What are you listening to now?

[Que]

Hi Que - Johann Fasch (1688-1758) - German Baroque w/ dates similar to Handel - wrote a lot of vocal music (most lost apparently) and much instrumental music - Orchestral Suites, Concertos, Symphonies, & Chamber Works (list HERE) w/ a LOT of winds used.  At present, I own the 10 CDs shown below (not sure at the moment 'how much' overlap there may be?) - virtually all of these are period performances - recommendations?  I really enjoy all of these discs, but the Accent ones w/ Il Gardellino are excellent; the Overtures/Symphonies w/ Rémy are also outstanding for a 'bigger band' - Dave

Much obliged, Dave! 

Q

[Brian]

Mookafalakas made me do it:

The Schubert disc is good, sometimes very good. What it's missing is a hushed otherworldliness to the second piece D. 946 and the third impromptu D. 899 - an extra layer of poetry that comes from Schubert being so far out at the edge of the emotional universe.

The Scriabin disc is also good, but it ends with 15 minutes of absolute capital-G Greatness, an incredibly well-articulated, eerie, unsettling Sonata No. 9 + an etude encore (Op. 8 No. 12) that's just absolutely riveting, the best performance I've ever heard - sorry Horowitz, Richter, Sudbin, and Perrotta.

Only 10 minutes into the Chopin disc now. Lankova starts with one of my bottom-5 Chopin pieces, the Fantasy-Impromptu, but I'm looking forward to hearing the rest. Very moody Ballade No. 1, so far.

Would rate the Schubert good for Schubert-heads, and the Scriabin borderline essential.

[Marsch MacFiercesome]

Disc 15 in this set is a particular favourite of mine too. Schwarzkopf and Ludwig superbly contrasted as Elsa and Ortrud, but Schwarzkopf is also the perfect Elisabeth and Agathe, though I don't think she ever sang either role on stage.

As much as I love the sounds of silvery-finessing innocence that Elisabeth Grummer brings to the table in doing those roles, Schwarzkopf is still my absolute Force Majeure as Elisabeth and Agathe.

Every syllable she utters resonates with nuanced emotion.

[Mandryka]

Ely Cathedral Choir sing Christopher Tye's Western Wind mass. It was recorded in Ely Cathedral, where the composer worked and so I guess it was the location of early performances.The building is particularly reverberant, hence they have slowed down the music, as, I suppose, Tye would have had to have done if he performed it with a similar choir.

[North Star]

I was revisiting this exquisite music just a week-ish ago.

Exquisite is right.

Thread duty
Test-drive Tuesday

Rakhmaninov
Trios élégiaque nos. 1 & 2
Beaux Arts Trio
[asin]B00KZ73VDG[/asin]

[The new erato]

Hi Que - Johann Fasch (1688-1758) - German Baroque w/ dates similar to Handel - wrote a lot of vocal music (most lost apparently) and much instrumental music - Orchestral Suites, Concertos, Symphonies, & Chamber Works (list HERE) w/ a LOT of winds used.  At present, I own the 10 CDs shown below (not sure at the moment 'how much' overlap there may be?) - virtually all of these are period performances - recommendations?  I really enjoy all of these discs, but the Accent ones w/ Il Gardellino are excellent; the Overtures/Symphonies w/ Rémy are also outstanding for a 'bigger band' - Dave

P.S. Click for a much larger image!

The Dombrecht disc is an all time favorite of mine. Some of the funkiest wind playing this side of Count Basie!

[Que]

The Dombrecht disc is an all time favorite of mine. Some of the funkiest wind playing this side of Count Basie!

Noted, thanks! 

Q

[The new erato]

The Scriabin disc is also good, but it ends with 15 minutes of absolute capital-G Greatness, an incredibly well-articulated, eerie, unsettling Sonata No. 9 + an etude encore (Op. 8 No. 12) that's just absolutely riveting, the best performance I've ever heard - sorry Horowitz, Richter, Sudbin, and Perrotta.

I would buy it if it was available on CD.

[Sergeant Rock]

Lloyd Symphony No.4 in B major, Downes conducting the Philharmonia




Sarge

[North Star]

Hindemith
Kammermusik
Members of Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Chailly

[asin]B00008MLTZ[/asin]

[Brian]

I would buy it if it was available on CD.

Ugh, yeah; there are a couple used copies at Amazon.DE, though.

[The new erato]

Ugh, yeah; there are a couple used copies at Amazon.DE, though.

Thanks, but 12 Euros P&P isn't very tempting....

Now listening to first 2 discs in this:

[ASIN]B004JKDXUG[/ASIN]

[Sergeant Rock]

I know and love No. 4.
It is that one and no. 8 which I have been particularly find of, but I haven't yet explored the others very much.

Like minds...4 & 8 have been my favorites for...gosh, fifty years 

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

The best Rach 2nd I've heard? [Svetlanov] Very, very possible.

Considering how often our likes mesh, I may have to pick this up.

Sarge

[San Antone]

Andrew Parott/Taverner Choir sing John Taverner's Missa Gloria Tibi Trinitas.,

This is a magnificent recording, the best Taverner CD I've heard, maybe the best CD of British choral music.  It's human, you sense real individuals, with real characters. Everything is full of human passion, both the Taverner mass and the chant. There is a lot of chant, but for me that's not a hardship when the chanting is as thrilling as this. Everything is clear. The interpretation sounds just right to me, the intonation, tempos and phrasing.

Even from the point of view of sound quality it's perfect. Truthful - you feel like you're in the best seat in the cathedral, just the right distance from the singers. The way the engineers have created a sense of place is exceptional.

The mass is less wild than Taverner's Missa Corona Spinea, but is no less inspired. It's also less dominated by virtuoso music for high voices - so Parrott's voice leading is much appreciated.

I am not surprised that this is a good recording.  Andrew Parrott is one of my favorite directors, favoring single voices, and good singers.  I will try to find it.

[Marsch MacFiercesome]

Stravinsky: The Firebird (Sir Colin Davis / Concertgebouw) [/color] - The last few years I've been listening to versions of this with Gergiev/Kirov and Jansons/Oslo (nothing wrong with either), but forgot about this one. My loss: it's great (and excellent sound on this version, despite being recorded in 1978).

--Bruce

Oh yeah!

That Davis/Concertgebouw Philips Firebird is my all time favorite performance. Davis' accents just fall like thunderbolts with that Russian rhythmic musical asymmetry in the "Infernal Dance." 

SO exciting. I just LOVE it.

The engineered sound is phenomenal in both its clarity and its punch.



However, the clearest and most pristine sounding Firebird I've ever heard in terms of audiophilia is definitely the Andrew Litton on BIS.

[SimonNZ]

I own that Parrott Tavener disc, and I've pulled it out for another listen later when I can really focus on it.

but right now, on the radio:



Offenbach's Cello Concerto - Jérôme Pernoo, cello, Marc Minkowski, cond.

[Sergeant Rock]

Penderecki Horn Concerto




Sarge

[SimonNZ]

on the radio:

Finzi's Clarinet Concerto - Michael Collins, clarinet/cond.

[aligreto]

Onslow: Piano Trio Op.3 No. 1....