New Releases

[Madiel]

Please don't move the existing posts. Just continue over there.

[Brian]

Back to new releases...here's what's going down in OCTOBER



Lucchesini is playing D. 894 and D. 958; Douglas is playing D. 785 and D. 850. The Brahms horn album is the horn trio + the E minor cello sonata transcribed for horn and piano + FAE sonata



"Anna Prohaska asked Wolfgang Katschner and the Lautten Compagney at the outset of the coronavirus crisis whether they shouldn't spontaneously organize a musical get-together in this period. This has now resulted in Redemption. This is a sequence of music selected solely from Bach cantatas, compiled in keeping with the aforenamed conceptual association. Redemption has multiple meanings, for instance: can music give us consolation in times of sickness and crisis; can it open up emotional and contemplative spaces for us; is it redemptive for us as musicians to be the "instruments" in engendering music and therefore spirituality? Besides Anna as soloist and three other singers, Redemption features a larger group of musicians – around twenty instrumentalists. These musicians serve a dual role: they expertly accompany the arias that Anna sings and they also represent the concept of human interaction and a shared collective experience which has been missing during these times."





And the Todd Special:

[Brian]

OCTOB-MORE



One of Portugal's earliest comic operas.

The Tingaud album includes a solo by the incredibly well named soprano Poppy Shotts.

[Madiel]

Some of the transcription decisions people make just seem bizarre.

[Todd]

And the Todd Special:

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Patience rewarded.

[André]

The Fuga libera disc of french viola music is of interest to me. 

[pjme]

"Visions" may well be the first ever piece of (French) symphonic music to include (primitive & experimental)  electronics : the Electrophone, invented by, if I'm not mistaken, Clément Ader. The instrument appears only once, very briefly and softly in combination with violin, harp and harmonium ("en coulisse", behind the scenes). The second time, it is replaced by a vocalising soprano solo.
https://telephonecollecting.org/Bobs%20phones/Pages/Essays/Electrophone.htm

Massenet wrote "Visions" after a trip to the Swiss alps (Vevey), where he finished "Le mage" and started thinking about "Thais".
The program of "Visions" is described by the composer:

"La dernière heure du jour dans les hautes et tristes solitudes du Simplon – Le voyageur las s'est endormi... mais son sommeil est troublé par des visions tantôt calmes ou agitées, tantôt souriantes ou terribles – il s'éveille... – autour de lui c'est la nuit... il ne rêve plus... il écoute... et croit entendre une voix chère à son souvenir. (Impressions de voyage / été 1890)
" The last hour of the day in the high and sad loneliness of the Simplon. The weary traveler is asleep... but his rest is troubled by visions, now calm, then agitated, now smiling, then terrible. He wakes up - the night is around him...he no longer dreams... he listens ... and thinks he hears a voice dear to his memory".

Ce magnifique poème symphonique et onirique, tiré d'impressions de voyage de 1890, constitue, ne serait-ce que par son titre allusif, la meilleure des introductions à l'univers fantasmatique d'un Athanaël, illuminé aux visions récurrentes. Il l'est  également par l'originalité de son orchestration : à deux reprises, un concertino en coulisses fait intervenir une harpe, un violon... et une curiosité technique du nom d'électrophone (remplacé, la seconde fois, par la soprano à bouche fermée). Cet instrument expérimental, alors tout nouveau mais sans lendemain (2), petite onde Martenot avant la lettre, produit une sorte de son sylvestre et "ululant"... ayant enflammé l'imagination du compositeur.

This magnificent symphonic and dreamlike poem, inspired by travel impressions in 1890, constitutes, if only by its allusive title, the best introduction to the fantastical universe of  Athanaël, illuminated with recurring visions. It is also so by the originality of its orchestration: twice, a concertino behind the scenes consisting of a harp, a violin... and a technical curiosity called "electrophone" (replaced, the second time, by a wordless soprano).
This experimental instrument, then brand new but short-lived (2), a little proto - onde Martenot , produced a sort of sylvan and "ululating" sound... having inflamed the composer's imagination.

Read more: http://www.appoggiature.net/2012/12/concert-jules-massenet-1842-1912-pages.html#ixzz6VdYcNC1z
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

I wonder what kind of effect is being used in this new recording. If at all...

Clément Ader - the ultimate inventor:
https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/JwKy9TbItJB5KA
https://www.spacelegalissues.com/clement-ader-and-his-pioneering-work-in-aviation/

[André]

The kind of info needed to lift the level of interest to a higher level. Thanks, Peter !

[SonicMan46]

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

 

Patience rewarded.

Curious about the Beethoven Piano Sonatas above - believe I only own Scherbakov doing Shosty's Preludes & Fugues - Spotify has 8 volumes of these LVB piano works, so will take a listen - any comments about his performances in these works?  Dave

[Todd]

Curious about the Beethoven Piano Sonatas above - believe I only own Scherbakov doing Shosty's Preludes & Fugues - Spotify has 8 volumes of these LVB piano works, so will take a listen - any comments about his performances in these works?  Dave

I have Scherbakov's Diabellis and a couple of the Liszt transcriptions of Beethoven's symphonies.  Though the former does not rate with my faves, it is excellent, as is the transcription recording.  Purchase of the sonata cycle is mandatory.

[Brian]

Dave, I have streamed 5-6 of the Scherbakov sonata recordings so far and really enjoyed them. (if you can do an advanced search, you can search Scherbakov posts written by me and see one from a couple months ago.) You should definitely hit Spotify and see if you're interested in shopping. His style seems to be no-nonsense and somewhat fast, with some oomph. Makes sense since he is famous for playing Liszt and Godowsky!

[SonicMan46]

I have Scherbakov's Diabellis and a couple of the Liszt transcriptions of Beethoven's symphonies.  Though the former does not rate with my faves, it is excellent, as is the transcription recording.  Purchase of the sonata cycle is mandatory.

Dave, I have streamed 5-6 of the Scherbakov sonata recordings so far and really enjoyed them. (if you can do an advanced search, you can search Scherbakov posts written by me and see one from a couple months ago.) You should definitely hit Spotify and see if you're interested in shopping. His style seems to be no-nonsense and somewhat fast, with some oomph. Makes sense since he is famous for playing Liszt and Godowsky!

Thanks Todd & Brian for your comments above - just finished listening to the first 3 sonatas on Spotify and am impressed! Brian's previous post is quoted below which may of course interest others - need to do some listening w/ my headphones on tomorrow!  Dave

I am enjoying the Scherbakov cycle so damn much. Listening to the Waldstein right now. His style is that he just puts his head down and plays Beethoven, but with guts and determination and a little bit of need for speed. There are little moments of pure technical showoffery which I've never heard dispatched so easily (1:53 in first movement).

Overall, it doesn't feel "personal" per se compared to someone like Lucchesini, he's more of the objective school. But he's a little too light and classical to be categorized as a "banger." Is a soft banger a thing? Compared to Kempff, he's flashier and faster. Compared to Annie, he's a little less rigid/Teutonic. Maybe the best comparison I can make in my own personal scope of knowledge is that Scherbakov is the answer to the question, "what if Jeno Jando was an absolute badass motherf*cker?"

[MusicTurner]

Off the beaten path, Scandinavian repertoire:

premiere release of Launy Grøndal's Symphony (1919), Concertos for violin, bassoon, horn; symphonic poem Pan & Syrinx (1915) etc.

https://www.danacordbutik.dk/product_info.php?products_id=46875

[Holden]

Thanks Todd & Brian for your comments above - just finished listening to the first 3 sonatas on Spotify and am impressed! Brian's previous post is quoted below which may of course interest others - need to do some listening w/ my headphones on tomorrow!  Dave

These are on Spotify but the last three are not there.

[Todd]

Three discs.  Live.  Includes a bunch of names I don't know.  Plus a lot of works by the very prolific Anonymous.





I only recently picked up my first recordings of mandolin works (Beethoven, of course).  Do I need more? 

[Brian]

Todd - if you're going to get into classical mandolin, Avi Avital is the guy to follow. Check out the Naxos disc of Avner Dorman concertos...and yes, I know there's a piccolo concerto on there...

-

New details about this bad boy:



Looks like it is truly "hyper-complete", including the Prix de Rome cantatas (Jacques Grimbert recordings licensed from Marco Polo), obscure piano music like La Parade (Tharaud) and the piano reduction of Daphnis et Chloe (bit of a mystery - the only recording I know of is Florian Uhlig, but Uhlig is not listed as a performer). Includes Ravel's orchestrations of Mussorgsky, Chabrier, Debussy, and Schumann's Carnaval (not sure who is conducting that).

There are four CDs of historical material, including Ravel and Poulenc playing piano, Ravel conducting, Bernac, Casadesus, Cortot, Monteux, Munch, Rubinstein, etc. Perhaps to compensate for whatever Simon Rattle recording they let slip into the box.

The paintings are by Albert Marquet.

[Todd]

and yes, I know there's a piccolo concerto on there...

[SonicMan46]

These are on Spotify but the last three are not there.

Hi Holden - yes, I setup 2 playlists on Spotify for the 8 recordings by Scherbakov - these are listed in numeric order and the 8th one ends at Piano Sonata No. 29, so the last numbered three are missing - assume the box when offered will contain all 32 as shown in previous postings.  Dave

[MusicTurner]

Todd - if you're going to get into classical mandolin, Avi Avital is the guy to follow. Check out the Naxos disc of Avner Dorman concertos...and yes, I know there's a piccolo concerto on there ... (...)

Post hereby given a Special Award.

[JBS]

I think all of Avital's CDs are worth getting, including the jazz/pop CD with Omer Avital. [Disclosure: I also like Omer A.]

(Avi and Omer are both Israelis from Moroccan Jewish families, but are not actually related despite having the same last name.)