What are you listening 2 now?

[Que]

Thank you Que, and I can add, wonderful soloists. The melodies are still floating in my memory. I had kind of a hunch about who was singing on this disc, but I guess your search on the net was more successful, or maybe even better, you had the CD   

Indeed. No advanced net searches were necessary - I got the booklet out. 

[Harry]

Guillaume Dufay (1400-1474)
John Dunstable (c1390–1453)
Hugo de Lantins (fl1420s–30s)
Johannes Ockeghem (c1420–1497)
motets • hymns • chansons • sanctus papale.

Blue Heron, Scott Metcalfe.

The great significance of Guillaume Dufay lies in the fact that he was the first to fuse musical elements of art music from the traditions of France, the Netherlands, England and Italy; in this way, he created a musical language that was binding for high art music throughout Europe for a long time. The singing of Blue Heron is impeccable and well balanced. It breaths confidence and creates perspectives how to approach Dufay. Until now I can find myself in what they do. The soloists are walking a path of careful sensitivity to volume and detailing and give the music a recognizable sound that is pleasing to the ear. No shrillness or artificially applied drama, but a clean and overseeable interpretation.
The recording is pristine. The acoustic of the Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts were it was recorded in 2006 is a perfect place for it.

[Harry]

No advanced net searches were necessary - I got the booklet out. 

See I knew almost for certain you had the CD   

[Que]

This arrived on disc. A buy on impulse, but the price was right.



My enthusiasm for this recording remains unchanged. In the booklet Julien Wolfs dedicates this recording to, amongst others, his teacher Menno van Delft. This makes total sense in many respects, though Wolfs definitely does his own thing.

https://www.labelflora.be/p/johann-sebastian-bach-variations-goldberg-bwv-988-julien-wolfs-clavecin/

[Harry]

Altre Follie 1500-1750.
Folias from Spanien, Italien & England von Albicastro, Cabanilles, Cabezon, Corbetta, Corelli, Falconieri, Piccinini, Sanz, Storace, Vivaldi, Anonymus.
Manfredo Kraemer, Rolf Lislevand, Michael Behringer, Jordi & Arianna Savall, Hesperion XXI, Jordi Savall

Recorded in 2005 this CD represents all the qualities Jordi Savall with his Hesperion XXI has to offer. The Collégiale du Château de Cardona, Catalogne is a acoustical dream. Everything sounds exactly in place, natural and unforced. So definitively SOTA sound. On this CD Folias, performed by the best in the trade. It almost never happens that a interpretation of Savall disappoints. The folk roots of the 'folia' are emphasized by Savall and his musicians with a very spirited, rustic style of playing common to all the interpretations on this varied CD, that they preserve the spirit of improvisation very well, out of which this music was created. Really very beautiful, stunning even. I was too long away from the repertoire he recorded, so I will mend my ways forthwith.

[Madiel]

Thank you, Brian. By the way, I get this error message when trying to upload an avatar image: "The avatar you have selected is not a valid image." It's a JPEG and within the pixel range, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

Try changing the file extension from "JPEG" to "JPG" and see what happens (or the other way around). If I remember correctly it's weirdly fussy about that (as well as the other bugs that have been happening). Most software understands that these are just 2 variants of the same file extension, but at least some versions of the forum software accepted one and not the other.

[Madiel]

Beethoven: Piano sonata in C minor, op.13



A damn fine piece, but then they pretty much all are. The only opus so far I'd consider inessential was op.6.

Kovacevich is in his element with a dramatic work, but I'm quite glad he doesn't overdo it. Except at the very end of the finale where he seems in a slight rush.

[Madiel]

Medtner: Two skazki, op.14



The second piece, 'March of the Paladin', is very densely textured. Full marks to Milne for not letting it sound like a mess.

[Madiel]

I'm going full piano tonight. Next up, Alicia de Larrocha playing Chopin.



She's fairly whipping through the faster preludes.

[vandermolen]

Patrick Hadley: 'The Trees so High'
A deeply moving masterpiece:

[Florestan]

Try changing the file extension from "JPEG" to "JPG" and see what happens (or the other way around). If I remember correctly it's weirdly fussy about that (as well as the other bugs that have been happening). Most software understands that these are just 2 variants of the same file extension, but at least some versions of the forum software accepted one and not the other.

Been there, done that. Unfortunately, for the time being nothing works for uploading avatars. The only option left is choosing from the gallery.

[Traverso]

Bach

CD 3

[JBS]

How do you like it so far?

Excellently played, but one CD at a time is more than enough. Like a rich and creamy dessert.

[Madiel]

Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin



Poizat's tendency to have a delicate touch does some marvellous things here, turning the music into a light haze of notes. Not just in the Prelude, where that sort of effect might be expected, but in other movements too. The shape and off-beat accents of the Fugue give the impression of water droplets falling off a ledge, with different drips moving at different rates and you know they're sometimes going to coincide. The Forlane skips along lightly and shimmers. The outer sections of the Rigaudon are played fast and flash and sparkle. The Menuet ends up feeling like a necessary moment of grounding, a graceful and slightly stately dance, before the Toccata reveals itself to be the Rigaudon and Prelude's love-child.

It all makes for a very satisfying whole. Yet again I find myself with the urge to go and learn to play one of Ravel's piano masterpieces. Except it's after midnight and I remind myself that this stuff is insanely difficult...

[Todd]

[Que]

    

[Que]

Excellently played, but one CD at a time is more than enough. Like a rich and creamy dessert.

1+ hour of gamba music seems like a healthy dose to me! 

[Mandryka]

Like a rich and creamy dessert.

That's L'Acheron's sound for sure.

[Harry]

Antonio Vivaldi.
Concerti op.8 Nr.1-4, The Four Seasons.  Violin Concerto RV 208 "Grosso Mogul"
Brescianello: Violin Concerto in D major.
Recorded at the Palais im Großen Garten, Dresden, Germany 2014.
La Folia Barockorchester, Robin Peter Müller.

This is freaking the best interpretation I ever heard of the four seasons, and believe me I heard many. A powerhouse of energy, and virtuosity which you never heard before. All the musicians of the La Folia orchestra are top athletes, and performers.Reference SOTA sound. Extraordinary. Even after a dozen times that I have listen to this CD the novelty does not wear off. The same treatment of awesomeness is applied on Brescianello as well. A feast of sound and creativity. I dare you to try it and not being  impressed.

[hopefullytrusting]

Such a tiny nation, and yet the music they have produced - second to none: Estonia



The two symphonies, a genre I normally don't care for, are easily the highlights. Extraordinary music.