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- January 4, 1988MUSICBEST OF '87
-
-
- Classical
-
- JOHN ADAMS: THE CHAIRMAN DANCES AND OTHER WORKS
- (Elektra/Nonesuch). Glenn Miller, minimalism and Mao: a lively
- orchestral gloss on the opera Nixon in China.
-
- BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY NO. 9 (EMI). Lean and mean on original
- instruments, the mighty Ninth, brilliantly conducted by Roger
- Norrington.
-
- GLASS: AKHNATEN (CBS/Masterworks). In the land of the
- Pharaohs, a radiant perspective on the religious revolutionary.
-
- THE IMMORTAL FRITZ KREISLER (RCA). The fabled Viennese-born
- violinist in showpieces, bonbons and a quicksilver Beethoven
- sonata.
-
- CARL NIELSEN: SYMPHONY NO. 1; LITTLE SUITE, OP. L
- (CBS/Masterworks). The neglected First Symphony, sizzling in the
- hands of the young Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.
-
- RICHARD STRAUSS: ARIADNE AUF NAXOS (DG). Strauss's glowing
- score, brightened by Kathleen Battle's sparkling Zerbinetta and
- James Levine's energetic baton.
-
- SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN: OVERTURES (Nimbus). From Patience to
- Pinafore, a Savoyard field day with the crack Scottish Chamber
- Orchestra under Alexander Faris.
-
- TCHAIKOVSKY: VIOLIN CONCERTO; SIBELIUS: VIOLIN CONCERTO
- (Philips). Fiddle fireworks from Viktoria Mullova.
-
- WALTON: SYMPHONY NO. 1; TWO MARCHES (Telarc). An exuberant
- symphony and a pair of rattling coronation marches, led by Andre
- Previn.
-
- ALEXANDER ZEMLINSKY: THE MERMAID (London). Long lost, a
- brooding tone poem and a late Romantic masterwork.
-
- Rock
-
- THE CALL: INTO THE WOODS (Elektra). Spiritual adventuring by
- a California band that dances well clear of high seriousness
- into a unique groove.
-
- RY COODER: GET RHYTHM (Warner Bros.). Rock's supplest guitar.
- Any song here, old or new, clears the air like a sun-shower.
-
- MARIANNE FAITHFULL: STRANGE WEATHER (Island). Eleven
- brokenhearted ballads by a singer who can handle high drama with
- no time out for self-pity.
-
- JOHN HIATT: BRING THE FAMILY (A&M). A musical shakedown
- artist: tunes like Lipstick Sunset can lay bare any emotion by
- the end of the first verse.
-
- THE HOUSEMARTINS: THE PEOPLE WHO GRINNED THEMSELVES TO DEATH
- (Elektra). A fast-moving band of Brits that uses a parred-down
- format to meet some serious social issues head on.
-
- LITTLE STEVEN: FREEDOM-NO COMPROMISE (EMI-Manhattan). The
- year's toughest political record.
-
- PET SHOP BOYS: ACTUALLY (EMI-Manhattan). Supercool,
- supershrewd syntho-pop, London-style, with ironic lyrics so
- sharp and cold they cut like a scalpel made of ice.
-
- ROBBIE ROBERTSON: ROBBIE ROBERTSON (Geffen). The Band's
- guiding light, finally stepping out on his own after eleven
- years and making sure it was all worth the wait.
-
- BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: TUNNEL OF LOVE (Columbia). Another great
- record by the Boss. Act indifferent at your peril.
-
- U2: THE JOSHUA TREE (Island). Record sales, concerts, radio
- play-- '87 was all theirs.
-
-