What are you listening to now?

[Brian]

Neither of these artists is related to Nathan, but both are talented:

[Turner]

Actually, that's my favorite recording of those works. Absolutely enchanting performances. Nothing subdued about them. If anything, they capture the myriad of moods to gorgeous effect. Sound quality is also top-notch.

I probably prefer some of the others I´ve got, but well, that´s how life is 

[Sergeant Rock]

I knew there was a reason I had a hankerin' to watch Monty Python's Meaning of Life this week, Sarge!

Harry Blackitt: Look at them, bloody Catholics, filling the bloody world up with bloody people they can't afford to bloody feed.
Mrs. Blackitt: What are we dear?
Harry Blackitt: Protestant, and fiercely proud of it.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Harry Blackitt: Look at them, bloody Catholics, filling the bloody world up with bloody people they can't afford to bloody feed.
Mrs. Blackitt: What are we dear?
Harry Blackitt: Protestant, and fiercely proud of it.

Sarge

When Martin Luther nailed his protest up to the church door in fifteen-seventeen, he may not have realized the full significance of what he was doing, but four hundred years later, thanks to him, my dear, I can wear whatever I want on my John Thomas!

[Sergeant Rock]

When Martin Luther nailed his protest up to the church door in fifteen-seventeen, he may not have realized the full significance of what he was doing, but four hundred years later, thanks to him, my dear, I can wear whatever I want on my John Thomas!

God bless Martin Luther 

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

Now the Double Concerto:



What's particularly interesting about this performance is the piano is brought a bit more forward into the string orchestral texture, which is quite nice to hear. After all it's title reads Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano, and Timpani, so hearing the piano makes great sense to me. The performance itself has almost an Expressionistic element to it, which is quite nice. Netopil has a more Boulezian approach to the work, which gives the performance a remarkable transparency and all of the textures can be heard.

[Mandryka]

Elke Bestehorn plays Scheidt's Varum Betrubst du Dich mein Herz, from the Tabulatura Nova, on the Compenius organ. It's outstanding. I think there's only one other recording of this, by Zerer in Kantens, where he uses some imaginatively colourful  registrations and is quite introspective through most of it. Bestehorn seems very much "in the zone" - she communicates an infectious sense of her joy in performance, and that's good.  As far as I can see Raml didn't record this one.

[HIPster]

Earlier this morning ~

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Now playing ~

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Recommended by Mandryka.   

Really interesting recording!  I am quite taken with the harpsichord and lute duets by Hardel.

Sound quality is first rate.

[Mahlerian]

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
Agnes Baltsa, Klaus König, London Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Tennstedt
[asin]B004OGDW4M[/asin]

[San Antone]

Meyer, String Quartet No. 12

[North Star]

Liszt
Piano Concerto no. 2*
Totentanz*
La lugubre gondola
Funérailles
Zimerman
Boston Symphony*
Ozawa*
[asin]B004RJZ9K6[/asin]

[Florestan]

When Martin Luther nailed his protest up to the church door in fifteen-seventeen, he may not have realized the full significance of what he was doing, but four hundred years later, thanks to him, my dear, I can wear whatever I want on my John Thomas!

God bless Martin Luther 

Sarge

Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There's always laughter and good red wine.
At least I've always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!

― Hilaire Belloc

Upon being congratulated by a certain lady for his rumored conversion from Catholicism to Protestantism, James Joyce retorted: Madam, I have lost my faith, not my reason!

[North Star]

Fresh from the mail for Test-drive Tuesday
Frank Martin
Polyptyque (Six images de la Passion du Christ) (1973) for violin and two string orchestras
Maria-Triptychon (1967/8) for soprano, violin & orchesta
Passacaille (1933/1962) for orchestra
Muriel Cantoreggi (violin)
Juliane Banse (soprano)
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern
Poppen
[asin]B0011DZN6Q[/asin]

[Spineur]

Returning to some Reynaldo Hahn chamber music





Reminiscent of Fauré with the debut de scièle charm

[André]

40 minutes of Tosca excerpts sung (magnificently) by Régine Crespin. Excellent stereo sound, wide and finely detailed, from November 1960 sessions in Paris' famed Salle Wagram. Warm, sweeping conducting from the ever reliable Georges Prêtre.

In those days it was still customary to sing and record lyric works in French in Paris (or in English at Covent Garden, German in Berlin and Vienna, etc).  I didn't expect to hear some excellent voices from unknown singers in the roles of Cavaradossi and Scarpia. That shows the depth of talent from european opera houses of the time. Nevertheless, this is Crespin's show: the hugeness of the voice, the creamy tones, the aristocratic passion on display are reminders of one of the greatest voices of that time.

CD 10 of the Crespin compilation is completed with excerpts from the 1976 Carmen and 1974 La Périchole, where the great voice shows very few signs of decline. We also get 3 « bonuses », light fare where the diva enjoys a night out partying.

[Karl Henning]

Of course!

http://www.youtube.com/v/9tykANCVrX8

[San Antone]

[cilgwyn]

On now. For some reason I turned this opera off,part way through,last time. I started thinking there were a few too many male numbers. I like the contrast of male and female voices. After listening to Robert Stolz's recording of Carl Millöcker's  The Beggar Student,I stuck this on again,and I'm enjoying it now. And why not? What a lovely,tuneful opera! Yes,the men do get most of the big numbers;but when the women get their turn,it's always lovely to listen to. What a pretty voice Erika Köth has. Surprisingly,one of the highlights of the Stolz Beggar Student set were the brief highlights from his operetta,Die Dubarry. Erika Köth sang most of them with choral contributions and they really were quite ravishing to listen to. The choral contributions are superb here,and what a great,vintage cast. One more thought. I think Albert Lortzing was a very fine composer,in his own way;but you don't want too much at a time. Two at the most;then a break for something else! So,a bit of a break,after this............then,Der Waffenschmied!

   

[kishnevi]

On now. For some reason I turned this opera off,part way through,last time. I started thinking there were a few too many male numbers. I like the contrast of male and female voices. After listening to Robert Stolz's recording of Carl Millöcker's  The Beggar Student,I stuck this on again,and I'm enjoying it now. And why not? What a lovely,tuneful opera! Yes,the men do get most of the big numbers;but when the women get their turn,it's always lovely to listen to. What a pretty voice Erika Köth has. Surprisingly,one of the highlights of the Stolz Beggar Student set were the brief highlights from his operetta,Die Dubarry. Erika Köth sang most of them with choral contributions and they really were quite ravishing to listen to. The choral contributions are superb here,and what a great,vintage cast. One more thought. I think Albert Lortzing was a very fine composer,in his own way;but you don't want too much at a time. Two at the most;then a break for something else! So,a bit of a break,after this............then,Der Waffenschmied!

   

I hope Koth recorded that in her pre-billygoat days. I have a recording of her doing Exultate jubilate, apparently late in her career, in which the vibrato is so bad she sounds exactly like a goat.

BTW, as a baritone I believe you can never have too many men's numbers.
The sopranos get all the attention no matter what 

[Brian]

rec. 2011

Couperin, Rameau, Saint-Saens, Bizet, Fauré, Debussy, Ravel (Sonatine, the longest work here), Poulenc, Messiaen, Dutilleux, Amy