I think this has come up before. It's from a series of sculptures by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt 1736-1783. The many faces of Franz Xaver Messerschmidt | Apollo Magazine
If I were Esfahni, that (or any of the sculptures) wouldn't be my first choice for a CD cover, but I think the artist and his work are interesting.
A BBC documentary that aired last week discussed this opera in some detail, and so I thought I'd try to get a copy. It arrived this morning, and it's very attractive music indeed.
Now playing: Luzzasco Luzzaschi - Concerto delle dame di Ferrara - Christina Miatello, Helena Afonso, Marinella Pennichi, Sergio Vartolo - rec. 1984
Now playing: Gioachino Rossini - Stabat Mater - Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini - recorded 1981
Listening to CD 41 from the "L'Oiseau Lyre - The Baroque Era" box. Domenico Scarlatti - Harpsichord Sonatas performed by Colin Tilney.
NP: Bernstein Halil Jean-Pierre Rampal, flute Israel Philharmonic Bernstein From this superb set: This is such a gorgeous work with some haunting melodies and sonorities. It has an almost rumba-like middle section that Bernstein fans would certainly recognize as being not far removed from West Side Story.
NP: Bernstein Symphony No. 2, “The Age of Anxiety” Krystian Zimerman, piano Berliners Rattle This has got to be one of Rattle’s best performances while in Berlin. Of course, Zimerman’s performance is remarkable.
I’m trying to count, how many times did Haitink record the 3rd? Four times? I know there’s the first one with the Concertgebouw, then Berliners, CSO and Bavarian RSO. I can’t remember if he recorded it again in Concertgebouw in that Christmas Matinee Concerts box set. If so, then he recorded this symphony five times.
I've really come to love Borodin's symphonies. Borodin: Symphony No. 2 in B minor Borodin: In the Steppes of Central Asia Ippolitov-Ivanov: Caucasian Sketches, Orchestral Suite No. 1, Op. 10 Dimitri Mitropoulos New York Philharmonic
Could well be. I remember watching Haitink conduct Mahler at the Christmas matinee shows live on TV back in the day. Wonderful!
Now playing: Giacinto Scelsi - Aion; Pfhat; Konx-om-pax - Polish TV & Radio Orch. & Philharmonic Choir, Krakow, Jürg Wyttenbach - rec. 1988 CD1 from this 3 CD set:
First-Listen Monday Henze Nachtstucke und Arien Claudia Barainsky, soprano Gürzenich-Orchester Köln Stenz
A remarkable set. I also like the Scelsi series on the Stradivarius label. I think there’s eight volumes now.
He's used that artist's sculptures before... and he probably will continue doing so for the rest of the Bach series.
Yet another one that I've picked up after first seeing it on this highly informative thread Now playing
I finished listening to the new Alina Ibragimova release of Paganini-24 Caprices. How would I describe what I heard? Jaw-dropping!
Here's what the Mahler Foundation lists for Haitink Mahler 3 recordings: 1966 Concertgebouw, Maureen Forrester 1983 Concertgebouw (live, Christmas Day), Carolyn Watkinson 1990 Berlin Philharmonic, Jard van Nes 1990 Berlin Philharmonic (live), Florence Quivar 1995 Concertgebouw (live), Jard van Nes, released on RCO 2006 Chicago Symphony (live), Michelle DeYoung No mention of the Bavarian RSO recording...I ran the list multiple times