What are you listening 2 now?

[Que]

This appeared streaming, high expectations:



Uhmm... Immediately the participation of one of the sopranos - Corrine Byrne, I believe - seriously rubs me the wrong way. Performances are swift, at times rushed. Execution ranges from good to downright sloppy. Damn, overall quite a dissapointment....

[vandermolen]

Bernard Herrmann: Symphony
Phoenix SO/Sedares

[Papy Oli]

Hello all,

A bit of Beethoven this afternoon:

[Mandryka]

Extraordinary slow movements in the trio sonatas here by Kooiman. There was a cult of the slow movement in the late 18th century and 19th, the slow movement felt by some musical pundits to contain the deepest expression of the composer's wisdom. Well I know it's anachronistic, but Kooiman made me think of that cult while listening to this this morning.

It's not that he makes time stands still, but there's a fabulous balance, stillness.

[Mandryka]

This appeared streaming, high expectations:



Uhmm... Immediately the participation of one of the sopranos - Corrine Byrne, I believe - seriously rubs me the wrong way. Performances are swift, at times rushed. Execution ranges from good to downright sloppy. Damn, overall quite a dissapointment....

Their tempos are interesting choices - they say it's all totally HIP to the hilt, but they don't present the evidence. They rather pissed me off by being so scathing of everyone else's Josquin (Like Hopkinson Smith did in his new recording.)

My own feeling is that I'm looking forward to the masses if and only if Byrne is given a prominent role. My main problem is that it's so rhetorical, rather than intimately prayerful. Just not my scene.

I knew you'd have difficulty with Byrne! You're soooooo predictable.

The cover is gorgeous. I've done a deal with a friend who's an art historian to have lunch with him once a week and together, after, he takes me to look at some paintings in the National Gallery, concentrating on medieval and renaissance collections. Last week I discovered the extraordinary Piero della Francescas in London. Seeing that cover makes me want to ask him to come to the British Museum to see some illuminated manuscripts.

[JBS]

Extraordinary slow movements in the trio sonatas here by Kooiman. There was a cult of the slow movement in the late 18th century and 19th, the slow movement felt by some musical pundits to contain the deepest expression of the composer's wisdom. Well I know it's anachronistic, but Kooiman made me think of that cult while listening to this this morning.

It's not that he makes time stands still, but there's a fabulous balance, stillness.

I'd say the cult of the Adagio continues alive and well to this day.

[VonStupp]

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Three Impressions for Orchestra
The Mayor of Casterbridge, incidental music
Prelude on an Old Carol Tune
Songs of Travel, (Book 1, orchestrated)
Four Hymns for tenor, viola, and strings

Roland Wood, baritone
Andrew Kennedy, tenor
Nicholas Bootiman, viola

RLPO - Paul Daniel

I don't know if I have run across Andrew Kennedy's tenor before, but he sings RVW's Four Hymns as if he is in an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

The final Old Carol Tune was stuck in my head all night, not one I knew previously.
VS

[DavidW]

[Papy Oli]

Haydn - Symphony No.88 (Brüggen)

[Todd]

Wanted me some Chopin Mazurkas, so discs 9 & 10, covering Rubinstein's first and best set got the nod.  I'm contemplating working through this entire big box again.  So much good stuff in there. 

[vers la flamme]

Cool artwork. What do you think of the performance?

[Papy Oli]

Beethoven - SQ Op.18/4 (Prazak)

[Harry]

This appeared streaming, high expectations:



Uhmm... Immediately the participation of one of the sopranos - Corrine Byrne, I believe - seriously rubs me the wrong way. Performances are swift, at times rushed. Execution ranges from good to downright sloppy. Damn, overall quite a dissapointment....

My conclusion also!

[Que]

My conclusion also!

Not surprised...

Their tempos are interesting choices - they say it's all totally HIP to the hilt, but they don't present the evidence. They rather pissed me off by being so scathing of everyone else's Josquin (Like Hopkinson Smith did in his new recording.)

My own feeling is that I'm looking forward to the masses if and only if Byrne is given a prominent role. My main problem is that it's so rhetorical, rather than intimately prayerful. Just not my scene.

I knew you'd have difficulty with Byrne! You're soooooo predictable.

I guess I have consistent standards...

I could have lived with the odd tempi and rethorical approach, if only Rodin would have used capable singers and technical execution was up to snuff. But how it is now, I have no urge whatsoever to buy this recording and even wonder if I would need to listen to it ever again....

As to musical approach in particular, I kind of felt for a while that Rodin might slowly but surely going off the rails... I guess we are there now.

[DavidW]

Cool artwork. What do you think of the performance?

One of my favorites.  And the Gielen set is my absolute favorite.  He is restrained in the fifth, the polar opposite of Bernstein.

[Mandryka]

Not surprised...

I guess I have consistent standards...

I could have lived with the odd tempi and rethorical approach, if only Rodin would have used capable singers and technical execution was up to snuff. But how it is now, I have no urge whatsoever to buy this recording and even wonder if I would need to listen to it ever again....

As to musical approach in particular, I kind of felt for a while that Rodin might slowly but surely going off the rails... I guess we are there now.

Todd McComb (the medieval.org guy) said to me that it's "rough around the edges at times" -- I didn't even notice that! I think he's published a review.  To me, it felt highly polished -- if anything, too highly polished, very planned, managed, practised music making.  But, you know, I know nothing about singing really.,

It's a very classic position

ME -- negative because it's rhetorical, love Byrne, feels too practised and refined.
YOU -- negative because it's not practised and refined enough, OK about rhetorical, , hate Byrne
HARRY -- Just negative
TODD MCCOMB -- Looking forward to future issues & development of style, Positive because it's fresh and new, negative because it's rough round the edges.

Attention GMG -- we need to find someone who is unreservedly positive, fast!

(Maybe it stands to Josquin as Jonathan Butt's WTC stands to Bach)

[71 dB]

Earlier:

Weinberg - Symphony No. 12
St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra
Vladimir Lande
Naxos 8.573085

Now:

Beethoven - Symphony No. 3
Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia
Béla Drahos
Naxos 8.553475

[Roasted Swan]

Partly due to a conversation on the Tchaikovsky page I was listening to this set;



Its really rather good but it has got me thinking.  Does anyone here know why there is a Russian tradition to not let the tam-tam ring at the end of the Symphonic Dances and why/where did the tradition of doing a huge (unmarked) slowing up at the end of Symphony 3 come from.  Its only done by Russian/ex-Soviet conductors but is done by a lot of them.  I wonder why?  I have to say I much prefer the other alternatives (which follow the printed score).

[Todd]

A very broad take on the main work, with an exquisitely beautiful slow movement.  FPZ's austere approach married to his purity of tone is quite marvelous.  Probably not a top tier choice, but an incredible display of anti-virtuosic virtuosity.  The Romances are quite fine.

[T. D.]