What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

J.S. Bach.
Trio Sonatas for Organ, Transcribed by Richard Gwilth.
BWV 525-530.

London Baroque
Ingrid Seifert, violin
Richard Gwilt, violin (Trios Nos. 2 & 4: viola)
Charles Medlam, cello
Terence Charlston, harpsichord (Trios Nos. 4 & 6: organ)
Recording data: October/November 2001 at St.Martin's, East Woodhay, Hampshire, England.

Nicely done but rather anemic, with a serious lack of inspiration, and vigour. It lulls you quickly to sleep. Nothing really remarkable here. Sound has quite some reverberation.

[Harry]

ANTONIO BERTALI. (1605-1669).
Valorosa.
Recorded at the Church de Bra-sur-Lienne, 2003.
See back cover for info.

The first piece is a forgettable composition, (written by Der Kaiser Leopold ) and best be ignored, if one does not want endless Alleluias sung by a crappy counter. The rest of the music however is quite good and worthwhile to enjoy. Recording is excellent.

[vandermolen]

Rootham

[Roasted Swan]

Earlier, from the Rodzinski New York Philharmonic set, with Gershwin's American in Paris tacked on.


Lincoln Portrait is either inspiring or cliched performative patriotism, according to one's mood.

The Gould is an excellent work, which unfortunately seems to have only a couple of recordings, only one of which seems reasonably available even second-hand:

--and I can't even say who the performers are. Gould himself recorded it with the CSO, but that set is now OOP.
This work--Spirituals for Orchestra--is not the same as Spirituals for Strings, I should mention. But it seems to have an alternate name (Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra), with at least two recordings under that name. Gould's own recording and some of the others can be found on Youtube.

I'm a big fan of Gould's "Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra" (which I think is the full/correct name).  The Walter Susskind with the LSO that was originally on Everest (coupled with an also excellent Appalchian Spring suite) is the best I know.  Very dynamic and still sounds well given its age.  Its the same performance you show coupled with the Antheil but my memory is that the Everest is the better transfer.



The Everst 20 bit CD release added Steinberg's Pittsburgh/American in Paris which is rather good too.  The Gould/Chicago is predictably good but somehow Susskind is just a tad wittier/slyer....? 

[foxandpeng]

Earlier, from the Rodzinski New York Philharmonic set, with Gershwin's American in Paris tacked on.


Lincoln Portrait is either inspiring or cliched performative patriotism, according to one's mood.

The Gould is an excellent work, which unfortunately seems to have only a couple of recordings, only one of which seems reasonably available even second-hand:

--and I can't even say who the performers are. Gould himself recorded it with the CSO, but that set is now OOP.
This work--Spirituals for Orchestra--is not the same as Spirituals for Strings, I should mention. But it seems to have an alternate name (Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra), with at least two recordings under that name. Gould's own recording and some of the others can be found on Youtube.

Ooh, Antheil 4. Nice.

[Harry]

Herbert Howells.
Music for Strings.
See info back cover.
City of London Sinfonia, Richard Hickox.
Recorded in 1992, at the St. Jude's Church, Central Square, London.

I am impressed by the high quality of the recording and performance. The works are familiar, but when it comes in such interpretations, something extra is added. The coherence and attention to detail are a few of those things. And Howell's music is always worth the effort. no weak links here. Enjoy time for me!

[Traverso]

Bach

[Todd]

Working through Book VIII.

[Traverso]

First listen to this pioneering recording of Spanish music from the 15th and 16th century (found in a used CD shop in Madrid some days ago):





I was not familiar with Musica Reservata and their conductor John Beckett, but the roster of musicians includes some very prominent names (David Munrow, Nigel Rogers...).

Hello Rafael, if you still listen to gramophone records, this box with five LPs might be interesting for you.Can still be found second hand and affordable.
I only know of another CD, see image.

[ritter]

First listen to Jean Roger-Ducasse's sizeable (50') String Quartet No. 2 in D major.



It's not 100% clear, but it seems this is a live recording of the world première in Paris in February 1954 (but the sound does not betray the age of the recording —or the conditions it was made in— as it is warm and clear).

This appears like a major work by a half-forgotten composer, but so far (I am halfway through the second of the four movements) it is resulting very interesting and enjoyable, in a clearly post-Fauréan sound world.

[Lisztianwagner]

First listen to:

Sofia Gubaidulina
Stimme....Verstummen

Gennady Rozhdestvensky & Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

[Harry]

Édouard Lalo (1823–1892).
See for details, back cover.
Recording venue Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn; 6–8 June 2022.
New release.

An absolute winner in my book, but then, I love the music by Lalo. Most of the time you hear the "Symphonie espagnole" and that is it, but he wrote so many equally interesting things, and Jarvi makes it a feast to listen at them, and that's the truth! The Symphony in G minor (1886), a strong work that impresses with its melodicism and forward-looking harmony, and by no means is it overshadowed by any other work of his time, no matter which composer, well if I must name one, than Franck is an option I guess.. Järvi makes it a trip worth walking, and in the process pick up all the interesting aspects of Lalo's music. SOTA sound.

[ritter]

Hello Rafael, if you still listen to gramophone records, this box with five LPs might be interesting for you.Can still be found second hand and affordable.
I only know of another CD, see image.

Thanks, Jan! Interesting, but I no longer have a turntable and do not listen to LPs.

I must say the repertoire of Musica Reservata's Spanish CD I was listening to yesterday was attractive to me (mainly because of it being Spanish). But, the "raw" tone of the singing @premont warned us about was a bit, well, too raw for my taste, and got on my nerves. At some point, I wasn't sure if they were singing or herding goats! 

I am no expert in the matter, but it seems to me that the performers thought that courtly music making in Spain in the 16th century was similar to rural music making in Galicia in the 20th century, and that that's where they got their inspiration from. I remain unconvinced (in my ignorance).

[pjme]

Ah, I loved that voice (Noorman) and those LPs. 
i found this info, probably dating from ca 2005:

Jantina Noorman

[DavidW]

[Mandryka]

Ah, I loved that voice (Noorman) and those LPs.
i found this info, probably dating from ca 2005:

Jantina Noorman

Their Josquin is my favourite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RHqUNaCZWc&ab_channel=hollowchatter


Someone who knew John Beckett said this to me

In the pub after a class, John Beckett fell to talking about the Josquin Deploration. They had given a concert, he said, and at the end the audience wanted an encore. He asked Jantina Noorman to sing the Deploration again. As she sang he noticed that Margaret Philpott (I think) was in tears, and he was afraid that he had hurt her feelings by singling out Jantina. Afterwards he tried to apologise and she had to disabuse him. I was crying because it was so beautiful, she said.

It still moves me to tears. That  chain of falling thirds at "Josquin, Piersson, Brumel, Compère, Et pleurez grosses larmes d'œil. Perdu avez votre bon pere." It is grief utterly devoid of sentimentality. This link should take you directly to the Deploration https://youtu.be/2RHqUNaCZWc?t=1081

[Traverso]

Ah, I loved that voice (Noorman) and those LPs.
i found this info, probably dating from ca 2005:

Jantina Noorman

Pase el Agua.....a great song, a girlfriend of me did sing it quite frequently The LP " Voor Kerk en Kroeg" was a success with the musical friends I was with.

For church and pub

[Ian]

Some Mussorgsky. I'm liking this series of releases from Berlin Classics.

[DavidW]

[Roasted Swan]

Édouard Lalo (1823–1892).
See for details, back cover.
Recording venue Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn; 6–8 June 2022.
New release.

An absolute winner in my book, but then, I love the music by Lalo. Most of the time you hear the "Symphonie espagnole" and that is it, but he wrote so many equally interesting things, and Jarvi makes it a feast to listen at them, and that's the truth! The Symphony in G minor (1886), a strong work that impresses with its melodicism and forward-looking harmony, and by no means is it overshadowed by any other work of his time, no matter which composer, well if I must name one, than Franck is an option I guess.. Järvi makes it a trip worth walking, and in the process pick up all the interesting aspects of Lalo's music. SOTA sound.

I agree about the quality of the music - but this struck me as Jarvi in bash-through mode.  Check out the old (but sounding good) Martinon version of the Namouna suites for an approach far more subtle and nuanced.  The Symphony fares better because it is big boned but I still prefer other versions for finding greater depth.  Well-played for without doubt but not sure the resonant acoustic serves the music to best effect - somehow it makes the orchestra sound just a bit too "big" for this style.......