What are you listening 2 now?

[T. D.]

IMHO ...
I only have Suzuki to compare him (Esfahani) with, in the Partitas on harpsichord.

   

Assuming Esfahani is playing the same instrument as in his Toccatas recording, it sounds a bit sweeter here.  That could be more about the music though, his no-holds-barred Toccatas I find quite a difficult listen.  Here the instrument has a lot of top end, almost glassy-sounding.  It's a modern instrument (2018) with a carbon fibre soundboard (!)
Suzuki's instrument actually sounds quite similar to me, but less analytically recorded.  I'm no expert on harpsichords though.

Suzuki plays it very straight, sort of respectful sounding, satisfying to listen to but slightly soporific.

Esfahani has a lot of tempo variation, at both micro and macro levels.  His articulation in the faster passages is of course stunning.  Elsewhere he is very legato, to bell-like effect. It's an interesting listen, but I find it gets a bit mannered quite quickly.  Something midway between the two would suit me better, I think, although in any case I'm always going to prefer this music on a piano, Philistine that I am.

Excellent, thanks. I also prefer piano, looking for a first Partitas on harpsichord, was thinking about Esfahani. Will hold off. Doubt I'd love Suzuki either.

[Mandryka]

IMHO ...
I only have Suzuki to compare him (Esfahani) with, in the Partitas on harpsichord.

   

Assuming Esfahani is playing the same instrument as in his Toccatas recording, it sounds a bit sweeter here.  That could be more about the music though, his no-holds-barred Toccatas I find quite a difficult listen.  Here the instrument has a lot of top end, almost glassy-sounding.  It's a modern instrument (2018) with a carbon fibre soundboard (!)
Suzuki's instrument actually sounds quite similar to me, but less analytically recorded.  I'm no expert on harpsichords though.

Suzuki plays it very straight, sort of respectful sounding, satisfying to listen to but slightly soporific.

Esfahani has a lot of tempo variation, at both micro and macro levels.  His articulation in the faster passages is of course stunning.  Elsewhere he is very legato, to bell-like effect. It's an interesting listen, but I find it gets a bit mannered quite quickly.  Something midway between the two would suit me better, I think, although in any case I'm always going to prefer this music on a piano, Philistine that I am.

Thanks for posting.

To me this sounds excellent and I'm quite tempted. In The Goldbergs, live more than studio,  Esfahani's hyperactive extraversion seems less to be about provocatively drawing attention to himself, and more about daring to explore new fresh possibilities with the music. Which in my book is jolly good. After all, Bach was himself always daring to explore new fresh possibilities.

[Mirror Image]

Oh, I really liked all the compositions on the disc (including the Symphony, particularly the lively closing vivo movement). I find Kodály's very personal fusion of Hungarian folk themes with Gallic, Debussyian influences, very much to my liking. Great stuff!

Good day to you too, John.

Very nice. Give this orchestral song a listen whenever you get the chance:

https://www.youtube.com/v/7Oai2SbX9JI&list=OLAK5uy_nvOLlwF6VwMXngzdKSxX8PP2FfxPfPoY8&index=23

You should try to seek out the Hungaroton recordings, Rafael. They're difficult to find, but so worth it --- I've enjoyed every recording I've heard so far. My next stop will be the songs (voice and piano).

[Karl Henning]

LvB
String Quartet# 2, Op. 18 # 2 in G
Colorado String Quartet

Mendelssohn
String Quartet in f minor, Op. 80
Carducci Quartet

[SonicMan46]

Viotti, Giovanni (1755-1824) - Violin Concertos + Chamber Works w/ the performers shown on most of the discs.  I noticed that there was no Viotti recordings in my collection - considered the most virtuoso violinist of his time (before Paganini's appearance 'on the stage) and the 'father of the French violin school' - beginning quote below from his Wiki article linked.

List of his numerous compositions HERE - his main claim to fame are his 29 Violin Concertos although he wrote much more w/ many varied transcriptions of his own works.  So from various sources, I now have 5 of the 6 CDs below - the top 3 are all violin concertos w/ duplication of No. 22 which along w/ No. 23 (will obtain later) are most remembered and still played today; these recordings are w/ 3 different violinists - the first Rainer Kussmaul (excellent reviews of most attached for those interested); the second is Franco Mezzena/Symphonia Perusina who has recorded all 29 concertos, which is available in a 10-disc box (pic bottom left - NOT in my collection - did not really want ALL of them!); the third is Guido Rimonda who w/ his group, Orch Camerata Ducale, is in the process of also recording all of this violin concertos (and I believe other compositions of Viotti) - his website HERE (Google translation).  Dave

Giovanni Battista Viotti was an Italian violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness. He was also a director of French and Italian opera companies in Paris and London. He personally knew Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. (Source)

   

   

[Karl Henning]

LvB
String Quartet № 1, Op. 18 № 1 in F
Colorado String Quartet

[vers la flamme]

LvB
String Quartet № 1, Op. 18 № 1 in F
Colorado String Quartet

That's a good set, and was actually my first complete Beethoven SQs cycle, in this guise:



... which I bought for $0.99 on Amazon, mp3 format, a couple of years ago when I was first getting into classical music.

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Cantata BWV 135 Ach Herr, mich armen Sunder [Gardiner]

[Karl Henning]

That's a good set, and was actually my first complete Beethoven SQs cycle, in this guise:



... which I bought for $0.99 on Amazon, mp3 format, a couple of years ago when I was first getting into classical music.

I fetched it in for the same price, essentially so that I should have the LvB quartets on call via Alexa. It is a very good set.

[aligreto]

Victoria: Sacred Works [Noone]





Nigra sum sed formosa
Senex puerum portabat
Laudate Dominum
Date ei de fructu
O sacrum convivium

[Karl Henning]

Dvořák
String Quartet № 1 in A, Op. 2 (B. 8 )
The Stamitz Quartet

[Symphonic Addict]

Oh, I really liked all the compositions on the disc (including the Symphony, particularly the lively closing vivo movement). I find Kodály's very personal fusion of Hungarian folk themes with Gallic, Debussyian influences, very much to my liking. Great stuff!

Good day to you too, John.

This symphony could not be a masterpiece, but I think it does have personality and charm enough to be enjoyed by.

[Symphonic Addict]

Fritz Brun
Symphony  #4
Moscow SO (I think)
Brilliant Classics

After an afternoon of DSCH, this is surprisingly good. Tuneful and interesting 

Good to see Brun is gaining more followers! 

[André]

Good to see Brun is gaining more followers! 

+1

[amw]

Excellent, thanks. I also prefer piano, looking for a first Partitas on harpsichord, was thinking about Esfahani. Will hold off. Doubt I'd love Suzuki either.

The Suzuki is my favourite recording on harpsichord, if you'd prefer an alternative view. (But I have very specific interests re the Partitas, being mostly nos. 4 and 6, rather indifferent to the others.) I do like Esfahani as well, but mentally categorise him alongside people like Christophe Rousset and Andreas Staier (and a theoretical, as-yet-nonexistent Pierre Hantaï recording) in interpretive style, which is something I'm less interested in. Still, it seems like a very good exemplar of that style.

[André]

Anton Rubinstein, symphony no 4, 'Dramatic'.

[Symphonic Addict]

Matthew Taylor: Symphony No. 4

The British "Inextinguishable". I wouldn't say that it's derivative from the Nielsen, just that it does try to imitate the power and structure of it, or at least this is a very welcome tribute to the Dann. Even the motifs are very close to those of Carl's composition. The music could be better without the cymbals at the very ending, nonetheless. I think he capped off with a banal element after so great music running before. That's a silly quibble, actually since this work is gripping and exciting. The orchestra play with commitment, and Woods understands what Taylor intended with this accomplished symphony.




Émile Jaques-Dalcroze: Violin Concerto No. 1 in C minor

A concerto like nothing else I have heard before. For me it sounds to me like akin to a German pastoral style, and it is engaging and hooks almost instantly so. It has some of counterpoint as well. I'm still in the first movement (as I write this).

[SonicMan46]

Debussy, Claude - Solo Piano Works w/ Noriko Ogawa - I really enjoy her performances; my other set (bought as separate discs over the years) is Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (could re-look at the reviews and attach a PDF file but for me both are quite acceptable recordings).  Dave

 

[vers la flamme]

Olivier Messiaen: Quatuor pour le fin du temps. Martin Fröst, Lucas Debargue, Janine Jansen, Torleif Thedéen

Never does cease to blow my mind, this work. Probably one of the 5 or 10 greatest works of western classical music ever written.

[T. D.]

The Suzuki is my favourite recording on harpsichord, if you'd prefer an alternative view. (But I have very specific interests re the Partitas, being mostly nos. 4 and 6, rather indifferent to the others.) I do like Esfahani as well, but mentally categorise him alongside people like Christophe Rousset and Andreas Staier (and a theoretical, as-yet-nonexistent Pierre Hantaï recording) in interpretive style, which is something I'm less interested in. Still, it seems like a very good exemplar of that style.

Thanks. I love all the Partitas, the Bach I most listen to. In my severely limited harpsichord experience, I rather like Hantai (his Op. 111 Goldbergs), suggesting that the Esfahani interpretation would appeal. OTOH, since I'm likely to acquire only one harpsichord recording in the foreseeable future, I was thinking of starting with a more "mainstream" performance. There are some long forum threads to peruse, will have to buckle down and research.