New Releases

[Que]

That  looks  very interesting.

It does! 

And great news that Van Asperen is still recording for Aeolus.

Fingers crossed for that last Louis Couperin....

Van Asperen is 71 now, so perhaps there are a few more years of recording left.

Q

[Biffo]

I posted it in the Martinu thread but without an image - might get more exposure here. I have already ordered it from MDT and it is on its way.

My copy arrived today, it dropped through the letterbox as I was listening to an excerpt of the work on BBC Radio 3.

[Mandryka]

Sounds good, just dipping in really. From the booklet

The music of Cistercian nuns is entirely focused
on simplicity and purism and transports us to a
world of total immersion and concentration. After
the foundation of the very first monastery Cîteaux
Abbey (Latin name: Cistercium) in 1098,
the enormous popularity of monastic life in
adherence to the order of Cistercians prompted
a rapid proliferation of new monasteries in
Europe during the medieval period. The articles
of faith and ideals of this movement were
primarily formed by "St Bernard", Bernhard of
Clairvaux (ca. 1090-1153). Here women would
play a significant role as it was not only monks
who were keen to participate in the religious
apostolic poverty of the reformed order. Jakob
von Vitry described the swift spread of nunneries
as "immeasurable like the stars in the sky"
around 1220. Due to the huge number of convents
and monasteries, the General Chapter in
Cîteaux determined that women in nunneries
should live in a state of absolute enclosure. This
meant that these nuns led a life entirely within
the walls of the convent and were invisible to
the outside world. Their chants could however
be heard through the sealed-off choir, making
them audible although not visible. . . . Cistercian chant is fundamentally based on
surviving Gregorian chant which was however
developed and modified under the auspices of
Bernhard of Clairvaux and a number of his fellow
monks in the 12th century. The focus here
was turned on the simplicity of melody, the
recollection of purely biblical texts and compliance
with the limitations in range within the
ecclesiastical modes. Characteristic during the
early phase of the order were a monodic style
of music and a dispensation of any instruments.
In the so-called "standard codex" which has
unfortunately only survived in incomplete form and is housed in Dijon listed under the catalogue
number Ms. 114, all chants were written
on parchment and then remained valid for all
European Cistercian convents and monasteries.
Visitators regularly monitored the observance
of this regulation.
As early as the middle of the 13th century however,
some of the monks and nuns succumbed
to the temptation of polyphony and the utilisation
of the organ, fiddles and other medieval
instruments – despite all prohibitions – as explicitly
documented in miniature illustrations
in manuscripts, for example a Cistercian monk playing the organ in the Antiphonary of Beaupré
dating from 1290 (Ms. 761, fol. 270v, today
housed in the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore).
Alongside the multitude of monodic chants for
liturgical feast days, a primate form of polyphony was practised with parallel intervals and
note-against-note homophony. In the Codex
Las Huelgas, there would however be a previously
unimagined musical escalation during
the 14th century.

They also have a CD of Ars Nova songs which sounds worth hearing properly,

[prémont]

Sounds good, just dipping in really. From the booklet


They also have a CD of Ars Nova songs which sounds worth hearing properly,

Le Roman de la Rose??

I listened to this as lately as yesterday. Yes it is worth listening to.

[Mandryka]

Le Roman de la Rose??

I listened to this as lately as yesterday. Yes it is worth listening to.

Yes, that's the one. Nice voice,
.

Added an hour later - Spoke too mildly - it's very good! I've become a bit addicted to the second song,  en le mur vi je haine.

[Mandryka]

Sounds good, just dipping in really. From the booklet


They also have a CD of Ars Nova songs which sounds worth hearing properly,

Spoke too mildly about this too, it's exceptional.

Don't you think polyphonic or heterophonic music is better when it's sung with high (ie women's) voices, because the harmonies crunch and  zing better?

The notes talk about the blokes listening through the walls of the nunnery because they weren't allowed into the chapel, hence the title « invisible «  It must have been a revelation to hear what the music sounds like with women singing. I'm convinced that part of the reason why people find chant boring is that they only hear men doing it, so the bottom voices become muddy.

[Mandryka]

Justin Taylor runs through works from JS Bach's youth. I listened to BWV 833 and I thought it was charmless and rote.

[amw]

Out now online because presumably he knew I was interested in the Schumann Humoreske.

(rest of the album is tidbits—Schubert waltzes, Schubert/Liszt and Wieck/Liszt transcriptions)

[Mandryka]

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8499328--de-rore-le-vergine-11-madrigals

[JBS]

Concertos for Esterhazy, Vol 1
Release date 11/2 per Amazon

[San Antone]

Don't you think polyphonic or heterophonic music is better when it's sung with high (ie women's) voices, because the harmonies crunch and  zing better?

The notes talk about the blokes listening through the walls of the nunnery because they weren't allowed into the chapel, hence the title « invisible «  It must have been a revelation to hear what the music sounds like with women singing. I'm convinced that part of the reason why people find chant boring is that they only hear men doing it, so the bottom voices become muddy.

Couldn't disagree more; male voices, the lower the better, for me.   Thanks for the tip, this is one I'll avoid.

[Mandryka]

Bob van Asperen Art of Fugue:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8502913--j-s-bach-the-art-of-fugue

I see he ditched Oliver Baumont

The sample of cpt 1 on the Aeolus website sounds very like the 2014 performance on youtube.

On the website the PR agent has written

For him [Asperen] there is no doubt that it is a cycle completed by Bach

so it'll be interesting to see whether Asperen has anything to say about that in the booklet

The booklet text, which even for AEOLUS is exceptionally comprehensive, deals with many questions and takes clear positions on this legendary and at the same time still much discussed work.

[Que]

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8499328--de-rore-le-vergine-11-madrigals

Erik is not Paul (his uncle),  but I'm definitely interested! 

Cipriano de Rore is a composer worth exploring.

Q

[Mandryka]

Erik is not Paul (his uncle),  but I'm definitely interested! 

Cipriano de Rore is a composer worth exploring.

Q

Here's a teaser, in double dutch

https://www.dwik.tv/cultuur/op-de-plank-en/currende-in-concert/

[Brian]

Here is some stuff for DECEMBER!

[Karl Henning]

The Hindemith solo viola sonatas are, as one expects, les genoux de l'abeille.

[prémont]

I see he ditched Oliver Baumont

The sample of cpt 1 on the Aeolus website sounds very like the 2014 performance on youtube.

The unfinished Fugue seems to be missing.

[Que]

This could be a blast:



Q

[JBS]

Here is some stuff for DECEMBER!

1)I see Brilliant is not being lazy in that Dussek series.
2)The Leonore I am guessing is based on the same story used by LvB?
3)Anyone know anything about Quayle or Twardowski?
4)Going by the CD Angela Hewitt made of some of her piano music, the Chaminade recording is probably a good one.

[Daverz]

Here is some stuff for DECEMBER!

Reissue of an excellent ASV disc.  Hope this bodes for more ASV reissues from Naxos.

[asin]B00008IHWP[/asin]