What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Johann Wilhelm Hertel (1727–1789)
Con spirito.
Works for Bassoon and BC.
See back cover for details.
Capriccio baroque Orchestra, Dominik Kiefer.
Sergio Azzolini, Bassoon.
Recorded: Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Arlesheim 2010, Germany.
Streaming: FLAC 44.1kHz/16 bit. CD quality.

Sergio Azzolini is an absolute master on the bassoon, there is no doubt about that. This fantastic disc with music by Johann Wilhelm Hertel (1727–1789) is not only sublime but also a treasure in the repertoire. Make no mistake: such excellent bassoon players are rare and far between. It is a notoriously difficult instrument to master—its voice at once noble and capricious—and Azzolini is the man to fulfill all expectations.

Hertel, a court composer at Schwerin and a contemporary of the early classical movement in Germany, crafted music that blends the elegance of the galant style with lingering shadows of the Baroque. His writing for the bassoon is natural and graceful, lyrical and light on its feet, yet never lacking in rhetorical depth. This is no academic display, no dry court duty, but music with heart, charm, and a gentle wit.

The works presented here—concertos and sinfonias alike—fit like a glove around the voice of the bassoon. Hertel grants it room to breathe, to sigh and dance, to sing its full song. These are warm, embracing pockets of music that stir the imagination into a poetic flow of dreamy character. There are no bombastic gestures here, only a kind of luminous intimacy.
The playing is alert and affectionate. The tone of the bassoon and orchestra alike are in fine spirits—con spirito indeed!—and the recording captures it all with warmth and clarity. The acoustics offer a stage that flatters both music and musicians: the breath of the wind instruments, the tickle of the continuo, the round, chestnut-hued resonance of Azzolini's bassoon—all are rendered with loving care.

Hertel may not be a household name, but in this performance he is brought forward as a composer of fine sensibility and imagination. The marriage of his idiom with Azzolini's artistry is one of those felicitous encounters where time, taste, and talent align.

"A light broke in upon my soul—it was the light of reason."
—Mary Wollstonecraft, though it might well be Hertel speaking softly through the reed.

[Lisztianwagner]

I'll follow @Symphonic Addict in listening to works from this recording:

Bohuslav Martinů
Overture for Orchestra
Rhapsody for large orchestra

Jiří Bělohlávek & Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 7 in E Major, 1885 Version. Ed.Leopold Nowak
Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim

[Linz]

Feiedrich Kiel Missa solemnis Op. 40 for soli chorus and Orchestra
Joseph Leopold von Eybler Omnis de Saba venient for soprao and orchestra
Terra treuit for chrus and orchestra
Offertorium for chorus and orchestra
Briitte Linder soprano, Lenneke Ruiten for Eybler, Regine Röttger mezzo soprano, Elisabeth Graf alto, Thomas Dewald tenor Karl Fäth bass
WDR Rundfunkchor Köln, WDR Rundfunkorchestra Köln, Helnuth Froschauer

[Linz]

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor
Inge Borkh, Soprano, Ruth Siewert, Contalto, Richard Lewis,Tenor, Ludwig Weber, Bass, The Beecham Choral Society
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, René Leibowitz

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, 1889 Version (aka 1888/89) Ed. Leopold Nowak
Richard Wagner Tannhäuser Overture
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Andris Nelsons

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Manolis Kalomiris.

[DavidW]

Mahler's 7th

[JBS]

My most recent Presto order landed today. This is the first one into the CD player: three contemporary concertos.  Each concerto with a different conductor and orchestra.


First impressions:
Thierry Picou: Cara Bali Concerto  Orchestra National de Lyon/Jonathan Stockhammer

As the name suggests, a lot of inspiration from Gamelan music. Two movements, both marked Vivace.

Ramon Lazkano: Mare Marginis (nouvelle lune) WDR Sinfonieorchester/Sylvain Camberling

Really noisy and percussive, in one movement. Probably the one I will like least of the three.

Alex Nante: Luz de Lejos Orchestre National de Lille/Emilia Hoving

A concerto entitled "Light from afar" is reminding me of Vasks in terms of style as well as title.

I'm not going to recommend or decommend any of the three. They are stylistically rather diverse, and I do feel they are all worth at one listen.

[Symphonic Addict]

I'll follow @Symphonic Addict in listening to works from this recording:

Bohuslav Martinů
Overture for Orchestra
Rhapsody for large orchestra

Jiří Bělohlávek & Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Cool, Ilaria. A wondrous disc, mostly for The Parables, which is a terrific concoction of moods and captivating sounds. An incredibly kaleidoscopic and unpredictable work.

[Symphonic Addict]

Prokofiev: Cello Concerto in E minor, op. 58

[Karl Henning]

Malcolm Arnold
Return of Odysseus, op. 119

Darius Milhaud
Suite Française, op. 254

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Toward the Unknown Region

City of Glasgow Chorus
Scottish Opera Orchestra - Graham Taylor

A most curious cantata from Malcolm Arnold; I am not quite sure what to make of it. The recording itself almost sounds like it comes from a 60s/70s film soundtrack, but it was actually set down in 2005. Maybe the combination of Arnold's music with the sound engineering of the chorus and orchestra?

I never took to RVW's Toward an Unknown Region, even though I very much enjoy its sister composition A Sea Symphony. Nothing different here; I probably should have passed.

I actually thought this was Milhaud's Suite Provençale, but no, it was his Suite Française. Both are fun orchestral works either way.
VS

Curious that Vers la région inconnue fails to sing to you!

[Cato]

Cool, Ilaria. A wondrous disc, mostly for The Parables, which is a terrific concoction of moods and captivating sounds. An incredibly kaleidoscopic and unpredictable work.

Amen!

[Symphonic Addict]

The three late triptychs are Martinu's orchestral crown jewels. Glad that the motoric and hectic rhythms from his neoclassical period don't appear on these works because one does feel a tad overwhelmed by them at times.

[Symphonic Addict]

Händel: Concerti grossi, op. 6 (seven to twelve)

It was a very rewarding experience to have given these pieces a listen again after many years.

[Symphonic Addict]

Berwald: Symphony No. 3 'Sinfonie singulière'

Singular it is indeed, particularly because of the freshness of the thematic material and how it is developed. No heavy Austro-German influence in here. Moreover, I think it is the first symphony in three movements that combines the slow movement with a scherzo.

[Roasted Swan]

Händel: Concerti grossi, op. 6 (seven to twelve)

It was a very rewarding experience to have given these pieces a listen again after many years.

Joyful music wonderfully performed

[Harry]

Francois Devienne.
Sonatas for Oboe & BC, Opus 70 & 71.
Sonatas for Bassoon & BC, Opus. 24 No. 2, 3, 5.
Ingo Goritzki, Oboe & Sergio Azzolini, Bassoon.
Ensemble Villa Musica.
Recorded: 2007 & 2011, at the Konzerthaus de Abtei Marienmünster.
Streaming: FLAC 44.1 kHz/16 bit. CD quality.
Label: MDG-2 CD'S. 127 minutes.

François Devienne (1759–1803), a master of wind instruments and a founding professor at the Paris Conservatoire, left behind a body of work rich in Classical elegance and Gallic charm. As a flutist, bassoonist, and prolific composer, his sonatas for wind instruments—especially for oboe and bassoon—are paragons of refined craftsmanship, designed to showcase lyrical invention over bravura display.

The oboe sonatas of Op. 70 and 71 unfold in elegant Classical architecture, full of poised dialogues between melody and harmony. They are marked by clarity of thought and melodic purity, often coloured by wistful inflections and subtle modulations that betray Devienne's innate feel for drama beneath serenity. The bassoon sonatas of Op. 24 reveal an even rarer gem: a natural idiom for an instrument still finding its voice in solo repertoire. Here, the writing is supple and vocally inspired, drawing out the expressive range of the instrument with warmth and poise.

Ingo Goritzki plays the oboe with finely spun tone and effortless phrasing, while Sergio Azzolini, ever the poet of the bassoon, crafts each phrase with sensitivity and astonishing nuance. Their performances are not demonstrations of technique, but expressions of character, of intimacy, of wit. Ensemble Villa Musica supports with subtle elegance, never imposing, always breathing with the soloists—a continuo that shapes without weight.

Despite being a standard-resolution recording, the sound quality is exceptional. The acoustic of the Konzerthaus is warm and transparent, presenting the instruments in an atmosphere of natural closeness and air. It's a textbook example of how thoughtful engineering and excellent playing can transcend bitrate.

This is music of clear lines and graceful proportions—life-affirming, generous, and utterly disarming. There is nothing overstated, and yet its emotional depth is unmistakable. It is chamber music at its most companionable: written to please, to soothe, and to uplift.

A double album to return to often. Its voice is gentle, but its spirit endures.

[Que]

I, as usual, begin my morning in a musical paradise.

Following your example with the Missa pro fidelibus defunctis, which I didn't get to before.
This set had an unfortunate start with the Missa paschale in which the balance between the (excellent) countertenor and the other singers was quite off. But after that, all good. Very nice performances.

[AnotherSpin]

Beauty Farm's live recording of Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli is truly impressive. Their interpretation is vivid and clear, offering an intimacy and focus that larger choirs often lack. The decision to pair the mass with hymns adds an intriguing layer. There are a few incidental sounds here and there, but that's all part of the charm of a live recording.