What are you listening 2 now?

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 4 in E Flat Major, 1880 (aka 1878/80) - Ed. Robert Haas
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

[AnotherSpin]

[steve ridgway]

Nono - Per Bastiana

[Que]

Another recording of motets by Gioseffo Zarlino, predating the collection of motets recorded by Singer Pur.

[steve ridgway]

Pierre Henry - Tokyo 2002

[steve ridgway]

Penderecki - Anaklasis

[steve ridgway]

Berio - O King

[AnotherSpin]

I could listen to the Goldberg Variations every day. Is that some kind of obsession? Should I start worrying that I might soon fancy eating someone's brains, like Dr Lecter?

[steve ridgway]

Kagel - Musik Für Renaissance-Instrumente

[ritter]

Berio - O King

A beautiful piece. Both in its original chamber version and as the second movement of the Sinfonia.

[Que]

I had to look up my own notes... 

Excellent performances.
A drawback for me is that the ensemble decided that it was a good idea if 6 out of 14 madrigals would also be recorded in their transcription for harpsichord... According to booklet in that way it is easier to hear the harmony...   These transcriptions are actually well played by Elam Rotem, but I'd rather have heard more madrigals on this recording. The harpsichord transcriptions deserve their own recording!
Despite the misgivings on the programming choice, still an impressive recording.

Another recommended recording:

[springrite]

I could listen to the Goldberg Variations every day. Is that some kind of obsession? Should I start worrying that I might soon fancy eating someone's brains, like Dr Lecter?

Take a number. I am at the table first.

Oh, I have a few dozen Goldbergs in my portable player which I sometimes listen to all day.

[Que]

Although for these pieces I have settled on Pandolfo (Glossa), new recordings keep coming!
And it is always good to keep an open mind, so:

[Selig]

A very positive review:
https://bachcellosuites.co.uk/bach-cello-suites-home/list-of-reviews/karel-steylaerts/

[ritter]

Music for piano(s)@ —plus violin or harpsichord— by Sylvano Bussotti.

[AnotherSpin]

[Madiel]

Vivaldi: Armida at the camp of the Egyptians



It's worth putting the full title, because Vivaldi did not set the same part of the story of Armida (and/or Rinaldo) from an epic poem about the Crusades that most other composers did. Instead the libretto involves Armida arriving where the Egyptian army is camped outside Gaza, with her own agenda of getting them to help her have revenge against Rinaldo. There's no real explanation of why she wants revenge against Rinaldo (who doesn't appear), I think the expectation is the original audience knew about these characters already.

Unfortunately, the plot is quite clumsy. There are some good scenes, but also a heap of problems. First off, this is supposed to be an army camp but there are still scenes that are said to be in the palace or the palace gardens. The second, bigger problem is that Armida's behaviour doesn't make a lot of overall sense. Why is she scheming and plotting when this is her own side in the war? Why does she care about the guy who doesn't promise to help her with her side quest when two other guys said yes immediately (and spend the rest of the opera squabbling over her in tiresome ways)? The resolution in the final scene is pretty hopeless even by the standards of these plots.  It's a bit surprising to find out this is the same librettist as La verità in cimento, because that work (2 years later) has one of the better plots I've encountered so far.

There's also the minor detail that a scene in Act 2 and a scene in Act 3, or parts thereof, seem to have been accidentally swapped in the libretto. And as a cherry on top, that's what the French, Italian and German liner notes say; the English notes introduce one of Naive's occasional typos and read as if the swapped scenes are both in Act 2.

Music-wise, there are some issues that can't be helped because the majority of Act 2 is missing. The booklet explains well how Alessandrini has filled in the gaps, including adapting arias from other works of around the same time. I recognised quite a few of the arias from what I've already listened to - the fact that I did recognise them was a bit of a surprise.

The music that does exist has its moments, including one aria in Act 1 that Vivaldi somehow manages to give a fascinatingly unique sound even though he's only using strings and harpsichord. The scoring is smaller than for some other operas because Armida was originally staged in one of Venice's smaller theatres. All of the performances seem very solid.

So not without its rewards, but not exactly essential either.

[Christo]

My copy is signed: "to Johan, from Adriano, 1999" because I received it from him at the time when I sent him some Dutch recordings for his Respighi collection.

[Harry]

Although for these pieces I have settled on Pandolfo (Glossa), new recordings keep coming!
And it is always good to keep an open mind, so:

I found this recording quite good.

[Harry]

Arthur Benjamin.
Chamber music.
See back cover.
Lawrence Power (Violin & Viola), Simon Crawford-Phillips, Piano.
Powered by D3.

This is high class chamber music by a composer I admire with reason. A gem of a disc, with an awe inspiring performance, and practically a SOTA recording. A true find, very recommendable.