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The new Ticciati/Scottish CO disc of Berlioz Nuits and Cleopatre is Gramophone's recording of the month for June.
Anyone have info from other publications and which disc(s) have been chosen as their ROTM?
International Record Review's monthly outstanding list:
http://recordreview.co.uk/outstanding.php (http://recordreview.co.uk/outstanding.php)
MusicWeb's list (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/May13/this_month.htm) tends to be very long because, although many reviewers will only nominate one recording per month (I only nominate about 8-10 per year), we have probably two dozen regular reviewers. Thus this month it looks like there are 20.
My own RotM, by the way, is HIP Dussek, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven:
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/May13/Transitions_FUG598.jpg) (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/May13/Transitions_FUG598.htm)
Next month it will be Lera Auerbach's new cello CD on Cedille. :)
Great! Thanks for the posts. I would love to keep this thread current.
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Dvorak's Stabat Mater from Herreweghe.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on May 31, 2013, 02:50:32 AM
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The new Ticciati/Scottish CO disc of Berlioz Nuits and Cleopatre is Gramophone's recording of the month for June.
Anyone have info from other publications and which disc(s) have been chosen as their ROTM?
That Shostakovich recording with Bertrand on Harmonia Mundi should have won 'Recording of the Month'! My goodness I've listened to that recording several times in a row already. The performance of the
Cello Sonata alone should win multiple awards!
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 12, 2013, 08:47:37 PM
That Shostakovich recording with Bertrand on Harmonia Mundi should have won 'Recording of the Month'! My goodness I've listened to that recording several times in a row already. The performance of the Cello Sonata alone should win multiple awards!
Cool, I'll have to check it out, thanks, John! 8)
I enjoyed the Holmboe CD on a first listen; will try to hear it again next week.
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Classics Today's DOTM, Gilbert and NYP perform Nielsen.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on July 15, 2013, 11:28:09 AM
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Classics Today's DOTM, Gilbert and NYP perform Nielsen.
Actually ClassicsToday stopped doing Discs of the Month - that recording was issued 10 months ago. ClassicsTodayFrance is even more open about not updating the "of the Month" box.
Recording-of-last-September!
Quote from: karlhenning on July 15, 2013, 02:00:41 PM
Recording-of-last-September!
The last September? Sounds ominous...
Quote from: Brian on July 15, 2013, 01:53:20 PM
Actually ClassicsToday stopped doing Discs of the Month - that recording was issued 10 months ago. ClassicsTodayFrance is even more open about not updating the "of the Month" box.
Maybe it's so damn good that nothing has matched it. Disc Of Many Months! :)
i wonder if it would be possible in this day and age for a fat, ugly, but supremely talented young woman to have a career as a classical recording artist...
Quote from: XB-70 Valkyrie on July 16, 2013, 11:32:55 PM
i wonder if it would be possible in this day and age for a fat, ugly, but supremely talented young woman to have a career as a classical recording artist...
Rather off-topic? I started a new thread for this conversation. (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,21993.0.html)
I didn't nominate this HIP Mendelssohn 2CD set for Recording of the Month, but my editors thought that the quibbles I had were small enough that they could go ahead and bestow it the title anyway. I don't mind.
(http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/July13/Mendelssohn_trios_94490.jpg) (http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/July13/Mendelssohn_trios_94490.htm)
(img links to review)
It's the complete Felix & Fanny piano trios on period instruments, with a different piano used in each piece.
Somewhere, Saul is weeping tears of Mendelssohnian joy . . . .
He always liked a good Fanny!
Quote from: The new erato on July 21, 2013, 01:07:45 PM
He always liked a good Fanny!
For some reason I dare not explain this seems to resonate more than "Somewhere, Saul is weeping tears of Mendelssohnian joy . . . .". I do not give a hoot about Saul but Fanny...well I do not know.
Nor, of course, ought you to [give a hoot]. Still: don't pollute! ;D
Quote from: Brian on July 21, 2013, 11:46:51 AM
I didn't nominate this HIP Mendelssohn 2CD set for Recording of the Month, but my editors thought that the quibbles I had were small enough that they could go ahead and bestow it the title anyway. I don't mind.
(http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/July13/Mendelssohn_trios_94490.jpg) (http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/July13/Mendelssohn_trios_94490.htm)
(img links to review)
It's the complete Felix & Fanny piano trios on period instruments, with a different piano used in each piece.
Bizzare pricing at Amazon DE: €10.82 for the CDs plus mp3 downloads (AutoRip). €13.98 for the mp3s only ;D
Sarge
Yes, every now and then I see a similarly curious disparity. Almost like one is penalized for not wishing the physical medium . . . .
Listening to this disc could be an epifanny for many.
Quote from: The new erato on July 22, 2013, 05:22:30 AM
Listening to this disc could be an epifanny for many.
Clever one! Love it!
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Quote from: TheGSMoeller on July 27, 2013, 10:27:25 AM
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Yes! the Belcea Beethoven SQs (actually I have only heard half this cd) are great. I am not sure, bickering aside, how many realize how valuable GMC is.
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I'll give that Aadland Grieg a try today; to be honest, I've been wary of it since it comes out right after two superb series by Engeset (Naxos) and Ruud (BIS) which were already hard to choose between.
I recently bought BBC music mag which has, no less, Horowitz's 1982 London recital. Not at his best but any Horowitz performance tends to be more interesting than many other pianists.
I just bestowed a Recording of the Month accolade at MusicWeb.
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"Whether you read Volodos' booklet essay, listen to the way he's transcribed two songs in new guises for solo piano, or hear his playing throughout the CD, there's no doubting the artist's sincere affection and affinity for this music. With the second half taken up by excerpts from the austerely beautiful masterwork Música callada, the CD forms a sort of logical progression from Mompou's early years, more in the style of Debussy, to the sparer, leaner works of his maturity. This program usefully reveals a cross-section of the composer's long career: Musica callada is his last published piano music, but Scènes d'enfants is among his first. Volodos excels in all of it.... One never senses, not for a second, that Volodos wants to rush through, or make Mompou into something he is not."
http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Aug13/Mompou_Volodos_88765433262.htm
Quote from: DavidA on August 30, 2013, 12:49:20 PM
I recently bought BBC music mag which has, no less, Horowitz's 1982 London recital. Not at his best but any Horowitz performance tends to be more interesting than many other pianists.
That reminds me that I've been listening in my car to a BBC mag disc of Mozart's Violin Concerto no. 5 performed by Jennifer Pike. Although her vibrato is rather narrow, it is constant and irritates the hell out of me. I have no idea why some violinists are obsessed with vibrato in classical era music. All that's left to say is - DOWN WITH STRING VIBRATO.
Quote from: Sammy on August 31, 2013, 09:14:18 AM
That reminds me that I've been listening in my car to a BBC mag disc of Mozart's Violin Concerto no. 5 performed by Jennifer Pike. Although her vibrato is rather narrow, it is constant and irritates the hell out of me. I have no idea why some violinists are obsessed with vibrato in classical era music. All that's left to say is - DOWN WITH STRING VIBRATO.
Don't buy Wendy Warner's new CD of Haydn cello concertos. She's a superb cellist and everything she plays sounds gorgeous, but vibrato out the wazoo.
Quote from: Brian on August 31, 2013, 09:24:17 AM
Don't buy Wendy Warner's new CD of Haydn cello concertos. She's a superb cellist and everything she plays sounds gorgeous, but vibrato out the wazoo.
Thanks, your advice will be taken. For Haydn's cello concertos, Coin/Hogwood is my standard.
I'm a little behind...
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I'm about to send a ROTM review to MusicWeb for this choral album:
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Music for male choir and sometimes organ, by a range of composers from Rossini, Milhaud, and Grieg to a clutch of newer voices. There's Arvo Part but also a late 70s funk-jazz organ passacaglia, some quick conversational works, a Hungarian piece that's heavily redolent of late Janacek, and just generally an eclectic mix of awesome.
I'm not a big choral music lover or expert, so I'd be interested if those who know more on the subject (Karl, Neal, Monkey Greg, Jens?) like the CD as much as I did.
I don't know the CD, but you've got me curious, Brian.
Strangely, took me a while to find the album on Amazon, but I have, now, and am sampling . . . .
Delicious sound. Wish-listed that one.
Quote from: Brian on October 15, 2013, 11:11:27 AM
I'm about to send a ROTM review to MusicWeb for this choral album:
(http://ecstatic.textalk.se/shop/17115/art15/h7516/4797516-origpic-e4b749.jpg)
Music for male choir and sometimes organ, by a range of composers from Rossini, Milhaud, and Grieg to a clutch of newer voices. There's Arvo Part but also a late 70s funk-jazz organ passacaglia, some quick conversational works, a Hungarian piece that's heavily redolent of late Janacek, and just generally an eclectic mix of awesome.
I'm not a big choral music lover or expert, so I'd be interested if those who know more on the subject (Karl, Neal, Monkey Greg, Jens?) like the CD as much as I did.
Interesting one. The sound of the choir is warm. One thing that is hard to judge is the transparency, because the quality of the clips is just too low. Some of the tracks with the organ may also be heavy, but the organ is one of the worst on these types of clips, so I'd have to hear it to make a fair judgment. A lot of the composers are new to me, but the clips were interesting enough for me to wishlist it as well.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on October 16, 2013, 03:45:35 AM
Interesting one. The sound of the choir is warm. One thing that is hard to judge is the transparency, because the quality of the clips is just too low. Some of the tracks with the organ may also be heavy, but the organ is one of the worst on these types of clips, so I'd have to hear it to make a fair judgment. A lot of the composers are new to me, but the clips were interesting enough for me to wishlist it as well.
I definitely agree on the warmth of the choir - very easy on the ears. BIS is one of those labels where the better the sound equipment, the better the CD: the FLACs I heard on my headphones were virtually flawless. There have been entire BIS CDs I dismissed as "meh" after hearing them played back on crappy speakers, only to find out later that they were really good when played properly.
Quote from: Brian on October 16, 2013, 04:41:43 AM
I definitely agree on the warmth of the choir - very easy on the ears. BIS is one of those labels where the better the sound equipment, the better the CD: the FLACs I heard on my headphones were virtually flawless. There have been entire BIS CDs I dismissed as "meh" after hearing them played back on crappy speakers, only to find out later that they were really good when played properly.
I've picked up a few recordings from eClassical and have been very satisfied with what I heard, particularly with the 24 bit FLACs they sell. The only drawback is not having surround sound files for SACDs. :(
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Dang it I really want those Brahms, Schubert, and Dvorak CDs. Definitely gonna be in my first CD order of 2014.
That said, this reminds me of the weirdness of reviewer-speak. The Dvorak "emerge(s) unscathed." What does that mean? Is somebody attacking it? Do they disapprove of the orchestration by another composer so strongly they think it's worth complaining about like that?
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Revelatory performances of jarringly juxtaposed repertoire (Saturday, 26 October 2013)
THE STRAD RECOMMENDS (http://thestrad.com/reviews/ligeti-string-quartets-nos-1-2-barber-molto-adagio-from-string-quartet-op-11)
Keller Quartet - Ligeti & Barber
It's hard to know what to admire most about this remarkable new disc – the bravery of the strange but compelling juxtaposition of repertoire; the technical brilliance of the playing; or the profound, considered musicality of the Keller players' performances. Admittedly, they're a bit cool at times, but the power and commitment of their accounts sweep away any niggling concerns.
There's a sense of fantasy and vivid characterisation right from the start of their Ligeti First Quartet (heavily indebted to Bartók), and a glassy purity to their sound that ensures each instrument is heard in individual clarity – helped by ECM's glowingly transparent recording. The work's slow central section has an eerie stillness; the quick waltz is nimble and witty; and the closing web of harmonic glissandos is truly magical.
They rise magnificently to the Second Quartet's weird, sometimes theatrical demands, too, negotiating Ligeti's musical jokes with dry wit. The notorious ticking, irrational rhythms of the pizzicato third movement are just one highlight – crisp, dry and effortlessly precise, they're also lithely shaped to highlight the movement's dramatic arc.
The famous Barber Adagio is deliciously jarring in between the two Ligeti quartets, especially in the Keller's brisk, unsentimental performance, light on vibrato but high on ringing purity. It's as if they've stripped the piece of its mawkishness and returned it to the simple, moving statement that it is. All in all, a disc of revelations.
Clip: Ligeti - String Quartet no.1
David Kettle
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A masterclass in Baroque string playing (Tuesday, 24 September 2013)
THE STRAD RECOMMENDS (http://thestrad.com/reviews/corelli-chamber-sonatas-opp-2-4)
Volume 3 of the Avison Ensemble's chamber music extravaganza commemorating the 300th anniversary of Corelli's death focuses on the 24 Chamber Sonatas opp.2 and 4. These works demonstrate the full gamut of Corellian gestures which, clichéd though many may seem, occasionally venture beyond the predictable.
Violinists Pavlo Beznosiuk and Caroline Balding give poised, idiomatic and mostly unanimous accounts, matching each other like twins in passages of imitation and dialogue and pliant phrasing. Only occasionally are there hints of untidiness at the beginnings of some correntes. Their tempos are generally well judged and they supply extempore ornamentation in tasteful doses. They revel in the suspensions and harmonic adventure of the preludios and capture the character of these sonatas' relatively conservative range of dances. Highlights for me include the Allemanda of op.2 no.10 with its trumpet-like fanfares, the imitative Corrente of op.4 no.2, the expressive Sarabanda of op.2 no.2, the rousing Gavotta of op.4 no.9 (with its resemblances to the penultimate movement of the composer's Christmas Concerto op.6 no.8_), the Ciaccona of op.2 no.12 and the countless lively gigas. Of those movements not inspired by dance, the intense Adagio of op.2 no.3, played here with only lute accompaniment, and the Grave of op.4 no.9 are especially effective.
Variation of textural colour is provided largely by ringing the continuo changes between the harpsichord, organ and archlute. Occasionally, too, the gamba is tacet or plays without continuo 'filler'. Additional sonority is gained from adoption of late 17th-century Roman pitch (about a tone lower than modern pitch). The church recording has exemplary immediacy and presence.
Clip: Corelli Trio Sonata op.2 no.10: I. Allemanda
ROBIN STOWELL
BAM!
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I am struck by how "Perhaps the best of Petrenko's much-praised cycle and a strong contender for best in catalogue" is actually measured commendation and arguably the case 0:)
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Gramophone's Recording of the Month for February...
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You're not keeping this thread up-to-date, Greg! >:( ;D What happened to Recordings of the Month for January?
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 30, 2014, 07:24:26 AM
You're not keeping this thread up-to-date, Greg! >:( ;D What happened to Recordings of the Month for January?
I have failed.
I'll update it when I get home, since it probably came out around Christmas time I'm sure it slipped my mind.
Now go buy that Beethoven Cello Sonata disc, John!
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on January 30, 2014, 05:13:42 AM
Gramophone's Recording of the Month for February...
What a predictable choice. Famous English artists, Gramophone's favorite label, premium musical content...not being disparaging or critical, just saying that this album seems perfectly calculated to be a Gramophone Recording of the Month. I don't suppose their actual review included comparisons to previous HIP recordings of the cello sonatas?
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on January 30, 2014, 08:14:50 AM
I have failed.
I'll update it when I get home, since it probably came out around Christmas time I'm sure it slipped my mind.
Now go buy that Beethoven Cello Sonata disc, John!
I tend to agree with Brian that the Gramophone's, and BBC Music's for that matter, biased towards British music is just ridiculous. I think BBC Music Magazine has better articles but both magazines ultimately fail at bringing the world of classical music to their readers. Not all readers are British nor do they care about British musicians. I would love for them, for a change, to a do a whole magazine dedicated to nothing but French or Czech composers and the musicianship of those countries. But I'm afraid that would be a cold day in hell before that actually happened. :)
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 30, 2014, 08:33:25 AM
I tend to agree with Brian that the Gramophone's, and BBC Music's for that matter, biased towards British music is just ridiculous. I think BBC Music Magazine has better articles but both magazines ultimately fail at bringing the world of classical music to their readers. Not all readers are British nor do they care about British musicians. I would love for them, for a change, to a do a whole magazine dedicated to nothing but French or Czech composers and the musicianship of those countries. But I'm afraid that would be a cold day in hell before that actually happened. :)
They have no problem with foreign composers if a British orchestra/conductor/soloist are involved. But they are from the UK so they are allowed to exhibit that bias, just like most American media covering almost any subject. :)
I do remember running some math on the Best of 2012 list from ClassicFM and discovering it was 85% British (almost half EMI and Decca), so they do take the prize for most biased source.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on January 30, 2014, 08:18:08 AM
Hilarious! Seriously, out loud hilarious!
I'm glad you find humor in my failures.
8)
Quote from: Brian on January 30, 2014, 09:09:44 AM
They have no problem with foreign composers if a British orchestra/conductor/soloist are involved. But they are from the UK so they are allowed to exhibit that bias, just like most American media covering almost any subject. :)
I do remember running some math on the Best of 2012 list from ClassicFM and discovering it was 85% British (almost half EMI and Decca), so they do take the prize for most biased source.
I do notice this, Gramophone's top choices for Bruckner's 3rd and 6th symphonies is Stuttgart conducted by Sir Uncle Roger on Hanssler. Now I do adore these recordings, but I've never seen them mentioned as top choices.
Quote from: Brian on January 30, 2014, 09:09:44 AM
They have no problem with foreign composers if a British orchestra/conductor/soloist are involved. But they are from the UK so they are allowed to exhibit that bias, just like most American media covering almost any subject. :)
I do remember running some math on the Best of 2012 list from ClassicFM and discovering it was 85% British (almost half EMI and Decca), so they do take the prize for most biased source.
Well that bias needs to stop IMHO. It doesn't do anyone any favors.
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 30, 2014, 08:33:25 AM
I tend to agree with Brian that the Gramophone's, and BBC Music's for that matter, biased towards British music is just ridiculous.
I don't consider it ridiculous; I expect it and keep it in mind when I'm reading these British mags.
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 30, 2014, 10:17:18 AM
Well that bias needs to stop IMHO. It doesn't do anyone any favors.
Maybe that will happen when CNN stops being biased towards news about American celebrities. ;)
Quote from: Brian on January 30, 2014, 10:31:30 AM
Maybe that will happen when CNN stops being biased towards news about American celebrities. ;)
Haha..yeah like that will happen! ;D
January 2014 Recording of the Month from Gramophone...
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Gramophone's ROTM for March...
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Quote from: TheGSMoeller on March 08, 2014, 04:42:44 PM
Gramophone's ROTM for March...
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I received this set a few days ago. I'm hoping to dig into either tomorrow or Monday.
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 08, 2014, 05:14:17 PM
I received this set a few days ago. I'm hoping to dig into either tomorrow or Monday.
Nothing groundbreaking there, but excellent nonetheless.
Quote from: karlhenning on November 22, 2013, 03:42:17 AM
I am struck by how "Perhaps the best of Petrenko's much-praised cycle and a strong contender for best in catalogue" is actually measured commendation and arguably the case 0:)
They are just being cautious, as Sir Simon has not re-recorded the 4th yet.
I'd certainly recommend Petrenko's recording highly.
So is this a thread celebrating the
Recording of the Month, or mocking it? I guess we can do both.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on March 08, 2014, 04:42:44 PM
Gramophone's ROTM for March...
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Does anyone actually rate the Postnikova set? I haven't heard her, but I've read some pretty damning things about her being a "banger".
Quote from: Daverz on March 09, 2014, 03:02:24 PM
So is this a thread celebrating the Recording of the Month, or mocking it? I guess we can do both.
It's what ever you decide is more appropriate.
Gramophone's ROTM for April...
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C.P.E. Bach fans, here's this month's Gramophone cover...
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And their ROTM...
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Gramophone's ROTM for June...
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Gramophone's ROTM for July...
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Gramophone's ROTM for August...
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Quote from: TheGSMoeller on June 17, 2014, 08:26:15 AM
Gramophone's ROTM for July...
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Anyone heard this?
The first Previn recording is still the one to beat.