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

Classy. 

Yes. Dr Blues agree on both counts. One of my all time favourite albums.

There is an awful lot of Graham's on the forum at the moment

Regards G

Hi - not yet, between household/family duties and top workload I haven't yet found the energy to go out on weekends, let alone convince management to come, too. But I am missing it.

EJ

Cosi fan Tutte, from EMI's justly celebrated Glyndebourne series. Not has famous as Haitink's Don Giovanni, but IMO just as good. One of the top recordings for this opera despite lack of big names.

Cheers,

EJ

Bloody well good!

Dear EJ,

I have always been curious about that Cosi! I used to have the Haitink Don, but preferred the 1936 Glyndbourne performance under Fritz Busch in that case.

I have the estimable - and superbly recorded as well - 1935 Glyndebourne set also under Fritz Busch. On CDs of course, though I used to have it on LPs before ...

I have never felt the need to get another version of Cosi. The original must have been a heavy investment - both weight-wise and financially - with over thirty sides of 78s! And each record costing just over five shillings. 

Not for poor people for sure. We don't know how lucky we are with CD pricing till you think back.

ATB from George

George, you will find a family resemblance between Busch and Haitink; there is an old-world charm and warmth without preciousness to both. Haitink's just slightly more foursquare in comparison I guess, but better played and recorded. Neither will give you the edgy commentary on society that doubtlessly was part of Mozart's intention - for that, go to Jacobs or Gardiner. 

Cheers,

EJ

For all the Graham/Graeme's!

Golden Graeme!

Regards Graham.

Dear EJ,

That was the trouble when I had both Haitink,and Busch on CDs. They were musically very similar. - similar pace, similar atmosphere - must be something about Glyndebourne, where one would not expect too much revolutionary atmosphere!

And yet I preferred the Busch. It was the one I used to play - in the Don of course. And yes it could be that Busch does lift the rhythms in a more Central European way. Haitink never felt leaden, but just that bit less light-footed. Of course the modern LPO played somewhat more securely than the old LSO, but for all that I found the very clear recording - almost total lack of ambient space round the players, which is right enough given the small orchestra pit at Glyndebourne - rather better than the slightly glassy effect of, I believe, Abbey Road for Haitink. The singers have a beautiful ambient on the Glyndebourne stage for Busch ....

But if I did not have the Busch first perhaps, I'd never have got it if I had had the Haitink!

I see that EMI are soon to release Klemperer's recordings of the Don and Figaro and these may be pre-ordered on Amazon.

Certainly I want Klemperer's undoubted trenchancy and stern-ness in the Don, where he is anything but nicey-nicey! I shall wait for it to be released before atually putting in the order. I wonder what on earth Klemperer might do with Figaro. Certainly the Overture cracks along with a very fast tempo, and is very well played, so perhaps Klemperer may see the smile in it! I have wanted both since the days of LP. but thought that with good recordings of both it was a luxury too far!

ATB from Gorge

Graham/Graeme,

Guess what my middle name is? 

Steve

Sue! Lol

G 

Hi George, we're discussing top recordings, here - whatever your preferred choice, you can't loose!

For the Don, I do definitely prefer Haitink: a bit of a problematic opera in that it can be made a comedy or a thriller, but some performances try both and that is generally not a good thing. Of all conductors, it is Haitink who cuts a very clear line (going for the thriller). So does Klemperer, but that one is heavy going to the point of solemnity - not least by having a dark bass (Ghiaurov) in the title role. By comparison, Haitink zips along and in the process provides both more menace and sympathy (IMO),

Cheers,

EJ

Just ordered a live et after playing this again.....G

Dear EJ,

I once heard the part when the Don is dragged off to Hell in the Klemperer performance. I think it was some of the most terrifying sounding music I have ever heard, when played that way. The Rite Of Spring seems synthetic in comparison.  For that alone, the ultra-budget issue from Klemperer will be worth listening to again. Critically I know that the performance is said to be male dominated.

Yesterday I got 39 Klemperer CDs including such amazing things as the Schumann Piano Concerto with Annie Fischer. Totally unexpected by me is that both Fischer and Klemperer take it in turns to play the straight man! Sometimes Klemperer is bringing back the tempo, and sometimes it is Fischer, but it is not a chaotic reading, but one that is clearly both planned and still spontaneous sounding. I'd call the most amazing Piano Concerto recording I have ever come across. It is a brilliant meeting of two great musical minds happy - each - to bend their playing and direction with the other. The orchestra play like angels. It must have been a good day that day in the studio.

Amazing to me is that this recording has barely seen the light of day since CDs. It is completely different to the trim performances from Solomon or Steven Bishop!

ATB from George

Vlad,

maybe Barriere is not very well-known but Bruno Cocset is a front-rank Early Music player.

He is just going to be mad here... (especially from 2'25")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_vrBLedI9E

Excellent music and record; it's on a white Alpha too.

To hear/see the Hammerklavier sonata performed by a musician like Sokolov is possibly once in a lifetime. A great shame to miss that, but then again, I fully appreciate that life is full of priorities.

Chords,

Thank you, marvellous clip! What joy and spirit in the performance! If I'd known this type of "classical" music had existed, I'd have been listening years ago.

Regards,

Vlad

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)

Airs de Lully transcrits pour clavecin par d'Anglebert

Kenneth Gilbert - harpsichord

Atys (parts of: Acts III & V)

Chœur et Orchestre

Les Arts Florissants

Direction: William Christie

recordings from 1987

Dies Irae, Grand Motet

Chœur et Orchestre

de la Chapelle Royale

Direction: philippe Herreweghe

recordings from 1984

Petits Motets: Omnes Gentes, Dixit Dominus

Les Arts Florissants

Direction: William Christie

recordings from 1987

CD - harmonia mundi (p) 1993

Anneke Van Giersbergen & Danny Cavanagh

Date: 28th of January 2013

Place: G18 Ballroom, Helsinki

http://offtherecord.fi/anneke-...rgen-danny-cavanagh/

Steve J, 

A bit ++ on the Taj Mahal album. I hadn't listened to this for probably a decade or two. ISTR that years ago I preferred 'Natch'l Blues' over this, but now I am not too sure...this as you say is formulaic but very authentic. Me like it. 

Ron 'Graham' Toolsie