Now playing CD58 - Bach Brandenburg Concertos 4 - 6 by Tafelmusik/Jeanne Lamon for a perfunctory first listen ... 2 More CD's to go.
No, Shake It Off. Actually, at my daughter's event today I was treated to yet another outing of that omnipresent ditty. "Shake, shake, shake, shake," that's what I say! But turning to more pleasant matters, last night I paid another of my "old friend" visits to Schnabel's accounts of two Bach toccatas, one in C Minor and one in D Major. A couple of years back, my wife treated me to a "The Great Courses" set about the Beethoven piano stas., and the instructor made a point of Beethoven's musical kinship to Bach. Coming to the Schnabel set for the first time since, that kinship was readily apparent, at least to my ears. Something that hadn't occurred to me before.
This recent arrival brings back happy memories from the past, as it was one of my first Bach purchases. The sound was stunning when it was first released, and it still sounds great today. I also prefer I Musici's use of modern instruments and tasteful vibrato as opposed to "HIP" performances, if they even are all that well "informed"! (My actual cover is in mint condition.)
Callas was largely known for her operas while Schwarzkopf had a much wider repertories, from lieder to oratorio to Bach passion. I don't even know offhand if I have any operas by Callas in my LP collection. I only have operas on CD for Wagner and Handel ...
I have had this twofer for thirty years and the LP's are in pristine condition. Personally, they are my least favorite Brandenburg Concertos since they don't sound German enough and perhaps sound too warm to my ears. It seems like I Musici performed JS Bach works like they performed Vivaldi ...
Time for some Beethoven Piano works, now playing CD3 - rondos and sonatas from the following box for a second listen. My thanks to George for recommending Sokolov ...
I've been leary of buying any Uchida after buying her Great Pianists album. I really dislike here Debussy Etudes. I have the Schoenberg album from the Philips Original Jackets box. I should give it another listen. I only listened to it once after buying the box. I imagine I let my dislike of her Debussy prejudice me against the Schoenberg.
The picture on the cover looks like it's from the BBC's The Six Wives of Henry VIII. It's the first show I remember seeing on Masterpiece Theater when I was a 10 or 11. I loved it and religiously watched Masterpiece Theater for at least a decade after that, until Upstairs Downstairs.
Continue enjoying what I already have. Now playing the following CD from my Mozart collection for a third listen ...