Beyoncé: Live at Wembley
Sony 58626
Format: DVD-Video/CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
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Overall Enjoyment

Beyoncé is no Janet Jackson -- she’s sexier, more energetic, and more interesting. Live at Wembley showcases a talent that is still young and virile. Visually, this concert does more with lights and rear-projected backdrops than many artists can manage with a stage full of props and costumes. It’s too bad the music can’t measure up to the presentation. Although the album is pristinely produced, there’s little to separate Beyoncé’s rhythms and lyrics from those of countless other female R&B, teen-pop vocalists, including Destiny’s Child. Many of the songs, such as "Naughty Girl," sound like poor ripoffs of Madonna, while other tunes, such as "Hip Hop Star," go on and on in endless repetition. The DVD and the bonus CD of remixes are both beautifully produced; the sound quality on both formats is as good as anyone can expect from pop music. It also comes as no surprise that the video is good. Shot on film and mastered by Sony, the image is several notches higher in quality than its peers.…Anthony Di Marco 

Morrissey: Morrissey, You Are the Quarry
Sanctuary 86003
Format: CD/DVD-Video

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
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Overall Enjoyment

You may not agree with the politics of "America is Not the World," but you can’t deny the high level of craft behind this song. This is classic Morrissey, replete with guitars and the wry, jet-black cynicism that made the Smiths much more than a garage band. On more than a few occasions, the guitar work of Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte come very close to the genius of Johnny Marr. The opening riff and bridge of "Irish Blood, English Heart" forms an infectious backdrop to Morrissey’s suitably passionate lyrics. There are also moments of pure fun, as in the maudlin story line of "First of the Gang to Die." The sound quality is crystal-clear, despite too little weight in the vocals and bass -- a step up from Morrissey’s often-veiled recordings. The extra DVD contains a well-produced music video of "Irish Blood, English Heart." Unfortunately, it contains too little of a good thing.…Anthony Di Marco 

Bryn Terfel: Bryn Terfel Sings Favourites
Bryn Terfel, bass; Sissel, soprano; Andrea Bocelli, tenor; London Voices; London Symphony; Barry Wordsworth, conductor.
Deutsche Grammophon 474 638
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Every opera singer has some crossover tunes in his or her bag that are usually trotted out as encores. For some reason, baritones seem to do best with them, crossing that pop-classical line with greater ease than sopranos or tenors. Bryn Terfel does wonderfully well with the chestnuts on this set. His commanding versions of "Shenandoah," "Danny Boy," and Copland’s arrangement of "Shall We Gather at the River" are splendid. Of the 18 tracks here, 17 exhibit the highest artistry. On the single exception, tenor Andrea Bocelli joins Terfel for the famous duet from Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers. Hearing Bocelli painfully bleat his way through this lovely music makes one grateful for the chapter-skip button. The colorful arrangements are lush and full, and the London Symphony sounds quite luscious playing them. There’s solid bass and sweet highs, and the surrounds are given just the right amount of reverb to re-create the sound of a large, reverberant, but not boomy hall.…Rad Bennett

Mozart: Flute Concertos Nos.1 and 2; Concerto for Flute and Harp
Patrick Gallois, flute; Fabrice Pierre, harp; Roderick Shaw, harpsichord; Swedish Chamber Orchestra; Patrick Gallois, Katarina Andreasson, directors.
Naxos 5.110055
Format: DVD-Audio

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Mozart wrote his two flute concertos in Mannheim, for the surgeon and amateur flutist DeJean. (Concerto 2 is actually a transcription of an earlier oboe concerto.) The Concerto for Flute and Harp was written a year later, in Paris. All three works are scored for the usual orchestra of the day -- oboes, horns, bassoon, and strings -- and each is full of gorgeous melodies and rich yet simple harmonies. This is one of those rare discs that refresh the ear as a summer breeze banishes the heat of August -- the performances capture each moment of charm in every passage. The recorded sound is most appealing, and although there’s no center channel, the imaging is just fine. There is perfect balance within the accompanying ensemble, as well as between soloists and orchestra. By the late 18th century the harpsichord was no longer always used to provide a basso continuo, but this recording employs one. It adds delicate bounce to the rhythms and is ideally balanced in the mix.…Rad Bennett

Hiromi Uehara: Brain
Telarc SACD-63600
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

If you missed the promotion hype, Hiromi Uehara is a young Japanese keyboard artist who has made her home in the US for the past four years. She has incredible technique and energy. Listening to one of her extended jazz compositions can leave one breathless. On this set she ranges from the lyrical, acoustic tone poem "Legend of the Purple Valley" to two saucy electronic funk pieces: "Kung-Fu World Champion," inspired by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and "Keytalk." Hiromi has yet to find her musical soul, but her technique is so impressive that listeners can join in her search without feeling cheated. Telarc’s sound is absolutely state-of-the-art; both acoustic and electronic instruments are delineated clearly in flawless high-resolution sound. Surprisingly, surround effects are kept to a minimum; the rear channels are used primarily to create a sense of space.…Rad Bennett