Listenin' to Classical Music and Conversation

Which Vivaldi box do you have?

 

I wish I had made an exception (since I have never liked S-shaped arm) and spent the $400 to get the Empire 698 back in the day ...

 

Now playing from CD while I do stuff - Katsaris playing Beethoven/Liszt Symphony 7

 

Playing BC Beethoven CD49 - Brendel - Sonatas 17, 18, 21 & 19

Early Birthday present to me. It'll probably get here after said B-day but whatever.
I sure got myself some cool stuff this year

 

A ‘stripped down’ Four Seasons from Janine Jansen featuring five solo strings, with harpsichord, organ and theorbo.

I’m really enjoying the finely judged, expressive performance here. A great contrast to my other recordings of this master-work.

Sound quality is very good and highly transparent; just on the side of ‘bright’ without being headache inducing thankfully …

 

CD from the first Living Presence box.

 

Listen to, and enjoying, Segerstam's Sibelius symphony set.
Very nicely articulated playing, well chosen tempos, and with great sound quality.
Segerstam gets the Scandinavian Cool just right for me.

Sibelius: Complete Symphonies

 

J. S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248

 

Brilliant Classics 66 disc box.

 

Now listening to "Miracles Of Santiago - Music from the Codex Calixtinus" by Anonymous 4 on Harmonia Mundi.

 

Guillaume de Machaut: Motets

 

I have the SACD version, which is no longer available since Universal stopped SACD production in 2005 ...

 

Now streaming on Spotify, "Giuseppe Maletto - Almisonis Melos - Latin Motets and Mass Fragments in the Ivrea Codex" performed by Cantica Symphonia on Opus 111.

 

Strauss, R Also sprach Zarthustra etc Berlin P.O. cond Herbert von Karajan 1974/3 DG Originals 447 441-2
Now that's a powerful photograph wrapped around four of HvK's 70's Strauss recordings which being many many years I last heard them simply have to regarded as amongst the very best ever as both interpretations and also as sound with only the lack of 'to dc' bass showing with plenty of scale.
Having Michel Schwalbé performing the solo violin part in op.30 is a pure delight and the Dance of the Seven Veils from Salome that concludes what is effectively two lps on one cd leaves you very much hungry for more.

 

Very popular recording IMO and I have my copy as well ...

 

Excellent British conductor, mainly of 'light classical', but not always; Ronald Corp.
His recording of Randall Thompson's Plow that broke the plains is superb, comparisons with Stokowski's classic recording are justified imo.
Have just listened to this album on Amazon Music and thoroughly enjoyed it - the Guernsey Postcards are sheer delight and there's nothing 'light' about the piano concerto! Powerful stuff.

 

First listen to CD 7 from "John Dowland - The Collected Works" performed by The Consort Of Musicke led by Anthony Rooley on L'Oiseau-Lyre.

• Sacred songs
• Psalms
• A Prayer for the Queen's most excellent Majesty
• Instrumental music

 

Now listening to "Handel - Jephtha" performed by the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists conducted by John Eliot Gardiner from the "Handel - The Great Oratorios" box on Decca.

featuring:
Nigel Robson
Lynne Dawson
Anne Sofie von Otter
Michael Chance
Stephen Varcoe
Ruth Holton

 

Really enjoying this Beethoven cycle on 'original instrument' fortepiano.
Old style fortepiano is a lot more transparent to the music than a modern Steinway, imo. Less 'impressive', though, in the tumultuous passages.

Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas

 

Now on the TT: Ravel Piano Concertos. Pascal Rogé is one of my favorite Scriabin interpreters, but he also performs Ravel beautifully.
This is a London LP released in 1983, though recorded in June 1982 at St. Eustache, Montréal.

 

I too have this version of Handel Jephtha along with the following two versions ...





In the last version. an LP box by Marriner and the ASMIF, the fabulous Emma actually sang the angel role - perfect for her lovely voice ...

BTW, this might be the only recording she had made with Marriner.

 

Now playing the following CD from my Nielsen collection for a second listen ...

 

Thanks for the tip - I need to get that.

 

Now on the turntable, "Handel - Messiah" performed by the New York Philharmonic led by Leonard Bernstein on Columbia.

Featuring Adele Addison, Russel Oberlin, David Lloyd, William Warfield and The Westminster Choir led by John Finley Williamson.

 

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving (I had to work but had a big leftover plate today). A couple of recordings this afternoon:
Mozart's Spring Quartet from the following:

I had very few chamber recordings before buying this set earlier this year; I've enjoyed everything from this box set.
Also, from the DG Originals Vol. 2:

Probably the worst Symphonie Fantastique I've heard; sloppy playing, bad, uneven sound. I vastly prefer the Munch/Boston and Parary/Detroit recordings of this piece.