New Releases

[André]

Some more JANUARY stuff that has not previously been posted here:

The first music composed for a film by a swedish composer. The movie was shot by the great Mauritz Stiller, and featured Sweden's most popular star, Lars Hanson (on the cover). Later, Stiller and Hanson would do The Legend of Gösta Berling, introducing the young Greta Garbo. Hollywood called, and Stiller, Garbo and Hanson moved to Hollywood.

Stiller struggled with the hollywoodian system and fell into a depression. He returned to Stockholm, where he died in 1928. Garbo had a fantastic career in Hollywood, becoming the highest-paid star ever in the Silent era. Hanson starred in The Wind (Victor Sjöström*) with Lilian Gish, one of the last and greatest films of the silent era (1928). Hanson didn't make it into talkies because of his heavy accent. He returned to Sweden, made more films, and introduced another debutante, Ingrid Bergman.

*Nowadays Sjöström is better known to filmgoers as the old doctor in Bergman's film Wild Strawberries (1957).

[The new erato]

Good thing The Wind was a silent movie.

The first music composed for a film by a swedish composer. The movie was shot by the great Mauritz Stiller, and featured Sweden's most popular star, Lars Hanson (on the cover). Later, Stiller and Hanson would do The Legend of Gösta Berling, introducing the young Greta Garbo. Hollywood called, and Stiller, Garbo and Hanson moved to Hollywood.

Stiller struggled with the hollywoodian system and fell into a depression. He returned to Stockholm, where he died in 1928. Garbo had a fantastic career in Hollywood, becoming the highest-paid star ever in the Silent era. Hanson starred in The Wind (Victor Sjöström*) with Lilian Gish, one of the last and greatest films of the silent era (1928). Hanson didn't make it into talkies because of his heavy accent. He returned to Sweden, made more films, and introduced another debutante, Ingrid Bergman.

*Nowadays Sjöström is better known to filmgoers as the old doctor in Bergman's film Wild Strawberries (1957).

[North Star]

The first music composed for a film by a swedish composer. The movie was shot by the great Mauritz Stiller, and featured Sweden's most popular star, Lars Hanson (on the cover). Later, Stiller and Hanson would do The Legend of Gösta Berling, introducing the young Greta Garbo. Hollywood called, and Stiller, Garbo and Hanson moved to Hollywood.

Stiller struggled with the hollywoodian system and fell into a depression. He returned to Stockholm, where he died in 1928. Garbo had a fantastic career in Hollywood, becoming the highest-paid star ever in the Silent era. Hanson starred in The Wind (Victor Sjöström*) with Lilian Gish, one of the last and greatest films of the silent era (1928). Hanson didn't make it into talkies because of his heavy accent. He returned to Sweden, made more films, and introduced another debutante, Ingrid Bergman.

*Nowadays Sjöström is better known to filmgoers as the old doctor in Bergman's film Wild Strawberries (1957).

The composer Armas Järnefelt is obviously Finnish, as is the novel that the film is based on, and the director Mauritz Stiller. There are a total of 5 film versions from 1919-1971 - all made in Finland apart from the 1919 film by Stiller.

[André]

My apologies for the shortcut. Järnefelt and Stiller were not born in Sweden (Järnefelt in Viipuri, now Vyborg in Russia and Stiller in Helsinki, Finland). Both became swedish citizens later in life. My interest for the Ondine disc (a finnish label) arose from recognising Hanson on the disc cover.

[amw]

As always, apologies if posted earlier

[Mandryka]

Bach/Leonhardt transcriptions played by Loreggian, my initial impressions (i.e. the first three tracks!) are rather positive. Ruckers copy, adequately recorded.

[Mandryka]

Maria Jonas, Hildegard's Ordo Virtutum. My feeling is that this is an important release. Jonas has used the latest thinking on the pitch implications of the score to make a radically new interpretation of the most extreme music, the music with the widest ambitus. The result is much more refined than you might expect from Hildegard. She has also been very imaginative in her depiction of the role of the devil in the music, I think very successful too. These singers are experienced in performing the Ordo Virtutum, and their desire to communicate, the sense of an exciting discovery, their commitment to the music, seems to come through.

Put it like this: I'm not a great Hildegard fan, but with this, I found it hard to stop listening. I recommend it.

[Mandryka]

Metamorphoses Biscantor! do Josquin's Missae Fortunata Desperata and Une Musique de Biscaye in a rugged way, full of dramatic contrasts. My feeling is that this ensemble's approach is rather original and interesting.

(Closely recorded, turn the volume down if you don't want them to shout into your ear.)

[Mandryka]

Marco Ruggeri plays some Scarlatti on an C18 Italian organ, rather thoroughly restored. The interesting thing for me is the organ - which Ruggeri makes sound absolutely right in these sonatas. It has a serious bass, this organ, and is very tight and clear in the upper registers. A jolly CD in small doses I'd say, a bit of fun, a bit of fluff.

[king ubu]

Somewhat more informative tracklisting for the Yvonne Loriod box:
https://www.universalmusic.it/musica-classica/album/the-complete-vega-recordings-1956-1963_32581947378/

[Brian]

More JANUARY + early FEBRUARY







Plus a few new interesting things which don't have artwork yet:

Bruckner 3 - 1877 version
Musikkolegium Winterthur
Thomas Zehetmair, conductor
MDG
track timing: 17:20 + 14:33 + 6:47 + 12:22 = 50:56

Mahler 2
Minnesota/Vanska
BIS

Beethoven Piano Concertos 1-5
Uchida/Rattle/Berlin
BPO house label
on 5 different CDs, somehow

[André]

The Glière disc is intriguing. This work is seldom recorded. Maybe Draško knows about this release ?

[Paul_Thomas]

Beethoven Piano Concertos 1-5
Uchida/Rattle/Berlin
BPO house label
on 5 different CDs, somehow

It's 3CD's, plus Blu-ray Audio & Video

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8520025--beethoven-piano-concertos-1-5

[Brian]

It's 3CD's, plus Blu-ray Audio & Video

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8520025--beethoven-piano-concertos-1-5

Thanks!

[Draško]

The Glière disc is intriguing. This work is seldom recorded. Maybe Draško knows about this release ?

It's pretty fresh, recorded this year, March I think. I was at the concert that preceded the recording sessions. They played it splendidly, I quite enjoyed myself even though I'm not much familiar nor particularly like the piece. 

It's Belgrade Phil. first recording with their new MD, and their first recording in more than a decade, maybe even two. I'm quite curious to hear how they sound on a recording nowadays so I'll probably pick up the CD regardless the content.

Dreyer Gaido is some German label I never heard of before but Bgf's new MD Gabriel Feltz seems to have some connection to it since he recorded for them quite extensively at his previous posts in Dortmund and Stuttgart (Mahler, Rachmaninov, Nono).

[André]

Thanks, Milos. This might be an interesting purchase. I would imagine they play the score uncut. I'll certainly keep an eye on this release!

[Brian]

In addition to the previously reported "Berlioz Complete Edition" from Warner Classics with JMW Turner paintings on the cover and sleeves, there's also gonna be this:

[Mandryka]

Obrecht, M. Maria Zart, Beauty Farm.

https://vimeo.com/304101891

[Papy Oli]

A recent Zelenka boxset exclusive to JPC :

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/jan-dismas-zelenka-jan-dismas-zelenka-supraphon-recordings/hnum/8802669

[Draško]

Thanks, Milos. This might be an interesting purchase. I would imagine they play the score uncut. I'll certainly keep an eye on this release!

Definitely uncut. I think it lasted about 80 minutes in concert.

83 minutes on CD:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/sinfonie-3-in-b-moll-op-42/hnum/8774745