What are you listening 2 now?

[Papy Oli]

Pounds the table! A stunning recording and, quite possibly, the best of that Debussy Harmonia Mundi series, although I do love that 2-CD set of melodies. The solo piano works in this series are well-performed, but I'd say this is an area where there's so many recordings that I've been more impressed with like Paul Jacobs or Zoltán Kocsis.

Hi John, While I am still getting familiar with the works, I actually preferred the chamber works on the Erato CD with Chamayou, Capuçon, Pahud etc. For some reason, that (HIP?) sound on that HM release didn't work for me.

As for the solo piano, Bavouzet hits the spot for me big time so far.

Given my (extremely !!) positive response to Ravel and Debussy (poor Fauré has been left on the sidelines of late), I wonder how long my aim of not duplicating recordings any more will last in the face of so many temptations. At least, I can cross off that HM release now. I should really listen first to what I own already 

[Mirror Image]

Hi John, While I am still getting familiar with the works, I actually preferred the chamber works on the Erato CD with Chamayou, Capuçon, Pahud etc. For some reason, that (HIP?) sound on that HM release didn't work for me.

As for the solo piano, Bavouzet hits the spot for me big time so far.

Given my (extremely !!) positive response to Ravel and Debussy (poor Fauré has been left on the sidelines of late), I wonder how long my aim of not duplicating recordings any more will last in the face of so many temptations. At least, I can cross off that HM release now. I should really listen first to what I own already 

My favorite recording of Debussy's chamber works comes from the 2-CD set (coupled with several of Ravel's chamber works) on Virgin Classics with The Nash Ensemble. These performances still give me chills to this day. I didn't like that Chamayou et. al. Debussy recording at all. I felt the performances lacked nuance and the recording itself didn't have enough atmosphere. It actually sounded pretty bone-dry to me and I do like a little reverb in recordings as it gives an illusion of space as if it's being performed in a concert hall. I still have yet to appreciate Bavouzet's Debussy recordings --- he just doesn't do much for me interpretatively and the passion just doesn't seem to be there like I find in my other favorite pianists.

[Que]

Piccinini, Alessandro (1566-ca. 1638) - Intabulations for lute & chitarrone, Bks. I and II w/ Luciano Contini and Francesca Torelli (licensed from Tactus) - love those lute/guitar related instruments from this period, such as the chitarrone (looks like the theorbo), archlute, etc. - much more HERE from where the second pic below was located (click to enlarge).  Dave

 

That's a nice set. 

[Mirror Image]

NP: Ravel Piano Trio in A minor (Capuçon et. al.)

[Traverso]

That's a nice set. 

+1 

[SonicMan46]

That's a nice set. 

Hi Que - +1 - an older recording but well done and excellent sound!  Now crossing the English channel into the turbulent English 17th century (Civil War, Charles I losing his head, Oliver Cromwell, restoration of the monarchy w/ Charles II, and Great Plague & Fire of London!):

Jenkins, John (1592-1678) - Five & Six-Part Consorts w/ Phantasm - wonderful viol chamber music and so relaxing considering the 'chaos' of Jenkins' times - Dave

Jenkins was a long-active and prolific composer whose many years of life, spanning the time from William Byrd to Henry Purcell, witnessed great changes in English music. He is noted for developing the viol consort fantasia, being influenced in the 1630s by an earlier generation of English composers. (Source)

 

[Florestan]

+1 

+ 2

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Kenneth Fuchs:  American Rhapsody (for violin and orchestra) with JoAnn Falletta and the LSO and Michael Ludwig, violin.  Quite enjoyable...reminded me somewhat of Vaughan Williams "Lark Ascending".  Contemporary composer (American) but very approachable. 

[ritter]

... And a good day to you, Rafael.

And a good day to you as well, John.

Recreating tonight chez ritter the concert of the Société Nationale de Musique held in Paris on 12 January 1907, in which Ravel's Histoires Naturelles and Fauré's First Piano Quintet, op. 89 received their first performances. The program also included Fauré's Fourth Impromptu, op. 91 and Eighth Barcarolle, op. 96.

"My" performers tonight are:

For the Ravel:

Regine Crespin and Philippe Entremont.

For the Fauré solo piano pieces:

Jean Doyen

For the Quintet:

Jean-Philippe Collard and the Quatuor Parennin.

EDIT: apparently the Fauré Quintet had been performed earlier in Brussels and even in Paris, so it wasn't a premiere at this specific concert. It seems it's the two solo piano pieces that received their first performances in this concert (played by Édouard Risler).

[Mirror Image]

And a good day to you as well, John.

Recreating tonight chez ritter the concert of the Société Nationale de Musique held in Paris on 12 January 1907, in which Ravel's Histoires Naturelles and Fauré's First Piano Quintet, op. 89 received their first performances. The program also included Fauré's Fourth Impromptu, op. 91 and Eighth Barcarolle, op. 96.

"My" performers tonight are:

For the Ravel:

Regine Crespin and Philippe Entremont.

For the Fauré solo piano pieces:

Jean Doyen

For the Quintet:

Jean-Philippe Collard and the Quatuor Parennin.

EDIT: apparently the Fauré Quintet had been performed earlier in Brussels and even in Paris, so it wasn't a premiere at this specific concert.

Very nice program, Rafael.

[ritter]

Very nice program, Rafael.

It certainly is. Tonight, the Histoires Naturelles were rapturously received by the one-man audience, and did not provoke a scandal as in 1907  . What a piece! Le paon is Ravel at the top of his game....

And as an anachronistic but rather fitting encore, now listening to Ravel's wonderful Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré (Zino Francescatti and Robert Casadesus):

[Mirror Image]

It certainly is. Tonight, the Histoires Naturelles were rapturously received by the one-man audience, and did not provoke a scandal as in 1907  . What a piece! Le paon is Ravel at the top of his game....

And as an anachronistic but rather fitting encore, now listening to Ravel's wonderful Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré (Zino Francescatti and Robert Casadesus):

Lovely, Rafael. I'll have to seek out that Crespin/Entremont performance of Histoires Naturelles.

Speaking of Crespin...NP: Ravel Shéhérazade (Crespin/Ansermet)



Gorgeous performance.

[ritter]

Lovely, Rafael. I'll have to seek out that Crespin/Entremont performance of Histoires Naturelles.

I think in CD it's only available in this 13 CD set:


This collection has some great stuff in it (this coming from me, who am not really a diehard Satieian  ). TBH, Mme. Crespin, great artist as she was, was not in freshest voice at this stage of her career (the recording is from 1979). But still, very enjoyable.

[Mirror Image]

I think in CD it's only available in this 13 CD set:


This collection has some great stuff in it (this coming from me, who am not really a diehard Satieian  ). TBH, Mme. Crespin, great artist as she was, was not in freshest voice at this stage of her career (the recording is from 1979). But still, very enjoyable.

Hmm...yes, I've seen that box set before and I already own too much Satie as it is that I seldom listen to. I'm not sure if you've heard this recording or not, but it is contains an excellent performance of Histoires Naturelles:

[André]

[ritter]

I'm not sure if you've heard this recording or not, but it is contains an excellent performance of Histoires Naturelles:

Just listened to Le paon from that CD on YouTube and it indeed is first rate. Mrs. Gubisch's voice is very seductive, her pronunciation very good, and Mr. Altinoglu is very convincing at the piano (I only knew him as a conductor). Thanks for pointing it out to me.

EDIT: Just found out that Mme. Gubisch is Mme. Altinoglu 

[Mirror Image]

Just listened to Le paon from that CD on YouTube and it indeed is first rate. Mrs. Gubisch's voice is very seductive, her pronunciation very good, and Mr. Altinoglu is very convincing at the piano (I only knew him as a conductor). Thanks for pointing it out to me.

EDIT: Just found out that Mme. Gubisch is Mme. Altinoglu 

Excellent to read. I agree with you on all points. And, yes, they're married, which I didn't know either until I looked into it.

Thread duty -

First-Listen Wednesday!

Yun Gong-Hu for harp and strings (Rana Park et. al.)



This is an excellent work and this recording I bought about eight years ago has been sitting down in a box with other Yun recordings, in which many of them are still sealed. I guess when I want to listen to post-war composers I usually reach for Boulez, Scelsi, Ligeti, Takemitsu et. al., I haven't thought too much about Yun. I'm definitely going to be listening to more of his music. I've heard all of his symphonies many years ago from the CPO set, but I want to listen to the Camerata recordings I own. As a result of this posting, I'll probably end up buying more of his music. I want to get more of his chamber music.

[SimonNZ]

"Full Of Color" - Il Suonar Parlante, Vittorio Ghielmi

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

For tonight's listening :



Reminds me I still need to pursue his mélodies; any recommends as to recordings?

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Wednesday!

Zemlinsky 13. Psalm, Op. 24 (Conlon et. al.)