Soprano Dawn Upshaw is among soloists you can hear on the SPCO's new streaming-audio site.
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has launched a site that allows fans to listen to a handful of SPCO recordings free and on demand (no downloads).
The fits of coughing (and sneezing) audible on several of the recordings testify to their live-in-Minnesota origins.
The playlist right now includes just 14 pieces recorded in the last four years, including music of Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Poulenc, Mozart, Handel, Beethoven (a lovely Symphony No. 2, conducted by Roberto Abbado) and Brahms.
Soloists heard include soprano Dawn Upshaw, pianist Lars Vogt, SPCO violinist Stephen Copes and violist Maiya Papach.
The site also includes related program notes, artist bios, links and space for user comments. The SPCO rolled this out in partnership with Minnesota Public Radio as an experiment and hopes to expand the musical offerings in the future.
