What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XI)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 31 December 2014
On the cusp of 2015, we start a new thread...
Anyway, links:
Volume X: https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...-be-interested-vol-x
Volume IX: https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...16#22826037054683416
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
Recommended album
G
On CD:-
I've said this before, but Ashkenazy seems to still grow as musician, and old age seems hardly - if at all - to have slowed him down. In these works, some of Scriabin's best works, he is a sure guide, even in the smallest works hinting that the notes themselves only barely touch the surface of the music and story between and beneath them. The recorded sound is close, warm, luxurious and very realistic. Candidate for recording of the year, for me.
EJ
EJ, it looks like I may not be done yet. Depends whether this is an all new recording or just a re-release of older material. Can you confirm if this is a new recording?
Thanks,
Doug
All new recordings, Doug. Can't confirm whether it ended up in Decca's complete set, however.
EJ
Thanks EJ, I wasn't sure myself about the complete set what was used. Just had a quick look and they have made it very difficult to easily see what is what. You need to go through at least three steps to see who did what so I can't guarantee my accuracy now but it looks like the new recordings from Ashkenazy are as follows:
Op. 22, 45, 52, 57, 63, 69, 71, 72, 74
This might be a little less than half of the new disc you have.
Most everything on the complete set is pulling from older, well established recordings. The only new recordings on the set are the Ashkenazy (above) and Lisitsa filling in a lot of presumably unrecorded stuff and a handful of others like Anna Gourari etc.
So, record company's being record company's, they enjoy having some of us buy everything 2 or 3 times over. I will get this single new disc as I do want his Op. 42 and a few other things too. It's too bad that he didn't put a complete Op. 8 together here.
Streaming | Spotify Premium
Django Django | Django Django [2012]
Recommended album
Wow, I didn't know that existed! I've found it on the well known auction site and ordered it from Poland. How exciting.
The Decemberists' "What a terrible world, what a beautiful world".
I didn't know about this group before noticing the album cover in this thread which made me curious. Checked out their music at YouTube and promptly ordered this album - and it's great! I will most certainly buy their earlier releases.
Streaming | Spotify Premium
Donald Fagen - Sunken Condos [2012]
After a late afternoon session with early Byrds what else but...
and of course Feel A Whole Lot Better.
I like it
I've said this before, but Ashkenazy seems to still grow as musician, and old age seems hardly - if at all - to have slowed him down. In these works, some of Scriabin's best works, he is a sure guide, even in the smallest works hinting that the notes themselves only barely touch the surface of the music and story between and beneath them. The recorded sound is close, warm, luxurious and very realistic. Candidate for recording of the year, for me.
EJ
EJ, it looks like I may not be done yet. Depends whether this is an all new recording or just a re-release of older material. Can you confirm if this is a new recording?
Thanks,
Doug
All new recordings, Doug. Can't confirm whether it ended up in Decca's complete set, however.
EJ
Thanks EJ, I wasn't sure myself about the complete set what was used. Just had a quick look and they have made it very difficult to easily see what is what. You need to go through at least three steps to see who did what so I can't guarantee my accuracy now but it looks like the new recordings from Ashkenazy are as follows:
Op. 22, 45, 52, 57, 63, 69, 71, 72, 74
This might be a little less than half of the new disc you have.
Most everything on the complete set is pulling from older, well established recordings. The only new recordings on the set are the Ashkenazy (above) and Lisitsa filling in a lot of presumably unrecorded stuff and a handful of others like Anna Gourari etc.
So, record company's being record company's, they enjoy having some of us buy everything 2 or 3 times over. I will get this single new disc as I do want his Op. 42 and a few other things too. It's too bad that he didn't put a complete Op. 8 together here.
I've given up on completeness a long time ago, Doug 
EJ
CD
The more I play this, the more I like it. Best Eagles album I have.
To off-set a balmy-cold-grey day with the trumpet of Dusko Goyokovich:
Recommended album
Wow, I didn't know that existed! I've found it on the well known auction site and ordered it from Poland. How exciting.
The other Simply Acoustic trio disc is worth a listen as well.
Interesting. A few years back I bought the Reinbert de Leeuw Decca set for some of the rarer earlier works and was horrified by how slowly he took the classic stuff. After several listens I decided it wasn't the pace itself but the excessive rubato that tended to destroy any flow.
then this year I bought the Philip Corner Satie Slowly album, which is exactly that but played without the mannered breaks in tempi. It's greatly recommended (and 24 bit to boot!)
Here are the timing of Van Veen's Gymnopedies.
A1Gymnopédie No. 1[5:45]
A2Gymnopédie No. 2[4:31]
A3Gymnopédie No. 3[4:14]
vs. Philip Corner's Gymnopedies.
10. | First Gymnopédie 04:23 | |||
11. | Second Gymnopédie 03:38 | |||
12. | Third Gymnopédie 03:18 |
Here's de Leeuw's timing:
| Gymnopédies | ||
| 15 | No. 1 | 4:49 |
| 16 | No. 2 | 4:03 |
| 17 | No. 3 | 4:06 |
So Van Veen is still slower than either.
However, when it comes to Gnossiennes No.1, Corner's timing is unreal at whopping over 10 min!
Van Veen's Gnossiennes run a tad over 6 min.
I think Van Veen's tempo is just about my limit for slowness. Corner's Gnossiennes is almost at a blink of extinction!
In the mood for some Portugal. The Man.
Earlier: In The Mountain In The Cloud
Currently: Censored Colors
Back as a kid when I only had 3 albums, this was one of them.
