Recordings That You Are Considering

[André]

The only two good recordings are the Supraphon one with Belohlavek and, surprisingly perhaps, also the Cornelius Meister one* with the Vienna RSO. I listened to Albrecht and Macal/New Jersey and found them wanting.

Disclaimer: My wife sang in the chorus; I should like to think that that did not make me biased in its favor, though.

Thanks for the advice, Jens. I shall put these two on the short list. 

[JBS]

I was curious about the same. Does anyone have the booklet? The only idea I had is that 'nouvelles' was Rousset stating these are different pieces than the ones he recorded previously on Aparte (i.e. that this is not a reissue).

I don't have the book handy but I seem to remember the term is used because the suites were advertised as "Nouvelle Suites" when first published.
Rather like modern ads talk about the "newest novel" from X or the "latest film by " Y.

[Mandryka]

I was curious about the same. Does anyone have the booklet? The only idea I had is that 'nouvelles' was Rousset stating these are different pieces than the ones he recorded previously on Aparte (i.e. that this is not a reissue).

The booklet doesn't discuss it. I think he's just made his own selections of pieces and stuffed them all together to make suites in the same key signature.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

No one else besides Rousset calls them nouvelles as far as I know, ...

What do you mean?

[Mandryka]

What do you mean?

It's Louis Couperin we're talking about -- I saw you got them mixed up in your earlier post, I should have mentioned it, sorry.

[prémont]

It is authoritative, aristocratic and a little bit stiff.

Sounds like a style more suited for F Couperin.

[Draško]

I don't have the book handy but I seem to remember the term is used because the suites were advertised as "Nouvelle Suites" when first published.
Rather like modern ads talk about the "newest novel" from X or the "latest film by " Y.

That stands for Rameau but Louis Couperin's harpsichord music was, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, first time published in 20th century and vast majority of it comes from single manuscript, so designation of old/new doesn't make much sense to me.

The booklet doesn't discuss it. I think he's just made his own selections of pieces and stuffed them all together to make suites in the same key signature.

Doesn't everyone do that?

[JBS]

That stands for Rameau but Louis Couperin's harpsichord music was, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, first time published in 20th century and vast majority of it comes from single manuscript, so designation of old/new doesn't make much sense to me.

Doesn't everyone do that?

You are correct.
I was misremembering in a very bad way. Probably thinking of the same Rameau reference Jens posted.
What the booklet actually does (now I am home to check) is devote several pages to this particular harpsichord and the challenges of playing a museum piece, with about two pages devoted to Couperin and a page and a half to the music itself, and no reference I saw to how he chose the music.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

It's Louis Couperin we're talking about -- I saw you got them mixed up in your earlier post, I should have mentioned it, sorry.

That would explain the confusion! 
The booklet isn't very helpful; I'm now thinking may reflect no more than that this is a "new selection", differing from Rousset's previous album of LC pieces.

[milk]

No one else besides Rousset calls them nouvelles as far as I know, he must have done something new to them. Maybe the way he's assembled them.

To Milk. The recording is lyrical, I mean really lyrical. If that floats your boat, then I'd go for it.

I'm not sure I know what that means in this context. Hmm...I think of lyrical as "lighter."

[aligreto]

I'm not sure I know what that means in this context. Hmm...I think of lyrical as "lighter."

"Lyrical" can also infer something sounding more fluid, more free flowing and/or sounding more melodious as a result of the playing performance/interpretation. I am sure that Mandryka can elaborate further.

[milk]

"Lyrical" can also infer something sounding more fluid, more free flowing and/or sounding more melodious as a result of the playing performance/interpretation. I am sure that Mandryka can elaborate further.

I see. Hmm... do we have a thread, "descriptive musical terms"? I'd like one. I know google is my friend but it's hard to find a good dictionary of listeners' terms. BTW, Kilesnikov's Couperin on piano seems to fit this description.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

I'm not sure if the dictionary would help, everyone has their own dictionary in their heads when they talk about music. I have no idea what was mean't, but I'd use "lyrical" to refer to a "singing" style, an emphasis on melody and beauty rather than drama, either in composition or performance.

[Mandryka]

Yes it tends to be articulated in long phrases which flow smoothly into each other, the secondary voices tend not to disrupt the voice which carries the principal melody. Karen Flint plays Louis Couperin like this, and so does Blandine Verlet.

[milk]

Yes it tends to be articulated in long phrases which flow smoothly into each other, the secondary voices tend not to disrupt the voice which carries the principal melody. Karen Flint plays Louis Couperin like this, and so does Blandine Verlet.

is cantible the same? L Couperin should be like great waves crashing into each other!

[Mandryka]

'And only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!'

'I don't know what you mean by "glory",' Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't — till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'

'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'

'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.'

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master — that's all.'

Alice was too much puzzled to say anything; so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. 'They've a temper, some of them — particularly verbs: they're the proudest — adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs — however, I can manage the whole lot of them! Impenetrability! That's what I say!'

'Would you tell me please,' said Alice, 'what that means?'

'Now you talk like a reasonable child,' said Humpty Dumpty, looking very much pleased. 'I meant by "impenetrability" that we've had enough of that subject, and it would be just as well if you'd mention what you mean to do next, as I suppose you don't mean to stop here all the rest of your life.'

'That's a great deal to make one word mean,' Alice said in a thoughtful tone.

'When I make a word do a lot of work like that,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'I always pay it extra.'

'Oh!' said Alice. She was too much puzzled to make any other remark.

'Ah, you should see 'em come round me of a Saturday night,' Humpty Dumpty went on, wagging his head gravely from side to side, 'for to get their wages, you know.'

(Alice didn't venture to ask what he paid them with; and so you see I can't tell you.)

'You seem very clever at explaining words, Sir,' said Alice. 'Would you kindly tell me the meaning of the poem called "Jabberwocky"?'

'Let's hear it,' said Humpty Dumpty. 'I can explain all the poems that ever were invented — and a good many that haven't been invented just yet.'

This sounded very hopeful, so Alice repeated the first verse:

''Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
   Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
   And the mome raths outgrabe.'
'That's enough to begin with,' Humpty Dumpty interrupted: 'there are plenty of hard words there. "Brillig" means four o'clock in the afternoon — the time when you begin broiling things for dinner.'

'That'll do very well,' said Alice: 'and "slithy"?'

'Well, "slithy" means "lithe and slimy". "Lithe" is the same as "active". You see it's like a portmanteau — there are two meanings packed up into one word.'

'I see it now,' Alice remarked thoughtfully: 'and what are "toves"?'


'Well, "toves" are something like badgers — they're something like lizards — and they're something like corkscrews.'

'They must be very curious-looking creatures.'

'They are that,' said Humpty Dumpty; 'also they make their nests under sun-dials — also they live on cheese.'

'And what's to "gyre" and to "gimble"?'

'To "gyre" is to go round and round like a gyroscope. To "gimble" is to make holes like a gimlet.'

'And "the wabe" is the grass-plot round a sun-dial, I suppose?' said Alice, surprised at her own ingenuity.

'Of course it is. It's called "wabe" you know, because it goes a long way before it, and a long way behind it —'

'And a long way beyond it on each side,' Alice added.

'Exactly so. Well then, "mimsy" is "flimsy and miserable" (there's another portmanteau for you). And a "borogove" is a thin shabby-looking bird with its feathers sticking out all round — something like a live mop.'

'And then "mome raths"?' said Alice. 'I'm afraid I'm giving you a great deal of trouble.'

'Well, a "rath" is a sort of green pig: but "mome" I'm not certain about. I think it's short for "from home" — meaning that they'd lost their way, you know.'

'And what does "outgrabe" mean?'

'Well, "outgribing" is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle: however, you'll hear it done, maybe — down in the wood yonder — and, when you've once heard it, you'll be quite content. Who's been repeating all that hard stuff to you?'

'I read it in a book,' said Alice. 'But I had some poetry repeated to me much easier than that, by — Tweedledee, I think.'

'As to poetry, you know,' said Humpty Dumpty, stretching out one of his great hands, 'I can repeat poetry as well as other folk, if it comes to that —'

'Oh, it needn't come to that!' Alice hastily said, hoping to keep him from beginning.

'The piece I'm going to repeat,' he went on without noticing her remark, 'was written entirely for your amusement.'

Alice felt that in that case she really ought to listen to it; so she sat down, and said 'Thank you' rather sadly,

'In winter, when the fields are white,
I sing this song for your delight —
only I don't sing it,' he added, as an explanation.

'I see you don't,' said Alice.

'If you can see whether I'm singing or not, you've sharper eyes than most,' Humpty Dumpty remarked severely. Alice was silent.

'In spring, when woods are getting green,
I'll try and tell you what I mean:
'Thank you very much,' said Alice.

'In summer, when the days are long,
Perhaps you'll understand the song:
In autumn, when the leaves are brown,
Take pen and ink, and write it down.'
'I will, if I can remember it so long,' said Alice.
'You needn't go on making remarks like that,' Humpty Dumpty said: 'they're not sensible, and they put me out.'

[milk]

'Well, 'outgribing' is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle: however, you'll hear it done, maybe — down in the wood yonder — and, when you've once heard it, you'll be quite content. Who's been repeating all that hard stuff to you?"
Um...Xenakis? 

[Mandryka]

Bonizzoni Scarlatti

[Brian]

I'm considering this LSO box



But maybe I should get the Decca Colin Davis Berlioz box instead? With older recordings? Hurwitz suggests that this new LSO Fantastique is awful and badly recorded but that everything else, especially choral/opera, is super good. I have plenty of Fantastique.

[Todd]

I'm considering this LSO box



But maybe I should get the Decca Colin Davis Berlioz box instead? With older recordings? Hurwitz suggests that this new LSO Fantastique is awful and badly recorded but that everything else, especially choral/opera, is super good. I have plenty of Fantastique.

I saw the price.  Buy it.  Any qualitative differences between the Philips and LSO recordings are not really worth worrying about.