What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol.IX)

Posted by: Richard Dane on 01 January 2013

With 2013 upon us, it's time to start a fresh thread.  I've gone back to an earlier thread title because often the "why" is the most interesting part of the post.

Anyway, links:
Volume VIII: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...nt/12970396056050819
Volume VII: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...6878604287751/page/1
Volume VI: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878604097229
Volume V: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878605140495
Volume IV: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878605795042
Volume III: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878607309474
Volume II: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878606245043
Volume I: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878607464290

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Bert Schurink
Originally Posted by EJS:

 

Walked into one of these old fashioned things called 'record shop' earlier today, and happened across this new issue of the Beethoven violin sonatas. 

 

Cheers,

 

EJ

Hi EJ,

 

Hope you are ok with me responding to your post recently, haven't heard this one yet...but the below one gives me a lot of pleasure in listening:

 

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by EJS
Originally Posted by Bert Schurink:
Originally Posted by EJS:

 

Walked into one of these old fashioned things called 'record shop' earlier today, and happened across this new issue of the Beethoven violin sonatas. 

 

Cheers,

 

EJ

Hi EJ,

 

Hope you are ok with me responding to your post recently, haven't heard this one yet...but the below one gives me a lot of pleasure in listening:

 

 

Hi Bert, I was out of the Beethoven violin sonatas for a while, and missed the recordings by Capucon and Faust, both apparently very good. This music is really hard to get right on records - I had Seiler/Immerseel for a brief while but ultimately was disappointed by its matter-of-factness. I love the quirky Mutter/Orkis live recordings, and am happy to report that Kavakos/Pace offer up a similar inventiveness. We're far from the - by comparison - straight Kremer/Argerich here, and a world away from Grumiaux.

 

Good selection of the Four Last Songs, you have there, too! Te Kanawa is too often overlooked these days, time to spin her Contessa one of these days.

 

Cheers,

 

EJ

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Bert Schurink

I again put this one on...... will have to return to some serious jazz soon :-)

 

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by VladtheImpala
Originally Posted by EJS:
Originally Posted by Bert Schurink:
Originally Posted by EJS:

 

Walked into one of these old fashioned things called 'record shop' earlier today, and happened across this new issue of the Beethoven violin sonatas. 

 

Cheers,

 

EJ

Hi EJ,

 

Hope you are ok with me responding to your post recently, haven't heard this one yet...but the below one gives me a lot of pleasure in listening:

 

 

Hi Bert, I was out of the Beethoven violin sonatas for a while, and missed the recordings by Capucon and Faust, both apparently very good. This music is really hard to get right on records - I had Seiler/Immerseel for a brief while but ultimately was disappointed by its matter-of-factness. I love the quirky Mutter/Orkis live recordings, and am happy to report that Kavakos/Pace offer up a similar inventiveness. We're far from the - by comparison - straight Kremer/Argerich here, and a world away from Grumiaux.

 

Good selection of the Four Last Songs, you have there, too! Te Kanawa is too often overlooked these days, time to spin her Contessa one of these days.

 

Cheers,

 

EJ

The Faust/Melinkov set is bringing me a lot of listening pleasure. I'm also quite enjoying the Ibragimova/Tiberghien Wigmore live recording.

 

Vlad

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by matt podniesinski

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by ewemon
Posted on: 27 February 2013 by ewemon
Posted on: 27 February 2013 by teww

Folder

 

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by BigH47

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Quad 33

Two from this evening.

 

 

Both on original vinyl

 

Graham

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by matt podniesinski

Vinyl.

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Blueknowz

On Silver Arrived in the post today!

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by matt podniesinski

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by DrMark

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by matt podniesinski

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by kuma

 

Perahia's Schubert Sonata D959

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Haim Ronen

 

You would not expect such an emotional impact from Etudes but this Schumann recording never fails to move me in a much deeper way than most sonatas and preludes do.

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Florestan

300:  Ingolf Wunder (Piano) 

 

1. Sonata for Harpsichord in D major, K 333/L 269 by Domenico Scarlatti 
2. Sonata for Piano no 13 in B flat major, K 333 (315c) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 
3. Berceuse for Piano in D flat major, B 154/Op. 57 by Frédéric Chopin 
4. Valse Fantaisie, Op.49 by Raoul Koczalski 
5. Waltz Fantasy for Piano in B minor, Op. 49 by Raoul Koczalski 
6. Csárdás macabre for Piano, S 224 by Franz Liszt 
7. Suite bergamasque: 3rd movement, Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy 
8. Tale of Tsar Saltan: Suite, Op. 57 - Flight of the bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov 
9. Preludes (10) for Piano, Op. 23: no 5 in G minor, Alla marcia by Sergei Rachmaninov 
10. Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 8: no 12 in D sharp minor by Alexander Scriabin 
11. Characteristic Pieces (8), Op. 36: no 6, Etincelles by Moritz Moszkowski 
12. Danse excentrique by Vladimir Horowitz 
13. Sonata for Piano no 11 in A major, K 331 (300i): 3rd movement, Rondo alla turca by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  (Arrangement: Arcadi Volodos)
14. Playing Love by Ennio Morricone 
15. Star Wars, Episode 4 - A New Hope: Main Theme by John T. Williams

 

Ingolf Wunder's new album 300 is a bit of a novelty I guess.  Trouble is I do not usually care for novelties.  In general, he offers a mixed bag - some of it works and some of it doesn't work - covering a period of time from Scarlatti to John Williams.  In the opening Scarlatti and Mozart, for example, he will please those who can be fully satisfied from a straight reading of seemingly, well, playing the notes straight.  Somehow, vast new worlds are found this way where insight abounds -uhg.  Alas, there is no sparkle or lyricism to be found, for instance (kind of like Pollini, ahem) and of course, I can only take so much of this view.  All in all, this seems to be a marketed album who target market is not old grumpy, curmudgeons like me.  To be fair he does come to life occasionally but I hope his next album has a more specific goal or focus (ie. Chopin Preludes or Bach Partitas etc.) on a set of something.

 

I haven't seen this available in vinyl either.  I guess Kuma and I didn't buy enough copies of his excellent first all Chopin DGG album?

 

 

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by matt podniesinski

 

On vinyl.

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Haim Ronen

Doug,

 

I have real difficulties with Tharaud's "Le Boef sur le Toit". I don't know if it is me or the boef but I am left with the impression that the guy is just skimming a surface without achieving any depth.

What is your impression?

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Florestan

Liszt Recital:  Polina Leschenko (Piano) 

 

1. Preludes and Fugues (6) of JS Bach for Piano, S 462: no 1 in A minor, BWV 543 by Franz Liszt 

2. Partita for Violin solo no 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: 5th movement, Chaconne by Johann Sebastian Bach (Arranger: Ferruccio Busoni)
3. Paraphrase on a Waltz from Gounod's "Faust", S 407 by Franz Liszt 
4. Sonata for Piano in B minor, S 178 by Franz Liszt 

Here is a disc by Polina Leschenko that would probably scare the uninitiated or maybe the listener who simply wants a standard, middle of the road version to be comfortable with now and forever.  I find artists like Leschenko simply fascinating.  She gives me a reason to listen and get excited about something.  She is unpredictable and daring.  She has a wild imagination and if you can hang on for the ride and even get just a tiny glimpse of a different world she can take you to you will be the better for it.
 
I find her refreshing and she gets me thinking about the music like many can not.  It's hard to explain except that her playing is anything but conventional.  While the Bach Fugue is certainly faster than I would prefer she brings about a new sound world and vision as a result.  She has a way of bringing out passages that I'm so familiar with but making them unique and sound like this is brand new music.  There are wild changes in tempo, sudden changes from legato to staccato or changes in the character of her touch and voicing.  A pedalled section may suddenly become percussive.  I think the effect is very moving and profound at times. 
 
Being a protégé of Martha Argerich might be the easy way to convey or explain her style (or musical philosophy) but of course, she does quite clearly have her own style very much.  No, you won't get a grand vision like a dusty old master but you get an exciting, individualistic reading full of lucidity and an obvious desire to bring about a joy in making music.

 

 

 

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by matt podniesinski

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Florestan
Originally Posted by Haim Ronen:

Doug,

 

I have real difficulties with Tharaud's "Le Boef sur le Toit". I don't know if it is me or the boef but I am left with the impression that the guy is just skimming a surface without achieving any depth.

What is your impression?

Haim,

I really think this is intentional and might be the point.  For me, it feels just right and it isn't a serious album.  I don't think the music of this period and context could be or should be anything different (or at least I didn't have other expectations)?  It is generally lighter music and I didn't expect more than a nice diversion from time to time when I listen.  I guess it is so different than what I normally listen to and I found it very refreshing.  Different strokes I guess...

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by kuma
 

Originally Posted by Florestan:

 Ingolf Wunder's new album 300 is a bit of a novelty I guess.  Trouble is I do not usually care for novelties.  In general, he offers a mixed bag - some of it works and some of it doesn't work - covering a period of time from Scarlatti to John Williams.  In the opening Scarlatti and Mozart, for example, he will please those who can be fully satisfied from a straight reading of seemingly, well, playing the notes straight.  Somehow, vast new worlds are found this way where insight abounds -uhg.  Alas, there is no sparkle or lyricism to be found, for instance (kind of like Pollini, ahem) and of course, I can only take so much of this view.  All in all, this seems to be a marketed album who target market is not old grumpy, curmudgeons like me.  To be fair he does come to life occasionally but I hope his next album has a more specific goal or focus (ie. Chopin Preludes or Bach Partitas etc.) on a set of something.

 

I haven't seen this available in vinyl either.  I guess Kuma and I didn't buy enough copies of his excellent first all Chopin DGG album?

 

I was curious about this second album but I did some listening via YouTube and when I have heard that  stupid John William thing I went *augh* also. 

 

It is a Smörgåsbord of tune choices and I agree wish he picked a composer. ( like the last one )

 

I do not see much similarity between he and Pollini as you hear, tho.

 

I am going to pick album up if it was going to be released in vinyl for tht *novelty* value.

 

Posted on: 27 February 2013 by Chords

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgUD2v8TimY

"Of all the arts, music invites scholarly discipline since it is functionally pure, structurally scientific and readily notated. today, acadmic research underpins the the re-creation of early music. This CD comprises the tablature of Amerbach of Basel, 1513-32"