Recordings That You Are Considering

[Coopmv]

This set is little pricey for my taste considering it is John Dowland's music ...

I much prefer paying for the following set, which was recently available from Newbury for under $110.

[The new erato]

This set is little pricey for my taste considering it is John Dowland's music ...

But then Dowland is supposed to make you depressed. Seems this set fullfils that.

[The new erato]

Speak yourself lads. Paul Odette's Dowland is incomparable. I love early music of that period, and it describes poignantly just how different we are from those supposedly pre-enlightenment souls. There's this measured and gentle utterence that's on a human scale, long before the overblown bores such as Beethoven. Apparently that's progress.

I love Dowland, but have always found Beethoven profoundly human as well. IMO that's neither progress nor regress, just two superb composers expressing their humanity in different idioms and according to the customs, and limitations, of their time.

[The new erato]

Beethoven was pretty wrapped up in himself and it's ego-centric, boorish...his bloated utterances are hardly on a measured or gentile human scale. Vast self-important planes of grandiose postering & bombast that aren't much justified, crying out for attention like a typical drama queen in so many ways. It's just so earthbound & completely over-rated.

Well you are completely wrong of course, but as I guess you never will be convinced otherwise I will use my time more usefully than to take your bait. It was hardly possible for a Renaissance composer to be bloated given the size of the resources available.

[Que]

Speak yourself lads. Paul Odette's Dowland is incomparable. I love early music of that period, and it describes poignantly just how different we are from those supposedly pre-enlightenment souls. There's this measured and gentle utterence that's on a human scale, long before the overblown bores such as Beethoven. Apparently that's progress.

Dowland's luth music is not depressing at all, very beautifull.
As for the performance by O'Dette, I've been considering it as well since I discovered that Lindberg (Brilliant) was perhaps not the right choice. Although O'Dette will cost three times more...
However, Nigel North (Naxos) sounds interesting as well - what do you think of him?

Q

[The new erato]

Dowland's luth music is not depressing at all, very beautifull.

I agree. But still you've got the Semper Dowland, Semper Dolens which certainly is an aspect of the songs (which are even better than the lute music IMO) and the wonderful Lachrymae.

[karlhenning]

...overblown bores such as Beethoven.

Beethoven was pretty wrapped up in himself and it's ego-centric, boorish...his bloated utterances are hardly on a measured or gentile human scale. Vast self-important planes of grandiose postering & bombast that aren't much justified, crying out for attention like a typical drama queen in so many ways. It's just so earthbound & completely over-rated. Dowland says so much more on a human scale with just his beautiful lute.

. . . Meanwhile the few kids that really dig into things and perhaps break free of their peers, find out quickly that there is stuff in "classical" that is extremely powerful and visceral as anything you might hear in rock or popular music (Xenakis? Penderecki? Stockhausen? Varese? Bartok? Stravinsky? Ligeti?)

And (Beethoven?)

Poju couldn't have said it better. 

James is pretty wrapped up in himself and his posts are ego-centric, boorish...his bloated utterances are hardly on a measured or [gentile? no knowing what he supposedly meant here] human scale. Vast self-important planes of grandiose postering & bombast that aren't much justified, crying out for attention like a typical drama queen in so many ways. It's just so earthbound & completely over-rated.

Happy are they that hear their detractions and can put them to mending.

[DavidRoss]

Karl, I removed my post commenting on the same ironic idiocies because I wasn't sure I wanted to give our newest drama queen any more attention. 

[DavidRoss]

I'm still waffling over this one.  Does anyone have it yet?

[Brian]

Has anybody heard Andre Previn's Berlioz Requiem?



What about Amandine Beyer's Four Seasons on Zig Zag?



Or Andras Schiff's Schubert?

[karlhenning]

Has anybody heard Andre Previn's Berlioz Requiem?

That looks like a re-packaging of the first Grande Messe des morts I bought;  it's very good.

[nut-job]

I'm still waffling over this one.  Does anyone have it yet?

Waiting for it to go to Berkshire record outlet.   

[DavidRoss]

Waiting for it to go to Berkshire record outlet.   

Sooner or later, eh? 

[nut-job]

Sooner or later, eh? 

Little chance that I'll run out of WTC's to listen to before it gets there.  I still have Crossland and Tureck on the pile.

[SonicMan46]

Speak yourself lads. Paul Odette's Dowland is incomparable. I love early music of that period, and it describes poignantly just how different we are from those supposedly pre-enlightenment souls. There's this measured and gentle utterence that's on a human scale, long before the overblown bores such as Beethoven. Apparently that's progress.

James - boy, I agree! I'm a big Paul O'Dette fan and have bought these discs indiviudally over the years - don't have them all but love his playing & Dowland - I guess the main 'competition' is the set below, but from my perusing the reviews, O'Dette seems to have taken a 'slight' edge in this comparison - Dave 

[Coopmv]

Waiting for it to go to Berkshire record outlet.   

I have too many CD's I still have to listen to but will get this set before the summer is over. 

[Coopmv]

Little chance that I'll run out of WTC's to listen to before it gets there.  I still have Crossland and Tureck on the pile.

I already have the sets by Tureck and Crossland.  The 2 sets by Edwin Fischer on Naxos Historical are on their way.  I expect to get the set performed by Van Esperen on harpsichord shortly ...

[Coopmv]

Still plan on getting this WTC

[RussellG]

I can't find many recommendations for Elgar's first two symphonies.  I'm considering the double Decca with Solti/London Phil, before MDT's sale ends.  Any thoughts?

[George]

I can't find many recommendations for Elgar's first two symphonies.  I'm considering the double Decca with Solti/London Phil, before MDT's sale ends.  Any thoughts?

That's the one I got and I think it's great!