princess of Rap and is deserving of the recognition as a truly talented multi-faceted artist and pop-culture icon. To quote Princess Doja one last time, "Is it coke? Is it crack? Is it meth?/ What the fuck do she put in them hits!?" © Jessica Porter-Langson/Qobuz

The classical best-seller charts are unfamiliar environs for the Palazzetto Bru Zane label, which specializes in forgotten 19th century opera. However, this release achieved best-seller status in early 2024, and this is absolutely no surprise, for Louise Bertin's Fausto is a remarkable work. One wonders how long it will take programmers to present it in a cycle with Berlioz's and Gounod's versions of the Faust tale (and perhaps Arrigo Boito's); the work is colorful in the extreme and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser even though it closed after three performances in 1831 and was shelved for the next 190 years. Perhaps the opera mixed so many influences that audiences just did not know what to make of it. Bertin, who was 25 when the work had its premiere in Paris, wrote the libretto herself in Italian. It has all the trappings of Rossinian opera -- fortepiano-accompanied recitative, aria, scena, preghiera, cavatina, big multi-part finales ending with a fast stretta -- but the effect of the music is completely different, and the settings stand up to the weighty aspect of the material. It is as if Weber had written a Faust opera, sometimes even as if Beethoven had written one. The role of Faust is sung by a mezzo-soprano, which is how Bertin wrote it, although a tenor version also exists. This results in intriguing equal-status duets between Karine Deshayes as Fausto and Karina Gauvin as Margarita. Conductor Christophe Rousset catches the ambition and the drama; his ensemble Les Talens Lyriques uses historical instruments but wisely bulks up to an adequate size for the work. Palazzetto Bru Zane, as usual, does the opera justice sonically with a studio recording. This is a remarkable release, not only for lovers of 19th century opera or those interested in music by women, but for anyone.© James Manheim /TiVo

The extent of the 2015 Weeknd commercial rebound, symbolized by platinum certifications for Beauty Behind the Madness and all four of its singles, didn't merely embolden Abel Tesfaye. On this follow-up's fourth track, a blithe midtempo cut where Tesfaye takes a swipe at pretenders while boasting about drinking codeine out of one of his trophies, the level of success is a source of amusement. He notes the absurdity in taking a "kids' show" award for "Can't Feel My Face," in which he was "talkin' 'bout a face numbin' off a bag of blow." The track actually lost to Adele's "Hello," but it clearly, somewhat comically, reached an unintended demographic. It comes as no surprise that Tesfaye, on his third proper album, doesn't attempt to optimize the reach of his biggest hit by consciously targeting youngsters. He sings of being a "Starboy" with access to a fleet of sports cars, but he's a "motherfuckin' starboy," one who is 26 years old and proud to observe his woman snort cocaine off his fancy table. While Starboy often reflects an increased opulence in the personal and professional aspects of Tesfaye's life -- from more upscale pronouns to expensive collaborations with the likes of Daft Punk (two) and "Can't Feel My Face" producers Max Martin and Ali Payami (four) -- the dark moments of vulnerability are pitch black. Lines like "I switch up my cup, I kill any pain" could have come from Tesfaye's mixtape debut, yet there are new levels of torment. In "Ordinary Life," he considers driving off a Mulholland Drive cliff, James Dean style, wishing he could swap everything for angel status. It's followed with "Nothing Without You," a ballad of toxic dysfunction. He asks his lover if she'd feel guilty for not answering his call if he happened to die that night. It's not all dread and depravity. There's some sense of joy in a one-night stand, and an echo of "Say Say Say" Michael Jackson, on the Luomo-ish house track "Rockin'." Contrition is shown in the slick retro-modern disco-funk of "A Lonely Night." Ironically enough, in the aching "True Colors," Tesfaye sounds a little insecure about a lover's past. The album's lighter, comparatively sweeter parts -- the Tears for Fears-sampling/Romantics-referencing "Secrets" and the breezy and only slightly devilish "I Feel It Coming" among them -- are all welcome highlights. At 18 tracks, the album is a "contracted edition" playlist toolkit. The songwriting credits list just under 40 composers, and the productions -- the majority of which involve Doc McKinney and/or Cirkut, low-lighted by maneater dance-punk dud "False Alarm" -- are roughly as variable in style as they are in quality. When pared down to its ten best songs, Starboy sounds like Tesfaye's most accomplished work.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

In this installment in "an ongoing Shostakovich survey", Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra bookend the composer's brilliant, often turbulent symphonic career. Nearly half a century lies between Shostakovich's triumphant debut with the First, premiered before his 20th birthday, and the Fifteenth, an inventory of influences written under the shadow of his own mortality. Penned just two years earlier, the Fourteenth is a symphonic song cycle, and the Chamber Symphony is a skillful adaptation of his tragic String Quartet No. 8. © Deutsche Grammophon