Topic: Classical Music Blogs or Personal Webpages

[Florestan]

The idea that giving it up in order to then actually communicate well with the target audience was a fine and honorable one.

Mass attendance has halved in the last four decades since Vatican II. (1) How can this be [...], when all changes in the Church were made in the name of making the Mass more appealing to the people – changing it from Latin to English, turning the altars around, involving the laity with dialogue and activities, permitting popular songs and guitars?


EDIT: I am Eastern Orthodox not Roman Catholic, but having attended the RC conciliar mass and the RC baptismal service I see where Catholic Tradiionalists are coming from.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Mass attendance has halved in the last four decades since Vatican II. (1) How can this be [...], when all changes in the Church were made in the name of making the Mass more appealing to the people – changing it from Latin to English, turning the altars around, involving the laity with dialogue and activities, permitting popular songs and guitars?


EDIT: I am Eastern Orthodox not Roman Catholic, but having attended the RC conciliar mass and the RC baptismal service I see where Catholic Tradiionalists are coming from.

1.) Correlation, not causation.  Abetted by incompetence. And guitars and/or sandals were not proscribed by VII. That was part of the local choice. And somehow a lot of Lutheran et al. congregations fared well with it... perhaps that's why it was copied.

[San Antone]

As much as I appreciate the discussion sparked by my post, my article was more about the St. Gregory Society Schola recordings of Palestrina (also Victoria, Lassus and Desprez) - which are all excellent, especially considering they are an "amateur" choir (they've been doing this for 20+ years). 

Hearing the polyphony with all the surrounding chant and propers offers a unique and contextually accurate experience.  The recordings are highly recommended for those not put off by the liturigical setting.

 

[SurprisedByBeauty]

As much as I appreciate the discussion sparked by my post, my article was more about the St. Gregory Society Schola recordings of Palestrina (also Victoria, Lassus and Desprez) - which are all excellent, especially considering they are an "amateur" choir (they've been doing this for 20+ years). 

Hearing the polyphony with all the surrounding chant and propers offers a unique and contextually accurate experience.  The recordings are highly recommended for those not put off by the liturigical setting.

 

We just need the smallest of excuses. 

[Florestan]

1.) Correlation, not causation.  Abetted by incompetence. And guitars and/or sandals were not proscribed by VII. That was part of the local choice. And somehow a lot of Lutheran et al. congregations fared well with it... perhaps that's why it was copied.

Whatever the reasons, it is obvious that the Protestantization of Catholicism was quite detrimental to the latter --- as it was only to be expected. Thank God the Eastern Orthodox Churches eschewed any such sort of doctrinal innovations and aggiornamento.

Sorry for the off topic. Carry on as usual, gents.

[chord]

Dolphin touch - Music of Narvaez

http://classicalcompass.blogspot.hu/2017/03/dolphin-touch-music-of-narvaez.html

[Gurn Blanston]

80 (!) different Mozart Piano Sonata Cycles exist, by my count.

So I just ordered one of the Tilney disks (Vol 2), see how that goes. He is not an artist whose work I am just overrun with, so I have virtually no preconceptions.  Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[HIPster]

Dolphin touch - Music of Narvaez

http://classicalcompass.blogspot.hu/2017/03/dolphin-touch-music-of-narvaez.html

Very nice, chord. Thanks. 

[San Antone]

THE HIDDEN BAROQUE : BJÖRN SCHMELZER, PETER PAUL RUBENS AND ORAZIO VECCHI



Schmelzer uses narrative concepts for his recordings and interpretations, spinning webs of associations and cross references between periods, styles and genres.  For his latest, he wishes to contrast the prima prattica polyphony (echoing an earlier time) and the Baroque painting style of Rubens, at whose funeral he posits the music was performed:  “The deceased person inside the coffin was no less than the most famous of all Baroque painters, Peter Paul Rubens, and it is highly plausible that the Requiem Mass performed by the choir of the cathedral at this solemn occasion was an eight-part work including a polyphonic Dies irae, which had been printed in Antwerp 28 years beforehand and written by the Italian composer Orazio Vecchi".

[HIPster]

THE HIDDEN BAROQUE : BJÖRN SCHMELZER, PETER PAUL RUBENS AND ORAZIO VECCHI



Schmelzer uses narrative concepts for his recordings and interpretations, spinning webs of associations and cross references between periods, styles and genres.  For his latest, he wishes to contrast the prima prattica polyphony (echoing an earlier time) and the Baroque painting style of Rubens, at whose funeral he posits the music was performed:  “The deceased person inside the coffin was no less than the most famous of all Baroque painters, Peter Paul Rubens, and it is highly plausible that the Requiem Mass performed by the choir of the cathedral at this solemn occasion was an eight-part work including a polyphonic Dies irae, which had been printed in Antwerp 28 years beforehand and written by the Italian composer Orazio Vecchi".

A wonderful read, sanantonio! 

I can hardly wait to give this recording a spin.  Hopefully soon. 

Thanks.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Review: Irish Chamber Orchestra On Tour With A Mendelssohn Revelation

The Irish Chamber Orchestra may not be much of an established brand in the international orchestra-world,
but they are on their best way of getting there. Currently on a on-and-off tour of continental Europe, they
are spreading their excellence in places like Brussels, Freiburg, Vienna and Heidelberg. It helps that they
surround themselves with interesting and good musicians. Among them “Principal Artistic Partner” (a bit
labored, their titles) Gábor Tákacs Nagy, that old-school continental musician with semi-quavers running in
his veins, “Principal [Guest] Conductor and Artistic Partner” composer-clarinetist-conductor Jörg Widmann,
and, on this tour, Igor Levit, one of a hot new generation of musicians; a young-ish, nicely severe pianists...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2017/03/28/review-irish-chamber-orchestra-on-tour-with-a-mendelssohn-revelation/

[chord]

http://classicalcompass.blogspot.hu/2017/03/alchemy-hille-perl-marthe-perl.html

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Classical CD Of The Week: York Bowen, The English Rachmaninoff



https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2017/04/01/classical-cd-of-the-week-york-bowen-the-english-rachmaninoff/#5f14ba171f0b

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Review: Eternal Youth -- Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra At 30


https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2017/04/02/review-eternal-youth-gustav-mahler-youth-orchestra-at-30/#6fa07f6e5720

Blowsy Bruckner, Gerhaher Gorgeousness

[chord]

Cantigas



review:
http://classicalcompass.blogspot.hu/2017/04/cantigas.html

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Classical CD Of The Week: Johann Sebastian Clown

http://bit.ly/CDoftheWeek054

Johann Sebastian Clown: For all those unafraid of garish colors, subwoofer-busting bass, and liberal applications of tremulant and celeste, this is the ticket!

[SurprisedByBeauty]

I've compared seven mobile DACs (and a few headphones in the process) on Forbes... which make mobile listening to a laptop possible. It's a bit of a read, at 7000 words, but there's a conclusion at the end you can skip to. 

Review: A Mobile DAC/Headphone Amp Comparison

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Diary of a trip with a Viennese HIP Band to Japan



Beethoven visits Japan: On Tour with the Vienna Academy Orchestra (Part 1)


http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2017/04/beethoven-visits-japan-on-tour-with.html

Beethoven visits Japan: On Tour with the Vienna Academy Orchestra (Part 2)

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Diary of a trip with a Viennese HIP Band to Japan



Beethoven visits Japan: On Tour with the Vienna Academy Orchestra (Part 3)


http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2017/04/beethoven-visits-japan-on-tour-with_21.html

[chord]

Excalibur - Signor Pandolfo's adventure

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xrc9pLRq6Dg/WKTDBxcJrMI/AAAAAAAAC9o/I77eUWtxCsIcYJG-mpsKO4wlUiFZgq-3gCK4B/s1600/tree_940_5a.jpg