What are you listening to now?

[aligreto]

Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 played by Kyung - Wha Chung with the London Philharmonic / Tennstedt....

[aligreto]

More than any other performances of Eton Choirbook music I've heard, including Christophers and Nevel, this from Tonus Peregrinus is the most alive, the one that gives the best impression of singers responding to each other, listening to each other.

Duly noted; thank you for your comments.

[Sadko]

Tchaikovsky

Pique Dame

Samuil Samosud 1937

German - Nikandr Khanaev
Liza - Kseniya Derzhinskaya
Polina - Nadezhda Obukhova
Countess - Faina Petrova
Tomsky - Aleksandr Baturin
Prince Yeletsky - Petr Selivanov
Bolshoi Choir and Orchestra
Samuil Samosud

[SimonNZ]

Tielman Susato's Danserye - Philip Pickett, cond.

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1055 [Café Zimmermann]....

[Drasko]

https://www.youtube.com/v/aYhriBNcIz8

[SimonNZ]

on the radio:

Bernard Hermann's Clarinet Quintet "Souvenirs de voyage" - Richard Hosford, clarinet, Nash Ensemble

[Madiel]

It's morning, so let's listen to the "Mattinata" quartet.

[asin]B003NEQAMC[/asin]

[SimonNZ]

on the radio:

Prokofiev's Symphony No.7 - Kirill Karabits, cond.

[Todd]

Sol Gabetta's take on the Elgar Cello Concerto and various smaller works.  The main work is played without fault by the soloist.  Gabetta can generate a big, rich tone, but she's maybe even more impressive higher in register, where she sounds precise and in absolute control.  The whole thing lacks that last bit of passion a la Du Pre / Barbirolli - one of those much venerated recordings that fully justifies its reputation - but this is fully and thoroughly enjoyable.  The Elgar, Dvorak, and Respighi filler are all well done.  Gabetta sounds a bit bigger in perspective than she would in concert, and the orchestral support is predictably excellent in the modern way.   (How many bad orchestras are there now, and how many of those record big budget recordings?)  Superb sound.  A superb disc.

Next up are the DSCH works.  I have high hopes.

[kishnevi]

Henze's Il Vitalino radoppiato is one of the few cases where I'm happy to buy into the composer's desire to write pure parody:

[asin]B00U2OT0SM[/asin]

I'd like to see a commercial recording that plays it less safe, though I understand the limited rehearsal time available for a recording funded by Kickstarter.

I am not really "into" Henze,  so I can't say I really enjoyed that CD (or the companion with the first VC), but Vitalino was the one piece I had any urge to hear a second time.

TD
[asin]B018WS9HQE[/asin]

First listen, of course.  Only intelligent comment to make at this point is that it really is difficult to point out which music is Ibert and which Honegger.

[SimonNZ]

Stravinsky's Les Noces - Sylvain Cambreling, cond.

[The new erato]

First listen, of course.  Only intelligent comment to make at this point is that it really is difficult to point out which music is Ibert and which Honegger.

Intelligent comment is not a requirement here.

[Mandryka]

Duly noted; thank you for your comments.

If you look at the Naxos site you'll see that they used some new recording techniques, and I think that may well help give the impression of responsiveness. They also find a contemporary quote about how English music is often jubilant (as opposed to German, French, Italian music), and that explains a lot about their style I think, here and in their extraordinary Dunstaple CD.

I get the impression that the ensemble is smaller than Nevel uses for his Eton Choirbook selection, and that there are more moments when the music turns into duets and trios and quartets. I could be wrong about that, and you've got to bear in mind that they weren't singing the same music.

[Tsaraslondon]

Incendiary, exciting, thrilling, breathtaking, miraculous, electrifying and utterly overwhelming. Oh to have been in the audience for this amazing performance in 1958. Much has been written about the force of Callas's invective here (apparently aimed as much at Rudolf Bing as at Jason), but the performance is full of contrasts. You know, for instance, that it is love that brings Medea to Corinth. Jason must have had a hard heart indeed to be able to resist her melting pleas in the first Act.

Callas is in superb voice, and is surrounded by as good a cast as could be assembled at the time, with Jon Vickers a strong, virile presence as Jason, Teresa Berganza a warm voiced and mellifluous Neris, Nicola Zaccaria an authoritative Creon, Elizabeth Carron a pure voiced Glauce and tautly dramatic conducting from Nicola Rescigno.

Sound on this Arsvocalis master is better than on any other I've heard, though obviously still not state of the art. However the ear quickly adjusts, as you are drawn into the performance.

The audience here are a palpable presence, in a positive sense, listening with rapt attention in the quieter passages, but erupting with excitement at the end of the acts.

[Florestan]

A highly recommended treasure trove.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

The score of this piece I ordered arrived in the mail today so I've been going through it to this recording:



which has proven to be an earnest, passionate and dramatic performance. One of the best choral releases I've heard from Naxos!

[North Star]

Which recordings of the Johannes-Passion have you heard, Jessop? There are quite a few recordings released during the '10s so far:

[asin]B004LYIDQY[/asin]
[asin]B0036V4DMG[/asin]
[asin]B007F46JFO[/asin]
[asin]B01ACJKRUG[/asin]
[asin]B004KDO2KM[/asin]
[asin]B006CAXOX2[/asin]

[Florestan]

Light, sunny and utterly charming music in unusual instrumental combinations.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Which recordings of the Johannes-Passion have you heard, Jessop? There are quite a few recordings released during the '10s so far:

[asin]B004LYIDQY[/asin]
[asin]B01ACJKRUG[/asin]
[asin]B004KDO2KM[/asin]

I've heard these ones, and I'm listening to that Gardiner one right now actually. It seems like an older, grander Gardiner than his 1985 recording and I like it almost as much. I've also heard recordings by Suzuki, Parrott, Harnoncourt and a few others but I can't remember exactly which.