I'll be exchanging my library CDs again next week: last time I made this list of interesting looking items, all new to me (except the Messiaen which I know from the Peter Hill). Any comments on quality or character appreciated.
Soler- CDs from the Naxos survey (I do know some Soler actually, a less inspired Scarlatti of course)
Birtwistle- Gawain
Tubin- Barbara von Tisenhusen
H&W Lawes- vocal pieces
Biago Marini (CD)
Stephano Landi (CD)
Alexander Mosolov (CD)
Belioz- Lieder (2 CD set)
Wolpe- String quartet etc
Messiaen- Catalogue d'Oiseaux, Ugorski
Quote from: Sean on July 02, 2009, 11:00:08 AM
Alexander Mosolov (CD)
Dark and brutal. Worth hearing. 1st String Quartet, 2nd and 5th Piano Sonatas, the ubiquitous Iron Foundry.
Gawain is cool, musically (I haven't followed it with a libretto). Formally it is Wagnerian, rejecting any tight structure - it unfolds at its own pace in pleasing clashes of expressionism, minimalism and kind-of-romanticism. Very atmospheric and colourful, and less crash and bang than earlier Birtwistle.
The Wolpe is worthwhile, and get the Soler - I think you will find that he is a good bit more than "a less inspired Scarlatti of course". However, I prefer his keyboard works played on piano, Alicia de Larrocha, e.g.
Thanks folks. I've already got into Birtwistle's Punch and Orpheus so I wondered where else he could go. I do know a little Wolpe, quite a strong modernist voice I thought; I'm mainly interested in Soler though as I've played the Scott Ross Scarlatti 7-8 times- true music.
One more item for the mixed bag- presently re-exploring Strauss's Die Schweigsame frau, what a technicolour high octane piece it is, I have the Janowski recording- blow your head off, but nobody seems to know it.
By the way Birmingham library also has a new CD of music by a Philip Martin- any good?
Quote from: Sean on July 02, 2009, 01:00:50 PM
By the way Birmingham library also has a new CD of music by a Philip Martin- any good?
I certainly believe so! I've heard the Marco Polo disc with his Harp Concerto and Second Piano Concerto; it's neoromantic in a rather American way, with an almost cinematic breadth, but there's still some resemblance to his fellow UK'ers, in the form of some Tippett- or Alwyn-like astringent harmony.
-Jim
P.S. I envy you your library!
Thanks Jim, the Martin is a chamber music CD and I might give it a go- interesting that someone's already tried his stuff though.
Birmingham probably has the largest public library in the UK, the only complaint, which I've made several times is that not all the stock is on show.