What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Delius
Two Pieces for Small Orchestra (I. Summer Night on the River, II. On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring)
LPO
Handley

[Que]

Victoria: Sacred Works [Noone]

This morning: Missa O Quam Gloriosum, hymns, motets

[Mandryka]

Thanks. I love all the Partitas, the Bach I most listen to. In my severely limited harpsichord experience, I rather like Hantai (his Op. 111 Goldbergs), suggesting that the Esfahani interpretation would appeal. OTOH, since I'm likely to acquire only one harpsichord recording in the foreseeable future, I was thinking of starting with a more "mainstream" performance. There are some long forum threads to peruse, will have to buckle down and research.

Esfahani gives the impression at least of being a bit of a scholar

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/notes/68311-B.pdf

[Que]

IMHO ...
I only have Suzuki to compare him (Esfahani) with, in the Partitas on harpsichord.

   

Assuming Esfahani is playing the same instrument as in his Toccatas recording, it sounds a bit sweeter here.  That could be more about the music though, his no-holds-barred Toccatas I find quite a difficult listen.  Here the instrument has a lot of top end, almost glassy-sounding.  It's a modern instrument (2018) with a carbon fibre soundboard (!)
Suzuki's instrument actually sounds quite similar to me, but less analytically recorded.  I'm no expert on harpsichords though.

Suzuki plays it very straight, sort of respectful sounding, satisfying to listen to but slightly soporific.

Esfahani has a lot of tempo variation, at both micro and macro levels.  His articulation in the faster passages is of course stunning.  Elsewhere he is very legato, to bell-like effect. It's an interesting listen, but I find it gets a bit mannered quite quickly.  Something midway between the two would suit me better, I think, although in any case I'm always going to prefer this music on a piano, Philistine that I am.

Thanks for that.

I find the reports of a Pleyel inspired "amplified" carbon based soundboard not very reassuring....

[Traverso]

Bach

"Was mir behagt,ist nur die muntre Jagd, BWV 208

Emma Kirkby and Michael George are really very fine,the Parley of Instrument is excellent as ever.

[JBS]

Esfahani is in my pile of stuff only listened to once. I'll try to give it a good hearing tonight after work and report back.

[Que]

And the Mannia continues:




One more Telemann series on cpo left to explore! 

[Traverso]

Enescu

Symphony No.1 & 2

Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo
Lawrence Foster

[Madiel]

Teenage Mozart in church...

Regina Coeli in C, K.108
Litaniae Lauretanae in B-flat , K.109
Offertory in G, "Inter natos mulierum", K.72

All written at basically the same time in between his 1st and 2nd Italian trips (I haven't bothered with the adjusted K6 numbers) and rather good. I like this sort of dose of this sort of music, 12-15 minutes works.

[Spotted Horses]

Olivier Messiaen: Quatuor pour le fin du temps. Martin Fröst, Lucas Debargue, Janine Jansen, Torleif Thedéen

Never does cease to blow my mind, this work. Probably one of the 5 or 10 greatest works of western classical music ever written.

That is a piece I've put off listening to for too long, despite being generally a fan of Messiaen.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Hi PD - the Jamie Walton recording of Britten's Cello Suites is excellent - but in reading the reviews attached, Truls Mørk seems to edge out Jamie for a 'desert island' pick, but the Fanfare reviewer loves the Walton CD; of course, the older commentators will select Rostropovich as the benchmark (third pic below), although I believe he recorded just the first two works.  This morning I listened to Mørk on Spotify and then Walton on my den stereo - I must say that the choice is difficult - may have to do a 'fuller' comparison; don't think you would go wrong w/ either cellist, although there is plenty of competition out there!  Dave

   

Hi Dave.

I have that Mork CD and there's a wonderful (and well-known) CD on EMI which is part of their Great Artists of the Century series of Rostropovich playing Britten's Suite No. 2 and his Cello Symphony along with Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1.  And, yes, he never recorded No. 3.  According to Elizabeth Wilson (a former student of his) in her book on Rostropovich:

"The third suite....was based on Russian themes, and was an explicit tribute to Rostropovich as a patriot and humanist -- a man who had showed the courage to defend his convictions.  The third cello suite was perhaps the most personal and precious of all the works ever written for Rostropovich.  After the composer's death, he could hardly bring himself to play it, for with its use of the Orthodox funeral chant, 'At Rest with the Saints,' it touched on a vulnerable point, drawing both joyful and painful memories from some deep inner well of his being."

..........."He did record the first two Britten cello suites for Decca, but never overcame his reluctance to commit the third cello suite to any form of recording.  He felt that this music had its own mystical existence, in some dimension beyond time."

PD

p.s.  And thanks for your comments on the recordings! 

p.p.s.  Here's what that CD looks like: 

[aukhawk]

I find the reports of a Pleyel inspired "amplified" carbon based soundboard not very reassuring....

Looking at both booklets it is the same instrument as was used for the (highly-acclaimed) recording of the Toccatas, although the recording venue was different.

I had a longer listen to Esfahani this morning and ... yes, just a bit irritating, and of course the longer I listen, the worse that gets.  In short bursts - yes, thrilling - but generally Suzuki more my cup of tea.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

That is a piece I've put off listening to for too long, despite being generally a fan of Messiaen.

I don't know that specific recording, but the work is very powerful and moving.  I have the recording with Tashi.

PD

[Karl Henning]

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach
Pf Trio in a minor, Op. 150
Neave Trio

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Mahler
Symphony No. 7 in E minor
CSO
Abbado



With the new arrival of my Mahler Chailly Leipzig DVD set (which I got for free --- long story), today feels like a Mahler day.

[VonStupp]

Franz Schmidt
Book with the Seven Seals

Stig Andersen, René Pape, et al.
Bavarian RSO & Chorus - Franz Welser‐Möst

For today:

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Back to Great Works for Flute and Orchestra with Sharon Bezaly.

Works today that I particularly enjoyed:  Chaminade's Concertino for Flute and Orchestra, Tchaikovsky's Largo and Allegro for flute and strings and lastly, Poulenc's Flute Sonata (orch. for Lennox Berkelely).



PD

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Rostislav Boiko, SY3.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Daniel D'Adamo. Sigismondo d'India- Madrigali- Ensemble Poléris- Marion Fourquier, very super nice offering neu , mint on AEON label.

WOW    sound's awesome !!

Whit a Zemlinsky CD of presto Classical, nice real nice , love it ,'' The Mermaids''. How lovely my only beef is whit the LP I received  from Christophorus Hildegarde von Bingen in vinyl ait's a god darn, spoken word in german there is no music at all, sh*t sm*tzig (sorry for language, but beside this mystake  it'S all good!

[André]

Rostislav Boiko, SY3.

That's a good one. Boiko's voice is quite original, if firmly of its time and place.