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

Before I go off to work, this, my favourite album of the year so far, on vinyl:

...didn't even remember I had this one, I think my first spin ...?

Mick Abrahams Band - "At Last" and Chicago 2.

But Clarence White was an amazing guitar player - worth it for him!

Last act of Die Walküre

Cheers,

EJ

They were once a rock band ...

on 80's re-issue vinyl.

A long long time will pass before the Eagles will be again remembered for what they did best: good, friendly, cheerful, more or less authentic and memorable country rock. Okay, forget 'memorable'. Not even a single tune on here, apart from maybe 'Witchy Woman' which isn't country rock at all, is memorable, and that's one of the Eagles' worst problems: everything they do from the very beginning is so slick and formulaic, and all the hooks are so damn predictable and abused many times before, that this record will flow out of your head as smoothly as it flowed in. But what the hell - while it's there, it's enjoyable, and it makes for some excellent background music. To an extent, this is the band's best album, p'raps, it's just that it's way too unremarkable even for the Eagles.

James Taylor "Greatest Hits, Volume 2"

The title of the piece "Le Poisson Reveur" (the dreamy fish) sums up the music pretty well, sounding so good on an early calm morning.

Again the last act, from Karajan's set. I like it, but - and I was surprised again by this - I prefer Levine by a wide margin. Thomas Stewart is a young and angry Wotan, not in James Morris' league.

Followed by:

Morris again, and even a bit better than for Levine. Haitink also benefits from a better group of valkyries and some of his best conducting ever. The one caution of this set is the Brünnhilde of Eva Marton. She emotes well and has a large and intrinsically beautiful voice - but under pressure she develops an ungainly wobble. In this Walküre it isn't very bad, but her contributions to Siegfried and Götterdämmerung take some getting used to.

Cheers,

EJ

Brett Anderson "Black Rainbows"

It's a warm day 

Because it is...

Hot summer day (Hot summer day)
Carry me along
To its end 
Where I begin
Long summer dreams (Long summer dream)
Sliding round my mind
And they end 
Where they begin

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Helmut Walcha on the organ from St. Laurenskerk in Alkmaar (1956)

Couldn't find a new looking cover as mine came from this wonderful Archiv Produktion new set.  As for my vinyl purchases since returning home again a year and a half ago this is definately one of my favourite and most treasured so far.  I've only listened to this Walcha so far this morning but this box simply represents the kind of music in one box that gives me so much pleasure and that I seek in vinyl and that which is hard to find these days.  1956 - 1982 also  represents the most prolific and exciting time period for recordings of my favourite music that I listen to.  So long as I don't walk out the front door and have my illusions crushed, staying inside while listening to this I am transported back to a better time...

This weekends playlist will surely include all 5 LP's here:

1.LP 1956 - Helmut Walcha spielt Bach: Toccata & Fuge d-moll BWV 565;Triosonaten BWV 526 & 530;Präludium & Fuge BWV 547
2.LP 1959 - Bach: Kanaten BWV 51 "Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen" & BWV 202 "Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten" (Peter Schreier, Maria Stader, Edith Mathis, Münchener Bach Orchester, Karl Richter)
3.LP 1965 - Muffat: Suite Nr. 8 "Indissolubilis amicitia" aus Florilegium II;Concerto 1 aus "Exquisitioris harmoniae instrumentalis gravi-jucundae" (Concentus musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt)
4.LP 1978 - Rebel: Tombeau de Monsieur Lully;Marais: La Sonnerie de Sainte-Genevieve du mont de Paris (Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel)
5.LP 1982 - Händel: Concerti grossi op. 6 Nr. 9-12 (The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock)

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Christine Busch (Violin)

Sonata for Violin solo no 1 in G minor, BWV 1001

Partita for Violin solo no 1 in B minor, BWV 1002

Sonata for Violin solo no 2 in A minor, BWV 1003 

Partita for Violin solo no 2 in D minor, BWV 1004

Sonata for Violin solo no 3 in C major, BWV 1005

A wonderful recording from Christine Busch.  She plays on an 18th century baroque violin probably made in South Germany or Tirol.  Her bow was made by Ken Cameron in England but modelled after a baroque bow model around 1730.

Van Morrison "Beautiful Vision"

Some blues on this dreary morning ...

Frederic Mompou:  Arcadi Volodos

Prelude Nr. VII (Palmier d'etoiles)

Damunt de tu nomes les flors (Mompou / Volodos)

Kinderszenen

Hoy la tierra y los cielos me sonrien (Mompou / Volodos)

El lago (Le lac) (No. 2 from Paisages)

...pour appeler la joie (No. 6 from Charmes)

Prelude XII

Dialogues 2

Dialogues 1

Musica callada I Angelico

Musica callada II Lent

Musica callada XXVII Lento molto

Musica callada XXIV Moderato

Musica calladaXXV

Musica callada XI Allegretto

Musica callada XV Lento - plaintif

Musica callada XXII Molto lento e tranquilo

Musica callada XVI Calme

Musica callada VI Lento

Musica callada XXI Lento

Mompou can be difficult music to understand.  For me it falls in the category of you either get it or you don't with this fine line in between; their is no middle ground.  Like maybe Medtner, it takes some work and patience to find it as the beauty lies not on the surface.

The wonderful notes and quotes of Mompou with this album go a long way to describe and illustrate this man.  As Volodos writes "He was a shy and solitary personality.  He had a humble and modest outward appearance that concealed an enlightened soul.  Throughout his oeuvre, the composer seems to have been searching for the utmost purity and simplification of musical resources."

Mompou quotes:

"This music contains neither air nor light.  It is a weak heartbeat.  It is not asked to arrive at more than some millimetres of space, but it has the mission to penetrate to the depths of our soul and the most secret corners of our spirit."

"I believe that the true interpreter, the true artist, has the rights to the work he is playing.  Here you have the music: what does it suggest to you?  What feeling does it convey?"

I think I have heard mainly three other interpretations of Mompou, namely, Tharaud, Hough, Lin.  All are very nice.  This one from Volodos is impressing on me the most though in guiding my understanding and thoughts on Mompou.  

El lago has been a piece that when I heard it years ago (Tharaud) I had an instantaneous connection with.  I have worked on and play this piece because of this.  Volodos offers one amazing interpretation here.  The distinction between silence and sound layers is remarkable.  In the opening and closing section there are a few bars where Mompou adds some highlighted notes (marked tenuto) with the continuing texture and the character Volodos gives these are extraordinary.  In effect, he perfectly illustrates the illusion of creating three distinct layers or qualities of sound within the music.  Breathtakingly beautiful...

A Volodos transcription:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?f...ge&v=3UvhZaKkyDc

Tori Amos "Under The Pink"

Andrew Bird - Hands of Glory

This has gotten a lot of play the last few weeks.

Doug

I consider Javier Perianes' Mompou to be my favourite.

Have you ever heared it?

I prefer his to Volodos'.

Great set and the dynamics on 'Under the Boardwalk' are just phenomenal. G

Lost In The Trees - A Church That Fits Our Needs

Good album from a local band.