What are you listening to now?

[Madiel]

I wouldn't consider myself an advocate, merely an enthusiast who is interested in correcting the misinformation that's rampant about Schoenberg's works.  I'm even more enthusiastic about Mahler, Mozart, and others, but they're less often subject to the same kind of nonsense that Schoenberg is on a daily basis.

I only get a reputation for being a Schoenberg defender because others make it their mission to use their ignorance to take him down a notch.  I don't actually listen to him any more than the composers I mentioned above, or Debussy, or Takemitsu, or Bach, or many others.  I consider him on the level of these composers, for sure, and to some that looks like bias or favoritism.

Noted.

By the way, perhaps you need to read the quote in your signature a little more carefully. Given your previously expressed views on atonality, I don't think the quote says exactly what you think it says. It's been slightly amusing me for months.

[cilgwyn]

Constant Lambert conducting the suite,from the1935 ballet,The Rake's Progress by Gavin Gordon (1901-1970). Once dubbed the English Petrushka. I quite like this music. Very much of it's time,as they say;but none the worse for it,imho! Gordon's inclusion of the Swannee whistle in the orchestration is an unusual feature. Arnell's ballet music has a similar sound world. I also like the ballet music of Berner and Lambert.

[cilgwyn]

Richard Arnell's Punch and the Child,conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. I love this score,and I always had a fondness for Mr Punch (and Judy)! Full of great tunes,a strange,at times,haunting atmosphere. Arnell's music is full of thrusting energy. Punch mysteriously disappears at the end! It's great that this wonderful score finally received a modern recording,courtesy of Dutton. Beecham's is still the best,though!

[Wakefield]

Have you heard this one? If so, how does it compare both sonically and interpretively?

Sorry for the delay! No, I don't know that one; but I agree with Premont's description about Rübsam, so I guess his description on Winsome Evans is accurate too, as usual.

The sound quality of Rübsam's disk is excellent, if you like the nature of the lautenwerck (beyond the interpretation itself).

If you are searching for something more extroverted and adventurous, played on harpsichord, Ludger Rémy is a very good alternative, IMO:



https://goo.gl/Gf91MN

[Karl Henning]

I liked it personally.  What did you think?

I like it very well.

[Mandryka]

Sorry for the delay! No, I don't know that one; but I agree with Premont's description about Rübsam, so I guess his description on Winsome Evans is accurate too, as usual.

The sound quality of Rübsam's disk is excellent, if you like the nature of the lautenwerck (beyond the interpretation itself).

I just want to say something about Evans and Rubsam. For me the most striking difference is that Evans plays chords, and in Rubsam  you don't really get the impression of several notes being played at the same time.  Generally this is the most extraordinary aspect of Rubsam's last style, the absence of chords in the texture, and the resulting gentle pulse and "woven"  texture.

(I have an idea that I want to just postulate for refutation, that in a way Rubsam was anticipated by Elizabeth Farr in My Lady Nevells Booke.)

I wonder what Rubsam would sound like now on a harpsichord or a piano or a clavichord. To some extent the Rubsam sound is familiar on the lautenwerk because of style brisé.

[prémont]

I just want to say something about Evans and Rubsam. For me the most striking difference is that Evans plays chords, and in Rubsam  you don't really get the impression of several notes being played at the same time.  Generally this is the most extraordinary aspect of Rubsam's last style, the absence of chords in the texture, and the resulting gentle pulse and "woven"  texture.

(I have an idea that I want to just postulate for refutation, that in a way Rubsam was anticipated by Elizabeth Farr in My Lady Nevells Booke.)

I wonder what Rubsam would sound like now on a harpsichord or a piano or a clavichord. To some extent the Rubsam sound is familiar on the lautenwerk because of style brisé.

Arpeggio in harpsichord playing did not originate with Farr. Listen e.g. to Hogwood's Byrd. Farr is just more consistent (bordering accordo-fobia). Remember that Rübsam was Farr's teacher and also producer of her recordings. He may well be the one, who stimulated her fondness for arpeggio.

But the very new about Rübsam (particularly in the WTC) is, that he doesn't play simple arpeggio chords, but that he de-syncronizes the parts at will, creating unusual expressive effects. This has not been done before so consistently.

[Draško]

Nos. 1 & 2

[Mandryka]

Arpeggio in harpsichord playing did not originate with Farr. Listen e.g. to Hogwood's Byrd. Farr is just more consistent (bordering accordo-fobia).

yes, this is right. I still think it's striking how close Farr sounds  to the new Rubsam when she plays a lautenwerk in Byrd.

Rubsam himself thinks that from the point of view of the independence of the voicing, Robert Hill is closest to playing like him. I get the impression that Robert Hill has been alongside Rubsam on his journey, along with Keith Hill. However I can't find anything recent by Robert Hill, the most recent thing I can find is a Goldberg Variations from 2014 on youtube. I wrote to Rubsam about this . . .

[Traverso]

Luc Ferrari



Looking for the right note........

[SonicMan46]

Well, I'm reading a book on musical instruments and the composer below was discussed in the trombone chapter - only own 7 or 8 discs of his works, but 5 are in the two sets below - so decided to give them a listen today:

Schütz, Heinrich (1585-1672) - Kleine Geistliche Konzerte & Geistliche Chormusik - both well done - see reviews attached, if interested - just checked Amazon - there seems to be many multi-CD offerings, a number on the Carus label - Dave

 

[Karl Henning]

Luc Ferrari

Looking for the right note........

Your emoticon suggests, without much hope of success? 

[Traverso]

Your emoticon suggests, without much hope of success? 

 

[André]

Divine lengths and all, Schubert's Octet is as long as Beethoven's 9th (65 minutes here). Maybe for that reason I don't listen to it very frequently (same thing with the Quintet in C). And yet, I consider it the essence of Schubert' genius in all its glorious facets.

This is a truly remarkable performance, much more engaging and alive to the diversity of the work than many other performances I've heard. Mozzafiatto & L'Archibudelli is another superb account.

[SonicMan46]

   

Divine lengths and all, Schubert's Octet is as long as Beethoven's 9th (65 minutes here). Maybe for that reason I don't listen to it very frequently (same thing with the Quintet in C). And yet, I consider it the essence of Schubert' genius in all its glorious facets.

This is a truly remarkable performance, much more engaging and alive to the diversity of the work than many other performances I've heard. Mozzafiatto & L'Archibudelli is another superb account.

Hi André - lovely cover on that Calliope disc - your comments pique my interest - found the recording was available on Spotify, so plugged my iPad into the den stereo and now listening, quite mellow and subdued - enjoying.  For myself, I have 3 Octet discs (inserted above) - have not listen to any in a while but prefer the Nash Ensemble (their 2nd ASV performance) & L'Archibudelli - Mullova is a MP3 DL - attached for those interested are some reviews of the Nash & Mullova discs.  Dave

[André]

Thanks, Dave. I haven't heard the Mullova. I suppose she is in good company - didn't know she had an ensemble with which she plays chamber music. Something to mull over...

....................

TD



Very good indeed, but it's competing with the legendary Fournet and the 1959 Rosenthal, where Vanzo is even better than here.

[prémont]

Rubsam himself thinks that from the point of view of the independence of the voicing, Robert Hill is closest to playing like him. I get the impression that Robert Hill has been alongside Rubsam on his journey, along with Keith Hill. However I can't find anything recent by Robert Hill, the most recent thing I can find is a Goldberg Variations from 2014 on youtube. I wrote to Rubsam about this . . .

In the Hill GVs on youtube I noted hints of the Rübsam-like indepence of the voices in var. 15 and 21, but I hear it as being somewhat constructed and rather far from Rübsam''s spontaneous effect. I also think the influence of Leonhardt is the most obvious trait in Hill's interpretation. more so than in Rübsam's.

[Malx]

Alfred Schnittke, 5 Aphorisms - Denys Proshayev.

[Mandryka]

Morning listening - came in yesterday:

[asin]B000FG4KCI[/asin]
I was looking forward to this one, but at 1st listening it is well below expectations.
Whether it is the recording of the instrument, or both, but the sound is incredibly dry and brittle, (almost) like an old banjo... 
And I noticed some tuning issues as well...

Things improve somewhat further into the disc, but this is not very appealing. Hard to say something about the playing under these circumstances... it is quite brisk in any case.

Q

I made a comment on this earlier but then deleted it because I wanted to hear the recording again to be sure, as it were. I certainly remember having a similar reaction when I first bought it, and so did others - there's some discussion on the lute thread.

The sound is close but I find it not a great problem. The lute is muscular and not particularly resonant, or at least Pernot doesn't savour the resonances. You may have a view about how "idiomatic" this is in style brisé. I'd argue that Pernot's decision about what type of instrument to use, and how to play it, suits the music well. Pernot always uses this sort of instrument, for the Gaultiers and for Dufaut.

For my part I have found the CD is more rewarding the more I listen.

[Daverz]

I like the Rosner Symphony. I had a nice email exchange with the composer and he talked about meeting up if he came to London but sadly he passed away not so long ago.

Toccata has also released 3 CDs of his orchestral and chamber music:

[asin] B01ET5CQO4[/asin]