HIP Keyboard Recordings

[Bogey]

This seemed to have a bit of steam left, so let us continue.

[Bunny]

I just picked up these recordings:

Haydn: The London Trios - Camerata Köln and Schobert: Quatuors, Trios, Sonates - Luciano Sgrizzi; Chiara Banchini; Ensemble 415.  Both are excellent and now I find that I want more Schobert.  He was an influence on Mozart who came into contact with him on his Paris trip, and died prematurely with his wife and son as a result of eating poisonous mushrooms for dinner! 

 

[Gurn Blanston]

Bunny,
A nice Schobert disk:

On ASV/Gaudeamus (GAU 156) The 4 Nations Ensemble - Four Sonatas for Harpsichord, Violin & Cello - Op 16. Very nice. (PS - I got it at BRO, don't know if they still have a copy, but worth a look).



Schobert was a great influence on the very young Mozart, they met in Paris in 1764 (1765?) when Mozart was on the "Grand Tour", before he went to London and met J.C. Bach. He was a top composer in Paris at the time, and wrote some quite interesting chamber music (and probably other stuff too, don't know).

[Bogey]

Indeed...Arkive Music only lists 4 available Schobert recordings at this time.  Though they are not the "end all" in classical recordings, they due tend to let you have an idea of what is fairly available.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp?name_id1=10852&name_role1=1&bcorder=1

[Bunny]

Thanks to all for the Schobert recommendations!  Meanwhile, just found in the library:

Mozart-Beethoven: Quintets for fortepiano and wind instruments - Robert Levin/Academy of Ancient Music Chamber Ensemble

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks to all for the Schobert recommendations!  Meanwhile, just found in the library:

Mozart-Beethoven: Quintets for fortepiano and wind instruments - Robert Levin/Academy of Ancient Music Chamber Ensemble

Do give us a report back, please, I have been eying that one for a little while...

[Bunny]

Do give us a report back, please, I have been eying that one for a little while...

It's in the stack waiting, but I checked for it at Amazon, and it's extremely expensive - $89.95.

I'm glad that I can get it from the library for free.  

[Gurn Blanston]

It's in the stack waiting, but I checked for it at Amazon, and it's extremely expensive - $89.95.

I'm glad that I can get it from the library for free.  

Wish I had a library...  

[SonicMan46]

Do give us a report back, please, I have been eying that one for a little while...

Bunny - yes, please - the opinions of the Amazonians are few and divergent (i.e. 1* and 5*!) - yikes -     I imagine that w/ the performers listed & the HIP approach, that I would be leaning on the higher rating, but will certainly be curious - 

[Bunny]

Bunny - yes, please - the opinions of the Amazonians are few and divergent (i.e. 1* and 5*!) - yikes -     I imagine that w/ the performers listed & the HIP approach, that I would be leaning on the higher rating, but will certainly be curious - 

Just read those two reviews.  The 1* sounds like he didn't care for the sq of the recording rather than the performance which he doesn't talk about.  I'll be giving it a spin in the next day or so and report back.

[Bogey]

Just got this in the mail today and posted most of the below on the "Listening Thread", but thought it may fit here as well:



Absolutely incredible.  I cannot say that I could identify by name more than two pieces (and that would be a stretch) on this entire twelve disc set, as this, for the most part, is my first serious introduction to organ music of any sort.  However, this lack of acquaintance with the pieces by no means is effecting my enjoyment of what I have heard so far....which is simply stunning and marvelous music.  On a side note, some of the pieces were played on the organ of St. Laurenskerk in Alkmaar in Holland which was built between 1638-45, and had some construction updates in 1723.  So, would these recordings be considered HIP?

[val]

If I had to chose my preferred HIP Keyboard Recording of the last years, it would be Andreas Staier playing Mozart Sonatas K 330, 331 and 332. The K 330 is here a miracle of poetry.

[prémont]

So, would these recordings be considered HIP?

Yes, as to the Alkmaar organ, which has become reliably restored by Flentrop. And maybe also as far as the Strassbourg organ is concerned, which to a great extent is a modern more French than German style-copy built by Alfred Kern. But I don´t think, anyone familiar with HIP style, would call Walcha´s style HIP. The great thing about Walcha is, that his interpretations are extremely engaging and rewarding, even if he rejected the HIP movement, and devised his entirely own system. This is maybe even more true of his Bach harpsichord recordings.

[BorisG]

The incomparable L'Ecole d'Orphee is featured in this Brilliant Classics Handel box

[Bunny]

Has anyone any information or opinions of the recordings of Robert Levin of Bach's keyboard music?  He has recorded the WTC I & II (on harpsichord, organ, clavichord, harpsichord concerti (on harpsichord), and the English suites (piano).  I haven't heard them but have been thinking of getting them.

[Don]

Has anyone any information or opinions of the recordings of Robert Levin of Bach's keyboard music?  He has recorded the WTC I & II (on harpsichord, organ, clavichord, harpsichord concerti (on harpsichord), and the English suites (piano).  I haven't heard them but have been thinking of getting them.

Haven't heard the Concertos recording.  I found Levin's English Suites rather heavy, but his WTC is excellent.  The use of different instruments is a definite plus and distinctive.

[Que]

Just got this in the mail today and posted most of the below on the "Listening Thread", but thought it may fit here as well:



Absolutely incredible.  I cannot say that I could identify by name more than two pieces (and that would be a stretch) on this entire twelve disc set, as this, for the most part, is my first serious introduction to organ music of any sort.  However, this lack of acquaintance with the pieces by no means is effecting my enjoyment of what I have heard so far....which is simply stunning and marvelous music.  On a side note, some of the pieces were played on the organ of St. Laurenskerk in Alkmaar in Holland which was built between 1638-45, and had some construction updates in 1723.  So, would these recordings be considered HIP?

Marvelous Bill!
I'm truly impressed with your endeavour - Bach's organ works are the least accessible of all.
I saved them for last after 15 years of listening to Bach....

So we can explore them together! 

Q

[Bunny]

Haven't heard the Concertos recording.  I found Levin's English Suites rather heavy, but his WTC is excellent.  The use of different instruments is a definite plus and distinctive.

Thanks!  I've been hesitant about the English suites as I do prefer harpsichord.  However, an inspired piano interpretation is not to be sneered at.

[Bogey]

Marvelous Bill!
I'm truly impressed with your endeavour - Bach's organ works are the least accessible of all.
I saved them for last after 15 years of listening to Bach....

So we can explore them together! 

Q

Should be fun.  So far I am very pleased.

[lukeottevanger]

This came today (Amazon marketplace, £1.24! )

(Quintets by Ries and Limmer)

and very nice it is too. The fortepianist is Riko Fukuda, who is also to be heard as one of the performers on the inexhaustible Dutch Brilliant Haydn sonata set (this disc is also on Brilliant, and more power to them). The Nepomuk Fortepiano Quintet are made up of a 'Trout' Quintet (i.e. with double bass) and explore this apparently-bigger-than-it-seems corner of the repertoire (Schubert's piece being somewhat of an imitation of Hummel's, from whom the Quintet take their name). I was impressed with my first hearing of this CD, so I checked out Fukuda's interesting website, which includes mp3 samples of this and other CDs, and which announces a new one not widely available yet outside the Netherlands, of the Quintets of Hummel, Dussek and Onslow. One to note down, for me.

Anyway, this CD is really quite gorgeous IMO, even if these are no immortal masterpieces - both pieces are virtuoso vehicles for the piano, brimming over with fiireture a la early Chopin or, indeed, Hummel, but not ignoring the strings - the Ries in particular has lovely, mysterious pizzicato passages and a Schubertian lyrical glow at points. Not wholly-formed, faultless pieces, then but really good fun, and dirt cheap.