Gurn's Classical Corner

[Gurn Blanston]

Cool. Most unfortunate too. I have her playing some Vanhal oboe quartets very passably. Maybe this was her first disk, done while still at oboe school...

[Uncle Connie]

Further KrommeResearch tells me that what I apparently SHOULD have ordered for the chamber music, instead of all-in-one with Sarah Francis, is as follows:

For the Quintets:


[asin]B000FI900I[/asin]


and for the Quartets (with one duplication, but I get some yummy Fiala this way too):


[asin]B001UL3ZJG[/asin]


Now with the Naxos disc of the Quintets I'm relying on two very warm reviews by customers, neither of whom is my old Amazon forum chum David Friedlander (see earlier post).  It's still a chance, but it's Naxos, so the bank will not crash.  For the Tudor disc of Quartets the player is Simon Fuchs, and he's lead oboe of the Zürich Tonhalle and thus also lead oboe of La Gran Partita, the Swiss group that did those three chamber discs I extolled yesterday.  Knowing that, I can only ask myself why the hell I didn't do this in the first place....

But let me at least wait until the Francis thing shows up and is played.  As Gurn says, maybe the concerto disc was her first, fresh out of oboe school....  (I love that thought!!)   

[Leon]

Back to Krommer for a bit:  Today I received this item, ordered last week:


[asin]B000058UUZ[/asin]


May I say, in as loud a typing voice as I can,   STAY AWAY!!!!   This was one big mistake, one which I'll rectify by buying someone else's version as soon as I can.

Without hunting up any reviews I took this "on faith" that the reputations of Hyperion and conductor Howard Shelley would carry the day.  Unfortunately I do not find oboist Sarah Francis in the same league at all.  Her tone is consistently pinched, not infrequently strained, sometimes unstable in the higher registers, and in certain passages (notably in the first Krommer, first mvt.) possessed of a very strange timbre that sounds for all the world like a quack.  No I'm not making Prokofiev jokes.  I'm serious; Ms. Francis seems to be trying to create an effect in some of Krommer's odder passages, and she misfires.

I am also astounded, in looking up the listing on Amazon, to see a five-star review by one David J. Friedlander, whom I "know" a bit from the Amazon classical music forum as being possessed of excellent taste (meaning he agrees with me a lot) and a fine sense of quality performance (meaning he likes what I like).  What happened here is beyond my comprehension. 

Oh well.  This is my opinion, and I authorized this message.  I also ordered Ms. Francis' disc of Krommer oboe quartets and quintets; when it arrives, if it contradicts appreciably the opinion I have of her concerto disc, I'll let you know.   

I've been listening to the recording of Sarah Francis playing the Quintets and Quartet and do not hear what you describe.  And, she generally receives reviews overflowing with praise, from the likes of Penguin, Fanfare, AMG and BBC Magazine.  If her playing of the Concerto (which I do not have) is anything like her playing in the chamber works, I would not have anything to complain about.

YMMV, of course.

I have been listening to Heinz Holliger playing the Oboe Concerto with the English Chamber Orchestra and enjoying it.

[Uncle Connie]

I've been listening to the recording of Sarah Francis playing the Quintets and Quartet and do not hear what you describe.  And, she generally receives reviews overflowing with praise, from the likes of Penguin, Fanfare, AMG and BBC Magazine.  If her playing of the Concerto (which I do not have) is anything like her playing in the chamber works, I would not have anything to complain about.

YMMV, of course.

I have been listening to Heinz Holliger playing the Oboe Concerto with the English Chamber Orchestra and enjoying it.

Thanks, Arnold.  And that's exactly my problem:  Apparently nobody else hears it as I do.  (Well - at least you don't on another disc, and the various reviewers I've noted don't, though at least one did have some qualms, just not the same ones.)

So this morning I made the official determination that the problem was me, and I set out to prove it.  I played Ms. Francis and her Krommer on three different machines, i.e. with three quite different sets of properties and acoustics, and in addition - in the case of the one machine where I can wander around a large room and sit in different aspects to the speakers - I was all over the place.

Result:  I'm very sorry to report that I'm still right.  My feelings have moderated somewhat in certain ways - for instance, I think part of the problem may be engineering balance and/or miking - but I still really do not like her tone.  Other oboists of whom I am fond include - well, I mentioned Simon Kraus of Zürich in another post, and you mentioned Holliger, and there's also Anthony Camden who has done some fine Baroque things for Naxos.  Lajos Lencses of Budapest made heaps and piles of nice oboe recordings a decade or so ago; I have no idea if he's still going.  I've heard a lot of good things about Alex Klein, who just happens to have recorded the Krommer things, so maybe that's my other choice here. 

But as noted in an earlier post, and especially with your comments, Arnold, I want to wait until the quartet/quintet disc you have arrives here.  It's perfectly okay for me to end up disliking a CD, but at least I want to know more about WHY before I go off the deep end and tell people the oboist is awful.  So I'll get back to you soonest....

 

[Leon]

I suppose I was familiar with the ensemble Cappella Coloniensis, but today I'm just discovering how nicely they cover the Classical era.   They've recorded some standard rep like Haydn symphonies and Mozart piano concertos, but also some gems from Fasch, Hasse, Gossec and other not so well known composers.

Right now listening to Haydn No. 92 - and enjoying it very much.

[milk]

I thought I'd post this since I've been enjoying it lately. I can't say I listen to much classical music that I could describe as "mellow." But that's how I'd describe this recording. Halstead's fortepiano playing (and sound) is very sweet, elegant and soft. This recording really does something for me. I love how the strings seem to float above the piano and how the mood of the piano never does change. It's dreamy! This must have been a lovely afternoon in somebody's 18th century parlor.   

[The new erato]

The three Haydn songs on this disc are simply glorious.

[asin]B007JYQT4Q[/asin]

[mc ukrneal]

It's been quiet at the Corner (summer holidays perhaps), but I wanted to give a big thanks to Leo for pointing out these discs by Galuppi. I have volumes 2 & 3, with plans to get the third one (volume 1 in this case). He wrote in his original post about them being melodic and lush (and I agree with that). There is something simple and direct about these works that I find attractive. Big thumbs up from me!!!

[Gurn Blanston]

It's been quiet at the Corner (summer holidays perhaps), but I wanted to give a big thanks to Leo for pointing out these discs by Galuppi. I have volumes 2 & 3, with plans to get the third one (volume 1 in this case). He wrote in his original post about them being melodic and lush (and I agree with that). There is something simple and direct about these works that I find attractive. Big thumbs up from me!!!

Yes, quiet. Too quiet? 

I only briefly paused over those disks despite wanting to pursue them further. Diversity of interests overwhelmed me, dammit. May I assume they are played on a cembalo? A pianoforte of any stripe seems inappropriate somehow, so I reckon they are on harpsichord...

[mc ukrneal]

Yes, quiet. Too quiet? 

I only briefly paused over those disks despite wanting to pursue them further. Diversity of interests overwhelmed me, dammit. May I assume they are played on a cembalo? A pianoforte of any stripe seems inappropriate somehow, so I reckon they are on harpsichord...

He plays on a modern piano, although I have read that he used 'modest pedalling'. Despite the third disc having been recorded in 2002, the label's website still says it will be part of a 10 disc series. Interestingly, this was also written at the website:

One of the great revelations brought about by this work is that Galuppi, far from being a straightforward baroque composer writing for the traditional keyboard instruments (harpsichord and clavichord), which have been employed in all previous recordings, actually waited until the piano had been developed before creating most of his phenomenal output. Many of the original manuscripts are titled "Sonata for Pianoforte", and much of the writing, making substantial use of the sustain pedal, simply do not work on the earlier instruments.

[Gurn Blanston]

He plays on a modern piano, although I have read that he used 'modest pedalling'. Despite the third disc having been recorded in 2002, the label's website still says it will be part of a 10 disc series. Interestingly, this was also written at the website:

  That IS interesting. Of course, there actually were a few people writing for the piano back then, but they were awfully thin on the ground. Cristofori had been making pianos for sale for probably 2 decades by the time of these works (1850's unless I miss my guess), so promoting them had to fall to someone. Why not Galuppi? One of the top composers of the era! 

[Que]

It's been quiet at the Corner (summer holidays perhaps), but I wanted to give a big thanks to Leo for pointing out these discs by Galuppi. I have volumes 2 & 3, with plans to get the third one (volume 1 in this case). He wrote in his original post about them being melodic and lush (and I agree with that). There is something simple and direct about these works that I find attractive. Big thumbs up from me!!!

May I assume they are played on a cembalo? A pianoforte of any stripe seems inappropriate somehow, so I reckon they are on harpsichord...

See my comments on a wonderful complete set performed the harpsichord posted on the Italian Baroque thread, though Galuppi is admittedly a transitional composer...
But I figured the harpsichord might not be as popular on this thread...?

[asin]B007C7FDJM[/asin]

Q

[Leo K.]

It's been quiet at the Corner (summer holidays perhaps), but I wanted to give a big thanks to Leo for pointing out these discs by Galuppi. I have volumes 2 & 3, with plans to get the third one (volume 1 in this case). He wrote in his original post about them being melodic and lush (and I agree with that). There is something simple and direct about these works that I find attractive. Big thumbs up from me!!!

Mc ukrneal, I'm very happy that you enjoy this set too! I have some Galuppi on harpsichord, but these recordings on piano really resonate with me more. One of those rare times where I don't go PI! 

[Leo K.]

Leo,
At first I thought that might be the same Kozeluch as the one that I have, but I see now that it isn't, since mine is actually a different performer:



This is nice music, however, and I am sure you are going to like that disk.

The other is new to me. Interested in your feedback.

Gurn, I finally got a hold of this Kozeluch fortepiano disk! I haven't heard it yet, but I'll report back when I do. Long live the classical era fortepiano!!!

[Gurn Blanston]

Gurn, I finally got a hold of this Kozeluch fortepiano disk! I haven't heard it yet, but I'll report back when I do. Long live the classical era fortepiano!!!

Leo,
Excellent! I really like that disk. As you already know, Kozeluch was a keyboard specialist. In his own time, that's what  he was known for. Mozart didn't like him, so he was probably pretty good.   Anyway, I predict you will be very pleased. And indeed, let these works always be played on the instruments they were written for; nothing else will quite do. 0:)

[Brian]

Crosspost

One last listen to this CD before sending a very favorable review to MusicWeb:

[asin]B007ZJ1M9C[/asin]

Right up the alley of anybody who likes cheery, refreshing music from about 1800 - if you like, say, Weber or the first three Schubert symphonies, you'll want to hear this.

(modern instruments)

Worth noting: the double concerto is for clarinet and bassoon, and quite admirably the bassoonist is really treated as an equal partner. Plus, the finale hints at the same movement from Haydn's "Bear"!

[Gurn Blanston]

Crosspost(modern instruments)

Worth noting: the double concerto is for clarinet and bassoon, and quite admirably the bassoonist is really treated as an equal partner. Plus, the finale hints at the same movement from Haydn's "Bear"!

Brian,
Can you tell us anything about Westerhoff? He's a new name to me!  Clarinet and bassoon make a lovely combination, as Beethoven taught us in his 3 Duos for Clarinet & Bassoon (WoO 27 1-3). I'll have to work my way around to that, thanks!

[Leon]

Crosspost(modern instruments)

Worth noting: the double concerto is for clarinet and bassoon, and quite admirably the bassoonist is really treated as an equal partner. Plus, the finale hints at the same movement from Haydn's "Bear"!

I am listening on MOG.  Interesting that the cover says "double concerto" but the track list calls it Symphonie Concertante.  In any event, nice music.

[Gurn Blanston]

I am listening on MOG.  Interesting that the cover says "double concerto" but the track list calls it Symphonie Concertante.  In any event, nice music.

Back in the day, it would have been called a Symphonie concertante. That double & triple stuff (which I deplore, BTW ) didn't get invented til later down the road. Mozart's Concerto for Flute & Harp is also a Symphonie concertante. Being eccentric as I am, for example I never use the term "triple concerto" for Beethoven's Op 56. It is a Symphonie concertante, but I call it a Trio Concerto just because I can.  

[Leon]

Back in the day, it would have been called a Symphonie concertante. That double & triple stuff (which I deplore, BTW ) didn't get invented til later down the road. Mozart's Concerto for Flute & Harp is also a Symphonie concertante. Being eccentric as I am, for example I never use the term "triple concerto" for Beethoven's Op 56. It is a Symphonie concertante, but I call it a Trio Concerto just because I can.  

Ah, interesting, Gurn.  Odd how cpo couldn't decide which to use.  Regarding, Westerhoff's style, after hearing all of two movments of one work I can say he superfically reminds me of Mozart.