What are you listening 2 now?

[Cato]

"But, microtonal music just sounds so wrong!"

"Then you obviously need to listen to this!"  😇


Giacinto Scelsi's Three Sacred Songs!

[Madiel]

Dvorak: Armida

(So far, the first two Acts out of four)



Um. It's okay. There are a few things going against it to be honest. One is that this is a live recording (when most of the others in this Albrecht series apparently aren't). At times the singing and/or the balance just leaves a little to be desired. The singers don't come through as much as they might in a studio version.

The plot is also not the greatest (and indeed, there's information on that good Dvorak website that the composer eventually settled for it because he didn't think he was going to get anything better). The cast consists of Muslims (also magicians) in Damascus and Christian Crusaders. So far it hasn't been too culturally insensitive for 1904, but I'm a touch wary. The opening scene had a bit of middle Eastern scene setting in the music, after that not so much. But the bigger problem is that there seems to be scarcely any reason for Armida to be madly in love with a Christian knight she hasn't even met. Apparently she glimpsed him on a gazelle hunt, or something. I've heard of love at first sight but somehow this is a very unconvincing example of it.

Dvorak's final work has never really had a happy history, the first production was apparently a bit of a shambles and the rehearsal process stressed Dvorak a great deal. Since then it's not been performed all that often even in the Czech Republic, and possibly only once elsewhere. But even so, it's Dvorak.

[Harry]

Edvard Grieg.
Complete Orchestral Works, Volume I.
See back label for details.
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Eivind Aadland.
Recorded: 2010.

Apart from the fact that I find this highly satisfying performances, the sound needs a warning, Because of the exceptional wide dynamic range of the recordings some attention to volume settings may be necessary. And that is good advice, for the recordings are very bright. My two cents is that they did not record it in the proper way, for this brightness may scare away many a Grieg enthusiast. And that is not only my opinion. The detail however is amazing, and reveals much one has never heard before.

[foxandpeng]

Eduard Tubin
Symphony 1
Neeme Jarvi
Swedish RSO
BIS

Tubin entered my view almost 30 years ago, which I fund bizarre. Such a long time ago. He made a massive impact on me then, and he holds a particular place in my affections.

[Mookalafalas]

Mejoueva

[VonStupp]

Granville Bantock
Serenade 'In the Far West'
Scenes from the Scottish Highlands
SWCO of Pforzheim - Douglas Bostock

I didn't catch the 'Far West' as being US based until Swanee River appeared in the 2nd mvt., and I think it is Yankee Doodle in the 4th. The Scottish Scenes are more apparent in their musical locales.
VS

[foxandpeng]

Eduard Tubin
Symphony 5
Neeme Jarvi
Swedish RSO
BIS

Looking like a Tubin afternoon in the soft leather of a comfy wingback, a decent Old Government Java on the go, and a volume of Berkouwer's Systematics.

Tubin works well on slightly grey and overcast days. Not sure why, but it does. Always has. Probably a patterned choice and a comfortable habit. A bit like Pettersson in the rain, or Rautavaara's Vigilia in the small hours.

Small contentments, I guess.

Hope you are having a pleasant Easter weekend!

[Que]

Mejoueva

Does she use the 1925 Steinway?

[foxandpeng]

Eduard Tubin
Symphony 2, 'Legendary'
Neeme Jarvi
Swedish RSO
BIS

Nice

[JBS]

Dvorak: Armida

(So far, the first two Acts out of four)



Um. It's okay. There are a few things going against it to be honest. One is that this is a live recording (when most of the others in this Albrecht series apparently aren't). At times the singing and/or the balance just leaves a little to be desired. The singers don't come through as much as they might in a studio version.

The plot is also not the greatest (and indeed, there's information on that good Dvorak website that the composer eventually settled for it because he didn't think he was going to get anything better). The cast consists of Muslims (also magicians) in Damascus and Christian Crusaders. So far it hasn't been too culturally insensitive for 1904, but I'm a touch wary. The opening scene had a bit of middle Eastern scene setting in the music, after that not so much. But the bigger problem is that there seems to be scarcely any reason for Armida to be madly in love with a Christian knight she hasn't even met. Apparently she glimpsed him on a gazelle hunt, or something. I've heard of love at first sight but somehow this is a very unconvincing example of it.

Dvorak's final work has never really had a happy history, the first production was apparently a bit of a shambles and the rehearsal process stressed Dvorak a great deal. Since then it's not been performed all that often even in the Czech Republic, and possibly only once elsewhere. But even so, it's Dvorak.

If I read the Wikipedia article correctly, Armida falls in love with him because she saw him in a dream.

The ultimate source is Tasso, so any absurdities can be laid at his door. The tragic ending certainly was his.

TD

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Do you happen to know the name of cover art?

[Madiel]

If I read the Wikipedia article correctly, Armida falls in love with him because she saw him in a dream.

The ultimate source is Tasso, so any absurdities can be laid at his door. The tragic ending certainly was his.

Well, a dream is also a possibility, but one of the problems is that the libretto really doesn't explain properly. The Dvorak site goes with previously glimpsing him. She certainly sees him in a vision a bit after singing about hunting and before genuinely meeting him. But she recognises him in that vision.

As for Tasso: yes, but also the Czech librettist didn't follow the source material slavishly. So the blame is shared a bit. Dvorak went for a few of these "olden days" stories that are notionally historical but not really - Saint Ludmila, Vanda - and none of them hold up that well in modern times. My vague memory is that Vanda was reasonable, but Saint Ludmila is easily my least favourite major Dvorak work. Armida is somewhere in the middle.

[ritter]

More Debussy from the Inghelbrecht box. CD4 combines two LPs, with the Nocturnes, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, Marche écossaise, La Mer, and Ibéria. All with the French National Radio Orchestra (billed as "Orchestre du Théâtre des Champs-Elysées" in the last two works), plus the ladies of the Chorale Marcel Briclot in Sirènes.

[André]

The 1987 Chandos recording brings Richard Hickox, the LSO chorus and soloists Arthur Davies and Felicity Palmer against their own selves in that 1983 live recording (with Hickox already conducting the chorus). This Melodiya release is the concert of the Russian premiere of the work. The bass soloist is different (Gwynne Howell in London vs Norman Bailey in Moscow) and of course the Melodiya issue boasts a russian orchestra.

This recording has been commented on at length in MusicWeb. The orchestra does sound distincly russian whenever the brass are playing - more pungent trumpets and a more open, vibrato-laced horn sound. Svetlanov is extremely attentive to every nuance of the score. I don't know how much of the words he knew and if he related to the highly personal religious experience described in Newman's poem, but everything sounds as it should. There are a couple of moments that do sound singled out for effect, most notably the crescendo, pause and orchestral clash before Take Me Away (more percussion than usual ?). Also, the quiet ending to Part I and the concluding Amen are drawn out to telling effect.

The Dream of Gerontius has a multi-faceted vocal personality. There are quite a few characters: Gerontius (in part I)/the Soul (part II), the Angel, the Priest (Baritone) and the Angel of Agony (bass), a chorus of angels, a chorus of demons and the full chorus. Most recordings boast only 3 soloists. Gerontius and The Soul must have a distinct vocal character, but they are sung by the same tenor. Most of the time the same bass-baritone sings the Priest and the Angel of Agony but again, an adequate vocal characterization must make clear they are different characters.

Arthur Davies' Gerontius has a firm, strong, heldentenorish sound that carries. I found him a bit stentorian (we're talking of a dying man who receives the last rites in part 1, then his immortal soul in part 2 once he's breathed his last). There's no denying the thrilling upward extension when he goes full throttle in the big moments. Felicity Palmer has a big, pungent mezzo sound at her service. And lots of character, too: listen to the way she goes full Klytemnestra in part 2. Her final Alleluia is a thing of wonder, the High A absolutely thrilling.  Bass Norman Bailey was a great Wotan and he brings huge authority (and volume) to his singing.

What's missing here maybe is a degree of vulnerability and fear from Gerontius in part I and tenderness, reverence and compassion from the Angel and the Angel of Agony (the angel who was with Jesus at Gethsemane) in the second part. Subtlety of charaterization in other words.

The sound is not exactly SOTA but very good nonetheless and Svetlanov brings plenty of details I had not noticed (contrabassoon, pizzicato double basses). There's no denying the sense of ardent advocacy heard here, all the more surprising considering the kind of work - openly, cloyingly religious - and the audience, certainly not used to overt displays of religiosity.

Next: Hickox' Gerontius with the same chorus and 2 of the same soloists.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Before heading out for the day --- Walton The Wise Virgins Suite

[Traverso]

Bach

Sonaten Für Violine & Cembalo  BWV 1014-1016-1019

[Iota]

CD I

Gosh, beautiful! The music is like a breathing heart wreathed in an extraordinarily a rich palette of emotional hues, utterly entrancing! I find the punctuating plainchants perfectly judged, and Graindelevoix are truly inspired. It's been too long since I listened to either them or Gesualdo, grateful to those who posted about this disc for the prompt.

Bruno Maderna as a conductor was also an experience: if you can find his recording of Schoenberg's Jakobsleiter from the 1970's, listen to it!

Funnily enough I'd decided this week it was about time I made a more concerted attempt to listen to more of his recordings, I've always liked the ones I have heard, so your recommendation noted, thank you. Don't know if you saw it, but somebody also posted a performance of his Schubert 9 on the Schubert thread.

[Roasted Swan]

Before heading out for the day --- Walton The Wise Virgins Suite

I love that Suite!

[Karl Henning]

[Number Six]

Mozart: Violin Concertos No. 3-5
Kristian Bezuidenhout, Freiburger Barockorchester, Gottfried von der Goltz (Violin)
2021, Freiburg im Breisgau, Ensemblehaus Freiburg

It's Saturday, so I am meant to be listening to a Symphony. But I felt like this one for the moment. Maybe will do a Mozart symphony next. . .

Also, I suppose, we are meant to be listening to Bach passions this weekend. But since I don't understand the words and don't have any emotional connections to the music, the way I might for Christmas music, it doesn't matter to me what season of the year I play Bach choral works.