What are you listening 2 now?

[Operafreak]

Chopin: Mazurkas- Pavel Kolesnikov (piano)

[Irons]

Arthur Butterworth: Symphony No.4
A fine symphony if a little derivative of Sibelius (he seems to quote from 'The Tempest' at one point. Also, Bax and VW come to mind. Even so, this is a powerful and brooding work of considerable originality:

I recall you recommended to me the Dutton release conducted by the composer, Jeffrey. Sibelius does come to mind and would join a very long list indeed of symphonies influenced by the great man. As you say a fine and powerful work. I also agree that Butterworth's clipped 1950's BBC English in a far too long talk included in the disc could be done without. Typically my introduction to Butterworth was the wrong way around with his 5th Symphony. A work I have a strong affection for.

[vandermolen]

I recall you recommended to me the Dutton release conducted by the composer, Jeffrey. Sibelius does come to mind and would join a very long list indeed of symphonies influenced by the great man. As you say a fine and powerful work. I also agree that Butterworth's clipped 1950's BBC English in a far too long talk included in the disc could be done without. Typically my introduction to Butterworth was the wrong way around with his 5th Symphony. A work I have a strong affection for.

I have a CD featuring Symphony No.5 but hardly know it. I must fish it out! Nielsen is another influence on the 4th Symphony I think. It is one of my most played Dutton CDs (along with Arnell's 3rd and 5th symphonies, Bate's 3rd and 4th and Steinberg's 4th Symphony).

[Que]

Morning listening is Music for Henry V and the House of Lancaster by the Binchois Consort:

[Que]

[The new erato]

Very fine songs:

[Harry]

New arrival.

Johannes Ockeghem.
Masses 2.
CD I,
Missa My My.
Missa Ecce Ancilla Domini.
Beauty Farm.

None of the Beauty Farm recordings disappointed me. In the artistic sense these performances are on the top of the ladder, if it comes to vocal Renaissance music.
I might find Bart Uvyn a counter that has a slight tendency to put too much pressure and volume in his expression, at the cost of the tenors, but it is of little consequence for me, I still find the overall expression beyond par.
The Ockeghem masses are simply wonderful, the sheer depth and vocal stability is something which I admire beyond measure.
What is a thing that puzzled me, it the high volume in which it is recorded.

[The new erato]

The Ockeghem masses for me is the clear high point of renaissance church music.

[Traverso]

Bach


Cantatas BWV 91-57-151 & 122

[Mandryka]

Listening with the volume high -- part of the problem I have is that I don't know how loud a clavichord sounds to the person playing it.

What I'm hearing is a pretty sober mainstream HIP interpretation, none the worse for that of course. What's special is that it's  jazzed up by the colours of the instrument. At a decent volume it's turning out to be very agreeable.

[Harry]

Johann Strauss II.
The Complete Orchestral Edition.
CD 12.
Harmony Polka.
The Genial Ones, Waltz.
Aurora Polka.
Festival Quadrille.
Ella Polka.
You only live once, Waltz in Landler Style.
Coronation March.
New Life, French Polka.
Court Ball Dances, Waltz.
Tempestuous in Love and Dance, Quick Polka.
Viennese Ladies, Waltz.
Souvenir Polka.

Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Alfred Walter.

Enjoyable to the max.

[Que]

4th disc, sonatas and rondos from the Vierte Sammlung and Fünfte Sammlung.

[Traverso]

Listening with the volume high -- part of the problem I have is that I don't know how loud a clavichord sounds to the person playing it.

What I'm hearing is a pretty sober mainstream HIP interpretation, none the worse for that of course. What's special is that it's  jazzed up by the colours of the instrument. At a decent volume it's turning out to be very agreeable.

I can assure you that it is not loud, comparable perhaps to a lute but with an open cabinet of course.
I think we play a lot of music at a much too high volume, a harpsichord for example doesn't have to rush into the living room like a Steinway monster.
Everyone is of course free to listen to their own taste

[Spotted Horses]

Janacek, Sonata 1.X.1905, In the Mists, Thomas Ades



Two intense, beautiful pieces, beautifully performed. Sonata is more visceral, the cycle, In The Mists, more impressionistic.

Dipped into one off the Ancerl Gold releases that were so inexpensive during the Qobuz sale, Martinu, Memorial to Lidice.



A satisfying performance, but the audio quality was worse than I expected from late 50's mono.

[Traverso]

Dowland

Vol.3

[Harry]

Johann Strauss II.
Complete Orchestral Edition.
CD 13.
Jolly Folk Polka.
Zillerthal Folk, Waltz in Landler Style.
Dancing Bear Polka.
Sirens, Waltz.
Patriots March.
Demolition men Polka.
Thermal Springs, Waltz.
Quadrille on Themes from the Opera "The Siege of Rochelle".
Let's Away, Quick Polka.
New Melodies Quadrille.
Lovers are fond of Teasing, French Polka.
Egyptian March.

Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Alfred Weller.

    

[Que]

[Harry]

Johannes Ockeghem.
Masses II.
CD II.
Missa Caput a 4.
Missa Cuiusvis Toni.
Beauty Farm.

The Missa Caput is one and all beauty, sung to perfection. Such a choir balance, it keeps amazing me no end. I may find the art work of these CD's utter crap, but the music is performed to an ultimate goal music can reach, a real effort of pure art.

[Mandryka]

I can assure you that it is not loud, comparable perhaps to a lute but with an open cabinet of course.
I think we play a lot of music at a much too high volume, a harpsichord for example doesn't have to rush into the living room like a Steinway monster.
Everyone is of course free to listen to their own taste

This sounds quite plausible Jan. The volume which seemed to make that partitas cd sing was when it sounded as loud from my armchair as a guitar (or lute I guess) would sound to the person playing it.  This may be a general good principle for listening to clavichord recordings.

[Todd]

D784.  Williams does not deliver optimally satisfying fortissimo playing, thus sapping some dramatic impact.  That written, the opening movement has moments that mimic mysteriousness, and the final movement has some wonderful rubato and extended to perfection pauses to go with a smooth delivery.