CLASSICAL: Currently Spinning

[mickj1]

Hi Orpheus

Thanks for the recommendation about Peter Wispelway, I'll look out for him.

I've been listening to Rostropovich' cello concertos on DG today - fairly light baroque - Boccherini, Tartini, Vivaldi, but none the less pleasant, and with a beautiful tone.

Cheers

Mick

Edited August 13, 2008 by mickj1

[Orpheus]

Yes, he has a lovely, dark, rich tone.

I don't know about the cello, but on the violin, the Russian school have a different bow hold - they hold the bow much closer to the knuckles than the English or French, which means that the bow is held in the fleshy part of the fingers. This gives a richer, more robust sound.

I hear some of that sound with Rostropovich.

Hi Orpheus

Thanks for the recommendation about Peter Wispelway, I'll look out for him.

I've been listening to Rostropovich' cello concertos on DG today - fairly light baroque - Boccherini, Tartini, Vivaldi, but none the less pleasant, and with a beautiful tone.

Cheers

Mick

[hired goon]

G'day,

Watching the Sydney International Piano Competition on ABC2 right now. Whole lotta piano concertos.

--Geoff

[Iano]

Bought my first Hyperion record yesterday (well, SACD actually)

Angela Hewitt -

Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in A minor; Aria Variata; Sonata in D major; Suite in F minor

My my....! The richness and clarity just blew me away

Edited August 31, 2008 by Iano

[davidsss]

Been playing the second LP in the box set I bought a while ago of Vivaldi played on original instruments by Concerto Amsterdam on the Telefunken label. Good stuff, I like Vivaldi and this sounds good with the old instruments, it just seems to bring a slightly different flavour to the music. Nice separation of instruments on this recording too. Sorry I couldn't find a pic of the cover on the 'net, it won't fit in the scanner either being a record cover!

DS

[jacks]

Have to say Hello to all, and my all time favourite so far this year is "Trout" awesome LP's cruzzin round and round on my turntable only place that music goes these days.....forget the CD's

Edited September 7, 2008 by jacks
spelling error

[Orpheus]

Have to say Hello to all, and my all time favourite so far this year is "Trout" awesome LP's cruzzin round and round on my turntable only place that music goes these days.....forget the CD's

Jack, are your posts always this cryptic?

Are you talking about Schubert's "Trout" quintet, which is a delightful piece of music, and interesting for the inclusion of the Double Bass?

I'm not inclined to forget my CD player, BTW, it sounds better than my turntable, and has less distortion, less surface noise, and greater pitch stability (my CD player is a Plinius, my turntable a Rega Planar 3 with a Clearaudio virtuoso wood cartridge).

[jacks]

Hi, yes I am talking about Schuberts "Trout", and as I am only a beginner in this field, I have taken a real fancy to this one.

[hired goon]

G'day,

Currently spinning in my head all day: third movement (presto agitato) of Beethoven's Piano Sonata #14 in C Sharp Minor (or "Moonlight" to his friends). I just can't stop playing air-piano to the pounding chords and arpeggios in this piece (which may be why I got some odd looks on the bus on the way home this afternoon).

Mostly I am recalling Kempff's version, which is an economical 5:37 in length. Had a listen to a Brendel version, which was around 7:30 in length. I don't think the tempo is very different, but there's a whole section in the middle of Brendel's version which is missing from Kempff's. The Kempff is much more exciting, and Brendel seems to flub some of the chords as well. But then I listened to a Naxos recording of this sonata and it's also around 7:30 in length as well (though without some of the wild chords that Brendel uses).

So as much as I enjoy the Kempff, I wonder why it's missing some sections, and why there's so much variation on how it is played.

--Geoff

[Orpheus]

G'day,

Currently spinning in my head all day: third movement (presto agitato) of Beethoven's Piano Sonata #14 in C Sharp Minor (or "Moonlight" to his friends). I just can't stop playing air-piano to the pounding chords and arpeggios in this piece (which may be why I got some odd looks on the bus on the way home this afternoon).

Mostly I am recalling Kempff's version, which is an economical 5:37 in length. Had a listen to a Brendel version, which was around 7:30 in length. I don't think the tempo is very different, but there's a whole section in the middle of Brendel's version which is missing from Kempff's. The Kempff is much more exciting, and Brendel seems to flub some of the chords as well. But then I listened to a Naxos recording of this sonata and it's also around 7:30 in length as well (though without some of the wild chords that Brendel uses).

So as much as I enjoy the Kempff, I wonder why it's missing some sections, and why there's so much variation on how it is played.

--Geoff

Don't know the recording, but could it be a repeat that Kempff doesn't play?

[Orpheus]

Hi, yes I am talking about Schuberts "Trout", and as I am only a beginner in this field, I have taken a real fancy to this one.

AFter the Trout, try the piano trios, then the Death and the Maiden string quartet, then the string quintet in C, then try Quartet No 15, which is more difficult but also amazing.

Best recording of Death and the Maiden and Quartet No 15 probably still the Italian Quartet. Though there are many fine recordings of Death and the Maiden, including the Tokyo String Quartet (I think).

And you could also try the Unfinished Symphony, before tackling the Great (the Ninth).

[Keith_W]

And don't forget Schubert's Lieder. A good place to start would be the big 3 cycles - Winterreisse, Die Schone Mullerin, and Schwanengesang.

[jacks]

Well, it certainly appears that my homework is cut out for me....lots of listening to do.

[Orpheus]

And don't forget Schubert's Lieder. A good place to start would be the big 3 cycles - Winterreisse, Die Schone Mullerin, and Schwanengesang.

Yes, and you will find "the Trout" amongst the lieder. The second movement (from memory; it's the movement with variations).

Then you can have the song in mind when you listen to the quintet, as I do now.

[Geoffwiggle]

Hi all,

Last night I listened to a new CD of Guillame de Machaut's motets (Ensemble Musica Nova, on Zig Zag Territories). Machaut (1300-1377) was the most famous composer of his day. These 23 isorhythmic motets are astonishingly complex in their construction (arguably more complex than anything that followed until Boulez and Stockhausen), but when you listen to them they are just beautiful, sexy, funny and sad. The performances and recording are stunning - just beautiful singing, and the instrumental arrangements are great. On one track there was a slow gentle thump from a very deep bass drum, and I have never heard my room shudder so musically. Old 14th Century instruments are so colourful. This is definitely my new favourite CD.

This CD was a little difficult to get. There is a recording on Machaut's famous Messe de Notre Dame on Naxos that is well worth a listen, but it is not as varied, colourful and fun as the motets, which is hardly surprising since it was written for high mass.

I am currently exploring music from the 12th to 15th centuries, so I'll keep you posted on any other good recordings.

[Orpheus]

Hi all,

Last night I listened to a new CD of Guillame de Machaut's motets (Ensemble Musica Nova, on Zig Zag Territories). Machaut (1300-1377) was the most famous composer of his day. These 23 isorhythmic motets are astonishingly complex in their construction (arguably more complex than anything that followed until Boulez and Stockhausen), but when you listen to them they are just beautiful, sexy, funny and sad. The performances and recording are stunning - just beautiful singing, and the instrumental arrangements are great. On one track there was a slow gentle thump from a very deep bass drum, and I have never heard my room shudder so musically. Old 14th Century instruments are so colourful. This is definitely my new favourite CD.

This CD was a little difficult to get. There is a recording on Machaut's famous Messe de Notre Dame on Naxos that is well worth a listen, but it is not as varied, colourful and fun as the motets, which is hardly surprising since it was written for high mass.

I am currently exploring music from the 12th to 15th centuries, so I'll keep you posted on any other good recordings.

Where did you find it?

[Geoffwiggle]

Where did you find it?

I ordered it through my local CD shop, but I just did a search and it is available through amazon at

http://www.amazon.com/Guillaume-Machaut-Motets-Complete-Ensemble/dp/B00006RNHF

[Kevin]

Hi all,

Last night I listened to a new CD of Guillame de Machaut's motets (Ensemble Musica Nova, on Zig Zag Territories). Machaut (1300-1377) was the most famous composer of his day. These 23 isorhythmic motets are astonishingly complex in their construction (arguably more complex than anything that followed until Boulez and Stockhausen), but when you listen to them they are just beautiful, sexy, funny and sad. The performances and recording are stunning - just beautiful singing, and the instrumental arrangements are great. On one track there was a slow gentle thump from a very deep bass drum, and I have never heard my room shudder so musically. Old 14th Century instruments are so colourful. This is definitely my new favourite CD.

This CD was a little difficult to get. There is a recording on Machaut's famous Messe de Notre Dame on Naxos that is well worth a listen, but it is not as varied, colourful and fun as the motets, which is hardly surprising since it was written for high mass.

I am currently exploring music from the 12th to 15th centuries, so I'll keep you posted on any other good recordings.

Hi Geoff,

Another take on the Mauchet Motets - Hilliard Ensemble ECM - one of my favourite cds. Acapella - I will try to get the album you are referring to as it sounds quite different.

Kevin

[Geoffwiggle]

Hi Geoff,

Another take on the Mauchet Motets - Hilliard Ensemble ECM - one of my favourite cds. Acapella - I will try to get the album you are referring to as it sounds quite different.

Kevin

Hi Kevin, yeah I like the Hilliard ensemble, and i've got a lot of their recordings. So much so that I've tried recently to stop buying their recordings to give me a little variety. Having said that, last night I also listened to their justly famous Perotin disc from circa 1990. That performance and recording is a stupendous achievement. It's actually a good intro to medieval music for the newcomer because it sounds so much like Steve Reich, Phillip Glass et al.

[Kevin]

The Perotin is one of our Christmas discs, the first track is allegedly written for Christmas at Notre Dame in the late 12th century. - we had the incredible luck of being introduced to the Hilliards by the Part Miserere disc and the Perotin was the second. I was into Palestrina masses at that stage and the Perotin had the magic of a voice reaching through time. We then discovered Glass and Reich via the medieval voices.

Kevin

[Kevin]

Incidentally Geoff - Geoffwiggle - can we presume or is it an in joke.

Kevin

[Geoffwiggle]

Incidentally Geoff - Geoffwiggle - can we presume or is it an in joke.

Kevin

Sorry Kevin, I am not the soporific purple-shirted one. It is a nom-de-plume bestowed on me by my son who went through a rich 12-month stage in his imaginary life inspired by the Wiggles where he insisted on being called Murray (we even had to buy him a red toy guitar), and would only address me as Geoff. Given what I read about how much money those Wiggles earn (and good on them, I think they're great), if I was really Geoff my sound system would be a real whopper.

[davidsss]

Picked up a couple of classical LPs the other day:

Beethoven Symphony No7 Berlin Philharmonic, Wilhelm Furtwangler.

Beethoven Sonatas Artur Schnabel, a release through Great Recordings of the Century and performed in the 1930s so it would be interesting.

See how they go when I get a chance to listen to them.

DS

[Keith_W]

I know both of those discs you picked up intimately well, David ... I can vouch for their quality. Which piano sonatas did you get?

[davidsss]

It was Piano Sonatas 1 and 2. Probably won't get to listen to this for a week or two.

Tonight I listened to the Furtwangler Beethoven. There is a certain "old" quality to this. It is appreciably slower than Karajan and, in that sense, quite a different experience. The recording has less clarity, due, I think, to it's age. On balance I prefer the Karajan but this version of Beethoven's 7th gives a little more time to hear some of the less obvious instruments and music. Unfortunately I dropped the record and it hit the corner of a table and now has a scratch. Pity I'm so clumsy

I also listened to another record in the Vivaldi on original instruments box set I bought a while ago. A few concertos on this record and quite nice too. Sometimes this set just sounds like a normal rendering of Vivaldi and sometimes the old instruments are really noticeable. I enjoy it anyway. I find Vivaldi nice without being Mozartish

DS