On the turntable, record 1 from "The King's Singers' Madrigal History Tour" performed with The Consort Of Musicke on EMI. Record 1 - Italy & England 1984
From 1954. Recorded 11/2/53, Columbia 30th Street Studio, NYC. Hard to believe they were able to get both in one day, but that's the information I found. I enjoyed these strong performances.
Now playing: Hans Werner Henze - Symphonies No. 3 & 4 - BPO, Hans Werner Henze - recorded 1965 CD2 from this set:
Continuing from yesterday: Brian Ferneyhough - String Quartets 3 & 4 (for soprano); Streichtrio; String Trio - Claron McFadden, Arditti Quartet - recorded 2011 CD2 from this set:
I have what may be a tremendously stupid question, but here goes... So, I just finished playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance, which is a game set in 1403. The music in the game sounds very reminiscent of early music I've listened to, but it's got me hunting for the nearest matches for the in-game music that would have actually existed. I'm half assuming this a futile quest. At roughly the 30 minute mark, you'll hear the strongest example of what I'd like to find in actual historical music but half expect isn't a thing. The main stickler seems to be the use of percussion. I don't hear much of that in the early music I've listened to. You get vocal ensemble music and you get essentially "troubadour" music with lutes and the like, but no percussion. Nothing that sounds like... well, I guess you'd just sum it up as "Ren Faire music." Anyone know of anything that fits that sound which is actually historical or is my instinct correct and I'm better off sticking with soundtrack music that vaguely sounds like it could be old?
Another from 1954. Recorded 1/25/54, Carnegie Hall. Producers: Richard Gilbert & David Oppenheim. A powerful performance. A second inner cardboard jacket has an essay by Walter & reproduces two letters from the composer to the conductor as well as a postcard from Mahler to Bruckner.
These Musical Heritage Society pressings are almost always superior, despite the minimalist “phoned in” covers. Frequently R.Ludwig. Don’t pass them up when u see them.
On the turntable, record 3 from "Baroque Masters of Venice, Naples & Tuscany" performed by Instrumentalists Of The Societa Cameristica Di Lugano on Nonesuch. The Tuscans: Luigi Boccherini - Sonata for Cello and Continuo Francesco Barsanti - Sonata for Flute and Continuo Giovanni Maria Rutini - Sonata Op. 2 No. 5 for Harpsichord Francesco Maria Veracini - Sonata Op. 1 No. 3 for Violin and Continuo Domenico Zipoli - Toccata for Harpsichord
On the turntable , record 3 from "Ars Britannica - Old Hall Manuscript / Lute Songs / Madrigals" performed by Pro Cantione Antiqua on Das Alte Werk/Telefunken. Cook Dunstable Forest Pycard Damett Power Chirbury
New notes... Charles Ives: Piano Sonata No. 1 etc Joonas Ahonen on Piano. July 2021 Bis: BIS2409 stereo/multichannel sacd A new release to join my Ives section
I watched his video concerning the 5 “best” Shostakovich “Leningrad” symphonies yesterday. I am glad he does what he does because I think classical music needs more exposure. His attitude, however, may be counter-productive at times. As far as the best choices go-highly subjective of course- which he readily admits in a way which I believe helps save him from being dismissed as completely intolerant of other views. He is insufferable of course as many critics tend to be but may be somewhat redeemed by his slightly tongue in cheek manner which may make him more cheerfully entertaining. On some level he tempers his egotism with a wink and a nod if you know what I mean. In the end, of course, there is nothing there to get upset about-just interesting to listen to an educated opinion and discussion of a subject of interest with which one can agree, differ, become irritated with, be dismissive of -all in one segment! Thank you Mr Hurwitz. What do you all think?
By the way. I have been working my way gradually through the Ormandy box set and displaying individual CD covers as I go. The covers only tell part of the story, however, as most of the CDs are supplemented by additional tracks of music recordings which were released on additional records at the time. The covers of those additional LP releases are shown in the book which accompanies the box set. I have not tried to determine how many extra CDs would have had to have been included in this box set( already numbering 120 CDs) if that had not been done by Sony but it would have been a considerable number. So Sony was generous in filling CDs with music and Ormandy’s mono recordings with the Philadelphia Orchestra were even more extensive than what is implied by a 120 CD box set.
My opinion on Hurwitz: Hurwitz can be entertaining. He is also very opinionated and although he has listened to an incredible amount of recordings, IMHO, he is not as erudite in music as he wants you to think. As a critic, I found him very closed-minded and can be very mean-spirited. He trashes Gramophone and the British critics all the time but I think he would sell his soul to the devil if he could ever write for Gramophone. What are the highlights of his career as a music critic? A website where is is the editor and the main critic, the youtube channel, where he is the leader of his own cult, and some books that are written superficially and offer no substantial insight on the subject. I take what he writes and talks about with a huge grain of salt. That being said, he ends his talks with the phrase "keep listening folks!" I like that. He urges you to listen and see if you agree with him or not. In the end, that's all it matters.
Just listened to Barenboim's Bruckner Symphony 7 from this box (the orchestra is the Chicago Symphony): Pretty good. Don't like his later Bruckner, as far as I've heard it, no matter what the critcs say
I tend to agree with Hurwitz about Gramophone. I was a subscriber for many years, but let my subscription lapse a few years ago. The magazine is too UK-biased for my taste and hardly objective in that regard. That said, I find Hurwitz's videos and comments often entertaining and informative, though he can be a bit long-winded sometimes, and he tends to repeat himself. And yes, he can be mean-spirited and I don't like that; I also don't like his attitude when it comes to the right pronunciation of names, he can be very disrespectful. As for his reviews, they're a mixed bag in my opinion; sometimes he hits the nail on its head and sometimes he totally misfires
jpc? I inquired about the replacement for CD45 for that Grumiaux box back in June. All I got was they were really busy at the time but there was never any follow-up. Not all that happy about this and I will email them again. Not sure if anyone on that mega thread who bought from them have received the replacement CD ...
