Purchases Today

[ritter]

Two purchases in Berlin's Dussmann (the Charles Rosen Original Jacket collection on Sony was not yet available  , and the Boulez mega-box was at an outrageously high price  , so no luck as far as these were concerned)...


Some unknown (to me) works by George Benjamin...

[asin]B00N83UALU[/asin]
I didn't really need a a fifth recording of Sinfonia , but wanted to get to know the later, expanded version of Calmo (the shorter original is available in one of the RCO Anthology boxes). What I've heard of this recording of Sinfonia , though, hasn't really impressed me that much. The voices in the famous central movement are very much in the background, being almost unintelligible. There is some interesting orchestral detail, but the fliessender part of "In ruhig fliessender Bewegung" is not really achieved...it all sounds a bit disjointed and brittle. I see this movement as more of a palimpsest than anything else, but here it definitely sounds like a rather crude collage. And some moments are just skimmed over: e.g. when the narrator says "I have a present for you", one should hear the opening chord of Boulez's Pli selon pli...here, I only hear a ffff drum beat 

[EigenUser]

Two purchases in Berlin's Dussmann (the Charles Rosen Original Jacket collection on Sony was not yet available  , and the Boulez mega-box was at an outrageously high price  , so no luck as far as these were concerned)...


Some unknown (to me) works by George Benjamin...

[asin]B00N83UALU[/asin]
I didn't really need a a fifth recording of Sinfonia , but wanted to get to know the later, expanded version of Calmo (the shorter original is available in one of the RCO Anthology boxes). What I've heard of this recording of Sinfonia , though, hasn't really impressed me that much. The voices in the famous central movement are very much in the background, being almost unintelligible. There is some interesting orchestral detail, but the fliessender part of "In ruhig fliessender Bewegung" is not really achieved...it all sounds a bit disjointed and brittle. I see this movement as more of a palimpsest than anything else, but here it definitely sounds like a rather crude collage. And some moments are just skimmed over: e.g. when the narrator says "I have a present for you", one should hear the opening chord of Boulez's Pli selon pli...here, I only hear a ffff drum beat 

I like the Berio Sinfonia a lot. It's not talked about too much on here, though.

There's always the Boulez recording, with the voices that are too loud...

[ritter]

I like the Berio Sinfonia a lot. It's not talked about too much on here, though.

There's always the Boulez recording, with the voices that are too loud...

I am a big, BIG fan of Sinfonia (not only of the central movement, but also the rest--particularly that little jewel O King) and got to know the piece through the Boulez recording (so I'm kind of partial to the "loud voices" ). Apart from that, I know the Eötvös and two versions conducted by Berio lui stesso: the first recording ever (4 movements only), recently issued on CD by ArkivMusic, and another one with the Concertgebouw...

That first-ever recording is definitely worth exploring:



Cheers...

[king ubu]

There is not a single dud inside that box, all are top performances. This box is a treasure trove. Enjoy!

'xept when Immerseel and his plodding pianoforte are involved ... (that comment being about the big Vivarte box ... the Huelgas one is indeed great)

[Harry]

Ordered two cd's of a composer who likes I did not see on GMG. Just completing the CPO recordings I already have.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2014/10/newly-ordered-interesting-composer.html?spref=tw

[Que]

Another bargain (from a  brick-and-mortar shop):

[asin]B00AJ3AB7U[/asin]

Very happy with this scarce "niche" recording!

Q

[king ubu]

in the mail today (inspired by the Callas thread):

[Mirror Image]

Just bought:



Apparently, a pretty rare disc as it's OOP. Got a pretty decent price on it considering lack of availability. This particular ballet is seldom performed and me, being the sucker I am for ballet music, I had to have this recording.

[kishnevi]

Just bought:



Apparently, a pretty rare disc as it's OOP. Got a pretty decent price on it considering lack of availability. This particular ballet is seldom performed and me, being the sucker I am for ballet music, I had to have this recording.

Sweet deal!

[Ken B]

Just bought:



Apparently, a pretty rare disc as it's OOP. Got a pretty decent price on it considering lack of availability. This particular ballet is seldom performed and me, being the sucker I am for ballet music, I had to have this recording.

You always did have a weakness for Jarvi ...

[mc ukrneal]

You always did have a weakness for Jarvi ...

I thoought you were going to say a weakness for bon-bons....

[Ken B]

I thoought you were going to say a weakness for bon-bons....

Jeffrey beat me to it. 
Plus John has dissed Jarvi pretty regularly I thought. I just thought I'd get my two cents in before he has  Jarvi avatar. 

[Mirror Image]

Sweet deal!

[Mirror Image]

Jeffrey beat me to it. 
Plus John has dissed Jarvi pretty regularly I thought. I just thought I'd get my two cents in before he has  Jarvi avatar. 

I don't recall a time when I dissed Jarvi but for maybe a few performances here and there. I usually enjoy his conducting. Perhaps you were thinking of another member, Ken? As for conductor avatar, not really my thing. I prefer to have composer avatars.

[The new erato]

From amazon IT last night (I think this is what's called a nutso-ganzo order):

[asin]B00DT2322E[/asin]
[asin]B00BGJ5BNK[/asin]
[asin]B00M16B51O[/asin]

Vat deducted from the already low prices, and only 9 Euros postage. Take that, you dodax, nagiry and others!

[Mookalafalas]

More early music...like picking fruit off a tree.

[asin]B0054MEISO[/asin]

[ritter]

The impact that Maderna's rendition of the andante comodo from Mahler's Ninth with the BBC Symphony Orchestra had on me, led me to immediately order this (which I found at a reasonable price at an Amazon Spain MP seller):

[Moonfish]

More early music...like picking fruit off a tree.

[asin]B0054MEISO[/asin]

Nice! I like the small DHM editions as well. Wonderful compilations! 

[Mookalafalas]

Nice! I like the small DHM editions as well. Wonderful compilations! 

Absolutely!! DHM (and HM) have such an outrageously high quality level, and yet these boxes give you their best stuff for $2 a disc.  I think they really are in it for love of the music. 

[Moonfish]

 
Absolutely!! DHM (and HM) have such an outrageously high quality level, and yet these boxes give you their best stuff for $2 a disc.  I think they really are in it for love of the music.

Maybe! Some of the small boxes had overlaps, which bugged me a bit (a bit of DHM greed?). I forgave them as I listened to the music.  0:) 0:) 0:)