What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Solitary Wanderer]

Piano concerto #23

&

Rachmaninov ~  Symphony #2 Handley/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

[Harry]

Antonio Vivaldi.

Sonatas for Cello, and B.C. (Complete)

Jaap Ter Linden, Cello.
Continuo;
Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Harpsichord.
Judith Maria Becker, Cello.

This fine double Brilliant box has them complete in very good performances made in April 2007, so very fresh as it where.
The playing is consistently gorgeous, but do not expect fire works, these are more contemplative performances, than something that brings you to the edge of brilliant madness.
Ter Linden plays on a Giovanni Grancino from 1703, and that is very dark in timbre, but also comforting to the ear. Ter Linden doesn't display the music, rather let it speak for its self.
The  continuo does well, in keeping with the soloist. The recording is good, but somewhat more air around the cello would have been fine.

[Novi]

Mozart KV310, Brautigam on fortepiano

Nice 0:).

[FideLeo]

NICE and CHEAP (£8.60). 

[Harry]

Salomon Rossi. (1570-1630)

Vocal Works.

Volume I.

First Book of Madrigals, arias for a single voice from the first book of Madrigals for five voices.

Ut Musica Poesis Ensemble/Stefano Bozolo, on period instruments.

Santina Tomasello, Lucia Focardi, Sopranos.
Constanza Redini, Lucia Sciannimanico, Contra Altos.
Paolo Fanciullacci, Valerio Veri, Tenors.
Marcello Vargetto, Romano Martinuzzi, Basses.

These are recordings made in 1999, and licensed from Tactus, and that was not a bad move, for frankly these are fantastic performances with vibrato free Sopranos and Altos, and the rest of the singers are in line with the authentic performance practice. The sound is amazingly clear and pure and matches the performance on all counts. Very enjoyably. Rossi's music is as always inspiring, and tuneful. Its a leap back in time, and it is not hard to imagine the emotions of the time, when it was composed.
A big Hooray for this.

[Harry]

NICE and CHEAP (£8.60). 

It is not only nice, its one of the best recordings around, I played those cd's grey.

[FideLeo]

It is not only nice, its one of the best recordings around, I played those cd's grey.

Ockeghem's music is quite dark (generally low-lying tessituras; the composer himself sang bass) - so it is no wonder to me if someone has played those cd's grey or even black 

[Harry]

Ockeghem's music is quite dark (generally low-lying tessituras; the composer himself sang bass) - so it is no wonder to me if someone has played those cd's grey or even black 

But you need the excellence of performance of the Clercks Group, and that is a fact.
In fact I have it before me, and will play them again.

[Harry]

Hard on the heels from the first disc comes the second, for I could not resist going further in enjoying.

Rossi.

Madrigaletti, opus 13.
Six Madrigals for a single voice and Theorbo.

L'Aura Soave/Diego Cantalupi, on period instruments

O, this second disc is even better in singing and performance. The Tactus recordings are a real treat.
Sopranos Antonella Tatulli and Diana Pelegatti are so pure toned, that it is really ravishing to hear them, and frankly I get excited by such singing. . And also the Alto, Susanna Bartolamei, should be mentioned, absolutely perfect.
Rolf Ehlers and Peter de Laurentis are marvelous tenors duetting in a few of the compositions.

The sound stage is very good and this recording from 1999 are a wonder in precision and execution.
The Madrigali are to my ears the best there is around, and I get greedy in knowing how much this composer has in store for us yet.

[FideLeo]

But you need the excellence of performance of the Clercks Group, and that is a fact.

A fact? Quote from Todd McComb at medieval.org (1998, rec.music.early):

"Regarding the recordings, although the Clerks' Group is improving, as witnessed by Henry Wickham's admission that he was taking the wrong approach, I hope no one views them as the end-all of Ockeghem by any means.  Kevin Moll is still the man to watch. "

Kevin Moll recorded for the Lyrichord label, BTW.  Too bad he seems to have done only a handful of Ockegehm recordings.

[Harry]

A fact? Quote from Todd McComb at medieval.org (1998, rec.music.early):

"Regarding the recordings, although the Clerks' Group is improving, as witnessed by Henry Wickham's admission that he was taking the wrong approach, I hope no one views them as the end-all of Ockeghem by any means.  Kevin Moll is still the man to watch. "

Kevin Moll recorded for the Lyrichord label, BTW.  Too bad he seems to have done only a handful of Ockegehm recordings.

The guy is out of his mind, I think this well balanced recordings, and the singing is pitch perfect, as is the internal balance. The voices are well matched, and the words are pronounced in a perfect way. The flow of the singing is well measured in the right tempi. And I can find no fault.

[Harry]

Rossi.

Canti di Salomone in 3 parts.

Henry Purcell.

Sacred works.

Andre Campra.

Psalm 8.

Ensemble Hypothesis on period instruments/Leopoldo d'Agustino.
Sigurd van Lommel. Counter Tenor.

Well the third disc is in part a disappointment, if not the music, but the second rate Counter, that is really not up to the standard. A thin nasal tone, poor pronunciation, and his singing tends to be in the back of his throat. The instrumental parts are perfect as is the recording from 2003, however a instrumental piece written by Purcell, is equally ruined by the amateurish playing of Leopoldo d'Agustino, he as a director should have known better as to release such a atrocity the nitwit! But I am afraid that the sung parts are ruined. A shame really, but two out of three is a good score, considering the price.

[Hector]

It is Jacqueline Du Pre week on 'Classical Collection' because she died 20 years ago!

I caught the Delius concerto with Sargent the able accompanist. It contains all that I do not like about Delius.

Cannot hang around for 'Composer of the Week' which is Bantock as I, probably, have everything that they are likely to broadcast on disc except 'Omar Khayyam.'

Good choice, though.

Holst this bright October afternoon with the St. Pauls suite and The Perfect Fool ballet. Hogwood on Decca.

[Mark]

It is Jacqueline Du Pre week on 'Classical Collection' because she died 20 years ago!

And as you'll see from the thread I posted yesterday, EMI have (cynically?) re-released all the Du Pre recordings for their label in one handy, 17-CD boxed set. Which I've ordered, because I think Du Pre was a unique artist - not the best, certainly, but distinctive, original and commited.

[FideLeo]

The guy is out of his mind.....

I hope you didn't mean that Wickham was out of his mind for having admitted to his own mistakes in interpretation   

[Harry]

I hope you didn't mean that Wickham was out of his mind for having admitted to his own mistakes in interpretation   

I have a lot of recordings of the works of this composer, and I think I know a thing or two of Choral singing, for I conduct my self a Choir, and Wickham surely did not mean it as quoted, and I will dive into the matter, to find out the context.
Admitting mistakes is a sign of strenght, not of weakness, and there is no sign of weakness on this particular box, you have bought.

[locrian]

I bet Harry has the whole box set of the Rubinstein collection.

[Harry]

I bet Harry has the whole box set of the Rubinstein collection.

Absolute wrong bet, you have lost!
There is not a single recording I have of this most venerable pianist.
I do not like his style.
But many do, and I am glad about that.

[locrian]

Absolute wrong bet, you have lost!
There is not a single recording I have of this most venerable pianist.
I do not like his style.
But many do, and I am glad about that.

What don't you like about it?

[Harry]

What don't you like about it?

That is really hard to define, and if I do, many people will be offended, so I rather pass this question to others like George, better equiped to answer the question of why he is so loved by many.
For me listening to his music making is not being connected to the composer, that's as far as I will go.