What are you listening 2 now?

[San Antone]

This just arrived on Naxos Music Library. Time to try.



In the liner notes, Debargue says that his reference point as an interpreter is Scott Ross, and that he's adopted some of Ross' ideas. He adds that only in certain specific sonatas does he find any pianist to be as convincing as Ross is. The booklet also claims that ten of the sonatas in this package have only previously been recorded by Ross, not by anyone else; I'm not sure whether that is believable.

I don't care about the claim of first recordings, these interpretations are very much worthwhile on their own.  But I don't know enough about all the other recordings to say whether his approach is unique or not.  All I can say is I like what he is doing.

[amw]

what's the "multi-pianist Polish Radio set?"

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Domenico+Scarlatti%3A+550+Sonatas+for+Solo+Keyboard&i=digital-music&ref=nb_sb_noss

[Traverso]

Bach

A good musical start today with these cantatas

[Traverso]

Monteverdi

Madrigali Libro VIII (conclusion)

[Traverso]

Lassus

The recognizable sound of the Hilliard Ensemble

[Madiel]

Rather early Sibelius



Certainly, the first part of the disc has works that are very early and, while generally competent, not very interesting in my opinion. Sibelius does not fall into the child prodigy category and didn't write much until his late teens, and to me it takes a few more years after that before the music really gets going. The first piece on here that I found more engaging was from 1886 (so at age 20).

[André]

SQs 3-5

Incredibly I can say with conviction that this music impressed me in a very positive way. They have something of Schoenberg, but somehow I felt these quartets were even more satisfying. The 5th one reminded me of the SQ by Lutoslawski. The appeal of the music lies on the intrincacy, it's like if every note or passage was different and that makes the brain try harder to grasp the musical content, and I felt my head a bit 'dense'. As a side effect, after hearing these works, a sense of anxiety invaded my body. And I'm certainly impressed how my tolerance has grown over the years.

I was particularly impressed with no 3 and its very peculiar structure. All of them are interesting, though.

[Todd]

I've been slowly working my way through Uchida's second go at Mozart concertos.  Streaming is the best option for these recordings.  They do make pleasant enough morning listening.

[Moonfish]

Renata Tebaldi

[Tsaraslondon]

The Wagner and Brahms works are stupendously good, and if the Strauss isn't quite on their level, it's a case of the best being the enemy of the good.

I have these works in the big Janet Baker Her Greatest Recordings box set, but this is a direct transfer of the original LP with full texts and translations, and invaluable for that reason.

[aukhawk]

In the liner notes, Debargue says that his reference point as an interpreter is Scott Ross, and that he's adopted some of Ross' ideas. He adds that only in certain specific sonatas does he find any pianist to be as convincing as Ross is. The booklet also claims that ten of the sonatas in this package have only previously been recorded by Ross, not by anyone else; I'm not sure whether that is believable.

Listening now, beautiful Scarlatti playing.  Not so sparky as Claire Huangci but more even-handed, reminds me of Queffelec, which is no bad thing at all.  He seems to especially relish the many Spanish-tinged scrunch chords.  The 'essential' sonata K27 is taken very fast indeed, but this is uncharacteristic of the whole.  My only complaint overall would be that the collection is predominantly major-key, only 12 out of 52 are minor.

There are 16 sonatas here not previously represented in my extensive collection of about 35 Scarlatti albums (includes a few double CDs).  Most of the 'new' ones are on CDs 3 and 4, they are:
Ks 343 258 244 414 308 196 477 115 106 107 469 242 521 14 172 192
I listened to 'unknown' Ks 196, 477, 115 which are consecutive on Disc 3 and he makes a thoroughly convincing case for them - hurrah! - new Scarlatti!

[vandermolen]

Alwyn: Symphonic Prelude 'The Magic Island' (after Shakespeare's 'The Tempest') LPO, Alwyn

This set was an Amazing bargain (£10 new-4 CDs). Of course I have lots of the material already but it is a great compilation of largely complete works rather than just movements from symphonies and concertos:

[Mandryka]

I listened to 'unknown' Ks 196, 477, 115 which are consecutive on Disc 3 and he makes a thoroughly convincing case for them - hurrah! - new Scarlatti!

It's good you have the discs because it will help me make sense of this idea in the booklet

Each album ends with one of
the meditative sonatas that are at the heart

What are the meditative ones at the end of each disc? 

By the way, 115 is one which Belder does a good job on.

What do you think of the 247 played like fantasy by CPE Bach!

[JBS]

LvB 7 and 8
[asin]B07H657XHV[/asin]
Two of my favorite symphonies done exactly the way they should be.

Continuing this set with Symphonies 4 and 5.
An excellent job. Sonics show their age, but this set is sliding ahead of Karajan, Bohm, and Bernstein in my ranking of "traditional big band" cycles.

[Brian]

Everything about this new Magic Flute is super duper enjoyable and skillfully paced by YNS, except for two voices: Villazon as Papageno, a miscasting which deprives the character of some of his comic jovial companion status (I like a voice which sounds a little older and a little more Santa Claus-y), and Shagimuratova as the Queen of Night, who keeps straight-up missing notes in her big arias, even the first one (without the notorious highs). She also has a noticeable habit of blending multi-note syllables together into whichever single note she's more comfortable hitting, rather than trying to differentiate them. Villazon's "Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!" also unfortunately illustrates just how hard it is to sing well with your lips closed. Not acceptable in a recording setting.

The young lovers are great and so is the orchestra.

[vandermolen]

Tam O'Shanter Overture by Malcolm Arnold cond. Sir Alexander Gibson - a marvellous performance. Thanks to Roasted Swan for alerting us to this recording:

[André]

Beautiful. The viols provide a simple but rich texture to accompany the recitatives and ariosos.

[San Antone]

Brahms : String Sextets
L'Archibudelli



Exquisite!

[Moonfish]

Elgar: Symphony No. 1
Philharmonia O/Barbirolli

[SymphonicAddict]

I rank Carter with Shostakovich as one of the best SQ cycles of the 20th century.
(Yes you did just hear me relegate Bartok and Villa Lobos to second tier status).

Now I'm tempted to include the Carter into the best 20th century SQ cycles too, and for me Bartók undoubtedly as well!