New Releases

Started by Brian, March 12, 2009, 12:26:29 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

vandermolen

Holst:

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Roy Bland


Todd




A big box I may be able to live without.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Itullian

#10043


Excellent!!!
When all else fails, listen to Thick as a Brick.

pjme



A research project into the saxophone class of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (1867-1904): the world's first concertos for saxophone and orchestra by Paul Gilson (1865-1942)
Saxophonist Kurt Bertels hopes not only to make the Belgian composer Paul Gilson's works for saxophone and orchestra much better known but also to broaden the instrument's standard repertoire with this CD.
The recording was made in collaboration with the Flanders Symphony Orchestra. Bertels endeavours to present these works in a historically informed manner, with the intention of linking the instrument to the movement for historically informed performance.

This CD is the artistic result of the doctoral research (2014-2020) carried out by Kurt Bertels at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel and the Free University of Brussels. His research focused on the context, performance practice and repertoire of the saxophone school that existed at the Royal Brussels Conservatory between 1867 and 1904, and it led to the rediscovery of the autographs of Gilson's Premier Concerto and Récitatif et Sérénade. Brussels-born Paul Gilson composed two concertos for saxophone and orchestra — the first ever to be composed — in 1902; Gilson also reworked his Récitatif et Sérénade for cello and orchestra into a version for tenor saxophone in 1906. The latter work forms part of the Paul Gilson Foundation in the music library of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels; Gilson's first saxophone concerto, on the other hand, was only rediscovered after a long search.

It is thanks to Dr. Bertels' thorough artistic research and his performances of works from the classical saxophone repertoire, including works by Belgian composers, that this repertoire is now more topical than ever before.

A second  cd with works for sax and piano is also available.


The founding of the saxophone department at the Brussels Conservatory in the 19th century was due to an initiative of François-Joseph Fétis (1784-1871), the first director of the Brussels Conservatory and a renowned musicologist, who wanted to make Brussels the central point of Belgian musical training. Fétis took the Conservatoire de Paris as his template in order to give his own Brussels establishment an international reputation. He was also known to be an advocate of the new instruments that were being developed by Antoine-Joseph (Adolphe) Sax (1814-1894); Fétis, together with Jean-Valentin Bender (1801-1873), the head of music of the Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Guides, quietly introduced Sax's new instruments into the military bands of the time.

We hope, through this recording, to expand the traditional saxophone repertoire. We therefore present less familiar music for saxophone by composers who were active in the Brussels Conservatory during the above period. Beeckman published a number of works and also used them as teaching material for his own students. Poncelet seems to have composed only one work for saxophone; we rediscovered his Hérodiade during our researches and it is here recorded for the first time. Paul Gilson (1865-1942) composed not only the world's first saxophone concerto but also a chamber music work, Improvisation; this is a transcription that Gilson himself made of an earlier work for violin and piano and it too is recorded here for the first time. Joseph Jongen (1873-1953) composed a Méditation for cor anglais and piano in 1901; the transcription for alto saxophone and piano recorded here is Jongen's own.

Mandryka

#10045
Quote from: aukhawk on September 17, 2019, 02:19:13 PM
I enjoy particularly his tasteful and imaginative variations in the repeats.


Yes I too like what little I've listened to so far - visceral recording, lots of ornamentation which puts him in Lipkind territory, no bad thing at all.  Look forward to listening to more Bach from Francesco Galligioni.

And now you can



Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka



All I can say for the moment is that the first vocal track, sung by a new voice for me, that of Lior Leibovici, knocked me off my seat. Beautifully sung  and astonishingly well recorded, with lots of atmosphere. The music is by the usual c13 suspects.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka



Inspired by some research into c18 bowing techniques, the result does not sound like any other version of the music I've ever heard. This music is off my radar, but I would think it's essential listening for anyone who's interested in Mozart reception. Good sound, good essay.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

#10048


Released in February but I've only just noticed. Is Howard Skempton an interesting composer, or is it all hype?
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

vandermolen

Quote from: Mandryka on June 09, 2020, 12:26:45 AM


Released in February but I've only just noticed. Is Howard Skempton an interesting composer, or is it all hype?

I like his 'Lento'.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Symphonic Addict

#10050
I have high expectations of this Rouse CD:




Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Mirror Image

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on June 09, 2020, 10:56:53 AM
I have high expectations of this Rouse CD:



As do I, Cesar.

T. D.

Quote from: Mandryka on June 09, 2020, 12:26:45 AM


Released in February but I've only just noticed. Is Howard Skempton an interesting composer, or is it all hype?
Honestly, I don't know. I bought a couple of recordings on Sony (Well, Well, Cornelius and Piano Works) around the turn of the millennium. Enjoyed most of the content at first, but the music ultimately bored me after a few hearings. The compositions seemed extremely (deceptively?) simple and perhaps suffered critically from an "anyone could write music like that" syndrome. I haven't kept up with Skempton's subsequent work.

I recently listened to Piano Works (played by Tilbury) again and my opinion hasn't changed; the CD is on my "Donate" pile.

Brian

A teaser for Britten fans: Edward Gardner has recorded "Peter Grimes" complete for Chandos. Stuart Skelton as Grimes, Erin Wall as Ellen, and Roderick Williams as Balstrode

aukhawk

Quote
Yes I too like what little I've listened to so far - visceral recording, lots of ornamentation which puts him in Lipkind territory, no bad thing at all.  Look forward to listening to more Bach from Francesco Galligioni.

Quote from: Mandryka on June 08, 2020, 07:44:55 AM
And now you can



Thanks for spotting that.

Er - oh, it appears we still await a 'chapter 3' - it'll need some sort of makeweight to go with the 6th Suite - maybe a transcription of the Ciaccona ??  :-\

Maestro267

Naxos' website needs an overhaul. I haven't been able to use it properly for months now.

When's the Rouse coming out?

Brian

Quote from: Maestro267 on June 10, 2020, 08:36:06 AM
Naxos' website needs an overhaul. I haven't been able to use it properly for months now.

When's the Rouse coming out?
July

amw



Not as many new releases of interest lately but here are some.

Mandryka

#10058


Berlin manuscript; viols and little organ; rather calm and matter of fact; very good scholarly booklet, OK sound.  Luca Guglielmi is the keyboard player.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

#10059
Quote from: T. D. on June 09, 2020, 02:45:15 PM
Honestly, I don't know. I bought a couple of recordings on Sony (Well, Well, Cornelius and Piano Works) around the turn of the millennium. Enjoyed most of the content at first, but the music ultimately bored me after a few hearings. The compositions seemed extremely (deceptively?) simple and perhaps suffered critically from an "anyone could write music like that" syndrome. I haven't kept up with Skempton's subsequent work.

I recently listened to Piano Works (played by Tilbury) again and my opinion hasn't changed; the CD is on my "Donate" pile.

The problem I have with the music on the new CD is that there's no sense of exploration or risk. The music just sound like little ideas tout fait, the ideas seem not very engaging.

That being said, it led me to cast around a bit and I found a lovely thing here, a version for string quartet and piano of his piano concerto - though even there it sometimes almost slides into a sort of Brahms/Ravel pastiche.



He's very well respected in London, by people who are active in avant garde music here.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen