Posted inMusic

Alejandron Escovedo

The track listing for Alejandro Escovedo’s new studio album, Bourbonitis Blues (Bloodshot), his first in three years, makes it doubly clear that the Austin singer-songwriter isn’t exactly in a prolific phase. Of the nine cuts, only four are originals, and one of those, “Guilty,” appeared in a different version on With These Hands (Rykodisc) in […]

Posted inMusic

Alban Berg Quartet

True to its namesake, the prolific, Vienna-based Alban Berg Quartet has turned in compelling performances of works by members of both Viennese schools in its 23 years. What’s more, its dedication to contemporary music comes through loud and clear in fresh interpretations of the latest opuses of Alfred Schnitke, Wolfgang Rihm, and the like. On […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Alejandro Scarpino

It’s worth pointing out that the nuevo tango of the late Astor Piazzolla, who expanded the Argentine tango into something that totally transcends its origins (much as Johann Strauss did for the 19th-century Viennese waltz) is heard more often in the U.S. these days than the traditional idiom originated by the gauchos of the Argentine […]

Posted inMusic

Alban Berg Quartet

Since its debut in 1971, the Alban Berg Quartett has been a compelling exponent of the works of both the classical and 12-note Vienna schools; its recording of the complete quartets of Beethoven, Berg, and Anton Webern rival those of the Julliard and the LaSalle. The foursome’s playing is intense, but clear and exquisite enough […]