1st listen. On sale at Hyperion records for 10 pounds. Also my first album of Poulenc music. Very light-hearted, but still a lot of energy here. Very good sound quality as well, with precise instrument positionning. Between Hamelin, Osborne and now the Nash Ensemble, Hyperion is going to be in my favorite Classical labels (with Bis, Erato and Analekta).
I have been listening to this piano disc the last few days. I think it is worth the time. Dvorak Poetic Tone Pictures Leif Ove Andsnes Sony, 2022
I just downloaded my first two Poulenc albums today from Presto Works for Solo Piano - Eric Parkin Gloria and Motets (also on Hyperion)
now enjoying Haydn: Violin Concerto in C Mozart: Divertimento in F Divertimento in B flat Giordani: Harpsichord Concerto in C I Musici Philips, 1961
Ah, another contender. Just delivered to my door this evening, this might be what I need to get thru these long winter nights. That is my impression after listening to the first disc of five. His inflections, dynamics, and rhythm all interested me in the performances. Recorded in Berlin by b-flat music, they provided a great piano. Mozart Complete Piano Sonatas Mao Fujita Sony, 2022 5 disc box
So, how's everybody doing with Christmas fare this year? I finally broke out a couple of my standards on Monday: Christopher Rouse's Karolju and Jakob Jan Ryba's Czech Christmas Mass. Also, while continuing the Sisyphusian task of weeding out that big 78 RPM mostly classical vocal collection that I took on late last year (!), I pulled out an album to check a duplicate and discovered I'd long, long ago stuck two Christmas records into the last two sleeves without cataloguing them. Which is a very bad thing; if it's not in the catalogue, I might as well not have it, but I'm guessing, this being an album that I put together early on when I had a *lot* fewer records, at that time with the naivety of youth I probably figured "as that's not Classical, it's not appropriate for the catalogue, and so I'll just remember it's there." Utterly wrong on all counts, of course. I've now rectified matters, but in the meantime I played all 4 sides, I strongly suspect for the first time, and they're very nice: Christmas Hymns and Carols parts 1 and 2, Victor 35788 (1926), and parts 3 and 4, Victor 35946 (1928). All traditional fare, some familiar and some not so much, none of it beating the listener over the head with "Isn't it wonderful that it's *Christmas time*?!?!?," presented in refreshingly straightforward, simple arrangements. Nary a snowflake or prancing reindeer or oppressively jolly Santa in sight, either. The ad hoc "Trinity Choir" acquits itself nicely, as one would expect of a group under whose nom-de-disque lurked an array of fine, mostly soloist-level church/oratorio/concert singers of the day. I could do without the bits of narration in parts 3 and 4, but that's a fairly minor quibble. The contents: Part 1: Christians Awake!; Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem; God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen; The First Nowell; Silent Night. Part 2: Joy to the World; The Angels and the Shepherds; Calm on the Listening Ear of Night; We Three Kings of Orient Are; A Joyful Christmas Song. Part 3 (with narration by James Stanley): Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; Christians Awake!; Holy Night; Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem; Hallelujah Chorus (much abridged) Part 4 (with narration by James Stanley): Calm on the Listening Ear; It Came upon the Midnight Clear; Nazareth; Star of Bethlehem; Oh, Come All Ye Faithful.
Hi David and all, Today I listened to something that has nothing to do with Christmas: Happy holidays!
Yeah, the seasonal music that I outlined above has been my sole foray into such so far this year. I usually try to wait until very close to the day to play any "Christmas music," just so I don't end up completely sick of it by the time the day arrives. Not a big fan of most more modern "pop" Christmas fare, either--maybe in part because that stuff starts showing up everywhere, unavoidably, sometime around August. So anyhow, I have a few other "classical" type Christmas recordings that will probably start getting some play tomorrow or so; otherwise, thanks to the aforementioned mountain of 78s, it's mostly opera and art song. Now, time to listen to somebody named Guerrina Fabri (new name to me) singing an aria from Bellini's I Capuleti ed Montecchi.
I received this excellent LP today. After a steady diet of digital audio, it's nice to hear strings without any digital glare!
This morning. 1990 recording. Notes say recorded in Berlin. Was the orchestra on tour or did they bring it to Berlin for recording? I will do my research. Edit: mystery solved -they were on their first tour to Europe.
A marvelous new voice and a marvelously natural sounding recording from DG: Jonathan Tetelman Arias DG, 2022
George Duke - Muir Woods Suite I didn't know that this was a (mostly) orchestral work before I heard it, but I'm enjoying it so far!
some fine Boccherini Symphonies & Cello Concertos Stuttgarter Kammerorchester Johannes Goritzki CPO, 2009
A new conductor to watch, Domingo Hindoyan has taken over the duties at the Liverpool orchestra Debussy: Jeux Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane Suite No. 2 Dukas: La Peri Onyx, 2022
Now enjoying Dohnanyi Complete music for Cello and Piano Lucio Labella Danzi Marco Rapetti Brilliant Classics, 2022 The Ruralia Hungarica is wild, man.
Acoustical recordings have continued to dominate my own listening over the past few days. Most recently, the focus has been American baritone Reinald Werrenrath, who made about a-jillion-and-one records for Victor up through 1930 or so. I'd never paid him a lot of attention--although prolific, he wasn't one of the marquee members of Victor's stable, being frequently found on the intermediate-priced lines like the blue label before graduating to Red Seal. That said, like Caruso he had one of those voices that just recorded extremely well by the acoustic process, and his presentation and diction were first rate. I've enjoyed getting better acquainted with his work.
It was not a favorite on the first listen, but I will give it another try. Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor String Quintet No. 2 in G major Pavel Haas Quartet Boris Giltburg, piano Pavel Nikl, viola Supraphon, 2022
