What are you listening to right now? (VOL II)

Did you see them last night Steve? I thought they were really good.

quote:

Originally posted by MilesSmiles:
Since you're going all classical on me we should book some tickets at the Opera with Mrs Lontano and Mrs MilesSmiles soon.

It all depends on the timing. Nothing much coming up at the Opera House May or June.

Excellent follow up album to their successful debut. Leading European jazz sounding wonderfully atmospheric on my system. Recommended.

New double live album from Kurt Rosenwinkel - The Remedy live at the Village Vanguard. Very good. Available only though Artist Share. If you buy the CD, you get a good quality download made available to you whilst you wait for the disc to arrive.
[img=http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/1489/theremedycovernq4.th.jpg]

Has been a mixture of Master & Commander soundtrack, Boccherini guitar quintets, a Cumbia sampler from Discos Fuentes, Andy Palacio and now Levon Helm's Dirt Farmer.

It's nice to be home and around, if not always in front of the system. As good as the ipod and car system are, you know where the money's gone with the main rig.

Was:



Kubelik and the Berlin Phil playing Dvorak's 4th symphony.


About to be:



The final volume of Paul Lewis's Beethoven sonata cycle. Well, until he records the Diabelli Variations in 2009. I'll start with the op.10 sonatas.

regards, Tam

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:
About to be:



The final volume of Paul Lewis's Beethoven sonata cycle.

Tam,

I tried to buy this myself today but they had sold out everywhere here in Sydney. I thought vols 1 - 3 were marvellous so have high hopes for this finale. Hope you enjoy.

Here, released on Linn records Mackerras and Mozart - Symphonies 40 and 41

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:
Here, released on Linn records Mackerras and Mozart - Symphonies 40 and 41

It is superb. I recently had the privilege to hear them play 38 live (I would have heard 39-41 last year but Mackerras had to cancel the concert that followed the recording session).

Mackerras and the SCO are, in my view one of those particularly special combinations of conductor and orchestra where both perform above par for each other. There are a number of other quite special recordings worth checking out. Also on Linn is a Mozart Requiem. Most of the rest are on Telarc including the Mozart Horn Concerti, they have also done most of the Mozart operas, a superb set of the Brahms symphonies. They have also recorded many of the Mozart piano concerti with Alfred Brendel (these on Philips), the disc of 12 and 17 is particularly special. Their Fidelio is excellent and their performances of the Beethoven symphonies in 2006 were stunning. The recording (on Hyperion) is a pale shadow, owing to substandard engineering, but still very compelling.

Lastly, their disc of Schubert's 8th and 9th symphonies is, I think, a must.


As to Paul Lewis, I first discovered him when I attended his performance of the Hammerklavier at the Queen's Hall, I had missed the first three concerts of the cycle but caught the remaining 3. The CDs don't quite have the fire of the live ones (or the other concerts that were broadcast here on Radio 3) but are not the less very good.

These op.10 seem some of the best releases to date, I can tell why they're sold out. Apparently he plans to record the concerti next (it would be a dream come true if he did them with Mackerras and the SCO but I don't think that's the plan).


regards, Tam

Before starting with all the weekend chores.

Earlier Five Pomp and circumstance Marches by Elgar, and next the Enigma Variations.

LPO under Boult for HMV from 1953 [Variations] and 1955. These are splendid performances, which come from seemingly another age in terms of the way they are played. At once quick-silver to the variegated colours and emotions in the music, and yet relaxed in a way that is now well and truly passed as this relaxation is not related to the modern trend of merely going slower! The recordings are long since deleted. The LPs were released in 1983 as a re-issue to comemorate Boult's 94th birthday, but he died a month too soon. They cry out for commercial release on CD, as the other Boult recordings from this time have been, including Faltsaff and the First Symphony, on Testamant.

The Enigma is the finest traversal I know of on records. I have this carefully transfered to CD from those old LPs, and wish that I could get soemthing without the usual LP frustrations involved, such as the end of side scrable that is inevitable with this sort of music!

George

All On the Black Stuff

The Doors - The Doors

From:
The Doors Vinyl Box (180-Gram LPs) [BOX SET] [LIMITED EDITION]
The Doors (Artist)

quote:

Originally posted by MilesSmiles:

quote:

Originally posted by bishopla:
Next for comparison:

Morrison Hotel - The Doors

From this:

The Doors Vinyl Box (180-Gram LPs) [BOX SET] [LIMITED EDITION]
The Doors

So what's the verdict?
Cheers ... Oliver

Oliver,

Both are very fine indeed. I find IMO the Japanese Import a bit warmer. The new reissue has better separation/detail and tighter bass. I need a couple more spins though. I’m currently listening to the first album and “Light My Fire” just came on as I’m typing this reply and this song alone may be worth the price of the entire box set (I found the best price on Amazon US $145.00 sealed Limited edition my no. is 463). The detail is stunning. I would say the LP is a little better then the HDCD which is the only copy I have to compare. I think it is well worth $20.00 US per LP.

Cheers,
Larry

Buddy Holly-Greatest Hits.

Ace of Hearts label mono 1967

Mozart Serenades, perfect music for an early summer evening

Earlier today a K.D.Lang-fest (well, the 3 albums by her that I own!)..........


Ingenue


All You Can Eat


Invincible Summer

Mark

This evening.......


Portishead - Third. The jury's still out on this one.....


Seth Lakeman - Kitty Jay. Just great!

Mark

Not sure if this was Wilhelm Kempff's last recording on DG? He would have been around 80 years old when it was made and includes 13 of his own transcriptions that he mostly made when as a young lad in the early 1900's. The Menuet in g minor from Georg Friedrich Haendel alone is such a testament to Kempff's musicality. It is amazing how he creates such an effortless flow and legato. Sounds very simply but very difficult to play; very few can duplicate Kempff's style.