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

Original 1982 vinyl

In anticipation of tonight's final episode of The Returned on C4. Supernatural crime thriller set in a small Alpine village where a group of men, women and children do not yet know that they have been dead for several years...

Soundtrack by Mogwai on Vinyl. 

Vinyl

Ahmad Jamal "Rossiter Road"

some Sunday morning jazz

Different engineers make this Lugano recording a touch brighter than the past, but the program is always enjoyable.

I always find something I have never heard before played in a fresh live atmosphere.
As I try learning a chamber music, this is a good way for me to be exposed in small doses.

I agree Kuma.  I have all the Live from Lugano series as I found years ago there is always something valuable, interesting or surprising in every one of them - small scale to larger scale, the usual standards to rare & unknown/unusual, 21st century and even a Concerto thrown in sometimes.  Of course, it doesn't hurt to like or at least enjoy the Martha style.  It is sometimes dangerous though to hear only Martha's view of a work.  She is so convincing with her energetic style of playing and the way she pushes and pulls the music that after a while if that is your only reference to go on you may believe there is something lacking lacking in all other interpretations.

Schumann is a good example.  Last year I learnt the Fantasiestucke.  I listened to one of these Lugano recordings and it was all over.  Compared to many other recordings, everything sounds so natural and convincing until you look at the score and try to duplicate.  This is impossible as it also means your partner has to be a Maisky too.   Good chamber music ensemble is like a great marriage where you can rely on your partner(s) to understand and anticipate what you are going to do.  I often think that playing with Argerich would be one of the scariest things on earth (next to being a page turner) as you probably never know what to expect as she keeps everything on the edge all the time.  Maisky (and her Friends here) can match this and there are very few who can blend in and keep up with Martha.  

Earl Klugh & Bob James "Two Of A Kind"

smooth

Originally Posted by kuma:

Different engineers make this Lugano recording a touch brighter than the past, but the program is always enjoyable.

I always find something I have never heard before played in a fresh live atmosphere.
As I try learning a chamber music, this is a good way for me to be exposed in small doses.

I agree Kuma.  I have all the Live from Lugano series as I found years ago there is always something valuable, interesting or surprising in every one of them - small scale to larger scale, the usual standards to rare & unknown/unusual, 21st century and even a Concerto thrown in sometimes.  Of course, it doesn't hurt to like or at least enjoy the Martha style.  It is sometimes dangerous though to hear only Martha's view of a work.  She is so convincing with her energetic style of playing and the way she pushes and pulls the music that after a while if that is your only reference to go on you may believe there is something lacking lacking in all other interpretations.

 

Schumann is a good example.  Last year I learnt the Fantasiestucke.  I listened to one of these Lugano recordings and it was all over.  Compared to many other recordings, everything sounds so natural and convincing until you look at the score and try to duplicate.  This is impossible as it also means your partner has to be a Maisky too.   Good chamber music ensemble is like a great marriage where you can rely on your partner(s) to understand and anticipate what you are going to do.  I often think that playing with Argerich would be one of the scariest things on earth (next to being a page turner) as you probably never know what to expect as she keeps everything on the edge all the time.  Maisky (and her Friends here) can match this and there are very few who can blend in and keep up with Martha.  

I had the pleasure of meeting Martha Argerich a few weeks ago. She played Beethoven 1 at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. Fantastic playing. Stunning in every way. 

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Nikolai Demidenko (Piano)

Fantasia, Adagio and Fugue

     Fantasia (BWV 906)

     Adagio (from BWV 968)

     Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel, BWV 617

     Durch Adams fall ist ganz verderbt, BWV 637 / BWV 705

     In dir ist Freude, BWV 615

     Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, BWV 665

Chaconne (from Partita no. 2 for Violin solo in D minor) BWV 1004

Ten years span the time between the Bach Piano Transcription Volume 1 and 2.  Demidenko the pianist as well as Busoni was the transcriber for both.  A lot can change in ten years and the obvious thing you will hear differently between these two is the change in the piano Demidenko chose - Steinway then vs Fazioli now.  I wonder if this wasn't the recording that Demidenko first started recording Fazioli?  The thing I hear in Fazioli is its very pointed tone.  Not sure how else to describe it.  Very little overtone or color but just a clear, neutral focus on a tone.

It shows in the recording.  Demidenko is able to clearly control the texture and keep the reins pulled on any superfluous emotion in the music which is like the argument solved of no vibrato vs vibrato.  The Chaconne, for example, is a marvellous study of control and discipline which makes it overall the product of clear intellect over emotion.

Busoni was clearly the imperialist when it came to transcriptions.  You can see in the selections how he had no troubles combining works together to make a new one or even finishing unfinished works.  I personally do not get offended by these liberties taken.  I know the difference between real Bach originals and those who in the ultimate form of compliment show us different ways that this music can serve us and bring joy.  Let's view music as a living entity rather than try to recreate a snapshot taken long ago.

Overall, another interesting recording from Demidenko and a good recording from Hyperion.

Ido Bar-Shai, piano

Sunday afternoon reggae.

 Vinyl

Roy Ayers Ubiquity "Vibrations"

jazz/funk/soul

On Vinyl

Dan, you lucky guy.  Welcome back from dead.  It's been a while since seeing your name.  Back from a time when we seemed to have more discussions about music and they were mostly alway interesting and sometimes even heated....

Regards,

Doug

JJ Cale

On an A1 press vinyl

Beastie Boys  Check Your Head

Originally Posted by Florestan:

Maisky (and her Friends here) can match this and there are very few who can blend in and keep up with Martha.

I agree that next to Martha, almost every one sounds a tad pale but I think she has learnt to play well with others.

I was marveled at Capçon brothers for keeping up with Martha!, too.

Dan,

I am envious you got to hear her alive. I hope she'll come around in the State side one of these days. She has played the Beethoven PC1 at Lugano, so I am looking forward to hear that when the CD comes out next year. It must be her favourite program as she has recorded many times.

The most frustrating set of Beethoven sonatas in the catalogue. Fischer is one of piano's all time greats, but she was by all accounts not happy in the recording studio. Her complete set was taped over a very long period in short takes, and all of that comes through clearly. Most sonatas miss a sense of line, and sound disjointed with sloppy transitions within and between movements. Ambiance and sound quality also vary within movements, and the general recording quality is not good for the late 70s. Her Bösendorfer sounds slightly boxy, short of breath and out of tune, and the different voicing of its high and low registers, its 'signature' sound if you will, is not reproduced very clearly. Ms. Fischer uses a lot of sustaining pedal and overall, often doesn't let us know what the fuss is about. And then, sometimes fleetingly and occasionally for whole movements, the clouds part and there is a radiance that few, if any, have matched.

Cheers,

EJ

And yet no-one else approaches Saint Annie!

Flawed yes, but still better than anything else in my view. The music is so difficult that perfect performances are an unreasonable expectation!

ATB from George

PS: My previous set was from Schnabel, and this was even less consistent!

George, I beg to differ. I wouldn't dream of putting down Annie Fischer (she was as hot as Argerich at her fiery best), but I find this specific set to be quite mediocre - musically as well as technically - with sparks of brilliance that show us what might have been. And Annie knew it, she tried to stop its issue for as long as she could.

Cheers,

EJ