What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[karlhenning]

First-Listen Fridays! (This recording):

Berlioz
L'enfance du Christ, Op.25
Véronique Gens, Marie
Paul Agnew, récitant
Olivier Lallouette, Joseph/Polydorus
Frédéric Caton, le père de famille
La Chapelle Royale
Collegium Vocale
Orchestre des Champs Élysées
Philippe Herreweghe

This is outstanding!

[asin]B0000007BN[/asin]

[DavidRoss]

How timely, Karl!  I haven't heard that one for months or years...should be just the ticket for a change of pace that's as lovely as my habitual faves!

[Que]

I start a little less wild and begin my day slowly with this excellent disc, which I bought for a song at JPC, and never regretted it. And the cover well, uhmmmm is very nice to look at...no? A babe!

When, when??!! I missed it....

Q

[The new erato]

They had a Symfonia sale some months back. 3 Eurs or therearound, I bought a fine Gasparini disc.

[Coco]

so much fun ^_^

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

When, when??!! I missed it....

Q

I am afraid dear Que, that it was bought in 2010, but maybe its still available. I have posted them all when bought, so I am wondering you missed them, maybe I bought so much then you lost count.

[The new erato]

Yes, he who schnoozes, looses.

[Brian]

CD1: Symphony 1, Cockaigne

[asin]B0000CE7FP[/asin]

Wow. Revelatory performances - really original approach to Cockaigne, emphasizing its lyricism rather than panache; the opposite of Gibson's standard account. Love it. And the symphony - well, this is the first time the symphony has ever made a lick of sense to me. Thank you, Sarge and those who recommended this. I can see this is how I will finally come to admire (and enjoy) the symphonies of Sir Edward Elgar.

I've heard the symphony several times before, but am tempted to put it into my listening log as a "first listen."

[Antoine Marchand]

Hi Antoine - I've read some excellent reviews on the set that has appeared to gone to the top of your list for these works on 'modern' instruments - just curious if you've had a chance to hear the recording inserted above (right) w/ Cerovsek & Jumppanen?  Quite good reviews when I purchased the set last year, but Faust & Melnikov does interest me -     Dave

Hi, Dave. I don't have the recording with Cerovsek & Jumppanen, but I have heard some tracks. I didn't like Cerovsek's tone which I found a bit thin and bright, with an excessive dose of vibrato. But I would like to make clear that I heard some compressed files, so maybe at some extent it's a problem of those files. Anyway, I didn't consider specially remarkable the other aspects of that recording.

Go for Faust/Melnikov, Dave! It's a truly revelatory set.     

[SonicMan46]

Jadin, Hyacinthe (1776-1800) - 3 new additions to my collection from the 'flower child' - wish he had lived longer - 

   

[North Star]

String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D.887
Sublime music, first-rate playing and sonics
[asin]B002OPY7OY[/asin]

[Antoine Marchand]

First listen:



Chancel Organ
Wilhelm, Opus 129, 1993
Église Très-Saint-Rédempteur, Montreal, Canada

The Church

In 1913, Arbishop Paul Bruchési authorizes the establishment of the Très-Saint-Rédempteur parish. The construction of this large 45,525 square feet (4,231 sq. m.) will be finalized in 1927 upon plans prepared by architects Donat-Arthur Gascon and Louis Parent.

The neo-Renaissance style building, influenced by the French national art school, is made up of a well structured façade, bell towers topped by spires and a rose window overlooking the main entrance. The interior is less ostentasious and its layout is well adapted to the new liturgy. The new altar, located in the certer of the nave, but inside the communion rail, hides the beautiful high altar made of marble and mosaic. Nice wood pannelling line up the apse and light fixtures are made of crystal from Bohemia. The five stained-glass windows, executed by Guido Nincheri between 1935 and 1946, at a cost of 850$ each, are among the finest in Quebec.

The Organs

The Chancel Organ

This organ was originally built for a private residence in the United States but due to several problems, the contract was never finalized. In 1992, it was decided to temporarily install the organ in the Madonna della Difesa (Our Lady of Defence) church, right in the heart of the Little Italy district in Montreal. In 1993, the organ was brought back to the factory where it remained until the Très-Saint-Rédempteur parish bought it for their church. Installed in the sanctuary, exceptional sound is provided by this instrument because of the good acoustics of the church.

Although this organ was designed in the classical tradition, it is not a copy of a particular historical instrument. Organbuilder Karl Wilhelm and his associates, Denis Juget and Jacques L'Italien explored the subtle unforced brillance of the distinctive ripirno and its purety and clarity of sound.

The organ case draws from the most significant elements found in the Italian school of organbuilding with its harmonious proportions of classical style and its important mouldings. In order to prevent a too severe look, two of the panels located above the montre pipeworks have been elegantly carved and on a closer look, we will see, on the left side, a Florentine lis and on the right side, an eagle taken from the German coat of arms. A wink from the organbuilder!

The suspended key action provides a very responsive and sensitive keyboard action even when the manuals are coupled. Stop action is also mechanical. The wedge-shaped bellows is enclosed in the entablature of the organ case.

In order to play Frescobaldi, a one-manual organ, with seven or eight open stops in the family of principals and flutes would have been enough but the organ repertoire playable on this instrument has been enlarged with the addition of a second manual where the flutes are located. While being mandatory to the first manual to obtain all the colors they bring when mixed with principals, they can be used via the coupler. A single chest encloses the pipework in order to ensure the best possible blend.

To attain the particular sonorities of Italian organs, many specific elements were considered such as the interior layout of the pipework, pipe size, and metal alloy used in the pipework. This clear and open harmony does not seek sheer sound volume but an harmonic sumptuousness, it offers an inexhaustible variety of voices because each stop is one of the harmonics of the principal.

Karl Wilhelm
--organbuilder

--
2 manuals and pedal
15 stops
15 ranks
752 pipes
Mechanical key and stop action

Great fun sofar. 

[Antoine Marchand]

First listen:



Chancel Organ
Wilhelm, Opus 129, 1993
Église Très-Saint-Rédempteur, Montreal, Canada
--
2 manuals and pedal
15 stops
15 ranks
752 pipes
Mechanical key and stop action

Great fun sofar. 

A good first impression has been followed by a sort of daze and astonishment for the variety and quality of this music, joyfully played by Alexander Weimann.

[Lethevich]

.[asin]B000OCZ1O4[/asin]
If only all obscure music could get such wonderful performances and recording jobs

[Conor71]

Sibelius: Symphony No. 5(s)


Listening to the original and revised versions of the 5th Symphony - I think I much prefer the later version of the Symphony but it's interesting to hear Sibelius first thoughts on this work

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD1 from the following twofer, which arrived yesterday for a first listen.  This is version #15 for me ...

[Coco]

First listen!

[not edward]

Schoenberg's orchestral version of the first Brahms piano quintet: more fun than a barrel of xylophone-playing monkeys.

[asin]B000F6YW2G[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

Anyone have both  Rattle and Solti?  MI

Robert, I own both Chung recordings with Rattle and Solti. Honestly, they're both excellent. I think I like the Chung/Solti just a tad better, because I think he gives a bit more propulsion (his specialty ) in the faster sections. They sing a bit more to me.

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD2 from the following twofer for a first listen...