Recordings That You Are Considering

[king ubu]

... Chiaroscuro Quartet?

I heard them in concert last Sunday and wasn't really convinced - the cello was just about there, the viola not - they had a nice sound as a group, but then again quite often it felt like a star with accompaniment and the accompanying voices were too low for my taste. The reviews I read mostly were of a different opinion though, but I can't help it. So I am wondering, is there a release of theirs that I should explore and that may change my impression?

[Mandryka]

... Chiaroscuro Quartet?

I heard them in concert last Sunday and wasn't really convinced - the cello was just about there, the viola not - they had a nice sound as a group, but then again quite often it felt like a star with accompaniment and the accompanying voices were too low for my taste. The reviews I read mostly were of a different opinion though, but I can't help it. So I am wondering, is there a release of theirs that I should explore and that may change my impression?

The sound they make is is indeed very blended and there is no real sense of individuality of the voices, in Haydn I thought was really revealing because it seemed to be a much more nuanced way of presenting the music, rather than as a the gutsy or playful drama. I prefer their way. The other aspect is that their style is rather meditative, which again I think is revealing In Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven, who are more often played more physically than inwardly.

[king ubu]

The sound they make is is indeed very blended and there is no real sense of individuality of the voices, in Haydn I thought was really revealing because it seemed to be a much more nuanced way of presenting the music, rather than as a the gutsy or playful drama. I prefer their way. The other aspect is that their style is rather meditative, which again I think is revealing In Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven, who are more often played more physically than inwardly.

Interesting points for sure, thanks for your reply!

What has me wondering though: that concert series started with the Doric Quartet and they opened with Haydn. And their sound is relying heavily on cello and viola as foundation of the entire group - which for me really worked well (I bought one of their Haydn two-disc sets on Chandos later on, haven't yet listened). Also two weeks before I heard the Kuss Quartet (doing Beethoven) and they were great. Maybe the blended sound of the Chiaroscuro Quartet just isn't for me, after all? However, reading them up you get raves about the drama (after all, that's what chiaroscuro is about, effect, right?) and about the tons of nuances in between the dark and the bright ... and somehow that was lost on me.

Would you have a specific recording to recommend? It's unlikely I'm going to hear them do any Haydn in concert (or hear them in concert) all too soon (they are, at least, not scheduled for the 2018/19 season around here).

[Mandryka]

Johann Sonnleitner and Stefan Müller play Art of Fugue on two clavichords.

[Mandryka]

[ritter]

That disc is a good representation of Dalbavie's work for voice and reduced forces (but his strong point IMHO is in the orchestral field—often with electronic manipulation, or rather, with spatial projections which are hard to capture on disc). The Trois chansons populaires are particularly charming, them being an homage to Debussy—all three are songs quoted by Debussy in one or more of his works. Unfortunately, countertenor Yuriy Minenko's French pronunciation is atrocious (when I first listened to him sing Do do, l'enfant do, I thought it was in Italian  ), but that's but a minor quibble.

[Mandryka]

That disc is a good representation of Dalbavie's work for voice and reduced forces (but his strong point IMHO is in the orchestral field—often with electronic manipulation, or rather, with spatial projections which are hard to capture on disc). The Trois chansons populaires are particularly charming, them being an homage to Debussy—all three are songs quoted by Debussy in one or more of his works. Unfortunately, countertenor Yuriy Minenko's French pronunciation is atrocious (when I first listened to him sing Do do, l'enfant do, I thought it was in Italian  ), but that's but a minor quibble.

Thanks -- how much of the recording is based on troubadour songs? That's my main interest in it.

[ritter]

Thanks -- how much of the recording is based on troubadour songs? That's my main interest in it.

Only one work is based on troubadour songs, the sizeable Sextine-Cyclus (lasting some 38'), on texts in old French and Occitan by Arnaut Daniel, Moniot D'Arras, Peire D'Alvernhe, Thibaut de Champagne and Guiraut de Bornelh, and in German by Walther von der Vogelweide.

This is what Gramophone reviewer Arnold Whittall has to say about the piece: "[Sextine-Cyclus] offers settings of early French texts in a manner alternating between a prettified medievalism and something more emotionally intense that gets behind the courtly character of troubadour cliché to suggest an austere kind of formal gravity".

Full review here.

[Mandryka]

Only one work is based on troubadour songs, the sizeable Sextine-Cyclus (lasting some 38'), on texts in old French and Occitan by Arnaut Daniel, Moniot D'Arras, Peire D'Alvernhe, Thibaut de Champagne and Guiraut de Bornelh, and in German by Walther von der Vogelweide.

This is what Gramophone reviewer Arnold Whittall has to say about the piece: "[Sextine-Cyclus] offers settings of early French texts in a manner alternating between a prettified medievalism and something more emotionally intense that gets behind the courtly character of troubadour cliché to suggest an austere kind of formal gravity".

Full review here.

Thank you, much appreciated,

[Mandryka]

Bach trio sonatas on a pair of harpsichords, Emer Buckley and her student Jochewed Schwarz
Available here

https://baroquesounds.bandcamp.com

[Mandryka]

Francois Fernandez and friends play Bach's violin sonatas - I was prompted to investigate this because I'm enjoying Alard's new Bach. I enjoyed Fernandez solo Bach, less so the trio sonata in Opfer.

[Mandryka]

Brosse etc. Attaingnant

[prémont]

Brosse etc. Attaingnant

I have not heard this CD, but I own another CD with Brosse playing early French organ music, which at least is serviceable.

[prémont]

Francois Fernandez and friends play Bach's violin sonatas - I was prompted to investigate this because I'm enjoying Alard's new Bach. I enjoyed Fernandez solo Bach, less so the trio sonata in Opfer.

I own this, but there are just too many recordings of these works, so I haven't listened to it since long. My faint memory was favorable, but I need a relisten to say something more concrete.

[Mandryka]

I own this, but there are just too many recordings of these works, so I haven't listened to it since long. My faint memory was favorable, but I need a relisten to say something more concrete.

No need it's ordered and should be here tomorrow.

[Mandryka]

Francois Fernandez and friends play Bach's violin sonatas - I was prompted to investigate this because I'm enjoying Alard's new Bach. I enjoyed Fernandez solo Bach, less so the trio sonata in Opfer.

Well I can say that I'm very much enjoying Alard's contribution, he steals the show I think. Maybe with the exception of the 1019 solo . . . I think I'm going to have to explore his new Bach, which is now streaming on Qobuz I see.

[listener]

Do I need another set of BACH organ music, namely
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/complete-organ-music/hnum/8249512
at E  9.99 (-VAT+shipping)

[Zeus]

As Mae West said, if some is good and more is better, then way too much is just about right.

That's how I feel about Pizzetti.  I have three nice discs:
- Pizzetti: Chamber Music
- Pizzetti: Canti della stagione alta, etc
- Pizzetti: Symphony, Harp Concerto  (all Marco Polo/Naxos)

but I want more!

Looking seriously at:

[asin]B001U1L9U8[/asin]

and:

[asin] B000031WGI[/asin]

Anybody familiar with these?  Go or no-go?


UPDATE: after reviewing the Pizzetti thread, I am inclined to go with the latter but skip the former.  I'll probably cross-post this over on that thread, though.

[Mandryka]

I have not heard this CD, but I own another CD with Brosse playing early French organ music, which at least is serviceable.

I think it has some nice things on this, and the voices are seductive not least because they blend very well. There's a gorgeous Magnificat, for example. The spiritual side of Attaingnant's anthology is something I wasn't aware of before. It made me see that Titelouze marks the start of something - the start of Frescobaldi's influence in France maybe -  and Attaingnant markets the end of something - the end of the renaissance.. The organ, Saint-Savin en Laveda, sings softly and colourfully, it whispers,it's special. Anyway, we're transported to the world of François 1er. Good essay in the booklet by Brosse too.

https://www.musiqueorguequebec.ca/orgues/france/ssavinl.html

[Wakefield]

Bach trio sonatas on a pair of harpsichords, Emer Buckley and her student Jochewed Schwarz
Available here

https://baroquesounds.bandcamp.com

I don't know that disk, but this recalled me that Benjamin Alard recorded some years ago this collection on Alpha, in beautiful and calm renditions, full of color. There is also an excellent disk of the same repertoire performed on 2 lautenwercke, by Shawn Leopard and John Paul. Just in case... 

[asin]B002DMIJNS[/asin]

[asin]B00004SCDO[/asin]