What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Florestan]

When I could not sleep last night, and had to wake and help, due to illness befalling my wife, the Stabat Mater from Josquin Desprez, gave me some hope and consolation in the middle of the night, with voices that float almost through the air, like images from the past, brittle as my wives health, but also luminous, and almost from another plain of existence, well...

Good morning, my friend! Saddening yet beautiful review...

[Harry]

Good morning, my friend! Saddening yet beautiful review...

Goodmorning to you too Andrei, the sun is out here, and that is a wonder altogether after all that rain in these parts. I am very sleepy, but I rather stay awake now, for the rays are warming my face....

[Harry]

Handel
Opera Arias, volume I.
From: Almira, Rodrigo, Rinaldo, Silla, Amadigi di Gaula, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Tamerlano,Rodelinda, Scipione.
Emma Kirkby, Soprano.
The Brandenburg Consort/Roy Goodman.

This box is a highlight of Emma Kirkby's art, for she uncovers the beauty of Handel operas for me most effectively, and has done more to sway me over to those operas as any other recording I heard sofar.
The performance and recordings are topnotch.

[val]

CORELLI:        12 Sonate opus 5              / Gatti, Nasillo, Morini  (ARCANA)

Perhaps Corelli's masterpiece, in a splendid version of Enrico Gatti.

Since the 6 first sonatas are "sonate da chiesa", and the sonate 7 to 11 more like suites with dance movements (allemande, sarabanda, gavotte), Gatti presents a sonata da chiesa followed by a sonata/suite, to create more diversity, instead of presenting the works from 1 to 12.

It seems to me a good option and the interpretation is very beautiful.

[Harry]

Sophie Daneman, Patricia Petibon, & Adele Eikenes, are fine sopranos, on this beautiful disc. Well performed and recorded, considering that the writing for the females is written very high in the register, and they notably have a few difficulties with it, not serious mind but still. The instrumental part is done to utmost refinement.

[Harry]

Symphony no. 1, opus 75.

Martucci is a real find for me. I find his Orchestral compositions very much to my liking, and the performance on this former ASV disc is marvelous, and recorded in a good way. The thick texture of this work is coming out well, and the concentrated playing D'Avalos commands is respectable.

[ChamberNut]

Beethoven - String Quartet No. 13 in B flat, Op. 130 with Grosse Fugue.

Quartetto Italiano
Philips

*Josh, I'm excited for you getting your ABQ set anytime now. 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Brahms, Symphony No. 4 (Carlos Kleiber/Staatskapelle Dresden)

An inspired performance! And on the the same disc there is a really breathtaking Unvollendete.

[Harry]

Novelletta opus 82.
Notturno opus 70, No. 1.
Tarantella opus 44.

Well orchestrated and performed.
I love this music.....

[Keemun]

Hey Keemun, what's your thought on Mehta's 1st movement? I say the beginning is too fast...but then the finale was incredible...

His first movement is definitely faster than most, although it's two minutes slower than Klemperer/Philharmonia.  I don't know that I'd say it is too fast, but that's a matter of preference.  After hearing Mehta's first movement, other performances seem to drag.  I think I like both approaches.  Mehta's finale is definitely incredible. 

[ChamberNut]

Schubert - Piano Quintet in A major, D.667 Trout

Kodaly Quartet
Istvan Toth, Double-bass
Jeno Jando, piano
Naxos

Mmmmmm, can anyone pass the tartar sauce? 

[bhodges]

Helmut Lachenmann: Salut für Caudwell (1977) and String Quartet No. 3, "Grido" (2001) - Heard these last night by Either/Or, a new music group here, performing at the Goethe Institut.  Totally amazing works, and ditto the performances.  Salut für Caudwell, for two speaking guitarists, is about 25 minutes long, and uses the instruments in just about every way possible, and ditto the quartet.  The quartet has players bowing not only the strings, but the sides, bridge, scroll and fingerboard of their instruments.

The place only seats about 100 people, and there were easily another 100 standing in the back and in the adjacent hall outside--quite a crowd, and very exciting.  Plus, I got to meet Lachenmann afterward.

--Bruce

[Harry]

The second time around I played this disc, and can confirm again its excellence in all parts of the process.

[Sergeant Rock]

"It's called Blumine or something...which is something to do with flowers."
Eugene Ormandy

I love Ormandy quotes.

Sarge

[greg]

[BachQ]

I love Ormandy quotes.

Sarge

We love Sarge quotes .........

[Ephemerid]

Concerti grossi op. 6
nos. 1-6 HWV 319-324 (77'23)

I just added that to my Amazon wish list (the recent Vivaldi/Handel thread promting my attention)

[Ephemerid]

Beethoven - String Quartet No. 13 in B flat, Op. 130 with Grosse Fugue.

Quartetto Italiano
Philips

*Josh, I'm excited for you getting your ABQ set anytime now. 

Me too!  Should be any HOUR now that I'll be getting it!! 

[Brian]

RACHMANINOV | Polka de W.R.
The composer at the piano

Oh my goodness! I am falling in love!

This piece is filling my heart ... and giving me this extraordinary feeling of bliss ...

[Brian]

RACHMANINOV | Polka de W.R.
The composer at the piano

Listening a second time, and did you notice that he quotes Moszkowski? Kind of funny given the relative greatness of the two composers.