What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Harry]

After a pause of a few weeks, I started again with this by all means gorgeous box of tasteful goodies from French soil.
What a harvest is to be had, excellent music, and performances. Till now it has not disappointed me in any way.
So today the ninth disc containing works by Jean-Philippe Rameau, "Rameau a L'Academie Royalle de Musique". Highlights.

Hippolyte & Aricie.
Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski.
Excellent soloists, amongst them Veronique Gens, Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, Benarda Fink, ao.

Les Fetes d' Hebe.
Hippolyte & Aricie.
Zoroastre.

Veronique Gens.
Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset.

Simply devine!

Sound bites.

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Versailles-200-Years-of-Music/hnum/7344431

[Lethevich]

fantastique/harold

[Harry]

From this very inexpensive box, CD V, with works by Max Reger, his opus 27, 30, 40, No. 1 & 2.

Wouter van den Broek, plays on the Organ of the Grote or Onze Lieve Vrouwe Church, Breda.

The recording of 1989 is all little distanced and muffled, and funny enough that suits the music. Its one of the largest organs in the Netherlands, but it did not start out to be that. In 1534 the new organ was build with only 16 stops, divided among Great and Positive.

[Harry]

This is one of the five cd's I bought from this fine vocalist.

Divna
Mysteres Byzantins

Absolute bliss.

[Antoine Marchand]

Haydn - Violin Concertos [Complete: 1, 4 & 3]
Federico Guglielmo violin and director
Violin: Gennaro Gagliano, Naples 1757
L'arte Dell'Arco (on period instruments)

Cadenzas: Federico Guglielmo

Total time: 59'03''

Recording: 4, 7 & 8 August 2008, Studio Magister (Preganziol-Treviso, Italy)

[Harry]

Haydn - Violin Concertos [Complete: 1, 4 & 3]
Federico Guglielmo violin and director
Violin: Gennaro Gagliano, Naples 1757
L'arte Dell'Arco (on period instruments)

Cadenzas: Federico Guglielmo

Total time: 59'03''

Recording: 4, 7 & 8 August 2008, Studio Magister (Preganziol-Treviso, Italy)

Antoine, would you be so kind as to furnish some thoughts about this recording.

[Harry]

And as to brighten up the day a little, I know play the last disc, No. 12, from this fine box, hardly to be surpassed in quality and quantity.
Robert Stolz is well suited to this music, and the Berliner and Wiener Philharmoniker are top orchestra's, that play the music well.
I will certainly play all again, in the foreseeable future.

Works by: Carl Michael Ziehrer, Richard Heuberger, Oscar Straus, Franz Lehar, Julius Fucik, Leo Fall, Siegfried Translateur, Karl Komzak, jr, Emmerich Kalman, Robert Stolz.

[Antoine Marchand]

Hi, Harry.

First thought: Sometimes these performances -especially in the first concerto- sound more "late baroque", or at least middle-of-the road, than strictly "classical", which I think is not wrong (I'm speaking just about the sound). Probably the reason is the Guglielmo's violin; the guy is a virtuoso, although rather moderate on Italian parameters.

That said, it is a nice recording, well recorded and vividly played by a small and accomplished ensemble (unfortunately a listing of performers is not provided with the booklet).

[Harry]

Hi, Harry.

First thought: Sometimes these performances -especially in the first concerto- sound more "late baroque", or at least middle-of-the road, than strictly "classical", which I think is not wrong (I'm speaking just about the sound). Probably the reason is the Guglielmo's violin; the guy is a virtuoso, although rather moderate on Italian parameters.

That said, it is a nice recording, well recorded and vividly played by a small and accomplished ensemble (unfortunately a listing of performers is not provided with the booklet).

So its worth my while Antoine? I lay great stock in your opinion. I like the idea that it sounds late Baroque, that must be very unusual considering the date of composition.
Thank you for this quick response.

[Gurn Blanston]

So its worth my while Antoine? I lay great stock in your opinion. I like the idea that it sounds late Baroque, that must be very unusual considering the date of composition.
Thank you for this quick response.

Harry,
No, not unusual, at least not for Haydn. I know some modern interpreters have tried to modernise this work (concerto #1), but Haydn was very much in the tradition of the Baroque concerto, still in 1761. You can really tell with his earlier organ concerti from the late 1750's. Haydn didn't really follow the trend towards classical sound in his concertos until the late 1770's, presumably after he had heard some more modern styled efforts in Vienna. No harm done though, I like his 3 violin concerti just as they are.

[Conor71]

Chopin: Waltzes - Nikita Magaloff

[Brahmsian]

First Listen Friday

Stravinsky

Symphony in E-flat

Stravinsky
Columbia Symphony Orchetra
Sony

[SonicMan46]

Harry,
No, not unusual, at least not for Haydn. I know some modern interpreters have tried to modernise this work (concerto #1), but Haydn was very much in the tradition of the Baroque concerto, still in 1761...................

Antoine & Gurn - thanks for the information on the Violin Concerto disc below (left) - I've not thought about those works in a while, but do own the Wallfisch performances w/ La Petite Bande (a dual-disc bargain but an 'odd' mix) - need to give that one a spin soon but am putting the other on my 'wish list' - Dave 

 

[Sergeant Rock]

Sarge

[Brahmsian]

Prokofiev

Symphony No. 1 in D major, op. 25 'Classical'
Symphony No. 4 in C major, op. 47 (original version)

Neeme Jarvi
Scottish National Orchestra
Chandos

[CD]

Stefan Wolpe -

Enactments for three pianos
Quartet for tenor sax, trumpet, piano and percussion
Chamber piece Nos. 1 and 2
Piece in two parts for six players

(All courtesy of the Avant Garde Project)

[Brian]

TCHAIKOVSKY | Symphony No 1
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vladimir Jurowski

Sent my review of this new release to MusicWeb yesterday. "This new recording," I wrote, "is something very special indeed." A lock for my "Best CDs of 2009" list.

[Franco]

It is nice, but I now that I have heard it, I don't think I will rush out and get more of these fortepiano sets, not that I don't like it, I do like it.   

But I am trying to buy things which fill a glaring gap in my collection and this doesn't, and isn't so much better/different (IMO) to my BAT recordings of the Haydn Piano Trios that I feel any urgency to focus on buying more when I am perfectly happy with the BAT, instead of other aspects of my wishlist that I think are more productive.

[listener]

Reger cello suites, then French flute cocertos

[Cato]

Just arrived:




Mehul:
The Symphony #3 caught my attention some weeks ago: imagine a French Rossini as a symphonist, and you will have some idea of the style!  The Finale is a furious flurry of fiddling fun!