German Baroque Music

Started by Que, July 08, 2007, 11:09:09 PM

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71 dB

I remember the times just 10 years ago when I heard Buxtehude's cantatas on radio and I was blown away. There wasn't much selection regarding the recordings available but there was one excelent disc on Channel Classics. Naturally I bought it. Today, 10 years later the market is FILLED with Buxtehude cantata recordings!  :o It takes a small fortune to buy them all!

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Que

#101
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Part two of Bob van Asperen's Froberger Edition on the small German label Aeolus. (See my comments on the first volume HERE.)
I'm very glad I went through with this and got the second volume, because reservations I had before - the occasional diminished "structural grip" and moments the music felt "static" without sufficient forward thrust, have entirely dissapated with this volume. And all the positives remain: Van Asperen is a master in letting the music enfold naturally, and in evoking a lush and exotic sound picture. Again brilliantly recorded, but this time another harpsichord is used: a Couchet-Blanchet-Taskin. A flemish/french harpsichord, whith a sound that is slighly softer edged and less bright than the Ruckers in the first volume, but which sounds as rich.

A short note on the music: the more I hear of it, the more I'm fascinated by Froberger's enigmatic and "fantastical" music. But an acquired taste, I'm sure. 8)

Q

Que

A short note to heartily second the recommendation of the Buxtehude chamber music recordings on Naxos, a reissue of issues by Danish Dacapo. This is what is commonly called a "no-brainer": very interesting and beautiful music with magnificent peformers at a right price. The crisp and astute playing by Mortensen steals the show here, but the lean and sober style of both Ter Linden and Holloway fit perfectly as well. Still one volume of chamber music to go, and Mortensen also did three volumes of Buxtehude's harpsichord music! :)

Q

Quote from: SonicMan on November 03, 2007, 10:19:46 AM
Buxtehude, Dietrich (1637-1707) - Seven Sonatas, Op. 1 & Op. 2 w/ Holloway on violin, Linden on viola da gamba, & Mortensen on harpsichord; first volume got rave comments from Scott Morrison (and also in the liner notes from the American Record Guide)!

I bought the first disc last month, and was just thrilled w/ the music & performances, hence the purchase of the other recording - this is the guy JS Bach walked MILES (like 250!) for to hear to him play the organ!
  :D

 

Harry

I, and many others told you so Que! :)

FideLeo

For Naxos own productions, don't forget the ongoing series of Silvius Leopold Weiss lute music (8 volumes so far) which feature the superb playing of Robert Barto.
HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

Que

Quote from: fl.traverso on February 02, 2008, 04:41:01 AM
For Naxos own productions, don't forget the ongoing series of Silvius Leopold Weiss lute music (8 volumes so far) which feature the superb playing of Robert Barto.

I'm lately also into lute music, so a welcome rec. - thanks FL.  :)

Q

Bogey

There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

Que

Quote from: Bogey on February 02, 2008, 06:04:39 AM
Do you have this one Que?:

Bill, no I wasn't even aware of its existence - thanks! :)

Q

Bogey

Quote from: Que on February 02, 2008, 06:12:09 AM
Bill, no I wasn't even aware of its existence - thanks! :)

Q

Dave (Sonic) lead me to it many moons ago.
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

FideLeo

Quote from: Que on February 02, 2008, 06:12:09 AM
Bill, no I wasn't even aware of its existence - thanks! :)

Q

Perhaps because it consists rather of English Renaissance music than that of German Baroque?  ;)
HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

The new erato



This very fine 4 CD box was on sale at 11 GBP at mdt.co.uk until a few days ago, now it's back at 14 GBP and still a very good buy.

Que

Let me add to earlier positive comments by fl.traverso on this one:


                     (click picture)

Violinist Anton Steck has become a favourite of mine lately, and this issue with him is yet another winner.
This issue contains violin sonatas which can be with various degrees of certainty attributed/ascribed to Biber. There is only one (short) sonata (nr. VI) from the 1681 Salzburg collection (not to be confused with the "Rosenkrantz Sonatas"), previously recorded by Andrew Manze and the ensemble Romanesca. They all sound very much like Biber to me, but in the end it is of no real importance for the listener since their musical quality is absolutely on the high level of Biber.
Steck's approach to Biber is somewhat less theatrical and "warmer" - both in tone and in sentiment - than Manze, who emphasises more the exoticism of the "Stylus Phantasticus" and the virtuosic sides of the music.

Strongly recommended, and complementary to the Manze set of the 1681 Salzburg sonatas. Anyone into Biber's and Schmeltzer's violin repertoire should not hesitate. Note that regulars at jpc can still pick up this hybrid SACD for the modest price of €8.

Q

The new erato

And for Biber fans mdt has this unique recording at a good price:


Que

Just adding my voice to the chorus of previous recommendations by others posters! :)
Westhoff and Walther, contemporaries and close colleagues, wrote in quite different styles. Both virtuosic and highly imaginative, Westhoff in a bold and intense style, Walther reflective and "other worldly". I'm willing to go as far to dub these must haves for anyone interested in the baroque violin repertoire.

   
                                           Click pictures for samples          Click pictures for samples           Click pictures for samples
Q

bassio

I just heard on the radio some fine concertos by a composer named Stolzel (Stoelzel). The concertos include flute, oboes, harpsichord, contiuo etc etc one of them was a concerto grosso.

As I listened waiting for the announcer to say who the composer was at the end, As someone who is still waiting to here Handel's Concerti, I thought these may be Handel but it didn't feel like Handel. I thought that this was German Baroque no doubt, no Italians here, The concertos struck me as typical baroque but what stood there is some fine tunes in some of them with some "pre-Bachish" counterpoint if I may coin such a term. It was very interesting, to get a glimpse of how Bach's counterpoint technique was synthesized .. particularly if these are the composers who predated him. But it was clever and refreshing nonetheless.

With a quick googling, I failed to find any of the concertos the announcer declared on record!! Only a trumpet concerto .. rest is vocal!

Anyone heard of this composer, whose compositions acc. to Wikipedia were lost and did not reach us except a trifle of his works?

71 dB

CPO label has released many CDs of Stölzel (vocal music). I am interested but haven't bought yet.
Spatial distortion is a serious problem deteriorating headphone listening.
Crossfeeders reduce spatial distortion and make the sound more natural
and less tiresome in headphone listening.

My Sound Cloud page <-- NEW Jan. 2024 "Harpeggiator"

FideLeo

Quote from: 71 dB on March 19, 2008, 11:58:04 AM
CPO label has released many CDs of Stölzel (vocal music). I am interested but haven't bought yet.

Buy buy buy!  Especially those conducted by Ludger Remy.
HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

bassio

Quote from: fl.traverso on March 19, 2008, 07:53:48 PM
Buy buy buy!  Especially those conducted by Ludger Remy.

From what I heard on the radio, I should go with fl.traverso and tell you go ahead ... it should appear a very interesting listening, disregarding differences between vocal and instrumental. (I was particularly impressed with some of the compositions I heard that day.)

71 dB

Quote from: fl.traverso on March 19, 2008, 07:53:48 PM
Buy buy buy!  Especially those conducted by Ludger Remy.
Quote from: bassio on March 20, 2008, 04:01:42 PM
From what I heard on the radio, I should go with fl.traverso and tell you go ahead ... it should appear a very interesting listening, disregarding differences between vocal and instrumental. (I was particularly impressed with some of the compositions I heard that day.)

Well, not this year as I am having a break from buying classical music. Next year then...  :)
Spatial distortion is a serious problem deteriorating headphone listening.
Crossfeeders reduce spatial distortion and make the sound more natural
and less tiresome in headphone listening.

My Sound Cloud page <-- NEW Jan. 2024 "Harpeggiator"

FideLeo

Quote from: 71 dB on March 20, 2008, 11:18:45 PM
Well, not this year as I am having a break from buying classical music. Next year then...  :)

If only someone called Harry would trade budgets with you....
HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!