What are you listening to now?

[aligreto]

Mozart: Clarinet Quintet [Goodman/Boston Symphony String Quartet]





I mentioned the Mozart Clarinet Quintet in an earlier post which has prompted me to take the Benny Goodman version out from the Vinyl Vault. Goodman does not bring his Swing magic to this particular work and I would have thought, given his background, that he would have taken slightly more aggressive tempi but it is still an interesting and enjoyable performance.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Back tot he Martinu Double Concerto for strings, piano and timpani.

This time tried the Hickox/London Sinfonietta recording I though might have a drier more up-front recording perspective, since it was recorded in Abbey Road Studio 1. I was hoping for a more intense representation of the counterpoint in the work.  It didn't turn out that way.



I still find Conlon's recording on Erato to be the most satisfying

[aligreto]

This is an astonishing recording. Every song, one after the other, is fresh, bold and surprising, there's nothing formulaic in it. And beautifully sung, full of life and committment. Somehow this music doesn't lose a sense of being at the avant garde, of pushing boundaries and challenging presuppositions. There are things which you just wouldn't imagine could work - three poems all at the same time, strange heterophonic textures, long passionate solo songs, a constant sense of unresolved harmonies and near dissonances   . . .

And I'm only scratching the surface, I haven't looked at the words!

Such a persuasive post; I have added it to my List.

[Malx]

Partita No3 from a set I enjoy greatly:

[Todd]

Disc two, the second of the early LvB sonatas.  Excellent.  I want more.  There's still time for Dalberto to record a cycle.

[Iota]

Prepare yourself for a rave. I think this is fabulous: music, sound, performance. What is most astonishing is the way Peter Cornet's fantasies go beyond standard baroque tropes of imitation and rhythmic variation, and really really take off, become free . . . The music is lively and celebratory, but strangely the level of invention is so great that once I start listening I can't stop - there are very few whole CDs which are like that for me.  The variations too have the sweetness of Sweelinck and Scheidt. Basically, to cut a long story short,  Peter Cornet is a great composer of organ music.

Very attractive and well recorded modern meantone tuned organ.

http://www.orgues-thomas.com/2017/fr-228-orp-le-grand-saints-martin-et-ad%C3%A8le.html

Have streamed the first few tracks which are a real delight. Thanks very much for posting, I'll be listening further.

[Daverz]

Gerhard: Symphony No. 1

[asin] B000005Z6I[/asin]

Easier to follow than the later symphonies, though still quite challenging.  Fantastic recording by Chandos.

[Ken B]

Cançons de la Catalunya mil•lenària
Jordi Savall, Montserrat Figueras, etc

This is one of the most beautiful recordings I have ever heard. I picked it up used almost 20 years ago.

Florestan, San Antone you might like this ...

[Mandryka]

Such a persuasive post; I have added it to my List.

I think it's a good place to start with the Orlando Machaut,

[Mandryka]

Have streamed the first few tracks which are a real delight. Thanks very much for posting, I'll be listening further.

This is in fact his second disc dedicated to Cornet, the first is also well worth hearing.

[Daverz]

Don Quixote - Paul Tortelier, cello; Max Rostal, viola

[asin] B00FJZQRR6[/asin]

The cello is closely recorded, but this doesn't prevent the orchestra from being beautifully present.

[Madiel]

Haydn, Symphony No.100 'Military'

[asin]B009LNI0T0[/asin]

So ends the box. And... the final performance (which is actually the earliest recording in the whole box) has some good features but it's not ideal. In general I've been perfectly happy with the HIP aspects of this box. But in this symphony, there is some really bad squawking in the woodwinds. The oboist seems to have been having a seriously off day.

I'm glad this is at the end and represents an aberration compared to the contents of the box as a whole.

[Que]

Morning listening:



An issue exclusively for jpc.de on a label called pourpre, which already offers some interesting reissues.
To the label's credit, full liner notes are included!

The recordings here seem to have been licenced from ACCENT: it's the double album "The Golden Age of the Cornet" with Italian repertoire + the Buxtehude recording.

Q

[prémont]

The alternative versions Premont suggested, did not appeal to me at all.

Have you heard them?

Mikkelson is far from ideal, but in the majority of tracks, she comes pretty close to what I want to hear.
The singing is not of interest to me, but I concur, it did not appeal to me that much either.

Yes the singing is not that interesting. As far as I can see, he (Mikkelsen) composed most of it himself. But to me alternatim singing in this kind of music may be left out for home-listening purposes without much harm done.

[cilgwyn]

Thank you for that; it is always interesting to get another perspective on things. It must be said that Opera, in general, is not a genre that I indulge in a lot. I think that your Elektra/Salome reference "that turbulent, noisy stuff" is, for me, something of an understatement  However, I have pulled Arabella from my collection and will listen over the coming days. It, along with Der Rosenkavalier, are the easiest re-entry points for me so I will see how I get along with these works.

I just had to have a break from Die Frau ohne Schatten,part way!! I'm rinsing my ears out with some,cleansing,Mozart,now! I'll go back to it,a bit later;but I think I prefer Strauss' more lyrical operas. But,we shall see (hear!)?!!

[Harry]

Have you heard them?

Yes the singing is not that interesting. As far as I can see, he (Mikkelsen) composed most of it himself. But to me alternatim singing in this kind of music may be left out for home-listening purposes without much harm done.

Of course I did, but I am not an admirer of Alain's playing, not at all, the other recording I could find,  but no possibility to listen.

[Traverso]

De Leidse Koorboeken

Book 5 CD 1

[Mandryka]

Have you heard them?

Yes the singing is not that interesting. As far as I can see, he (Mikkelsen) composed most of it himself. But to me alternatim singing in this kind of music may be left out for home-listening purposes without much harm done.

Isn't it strange how, given that I suspect I'm less religious than either you or Harry (sorry if I've got you guys wrong!) I really enjoy to hear organ masses with the chant! At home (I'm not sure I'd enjoy it so much in a church!)

(I'm going to see Richard Egarr tonight play Bach partitas)

[Biffo]

Franck: Symphony in D minor - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paavo Berglund. Dramatic account of the first movement, after that my attention starts to wander, not Berglund's fault I am sure.

[cilgwyn]

On,now! Cd 1 of this set. This should help me recover from Die Frau ohne Schatten! Although,a bit more of that later!!