What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

A French Odyssey.
Music for two cellos & basso continuo by Rameau, Barrière, Corrette, Boismortier, Berteau & Patouart.
UnderStories Ensemble.
Clara Pouvreau, violoncello & violoncello piccolo, Bartolomeo Dandolo Marchesi, violoncello, Margherita Burattini, double harp & french pedal harp, Silvia De Rosso, violone in G & double bass, Marco Crosetto, clavicembalo, Loris Guastella, percussion, Mario Filippini, viola da gamba.
Recorded: 2024 at Nomaglio, Chiesa di San Bartolomeo, Italy.
Streaming, 96kHz/24 bit recording. SOTA sound. New release.
See back cover for details.

There are moments in one's listening life when revelation arrives not with thunder, but with the quiet precision of a bow on string. A French Odyssey is one such moment. At first glance, it may seem a curiosity—an anthology of works for two cellos and basso continuo from composers both celebrated and obscure. Yet from the first bars, it unfolds like a spell.

The UnderStories Ensemble, here in what for many will be a first acquaintance, deliver a performance so refined, so irresistibly alive, that one wonders how such repertoire has languished in the wings for so long. The names on the programme speak of the ancien régime—Rameau, Corrette, Boismortier—but it is the lesser-known voices that astonish. Louis-François-Joseph Patouart, Martin Berteau: names not yet writ in the stars, but here burnished with beauty.

This is a landscape of discovery. Whether in the lilt of a Barrière sonata, the exotic flair of Rameau's Les Sauvages, or the silken interplay of Patouart's trio with double bass, the playing brims with empathy, intelligence, and joy. The continuo textures are lush yet poised, the harps and harpsichord murmuring in intimate counterpoint, while the cellos sing and sigh with lyricism undimmed by time.

Sonically, it is as close to perfection as modern engineering allows. The acoustic space breathes—the Chiesa di San Bartolomeo yields both warmth and clarity. Every pianissimo, every stroke of gut string, every ghost of resonance is rendered with spellbinding immediacy. One does not simply listen; one inhabits the music.

This disc is, in short, a marvel. It enchants, educates, and—most importantly—elevates. To paraphrase Rameau's own Indes galantes, the heart is won not through spectacle, but through seduction. And seduced we are, utterly.

Let it be said: if 2025 holds a better chamber music release, it will need to rise early and stretch far.
Dedicated to good ears, warm valves, and may the  music always stir both marrow and mirth.    

[pjme]

Ekaterina Novickaya - Beethoven, Brahms ‎– 32 Variations / Sonata Nr. 3.

cannot help it ...1968! I remember it well. This concerto written for the competition was of course hopelessly old fashioned in that fatefull year.  Still, the melodies  linger in my mind.
If I remember correctly, Novitskaya married a Belgian after her win of the competition, started a large family and  lives -I hope so- somewhere in Belgium a happy life.
https://vod.queenelisabethcompetition.be/en/competitions-details-laureates/events/piano-1968/

[Harry]

Giovanni Mane Giornovichi (1740–1804)
Violin Concertos No. 13–15.
Air – Villageoises de Julie.
Bojan Čičić, Violin.
Illyria Consort.
Recorded: 2018, at the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Summertown, Oxford.
Streaming: 48kHz/24 bit. SOTA sound.

A for me an unknown composer—but that is not a surprise, remembering that he changed his name as often as his undergarments. Born in Dubrovnik and of Croatian descent, Giovanni Mane Giornovichi (also seen as Ivan Jarnović) adopted a baffling number of aliases as he travelled across Europe, leaving musical traces in Vienna, Paris, London, and even St. Petersburg. A celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, he was a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn, admired for his brilliant playing and stylish compositions. Yet his music slipped undeservedly into obscurity.

So what can I say about this recording? That it is a gem—beautifully played and recorded. Čičić, as I have noted before, is a violinist of great refinement. His bowing is clean and elegant; every note sits securely upon the strings, delivered with concentration, taste, and gentle persuasion. There's nothing showy or gratuitous—just masterfully controlled virtuosity in service of the music.

The Illyria Consort follows him faithfully, and the impression is of one single entity moving with musical instinct. The music itself is of its time: elegant, inventive, and touched with sentimental charm. Though Giornovichi doesn't throw fireworks at us, his concertos are full of clever turns and lyrical surprises. Some passages catch the ear with subtle wit or flashes of brilliance, while others sway with sweet melancholy or pastoral ease. The Presto movements never rush—they are closer to animated Allegros, full of spirit yet never frantic. It suits the mood.

The Air "Villageoises de Julie," with its theme and variations, adds a delightful intimacy to the programme—a glimpse into the salon-style refinement Giornovichi likely excelled at.

As for the sound: it's a fine recording. The acoustic is quiet and close, allowing the textures to breathe and the violin to bloom with warm clarity. It doesn't attack the listener; rather, it caresses—elegantly seductive from first bar to last.

[Mister Sharpe]

How in tarnation did it completely slip by me, me, a Hindemith fan!? that my favorite "atonal noisemaker," (per Goebbels), wrote a Pittsburgh Symphony?? I suspect I might be blöd . Discovered the work this morning on Youtube while looking for something else.  Thanks to some Almighty Algorithm, that sad deficiency is about to be corrected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0iO8rq3rVU&list=RDk0iO8rq3rVU&start_radio=1&t=357s

[AnotherSpin]

[VonStupp]

Anton Bruckner
Symphony 0 in D minor 'Die Nullte', WAB 100

Philharmonie Festiva - Gerd Schaller
&
Chicago SO - Sir Georg Solti

I swear I am not listening to Bruckner based on hair styles!
VS

[JBS]

Giovanni Mane Giornovichi (1740–1804)
Violin Concertos No. 13–15.
Air – Villageoises de Julie.
Bojan Čičić, Violin.
Illyria Consort.
Recorded: 2018, at the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Summertown, Oxford.
Streaming: 48kHz/24 bit. SOTA sound.

A for me an unknown composer—but that is not a surprise, remembering that he changed his name as often as his undergarments. Born in Dubrovnik and of Croatian descent, Giovanni Mane Giornovichi (also seen as Ivan Jarnović) adopted a baffling number of aliases as he travelled across Europe, leaving musical traces in Vienna, Paris, London, and even St. Petersburg. A celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, he was a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn, admired for his brilliant playing and stylish compositions. Yet his music slipped undeservedly into obscurity.

So what can I say about this recording? That it is a gem—beautifully played and recorded. Čičić, as I have noted before, is a violinist of great refinement. His bowing is clean and elegant; every note sits securely upon the strings, delivered with concentration, taste, and gentle persuasion. There's nothing showy or gratuitous—just masterfully controlled virtuosity in service of the music.

The Illyria Consort follows him faithfully, and the impression is of one single entity moving with musical instinct. The music itself is of its time: elegant, inventive, and touched with sentimental charm. Though Giornovichi doesn't throw fireworks at us, his concertos are full of clever turns and lyrical surprises. Some passages catch the ear with subtle wit or flashes of brilliance, while others sway with sweet melancholy or pastoral ease. The Presto movements never rush—they are closer to animated Allegros, full of spirit yet never frantic. It suits the mood.

The Air "Villageoises de Julie," with its theme and variations, adds a delightful intimacy to the programme—a glimpse into the salon-style refinement Giornovichi likely excelled at.

As for the sound: it's a fine recording. The acoustic is quiet and close, allowing the textures to breathe and the violin to bloom with warm clarity. It doesn't attack the listener; rather, it caresses—elegantly seductive from first bar to last.

I have yet to encounter a recording from Cicic and Illyria Consort that wasn't good.

TD
Last CD of this set


Trio in B Flat major Op 97 "Archduke"
Triple Concerto Op 56

With Orchestra of the Swan conducted by Eckehard Stier.

This set doesn't include most of the non-Opus works for piano trio, such as the transcription of the Second Symphony. But it makes sense to couple the Archduke trio with the Archduke concerto.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

cannot help it ...1968! I remember it well. This concerto written for the competition was of course hopelessly old fashioned in that fatefull year.  Still, the melodies  linger in my mind.
If I remember correctly, Novitskaya married a Belgian after her win of the competition, started a large family and  lives -I hope so- somewhere in Belgium a happy life.
https://vod.queenelisabethcompetition.be/en/competitions-details-laureates/events/piano-1968/

Yes, the composition is average while the performance is very good. I don't know about her much though I knew that she became Belgian. I think her recordings are not available much in digital format.

[Harry]

Marco Uccellini (1603–1680)
Violin Sonatas from Opp. 3–5 – Op. 3 Nos. 1, 4, 5; Op. 4 Nos. 1–5, 12, 18; Op. 5 Nos. 1 & 4
Noxwode
See back cover for full details.
Recorded at the Church of St Saviour, South Hampstead, London, 2021.
Streaming: 44.1kHz/16 bit (original master: 96kHz/24 bit)

A curious and mixed experience, this recording—both tantalising and just a touch frustrating. While it claims a high-resolution 96kHz/24bit source, we are offered merely CD-quality on most streaming platforms, a missed opportunity considering the rapid decline of physical formats. One wonders why we are still denied what has already been captured.

Yet the music itself—Marco Uccellini's sonatas for violin and continuo—is a gift. A violinist-composer straddling the early Baroque and the emerging stylus fantasticus, Uccellini's output in Opp. 3–5 is expressive, energetic, and remarkably forward-looking. These works are some of the earliest true violin sonatas: vivid showcases of invention and flight, marked by sudden tempo shifts, arioso phrasing, and rhythmic liberties that hint at improvisation.

The ensemble Noxwode, founded in 2018, is clearly brimming with promise. But their interplay here feels more like an assembly of gifted soloists than a cohesive unit. Conor Gricmanis, directing and leading from the violin, plays with notable intensity and commitment—but is too far forward in the recorded image. The balance is uneven, and at times the organ feels unnaturally inflated, detracting from the intimate chamber qualities that this repertoire needs. There's air and detail, yes—but not always the blend.

Still, Gricmanis' tone is rich and communicative, and the violin he plays—an Andrea Amati from 1572, quite possibly the oldest fully playable violin in existence—is a marvel in itself. One longs to hear it captured from just a little more distance, to allow its full tonal bloom.

All told, this is a stimulating introduction to Uccellini's often overlooked sonatas, rendered with youthful fervour and admirable stylistic intent. I'm glad to have heard it. But one cannot help imagining how much more compelling it might have been with a touch more cohesion—and with the full glory of the high-resolution master made available to us.

The Artwork however I think is distasteful.

[Irons]

Ekaterina Novickaya - Beethoven, Brahms ‎– 32 Variations / Sonata Nr. 3.

Small world or great minds.

I was about to mention Novitskaya in the Scriabin discussion.

[brewski]

Nino Rota's glorious score to Amarcord.

[Mister Sharpe]

Small world or great minds.

I was about to mention Novitskaya in the Scriabin discussion.

A visionary! She appears to be trying to master the Mitsuko Uchida pout long before it became popular.

[Mister Sharpe]

Turning now to the much-debated Ponti Scriabin recordings, specifically the Sonatas, courtesy of Youtube.

https://youtu.be/AtCYecm9GYk?list=PLa1rC97wRkZgZnnXis12UFI8iENmQWnIG

[Mandryka]

It's good - Lydia Maria Blank is always well worth hearing I think - but after listening to Vartolo's magical Frescobaldi toccatas Bk 2 last night, I can't stop myself dreaming about what this would sound like if he had played it.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Small world or great minds.

I was about to mention Novitskaya in the Scriabin discussion.

Yes nice recording! I only knew it via Youtube. I wish it were available in disc or electronic format.

[Lisztianwagner]

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.2

Melanie Diener, Petra Lang
Riccardo Chailly & Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

[Symphonic Addict]

Prokofiev: Symphonies 1 and 2

Enjoyable, stunning as ever.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Elisabeth Fontan-Binoche Plays the Music of Marcel Tournier.

[ritter]

Ruth Laredo plays Scriabin: Sonatas No. 1 through No. 4, Étudein C-sharp minor, op. 2, No. 1, and Eight Études, op. 42.

CD1 of this two CD set:


The highlight (for me) is at the end of the CD: Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major, op. 30 is my favourite of the set. The transition between the two movements, from the andante to the prestissimo volando is quite magical!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Szymanowski violin concertos, etc..