New Releases

[prémont]

Landini with La Reverdie, soon to be released:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8612359--francesco-landini-l-occhio-del-cor

[Mandryka]

I already have it!
I'll definitely give it a try as well, although wary of anything marketed as "mindfulness" (a useful but limited therapeutic practice which has apparently become capitalist big business)—but haven't heard of any of these performers before and if they're down to record Radulescu they can probably do just about anything they want.

Ah yes well it used to be packaged like this, I guess they wanted to expand the target market

[Mirror Image]

Having recently questioned another (unrelated) thread where someone said a particular version of a piece was all you'd ever need, I'm going to be a complete hypocrite and say exactly that about the Miraculous Mandarin Suite - the Ormandy/Philadelphia version is jaw-droppingly stunning in execution and mood.... (I do prefer the complete ballet - but for the Suite this has never been bettered as far I I have heard)

[asin]B000025SZV[/asin]

For me, Boulez's complete Mandarin on Columbia (Sony) is my reference performance. His DG remake is quite good, too. Another favorite would be Fischer/Budapest on Philips. I can't say I've ever been on the Ormandy train as many folks seem to be around here.

[Todd]

Goodyear the composer.

[North Star]

.
[asin]B07QBDNKHV[/asin]
Google Translation from Amazon Germany:

With his new album, the ensemble goes in search of the music that Christopher Columbus might have heard in his adventurous life. Paul Van Nevel has selected some of the most interesting and largely unknown works by Italian and Spanish composers from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The album begins with the music from Columbus' Italian childhood: The completely four-part, homophonic carnival song 'Visin, visin, visin' (anonymous) tells a joke about chimney sweeps. Especially the composition of Bartolomeo Tromboncino (circa 1465 - after 1534) 'Se ben or non scopri' is a true teaching example of the Frottola tradition - the predominant four-part song form of Italian Renaissance music. A pivotal moment for Columbus's encounter with Spanish composers was his meeting with Los Reyes Católicos in 1486, and thus his frequent visits to Ferdinand and Isabella at their various whereabouts in Spain - Seville, Córdoba, Madrid and Valladolid. The repertoire of the bands of Ferdinand and Isabella consisted mainly of secular music, sung in vernacular and composed by autochthonous Spanish musicians. Noteworthy is the delicate simplicity of both the lyrics and the homophonic music. For example, the album features the intimate 'Dime, triste coraçón' by Francisco de la Torre (circa 1460 - after 1504), 'Allá se me ponga el sol' by Juan Ponce (circa 1475 - after 1520) and 'La tricotea 'of Alonso (late 15th century). A particularly striking piece is' Amor con fortuna 'by Juan del Encina (1468-1529), who was undoubtedly the most popular Spanish composer during Columbus' lifetime. 'De mi perdida esperança' by Juan de Triana, who sings in Seville (circa 1450 - after 1490), is a true example of the delicate melancholy trio, which was also typical of autochthonous music in the Spanish courts. When Columbus set foot on land after his last voyage of discovery in Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand received a visit in 1506 from Duke Philip the Fair, whose band included a number of composers a. a. Mabrianus de Orto (c. 1460-1529) and Alexander Agricola (1446-1506). It is almost certain that Columbus heard the music of these two composers. The Sanctus and Agnus Dei from the Mass 'J'ay pris amours' (de Orto), and Agnus Dei from the Mass 'Malheur me bat' (Agricola), sound at the end of the album with their rhythmic ingenuity, virtuoso vocal guides and polyphonic constructions around a Cantus firmus highlights of Franco-Flemish Renaissance music. Columbus should have listened in amazement!

[aukhawk]

They certainly lived their lives to the full, back in the day.  Even so, Columbus looks to have bigger things on his mind, such as "where to get the best price on a sack of ship's biscuits?".

[Roasted Swan]

Goodyear the composer.

Hyperbola - surely not..... all these words appear in the fairly brief description of this disc on Amazon: "particularly special / most exciting / exuberant / magnificent / a phenomenon / best pianists of his generation / pioneering / vital, vibrant / finest / brilliant"

[Mandryka]

Gilbert Rowland Froberger, French style harpsichord.  Initial impression is that it lacks relief, chiaroscuro, mystery, drama, depth. But I hope someone will show me the error of my ways.

[Mandryka]

Luca Swarts Bach suites. 5 on a bass de violon, 6 on a C18 violincello piccollo and the rest on an C18 cello. Luca Swarts is a pupil of Anner Bylsma, She transmits a sense of a mind engaged in trying to get to the bottom of this music, trying to plumb its hidden depths. It made me think about how much progress we've made in our understanding of these suites since the days when Casals played them on a cello made of an old gourd.

(added after more listening -- these are interesting performances, in terms of expression, articulation especially. Something to hear.)

[Mandryka]

Spirit of Gambo play Jenkins's music for five viols. Essential listening for me.

[Mandryka]

Eriikka Maalismaa and Emil Holmström play Schumann -- a revelation!

Schumann and period instruments
These tracks have been recorded on an 1862 Erard grand piano. Sébastien
Erard was one of the most significant, if not the most significant, piano maker
of his time, whose numerous inventions from the 1820s onwards gradually
transformed the fortepiano into the modern grand piano we know today.
From a pianist's point of view, the period between the 1830s and 1890s is an extremely interesting one. This was a time when various piano companies – some
of which are still in business – were in active competition, coming up with their
own technical solutions, plagiarizing each other, or doggedly holding on to traditional principles. This pluralism was significantly influenced by the numerous pianist-composers of the day, among them Robert Schumann.
In order to conceptualize and interpret the piano literature of this period,
it is imperative to be aware of the contrasting and highly developed timbral
characteristics of its instruments. This forces the performer to avoid the
temptation of defining the sound through the features of the modern piano. The Schumanns didn't own an Erard grand piano, a high-end luxury
instrument of its day, but Erards were the primary concert instrument choice
of numerous pianists, including Liszt. It is likely that Clara Schumann and
Joseph Joachim performed the violin sonatas on instruments much like the
ones we use on this recording.
At the time of writing, it is not yet common to perform Schumann's music
on period instruments (although, fortunately, highly accomplished performances do exist!), and so it is pertinent to draw attention to how dissimilar these instruments are to their contemporary offspring. The Erard grand
piano I play on is extremely agile, with a brilliant tone, but a big sound or wide dynamic range are not among its attributes. Musical gestures speak in
expressive, short-lived moments on this instrument, which is why one has
to inspect Schumann's markings closely and utilize all dynamic, tempo, and
timbral means available in shaping the resulting sound. Certain expressive
devices used by Baroque musicians have proved helpful: for example, chord
arpeggiation is a useful tool for balancing and creating dynamic variation.
Another characteristic feature of the Erard heard on this recording is its
sluggish damping rate which creates a specific kind of distortion around the
pitches. This can sometimes be a challenge when seeking clarity in complex,
articulated textures, but it also assists in painting wondrous musical landscapes in dusky outlines. – Emil Holmström
The first time I truly immersed myself in the world of unvarnished gut strings
was when I took part in the founding of the Ristiveto Festival in Helsinki, with
the uncommon objective of performing late Romantic and early modernist
repertoire on period instruments. The unfamiliar touch appealed to me immediately, and I noticed that my 250-year-old violin adapted to the change very
well. There was a human quality to the multifaceted and warm, nuanced timber,
while altering my playing technique felt like an ongoing pleasant challenge.
With unvarnished gut strings, the tone doesn't come to you for free, and
they are quick to punish any careless or too forceful attempts. The dynamic
range, especially on the high E string, is limited, and the modern way of playing with a high degree of pressure tends to break the tone. Fortunately, the
Erard grand piano is the perfect companion within this softer sound world.
Schumann's sonatas were relatively unknown territory for me until Emil
and I decided, in 2016, to tackle all three of them as one project. These works – which are not particularly attractive to most violinists – take their time to
grow on you. Playing the sonatas of Beethoven and Brahms can be more immediately rewarding, as they do greater justice to the violin's bright, singing
qualities. Schumann, on the other hand, loves to dwell in the middle register,
and his melodic writing can shift abruptly into a thorny dance. Yet, at the
end, I have completely lost myself to this music. All the inner turmoil, restlessness and struggle make the inherent beauty and ecstasy all the greater.
The music lives in this moment, not as something to be admired from afar.
The middle movement of the first sonata is a winding and chattering song,
simple and friendly. It is followed by the much more peculiar finale: like
the stern hammering and yakking of a relentless machine, which gets interrupted by an enraptured and quintessentially Schumann-esque triplet-based
theme. The first movement brings to mind, at the risk of cliché, a tempestuous sea, an ever higher reaching wave. The second sonata is a long and solemn magnum opus, an aptly named Grosse Sonate. Its expansive, sturdy outer
movements bookend middle movements soaked in fantasy. The piano part
of the slow movement floats at times into outer space, enriching the simple
melody. The trio sections of the Scherzo create an intimate atmosphere and
bring comfort in the midst of all the violent hammering.
It is the third sonata – like a wounded animal, patched up in bandages –
that has become the nearest to both our hearts. Hidden away by Clara Schumann, this last extensive composition by Robert has been written only moments before his confinement in a mental institution. The first movement,
while tearing itself apart, also introduces one of the most tender secondary
themes. On this recording, the sonatas are not ordered chronologically but
with an eye towards an effective concert program. – Eriikka Maalismaa

[Mandryka]

Contrapunctus plus a choir sing Taverner -- very well indeed!

[Mandryka]

Solazzo ENsemble, Louvain songook. The most awaited new release of the year, still no date.

En 2015, un historien d'art, travaillant pour le compte d'un marchand d'oeuvres d'art, prit contact avec la Fondation Alamire à Louvain afin d'obtenir un avis concernant un petit manuscrit musical. Les premières recherches révélèrent qu'il ne s'agissait pas de n'importe quel vieux livre mais bien d'un chansonnier du 15e siècle jusqu'alors inconnu. Le Fonds Léon Courtin-Marcelle Bouché, géré par la Fondation Roi Baudoin, racheta le manuscrit en 2016 et le confia en prêt de longue durée à la Fondation Alamire. Comme le propriétaire original ne pouvait pas être identifié, on le baptisa Leuven Chansonnier ("Chansonnier de Louvain"), du nom du lieu de sa conservation actuelle. Le manuscrit est d'une valeur exceptionnelle. Il comporte 50 compositions : une oeuvre religieuse en latin (l'Ave Regina celorum de Walter Frye), suivie de 49 chansons en français ne portant pas mention de compositeurs. Comme 38 de ces chansons se trouvent dans d'autres chansonniers d'époque, on en a pu attribuer 26 à d'éminents maîtres franco-flamands du 15e siècle tels que Johannes Ockeghem, Antoine Busnois, Firminus Caron, etc. Les autres chansons restent encore anonymes. Les recherches permirent également de déduire l'origine probable du manuscrit, à savoir la région de la Loire aux alentours de 1470-75. L'attention des chercheurs s'est tout particulièrement portée sur la découverte de douze chansons uniques, des oeuvres ne figurant dans aucun autre manuscrit connu à ce jour. En complément à la recherche académique, il s'avère important d'aller au-delà de la page manuscrite et de faire vivre la musique par cet enregistrement. Anna Danilevskaia, directrice artistique de l'Ensemble Sollazzo, décrit cela comme « un privilège de pouvoir jouer à nouveau ce répertoire inconnu » ; c'est « un sentiment exaltant d'être pionnier », mais il semble également paradoxal d' « interpréter des chansons séculaires comme premières mondiales ». 7 En 2018, lors du festival de musique ancienne Laus Polyphoniae, la Fondation Alamire (Centre d'Excellence de l'Université de Louvain) et AMUZ (Festival de Flandre – Anvers) organisèrent un marathon de concerts unique comprenant les 50 compositions du Chansonnier de Louvain. Cette première mondiale fut interprétée par les excellents musiciens de l'Ensemble Leones, de l'Ensemble Sollazo, du Park Collegium et de l'Ensemble Huelgas. Par la programmation du Leuven Chansonnier, reconnu entretemps comme pièce maîtresse flamande, AMUZ fait honneur à sa renommée de centre international de musique suivant le principe de l'interprétation historiquement informée (Historically Informed Performance). AMUZ bénéficie d'un emplacement unique, idéalement situé au coeur d'Anvers, dans l'église Saint-Augustin. Ce patrimoine historique a été entièrement rénové pour en faire une salle de concert répondant aux standards contemporains, notamment au niveau acoustique. AMUZ, en tant qu'antenne anversoise du Festival de Flandre, y organise toute l'année des concerts et des activités culturelles, éducatives et scientifiques, devenant ainsi un véritable lieu d'ancrage où musique, architecture baroque et arts visuels contemporains se rencontrent. En tant que Centre d'Excellence, la Fondation Alamire a pour but de stimuler, coordonner et exécuter des recherches de la musique, à la fois académiques et orientées vers la pratique. Ses activités sont basées dans la Maison de la Polyphonie et dans la Library of Voices, deux bâtiments historiques de l'Abbaye du Parc à Louvain-Heverlee. Grâce à l'implémentation de méthodes de pointe, particulièrement en numérisation, la Fondation préserve, étudie et met en valeur le patrimoine musical des Pays-Bas du moyen-âge à 1800. Une attention particulière est portée à l'identification et à la mise à disposition de sources inconnues ou inédites. Le Chansonnier de Louvain est le parfait exemple de ce travail.

Johannes Ockeghem (1420-1496)
Ma bouche rit
Fors seullement
D'un aultre amer
Michelet (15e siècle)
S'il advient que mon dueil me tue
Gilles de Bins dit Binchois (1400-1460)/Guillaume Dufay (1400-1474)
Je ne vis onques la pareille
Gilles Mureau (?1450-?1512)
Je ne fays plus
Anonyme (Chansonnier de Louvain)
Escu d'ennuy
Henri Phlippet
Tousdis vous voit
Anonyme
Helas, l'avoy je desservy
Tan est mignonne
J'ay pris amours
Ravi d'amours, despourveu de bon sens

[Mandryka]

This is an meticulously researched interpretation of Italian gamba music with some excellent performers led by Paolo Pandolfo, who plays three different instruments two of which have been specially reconstructed with the recording in mind. The music consists of songs followed by instrumental music inspired by aforementioned songs, or songs with elaborate viol accompaniment. Well sung. The singers are called La Pedrina, who have also produced a fine Meranzio recording. Excellent booklet.

[king ubu]

Not sure if this has been mentioned already - announced for September:

[king ubu]

Why are they re-doing this? Anything wrong with the previous (2013 I think?) edition?

[Brian]

[Mandryka]

Doulce Mémoire, Leonardo Da Vinci: La Musique Secrète

[Harry]

Doulce Mémoire, Leonardo Da Vinci: La Musique Secrète

Already on my order list

[Mandryka]

https://www.ensemblebeatus.fr/copie-de-cd-le-lys-et-le-lion