PASA TEMPOS CD REVIEWS.(Pasatiempo)

Bamberger Symphoniker/Jonathan Nott Schubert Epilog (Tudor)

There is an entire subset of classical composition devoted to reorchestrations of previously written works, an example of which are the Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern transcriptions of Johann Strauss Jr. waltzes. The pieces found on the intriguing Schubert Epilog, however, take this technique one step further. Here, five contemporary composers -- Luciano Berio, Aribert Reimann, Hans Werner Henze, Hans Zender, and Kurt Schwertsik -- have taken works by Franz Schubert and used them as springboards for their own original treatments. Berio's "Rendering per Orchestra," for example, is a three-movement suite that includes snippets from recognizable Schubert pieces -- including the famous "Unfinished Symphony" -- as well as portions of the sketches for what would have been his 10th Symphony. Reimann's "Metamorphosen uber ein Menuett von Schubert" begins with a literal transcription of Schubert, then veers off into a mystical and atonal place. Henze's contribution springs from the well-known lied "Erlkonig" but uses only that song's incessantly galloping tempo as the rhythmic underpinning of a totally original melody. "Schubert-Chore 1-4" by Hans Zender are orchestral renderings of a series of choral pieces, in which the orchestrations are free to wander beyond Schubert's written harmonies. The final work, Schwertsik's "Epilog zu Rosamunde," not only gives the disc its name but is also a darkly ominous orchestral tour de force.

-- David Prince

MADREDEUS Faluas Do Tejo (Blue Note Records)

More people know Spain's flamenco songs and the tangos of Argentina than the fado of Portugal, but that's changing -- and high time, too. It is an intriguing, unsettling art form, full of heart-sore reflections on love and life without posturing or Werther-like moaning. It supposedly rose from the Lisbon slums, inspired by the Brazilian song-and-dance fado of around 1700, which itself rose out of an African dance form. As Emily Kimbrough wrote in her book on travel in Portugal, Pleasure by the Busload, "There is a saying that you must open your ear to let in Fado, but once you have let it in it will stay with you for your life."

This disc by the Lisbon-based fado ensemble Madredeus is a good introduction to the genre, but it's just as enticing for enthusiasts. Teresa Salgueiro has a beautiful, smoky voice and uses it wonderfully, each word and feeling clear on her lips -- which is good, given that the liner texts are entirely in Portuguese. The traditional guitar accompaniment -- two plus bass guitar here -- is sensitively and potently played. The only odd touch to my ears is the use of a synthesizer, which is quite outside tradition. But it does sound good and suits the songs and in that sense creates tradition of its own.

-- Craig Smith

Hendrik Meurkens Amazon River (Blue Toucan Music)

Hendrik Meurkens, a German with a special love for the music of Brazil, offers a luxuriant album full of the flavors of that land. In the liner notes Oscar Castro-Neves, who serves as producer and arranger on Amazon River, said Meurkens' soul "was born somewhere among the trees and the rivers of Brazil, so native are his performances."

The leader's harmonica, alternately melancholy and lively, is the chief voice on most of the tracks, though the expressive vocals of Castro-Neves and Dori Caymmi are showcased on two tracks each. The background is always bright with percussion, and pianist Helio Alves gets some great Brazilian jazz going on songs including Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Passarim" and "Ela e Carioca."

Meurkens loves the Brazilian choro form and wrote three chorinhos for this album. "Menina na Janela" features Robson Cerqueira on bandolim (Brazilian mandolin), a voice that just accentuates the quality of longing stated by the harmonica. Clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera is a vivacious guest on the other two, "Lingua de Mosquito" and "The Peach," which also feature Pedro Ramos on cavaquinho (Brazilian lute) and Ze Mauricio on pandeiro (Brazilian tambourine).

If you want to get the essence of this album in one track, listen to the title cut. It's a standout, midtempo song with a catchy melody, soulful vocals by composer Caymmi, and improvisational harmonica by Meurkens.

-- Paul Weideman

Ozomatli Live at the Fillmore (Concord Records)

From the time Ozomatli's self-titled debut was released in 1998, the group has latched onto a piece of rock wisdom that seems to be fading from everyday pop culture: if you tour, and tour heavily, the fans will always be there to support you. Weeks before the August release of Ozo's new live album, I tracked a lot of Internet buzz and local fan chatter that was filled with a silent dread: how can Ozomatli duplicate the energy of its recent live show onto a compact disc? The answer: first, record live at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Second, make the performance one of the tightest live rock shows ever recorded by a Latin Grammy-winning ensemble. Third, throw in a DVD of the concert to back the whole project up. On the day of Live at the Fillmore's release, Ozomatli was nominated for two more Latin Grammys, one for best alternative album, the other for best-engineered album. Live at the Fillmore demonstrates Ozomatli's range of musical talent, from nods to the Middle East and its struggles in songs like "Believe" to the Latin finale favorite, "La Misma Cancion." Ozomatli's Santa Fe homestead, the Paramount Nightclub, may be gone forever, so Live at the Fillmore is your must-have blankie in the dark until a new Ozo barn is raised.

-- Rob DeWalt