What are you listening to now?

[Moonfish]

Brahms: Violin Concerto                  Kogan
Brahms: Academic Festival Overture
Ravel: La Valse
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod

Boston SO/Monteux

Lovely compilation. The violin concerto with Kogan was exquisite.

from:

[Mirror Image]

Continuing on with this set:



Listening to Pan and Echo. A piece I had never heard before until now. Lovely work.

[Mirror Image]

Continuing on with this set:



Listening to Rakastava. Another gorgeous work. Haven't heard this one in ages.

[Mandryka]

I love his operas and madrigals.

I was quite lucky because my very first contact with his music was through that exceptional Orfeo from the 70s, conducted by Nigel Rogers and Charles Medlam.

After two movements, I was totally caught, especially when Emma Kirkby sings the character of "La Musica."

BTW, I'm under the impression that you would enjoy very much the works recorded by Vartolo on Brilliants Classics and Naxos. They sound like, I think, the operas of that time should sound: a bit rough and brisk and not too much polished. 

Recommend me a selva morale and a St Giovanni Battista Vespers (I already have Leonhardt)

[Que]

I don't know de Gaillard's Forqueray, but I was a bit nonplussed by that review of Rousset's recording by Kirk McElhearn that you cited. I think the Rousset is a success from beginning to end, including the harpsichord and the sound. It's oxymoronic, in that the phrasing bumps but the movement is always forwards, and so it flows. Rousset's Forqueray is the most foot tapping, the most dancing, I know.

I actually might try the Rousset, because Gaillard did not please me as much as a few years ago, when I got it...
Still fascinating instruments, but in a rather constricted recording and the playing is... Yes, quite direct but also a bit crude or clumsy at times.

At the time the Rousset's style did seem a bit overwhelming, but sounds great upon sampling now. I guess I the extra number of years of harpsichord listening in the mean time has formed my ears... Fortunately the Rousset seems still available!

Q

[king ubu]

Recommend me a selva morale and a St Giovanni Battista Vespers (I already have Leonhardt)

there's Corboz:

[asin]B005BX3KAI[/asin]
(I like him a lot in many sacred works, and here as well, but I guess he's too old fashioned for many nowadayws?)

and there's these:

[asin]B0000T6KF0[/asin]
[asin]B000A7IJN8[/asin]
both recommended, in my book!

there are a few others - Cavina, Junghänel, King's Consort - that I don't know ... would be interested in hearing the Venexiana/Cavina (their madrigals are wonderful!), but it cost's half a fortune ... the Junghänel may be easiest to get, but I've not heard a bit of it:

[asin]B00LI2L6K2[/asin]



EDIT to add: Christie has a nice disc of some selections (and please don't ask me how the versions compare in contents and what the Corboz set adds - I have no idea):

[asin]B00009IC6R[/asin]

[Harry]

there's Corboz:

[asin]B005BX3KAI[/asin]
(I like him a lot in many sacred works, and here as well, but I guess he's too old fashioned for many nowadayws?)

For me still the best version around, even though it's old fashioned, there is a rare passion and warmth in this interpretation that grabs me all the time I listen to it.

[king ubu]

For me still the best version around, even though it's old fashioned, there is a rare passion and warmth in this interpretation that grabs me all the time I listen to it.

Yes, I guess I agree! Though I enjoy the other two quite some as well.

Did you ever bother to determine what Corboz added and where it's been taken from? Seems the entire "Selva" publication can be squeezed onto three pretty full discs (Garrido uses four).

[listener]

Songs, American, on Vox, an idea sending chills of horror down some spines.
DIAMOND, BOWLES, BARBER, COPLAND, BACON, FLANAGAN, IVES, CARPENTER et al.
sung by Eleanor Steber, Mildred Miller, Donald Gramm, and John McCollum
Vox supply notes and texts with this 2-cd set.

[Harry]

Yes, I guess I agree! Though I enjoy the other two quite some as well.

Did you ever bother to determine what Corboz added and where it's been taken from? Seems the entire "Selva" publication can be squeezed onto three pretty full discs (Garrido uses four).

Yes, or rather I knew, when I researched into it many many years ago, but I lost all this info, so I will get into this again, unless an other member will come forward with the necessary info.

[king ubu]

Thanks Harry - I moved this over to the Monteverdi thread for future discussion! Would much appreciate if you can check into it, or if anyone else could provide some more insight over there:
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,1902.0.html

(corrected silly typo - apologies, was just chatting with a Larry on another board ...)

[prémont]

I love his operas and madrigals.

I was quite lucky because my very first contact with his music was through that exceptional Orfeo from the 70s, conducted by Nigel Rogers and Charles Medlam.

After two movements, I was totally caught, especially when Emma Kirkby sings the character of "La Musica."

BTW, I'm under the impression that you would enjoy very much the works recorded by Vartolo on Brilliants Classics and Naxos. They sound like, I think, the operas of that time should sound: a bit rough and brisk and not too much polished. 

Well, I shall give Orfeo another chance. Seems as if Vartolo recorded it twice (Naxos and Brilliant). Which one should be preferred?

[king ubu]

If it needn't be Naxos (don't know those two) ... I'm still for Gardiner - Anthony Rolfe Johnson is the best Orfeo to my ears.

The Venexiana and Alessandrini versions are wonderful too, though - and both come with loads of documentation (I haven't dug into the Venexiana book but read some of the naïve edition of Alessandini's recordings). They may be more "even", and they may be more "correct", I don't know, but neither has an Orfeo on the level of Johnson.

[Wakefield]

Recommend me a selva morale and a St Giovanni Battista Vespers (I already have Leonhardt)

Regarding the Selva, I own all those versions mentioned by King Ubu, and all are good; but, IMO, none of them has overall the level of the excellent disk recorded by Parrott and his ensemble. I wish they had recorded entirely this work. So, my personal recommendation would be that disk, very cheap on AMP.



http://www.amazon.com/Selva-Morale-Spirituale-Claudio-Monteverdi/dp/B000005GHE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1431430907&sr=1-1&keywords=SELVA+PARROTT

For a complete recording in modern sound: Junghanel and his team, although all the complete set are quite close in quality.

About the Vespers, I don't have a better recommendation than Leonhardt. 

[Madiel]

Oh good, someone's giving me another chance. 

Thread duty: Sonata No.7 this time.

[asin]B000ZB2V42[/asin]

I'm in the relatively rare position for me of comparing this directly with Stern/Istomin as I go along. And really, I'm feeling that I won't be needing that part of my Stern box. In every sonata so far, Cerovsek and Jumppanen are either a match or clear winners, and winners more often. There is such a lovely energy and flow to their performances, and also in exemplary sound.

[Harry]

It even gets better after a second hearing, this brilliant keyboard work disc.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2015/05/recent-acquisition-renaissance-keyboard.html?spref=tw

[Wakefield]

Well, I shall give Orfeo another chance. Seems as if Vartolo recorded it twice (Naxos and Brilliant). Which one should be preferred?

I just know the one he recorded on Naxos. I bought separately his sets of operas recorded on Brilliant Classics, but I failed to get on time the Orfeo. Then it was OOP and it was re-released as a part of a set of complete operas, so I needed to purchase the complete set again just to acquire the Orfeo. Just recently it was available again as a single set at some online stores, but I haven't still purchased the BC version.

That being said, I like very much his approach on Naxos, but I have enjoyed more his Brilliant Classics recordings, so I would bet for the Brilliant Classics version (risky, but all the other disks of this series are excellent): http://www.amazon.de/Monteverdi-LOrfeo-Vartolo-Sergio/dp/B000KEHMG6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1431431469&sr=8-3&keywords=monteverdi+vartolo. BTW, the documentation of this series is quite better than usual on BC (at least in this incarnation). 

[Harry]

Not quite what I expected, but that is to be expected from such a versatile composer. You cannot please all.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2015/05/new-acquisition-brian-havergal.html?spref=tw

[NJ Joe]

Actually late afternoon and last evening, continuing my RVW binge, Symphonies 6 and 8 from this:

[North Star]

Sibelius
Violin Concerto in d minor, Op. 47
Kavakos
Sinfonia Lahti
Vänskä
[asin]B000027EBD[/asin]