Gurn's Classical Corner

[Gurn Blanston]

Harald Hoeren is certainly a talented keyboardist. I like very much one disc of Haydn's keyboard concertos under Helmut Müller-Brühl. There he plays three "organ" concertos and Ketil Haugsand -another skilled keyboardist- plays two "harpsichord" concertos:



 

Antoine, is the Cologne CO PI?  I didn't think so...




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Now playing:
Graham Johnson, D 939 Die Sterne

[Antoine Marchand]

Antoine, is the Cologne CO PI?  I didn't think so...

No, Gurn, they are not a PI ensemble... but you know that.

Although I know you do not like more this concept, IMO they are an excellent HIP ensemble playing on modern instruments. Even, I would say, one of the most successful ensembles playing Bach and Haydn.

If one day you decide to explore their Haydn, please consider this astonishing disc:

 

[DavidW]

I also really like Muller-Bruhl's Haydn and Bach.  Dynamite!

[Gurn Blanston]

No, Gurn, they are not a PI ensemble... but you know that.

Although I know you do not like more this concept, IMO they are an excellent HIP ensemble playing on modern instruments. Even, I would say, one of the most successful ensembles playing Bach and Haydn.

If one day you decide to explore their Haydn, please consider this astonishing disc:

Well, I didn't know it, but I thought it.   Thanks for the verification and the rec too. For a Naxos price, I'm always willing to experiment.

[DavidW]

This morning I listened to the sinfonias J C Bach album that Gurn rec'd and the Woodwind Concertos v 2 that Dave rec'd.  The Sinfonias were okay, but I really liked those concertos, very Mozartean.  I'm not operating on a full nights sleep though so I'll come back to 'em in a couple of days and see if I still think that.

[assadourian]

I have just recept the Beethoven's piano concerti by A.Schoonderwoerd +ens.Cristofori , it's for me
a rediscover of them .
idem for Mozart concerti with Immerseel and symphonies by T. Pinnock.

About the symphonies of Haydn ,Beethoven and Schubert ,the only versions i can heard with
pleasure ,now ,are those of the Hanover Band+ Roy Goodman: very incisives and dynamics
how i like ....what do you think of this?
Karajan, Geza Anda , Baremboin and other's like them versions seem to me "plum puddings"

[SonicMan46]

Charles Avison (1709-1770) - English composer who trained briefly w/ Geminiani in London but spent nearly all of his life in Newcastle, his birthplace.  He is considered one of the most important composers in England during his active years of composing and combined influences from the French, Italians, and Germans into his own unique compositions which are basically late Baroque although he did bridge the gallant style - short bio on Wiki HERE.

I just acquired my sixth disc of his works (actually 3 double sets) - there is an Avison Ensemble dedicated to discovering, exploring, and performing the works of this versatile and well respected composer - I'm sure much more is yet to be recorded!  My most recent recording purchase is shown below, i.e. Harpsichord Sonatas, Op. 5 & 7 w/ Gary Cooper and the Avison Ensemble on Divine - a 2CD set - prompted by an excellent review in the Nov-Dec issue of Fanfare (attached for those interested).  Also shown are a picture of the composer and the other dual set of discs that I have currently - comments and other recommendations appreciated - 

 

 

[Grazioso]

Hey guys: rec me some JC Bach!   Preferably orchestral or chamber on period instruments.

I have these three CPO box sets, all impressive:

Well, enjoy. I think J.C. is a very entertaining (oops, there's that nasty word! ) composer, way more galant than his brother CPE. Carl used to give him a lot of crap about it too, offering to teach him how to make people cry. J.C. thankfully blew him off. For my money, one brother in each category is just right!   

Amen, brother. I'm shameless in my love for "entertaining" music from the likes of JC Bach, Boccherini, Hummel, Spohr, et al. (And, really, just about any Classical or Early Romantic composer--bless them all!--ultimately falls in that "pleasant" category compared to the extremes that would come to the musical world in time.)

[The new erato]

I have just recept the Beethoven's piano concerti by A.Schoonderwoerd +ens.Cristofori , it's for me
a rediscover of them .

Yes I think so too.

While not in any way definite, and certainly not everybodys cup of tea, you will never hear these concertoes in the same way again after hearing Cristofori. There's very few discs able to do something like that in any work.

[Gurn Blanston]

   

These are a couple of disks that are worthy of comment, both to continue the JC Bach conversation for a moment, and to bring up a subject near and dear to me. 

The complete opera overtures is a 3 disk set, and I imagine it to be of the same caliber as the disks previously mentioned by this same band. Nice playing here, and in fact Bach was well-known for his operas. The second time that Mozart met him was in 1778 in Paris during the infamous summer that Mama died. Bach was in town specifically to get a commissioned opera produced. If you were popular in Paris back then, you had it made!   It was the last time Mozart and he were to meet, given his death in 1782.

The second disk is a bit of a rarity, I don't know who, here, would have it with the exception of Antoine, of course. It is Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata in a minor, played on an actual arpeggione and with an 1820 Graf pianoforte (played by Paul Badura-Skoda). I always wanted to hear what one of these bizarre bastards (seriously, it is a cross between a guitar and a cello!) sounded like, and now I have. Very interesting. In addition, the String Quintet on here (by the Rosamonde Quartet with Detaille switching over from arpeggione to first cello) is a very nice version indeed. A disk worth seeking out.



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Now playing:
Janet Baker \ Elly Ameling \ Peter Schreier \ Horst Lubenthal & Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau w\Gerald Moore (Piano) - D 619 Duet for Mezzo & Baritone  'Sing-Übungen'

[karlhenning]

. . . The second disk is a bit of a rarity, I don't know who, here, would have it with the exception of Antoine, of course. It is Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata in a minor, played on an actual arpeggione and with an 1820 Graf pianoforte (played by Paul Badura-Skoda). I always wanted to hear what one of these bizarre bastards (seriously, it is a cross between a guitar and a cello!) sounded like, and now I have. Very interesting. In addition, the String Quintet on here (by the Rosamonde Quartet with Detaille switching over from arpeggione to first cello) is a very nice version indeed. A disk worth seeking out.

Most interesting.

[mc ukrneal]

 

These are a couple of disks that are worthy of comment, both to continue the JC Bach conversation for a moment, and to bring up a subject near and dear to me. 

The complete opera overtures is a 3 disk set, and I imagine it to be of the same caliber as the disks previously mentioned by this same band. Nice playing here, and in fact Bach was well-known for his operas. The second time that Mozart met him was in 1778 in Paris during the infamous summer that Mama died. Bach was in town specifically to get a commissioned opera produced. If you were popular in Paris back then, you had it made!   It was the last time Mozart and he were to meet, given his death in 1782.

You will get no argument from me on this one. And I guess the Hanover Band must be PI, since you are advocating them. Don't worry, it doesn't change my very high opinion of this set one whit.   In fact, I have the six CD set by the same group doing the Symphonies Concertantes shown above. I believe that there is ovelap between the overtures CD and the complete symphonies CD in that he reused some themes between them. If someone has both, is the overlap noticeble or is it just the occassional melody here and there? I find it interesting how composers reuse music in other pieces.

[Gurn Blanston]

You will get no argument from me on this one. And I guess the Hanover Band must be PI, since you are advocating them. Don't worry, it doesn't change my very high opinion of this set one whit.   In fact, I have the six CD set by the same group doing the Symphonies Concertantes shown above. I believe that there is ovelap between the overtures CD and the complete symphonies CD in that he reused some themes between them. If someone has both, is the overlap noticeble or is it just the occassional melody here and there? I find it interesting how composers reuse music in other pieces.

Yup, they are PI, as you surmise. Very appropriate for this music and one of my favorite groups anyway. Halstead is a hornist, the leader used to be Roy Goodman who is a harpsichordist. Either way, great playing.

I would love to have both of those other boxes you mention. Have to save my nickles and dimes, I guess. It certainly appears to me reading the list of tracks that the symphonies box does overlap the overtures box. Of course, that is true of Haydn too, and probably many others.

[mc ukrneal]

Yup, they are PI, as you surmise. Very appropriate for this music and one of my favorite groups anyway. Halstead is a hornist, the leader used to be Roy Goodman who is a harpsichordist. Either way, great playing.

I would love to have both of those other boxes you mention. Have to save my nickles and dimes, I guess. It certainly appears to me reading the list of tracks that the symphonies box does overlap the overtures box. Of course, that is true of Haydn too, and probably many others.

Amazon has it about as low as I've ever seen it right now ($44). Still not cheap, but just letting you know. On the other hand, B&N have the concertos set at $44.29. They periodically send out coupons for 25%, which would make this a good deal with a coupon and free shipping. Of course, jpc is the place to get it if you order enough or manage to catch them in a sale (if they have one on this) to offset the shipping. I must admit, I usually order just once a year or so with them (never more).

The overtures are 3 discs and the symphonies are 5, so I guess there is still a lot of new music either way even with the overlap. They are great discs to start the day off with.

[assadourian]

too.

Yes I think so
While not in any way definite, and certainly not everybodys cup of tea, you will never hear these concertoes in the same way again after hearing Cristofori. There's very few discs able to do something like that in any work.

Have you heard the symphonies by The Hanover Band?

[Gurn Blanston]

Have you heard the symphonies by The Hanover Band?

Certainly I have, don't know about others. I find many things to like about that set, I suppose that makes you and I in the minority! It is true, the sound isn't all one hoped it would be, but that is nothing to do with the performance itself. I also have all their Haydn disks, sound-wise they are far superior. In any case, I can be pleased with them, they are far from my only set, and they make a nice change of pace from most others.

[Grazioso]

Yup, they are PI, as you surmise. Very appropriate for this music and one of my favorite groups anyway. Halstead is a hornist, the leader used to be Roy Goodman who is a harpsichordist. Either way, great playing.

Halstead is also the harpsichordist/fortepianist in the delightful keyboard concerto set I pictured above. What an underachiever that guy is

[Gurn Blanston]

Halstead is also the harpsichordist/fortepianist in the delightful keyboard concerto set I pictured above. What an underachiever that guy is

Talented indeed!  He is considered near the top of the heap in the natural horn world:



Damn, and I have all I can do to play the CD player...





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Now playing:
Quartetto Italiano - D 804 Quartet #13 in a for Strings 1st mvmt - Allegro ma non troppo

[assadourian]

There is a website entirely dedicated to Pavel Vranicky , i have found it by hazard...
http://www.wranitzky.com/index.html

[karlhenning]

By chance we say en anglais : )