What are you listening 3 now?

[Traverso]

Bach

Vol.6 CD 4

[Harry]

Jacques Offenbach.
Overtures.
See back cover.
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Neeme Järvi.
Recorded 2015 at the Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland.
Front cover Le Bal public (1880) by Jean-Georges Béraud (1849–1935).

A lot of fun, well recorded and performed. We need in these times more of these uplifting extravaganzas.
Offenbach is a composer that breaths fun and cheerfulness. Made the day brighter as it already was.

[Cato]

On Dayton Classical Radio...a work unknown to me:

Carl Stamitz: Parthia in Eb Major

[Madiel]

Vivaldi: La Gloria e Imeneo



The title that Vivaldi might have given to this serenata is unknown, so it's generally referred to by the 2 characters in it. What's clear is that it's written for the French ambassador to Venice, to celebrate the wedding of Louis XV. So it's pure entertainment, with a pretty vacuous text.

But I would still like to hear that text. There's one significant flaw with this album, which is that they just didn't get the recording right. The instruments/players are closely miked (you very clearly hear intakes of breath before the 1st and 3rd movements of the opening sinfonia), whereas the singers seems to be in a slightly more distant and reverberant acoustic. They're not massively distant, but the end result is that in most of the arias the singers feel like they're standing behind the instruments, and it ends up that the singing becomes the accompaniment. It seems to affect Gloria (Teresa Iervolino) a little bit more, but really it's both singers. So the singing lacks clarity and diction.

Another problem is that the 2 singers have quite similar sounding voices. Iervolino is listed as a mezzosoprano, Carlo Vistoli is a countertenor - he's got a slight touch of histrionics to him, but in general their performances seem fine. Similarly, the instrumental performances seem fine - ever so slightly brusque at times but nothing serious. But the balance problems and the lack of variety make this a more tiring listen than it should be. I wanted to like this more but I ended up feeling a bit disappointed by it.

[Harry]

Le CŒUR et la Raison.
See back cover.
La Nereide.
Recorded: 2024, Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume (France)

In the 17th century, an art song form flourished, particularly in France: the so-called air de cour. Numerous composers catered to the demands of the nobility, at whose courts the songs were performed by soloists with lute accompaniment. The beauty of the melodies was the highest criterion, the secular texts were almost exclusively concerned with interpersonal love. This was the reason why the popular songs were not allowed to be sung in churches and monasteries. The Franciscan monk François Berthod therefore transformed some of the texts into sacred songs so that nuns could also sing them.
The performance is absolute bliss, the sound as good, a most pleasant experience.

[Linz]

Joseph Haydn Symphonies CD 18
Symphony No.61 in D major
Symphony No.62 in D major
Symphony No.63 in C major "La Roxelane"
Austro-Hungariam Haydn Orchestra, Adam Fischer

[Todd]

The first of eleven discs of Clementi's keyboard works, the main reason I bought the Tipo box.

[Wanderer]

[Harry]

Gabriel Faure (1845–1924)
Piano music.
See back cover.
Nicolas Stavy, Piano,
Recorded 2018 at Reitstadel, Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany.

Enjoyed his playing. The music is without doubt very beautiful. I am dipping into the many recording of the solo Piano works. Next in line is the series already in its fourth volume by Jean Claude Pennetier. is he any good?  Any suggestions are welcome of course.
Well recorded on a Steinway D model. Stavy's articulation is brilliant, and finely projected. Like it a lot. It's the only recording he made of Faure's music.

[Florestan]

[Irons]

A CD which gives much pleasure. Roger Chase* and Michiko Otaki are a fine duo who play this music to perfection.

*Chase owns and plays on this programme the Montagnana viola once used by Lionel Tertis.

[Todd]

[Iota]

Bach: St John Passion
Raphaël Pichon, Ensemble Pygmalion

Finally got round to this and I found it magnificent. The darkness of the drama is captured so well by Pichon, down to its quietest and most intimate moments. Some pretty high speeds around, but they only seem to serve the dramatic intensity in one way or another. Absolutely everybody shines, but a special mention for mezzo Lucile Richardot, whose voice I find exceedingly distinctive and entrancing. A rich, beautiful and often moving performance.

[Bachthoven]

Gabriel Faure (1845–1924)
Piano music.
See back cover.
Nicolas Stavy, Piano,
Recorded 2018 at Reitstadel, Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany.

Enjoyed his playing. The music is without doubt very beautiful. I am dipping into the many recording of the solo Piano works. Next in line is the series already in its fourth volume by Jean Claude Pennetier. is he any good?  Any suggestions are welcome of course.
Well recorded on a Steinway D model. Stavy's articulation is brilliant, and finely projected. Like it a lot. It's the only recording he made of Faure's music.

I like these:








All are available on Qobuz so you can sample before committing.

[Bachthoven]

Excellent playing and sound.

[Linz]

Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No.4 in C minor, op.43
National Symphony Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich

[Lisztianwagner]

Charles Ives
Symphony No.4

Chicago Symphony Chorus
Michael Tilson Thomas & Chicago Symphony Orchestra

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 7 in E Major, 1885 Version. Ed.Leopold Nowak
Gurzenich-Orchester Koln, Yuri Ahronovitch

[Harry]

I like these:








All are available on Qobuz so you can sample before committing.

Thank you John I will try them all!

[Bachthoven]

Thank you John I will try them all!

You're welcome. Here's a video that Debargue made about the special piano he used.