What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Brian]

James Baker was the best Secretary of States the US had over the past 50 years and he came from a distinguished family also.  I think he went to Princeton for his undergrad, did he later attend Rice?

No; he never did attend Rice, though he is now Chair of the Institute which shares his name. He got his law degree at Texas-Austin. However, our ranks have included Charles Duncan, energy secretary for Carter, and Alberto Gonzales, who unfortunately needs no introduction.

[SonicMan46]

Dave and Stuart, link to amazon.com

I noticed that some of those DG Collector's Editions have come down in price of late. (Mozart/Anda, Bach/Gardiner, Mendelssohn/Abbado, Haydn/Pinnock, and some time ago, the Bach/Walcha (stereo))

Opus - thanks for the above link; actually, I finally found it myself late this afternoon; Amazon's searching does not always work well and as Stuart mentions in a later post, the offering may have 'just appeared'?

As mentioned previously, I already have all of these works (some duplicated/triplicated), so not sure that I need the 8-CD set (despite the great price!); however, I would enjoy a more HIP performance of the Brandenburg Concertos & Orch Suites, which just take up 3 CDs - any suggestions?  Just saw a Pinnock set on 3 discs of those very works - possibility?  Dave 

[Coopmv]

Opus - thanks for the above link; actually, I finally found it myself late this afternoon; Amazon's searching does not always work well and as Stuart mentions in a later post, the offering may have 'just appeared'?

As mentioned previously, I already have all of these works (some duplicated/triplicated), so not sure that I need the 8-CD set (despite the great price!); however, I would enjoy a more HIP performance of the Brandenburg Concertos & Orch Suites, which just take up 3 CDs - any suggestions?  Just saw a Pinnock set on 3 discs of those very works - possibility?  Dave 

Dave,

I have had this set for many years.  They are quite good.  As the original recordings were analog, I am not sure if they have recently been remastered, which would probably result in even better SQ.  I also have the recording on LP.

[Dana]

      Beethoven's 4th Concerto was just what the doctor ordered today. I love Ax's understated phrasing here, and Previn does a wonderful accompanying job. It makes for a nice change from the Beethoven we all know from the 5th Concerto, 9th Symphony, and Op. 95 Quartet.

[Fëanor]

Olivier Messiaen: solo piano music

[ChamberNut]

Janacek

String Quartet No. 1 'Kreutzer Sonata'
String Quartet No. 2 'Intimate Letters'

Vlach Quartet Prague
Naxos

[Antoine Marchand]

Opus - thanks for the above link; actually, I finally found it myself late this afternoon; Amazon's searching does not always work well and as Stuart mentions in a later post, the offering may have 'just appeared'?

As mentioned previously, I already have all of these works (some duplicated/triplicated), so not sure that I need the 8-CD set (despite the great price!); however, I would enjoy a more HIP performance of the Brandenburg Concertos & Orch Suites, which just take up 3 CDs - any suggestions?  Just saw a Pinnock set on 3 discs of those very works - possibility?  Dave  

Hi, Dave. Not all in the same package (not 3 discs either  ), but I would recommend Egarr and Manze, two old partners.

Today nobody is more HIP than Egarr in the Brandenburgs. A controversial statement, I know...  

And the Orchestral Suites by La Stravaganza Köln -directed by Manze- are an excellent option, IMHO. Here a fair review about this recording (although the reviewer is a little bit biased against the HIP movement):

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Aug05/Bach_orchestral_92721.htm

[Brian]

9th Symphony

Speaking of which, although I failed to partake in Gurn's weekly ritual last week, I am this time.

BEETHOVEN | Symphony No 9
Staatskapelle Berlin
Daniel Barenboim

Since the start of April I'd missed the Ninth-on-Sunday observance maybe three times, for all of which I feel guilty.

[ChamberNut]

Beethoven

String Quartet in A, op. 18/5
String Quartet in B flat, op. 18/6

Quartetto Italiano
Philips

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD6 from this set of 8.  I am zipping through this set pretty quickly.

[Lethevich]

No.6 - which kicks so much butt! It is now one of my favourites. I still can't get into the über wooly Romanticism of 2-4

[The new erato]

When I last visited Bergen, Norway in the fall of 93, I noticed most CD's were selling at the equivalent of at least $20 USD, which were pricey by the then US standard.  Now with competitions from the e-tailers, how are these brick and mortar music stores doing?

Lots of sales and offers. I paid NOK 99, the equivalent og USD13 more or less.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Volume 2 of the violin and harpsichord sonatas. James Ehnes' violin playing is simply heavenly. He combines suavity and purity of tone with long-lined phrasing allied to rythmic alacrity. Beauséjpour's harpsichord playing is suitably sonorous and beautifully supports Ehnes' lead.

Your description of the playing is right on, André. Gorgeous stuff. And the recorded sound of these two volumes is some of the best out there.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Bartók
Sonata for Piano, Sz. 80
Zoltán Kocsis

Bartók
Out of Doors, Sz. 81
Zoltán Kocsis

Great choices, Karl.

[Que]

Q

[Harry]

Good morning all!

The X volume of this set with the Baryton Trio's No. 67-73.

The allegro moderato of No. 67 is a stunner of a composition.

[Valentino]

God morgen!

Schubert SQ in G D887. Melos Quartett.



Less intense and to the bone than Hagen, but that shouldn't be surprising, or?

[val]

MOZART:       Piano Concertos 21 & 22          / Jonathan Biss, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra  (EMI/ 2008)

No doubt that this young American pianist is one of the best of his generation. This CD has very beautiful versions of both Concertos, at the level of Annie Fischer/Sawallisch. Very poetic but also with an ideal sense of balance, Biss reaches the sublime in the Andante of the Concerto 22.
The Orpheus orchestra is very good, but in the third movements of both Concertos could show more energy.

[Harry]

Its hard for me to imagine that on 12-10-2007 I started with the first disc, and now I am at the last one. A box with just 8 cd's. The music is consistently good throughout, but somehow, it never urged me to discover. And it showed me how quickly time goes by, a life, a drop in the ocean of time....

This last cd's is filled with works from Chavez and Revueltas. It begins with a rather bleak work from Chavez, that accentuates my somewhat somber mood, "Sinfonia de Antigona", not a very optimistic work, but it feels barren and full of sadness. Maybe I should start playing all the Pettersson Symphonies again.

[Harry]

Carlos Chavez
Symphony No. 4.

Again a work of great sadness, beautifully written.