What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Charles-Francois-Gregoire de la Ferté. (1666-1746)
Sonates pour le Violon et la Basse Nr.1-12 "Sonates Oubliées"
Ensemble La Ferté.
Recorded, 2024? No PDF file. New release.

This ensemble is dedicated to rediscovering the sonatas of Charles-François Grégoire de La Ferté. a totally unknown French composer to me. The music reveals a very personal language, written in the style of Lully. and displays Italian influences, while retaining a distinctive French elegance. Its a mixture of dance, virtuosity and contrapuntal variety. The sonatas of this little-known composer of French Baroque music has a certain freshness and imagination, that lights one's awareness to compositions long lost. The recording is somewhat direct, and needs careful adjustment of your volume, certainly in the first movements, later on a few things are corrected. It is worth listening to it, for La Ferte has a lot to offer. It is well performed.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Paul Creston SY2, etc..

[Mandryka]

Timeless music, timeless performances. Whatever that means.

It includes some songs by little me.

[brewski]

Nice! I like the equivalent recordings by Inbal and Konstantin Ivanov as well!

Thanks for those recs! If I can tear myself away from this one, will give those a listen.

[prémont]

Timeless music, timeless performances. Whatever that means.

It includes some songs by little me.

This is one of those recordings of early music which long time ago were instrumental in stimulating my interest in this music - so it makes me a bit nostalgic. Nowadays I have a cd rerelease of it.

[AnotherSpin]

Fantasias, ayres and dances by Alfonso Ferrabosco, John Ward, William White, Thomas Lupo, Richard Dering, Giovanni Coperario, William Lawes, John Jenkins and Christopher Simpson.

François Joubert-Caillet
L'Achéron

[Daverz]

(Yours is the only reference I can find to it.)

I don't hear it as chaste at all! I like what Pappano does actually, a lot.

Time for a relisten to that Daphnis et Chloe, then.

Last night's listen:

Foerster's Cyrano de Bergerac again.

The Czech Philharmonic recording on Orfeo is even more lush, but this orchestra from a small city in Czechia plays with real personality and are beautifully recorded.

[Linz]

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony no. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 "Eroica"
"Egmont" Overture, Op. 84
"Coriolan" Overture. Op.62
Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer

[André]

I know that version - I must admit I am not always convinced by all the Arnold conducts Arnold performances.  Some are superb - the EMI/CBSO Symphony No.5 is easily my favourite version of that great work - but I do wonder how many of the later performances are impacted more by his own personal mental health struggles rather than interpretative choices he would have made if these recordings dated from earlier in his life.  They are of course important to hear but possibly not 'definitive'?

Fair point. I think his versions of 3, 4 and 5 are unequalled. The others (including his controversially slow performances of the Overtures) are all worth hearing. Heavily underlined, but no more eccentric than many a Klemperer performance IMO.

[Linz]

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker, Op. 71
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi

[Papy Oli]

While preparing dinner earlier:

Spohr - Clarinet Concertos Nos. 3
Michael Collins (clarinet) Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Robin O'Neill

What a lovely work.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Nutcracker Suite. Ancerl/Vienna.

[AnotherSpin]

[Roasted Swan]

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker, Op. 71
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi

The complete Nutcracker would be a Desert Island work for me - I love it to an almost irrational degree.  But I strongly dislike this performance (as well as a similarly forced and impatient single disc version from Gergiev).  The playing and recording is excellent - but this should not be treated as simply a virtuoso display piece with a train to catch!  The curious thing - its why I find Jarvi pere a deeply confusing conductor! - is that he recorded Act II back in his Chandos/SNO glory days here -



and it is wonderful.  Warmly affectionate - oh that Pas de Deux gets me every time - ripely recorded - everything you want.  I wish they'd recorded the complete ballet back then.  These newer versions are just wrong on every level - impossible to dance to and lacking the space and room to emotional engage.  Like I said - very confusing.......

[Que]

My morning listening is another volume of The Leiden Choirbooks:

Surely they can't keep this up .....
By Stephen Midgley

..... or can they? Renaissance enthusiasts who have already been following this fabulous series will no doubt have high expectations, as I did, for this recording of the fifth Choirbook in the set of six. Well, fear not, for there's not the slightest chance that you'll be disappointed. "The diversity of works in Choirbook E is so great", states booklet-essay writer Eric Jas, "that, if we are to do justice to the rich variety of the collection, it is practically impossible to compose a coherent programme from its contents". Well, maybe so, but they've done it anyway because this is an absolutely beautiful programme, varied in mood, pace and texture and full of lovely things, almost none of them ever heard before on disc.

This two-CD selection from the fifth rediscovered Leiden Choirbook consists of around eighteen items - ranging in time from around 1480 to 1570 - including motets, settings of more substantial works such as Salve regina and Magnificat, and a splendid Mass [...]

Full review

[Harry]

New release.
Barbara Strozzi 1619–1677
A Portrait in Five Acts – Duets for Two Sopranos.
Dorothee Mields & Hana Blažíková soprano
Hathor Consort.
Angela Ambrosini, nyckelharpa, Franz Anton Peter, salterio, Michael Dücker, archlute, Baroque guitar & theorbo, Irene Klein, lirone, Sarah Ridy, harp, Beate Röllecke, organ.
Romina Lischka, treble & bass viol, artistic director.
Recording: Sendesaal Bremen, Germany, 14–17 August 2021.
Cover: Bernardo Strozzi, "Viol player" [probably Barbara Strozzi], ca. 1640;

A new release and a winner on all counts. They took their time to release this recording but it was worth the wait. It is a great joy to hear both Sopranos, well matched together, singing with just enough passion without getting overbearing. Textual I could follow the words without problems, and the warm and detailed recording makes it  a hugging blanket, much needed in these dark days. Music is a balm for the soul, and brings so much happiness. Listen and be amazed! The wonderfully merging voices of Mields and Blažíková will bring light to all hearts. Strozzi is a fine composer, and we may be happy that she got the chance to be well educated and trained to become the marvel she is. Recommended.

[Que]

Henry Purcell.
Phantasies, Ayres & Chaconys, for Recorder quartet.
The Flautadors recorder Quartet.
Recorded in 2006.

I selected 3 recordings of the Flautadors Quartet, this is the third. I have my doubts if one can successfully arrange works for String instruments on Recorders. Well not everything sits comfortable in different shoes, but grosso modo the compositions of Purcell for strings work also on Recorders. That has everything to do with this ensemble. They are tone precise, steady in their articulation, and strong in expression. The change from viols to recorders is profound, but they pull it off successfully. Keep the volume low, for it is a direct hit on your ears if the volume is to high. The right setting will yield pleasure.

I think recorder ensembles make good use of the fact that in Renaissance England much of the repertoire for viol and recorder consorts was interchangeable. By the way, the old Loekie Stardust Qartet made a Purcel recording I can heartily recommend - amazing, really.

[Harry]

I think recorder ensemble make good use of the fact that in Renaissance England much of the repertoire for viol and recorder consorts was interchangeable. By the way, the old Loekie Stardust Kwartet made a Purcel recording I can heartily recommend - amazing, really.

Bookmarked

[Harry]

Johan Halvorsen.
Orchestral works, volume I.
Entry March of the Boyars; Andante religioso; Mascarada-Suite; La Melancolie (arr. Halvorsen); Symphony Nr. 1 in C minor.
Marianne Thorsen, Violin.
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi.
Recorded, Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway, 2009.

Eight Rerun.
I have played this series several times over the years. That exercise has always be a great pleasure, as it is now. Halvorsen may not be to everyone's liking, some think he is a third rater, and dismiss him as such, but I think careful listening brings unheard melodies and harmonies of great beauty. Realizing that he was a great orchestrator and musical personality, it's worth every minute of your listening time. Somehow this music for me is associated with Advent, and the Christmas days ahead, odd maybe, but there it is. Fine performances and sound, and that means that the other 4 volumes will be played too.

[AnotherSpin]

In the past couple of years, I haven't been listening to Brahms symphonies all that often. And truthfully, I'm not exactly a card-carrying member of the Otto Klemperer fan club.

But today I simply couldn't scroll past one of his albums in Qobuz new releases, because of the most delightful little typo on the cover.

Oh, how I adore these tiny imperfections. How much warmer, how much more human our weary, progress-obsessed world feels because of them. A world where everything is calculated, accounted for, triple-checked, and polished to such sterile perfection that it sometimes feels utterly drained of life.

Yes, give me a misspelled composer's name or a slightly off-center label any day. Those small flaws are the quiet rebellion we didn't know we needed.