Right. Kraft was quite a good guitarist, then he became a recording engineer/producer. He’s the house engineer for Naxos’ extensive guitar catalog.
Well, I'll be...a recording by VL that isn't just flash and surface brilliance! She actually plays quite beautifully and sensitively. I was at first concerned about the 18:07 timing of the Bach-Busoni Chaconne, but it's mainly the outer sections that are a bit slower than usual. Qobuz 16/44.1.
Tonight I enjoyed the first disc of the Stenhammar set from Neeme Jarvi and Paavo Jarvi. Disc 1 Wilhelm Stenhammar Symphony No. 1 ; Lodolezzi Suite; Interlude from the Cantata "Sangen" Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Neeme Jarvi recorded live in 1982
From the Eloquence DG Markevitch box, Gounod: Symphony No. 2 [recorded 1957] Bizet: Jeux d'enfants [recorded 1957] Debussy: La Mer & Danse sacree et Danse profane [recorded 1959] Markevitch Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux original issue covers: The Gounod is very interesting but you would hardly know it from one of worst sound recordings ever made. The Bizet was recorded the same year, but it is at least listenable and I like it. The stereo La Mer is one of the great ones IMO along with the DanseSacre...
Enjoying this 1987 Chandos LP of piano music by British composer, Arnold Bax: - Lullaby (Berceuse) - Country-Tune - Sonata No. 1 - Winter Waters - Sonata No. 2 In F Sharp Minor All ravishingly performed by Eric Parkin, who completed 4 volumes of Bax's music for the Chandos label. His performance of the grand Sonata No. 2 (my favorite of Bax's four Sonatas) is a real treat to hear. Recorded in the Rosslyn Hill Chapel in Hampstead, London. The piano sound is captured with just the right amount of hall reverb to give it a "big" or dreamy texture as needed, without any blurring of notes. Just perfect for this music.
First listen to this disc last night. Enjoyed Schulhoff's Piano Concerto [1923], spiced with a variety of percussion (and whistle) effects. Gershwin has nothing to worry about, but it was still an enjoyable listen. The disc also contains some late 1920's solo recordings (electric, not acoustic) by the composer.
Domenico Scarlatti Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 1 Eteri Andjaparidze, piano Naxos, 1999 This series has a different pianist for each volume. Eteri is from Georgia, the country.
I can not recommend the Bychkov cycle of Tchaikovsky symphonies and orchestral works. However Kirill Gerstein has some pretty good moments in the piano concertos. The Tchaikovsky Project Semyon Bychkov Czech Philharmonic Decca, 2019 7 CDs
Boccherini Guitar Quintets: Quintet in D Major "Fandango Quintet Quintet in C Major "La Ritirada di Madrid" Laszlo Szendrey-Karper, guitar Tatrai Quartet White Label, 1987
Now enjoying a recent used find, a SACD that has been on my wishlist for awhile, ever since obtaining the other two SACDs in this series.
Corelli Concerti Grossi Op 6 Europa Galante Fabio Bondi Naive, 2003 2 CDs This is an excellent version. I have the reissue on Naive. It originally appeared on Opus 111 in 1996.
Now enjoying a spin of the original WG CD, which recently replaced my Originals remaster. I think this kind of repertoire is where Pollini really shines.
As I adore his EMI Bruckner set, I have not heard this one since buying it years ago. Remedying that today.
Well done! Always a great feeling when you can scratch a long-term itch. I thought I'd done so myself recently, but the CD in question proved to have a big problem--defective in the mastering, not the CD itself. On a happier note, I just received my winnings from a 78 mail auction--a nice, big stack of Edison discs and a similar stack of Pathes, all in top-notch condition. I think I'll probably start with the latter, sampling a few discs by Edmond Clement, one of the most beautiful tenor singers on record. Looking forward to that! Meanwhile, I've been doing a dive through the boxes and boxes of CDs I've transferred to hard drive, chasing out the ones with pre-emphasis. In the past few days, I added several new classical entries to the pre-emphasis list, Pre emphasis list? . Most are fairly obscure issues, probably not anything anybody here would have, but for those who follow that issue, just a heads up.
Hard to believe this was recorded 90 years ago (rec. March 1932)! Schnabel: Beethoven, PC 1 / LSO, Sargent. Arabesque CD, 1985. Transfers from 78s by Keith Hardwick. (Cover looks exactly like this, except contents are Concerto 1 & 2)
Now enjoying CD 01 from the above 50 CD box set. A 1949 performance Schubert D960 and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an exhibition.
