NP: Hilary Hahn, London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Colin Davis Edward Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor | Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending Deutsche Grammophon CD, 2004 from this box:
Listening to "Plain-Chant - Cathedrale D'Auxerre, XVIII Siecle" performed by Ensemble Organum led by Marcel Peres on Harmonia Mundi.
On the turntable: New acquisition Hindemith, Roussel, Britten, Honegger, Musici Pragenses – Music For Chamber Orchestra Supraphon – SUA ST 50609
The following is a Public Service Announcement: Do not think that this is a human playing an actual guitar--its a MIDI file! What a complete fraud.
These are intense performances, but the sound is a bit bright/thin, which is odd for an SACD, but the master is a 24 bit 44.1kHz PCM recording, so that might explain it. (Plus, a couple of the mics listed have a rather hot high end.)
Any recommended books on classical music? Looking for something that goes more in depth than the “400+ year survey” type of which I already own a few.
Listening to CD 14 from the "DHM 50th Anniversary Edition" box set. Boccherini - Cello Concertos / Sinfonias performed by Anner Bylsma and Tafelmusik
@bluemooze have you read Berlioz's own autobiography "The Memoirs"? It's a blast! Highly opinionated and subjective which is why it's so enjoyable.
Listening to CD 7 from "Gustav Leonhardt - The Edition" on Sony. "Domenico Scarlatti - Essercizi per gravicembalo"
I have not, but thanks for the recommendation. And even though I own the two volumes I posted, I've not read them either. I bought them when they first came out (large paperback editions) and they caused me to decide to abandon paperback books. Too hard to see and hold open. I'm now a confirmed e-book person. So nice to have the pages displayed flat on my computer screen. Still waiting for Cairns/Berlioz to show up on Kindle. (Did you know that Kindle users don't own the books? If you leave Amazon, say goodbye to your library also.)
Depends of course on what era of Classical Music or Composer/s you're into but try Charles Rosen's - "The Classical Style" (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven) or "The Romantic Generation". Rosen has written many more, sample, see what you think. He goes in quite deep. He happens to be a great pianist as well!
I have the hardback version of "The Memoirs" but I'm confident that the version/translation on Project Gutenburg is basically the same thing. There's a download for kindle and it's free! The Life of Hector Berlioz as Written by Himself in His Letters and Memoirs Oh, yes regarding Amazon, years ago I paid full price for a bunch of Arden Shakespeare titles that I already had physical copies of, just for the convenience when traveling, etc. Anyway a few months later ALL of the pics/illustrations in them were removed "due to copyright"! Not the end of the world perhaps, but I did pay for a complete 'book'.
First listen to CD 10 from "The Complete Liszt Piano Music - Leslie Howard" on Hyperion. Annees de pelerinage, deuxieme annee - Italie S160 1837/1849 Venezia e Napoli - Supplement aux Annees de pelerinage seconde volume S162 1859 second series Au bord d'une source S160/4
Happy Birthday, Brahms! NP: Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 András Schiff, piano/conductor Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment From this 2-CD set -
Now playing CD 10 from this box. Grieg-“In the Autumn”; Bruch-“Violin Concert in G Minor”; Goetz-“Violin Concert in G Major”; Volkmann-“Richard III Overture”. 1954, 1960, 1953, 1952 respective recording dates. Schuricht regularly conducted this orchestra from 1950 to 1966.
CD 4 Sibelius: Symphony No.7 In C Op.105 Finlandia Op.26 Lemminkäinen Suite Op. 22 - No.2 The Swan Of Tuonela King Christian II Op.27-Nocturne and Elegie The Bard Op.64 Tapiola Op.112 Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Paavo Berglund
