What are you listening to now?

[Mirror Image]

Quite good is an understatement.

I had to turn this performance off. I was about to fall asleep. It's music that just doesn't quite hold my attention. I do like Beethoven a lot, but I'm just not feeling this music tonight.

[Todd]

Battling Benedictions.  Abduraimov is the more technically assured pianist, in better sound, with a better instrument.  But he can't touch Block.  The overall timings are close, but that masks differences in approach.  Block starts off slower, and resorts to much slower playing later in the work, but he also plays some music faster and plays ecstatically, as in a state of ecstasy, though of the truly spiritual sort transmuted to piano keys.  It may really be unfair to compare other pianists to Block here, because he just seems to be aiming for something different.  (Maybe Amoyel or Guy are more up to the challenge.) We can never know how Block might have played the complete Harmonies, but there's still a long time for Abduraimov to record a set.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to 12 Études. Sounds quite good thus far.

[Que]

Morning listening is the 2nd part of this set:

[asin]B01BLQJ44O[/asin]

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/dufay-les-messes-%C3%A0-teneur

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Jun/Dufay_masses_MEW1577.htm

http://www.classicalacarte.net/Production/Production_07_16/MEW157778_39_6_fanfare.htm

Q

[Que]

From Guillaume Dufay to Johann Sebastian Bach is a bit of a time warp, but I was curious about this recent arrival:

[asin]B00IX5P5Q8[/asin]
Q

PS I'm not sure I like this - it sounds like an epic failure in terms of recording (what a blurry mess....), and possibly a let down in performance as well....

[Harry]

From Guillaume Dufay to Johann Sebastian Bach is a bit of a time warp, but I was curious about this recent arrival:

[asin]B00IX5P5Q8[/asin]
Q

PS I'm not sure I like this - it sounds like an epic failure in terms of recording (what a blurry mess....), and possibly a let down in performance as well....

This is a Aeolus disc right?  No, I see it's a Ramee disc. Was Frommen by any chance the engineer?
And which organ?, A Treutmann, wow that is a good organ. Small print, did not see it first.

The review on Amazon said this about it.

Berben uses the fine 1737 organ by Christoph Treutmann in the monastery church of Grauhof in the Harz region, an instrument of rich and varied registrations. Unfortunately the sound and ambience are not captured at all well in this recording, sounding vague, muddy, greatly lacking in clarity and realism. At first I thought there was something wrong with my stereo system, or even with my ears. So I checked all these and found them to be in good order. Then I thought of the organ itself and the church acoustic; fortunately I have another recording of the same instrument – and indeed of the same work, the recording by Matteo Messori on the Brilliant Classics label. This latter sounds terrific – clearly nothing wrong with instrument or location. So I can only conclude that something was amiss with the sound engineering of Berben's recording, because the results are well below the best standards of today. This is not a problem in the quieter, more intimate pieces, but it certainly affects the more monumental works where the instrument is opened up at full blast, such as 'Kyrie Gott heiliger Geist' (BWV 671) and, above all, the aforementioned mighty Prelude and 'St. Anne' Fugue placed respectively, as is the usual practice, at the start and finish of the two-CD set.

[king ubu]

still not really touched by Argerich I'm afraid ... but just got this after reading about the 2013 Mozart concertos recorded in Lucerne with Abbado, and they're indeed nice enough ... and as I was at it already, also ordered the Sony box by Argerich, which has a disc with Ivry Gitlis, after all...

[Harry]

still not really touched by Argerich I'm afraid ... but just got this after reading about the 2013 Mozart concertos recorded in Lucerne with Abbado, and they're indeed nice enough ... and as I was at it already, also ordered the Sony box by Argerich, which has a disc with Ivry Gitlis, after all...

She was a nice enough woman to look at when she was that young, but I never could appreciate her antics on the piano. For me she fits in the same category with Anne Sophie Mutter, and Gideon Kremer. Strictly a no go area for me.

[Harry]

Will post it also here, in case anyone will miss this.

Want to have some Monteverdi, but not too much, and as much variety as possible. You want 10 CD'S for 5,99€, then wait no longer, JPC de is willing to help you.
A SUPER BARGAIN. GO GET THEM TIGERS!


https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Claudio-Monteverdi-1567-1643-Claudio-Monteverdi-The-Innovator/hnum/2760602

[Que]

This is a Aeolus disc right?  No, I see it's a Ramee disc. Was Frommen by any chance the engineer?
And which organ?, A Treutmann, wow that is a good organ. Small print, did not see it first.

The review on Amazon said this about it.

Berben uses the fine 1737 organ by Christoph Treutmann in the monastery church of Grauhof in the Harz region, an instrument of rich and varied registrations. Unfortunately the sound and ambience are not captured at all well in this recording, sounding vague, muddy, greatly lacking in clarity and realism. At first I thought there was something wrong with my stereo system, or even with my ears. So I checked all these and found them to be in good order. Then I thought of the organ itself and the church acoustic; fortunately I have another recording of the same instrument – and indeed of the same work, the recording by Matteo Messori on the Brilliant Classics label. This latter sounds terrific – clearly nothing wrong with instrument or location. So I can only conclude that something was amiss with the sound engineering of Berben's recording, because the results are well below the best standards of today. This is not a problem in the quieter, more intimate pieces, but it certainly affects the more monumental works where the instrument is opened up at full blast, such as 'Kyrie Gott heiliger Geist' (BWV 671) and, above all, the aforementioned mighty Prelude and 'St. Anne' Fugue placed respectively, as is the usual practice, at the start and finish of the two-CD set.

After listening through the entire 1st disc, I can report that the recording is not as bad as initially feared but definitely dissapointing. Especially considering the amazing organ in question - this recording doesn't do it justice.  Recording engineer is Rainer Arndt.

Basically the same applies to the performance: not as bad as feared, but still a let down.
Hopes were high, but it seems as if Léon Berben didn't have an overarching vision for this music and seems to be fiddling around. It's not bad at all, but it doesn't grab me...

Q

[Que]

Continuing to reacquaint myself with this set.
Though I must have done a good job in exploring it before - I seem to remember most sonatas.



Current incarnation (with downsized booklet): https://www.amazon.com/Scarlatti-Complete-Sonatas-Scott-Ross/dp/B00IUPNBW6

Q

[king ubu]

She was a nice enough woman to look at when she was that young, but I never could appreciate her antics on the piano. For me she fits in the same category with Anne Sophie Mutter, and Gideon Kremer. Strictly a no go area for me.

I guess I'm quite firmly in the Pires camps (if there are such camps at all, I don't bother really), but I am somehow continuing to circle in on Argerich. A certain fascination I cannot deny, but a favourite of mine she will likely never become - which is perfectly alright. As for Mutter, I don't care at all, but Kremer has some recordings I really like (his Bach, his - as a conductor mostly - Weinberg, and a few more), but his concerto and chamber boxes never made my shopping list (neither did the big DG Argerich box, even when it was around for 50€ ... the Pires boxes - Erato, DG Solo, DG Concertos, Brilliant Mozart; not DG Chamber though, no need, have the Grieg sonatas standalone - are on my shelves though).

Continuing with the Argerich/Abbado box for a while now:



Disc one has Prokofiev #3 and Ravel with the Berlin Phil (1967) and disc two has Chopin #1 and Liszt #1 (1968) and again the Ravel (1984) with the LSO.

[king ubu]

Now I know, I'm glad I got the 1st reissue as well.... I also like the cover with Scarlatti's portrait better...

Q

Well, I was unaware of the missing boooklet, but had snatched the original edition when it was around for 50 or 60€, luckily ...

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2017/04/schmidt-franz-1874-1939-string-quartets.html?spref=tw

I will say that this recording is an absolute must for lovers of the SQ literature. Unmissable, indispensable.
Top recommendation.

CD-R alert, I assume, at least for those only considering to buy now?

[Harry]

CD-R alert, I assume, at least for those only considering to buy now?

Yes I think so. I have a original pressing send to me by a girlfriend from the States, but now the Nimbus is most likely a CD-R, though that does not necessarily means that it's bad. Most of the Lyrita's I have in my listening pile are CD-R.

[Harry]

After listening through the entire 1st disc, I can report that the recording is not as bad as initially feared but definitely dissapointing. Especially considering the amazing organ in question - this recording doesn't do it justice.  Recording engineer is Rainer Arndt.

Basically the same applies to the performance: not as bad as feared, but still a let down.
Hopes were high, but it seems as if Léon Berben didn't have an overarching vision for this music and seems to be fiddling around. It's not bad at all, but it doesn't grab me...

Q

Rainer Arndt is a good engineer, so I am puzzled why this recording is not good.
It was in my order list but I will not get it.
Thank you for posting your impressions.

[king ubu]

Yes I think so. I have a original pressing send to me by a girlfriend from the States, but now the Nimbus is most likely a CD-R, though that does not necessarily means that it's bad. Most of the Lyrita's I have in my listening pile are CD-R.

Yes, I know it doesn't mean it's bad ... I try and rip whatever I get that's CD-R though, and back it up, as I don't necessarily assume the manufacturers will use proper quality blanks and slow burning speed to minimize errors, and while I haven't had many problems with unplayable older CD-Rs, I still don't expect them to last as long as pressed CDs do. My main issue though is that amazon obnoxiously denies to get the information right and continues to sell CD-Rs as CDs.

[Harry]

Lately I listen to a lot of Danish music, this is one of them.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2017/04/gram-peder-1881-1956-orchestral-works.html?spref=tw

[Harry]

Yes, I know it doesn't mean it's bad ... I try and rip whatever I get that's CD-R though, and back it up, as I don't necessarily assume the manufacturers will use proper quality blanks and slow burning speed to minimize errors, and while I haven't had many problems with unplayable older CD-Rs, I still don't expect them to last as long as pressed CDs do. My main issue though is that amazon obnoxiously denies to get the information right and continues to sell CD-Rs as CDs.

Neither does Nimbus or Lyrita for that matter care to admit that almost all of their stock are CD'R's. I had quite a long email debate with the CEO from Lyrita about this. I see his point but he fails to see mine.

[king ubu]

Neither does Nimbus or Lyrita for that matter care to admit that almost all of their stock are CD'R's. I had quite a long email debate with the CEO from Lyrita about this. I see his point but he fails to see mine.

That's a real shame! I've had the same exchange with VAI but they were open about it. Also the same exchange with two small labels that went so far as to deny that their product is CD-Rs. Ridiculous. Anyway, I just bought a "Line Music" opera set for the first time, and of course it's a CD-R set, too (the Bellini "Norma", Callas/del Monaco/Scala/Votto, 1955) ... also have some Opera d'Oro sets that are CD-Rs, but there I go for such cheap offers now that I don't care too much.

[Karl Henning]

I saw Brian's unpopular opinion, which I believe is more popular than he might think  . I would like to throw the 6th's and 8th's scherzo in that conversation as well, in fact throw them all in there, Dvorak was damn good them.

Cheers, Greg! That indeed appears to be the consensus 😎

Thread Duty:

The Firesign Theatre d/b/a The Oral Genital Bathtub Choir singing, "I'm Not on Anybody's Food Chain."