What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Scarpia]

I bought this back in the day just for the cover.

Is there any other reason to buy it?   

[Sergeant Rock]

Brahms 4 - Rattle, Berlin


Sarge

[MN Dave]

Nothing...he's been around quite a lot recently but in threads you dare not enter 

Sarge

Touché

[DavidW]

Nothing...he's been around quite a lot recently but in threads you dare not enter 

Sarge

Like Xenakis: Abandon hope all ye who enter here.

[SonicMan46]

Telemann, GP (1681-1767) - Violin Concertos, V.1/2 w/ Elizabeth Wallfisch & L'Orfeo Barockorchester - spirited interpretations!  I know that I own some of these works, but the 2 full discs contained the TWV 51: compositions - 

 

[karlhenning]

Mozart, the K.614 viola quintet

Way below the green lemon.

[DavidW]

Nice Karl!   Last week I listened to Piano Concertos 5 and 9 several times.  There are pleasures to be found in the #5 for Mozart fans, but the #9 is truly a masterpiece.  The powerful slow movement is simply sublime, and the brisk outer movements are at turns joyful, quirky, elegant.  It remains one of my favorite piano concertos.

[karlhenning]

I do love all the piano concertos, Davey!

Now: Vesperae solennes de confessore, K.339
Sir Colin Davis conducting

[Bogey]

Is there any other reason to buy it?   

Indeed.  For me:

1. Beautiful playing.  May not be HIP (at least I do not believe it is), but if not, here I am reminded that though HIP may be my preference for some, it is recordings like this that keep me grounded in not ignoring non-HIP performances.
2. Superior sound quality that many of the old Philips' discs give you.
3. I believe the ensemble is the size and instrumentation Mozart called for, and it has not been edited for larger ensembles.  (Gurn?)
4. This was a disc that was once owned by my father-in-law, so it is neat to experience the same performance that he once enjoyed.
5. Great backdrop music for a beautiful sunny day here in Colorado.
6. And as ukrneal put it, a stinking cool cover, IMO.

Have you heard this recording scarpia and not enjoyed it, or you basing your opinion on the general output of The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble?  Due to it being Mozart?  The particular composition?  All the above?  Just curious.

[Opus106]

Loving the Scherzo here!

Ralph Vaughn-Williams
Symphony No. 4
Boston Symphony Orchestra|Colin Davis

c. 1973

I downloaded this performance over a year ago. After listening to the first movement for a few minutes, the music was not like to my liking -- until yesterday. While reviewing my music library on the computer, I clicked [double-clicked, to be precise] on the first movement and the opening -- to use a cliché -- blew me away! It was late at night, then, so I waited for this evening to listen to the whole thing for the first time.

Parts of it sound like An American in Paris gone wild and there are few seconds in the opening which reminded me of a portion of Brucker's 9th !

[George]

Have you heard this recording scarpia and not enjoyed it, or you basing your opinion on the general output of The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble?  Due to it being Mozart?  The particular composition?  All the above?  Just curious.

Bill, do you have their Eine Kliene Nachtmusik? It's terrific!

[Harry]

Indeed.  For me:

1. Beautiful playing.  May not be HIP (at least I do not believe it is), but if not, here I am reminded that though HIP may be my preference for some, it is recordings like this that keep me grounded in not ignoring non-HIP performances.
2. Superior sound quality that many of the old Philips' discs give you.
3. I believe the ensemble is the size and instrumentation Mozart called for, and it has not been edited for larger ensembles.  (Gurn?)
4. This was a disc that was once owned by my father-in-law, so it is neat to experience the same performance that he once enjoyed.
5. Great backdrop music for a beautiful sunny day here in Colorado.
6. And as ukrneal put it, a stinking cool cover, IMO.

Have you heard this recording scarpia and not enjoyed it, or you basing your opinion on the general output of The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble?  Due to it being Mozart?  The particular composition?  All the above?  Just curious.

I have many of the recordings with this ensemble Bill, and they are all excellent, well performed and recorded. Not HIP but a very good take anyway.

[Opus106]

Bill, do you have their Eine Kliene Nachtmusik? It's terrific!

I believe K. 525 was recorded with the whole Academy, so to speak. It was my among my first purchase of western classical CDs. I have the Chamber Ensemble, which is a strict subset, performing Mendelssohn; the Octet and the Quintet, Op. 87.

[Bogey]

Bill, do you have their Eine Kliene Nachtmusik? It's terrific!

Yes I do.  On this disc:

[Bogey]

I believe K. 525 was recorded with the whole Academy, so to speak. It was my among my first purchase of western classical CDs. I have the Chamber Ensemble, which is a strict subset, performing Mendelssohn; the Octet and the Quintet, Op. 87.

Yes.  I have the entire Academy playing it on the Serendes for Orchestra  Complete Philips Edition, and the one above with just their chamber ensemble.

[George]

Yes I do.  On this disc:

kewl. 

[Bogey]

I have many of the recordings with this ensemble Bill, and they are all excellent, well performed and recorded. Not HIP but a very good take anyway.

I tend to enjoy the chamber ensemble more than the entire troupe, Harry.  The whole orchestra together is fine, but has very direct and rounded sound without much spunk.  Still a pleasure to hear, but there are other orchestras that might be more engaging to choose from. 

[Opus106]

Yes.  I have the entire Academy playing it on the Serendes for Orchestra  Complete Philips Edition, and the one above with just their chamber ensemble.

Ah. I wonder if it's just a case of re-labelling of the ensemble's name or their using fewer instruments in the recording with the blue cover?

[Bogey]

Ah. I wonder if it's just a case of re-labelling of the ensemble's name or their using fewer instruments in the recording with the blue cover?

Only an ensemble of 7 for the blue cover, while their full troupe might be around 50?  Not sure on the last number.

[George]

Ah. I wonder if it's just a case of re-labelling of the ensemble's name or their using fewer instruments in the recording with the blue cover?

The latter. The rear art lists 7 members to the ASMF Ensemble.

EDIT - Bill had faster fingers.