New Releases

[amw]

Sorry. It was the 12th.

Was the 12th so bad? It's still in my "to listen" pile...

[Octave]

And this could be quite interesting to me, as I know almost nothing of Weinberg:


Weinberg: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS [Danel Quartet] (CPO, 6cd)
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/CPO/7779132
28 April, UK

And another single CPO disc with Weinberg's PIANO TRIO (1945), SONATINA for violin, and SONATA FOR SOLO DOUBLE BASS.
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/CPO/7778042

[The new erato]

Was the 12th so bad? It's still in my "to listen" pile...

the recording is some of the worst I've heard from  new releases. I seriously thought my stereo had developed a fault.

[amw]

the recording is some of the worst I've heard from  new releases. I seriously thought my stereo had developed a fault.

Ah. I've got a reasonable tolerance for poor sound quality (whether 128kbps, 'historical' or 'snaps and crackles') but have one or two albums quite murdered by poor engineering. Even one of the previous Weinberg releases (from Chandos maybe?) was recorded at too high a level causing clipping in the loud passages, something that always annoys me. Hopefully the music is good at least.

And this could be quite interesting to me, as I know almost nothing of Weinberg:


Weinberg: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS [Danel Quartet] (CPO, 6cd)
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/CPO/7779132
28 April, UK

I think these are pretty good. You probably already knew that though.

[jlaurson]

also some music I don't know at all...


Harrison Birtwistle: GAWAIN (NMC, 2cd)   dir. Elgar Howarth
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/NMC/NMCD200

Gawain is tough music... but "Gawain's Journey", the orchestral suite from that opera, is FANTASTIC!!! Colorful, Bartokian in some ways... entertaining stuff.

Also: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/07/notes-from-2013-salzburg-festival-2.html & http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2012/02/musica-viva-munich-ives-american-mahler.html

[nico1616]

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Q

Just finished listening to this. Great recording, but still not the perfect Tamerlano.
I would like Gardiner's orchestra and conducting and his Andronico (Michel Chance) and Tamerlano (Ragin), combined with Minasi's Asteria (Gauvin) and Leone. Although Ainsley is great as Bajazet (fantastic last scenes!), I can not forget Domingo in this role (on dvd/youtube). And I have never heard a satisfying Irene.
Handel is always difficult to get completely right

[The new erato]

You've heard the Petrou version on MDG?

[Todd]

You know you secretly want it!

[The new erato]

I like Abba but can see no earthly reason why a "classical" (symphonic) version would be even remotely listenable.

[nico1616]

You've heard the Petrou version on MDG?

I own it, next to the Gardiner/Erato and the new Minasi/Naïve.
I never listen to Petrou anymore, it is decent and received raving reviews. But to me it lacks the star quality that a good Handel demands. No one of those Greek singers is in the league of Michael Chance or Karina Gauvin.
You really need the best singers in the world to bring off a Handel opera...

[Todd]

I like Abba but can see no earthly reason why a "classical" (symphonic) version would be even remotely listenable.

Oh, but it's so much more than that.  Anne Sofie von Otter is listed as artist on some tracks, for instance.  And who doesn't want to hear André Rieu reimagine Fernando?

[The new erato]

And who doesn't want to hear André Rieu reimagine Fernando?

You could have pulled this off better on the 1st of April.

[Todd]

You could have pulled this off better on the 1st of April.

But then people might have mistook the post as a photoshopped prank.  Oh, note that Mr Rieu also gets Waterloo.  (Is that the sound of you opening your wallet?)

[Dancing Divertimentian]

And who doesn't want to hear André Rieu reimagine Fernando?

Oh...my...gosh......

[Madiel]

The Winner Takes It All is a masterful composition. The last thing I'd want is someone like Andre Rieu getting their hands on it.

[kishnevi]

Back on topic
Savall. Marais.
[asin]B00HUX4JXY[/asin]

[Octave]

Gawain is tough music... but "Gawain's Journey", the orchestral suite from that opera, is FANTASTIC!!! Colorful, Bartokian in some ways... entertaining stuff.

Also: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/07/notes-from-2013-salzburg-festival-2.html & http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2012/02/musica-viva-munich-ives-american-mahler.html

Those images make me wish a proper video of the event was being issued also/instead; the Beuys reference really piques my interest.
I got a Howarth NMC disc with 'Gawain's Journey' but haven't tucked in yet...your description has me psyched for it.

Duty:

1. Ran across mention of a Rafael Kubelik COMPLETE HMV RECORDINGS 1937-1983 (13cd) at Amazon UK.  No listing yet at Amazon US; no details at Amazon UK.
16 June.

2. Maxim Vengerov COMPLETE RECORDINGS 1991-2007 (Warner, 19cd+dvd)  ASIN: B00J9PSDRE
No listing at Amazon US.  No contents or back cover at Amazon UK.  19 May.

[Moonfish]

Those images make me wish a proper video of the event was being issued also/instead; the Beuys reference really piques my interest.
I got a Howarth NMC disc with 'Gawain's Journey' but haven't tucked in yet...your description has me psyched for it.

Duty:

1. Ran across mention of a Rafael Kubelik COMPLETE HMV RECORDINGS 1937-1983 (13cd) at Amazon UK.  No listing yet at Amazon US; no details at Amazon UK.
16 June.

2. Maxim Vengerov COMPLETE RECORDINGS 1991-2007 (Warner, 19cd+dvd)  ASIN: B00J9PSDRE
No listing at Amazon US.  No contents or back cover at Amazon UK.  19 May.

Thanks Octave!

In Germany it is scheduled for release on June 6 & currently at 57 Euros. The German site also has a blurb on the Vengerov box (freely translated by Google):

"Short Description
On the 40th birthday of a fiddling citizen of the world: The recordings of Maxim Vengerov 1991-2007 When the violinist Maxim Vengerov on August 15, celebrating his 40th birthday, he can look back on a career that lasts only a little shorter: The first concert was he with five, the prestigious Junior Wieniwaski competition he won with ten, followed by awards such as the Gramophone Award, a Grammy and the Edison Prize. Away from his enormous artistic importance Vengerov considered as citizens of the world: as the first classical musician, he became UNICEF ambassador of music, with only 23 years. Now appear his EMI and Warner recordings in a comprehensive 19 CDs Box, supplemented by the DVD Living the Dream. Vengerov, who was born in Novosibirsk, sees the great cellist Mstislav Rostropovich as his main mentor. In several shots, he worked with him. "What he taught me most was humanity," said Vengerov, who now lives in Germany. His recordings include all the important works of the violin repertoire - so the important concerts of Mozart to Prokofiev, but also great chamber music and individual pieces by Sarasate to Messaien. In this repertoire, he draws his origin as a descendant of the legendary Russian school in full. For years, he is regarded as the legitimate successor of such virtuosos as Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein and David Oistrakh. The film Living the Dream theme Vengerovs sabbatical about ten years ago, in which he re-oriented, as violist occurred and with a devotion to jazz violin new artistic spaces (and dreams!) Opened up. "

[Moonfish]

Liszt: Annees - Italia     Pikul   

Anybody familiar with this recording and/or with Pikul as an artist?  This is one of these cases where I am simultaneously drawn to the piece (Annees - which I adore) and the album cover (I fall easily for portraits of renaissance women)......  *sigh*     

[asin] B00E3QKWUA[/asin]

[Mandryka]

Also another Brilliant issue of Peter Schreier's Schumann songs (w/Norman Shetler).
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Brilliant%2BClassics/94694

These are very good IMO. Look to see if it includes the duets too.